#2 INVENTION: (do after invention)
What a day! I lay here on a soggy cot in a make-shift hotel with my sisters and mother. I'm exhausted. We worked all day making an invention to sell in Seattle. It's really just another gimmick. We worked to create an automatic gold pan. It can find gold 50 feet below the permafrost and pull it up into the pan. It has a magnet built in it. We're selling it for $10. If people want two they can get two for a deal — only $15. We designed an advertisement to help get people interested in buying the product. We need to make a lot of money from our gimmick to help us buy our supplies. I hear a complete outfit can cost up to $500. Mother didn't get a lot of money for our farm. So, we're here in Seattle trying to sell this thing that we don't even think works. We saw someone on the street today selling evaporated eggs — just another gimmick. It turned out to be just yellow cornmeal. Other people were trying to sell stock in a gopher company claiming that gophers were trained to find gold underground. I don't believe it! There was another group of people working on a strange invention — an ice bicycle. Crazy idea! But it sure would make our journey easier. Someone even created a cliff climbing boot to make the hike easier. I'm so tired from all our hard work. I sure hope we will sell enough gold pans to make money for our supplies. We'll be back on the streets again tomorrow trying to sell our pans. Wish us luck!

#3 SHOPPING FOR SUPPLIES (do after shopping day)
Mother spent close to $500 today. All in just one day! We shopped for supplies. We bought....

#4 BOAT RIDE TO SKAGWAY (do after lesson)
This is nothing like I imagined. I'm here on board the Island crammed with hundreds of passengers and pack animals. We're headed for Skagway. I imagined our journey to be more pleasant. However, it's been a nightmare so far. Our journey is off to a rough start. All I hear around me are cries and howls from the horses and dogs below. They crammed the horses below deck. They're so close together that they can't move. They can't even lie down. They're crammed close to the hot engine. I think their yelps are yelps of pain as they are pressed up against the hot engines. The food on board is terrible. The galley only holds 65 people. We're starving! Yesterday our ship ran out of its water supply. We've resorted to drinking ketsup. Our people are dying of thirst! The ship is so crowded that some are standing on the rafters while others sleep on lifeboats. A disgusting stench lurks throughout the ship. I can't escape it. I'm not sure if I can bare another day of this. Although some of my buddies have taken it upon themselves to try and have a good time despite the terrible circumstances. They're holding boxing matches, poker games, sing alongs and exercise classes. Maybe I'll join in tomorrow. I just can't imagine it will help me feel better about this trip. I'm lying here with my piles of supplies exhausted and covered in coal dust. It's layered throughout the ship. I never dreamed in all my life that I would ever do something like this. I can't wait to hit the trails. We arrive in Skagway soon I hope. I'm not sure I can take any more of this. I hope this is the worst of it.

#5 ARRIVAL INTO SKAGWAY
Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse-we arrived into Skagway. Our ship was too big to dock in the canal so we've anchored in the bay. Canoes, rafts, and rowboats are meeting us. The crew is dumping our supplies overboard. I don't think I"ll ever find my stuff. They're even dumping horses and pack animals into the icy water forcing them to swim ashore. This is just the beginning and it doesn't look good. Skagway is a makeshift town filled with muddy roads and white tents. There are rickety shacks that line the streets. I don't think we'll stay here long. We have to find our supplies first. When we do — we're not sticking around here. Every minute wasted is a pan of gold gone! I want to be the first to Dawson. We need to be the first- to find Uncle Henry. So, once we find all of our supplies we're hittin' the trails. Wish us luck!

#6 REASONS TO TAKE THE CHILKOOT PASS (do after debate)
Today we decided to take the Chilkoot Pass. Tomorrow I'll begin my hourney. It's a popular route and much better than white pass. It's a shorter route and has a good rest area called sheep camp. There are road houses, makeshift hotels, and restaurants along the way. That's good news! We can eat for cheap at night after a long days work. I heard that someone carved stairs into the snow. That'll surely make it easier for us to haul our load up the pass. They call it the "Golden Stairs." Unfortunately, the sourdough is charging a toll for people to use it. Another advantage is that I can slide back down the pass to get my next load. Sounds like fun huh? I'm really glad that we agreed to take the Chilkoot. White Pass sounds terrible. It's nicknamed the "Dead Horse Trail" for a reason. Pack animals and horsed lie dead along the way. Roads are blocked with dead animals and it stinks of it, too. There are bandits and thieves along the way. Although it's not as cold as the Chilkoot, it's really steep and dangerous. It's a 2,500 mile walk and if the road is blocked the wait can be deadly. The mudholes are torturehorses die in them. The boulders are deadly, too! But, not as deadly as the blizzards. I sure am glad I'm not taking White Pass. I can't wait to get started and hit the trails. Wish us luck. I'm sure it won't be easy. But, it'll get us that much closer to Dawson. We can't give up now. Add maps after this entry into journals and highlight route to Dawson.

#7 JOURNEY UP THE CHILKOOT PASS (do after obstacle course)
We made our first trip up to the summit today. It was hard work but fun. We're gathered at Sheep Camp eating supper at a make-shift restaurant. Stampeders are milling about everwhere. We've made some new friends. Everyone is so friendly. Well not everyone. I heard a rumor that someone paid a guy $5 to watch his outfit and upon his return he found some of his stuff gone. There are a lot of conartists around here-ya gotta watch your back. Lots of shady characters wanting to make their wealth before reaching Dawson. Some people have hired Indians to help carry their loads. I wish I had extra money to hire some help. It's a difficult journey. Tomorrow we'll try and do two trips up the summit. I carried 10 pounds. It'll take me 200 trips to get all 2,000 pounds of supplies up to the summit. Looks like Lake Bennett will be the easy part. We'll have to wait and see.

#8 LAKE BENNETT-MAKING BOATS (do after making boats)
We're at Lake Bennett now. Everywhere you look there are people building boats. It doesn't look easy! I heard that friendships have been ruined here. There's a lot of yelling and cursing — especially by the guys sawing. I'm not looking forward to sawing the logs. I here that the guy below the platform gets a lot of sawdust in his face and the guy on top gets an aching back and blistered fingers. Where do I want to work? In neither place? They both sound terrible. Most of us here aren't even boat builders. You've got to chop down trees and then saw the logs into planks. I heard one guy got so mad with his partner that they sawed their boat in half and went their separate ways. I sure hope we build quickly so we can get out of this place. Wish us luck! We better get to work. I'll write again soon.

#9 DOWN THE YUKON RIVER
We're taking a rest along the shores of the mighty Yukon River. We've been sailing for days. W'er surrounded by thousands of other prosperctors also racing for Dawson city. Today we saw a man get caught in a whirlpool. He was there for a while. I sure hope he's okay. The rapids are rough and rocks are hidden in the river. Many boats have broken apart into splinters. There are many prospectors lining the shore mending their boats and drying their supplies in the sun. I feel so sad for those who lost everything. If I see another man stranded I think I may invite him to join me. I'd be happy to share my supplies with someone ein need. I could sure use a friend. I thought this part of our journey would be easy. But, it's terrifying! There are whirlpools and rapids everywhere. I sure hope we make it to Dawson.

#10 ARRIVAL INTO DAWSON
We finally made it! We're in Dawson after weeks on our boat. It's nothing like I expected. Rivers of mud for streets. People on the bring of starvation while others die of typhoid fever. All claims have been staked. There are thousands of people everywhere. Earlier today I listened to a guy read from an old newspaper (he bought it from a newcomer for $15). We all had to pay $1 each to listen. I think this guy was smart to make his money the easy way. Another guy is selling eggs near our tent for $18 a dozen. People on a diet of beans are willing to spend $18 for a dozen eggs. It's a luxury! I'm not sure what I'll do. I think I'll stay in Dawson with my family for a little while. We start our search for Uncle Henry tomorrow. Mother is looking into starting up a dress shop. I'd hate to go home now — especially after all our hard work. I'm not sure how much longer our supplies will last. It sure isn't what I expected! Finding gold won't be easy!

KLONDIKE TRAVEL TIMELINE