ier , ▁even ▁though ▁more ▁men ▁in ▁total ▁were ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁California ▁and ▁Colorado ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁fall , ▁however , ▁tens ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁men ▁who ▁had ▁failed ▁to ▁st ake ▁claims , ▁or ▁were ▁unable ▁to ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁summer ' s ▁high ▁water ▁on ▁the ▁river , ▁pron ounced ▁the ▁F ras er ▁to ▁be ▁" h umb ug ". ▁ ▁Many ▁returned ▁to ▁San ▁Francisco . ▁ ▁A ▁continu ing ▁infl ux ▁of ▁new com ers ▁replaced ▁the ▁dis en ch anted , ▁with ▁even ▁more ▁men ▁storm ing ▁the ▁route ▁of ▁the ▁Douglas ▁Road ▁to ▁the ▁upper ▁part ▁of ▁F ras er ▁C any on ▁around ▁L illo o et ; ▁others ▁got ▁to ▁the ▁upper ▁can y on ▁via ▁the ▁Ok an agan ▁Tra il ▁and ▁Sim il k ame en ▁Tra il , ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁lower ▁C any on ▁via ▁the ▁What com ▁Tra il ▁and ▁the ▁Sk agit ▁Tra il . ▁ ▁All ▁these ▁routes ▁were ▁techn ically ▁illegal ▁since ▁the ▁Governor ▁required ▁that ▁entry ▁to ▁the ▁col ony ▁to ▁be ▁made ▁via ▁Victoria , ▁but ▁thousands ▁came ▁over land ▁anyway . ▁ ▁Acc ur ate ▁numbers ▁of ▁min ers , ▁especially ▁on ▁the ▁upper ▁F ras er , ▁are ▁therefore ▁difficult ▁to ▁reck on . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁gold ▁r ush ▁tens ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁prospect ors ▁from ▁California ▁flo oded ▁into ▁the ▁newly ▁declared ▁Col ony ▁of ▁British ▁Columbia ▁and ▁dis rupted ▁the ▁established ▁balance ▁between ▁the ▁Hudson ' s ▁Bay