In 1897 and 1898, many of the Klondike stampeders used pack horses and mules to carry supplies along the White Pass Trail. Smart pack train owners took good care of their animals, but the trail was rough and the work was extremely hard. There was no feed in the mountain canyons and no water in winter. Animals who were too weak to work were often let loose to die or were shot.
<p>In this 1898 photo by Asahel Curtis dead horses lie among the boulders on the White Pass Trail, probably in the area known as Dead Horse Gulch. The average work life of a White Pass Trail horse in wintertime was six weeks.
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<ul><li>Subjects (LCTGM): Gold rushes; Horses; Livestock--Carcasses; Trails &amp; paths</li></ul>
<bdi><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:Asahel_Curtis" class="extiw" title="w:en:Asahel Curtis"><span title="American photographer">Asahel Curtis</span></a>
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1898<div style="display: none;">date QS:P571,+1898-00-00T00:00:00Z/9</div>
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/imlsmohai/search">Museum of History and Industry</a>