CHILKOOT PASS FOR RELEASE WITH STORY, 1998-10-30 (photo)

FOR RELEASE WITH FEATURE BC-CHILKOOT - Discarded shoes and boots from the Alaska Gold Rush of 1897 and 1898 litter the base of the Chilkoot Pass. When Alaska outdoors enthusiasts proposed early this century that the famous Chilkoot Trail be designated as a national park, members of Congress balked. They would consider the notorious Gold Rush route as a national park, Congressmen told the Alaskans, if proponents would "go out and pick up all the trash," according to one account. Today, the relics that dot the trail are considered outdoor museum pieces on display for the thousands of hikers who retrace the stampeders' steps. September 1997 photo. CM/ELD