Why did many gold seekers travel from Skagway to Bennett Lake?

During the Klondike gold rush, many gold seekers traveled from Skagway, Alaska, to Bennett Lake as part of a shorter route to reach the goldfields in Dawson City.1

After arriving in Skagway, prospectors penetrated north through the Coast Mountains to reach Bennett Lake. At this location, they constructed crude boats or rafts to float downstream toward the rapids near Whitehorse. From Whitehorse, which served as the head of navigation on the Yukon River, they could utilize riverboats to complete their journey to the booming community of Dawson. This route provided a more direct alternative to the longer journey of navigating the lower Yukon River by sea.123