The Five Finger Rapids is a rock formation in the Yukon River in Yukon, Canada, 20 km downstream from Carmacks on the Klondike Highway. Four basalt rock pillars divided the river into five rapids, the "fingers". The Tutchone call the rapids Tthi-chò nädezhé, which means "rocks that stand in the water". The rapids have been known as Five Finger Rapids since the 1880s, when gold prospectors on the way to Alaska and Dawson on the Klondike began to use the Yukon as a transportation route. The Rapids were a dangerous obstacle on which many lost their belongings. Paddle steamers used winches and steel cables to maneuver through the rapids. One of the pillars has now been removed by blasting, making the Rapids largely passable for ships. (Source: Wikipedia)