February 20, 2006

Early AM in the Yukon











It's a couple of minutes before 7:00 AM as I write this; the sun doesn't come up until around 9:00 AM so it's nearly pitch black outside - nearly except the Northern Lights are winding and blazing and shimmering in giant green ribbons up and down the sky. That was a real treat - it's the first time I've seen them. Most people are still asleep but a few are beginning to stir and a few stayed up all night to watch for mushers coming in. None have come in so far other than the first three - and they're already gone.

I would have slept later but I felt bad having Ivory and Nicky out in the car so I wanted to go out and hang out with them for a little while. When I started the car, the thermometer said 1º F - probably something like -18º C. I tried one picture of the northern lights but it didn't turn out very well. I'm going to go out and try a few more. After I get the dogs fed and watered I'll probably head up to Dawson. But if I can't find a place for them to sleep indoors tonight we're going to just head back to Whitehorse.

I'm just putting up two pictures at the moment. I'll go out and try another one of the northern lights but they're difficult (for me) to take pictures of so don't hold your breath. But I am adding a picture of the news conference with the second and third mushers to come in; they arrived together. The guy with the blue baseball cap on is William Kleedehn of Limp-a-long Kennels; I'm pretty certain he's only got one leg. For someone who's been out running dogs for so long in those conditions, his sense of humor was amazing. The guy putting food in his mouth (mushers spend a whole lot of time doing that) is Hans Gatt. I think Gatt has won the Quest several times, and perhaps Kleedehn has as well. They're both serious mushers.

People are starting to stir around here; I'm going to head back outside.

Oh yeah, the other picture is of this evening's luxurious lodgings on the floor of a really nice big gym here. It was nice when they finally turned the lights out. Anyway, more later,

Jay, Ivory and Nicky

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