February 25, 2006

Last full day in Whitehorse!










February 25, 2006

Last night I went to the "Meet the Mushers" get-together at the Westmark Hotel, just up the street from where I’m staying. I didn’t take any pictures because it was relatively non descript. Just a bunch of people hanging around and shooting the breeze. But what it lacked in flash and appearance it made up for a hundred times in personality and character. This mushing culture is absolutely different from anything I’ve ever experienced. Each person involved is entirely unique – they’re like no one I’ve ever met. I’ll tell you one thing – if you want to talk about dogs, go to one of these things. That’s all people talk about. They don’t talk about the weather, the sleds, the cold, the prizes, the snow, the people – they talk about dogs. And they just never get tired of it. I don’t either, so it’s perfect.

It’s going to be strange that this is our last night in Whitehorse. I’ve felt very, very at home here. But I’m eager to travel again and I think once I get back to warm weather, or at least warmer than this, it’s going to be pleasant. Also, no telling when will be the next time I get to post a blog entry. Sunday night I’m staying at the Toad River Lodge in Toad River, British Columbia. Where internet access may be limited. But you never know up here; I’ve found internet access in some very peculiar places. But if I don’t put up a post for a couple of days, it’s because I’m out in the woods somewhere.

By the way, if you want to read about the Toad River Lodge I’m pretty certain their internet address is:

www.toadriverlodge.com

Anyway, believe it or not today is colder than yesterday, or at least it was when we got out for our walk at 9:45. We started out at -22º F (-30º C). And it didn’t warm up much while we were walking. It was funny, I noticed this yesterday too – it was -20º F when we went outside early in the morning but after we had breakfast and got ready for our walk it had gone down to -22º. But it was a gorgeous day and the snow was crunchy and it was great for our last long walk in the Yukon.

The first picture is of the frost building up on the trees where the steam blows off the river. At first it looks like snow but it’s on the bottom of the branches too.

The second picture is of the entrance to Bert Law Park, which is where I took the picture of the sign that says if we told you where the good berry patches are, we’d have to kill you. In the background to the right you can see the little footbridge that leads out to the island. It was from that footbridge, looking left, that I took the picture of that huge lump of blue ice the other day.

The third picture is of the SS Klondike, a Canadian National Historical Site. In the lower right you can see Ivory and Nicky running down the path, headed for a bridge. We walk under that bridge and then it’s about ten more minutes walk up to the hotel. When we start our walk in the morning, we walk under it (coming the other way) then up steps onto the bridge. There’s a sidewalk with a guardrail on the side and that’s how we cross the river up at this end. Then it’s a mile or so down the river to a footbridge that crosses to the other side.

Anyway, I’m going to begin packing up and generally organizing things. Then I go to the post-race banquet here in town tonight, then tomorrow morning we’re off for Toad River and points south!

Have a great day,

Jay, Ivory and Nicky

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