Tales From the Yukon

It is officially summer vacation (yeeee-hawww!). Three months off to enjoy the outdoors, relax and unwind before heading back to work on September 7th, 2010.

All I've been doing for the last couple of weeks is figuring out how much of the Yukon I can visit before I head out for a field course (the last course I need to take to get my permanent teaching certification here in the YUkon) and before I head back to NB for a short visit.

So far, the plan is to head to Kluane National Park on Monday for an overnighter (maybe two nights depending on things as I have to be back in RR for a videoconference on the 17th). I figure a nice little trip out to visit a part of the Yukon that I have yet to see will refresh and recharge the batteries ... at least long enough for me to make it though my last course :-).

Early in the Morning I'll head into Whitehorse to get the last things that I need (like a camping stove and some grub) and head out from there... if the weather isn't on my side, I guess I'll just go for a nice drive out to Haines Junction for the day then head back into Whitehorse for the night ...

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I spent all of last Sunday afternoon washing and polishing my truck ... then I went on a quick trip to Faro ....

for all of those that are wondering, no it was not raining out here. To keep our roads semi dust-free and to avoid the dreaded washboard effect on the roads, they are sprayed with a calcium-lime solution (to which I think is referred to as calcium hydroxide to the rest of the world).

So, yet again, this weekend, I will be outside, baking in the sun (if we have sun) soaking off this muddy mess off of Gates, the truck.

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This morning, I received word that a past teacher of mine (who taught me phys ed and health from grade 5 to 8 and who was my soccer/field hockey coach with his wife many times over) had passed away doing what he loved best - going on adventures. News of his passing had just made it into New Brunswick newspapers, and I imagine has been a shock to many who knew him, his family and the community of Sussex, NB.

As a tribute to his love of the outdoors and cycling, I headed out into the Yukon wilderness around town with a colleague. I am sure he would have approved and would have loved to join in.

Here's to you Mr. L, for teaching a generation of students to love and appreciate the outdoors and recreation.

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This weekend I headed over to Faro to partake in the Sheep and Crane festivities. I managed to see plenty of wildlife (cranes, grouse, squirrels) and yuppies but not a singular sheep. Seems as by the time I made it out to the sheep viewing station, they had decided that they had had enough of everyone staring at them and went incognito.

Mountains heading towards Watson Lake

On my way to Faro, I decided to drive down the other direction of the road for a couple of clicks heading out to Watson Lake (just out of curiosity). Beautiful scenery out there, and if I had another person traveling with me or another vehicle in the pack, I am sure I would have gone out a little further ... but I didn't want to get stuck out there with no rescue.

Once in Faro, I headed down to the school where there was a BBQ going on that was hosted by the school. After chowing down on a burger and some potato salad, I headed over to the library for a bit, then to the Kettle Cafe for a latte and then out for a drive towards the Mine (to which I had never been to before). Not much to see other than the mine, and the sludge pool below the mine.

The next morning I was up bright and early to head out on a nature walk out to the falls. On my way there I passed a large group of Cranes.





There was quite a large group of us heading out (head count was 65 people for the 9:30am hike). On the hike we learned about some of the flora and fauna of the Yukon and what is present in Faro and what some of the plants were and are still used for. Pretty amazing to think what some of the plants in the forest were used and are still used for.



At the end of the hike we made it to the water falls. Weren't quite as spectacular as I thought that they were going to be, but still impressive all the same. I just enjoyed the walk through the woods more than anything.



Prior to 1957, the official flower of Yukon was the Crocus ... however, Manitoba also had it as their official flower as well and were quite upset that Yukon wanted to use it as well ... so in 1957, Yukon changed its official flower to Fire Weed.





And of course, we have mysterious paw prints .... our theory (mine and Julie's) is that it was Big Foot carrying Hasselhoff on his back.

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