Caribou Days and River Break Up

It has been a very exciting few days in Old Crow. The caribou have arrived and are migrating through Old Crow on their way from their winter grounds to their summer calving grounds in Alaska. I was walking up the mountain on Monday evening when my friend all of a sudden said, "Caribou!" And there was a caribou on the road in front of us. We saw another one on the road and several in the forest later on the walk. We have since changed our walk route, because there are many hunters up there now.

People are hunting caribou and peoples' freezers are filling up with caribou meat. For thousands of year, the Vuntut Gwitch'in have relied on the caribou for food and survival, and it is amazing that the caribou are still such a vital part of life for the Vuntut Gwitch'in.

Swimming Caribou (not my photograph)

The return of the caribou is just in time for Caribou Days, the festival that happens here in Old Crow on May long weekend. It has been a fun filled three days. So much local, traditional food, demonstrations (caribou skinning, muskrat skinning) and games and races.

A funny thing happened to me during a race called the Gwitch'in Man and Woman Race. The race is an individual one, where one person goes at a time and you are timed. The race is simulating a day out at Crow Flats living traditionally and involves the following:

-Running out of a wall tent
-Hauling a fell tree into the tent
-Pouring tea
-Sawing a log of wood
-Running with a pack filled with rocks
-Portaging a canoe around community hall (still wearing the pack)
-Setting a muskrat trap
-Skinning a caribou leg
-Saying a phrase in Gwitch'in to an Elder
-Running back into the tent and lying down

So I entered the race. It was all going well. I was pretty speedy during the canoe portaging portion and people were even cheering a bit. The trap setting went well. The trouble came when I unsheathed the knife I was going to skin the caribou leg with. I somehow managed to slice my finger while unsheathing the knife. Thinking nobody would notice my blood among the caribou blood, I finished skinning the leg, said my Gwitch'in phrase to the Elders. Drin Gwinzee. Dini Choo? which means, 'Good Day. How are you?' And I finished the race. I then had to go to the nursing station because the nurse thought I might need stitches for my quite deeply cut finger. Moral of the story: Southern Canadian teacher does not make a very good Gwitch'in Woman. Lots of fun, being in the race though.

The other exciting thing that happened recently is the break up of the ice on the Porcupine River. A sure sign of spring, and a very exciting even in the year, it happened on Friday. I lay on a beach beside the River, enjoying the sun. When I lay down I was 15 feet from the river's edge. When I opened my eyes, the river was at my feet. It had risen so much in the half an hour I was lying there! Very exciting and a very beautiful fleeting moment. The beach was long gone when I walked by the next day.

There are massive chunks of ice floating down the river. Yesterday there were caribou on the ice. I also spotted a mouse on an ice chunk. He was running back and forth, and to the top of the ice chunk trying to get off it somehow. Poor little guy was doomed, but did he ever look cute on that floating ice berg!

Hope everyone is enjoying spring. I am excited to see everyone this summer, whether it be in Vancouver, Vancouver Island, Muskoka, or Golden Beach Road. Thanks again for reading.

Warm Regards from Old Crow,

Haley

Second Mountain

Moss campion (I think) partway up Second Mountain

Despite it being a bizzardy and blowing snowstorm on May 1, it was warm enough yesterday that I was able to cross country in a t-shirt. A party of four of us hiked and skiied to the summit of Second Mountain, which is part of the Old Crow mountain range. This is the mountain that could most easily be seen from atop Crow Mountain, as it is right beside it. It is higher than Crow Mountain and afforded an even better 360 degree mountain view of the surrounding mountains, rivers and lakes that make up Crow Flats. I must note that these aren't my photographs, but a friend of mine's who was on the trip. She was kind enough to send me her photos as I am still waiting on a camera cord that I ordered.

Cross country skis took us to the base of Second Mountain

We hiked to the gravel pit, then skiied to the base of the mountain. From there we were able to hike again, because we were hiking up the South face which had only patches of snow left. The hike to the top was enjoyable and uneventful (except for almost losing some sunglasses) and we passed the time by telling stories of past trips and exchanging knowledge about the history of the area. One of the researchers I hiked Second Mountain with recently did a canoe voyage from Ottawa, Ontario to Inuvik, Northwest Territories. The route they took was one of the most popular furtrading routes (the Northwest Route) and it was done partly through CPAWS to raise awareness about watershed conservation. He had many stories to tell about the trip. My favourite answer he had for my many questions about the trip was what he said when I asked what he did when he got back. "Barracaded myself in the house alone and watched movies and sat on the couch for 10 days," was what he said. I would have needed my alone time too, after five and a half months of being around the same 7 people 24-7.



Caribou antlers partway up Second Mountain

The view from the top was amazing. The other peaks of Second Mountain could be seen. The way down was when we found the best discoveries of the day trip. We found ground squirrel homes on the mountain side, on spots where it was dirt only. There were many beside each other--a village of ground squirrel dwellings.

Caribou antlers atop Second Mountain

The winding Porcupine River from atop Second Mountain

On the way down we also came across a half a caribou leg, hoof and all. Being eaten by a wolf was our best guess, as nobody from town has shot any caribou yet. It reminds me to mention that next weekend (the long weekend) is Caribou Days in Old Crow. This is a weekend celebration to mark the migration of the caribou past Old Crow on their way to their calving grounds. It is apparently a really exciting time and there will be many activities and feasts and community events to celebrate this important time.

Caribou leg, hoof and all that we came across on the way down

Ground squirrel holes

Skiing back to the gravel pit

Another great day with great company and stunning views of the land around Old Crow, Yukon. According to the GPS we traveled 12km each way on our trip.

The Porcupine River should break in the next few days. The rivers south of us have broken already and so the Porcupine should be the next one to break up. I am really looking forward to seeing this happen.

On Friday afternoon my friend who took me to Crow Flats by skidoo, drove me by quad up to the gravel pit. The binoculars he had were powerful enough to see every tree and to see the spot on the river that the school cabin is on. Many people are quadding up the mountain road now that it is clear, to get a view of the land around the town.

There are all kinds of birds around, and I hear them from the moment I step out of my house in the morning to when I get home from walking my dog in the evening. There are geese out on the river and I have heard and seen cranes (sandhill cranes I think). There are also robins this far north, which surprised me a bit.

Thanks for reading, and hope everyone is well wherever you are!

Warm Regards from Old Crow,

Haley

Golden Eagle and a Special Feast

Skiing down Crow Mountain a few weekends ago

Hi Friends and Family! Things in Old Crow are going generally well. I had a really neat day today and so I will discuss it here.

The school year is winding down. We had our last "Hot Lunch" today, which is a lunch program put on by the Vuntut Gwitch'in Government (VGG) every Monday and Friday for the students at the school I work at. Often the meal is locally sourced food. It will be caribou soup with bannock bread. Sometimes it is salmon from the Porcupine River with rice and veggies. Community members often come to have lunch with their son/daughter/neice/nephew/grandchild.

After school I was walking my dog on the road behind my house and I saw the most gorgeous bird I have ever seen. I am pretty sure it was a golden eagle, and it was absolutely massive and very different (more brown/gold and bigger) than the bald eagles I am used to seeing on Vancouver Island and Northern BC. It appeared to be being chased by two ravens who must have been protecting a nest or some area from the golden eagle. It was a moment that truly stopped time and had me completely and fully present in the moment.



Second Mountain viewed from Crow Mountain

After the golden eagle encounter I attended a feast at Old Crow Community Hall. The occasion for the feast was the 90th birthday of one of the Elders of Old Crow. I'm not sure if I have mentioned much about feasts in Old Crow, but they have been one of the highlights of living here for me. Everyone brings their own dishes to the feast and there is always a huge array of food and dessert. Caribou has been a staple food of all the feasts I have been at and it is always so delicious. The Elders get served first at the feasts and younger people serve them so they can stay in their seats. People chat in line, get their food and sit along the walls of the community hall to eat. Fiddle players might be playing during dinner. Laughter can be heard and stories are always being told around the large round room.

Today we sang Happy Birthday to the Elder who turned 90. She is a truly remarkable woman who is still sharp and alert and who has had 17 children and raised 6 Grandchildren. It amazes me to imagine the changes to her town and the world that this woman has witnessed throughout her lifetime. It makes me wonder the changes I'll see throughout my life. After dinner she gave a speech (in Gwitch'in, that was transalated to English) expressing her thanks for everyone coming out to celebrate her birthday. She expressed sadness for seeing so many of her close friends pass away, but was mostly smiling and so thankful for what she has done and had in her life. We played a few group games (for prizes) after her speech and it was a really enjoyable feast.



Old Crow malamute sled dog pup

My day finished with a walk above tree line with a few friends in Old Crow. This malamute pup came along after we untied him from his tree partway up mountain. Some people are starting to tie their dogs up to trees partway up the mountain in case of a  flood. The Porcupine River is thought to break up in the next week or two, and whenever the river breaks there is a risk of a flood. Dogs (who are tied up) are especially at risk for dying in the case of a flood which is why people move their dogs partway up the mountain before break up.

I am really excited to see the river break up. It will be quite powerful I think, and a very exciting time for the town. Thanks for reading my blog and for all the emails, texts and skype dates. I miss you all and can't wait to see you next.

Warm Regards from Old Crow,

Haley