Dog Mushing on the Yukon River

The world seems a lot smaller when you realise that a person you grew up and went to University with has taught at the same remote Yukon school that you have. This friend that I'm talking about is the reason I went to Dawson City for part of my March break from school. I had an amazing visit and everyone in Dawson (and the Yukon for that matter) has been such wonderful hosts to me. For that I'm so thankful. Thanks, Andy Ledue!

My Amazing hosts in Dawson (taken from the Dome)

Dawson City has been called a "living museum" and I would have to agree. I will post more about Dawson and the things I did there, (and a bit about its history) but this post has to be about mushing. I am still on a bit of an adrenaline rush from it and need to describe it.

Mushing dogs on the Yukon River (note the ice lantern on the left)

Before describing the mushing, I will explain how I came to do it. My first night in Dawson I met friends of Andy Ledue, who are an amazing German couple who have lived in the Yukon for ten years. They live in an off-grid cabin that was built in 1901 and that is located in "Sunnydale" or West Dawson. This area is across the river from Dawson City. There is a good chance that Robert Service has been in that house before. Andy, his wonderful girlfriend, an unreal Blues musician from Toronto and myself visited Sunnydale for a night of song writing, Yukon-grown food and incredible off-grid life. My mushing experience was my transportation back from the off-grid house in Sunnydale.

On the Yukon River with Dawson City in the background

Most of the trail was downhill, and we were going faster than I ever thought possible by dogsled. I was sitting in the basket and was so enthralled by the experience (but also wondering if my medical insurance would cover an injury incurred by dog sledding). Mere minutes after wondering this, we have failed to make  a sharp turn after coming off a road onto trail and are in two foot deep snow, and in a big group of willow trees. Nobody was hurt, and it just added to the incredible adventure.

The dogs, eating local Yukon River chum salmon the day before I went mushing

After coming out of the bush and onto the river, the trip was a lot slower because we were on flat ground. The sun was shining and Dawson could be seen in the distance. We passed a few skijourers (people skiing with some help from dogs) and passed a race car track on the ice that some not-as-granola-types of Dawson City have set up. After this mushing madness, I had a similar feeling as I did after trying bungy jumping.

Thanks for reading my blog and more to come about Dawson City in upcoming posts.

Warm Regards from Old Crow,

Haley

Birds of Old Crow

I really like the fence by this cabin up Crow Mountain Road

So I'm twenty-five years old and I like bird watching. Funny maybe, but it's true. I have really liked birds since I was a little kid, but I got especially interested in observing and identifying birds last summer while tree planting. One of my campsites was on a beautiful point of a lake (between Burns Lake and Houston) where we were surrounded by different types of birds. We watched kingfishers swoop down and catch fish from the lake, saw cedar waxwings land in the trees near our tent and watched through binoculars as a group of crows inhabited an incredibly high and dead tree on the opposite side of the lake.

An evening ski with my neighbours turned into a great bird watching trip and so in this post I'll tell a bit about the birds we saw and heard. I didn't get any photographs of these birds and I only want my own photos on my blog, so I apologise for the lack of photos of these Old Crow birds. I'll work on taking some.

Grouse, not ptarmigan

I'll start by mentioning that in my post about hoar frost where I mentioned the bird in the above photo, I was mistaken in what it is. It's a grouse, not a ptarmigan. I saw eleven ptarmigans on my walk yesterday. They are totally white in colour, except for their black beaks and small black eyes. They camouflage into the snow remarkably well and have large, feathered feet so that they float on the snow. In summer they are brown to camouflage into the summer landscape.

The first bird we saw on our afternoon ski was a boreal chickadee. They looked similar to the black-capped chickadees from southern Canada, but have a reddish-brown chest instead of being all black, white and grey. The ones we saw were puffed up and we revelled in the fact that they can survive -40s weather being so small. Their metabolisms must be insanely high in winter.

Walking by the lake near my house

A new bird for me was the white-capped crossbill. We saw a flock of them fly from the spruce trees just off the trail from us. Their bills are apparently especially made for breaking open spruce cones for eating at any time of the year.

Twelve kilometres later, at the bottom of a super fun long downhill part of the trail, we heard a great horned owl. Their majestic and almost eerie calls are a mating call apparently. The loop we skied took much longer than it apparently usually takes, as we were breaking track for most of the trail, sometimes through 3 feet drifts. It was a beautiful ski though, and I was happy to see a few new species of birds and learn more about more common ones.

Where I live

Despite the town's name of Old Crow (named after a respected chief called Crow May I Walk, Deetru' K'avihdik) there are far more ravens around than crows. Every day I see and hear ravens and they are even larger than the ones in Northern BC or Haida Gwaii (and that's big!). The other day I was walking my pup off leash, when a raven came out of nowhere and swooped down inches away from the pup and then swooped back up into the air. I asked my neighbours about this and they explained that ravens aren't birds of prey, but are scavengers and will get food any way they can. We also discussed how ravens are known as 'The Trickster' in some First Nations mythology and that ravens truly are teasers and instigators of trouble. They told me that ravens have been know to fly down and peck the bums of land animals just for fun and to torment them.

Sunset beside the air strip

 Tomorrow I leave Old Crow for  a few days, so my next post won't be until next week. Mahsi Cho (thank you) once again for reading and watch out for those sneaky ravens if you have any in your neighbourhood!

Warm Regards from Old Crow,

Haley

Fly-In Life

Sign near the airport

This is my first time living in a fly-in community. I have passed through fly-in communities during canoe voyages, but never lived in one until now. During a canoe trip on the Albany River, we stopped in Ogoki to pick up food that was mailed to us in cardboard boxes via Canada Post. I have finished canoe trips in Waskaganish, Fort Albany and Attawapiskat which has been in the news a lot recently. I had always wondered what life would be like in a fly-in community and I'm really excited to be finding out during my time in Old Crow.

The first question I had about living in a place accessibly only by plane was the food situation. When I arrived in Old Crow initially, I brought groceries with me from Whitehorse. Then I spent the next week and a half figuring out how to do a food order. Now to get my food I email a grocery store in Whitehorse with the items I would like. They charge it to my credit card (with an extra charge for delivery) and it gets flown in to me. There is also a charge from the airline, dependent on the weight of my order. The boxes are labelled 'frozen' and 'refrigerated.' 

Even massive machinery needs to be flown in

Another interesting thing about living in a fly-in community is that everything (that wasn't made, grown or hunted) in Old Crow needs to be brought in by plane. I was pretty surprised to see this massive machinery parked next to the airport when I first arrived. It was brought in by a Hercules plane and is used to maintain the roads that are in town. I would estimate that in town itself there are no more than 10km of roads to be maintained.

Windswept Porcupine River

Frequently hearing planes is something else I am getting used to. Planes can be heard a few times a day, taking off or landing from the Old Crow air strip. I hear them from the school, my house, or while cross country skiing on the windswept Porcupine River.

Standing on the Porcupine River with Old Crow behind me

Last night I had dinner at my neighbours across the street and they served caribou that she had shot herself. Pretty awesome and tasty, even though I'm usually a vegetarian! I think I will be a vegetarian with the exception for caribou meat. Mahsi Cho (thank you) for reading.

Warm Regards from Old Crow,

Haley

The Richardson Mountains

Mounds of grass under the snow. Anyone know the proper geographical name for these?

Yesterday afternoon I went for a long walk with a few girls from town who I have become friends with. Our walk was a good two hours long and gave an incredible view of the Richardson Mountain range. This post will talk a bit about the Richardson Mountains as well as the trees we walked through for most of the walk.

The Richardson Mountain range

We walked across the Porcupine River and followed a skidoo trail that residents of Old Crow use to get fire wood. Wood heat is the most common way people heat their houses here and wood hauling is a big job in the winter. Although probably arduous work, (yet to get out and try it myself) it seems like most people enjoy wood hauling, as it is a way to get out on the land.

The first point of interest we reached was quite a wide creek. When I asked her how big the creek was in summer, my friend was unsure. She noted that she had never been to this side of the river in summer and spring and didn't think many people would have a reason to cross the river in a month other than the winter ones.

Crow Mountain is part of the Richardson range

The Richardson mountains behind a lake we reached on our walk

The Richardson Mountains are the range visible in the photos. Named after Scottish arctic explorer and naturalist John Richardson, they are some of the most remote and least disturbed areas of North America. They are sometimes considered an extension of the Canadian Rockies, although they are technically a sub-range of the Brooks Range (a mountain range mostly in Alaska). The Richardson Mountains are the range visible from the Dempster Highway, which my roomate tells me I need to drive because I would love it. I think she's probably right. Dempster road trip this summer, anyone?

Black Spruce trees

We walked through stand after stand of black spruce (Pete, please help me out with the trees here if I'm mistaken). My friend thought the short ones closer to the trail were ones that were cut down in past years and are growing back. There were also a few birch trees of some kind and some type of aspen (quaking aspen?).

This photo reminds me of the book title 'Through Black Spruce'

The view of black spruce as far as the eye could see reminded me a lot of Northern Ontario and Northern Quebec. I think (and again Pete, correct me if I'm mistaken :) ) that this is boreal forest. When I arrived in Old Crow I was quite surprised with how many trees there were here. My roomate told me the Mackenzie River delta is the reason trees can grow this far North. I think this is one of the last places there are trees before reaching the Beaufort Sea.

Walking over the Porcupine River after the walk

The Richardson mountains are home to dall sheep, grizzly bears and caribou. The Porcupine caribou herd is 123 000 strong and makes a migration to and from their calving grounds each year. The calving grounds are located in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This migration is the longest land migration by any animal on Earth.

Anyone who has watched 'Being Caribou' witnessed a Canadian couple travel with the caribou herd for five months trying to raise awareness about the ANWR and the detrimental affects potential oil exploration would have on the caribou. The couple started and ended their trip in Old Crow and braved wolves, grizzly bears and viscious mosquitoes that also follow the caribou. The Porcupine caribou herd will migrate through Old Crow in April or May.

Mahsi Cho (thank you in Gwitch'in) for reading and for all the emails and texts keeping in touch. I hope everyone is well and having a good March so far.

Warm Regards from Old Crow,

Haley

Hoar Frost

Ptarmigan in a hoar frosted tree

Hoar frost is a common occurrence here in Old Crow. Hoar frost is the  solid deposition of water vapour from saturated air.  The ice crystals of ice fog attach themselves onto surfaces that are exposed to the fog, including trees, fences, bushes, hats, neck warmers, eye lashes and dog whiskers. Below are a few visual explanations of hoar frost.

Hoar Frost loves eye lashes

Hoar frosted dogs

Hoar frosted landscape with Crow Mountain in the background

I have been cross country skiing a lot in the recent days. The river is my favourite place to go even though it's often extremely windy. It gives an amazing view of the sky and is one of the most peaceful places I have ever been. My other favourite place to ski and walk is a skidoo trail that goes up behind the small subdivision behind my house. I watched the sunrise from this hill during my first week here. I have posted a few photos of that below. There is something primitively completing about watching the sun rise over the horizon. I sometimes think of what it would be like to be able to attach an emotion to a photograph. I wish I could attach the serene beauty of the moment to these photographs.

Sunrise over Old Crow

Welcome, day!

On a more practical note than sun rises and ice fog, a friend from Port Alberni recently asked about the water and sewage system at the housese here. Water and sewage (at my house anyway) are on closed systems. Water is delivered each day by a water truck. Sewage is taken every few days by a sewage truck. I assume it's the permafrost that prevents sewage systems at each dwelling.

There are only several vehicles in town. Most people's transportation is by skidoo in the winter and quad in the summer months. There are maybe 12 operating trucks/vans/SUVs in town, belonging to locals, the school, the RCMP, the Government and Air North.

Muskrat push up on a lake

The photo above is a muscrat push up. From what I understand, this is the place where muscrats store food. It is a way the Vuntut Gwitch'in find the muscrats to hunt in lakes and rivers. I am going to learn much more about muscrat push-ups when I attend Culture Camp with my class. Culture Camp is a land-based traditional skills program put on by the Vuntut Gwitch'in Government. It is a way for Elders and community members to teach the youth and children traditional skills like hunting, trapping, and the arts. I am so excited for this experience which starts on March 18th. More about muscrat push ups after Culture Camp!

Warm Regards from Old Crow,

Haley

The Porcupine River

Windblown snow on the Porcupine River

Old Crow is located at the intersection of the Porcupine and the Crow Rivers. The river is important to many aspects of everyday life here. It is a major food source, as people fish it during summer and winter and the Porcupine caribou herd swim its cliff-lined waters on their migration to the calving grounds. It provides transportation in the summer and winter months and seems to be an exciting topic of conversation during the melt, when massive ice chunks appear as it begins to melt and break up. I can't wait to see this.

Vantage Point of the Town from the Porcupine River

Within my first week of being her I had my first locally sourced meal. It was salmon from the Porcupine River that was made for the hot lunch program that happens at the school on Mondays and Fridays. It was delicious. The Porcupine River is part of the Yukon River basin and is underlain always by permafrost.

Ice on the wind blown River

In the Gwitch'in language, February is 'Ahrai'zrii' which means, 'Windy Month.' The roads in town are slick from being completely wind beaten and parts of the river are ice from the snow being blown away completely. A few nights ago, the wind was howling outside my house and I fell asleep and awoke to the sound of viscious wind. The next day someone told me they were worried someone's roofing might blow off.

Near the Meeting of the Crow River and the Caribou River

The River offers a wonderful vantage point of the town, and Crow Mountain behind. I explored the River first on foot my first time, and since my skis have arrived (thanks for sending them all the way from Ontario, Mom!) I have explored on skis. The first time I skiied on the River and found myself at the point where the two Rivers meet, I felt a similar feeling to being at Thunderhouse Falls on the Missinaibi River, or the meeting of the two Rivers in Nepal where I witnessed a major religious festival called Magh Sacranti. Right away I realized this meeting place was a place of real significance and power.

Skiing on the Porcupine River

Panoramic View of Old Crow from the Porcupine River. The dome shaped building on the right is the hockey rink.

Air North plane flying almost directly over me before landing in Old Crow.

An local icefisherman I came across one day on my ski told me the ice is six feet thick. The same day I witnessed an Air North plane fly directly above me, about to land at the Old Crow air strip. The sky spans out around you when you ski on the river andd the freedom to ski wherever you please is so exciting.

Cliffs at the Meeting of the Crow and the Caribou Rivers

Frosted eye lashes and headband while skiing

Beading class ended formally, but I'll continue it at home with my roomate. I survived writing my first real set of full report cards. It's currently March break here, and I plan to ski, explore, lesson plan, work on my beading, blog, train my new pup (pics to come later) and maybe go to Dawson City for a few days. Thanks for reading, and I'll keep the posts coming now that I have the blog up and going.

Warm Regards from Old Crow,

Haley

Welcome to Old Crow, Yukon

I have been in Old Crow for almost a month now and have been meaning to get a blog going to show photos and tell stories about my new home for the next few mornths. I will try to update my blog at least once a week. Thanks for reading!

For those of you who I haven't been in touch with since I arrived here, it is a teaching job that has brought me to Old Crow, Yukon. I am teaching Grades 7,8 and 9. Old Crow is the only fly-in community in the Yukon and is located 73 km North of the Arctic Circle and only 110km South of the Beaufort Sea. The town is located on the Porcupine River and theVuntut Gwitch'in culture and way of life revolves around the Porcupine caribou herd, which migrates through the town twice a year. About 280 people live here.

Flying Into Old Crow. Air North serves homemade cranberry/white chocolate scones and the flight attendant wears a one piece snow suit. Pretty awesome.

The day before I arrived it was -57 and the plane couldn't land because parts could break at that cold of temperatures. The day I arrived it was -44. It has warmed up considerably since then. The land and the town is stunning. I get out for a walk or a ski every day and on these excursions I have realized that the Yukon has the beautiful geographical aspects of each region of Canada. It has the mountains of Western Canada, the open and amazing skies of the prairies and the massive and impressive rivers and lakes of Eastern Canada. I watched the sun rise above the horizon one morning when I first arrived at 10am from a mountain overlooking the town. I also found some (I think) lynx tracks.

Cozy hat from Nanaimo and fur-lined parka I picked up in Whitehorse.

Highlights of teaching so far include going to the Heritage Centre in town and the students learned about the hide tanning process. They helped to tan a moose hide. They were scraping the hide, but the next step would have been the really fun part. After scraping, the hide gets soaked in caribou brains, so that the fat makes the hide soften. The Heritage Centre has some really amazing mammoth tusks and bones that were found in the river bank. They also have the best fish fossil in North America. Quite amazing to see.

Fresh lynx tracks I saw on a walk

I joined a beading course at the Yukon College. It happens two evenings a week and I'm making a small wallet for myself with a beaded flower on it. I have a whole new appreciation for beaded work. Each bead is sewed down individually and you have to be really careful not to get the thread tangled (which I have done numerous times already). Perhaps I will make a vest after.  I tried dried caribou meat at my first beading class, which was something I have been looking forward to since arriving here.

Black Spruce in early morning light

I hope you all are doing well. Mashi Cho (thank you in Gwitch'in) for reading this update and thanks for all the emails, texts, calls, checks on the web cam (waved to a friend in Victoria to the web cam
the other day--fun!) I'm always happy to hear what everyone's up to, especially while so far from any of the places I have called home in the past few years.

Warm Regards from the North,

Haley