And South we go...

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Our last few weeks in the Yukon were a series of awesome dinners and shared moments with friends.

These friendships that survive the distance mean so much to all of us.

A last evening at our dear friend Josée's.

Coloring at night in the bus.

Last sunset on the Alaska Highway.

Following a Westy from Argentina.

We stopped at Boya Lake on the Stewart-Cassiar Highway for a little hike.

And pick berries, of course!

It was the first time our California friends saw a beaver dam! 

We stopped for 4 days in Burns Lake to ride at Boer Mountain. It rained the whole time, so that's pretty much the only biking picture I took... You might remember our epic adventures here last year! Day 1 is here, then Day 2 (the shit hits the fan), Day 3, Day 4 and there are more posts on that beautiful place (just click Newer at the bottom of the posts)!

Medicine making with arnica, yarrow, fireweed and rosehips and dutch oven apple crips with freshly picked thimbleberries and blueberries.

Prosciutto and sage leaves wrapped chicken and potatoes over the fire.

Lots and lots of dirty laundry. We rode in the mud for 3 days!

Diedra found out that the thrift store was doing a 5$/bag of clothes week. The kids were creating a play, so it was perfect! They are so creative!

The sun came out for 30 minutes and we could litterally see the earth exhale.

Kager Lake, right by the campsites at Boer Mountain. There are tent campsites all around the lake accessible through a fun bike trail. During our time there, they were doing controlled burns all around the lake and it was pretty surreal to come across these big campfires every 200 meters as we picked berries in the rain! They kept us warm!

Transitions. Every parenting book I read when the girls were little had a chapter on that. Every parent knows all too well the meltdowns that followed the announcement that we had to move on to something different, be it jumping in the car to go visit grandma or wash hands before dinner... In the Waldorf world, we had little transition songs for each of these moments, imaginative stories of foxes chasing little mice in the bedroom for storytime... It’s not easy to leave behind something that felt good and comfortable, something you were engrossed in and could keep on doing. That’s how it felt to leave the Yukon. We weren’t sad per se, but we could have stayed a little longer (in a warm house, not in the bus!). Most places we leave feel like that after a while, Tucson, Moab, Virgin... Our life is a series of transitions, of hellos and goodbyes and see-you-laters. An interesting choice for a girl that had lots of separation anxiety as a child... But, hey, I’ve always been the kind to grab the bull by the horns!

Or rather, I’ve always had that pull to explore, to get out of my comfort zone. Leaving for a year in Italy at 17, attempting to hike the GR20 in Corsica at 21, a little underprepared... Hitting the road in an old bus we had just bought! It’s not an adventure if there’s not a bit (or a lot!) of unknown in it, right?

A weekend of riding and eating (and blueberry picking) in Carcross, Yukon

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Calling the teams for the last day of riding of the season, on Montana Mountain, in Carcross.

Waiting to find out in which team she will be...

Meanwhile, the adults are riding!

Endind a perfect biking day at Benett Lake!

Ben even caught a fish!

Braised fennel. Yum!

Covering the potatoes with moss to keep them from drying out.

Peach and cranberry cake in the dutch oven

The trick is to have a 3 to 1 ratio of coals (3 on top, 1 at the bottom) and to have the bottom on a trivet or a rack so it is not sitting on the coals.

Apple crisp in the dutch oven. Success!!

Beautiful light on Lake Bennett.

Picking blueberries in Fraser, BC (45 min from Carcross towards Alaska).

Mossberries

Early blueberry (aka blue huckleberry or Vaccinium ovalifolium) on the left, dwarf blueberries on the right (Vaccinium caespitosum)

Do you understand why we call huckleberries "black mouth" in French (gueules noires)??

Fall is definetely here. The willow and alder leaves are turning yellow, the fireweed are a rainbow of green to dark red, often on the same plant, and the berries are incredibly abundant!

Riding on Montana Mountain in the fall light is nothing short of magical: the way the light filters through the trembling aspens and the glowing green mossy trails... It feels like such a treat to be part of it all. 

As Rachel who lives in the Colorado mountains says it so beautifully: 

"Here is a place where weather is an animal that will never be tamed.

Here, being human feels like just the right size, appropriately small amongst the stout spruce and fir trees, and the ancient, storytelling rocks. For a brief, wondrous time you may find your desires shrink into something manageable, a small parcel that you can put in your pocket and examine later.

Here, the flavors of happiness may begin to look different, less about accomplishments and acquisitions, and more about the privilege of walking this beloved earth. You may allow yourself to be schooled by the resident teachers, the living things who seek only what they need. Maybe life need not be so complicated."

Camp is over. What I've learned...

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As Passenger sings I've been living in this month of Sundays, and I forget what Monday morning feels like. Actually, I feel like I've been living a life of Sundays for over 12 years now. Not that I don't work and that I live a lazy life, but I've simply not been on a regular Monday to Friday work schedule for almost 13 years... and I hadn't challenged myself professionnally for over 15!

Being a camp leader/instructor for Equinox Adventure has been challenging and exhausting at times, but also incredibly empowering. I learned that being given a lot of latitude can feel scary and disconcerting at first, but that it can create incredible results. You end up owning the challenge presented to you in a very different way. It became my camp and I could give it my color. And because of that, I felt more involved and wanted to give more.

I learned that I can do some hard and challenging physical work, even if it pushes me outside of my comfort zone, even if it triggers frustration sometimes at being a short woman working in a world of tall strong men. I kept at it and became competent at the things I thought I could not physically do.  And I was that role model for my girls.

We lost Java on the first day of camp. That night, I wanted to quit. I thought I could not do it. It was too much at the same time. I gave myself till the end of that first week. And to my surprise, I wanted to keep doing it. It felt good. It felt right.

Don't get me wrong, being a translator and a homeschooler is rewarding work, but facilitating learning in such a tangible way as on a rock climbing cliff for instance, seeing children challenge themselves, push hard, accompanying them as they face their fears and reach the top, gave me great joy. I felt like a made a small difference. I felt needed. It gave me a new and different purpose and it filled me in a way I hadn't experienced before.

This experience gives me a completely different appreciation of my "life of Sundays". It's all about balance, they say. And I might have to agree.

A visit to the Yukon Wildlife Preserve

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Meet JB, a female moose who was rescued when she was only a few days old. Read her story here.

Since she has been bottle fed since her rescue, JB is very interested in humans.

Sweet mule deer.

Megan being a moose!

Mountain goat having her breakfast

Mr. Caribou and the salt lick

Thinhorn sheep

On the last day of Adventure Camp, we were supposed to go canoeing and kayaking on Chadburn Lake, but since the weather was already fall-like and grey, we decided to bring the group to the Yukon Wildlife Preserve and nearby Takhini Hot Springs. 

It was great to be there early in the morning for feeding time, since most of the animals were very close and awake. We also got very luck to see many babies! The 3 arctic fox babies stole the show!

The Yukon Wildlife Preserve Operating Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to maintaining the over 700 acre preserve and its animals for the education and enjoyment of all. 

 

A weekend of rock climbing and camping with friends

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Climbing blindfolded! A great challenge.

Vincent made it to the top blindfolded!

The smile on their faces was such an incredible reward!

They built an awesome two-room shelter together

Making willow bark rope.

The fireweed have already gone to seed! Fall is almost here.

A table full of awesome kids.

One of the perks of being a climbing instructor this summer is that I have access to the climbing material we use for the groups. On Saturday, we got together with five other families for a fun day of rock climbing. The kids had a blast and the parents had a good time too! Then, a bunch of us went camping at Marsh Lake together. There was good lemon-lavender Radler from the Yukon Brewery, wild Agaricus mushrooms were sauteed in butter and pepper, meals were assembled from what we could find in our campers. There even was a skinny dip (one kid was heard saying: skinny dipping with your friends sure makes you closer!). The simplicity of spending time with good friends. The magic of it all. It sure fills my heart.

The first 7 pictures were taken by my friend Jason and the following rock climbing pictures were taken by my friend Josée (I was busy belaying!). Thanks guys for immortalizing this fun day!

A canoe run down the Takhini River

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Lots and lots of giggles! That time, they had tricked me by jumping down the cliff to a ledge, while they threw a big rock in the water to recreate the impression that they had fallen into the river. They thought it was hilarious to see my reaction. There will be revenge.

I love camping in the Westy with these 3. They truly are a joy to be around these days!

Leaving from Kusawa Lake.

Learning to read the moving water.

Stopping on a sand bank for a snack.

And some exploration (and erosion...).

Liam almost got a fish!

Skittles Smores (aka Liamores).

Morning light at camp.

The smell of wild sage on the cliff by the river just across from our campsite. I couldn't resist lying down in it while soaking up the morning sun. 

By the time we got everybody fed and organized, it was 7:30. We debated not going, but it was so nice out and we knew we would not run out of light. We drove from the campsite to Kusawa Lake, brought the canoes down and started building the raft. We pushed it in the water a little after 8:30 pm. Chris gave us a little crash course/refresher on moving water, a bald eagle was spotted on a nearby tree, the sun peaked from behind the clouds and streched its amazing late summer night light on the mountains. I couldn't stop smiling. Laughter erupted as we hit the waves and water kept splashing us. There were some sea salt chocolate and chips. Some hummus and carrots too. Another bald eagle. Lots or fishing, wet girls lighting a fire, too many smores and a very late night in bed.

The next morning brought pancakes and coffee by the fire and a fishing and blueberry expedition. Hats that became pails, a lesson in fly fishing, a river crossing up to the waist, a scratchy alder bushwack on river cold legs; some cranberries were found (almost ready!). And more laughter too. It was just the adventure we needed.

Our time in Marsh Lake

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Marsh Lake

Maryne's greenhouse

Aïsha made Mémé's molasse's cookies

Mathilde made mini-tart filled with homemade custard, cooked peaches and strawberries and chantilly cream. The kid can cook.

Photo by Josée.

Sunday breakfast at Josée's

We did a housesit for our friend Maryne who lives right by Marsh Lake, 30 min South of town. She had planted her greenhouse just for us and we ate from it daily. What a treat! Her place also happened to be only 5 minutes from my friend Josée's beautiful house, so we spent a lot of time with her.

We baked and had friends over for delicious meals. We spent lots of time at the beach (Army Beach is one of the nicest beachesin the Yukon) and in the water (the water is really warm this year... which by Yukon standards means that you don't get calves cramps), and enjoyed having a homebase for 5 weeks. 

So much fun at Equinox Adventure Camp!

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Collecting wood to cook bannock over the fire.

Shelter building.

Practicing t-rescue. First: tip the boat!

Then, proceed with rescue mission by sliding the tipped canoe over the rescuers canoe.

Pond exploration. 

Learning the parts of the paddle

We built rafts with the canoes and went on an adventure on Chadburn Lake. We found a cabin where we had lunch, made a fire and cooked banana boats, and then went on an island where we found a geocache.

The girls are setting up the routes with me before the camp children arrive at the site. Ava taking the "hanging upside down" challenge.

Doing one of the GPTeaming activity

Another challenging GPTeaming activity

Hiking along the Yukon River and learning about plants and trees as we go.

My colleague Megan and our 3rd week of camp kids!

Preparing bannock

Cooking bannock over the fire

Making chocolate-orange bombs to cook in the fire

What are these kids doing with balloons on their heads? Sticking them on top of the route they climb. On their next climb, they can pop one if they make it to the top again!

The full-time summer camp is on now and it is such an incredible learning opportunity for both the girls and I. We rock climb, canoe and kayak, do GPTeaming (teams use a GPS and to locate activity based initiative caches) and learn lots of outdoor living skills.

When I take the children on plants and trees identification hikes, I tell them to stop us anytime they have something to share about a plant or a tree they know. One First Nation girl told us about how her grandma used to say that when soapberries turn red, the salmons are running. Another First Nation kid showed us how to gut and eat minnows.

In the last few weeks, I've learned to use an Atlatl (a spear-thrower), improved my paddling strokes and have become better at teaching all sorts of skills. I have rubbed sunscreen on many many kids and held hands with little five year olds who were scared of falling in the outhouse when peeing. I've wiped tears and noses.

The girls are now all proficient belayers and help me set up the routes on the rock climbing days before the camp children arrive (they bring the ropes up, install the ground anchors, carabiners and grigris, and tie different knots), they've made new friends and are learning a lot about group dynamics, teambuilding, communication skills and so much more!

I've had moments when I wondered what I was doing there, but many more where I was in complete awe that I was actually paid to spend a day paddling on turquoise lakes and rock climbing with my girls. 

My hands are full of scratches and cuts, my body is sore from carrying big bins of ropes and bringing canoes up and down a trailer. I'm getting stronger and more confident by the day. 

I've learned that this is right along my alley and that it combines my love for the outdoor with my love of people, my natural leadership and organization skills and my sense of compassion. 

It's truly an incredible experience for all of us.

We come back home tired and dirty, smelling of smoke and bug spray. I love that we spend 8 to 10 hours a day outside in nature, learning and playing and being active. 

And by the way, if you think the girl in Eat, Pray, Love has it hard to meditate with mosquitoes swarming around her in India, imagine what it feels like to belay someone with mosquitoes biting you everywhere. That, my friend, is a lesson in mindfulness.

My summer job

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It’s 8:30 on my third day of work and we are already drenched from collecting wet firewood to light a fire for the school group that will be arriving in 30 min. We get a tarp up and drag the wet picnic table under it. The group of 4th and 5th graders arrives, rowdy and cheeky. Most than half of them don’t have raincoats. Chris, the owner of Equinox Adventures, leads a simple introduction game and the kids can’t seem to be able to follow basic instructions. Two boys take off in the forest. The teachers yell. We try the game again. It’s only 9:15. It’s gonna be a long day. I’m usually still in bed at that time. What am I doing here? Why did I say yes to this? A challenge? Really? Getting out of my comfort zone? Learning new skills? Is this all worth it? Am I not too old for that?

Chris divides the group in half, girls on one side and boys on the other to do what he calls GPTeaming, an activity similar to geocaching, but with a team building/problem solving activity at each station (that the kids find with the help of a map and GPS). He assigns me the rowdy boys group. I’m sure that if he had looked at me at that moment, what he would have seen in my eyes was sheer fear. He was feeding me to the wolves. I wanted to run. My comfort zone was long gone.

The day went on, we got wetter and colder, but the kids seemed to have fun and to listen to me pretty well. A small victory. I was doing this.

Next thing I knew, it was lunch time and we tried to dry our feet and warm up our hands by the fire (that was June 13th, and it was 6 degrees Celsius all day...). Then, it was time for games. Panic stroke again. Games? I think we need to find more dry firewood, don’t we?

Finally, it was rock climbing time. An area I feel competent and comfortable in. My rowdiest little friend worked hard on a route, fought tears and finally trusted me enough to get all the way to the top. It was a very touching moment and I felt privileged to be a part of that.

By the time we had coiled the ropes and packed the helmets and harnesses back in the bins, I felt like myself again, humbled and full... and tired and cold.

As I drove back to the bus, my hair still dripping wet, I searched my mind to figure out why I committed to do this for the next 6 weeks. It really wasn’t for the money... it wasn’t because it was easy either. What was it then? Working hard physically outside? Yes, but there was more to it... Why was I putting myself in that position? I felt like a teenager at his first job. Trying to look confident but feeling pretty vulnerable inside.

Do I want to prove myself that I can still learn new things that are outside of my area of study and expertise? Do I simply like the idea of leaving in the morning and coming back home at night? Do I do it for the intensity and adrenaline, the newness of the experience? Yes, that is all possible...

I’ve started feeling bored since we have stopped moving for the summer. Not bored in a there-is-nothing-to-do kind of way, because the Yukon is full of awesome people and things to do, but bored in a more personal way. It’s been brewing for a few years since the girls are more and more independent. Bored in a what-do-I-contribute-to-the-world way. In a how-do-I-exist-outside-of-my-family-and-translator-title way.

And I wanted to have fun! And as much as this third day of work wasn’t really my definition of fun, all the other days have been great and fulfilling. For the last two weeks of June, I worked with Junior Rangers from the Northern communities of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut (some children came from the southern part of Baffin Island!) and it was a fascinating experience. These were mostly First Nation kids (half of them Inuits) and for most of them, English was their second language. Some didn’t speak English at all and needed an interpreter! I belayed a guy named Courage (it was pretty cool to say Go, Courage, Go!). They were also terrified of bugs and bears (because when you live in polar bear country, you should be!) and kept breaking tree branches (most of them live in the alpine tundra and are not used to be in the forest). Some of them had never ridden in cars before… One morning, my girls even joined the group and got to climb and learn to belay! They loved it.

Equinox is an adventure company that uses rock climbing, canoeing, ziplining, GPS/map & compass navigation and outdoor living skills to build character, trust, communication, teamwork, problem solving and leadership. I really resonate with Equinox’s mission and feel excited to be a camp leader this summer!

R.I.P. Java

Your first day with us, at 8 weeks, on July 21st 2015.

Your first time meeting your friend Anna.

This man loved you as much as you loved him...

More love...

You always loved coming on hikes with us. Even at 3 months, you whined every time we stopped because you wanted to keep running!

Your first bike ride, on Maggie's Run, in Carcross. That's when I could still be faster than you!

Your first swim... 

Come on! Let's go!

Can we go for a ride now?

At Boer Mountain, British Columbia, September 2015

At the Skaha Bluffs, British Columbia.

You were an awesome crag dog... 

Your first (and last) time playing with a wasps' nest...

Sunset at Frenchman Coulee, Vantage, Washington State.

On the beach in Santa Cruz, CA.

Two of your favorite things: finding bones and rolling in the grass.

At Cochise Stronghold, AZ.

You were the best pillow for tired little climbers.

Biking in Virgin, UT.

What a beautiful, awesome dog you were, Java (in Joshua Tree National Park, CA).

And what a great (albeit too short) life you had... so many adventures in those short 11 months we were together...

That time we made you wear underwear to keep you from licking your stitches...

The last picture I have of you, with Anna, a few days before the accident.

For those of you who didn't know yet, here's what I wrote on July 5th on Facebook: 

R.I.P. Java – (May 18th, 2015 - July 4th 2016)

Yesterday, you took off on an adventure with your friend Anna and never made it back home. We were devastated to find out that you got hit by a car on the Alaska Highway. You were still wet from your dip in the lake when someone found you. Sweet Java, beloved adventure companion, mountain biker extraordinaire, you will be sorely missed. We are completely heartbroken. 

I hope that doggy heaven will be good to you, with lots of juicy bones and not-too-fast squirrels.

Hiking the Chilkoot Trail

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The Chilkoot Trail is a 33-mile (53 km) trail through the Coast Mountains that leads from Dyea, Alaska, in the United States, to Bennett, British Columbia, in Canada. It was a major access route from the coast to Yukon goldfields in the late 1890s. Tlingit Indians used the trail as a vital trade route to trade for resources available in the interior from the Dene people. 

The trail begins in Dyea, a ghost town and campground, 15 minutes from Skagway. From the trailhead, the route winds through coastal rainforest along to the Taiya River. The first campsite is Finnegan's Point (from Wikipedia).

That was Day 1 for us and the beginning of the adventure! Here's a map of the whole trail, as well as a profile map so you can follow along!

DAY 1: FROM DYEA CAMPGROUND TO FINNEGAN'S POINT - 7,7 km (5 miles)

As you might have heard, there was a bear situation on the trail when we left. The week prior, a black bear had broken into a staff cabin at Lindeman City and raided the fridge. They evacuated all the hikers from the trail and closed the trail for 5 days while they dealt with the situation. They had just reopened the trail when we started the hike (it is a very popular trail that requires reservations a long time in advance, so it was not an option for us to just wait it out) and 3 of the 9 camps on the trail were still closed, which would have made our last day a 13 miles (20 km) hike since we would have had to hike all the way from Happy Camp to Bennett (our last night was in Bare Loon, but it was closed at the time of departure). The other option was that they boat us out from Lindeman City to Bennett Lake.

They sent us out to the trailhead, after a long talk about bear safety, telling us that we would get updated about the situation at Sheep Camp and Happy Camp.

Signing the trail log.

There are lots of boardwalks over marshes on that first part of the trail. Some are slippery and bouncy and that not always so great when you are still getting used to having a big pack on your back!

First thing to do when you get to camp: put all the food, toileteries and anything that smells in the food cache. Second, write in your journal.

Then, set camp.

The cook shack at Finnegan's Point. Far enough from the tent pads and equipped with a wood stove.

The beautiful sand bar at Finnegan's Point with a view of Irene Glacier, a great place to relax!

JF was in a 2 person tent with Mathilde and I was with the twins in another tent. We talked late into the night about boys crush and first love in front of an audience of mosquitoes lined up in the roof screen, who were just waiting for one of us to need to pee.

I got up at 1 am under a light sprinkle. Our tent platform was surrounded by Devils Club and I was smiling to myself as I used my SheWee (that I like to call my Pee-Miss) and pee like a man, standing on the platform instead of having to put my shoes, go down the platform and crouch down in the prickly wet plants.

DAY 2: FROM FINNEGAN'S POINT TO SHEEP CAMP - 12, 6 km (7,8 miles)

We stopped at Canyon City on the way, where most people spend the first night (12 km from the start). It is a bigger camp with a nice log cabin with bunks and some artefacts from the Gold Rush. After Canyon City, the trail starts climbing steadily upward.

Pedestrian suspension bridge at Canyon City.

Fairies in the moss.

Snack break in the beautiful Alaskan Coastal Forest.

Filtering water along the trail.

The trail follows the Taiya River all the way to Sheep Camp.

Second night at Sheep Camp. Sheep camp is the last campground on the American side of the trail as well as the final resting stop before the trek up Chilkoot Pass. It is the largest of the campsites on the American side of the trail. A Ranger comes to Sheep camp every night at around 7 pm to talk about the day ahead and how to prepare for it. She had no updates about the bear situation. That night we met Charlotte, 7, and her dad who were doing the Chilkoot alone together. 

Doing laundry in the Taiya River.

DAY 3: FROM SHEEP CAMP TO HAPPY CAMP - 12 km (7,5 miles) but with an elevation gain of 2,500 feet over 7,7 km!

Within sight of the pass, and at the base of the "Golden Stairs" (the long difficult incline that leads to the pass), are The Scales. The Scales were a weight station where freight would be reweighed before the final trek to the pass. There are lots of artefacts there since a lot of people left things there and turned back or tried to lighten their load to make the final push...

No image better conjures the human drama of the 1898 gold rush than the lines of prospectors struggling over the dreaded Golden Stairs. As we climbed the golden stairs ourselves, all I could think was: people did that for gold, how crazy! Followed by: you know what’s even crazier: doing that for a holiday!

JF facing the base of the Golden Stairs. There are two false summits before you reach the actual summit.

We made it to the summit! And just like many women feel after childbirth and forget about it a mere few months later, once you make warm coffee and eat a bite, you're ready to talk about the next big trip, forgetting the grueling feeling you had just an hour ago, when you promised yourself you would never do that again...

The view from the Chilkoot Pass. USA behind. Canada ahead.

The trail wends its way by a series of alpine lakes: First Crater Lake, Morrow Lake, and finally Happy Camp.

And the beauty never stops. We walk and walk and walk, through snow and rocks, oohing and aahing all the way.

Lips of snow under the water look royal blue or turquoise. 

Happy Camp! Once you see it after one of many bend in the trail, you understand why it's called that way. You are so ridiculously happy to see it come into sight!

We got into camp at around 5:30 pm (we had left Sheep Camp at 6:30 am), granted, we took our time and lots of break, but it still is the longest day on the Chilkoot. Charlotte and her dad were not there yet and the Ranger who had met us at the warming cabin at the summit said Charlotte was struggling a lot after the Stairs. The Ranger had given Charlotte magic candies to eat along the trail and stickers to put on the trail markers. At 7, she called a meeting to let us know that Bare Loon camp was now open. We were exstatic! We could do the whole Chilkoot! However, we still had to be in groups of at least 4 adults, so many people had to pair up together, because there was no confirmation that the right bear had been shot yet. An man from Italy was not happy about the whole pairing/bear situation and was trying to argue in broken English with the Ranger. Since I speak Italian, I offered my help as a translator and got caught in an interesting arugument that went from Trump-is-the-new-Berlusconi to arguing that the bear was long gone and would not come back (because we know that Italian know a lot about bear behaviors...).

At 8:30, we were getting ready to leave camp to go meet Charlotte and her dad who were still not back to camp. Just as we were putting our wet shoes on, they walked into camp, looking exhausted. What a trooper that little girl was. I offered them to join us for tomorrow's hike since they could not walk alone and since I thought it would lift Charlotte's spirit to be with other children. The plan was for them to stop at Lindeman City and see if they could safely spend the night there with a ranger.

DAY 4: FROM HAPPY CAMP TO BARE LOON - 13,7 km (8,5 miles)

Breakfast inside the Happy Camp cooking shelter.

There are lots and lots of river crossing... Almost impossible not to get your feet wet... To the right: doing dishes.

Charlotte and Ron

Approaching Deep Lake Camp.

Bare Loon Camp, where we spent our last night on the trail. One of my favorite camps!

The girls even went for a swim!

DAY 5: FROM BARE LOON TO BENNETT - 6,4 km (4 miles)

Last day was only 4 short miles to Bennett Lake.

Bennett Lake!

We made it! We finished the Chilkoot. The renovated St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church is the only gold rush-era building still standing along the trail today. 

The trail station in Bennett, BC. As we get into the station, Mila, the Philipino woman in charge of cleaning the station, offers us a cup of warm tea and tells us all sorts of fascinating story about her life. As the girls and I step into the bathroom, we all have the same reaction as we look into the mirror. Ellie says it first: Ah! It's weird! I haven't seen myself in 5 days!

At the station, we found out through a ranger that Charlotte and her dad would be taken out by boat from Lindeman City. She was too tired to finish the trail.

A beautiful 2 hour train ride from Bennett, BC, to Carcross, YT.

We even made it in town in time for the girls bike meet!

To call the Chilkoot a trail is an understatement. For the tens of thousands of desperate gold rushers who followed it, the trail was a saga that forever changed their souls, and cost many their very lives.

Summer Solstice Party

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If you have never lived a summer solstice in the land on the midnight sun, you should definitely add this to your bucket list. This year, we celebrated at our friends Phil and Amanda's (who owns the awesome Traveling Light B&B) and danced well passed midnight. And yes, as you can see in the last picture, we outlasted the kids!

An incredible weekend in Carcross, Yukon (overnight hike + bike)

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We went just below that snow patch that we can see higher up in the middle.

Beautiful arnica flowers everywhere on the trail!

Our little village!

The beautiful beach in Carcross along Lake Bennett.

We wanted to do one overnight hike before leaving on our 5 day/4 nights hike on the Chilkoot trail next week. We decided to combine a bike ride on the awesome trails of Montana mountain in Carcross (45 min from Whitehorse) with a hike up Sam McGee/Mountain Hero trail. This trail was originally made to service the tramway built in 1905 by Sam McGee for a silver mining operation. There are many remnants of the tramway and mining artifacts along the trail.

When we arrived in the alpine after a slow 3 hour climb in the forest, we quickly found a great spot to set camp. The view from the top is fantastic, with Windy Arm of Tagish Lake below, and all of the surrounding mountains. We all sat in silence, in awe of this incredible wild land, thankful for it all. And thankful for all this amazing nature, from the scraggly moss I used to scrub the pots and dishes in the freezing creek, to the beautiful arnica we collected to make a healing oil for our sore muscles, the deliciously sweet wild rose petals we ate along the way and the chewed up yarrow leaves we put in Mathilde’s nose to stop a nose bleed.

And yes, it was every bit as idyllic as it looks... Except maybe for the sleeping part, because, well, sleeping in a tent on a ridge over the tree line 3 days before summer solstice is a challenge! Let’s just say that I could read my book at 2 am without a headlamp… And there was the full moon... And by 6:30, we were dying in the tents because the sun was so hot! Oh my beautiful Yukon!

*Photo note: these pictures have all been taken with my phone (a Samsung Galaxy S7) with the Camera FV-5 app and imported into DXO Optics Pro (a photo enhancement software that I LOVE). I’m pretty happy with the result! It’s nothing like my Nikon, but it works.

On top of Mt. Anderson, Yukon

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This is Anderson mountain. We went all the way to the top on the ridge to the left.

                                                                                Mt. Anderson is located in the beautiful Wheaton River Valley.

Climbing in the alpine is hard work. David is eating some bearberry flowers to fuel up!

                                                                      Is that the view you expected Cat? No, but it's nice... Nice? Yeah, you sure are spoiled...

The climb up was steep and intense, but the view was well worth it! THAT was the view I was expecting!

Other side. Can you spot JF and Aïsha?

Time for a June snowball fight!

There are so many mountains in the Yukon that most Yukonners don't even know where Mt. Anderson is located. There are no hiking trails per ser there, but some of old mining roads that you can follow until you get over the tree line, then you simply pick a line up through the alder brush and bearberry bushes, avoiding the morraine as much as possible and make your way to the ridge. The climb in the alpine is steep and longer than it looks. Sarah turned around at some point and said: that mountain keeps on growing, guys! Yep, that's what mountains seem to do when you climb them! The summit is always "right there".

 The 360 degree view from the top was simply jaw-dropping. Hiking in the alpine is so unique. This wide-open wild space covered in moss and tiny flowers, the route possibilities are endless. That sure is a hike we will remember for a long time.

Hike to Bonneville Lakes Ridge, Yukon

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It was crazy windy on the ridge and the kids wanted to make sure that Java would stay warm!

You have to be pretty creative to take shelter from the wind in the alpine!

The Bonneville Lakes hike, near Fish Lake, is a popular hike that is close to town (popular meaning you are likely to see a few other hikers on the weekend!). We had never done it and included it in our Chilkoot prep hikes. 

Our beautiful life up North

My camera hasn't followed me around much lately. It seems like Facebook and Instagram are replacing blog posts more and more and I've joined the crowd over there, but the blog is still well and alive, don't worry. 

This week, the girls and I volunteered as trail builders for a bike trail that will be built by women only and it is such a rewarding (and physical!) process. We will try to participate to all the steps of the trail building and should be able to ride the trail in a few weeks! On the first day, we followed a woman who was cutting down trees with a chainsaw and our job was to move the trees and branches away from the trail. The second time, we learned to use a pulaski to cut the thick moss and roots to start creating the single track trail. After 15 minutes, we were all pretty sweaty and tired when Mathilde exulted: I LOVE this! A little later, she came to see me and told me she wanted to do Meagan's job when she grows up (Meagan is a trail builder for the city and she was in charge of the trail design and tree cutting. She is also a badass mountain biker.).

I also worked as a rock climbing instructor/belayer for a school group with the local rock climbing company - Equinox Adventures - and had a blast. I will do more of these gigs in June with other schools and Jr Rangers. I am actually considering a position for Equinox Adventure summer program. I'm ready for a new challenge. Anyone surprised? 

There was also an awesome girls night for 3 friends birthday where we danced our hearts out under the midnight sun, there was a walk in the forest with an adorable 2 years old looking for fairy hats (blue bells) and her wonderful parents, during which Java chased his first bear away (or maybe he simply wanted to play with him, we're still debating... but the black bear was about 20 feet in front of us on the trail and was in no hurry of going away... ). There was a bonfire with friends (and apples cooked on sticks), lots of time beside lakes and mountains (can you believe that there are so many here that some don't even have names?), some paddle boarding (and a fully dressed fall in the freezing water). There were 4 cakes baked, the last bike skills clinic, some greenhouse time and kids dancing to Gagnam style while playing table soccer and thinking they are the sh*t. 
 

Camping and playing in Pine Lake, Haines Junction, Yukon

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We tried a different technique than the cone for Java (he got fixed last week) to keep him from licking himself... He wasn't impressed...

Cooking bannock over the fire.

Harvesting spruce tips to make a medicinal syrup.

Collecting spruce pitch to make salve.

Kayaking on Pine Lake

We just love Pine Lake campground! It's far enough from town (90 min North of Whitehorse) for us to feel off the city hook and close enough to so many great hikes that we never get bored. There is a nice beach for warm days (and a clay pit!) and the lake is simply amazing! Paddling on a turquoise lake while being surrounded by the Kluane Mountain Range is high on my list of "how close to perfection can you get?".

Pine Lake is a territorial campground that is located only 10 min from Haines Junction and Kluane National Park. It is actually a nicer (and cheaper) campground than Kathleen Lake's (in Kluane National Park). If you are in the area, don't miss the amazing Visitor Center in Haines Junction.

Hiking up King's Throne, Kluane National Park, Yukon

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This is a steep trail up to a spectacular cirque -- the "seat" of the King’s Throne. The hike up to the cirque (and return) is 10 km (6 mi). If you keep going up to the summit (unmaintained, unmarked trail on steep scree), it is a 16 km (10 mi) hike. The hike to the summit is extremely steep and hiking sticks are highly recommended (slippery moraine most of the way). Elevation gain is 548 m (1,800’) to the cirque and 1 442 m (4,729’) to the summit. If you want to try the summit, assess the weather carefully, it can get very windy very quickly. Not a good thing on an exposed ridge. Clouds can also descend rapidly and make finding the route difficult.

As usual, be very bear aware. Kluane is home to the most important concentration of grizzlis in the world. We had been informed that there was a mama grizzli and cubs in the forested part of the trail, so we were very loud and stuck very close together, with an adult up front (with a bear spray) and an adult behind (also with a bear deterrent).

Kluane National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is over 22,000 km2 in size, and 82% of it is covered in mountains and ice. It’s home to the St. Elias Mountains, the most massive range in Canada, and the second highest peak on the continent, Mount Logan.

Hiking up Sheep Creek, Kluane National Park, Yukon

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A tad bit windy!

A curious Dall sheep looking at us.

The children ate Bearberries flowers along the trail.

It was so windy on Kluane Lake that there was some dust from the dried lake bed section flying everywhere. So much so that we wondered if there was a forest fire.

 

We had planned on hiking Sheep Mountain Trail, but found out it is much more strenuous than the Sheep Creek trail and that you can’t turn around because of the very steep climb in the moraine. Since it is a 16 km hike and it was noon already, we decided to hike up Sheep Creek, where we could enjoy a view of the Slims River and Kaskawulsh Glacier. From Sheep Mountain Trail, you have a view of Kluane Lake (Yukon’s largest lake) and can see sheep from up close. Interestingly enough, this trail is virtually snow-free all year.

We stopped at the little visitor center and could use the binoculars and telescopes to see the many sheep on the mountain. It is baby season, so we were lucky to see many 3 weeks old Dall sheep babies! What a treat!

Sheep Creek Trail is a 10 kilometre (6 mi) return hiking route with an elevation gain of about 430 metres (1400 feet) reaching an elevation of 1281 metres (4200 feet). For more information about that hike and the driving directions, check this site.

A grey hike on Grey Mountain

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Picking forgotten cranberries from last fall. They are now pretty sweet... for cranberries!

Happy Yukon dog!

Java had a blast playing in the snow!

These late nights of light are hard on sleep... Catching up on rest in the moss and lichen...

Spring is about a month behind on top of Grey Mountain and the crocuses are just opening!

We clearly didn't pick the best day for catching up on the past year, Josée and I! Between the yelling to keep the bears at bay and the howling wind, it really wasn't conducive to chatting, but the view from the top of Grey Mountain is always amazing. So we went back to the warmth of her beautiful home, wrapped ourselves in blankets, poured a glass of wine and it was the perfect end to a beautiful Yukon day!