We left Friday after visiting the local Canadian Tire twice. The first time for fuel, and water. As soon as we got back to the car we emptied our hands and when straight back. We forgot the all-important
bear repellent with separately sold hip holster - very fashionable. A note about the Whitehorse Canadian Tire, it is the best Canadian Tire we have ever been to. It's huge, has everything on the shelves and the staff want to help you. All Southern Ontario Canadian Tire store managers should attend a training camp at this store to learn how it is done. We then had a meal at the High Country Inn with its iconic wooden Mountie out front, which will be a sight on the Whitehorse tour for all our visitors who are so inclined.
From there the pictures tell the story. Maybe in the morning when Lauren wakes up she will add to the commentary - worth a look back. Note the cool new plates on the car.
You are invited to view Lauren and Colin's photo album: Easter weekend in Kluane
Easter weekend in Kluane Apr 24, 2011 by Lauren and Colin |
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Good morning!
I thought I would be able to spill the X-rated details of our camping trip (a.k.a. we bought bear spray with a hip holster), but Colin is proving himself as a very dedicated archivist and is laying it all out there. We were both a little reluctant to buy it, but as the Expert advised in the Staying Safe in Bear Country DVD, it is a last resort, after being diligent about staying out of a bear's way. But we had no need to use it, and had a lot of laughs at each others' expense by making a loud 'psssssssst' spray noise as soon as the other person had the bear spray can in their hands :) The only signs of bears that we saw all weekend were the bear-proof garbage bins, big metal rectangles with a heavy latching lid, that seem to be the standard in the west.
We stayed at one of the five plowed-out camp sites at Kathleen Lake on Friday and Saturday, along with three others on Friday night and one other on Saturday. I'm not sure if those two people left on Friday night because of a frigid sleep, but they were in campers, so if they did, I feel a bit hardy for staying two nights. Colin had two fantastic sleeps in the tent, and did his best to share his manly warmth, but jeez, my toes and legs were so cold on Saturday night that... well, I can't even think of a simile. It made me understand finally why some of the local people I talk to are still saying 'spring is coming soon', not that it's here yet. The snow may be melting, the sun may be out late, but we are still far north here, and spring does not come in March or April. Maybe May?
After some very strong coffee and packing up our gear, we went for a Sunday drive along the Alaska Hwy, about 150km north to Destruction Bay. The photos are the best way to understand the beauty of this place. We're looking into taking a helicopter or plane trip through the mountain range to see the glaciers, maybe with some of our future visitors!
There are not many roads in Yukon, and fewer loops, so we turned around after a sugar fix in Destruction Bay, and headed back to Whitehorse. On the way back, I had the realization that as we got closer to Whitehorse, we were headed home. Things sort of fell into place in my mind about how we really live here now, and the sense of disorientation and unreality dissolved. I'm still in awe of how beautiful and sparsely populated it is here, but I'm starting to feel like a part of it.
Bye for now,
Lauren
PS- No news about the little house in Mt Lorne; the landlord was calling our references this weekend
Looks like a great park!
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