Rocks, Rust, Bruises, and Fall Colors

We arrived safely back in Skagway last night around 8:30. It was dark enough for our headlights to light up the highway reflectors. (Headlights are required in Yukon at all times)
I found a few pretty rocks, but left a lot of them on the mountain. We found the assay office at one of the mines. They had piles of core samples dumped on the ground. Some of them were "pretty."
Also, there is still a LOT of rust on the mountain, eventhough Lynn now has that particular bug, too. Bruising won't show up until today. Bonus: we found a caribou antler.

The fall colors on the mountain were amazing. The ground-covering tundra plants at high altitude are all shades of red, orange, and yellow, with just enough green remaining to add contrast. The fireweed is still magenta, but the leaves are turning red on many of them, as well.
Along the way, we spotted a moose in the same beaver pond where we had seen one previously. She did not stick around, as she became aware of us while we were still some distance off.

Later we watched eight caribou trot across the tundra.

We encountered four Canadians on quads who were friendly enough to tell us the names of the mines and describe the road as "bouldery" as it continued to the next site. They looked askance at the jeep and said we had done well to get where we were. HuH! The jeep had not even worked up a sweat to get where we were.
On our way out we saw a group of 10 mountain goats browsing on a steep slope.
The weather was mostly overcast, but not raining. The winds made it cold enough to wear coats and wish for gloves. But it was pleasant for all that. When we arrived back in Skagway, we found it still raining. I will not be surprised if today's ships include a large wooden boat about 300 cubits in length.

Noah, is that you?

I honestly couldn't say how long it has been raining. I know it was not last Sunday when I got stuck in Dyea. But for at least month since then it has been non-stop. Both rivers are fast, full, and muddy. There are too many waterfalls to count up in the canyon. We commented to each other a few days ago that it was looking like dusk, and it was only 6:30! The foot bridge in Dyea almost washed away when the creek took out the bank at one end. The animals are pairing up and forming a line at the harbor. Okay, I think you get the idea.
There is, of course, a silver lining. Yesterday the sun broke through in spots in Carcross. Today we will go there so Peggie can see the beginning fall colors. We will go up Montana Mountain if it is not enshrouded in clouds. Peggie's co-worker, Lynn, wants to go four wheeling. Whee! Not that I need an excuse, but I will take this one gladly. I promise not to gather more than a hundred pounds of pretty rocks. Peggie promises not to collect every piece of rusty metal. Lynn promises not to complain about the bruising she gets bouncing around in a Jeep.
Pack a picnic. Today we will beat the Hum Drums!

Happy Birthday, me.

I know, you all forgot my birthday. Except Mom. She sent me a nice card. I guess the rest of the gifts are "in the mail." Well, 63 is not a significant year. Our culture seems to honor only those years divisible by 5. Except 21.
I feel fortunate to have reached this particular day. On Friday the wheels came off my bus. Almost. Five of the eight lug bolts sheared off inside the wheel. I pulled off the road thinking it was a flat tire. The outside wheel and tire were leaning at a crazy angle. I quickly realized that it could not be made safe with the equipment at hand, so we started waving down cars and getting all the passengers back to town to catch their ships. We were most fortunate to have the ATA jeep tour arrive. They took half the load. The bus was towed to Whitehorse, where it awaits the end of a three day holiday before it can be repaired.
Sunday I went looking for grizzlies in Dyea. Found one. So I went down the road to the edge of the water to get a closer look. In an attempt to park on a high spot, I became high centered in the grass covered sand. The tide was coming in. (we could hear the cellos from "Jaws") I knew the water would not reach our high spot, but the way out would be under water for a few hours. We called for assistance from someone with a four wheel drive truck. He arrived, yanked us off the berm and we got out with dry wheels...just in time.
Excitement=the cure for the humdrums.

The Hum Drums of August

Teachers will know what Hum Drums are. They arrive every year in April, along with state testing. Spring break is over. Memorial Day is far away. The school year will never end.
In Skagway, in August, the residents, both permanent and seasonal, are ready for the "stupid tourists" to go away. In May, we all know that tourists will say and do stupid things. These have been chronicled here and in other writing (think Heard on the Wind) in the past. This is humorous in May. Even in June. And partway through July. But in August the modifier is moved. Tourists say and do stupid things in the beginning. By now, stupidtourists becomes one thought, one word. The homicide rate increases as we all (visualize) running down a stupidtourist, or strangling a stupidtourist, or letting a stupidtourist "slip" from a zipline.
The bar business picks up after the stupidtourists have sailed away for the day. Conversation starters become "when are you leaving?", "what are you doing this winter?" Student workers are actually packing and leaving. The retireds and the nomads pick up the slack. Shop managers try to find someone, anyone, to take extra shifts. Food and bar servers begin to pack in the tips.
We are planning our route home. Ferry tickets are bought. We are figuring what to abandon, what to mail, and what we can pack in the Jeep. We seem to have acquired things.
We will return to sunny Arizona. It has been overcast now forever. It rained all night last night. The Hum Drums are here. We march to their beat.

Montana Mountain Photo Album #1 has been added

Last Saturday Jeff, PJ, Bill and I headed up Montana Mountain. It was beautiful. Check out the photos and I think you'll agree.

On Sunday, Bill and I headed back up there because the road kept going beyond Big Thing Mine and we had to see where it went. That will be Montana Mountain Photo Album #2 about heading to the Conrad mine.

This weekend I worked on a quilt and Bill spent his time at Dyea looking for bears. He found one grizzley and watched a group set up for a wedding and reception out on the flats. They were using fireweed and yarrow for bouquets. Good idea.

I'll show the quilt I was working on in a few weeks. I want to finish it first.

Meaning is in context.

I am now fascinated with Montana Mountain. As in when were the mines operating? When were the roads put in? Etc.
I knew about the Venus mine and Conrad City....I thought.
I found a book titled "Fractured Veins and Broken Dreams" by Murray Lundberg, who became so fascinated that he researched through all kinds of archival records and wrote the book. Sweet. I just have to read the book. The Skagway library has a copy numbered 805 of 1000 and is signed by the author. I learned a lot I didn't know I wanted to learn, and got some of the answers I wanted, as well.
While reading (I gobbled it up in just two evenings) I was struck by one term in particular that would be humorous if read out of context. The term is outside.
"In June 1906, Arthur Sibbitt built this lovely cabin (photo above) of sawed logs in Conrad, and shortly after went outside and got married." "....spent the winter outside, but returned in the spring." "Colonel Conrad was outside seeking additional money..."
In context, outside means anywhere but the Yukon, especially someplace civilized.
But by itself, one wonders if brides were growing on the trees, if it was too crowded inside, and money was also growing on trees outside.

There are mountains everywhere!

On Saturday we were planning a trip up Mineral Mountain to the "top of the world" where we went last year. But it was socked in by clouds. So we decided to try Montana Mountain. It was clear. We were with Jeff and PJ (from Payson) and we wanted to climb.
I had recently discovered the way around the slide/washout to go higher on the mountain. We went 10 miles in, until we reached one of the old (1905) mines. We did not go into the shaft. We all grew up knowing better. Anyway, the shaft was clogged by a snow drift. You will have to wait until we have time to post photos. We saw five caribou. Two of them were lying on a snowfield to avoid bugs, just like you see on those nature shows.
Well, we ran out of time, but the "road" continued around another ridge, so I decided to go back on Sunday. Peggie decided to forego sewing and came along. We made it another four miles, to another mine sight. Valuable minerals seem to be available in the most unavailable locations. Well, the views from up there are fantastic. Mountains beyond mountains forever. Lakes between the mountains. And this time we saw a grizzly and cub, but no caribou.
Watch our photo albums, I promise to get around to posting some pictures.
More importantly, though.....we still did not reach the end of the road. What is around the next ridge?