The
drive back down the Dempster was quite simple -- go south!
Rev. 08/04/01
Alaska & beyond - continued 7/21 - 7/22
Inuvik, back to Dawson
The
drive back down the Dempster was quite simple -- go south!
Not too many miles outside Inuvik, I saw something black down the road. Then I realized it was running, and quite fast at that. So I picked up my speed and got close enough to make it out -- it was a black fox with a white tip on its tail, beautiful animal. Of course it didn't stay long enough for me to get its picture. But it brought to mind Robert Service's story, The Ballad of the Black Fox Skin.
At
Eagle Plains, the half way point, I pulled in, gased up and got a space for
the night. About a half an hour later, Bill and Shirley rolled in in
their big Class A.
We decided to eat out, in the restaurant at Eagle Plains. Then who should walk in but Al and Rose (Alnoor and Gular).
After dinner we all retired to Bill and Shirley's and enjoyed a great evening of conversation. Both Al and Rose were born and raised in Africa. Their stories of their youth are great. Time flew, and before we all knew it, the midnight sun was setting -- 12:30 am.
The next morning, I got a reasonably early start. The
purple boarder belied what that road was going to be like -- 70 miles of
rough, choppy ride, up and down, right and left, twisting, turning, out
across the Eagle Plain. Torturous, tough, and tedious is a good description
for it.
Eventually
it dropped down to the Peel River and ran along side it for miles. The
grayling fishing was great -- caught over a dozen, ranging from 8 to 14 inches.
Caught them both on flatfish with my spinning rod, as well as on the
fly rod. They are fun fish to catch.
As you can see, I haven't mastered the trick of getting a good picture of a fish I've caught, while juggling my rod, camera and the fish -- I'll keep working on it.
Finally,
came to the end of the Dempster -- across the arctic circle to the Beaufort
Sea; flying into Tuktoyaktuk; learning more about those who call the arctic
home than ever before; great scenery, great fishing -- great trip!
Spent and extra day at Dawson City.
Robert Service, the poet of the north, lived and wrote in a cabin there. He is the author of The Spell of the Yukon. Years ago I downloaded a collection of his poems, titled Ballads of a Cheechako, to the little HP200 I carry. Over the next year read them at my leisure. I enjoyed them, and was fascinated with his work.
Tom Byrne has a show here titled The Robert Service Show.
He is an excellent story teller. He first told about Service's
life, and then recited a number of Service's ballads, telling the history
of each. It was a thoroughly entrancing performance -- well worth the
price of admission. If you are up here, stop and see his show.
Bob & Carol Graham's Home Page