first close bear of the year

HOW exciting, I was on my way up the dome road (driving) and saw a good size black bear, He (I am sure) was by someones little cabin as we drove by, so I backed up and shut the truck off. He came closer and closer and then he swatted the ground a few times and huffed at me! I have seen ALOT of bears and been real close to alot, but have never had one chalenge my presence. SO EXCITING!!! I love this kinda of stuff.
He wondered into the yard of the cabin dwellers and I thought I should tell the Mr. Fish cop about him (hiking trails right there and kids all around) so I went up the hill and turned around and he is now standing on the guys porch sniffing the BBQ. So I stopped for a few more minutes and he stood up on some junk in the guys yard and shook his big head, and there was slobber everywhere! (wonder what was cooking in the BBQ so far?).
He then wondered off into the direction of he popular hiking trails and I to the fish cop office. Got my fishing license! Had put off the fishing due to high water, went to the bluffs and the water is up alot and dirty again so have to wait a little while still I guess :(
I figure I need to find my self a pair of James Bond(ish) glasses, a set with a built in camerea, as it was sitting at home again grrr!
Cant wait for more encounters! So neat to see them close up!

Black hills and back

We drove out to Black hills yesturday. My first time out there. I love to travel and see our country that is around us, and to see the history an wildlife.
We saw 3 bears,2 moose, 3 porcupines, 1 black wolf, cranes, geese, ducks, muskrats, beavers and many smaller birds.
We left home at about 5:20 pm and got out there at 8:30ish. We had to go out, because my father inlaws truck blew the transmition, this year he is hoping to make a go at gold mining. We didnt get home until about 2 in the morning, really slow drive out.
We saw alot of the old buildings, many are still along the sides of hills,creeks and the road. From the times of the gold rush in the Klondike here. I love seeing these old buildings and imagining what it was like to have walked or went in by dog sled into these parts, to leave everything you ever had behind in hopes of finding gold, only to end up for many hoping to find warmth and food, to get through to the next day, with nothing but gold holding you there.The building are old and weathered, most fallen or getting ready to fall. I love to think who was here...? What were the names of these people, how did they do, did they fair well?get rich? or die trying? Some day I will go in for pictures of these old homes and shelters, mine shafts and the memory of lost dreams...lost lives...and the gold that held them here. As I read more about the gold rush, it was harsh and not many made it out rich, if they made it out at all. I was not able to stop of pictures since we were late leaving to go in and the guys would not have been in a mood for me tromping around for pictures.
It is amazing, the roads which are made by modern day gold seekers and finders go ontop of the mountains and into the lowest creeks, it is beautiful , on top you can see for miles, in every direction, and in the valleys there is wildlife of all kinds everywhere.
And straw, I was wondering why straw was in spots along the road, and it is because the Yukon Quest runs along the roads as well, COOL!
I am not a fan of mining, I have heard alot of bad stories about mines and have seen some myself, of them ruining the land and dumping toxins in the earth. Not good. When I came up here and saw the gold miners, they are different (from what I have seen so far). The love where they are, they do their best to keep things right & clean. However, last year we went on a moose hunt and we went into a valley where the ground was upside down for miles, and miles and clear accross the valley, I thought to myself WOW an entire vally ruined for the greed of gold. As we went on it seemed to be a great valley for moose, and grayling (a northern fish). I was amazed at the amount of beavers and grayling. There were hawks, cranes,geese, and amazing amount of wildlife, and moose. I thought geesh what a waste of a perfect willife area, turned upside down, too bad.....
Then yesturday I was listing to my father in law ( who is a native of the area and has a amazing knowledge of the bush,wildlife and the area). As he talked he pointed out some really interesting stuff. The creeks, before the miners truned them up and the ground around, it was pristine, spruce (swampy sprunce) forest. No fish, not many if any beavers and not much for moose to wonder in and eat. Now the creeks are gravel, which allow for fish to spawn in , the turned earth grows willows, which feed the beavers, moose and muskrats. Grasses grow, the water birds come in and there are ponds everywhere. Although because the ground has been turned and there is verly little dirt on top, it does take a good while for regrowth in these areas. In the mean time it gives the bird a place to stop and relax on their migrations north and south. In the years to come there will be growth and many new wetlands (which is being diminished very fast). There are new ponds for beavers and moose, the open areas allow moose to be safe and spot preditors. The willows feed the rabbits, and when they are all doing well with lots of feed and water, the preditors do well. It all makes sense I guess as long as you can see past all the gravel and turned earth. The mining opens and recreates an entire new eco system, one that in turns feed the locals with fresh moose every year, puts fur on the markets which help some trappers out, creats new places for the fish to spawn, and keeps us going, Dawson is a town that is built and lives through gold and tourism.

some pics from flooding down Blind Creek

pics by my friend Leithe (thanks)

MAN I AM MAD!

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=75572369148&h=UA0UY&u=_aKI2&ref=mf
my link button wont work for me so copy and google the link for the story.


How can this not PISS me off? No help at all when they needed it! Doug lives just out side of Faro (where we were before Dawson). I do not know Doug very well, infact have only spoken a few times with him. I did notice though he is a very nice man and seems the kind of guy that would be there to help any one who needed it., regaless of it being "late".
Where Doug lives is down a dirt road about 15km. When the flooding hit, I dont know if he would have knowen it was coming then way it was. To get to his place there is a low spot where the water came up and flooded out the area they are in. Being that Doug does not leave the farm everyday , it could have been very possible that he did not see what was coming or how bad it was coming. His place has never flooded before either. As kids we use to be there alot (before doug bought it) and know that it has not flooded before.
Regardless of being able to get yourself out of trouble or not, when you call the Police or EMO (emergency measures operations, simular to SAR) there should be no time too late in the day to help someone who is concerned NEVER!
While in Faro I was thinking of joining EMO and talked to Shannon Woods, who bragged and bragged about how they do their training and how good they are. THEY ARE READY she says, about whatever they face. BULLSHIT! Why did Doug never get a call? WHY? Why did the cops say it is too late in the day? Did I miss something on emergancy hours? I was awake till 3am this morning and there was more than enough light out to be able to help any one who needed help.
To say I am pissed is an understatment. I hope the cops and EMO are ashamed of them selves!I hope they are repermended and.... (well let me quit here before I really say what I think)
Thanks to Leithe and the other locals and locals from Ross River (Henry Dick)( i do not know all who where involved and sorry if your name is not up here, but you are the ones who deserve credit) to those who were there to help Doug the best they could, god bless you guys and may you know you are awesome and better than those who claim to be there to protect and serve, and to help when they are suppose to!
I am waiting to get pictures and will load them when I get them.

better profile pics of the pups

Butters (male)
Butters (male)
Barq (male)
Barq (male)
Bytz (female)
Bytz (female)







Taking pics of the pups takes time and a sence of humor. We went for round two hoping to get better pics of them tonight and we were sucessful ! YAY. So here are some more profile pics of our Pups. They are 6 months now! Harness training will start here real soon! Breeze did so well yesturday we didnt bother trying to get another one from her tonight.

Hmmmm....about that swine flu thing....

How swine flu goes from pigs to people? too cute!

after the flooding

more puppy pics from the walk.
the ice in the river is the Yukon River, this is after a river up river from the Yukon went out and ice is on its way down the Yukon.
the bride was washed down the creek about 2-300 feet and way up on the bank. There is a bridge before that as well it was washed out.

todays walk

Barq (male)
Bytz (female)
Breeze (female)
Butters (male)

miner lost in flood

During the flooding here, there was a miner lost. I dont know all the details but from what has been determined, he left camp on a 4wheeler, and got caught in the rushing water. His 4 wheeler was found and apperently it looks really really bad, like it was ran over by a truck. The damage is from ice, and trees it hit and was hit by. There was search for him with luck in finding him. They are waiting for the water to go down so they can cross the creek to search the other side.
It has been a full week now since he left camp. I hope he is on the otherside, and is ok....
I will update when I hear more. His name is Jerry Bride.

flooding, more down river

after we got hit with some flooding all the ice went trhough and is making life bad down river. Eagle, Alaska has been hit very hard and there are alot of people still down river. out thoughts and prayers are with them.
http://www.adn.com/news/environment/flooding/story/784989.html

dogs available

We have a couple dogs for sale and Glinda is free to a retirement home.
http://yukonsibes.tripod.com/dogsforsale/

spring

my first flood

This was my first natural disaster! Very exciting!
We knew it was coming. We had an amazing wet year last year so I knew the ground had frozen wet with as much water as it could hold, then we had an amazing amount of snow, how could it not flood this year? We have had 20+ here for 4 days in a row (and again today and yesturday) so how could nothing happen? It was coming and we knew it would, so we were as ready as we could be.
We are VERY lucky that we are renting this place from someone, it is not our junk that was moved and washed away and there are no mortgage payments coming off the check for us.
This place had flooded about 3 years ago they said and not too bad, so we knew we were in for water and I figured it could be alot. It is 2 story and when it flooded last time, they moved the living area up stairs only, so we were saef from the rising water. They also had a canoe here ! THANK YOU for that!! No paddels but a couple of shovels worked great.
When it first started to rise, I told Hayden we have 2 hours to move dogs, so we started moving them and got every one moved to the higher ground. When I went back for the dishes, the creek had flooded and was washing the pans down through the trees. So we grabbed them and I suggested we tie the canoe up to the stairs.
Woke up the next morning to being surrounded by water , not much about a foot, over the gum boots and enough to canoe in.
Cooked breakfast during breakfast the water dropped really fast for about 20 mins, then it started rising and FAST, really fast. With in an hour it had come up over 2 feet,then we went to move the truck to a bit more higher ground, when we were over there another part of the creek had flooded out and broke out onto the drive way, causing that to flood and that is where we moved the dogs to. Now we are really moving, we need to act fast and get the dogs to higher ground again. As we were doing this it became clear we needed to get out and get out NOW. Hayden went and borowed a dog trailer from his dad (Thank you Art!) and on his way back , driving up the road the water was coming over the hood of the truck (big dodge)and his brother with him to help (thank you James!!) As we were bringing dogs out to the road to put into the box, the water was over my knees and some dogs were swimming, in some spots.( none of the dogs we in water while tied thoug, but we went though the water so they would not be wraping the chains around trees and being tangled up while comeing out) During all this the creek up the road washed out and ALOT of water was moving fast down the road now. We got them loaded up and had to go back for the 2 house dogs and cats.
We half dumped the canoe going over to the house, so I left my camera there for fear of dumping it in the water (although perhaps I should have dumped it to get that new camera I want). The ride back went smooth, tied the canoe and got out. We shut the power off and went to stay at Haydens work for the night. I was not wanting to stay in the house since I have questions about the stability of the place.
We got out and put the dogs up, then came back to see it we could get in again for some food in the fridge and some other stuff, but no luck.
We figured the ice would go out soon since it was so increadably high. We tried calling some friends we know we trying to ride it out, and no answer on the phone, so we figured we would come out and see what was wrong, well the ice went, and it went with amazing force and speed. The main river channel was jammed and packed so hard, that the ice broke on the side channel, so all the water and ice started to pour through there, and through there it was easy for it to come up to the homes of people, and down the road. I think that the force of water going through the side channel could possibly make a new addition to the river with a really forcefull and possible to even become the main river channel, we will see and I hope it does not , if it did it might start eating the yards of the property of home owners.There was ALOT of river ice spread through out the neibourhood, and one friend found a fish about half a km down from the river on the road.Her and her husband had over a foot of water in their place, many were flooded out, but every one is ok and now clean up starts.
Although this was not too big of a deal for us, (only because its not our home or our life invested in it), and although It was about as bad as I thought it could be, it was fun to go though, it was an adventure and and rush the whole way though, but at the same time, it was sad, I got very choked up and felt so sad for those whos life is invested in being here, who have that huge mortgage payment and a family and now have to find money for renovations, and clean up, to have to search through the bush to find their stuff. Going though it has awaken a deeper gratification of getting though it, being thankfull for the time to be able to get out and all the dogs safe, for not loosing our life and investments(we almost thought of buying one of the hardest hit places and didnt buy last fall because we knew it could flood)It has defently been an experiance for sure.
On the plus side, my dog yard is AMAZINGLY clean! :) Now lets hope there is no more ice up river to block it bad enough to have to go through this again, the dogs are staying on the high ground for a while :)The canoe will styed tied to the front stairs for a few days as well :)
I will get some pics with the ice and water, when i can get them from friends. Hope everyone has a good spring!
I found the sign in the yard, it would have had to come through the trees, crazy force to knock it around the bush to get where we are, I cracked right up when I saw it!