Spring and Sunshine

  It has been a month since I've last posted and how things have changed! The shoulder season of April was hard to get through-- not winter anymore, but not yet spring. It seemed like we were the only place in Canada where the snow had not only not melted yet, but hadn't stopped coming! My expression would turn sour when I checked out the facebook newsfeed to see more and more Spring! albums and smiling children in t-shirts or eating ice-cream. The cross-country ski trails were still open in April (actually all the way to the first week of May), but my waxless skis would just get stuck in the warmer snow so I put them in the closet, hoping that would bode farewell to the winter season.
  On the May long weekend my mind was filled with images of greenhouses full of plants, guys in bright coloured SGC shirts running from truck to tractor, the smell of fresh manure, and the warm heat of the summer sun on my back. Our Yukon May long weekend was a little different. We headed north on the Klondike Hwy. towards Dawson City. I've never driven that highway and it was so good to just get out of Whitehorse after the long winter. It was our first big trip with our new Subaru Crosstrek which made the trip feel even more rewarding- just knowing that we wouldn't have to second guess if it would make it. We headed to a friend's cabin with two other couples on a beautiful lake called Fox Lake. It was still frozen, but some brave boys did manage to paddle a bit of the perimeter of the lake, while using a canoe paddle as an icebreaker. It also snowed much of the time and we were very thankful for the woodstove inside the cabin. We ate good food, played games, went for hikes, and just spent time getting to know each other. It was really great.
  Since that weekend, spring has blossomed in Whitehorse! The Yukon river is almost all the way melted through, the trees are budding filling the parks with vivid greens, I've put on shorts and flipflops a couple times, and the tourists are here! I'm sure the population of Whitehorse has doubled in the last month. Walmart is full of RVs and traffic has slowed considerably. There are a number of parking spaces that are reserved only for tourists from May to October and our PEI plates are long gone so we can't take advantage of that anymore. There is also a restaurant called "Klondike Rib and Salmon" that opened on Mother's Day and every night there is a lineup out the door of people waiting to get in! We went once and the ribs are delicious!

Beavers are hard at work along the Millenium Trail.

High Season has arrived. Population = doubled.

The way I get around. I wll not be using this for the bike race :)

Beautiful crocus flowers- the first to bravely poke up their heads in May.

The Whitehorse Rapids- now the Hydroelectric Dam. If you look closely people
are fishing and there is even a red canoe out exploring!

It is still very dry in Whitehorse. This area is normally flooded with water.
We don't get the same kind of downpours as Ontario and I miss the thunderstorms. 

  School is coming to a close and the kids are restless! The longer days really does affect everyone too. Kids are up later and tired during their first classes. I have found it difficult to sleep and so we have to put a blanket over our bedroom windows so that it is dark enough to sleep. The hours of daylight are from about 11 pm to 4:30 am. It's incredible!
    Marcel has started golfing every Monday night with some buddies of his and he is really enjoying it. We are also training for a 240 km bike race that happens in two weeks. It is the Kluane Chilkat International Bike Race and it begins in Haines Junction, YT and finishes in Haines, Alaska. We are on an 8 person team that I've been told is not competetive. I'm hoping it stays non-competetive when it gets to my leg because I'm the anchor, rider number 8! Marcel is rider number 6 and has to come down some crazy steep hills on his 30 km ride. My ride is pretty flat, but I may be riding into the wind since I'm headed towards the water. It's going to be fun! We've been borrowing a friend's roadbike to train a little bit and it is pretty incredible how fast those roadbikes can go! It'll be a great experience!
  This week I've been working at the MacBride Museum a bit already getting prepared for the kids camps I will be running. There are seven different camps and each are a week long. I have two weeks off in the summer and then school begins again in mid-August already! I'll write more about the MacBride camps in future posts. I'm excited about teaching kids about Yukon legends and history and becoming certified to give tours on the National Historical site of the S.S. Klondike!
  I'm also so excited that Marcel and I are taking a week off this summer to travel a bit in the Yukon and hang out with some visitors from Ontario. Marcel's parents are coming first and we are hoping to head up to Dawson City with them and tour them around Whitehorse. Right after Marcel's parents, my brother and his wife are coming up for a few days. It is going to be so nice to see family!! And it will be so great to be able to show them the beauty of the Yukon and have some time to enjoy it with them!

  Twenty-one more days until Summer Solstice!!

Perseverance and Thanksgiving

  Last week was a toughie. I've had moments in the last week where I've feared going back into the deep darkness of negativity and depressed thoughts that once took a hold of me in years past. I don't want to go back there. Last week I was diagnosed with a mild form of pneumonia. I spent much of the week in bed or on the couch drinking constant warm fluids and feeling pretty weak. I think when you're body is in that kind of vulnerable, dependent state everything looks bad. I'm starting to feel stronger and with that strength, fortunately, I've been able to have a clearer perspective on life.
  I've been struggling with multiple health issues lately and really have a hard time dealing with the effects of the limits it creates. Often I have to cancel planned events or limit myself to certain activities and I really miss being free, outgoing, and full of spirit and energy. It feels like I lose part of myself when I'm plagued with migraines, frustrations of excema, and now the hit my lungs have taken with this bout of bacterial infection. Because I kept active all winter playing hockey and running, two weeks ago I was enjoying a 7 km run or 15 km bike ride. Yesterday, Marcel went for a jog with me and I could barely run 300 metres without stopping to cough or gain my breath back. It is so frustrating and I know the recovery is going to be a long road.
  Then, last Friday, our car was stolen. My mind was spinning. What is the meaning of this? What is God trying to teach us and why would He allow this to happen? I know that compared to what some people have in the world, a car is a luxury item, but to us, "Scout" as we affectionally dubbed our Nissan Sentra, provides a lot of independence to our lives. Marcel especially depends on the car to get to events he has to cover for work and it allows me to work outside of the Riverdale radius. It turns out some 12-15 year olds took it out joy-riding for the night. The police found it in a ditch late Saturday night and we are so thankful to have it back. The kids did quite a number on it though, and it is being checked out by a mechanic this week to see what kind of damage our poor Scout endured.
  I know we are not the only ones who endure hardships. Everyone, whether silently or publicly, struggles with something at some time or another. Why do these hardships happen? I can only find one answer in Scripture.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:2-4

Perseverance.
It is defined as steady persistance in belief, purpose, or action in spite of difficulties.
It is also interesting that many dictionaries also include a Christian meaning as well: remaining in a state of grace until death.  

I know God is real. I know He knows our needs better than we do ourselves. I know that he has purposed us to be in the Yukon right now- even though this never-ending winter is really getting to my spirit. I don't know what God's plans are for our future-where, what, or how, but I know that He holds us in His big capable hands and since He has control over the universe, He can make anything happen (even when the world says the worst job for 2013 is a reporter and teaching jobs are slim to none in most of Canada). Sometimes there seems to be a lot going against us, but I have to and do believe that God is for us- and then who can be against us? (Rom 8:31).

I am also thankful for God's never-ending grace. He sees us and our mistakes. He loves us and we are more than conquerors because of and through the power of His love (Rom 8:37-39). I guess my job now is to fix my eyes on Jesus, to pray for His Spirit to refine our faith in Him. That if it is not God's will to bring complete healing to my migraines, I would rest in His grace and love. I would be thankful that I have the support of a caring husband, meds that can take the edge off, and accepting friends that understand when I need to cancel plans. Also when things become difficult, I need to remember the great sacrifice that Christ made for us so that eventually all things will be renewed and there will be no more sorrow or pain. To persevere and endure in rough situations, I need to focus on the hope of the coming Kingdom of God and find strength in the daily grace and love of God.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
 Hebrews 12:1-3

Maybe this post is just a pep talk for myself. I can feel my spirit being renewed as I write this and become more aware of the promises of our capable God and Father. 
Anne Voskamp in her book "A Thousand Gifts" has provided me with numerous reminders of how to regain focus on life when things seem to be a tornado of chaos and disarray. I've written some down to hang in my house as constant reminders: 







  

 

 

 

Thanksgiving- A practice of renewing the joy of the Lord.

 

I'm thankful for:

 

* A God that loves me unconditionally

* Hope of a time without sickness or sorrow

* Christian friendships in Yukon and a great Bible study group

* A loving husband who fears the Lord

* Supportive family who write and call

* medicine and doctors

* warm liquids for a sore throat

* music that lifts the soul

* a car on lend from someone from church

* sunshine (now 5:55 am - 10:00 pm)

* consistent work at familiar schools

* the joy that children and teens bring

* a summer job

* Tea from Marcel's coworker (David's Tea is amazing!)

* Mom's soup recipe

* Sleep

* A day off to renew my mind

* Encouraging sermons of Tim Keller and the Redeemer Presby App

* Letters from nieces

* dropies from Holland

* Time to get crafty, sew, and paint

* The Leafs making the playoffs and nights on the couch with Marcel watching hockey



  Writing about struggles is a vulnerable activity, but I know I'm not the only one who faces them. Writing also cements these truths I've been reflecting on and keeps me accountable to facing life with hope and thanksgiving in perseverance, rather than wallowing in my self-centered world. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I pray that these reflections make their mark on my heart so I don't soon forget the art of dealing with difficulties, but face them with the hope of the gospel and strength of the Spirit. I hope it also encourages others to not lose hope, but to endure by focussing on the cross and giving thanks. Here is one more uplifting passage for those discouraged or in despair.

Why do you complain, Jacob?
Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord;
my cause is disregarded by my God”?
²⁸ Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
³¹ but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:27-31

MacBride Museum

  Over March Break, I was fortunate enough to get a job at the MacBride Museum. It is museum in Whitehorse that has really unique Yukon artifacts and displays. This year, it opened a new Yukon Quest exhibit because it was the 30th Yukon Quest. It also outlines the history of the Gold Rush and many other Yukon specific exhibits. As a lover of history, I really enjoy visiting the MacBride Museum (every 3rd Thursday is free for Yukoners!) and so when I was approached by one of the curators to work as one of the March Break camp leaders I was thrilled.

 

  It meant longer hours (8-5 as opposed to my normal 8:30-3:30 :P) and it did take a lot of energy, but the kids who attended each camp were so great and really embraced a lot of the activities we had planned. I also had an excellent partner in crime, Steph. Steph is even newer to the Yukon than I am and her speciality is in archeology and museum-ology? (I think). Our different gifts- hers in the museum exhibits since she had been working there for a couple months already- and mine in classroom management and timing of events- paired well. We made a great team and it was a joy to see her every morning and high five each other at the end of another long, energy-filled day.

Steph- my partner in crime

One day we made archeologist costumes so we were in character for our "Dig".
The kids are way cuter, but I can't post photos of them.

  The camps we led over March Break (two weeks here in the Yukon) were the Gold Rush camp and Archeology camp. During the Gold Rush camp, the kids learned about the Gold Rush through the eyes of Aurore, a child who experienced the Chilkoot Trail and life in the boom times of Yukon as well as the legendary Soapy Smith whose gang took advantage of many Cheechakos (inexperienced Yukoners) by overcharging them and fleecing them out of the few possessions they had brought up with them. Many of the crimes gangs like Soapy Smith's were involved in occurred on the Alaska side of the border because the RCMP were well-known for dealing with such scoundrels swiftly and effectively. At the end of the week, the campers performed a play where Soapy Smith dies in a dramatic shoot-out. The kids got to dress up in Gold Rush costumes and had a blast practicing for their big performance.

Fun Gold Rush Costumes: Dance Hall Girl, RCMP Coats, Furs

Campers in the last scene- a lot of dead bodies on the ground.

   During the Archeology camp, we had two guest speakers come in. The first was an archeologist who brought in some interesting artifacts to show the kids. He also had them look through a number of artifacts that were found in a field and by using the history known about the field, estimate what time period each artifact would be from and what it may have been used for. It was really interesting. A paleantologist also came into speak to the campers. He brought all kinds of interesting skulls to show the kids and told the kids that paleantology is not just about dinosaurs! He recently was credited in finding a camel skull in the Yukon which proves that before the ice age, camels were able to survive in this climate. He definitely presented a different history and prehistory of the world than I grew up acknowledging and it really made me want to look into a Christian perspective on paleantology and how Christian archeologists account for the interesting evidence he was showing us.

The Yukon Wildlife exhibit.

   After the March Break camp, I was asked if I was willing to lead the camps during the summer. The staff at MacBride were very accommodating and said they would work the camps around my schedule so I could have some weeks off this summer. How could I say no to that? I'm so thankful that I will have employment this summer and through it I will get to learn more and more about this beautiful territory and hang out with kids all day. Now, if only the weather would start becoming a little more summerlike up here...

Teaching as of Late

  First off, I need to thank my husband for hijacking my blog and writing about the exhilarating end to my rookie hockey year. It really was a blast and kept me active through the winter months. Secondly, I've been really delinquent about my blog lately and keeping things up-to-date. My goal was to write once a week and its been more than a month since my last post! Life has been busy in Whitehorse, especially with hockey playoffs, a March Break daycamp job, and house sitting. I've also been teaching a lot this past month.
  I was a phys. ed. teacher for one week which involved teaching a cross-country ski unit and a hip hop dance unit (with a guest instructor). I really enjoyed that week. Then for a week and a half I taught grade 9 and 10 math and grade 12 Geology. I really enjoy being booked in a classroom for more than a day because then I actually get to do some real teaching, rather than just supervising students do projects. It took me a bit to remind myself how to do grade 9 and 10 algebra, but once I caught on again I really enjoyed teaching the concepts.
  Today I was at a school for the morning that I've never been at before. It is a school for kids that get kicked out of other schools. It starts at 9:30 instead of 8:30 so I got to sleep in! When I arrived, I received the heads up about how this school works by the Educational Assistant that was present. There are nine students, but she expected only three or four to show up for the morning classes. Each student works at their own pace on their own program. Each student has different triggers and has their own story as to why they are in this alternative program. The school has three rooms: a classroom, a woodshop, and a kitchen/lounge. Surprisingly, none of the youth showed up for class today! Really! So I spent the morning chatting with the EA about the program, about how to get a teaching job in Whitehorse, and about life in the Yukon. It was really enjoyable. I had to stay the whole morning just in case someone did show up and I'm sad none of the students came because I think I would have enjoyed interacting with these youth and learning more about how this alternative school works. Maybe I'll get called in to supply there another day. Now I have the afternoon to get some errands done, blog, and make some phone calls to people back home.
    Tomorrow I have been asked to be one of the chaperones for a grade nine class going to the hospital for the Party Program. It is a program which involves the students going to the morgue, learning about the effects of drunk driving, and listening to interactive presentations by a number of health professionals about safety at youth parties (sexual health, alcohol, drugs, peer pressure, etc.). I've been working with these grade nine students a lot lately and I'm looking forward to being able to experience this program with them. Then on Friday, I get to be a phys. ed. teacher again and play fun games with students! I cannot complain. I'm so thankful for all the work I've been getting and that I also have had lots of free time after work to do things I enjoy too. It is pretty amazing to work a full day and be home by 3:30 and have no homework, prep, or marking to take home at night or on the weekends.
   Off to to my errands and enjoy the sunshine!

Beast mode

So….. Amy’s women’s hockey team won the league championship last night, and I felt it was time to hijack her blog and write a little bit about her team’s special season.

First, let’s talk a little bit about Amy’s hockey career.

She started by playing a few games in Hockeyville (Terrace BC) with our good friend Alli McCullough. Then we moved to Charlottetown and Amy forgot about hockey for a while. But one day, when I was out at the 70 Mile Yard Sale looking for gear for my future church hockey linemate Phil Reid, Amy got the bug again and decided she wanted to play again one day.

 

Fastforward two years and here we are in Whitehorse. Amy signed up to play women’s hockey and landed on a team called the Green Beasts. She then proceeded to score in her first game, and was top-5 in league scoring for exactly two games! Pretty funny stuff.

Then came the grind of the season, where she battled migraines and late-night games and all the other frustrations a rookie player goes through. I wasn’t sure some days what she really thought about the game I love, but she didn’t quit and kept going to her games.

http://www.whitehorsestar.com/archive/story/beasts-dragons-on-collision-course-in-womens-hockey-playoffs/

Then last week the playoffs started (double elimination). Amy’s team finished second in the regular season to the Red Dragons – a team that only lost five of 35 games.

The two teams met in a playoff game on Tuesday night and Amy’s team lost a well-played game 2-1, which meant the Dragons were in the final, and the Beasts had to win another game to have a chance to face them again. (I should also note that Amy scored her team’s only goal of that game, which had at least one fan tearing up in the stands.)

The Beasts would win their next game 2-1 to win a chance to face the Dragons again in the final. Last night’s game was their third in three nights.

 

And what a game it was!

End to end action with four goals scored per team… followed by two penalties in overtime, one for each side. It was really cool to watch. The 5 minute OT was followed by a shootout, the first one in the league this year.

The Beasts’ leading scorer Laura G. scored on her shot, and goalie Amy G. stopped all three Dragons shooters (including the league’s leading scorer!) to lead the team to victory. An amazing finish to an awesome year…..

 

 

 

 

Amy did pick up assists in that game and the 2-1 semifinal win, giving her three points in three playoff games. Needless to say, I was thrilled…..

After the game, we headed off to the local hot springs for a soak with Amy’s biggest fans (Colin Wassenaar & Kathleen Jarvis), where we rehashed the game over and over. You couldn’t wipe the smile off of Amy’s face. She talked about the joy she felt in the middle of the celebratory huddle following her team’s big win, and how much it meant to contribute to some of her team’s success….

 

This morning over breakfast, we discussed how it would feel for me if the Leafs ever won the Stanley Cup, and I think Amy was able to understand that feeling a little more after her own team’s success…

Still, I think the best part about all of this is….. Amy told me at points this year that she wasn’t sure if hockey was her sport, and wasn’t sure if she would play again next year.

However, today we stumbled upon a hockey gear sale at Walmart and Amy was thrilled to pick up new hockey pants and gloves (for next season?).

Things are looking up….

Thanks for reading.

Marcel

Finding my inner artist...

  So the Quest is almost over!! I'm not checking facebook and twitter every 1/2 hour to keep track of Marcel anymore- I know he is safe and sound in Fairbanks- and I'm thankful for that. Allen Moore won the race setting a new record of 8 days 18 hours and 27 minutes and beating Hugh Neff by over an hour. Allen and his wife, Aliy, are also the first couple to both have won the 1000 mile dog race. It was quite the race to follow and I'm impressed with the performance of all the mushers and their dogs! What a test of perseverance and determination! I'm also excited to sit down with Marcel and hear some of the stories that he hasn't written down and hear his perspective on the whole experience.

  Meanwhile, back in Whitehorse, my mom flew in for just over a week to experience a Whitehorse winter! She got some pretty good weather considering some of the temps we endure up here! Her first full day here we went for a hike down to Canyon City which is just east of Whitehorse on the Yukon River. It was a transportation center where a keen business man set up a tramway system using horses and pullcarts so that wary travellers didn't have to guide their way through the dangerous Whitehorse rapids! The rapids no longer exist due to the building of a dam. It was -20 on this first hike and we experienced deep snow and Mom got to see her hair turn wispy and white from the cold temps. The sun was shining and it was a great day!

  We also spent a lot of time skiing in different areas of Whitehorse (including the wildlife preserve!), she watched me play hockey, we drove to Haines Junction (location of Canada's highest mountain range, including Mt. Logan) to see some snow covered peaks, and we spent a lot of time crafting :)

  I really miss crafting with my mom. She has a beautiful studio in Ontario with all kinds of fabrics, felts, paints, stencils, and do-dads to get your creative juices flowing! I'm not the most artistic... I'm kind of a wanna-be artist or crafter. I'm impressed with what I could create though with a little bit of guidance and inspiration from my mom. We also enjoyed perusing through a number of local art galleries and went to a film about Ted Harrison- a well-known Yukon artist which inspired some of my art.

 The first project I wanted to accomplish while my mom was here was to finish my 4 quilted placemat tops. Check. I had a few girls over and they brought their sewing machines and did some of their own crafting. It was a really nice night and I accomplished my goal :) Next, I will have to add batting?, bind, and back the placemats with the help of the Queen of Quilting in Whitehorse. She is in Hawaii right now so this project will have to wait for awhile.

 

 

  My mom also brought some of her acrylic paints and then I ended up buying some more and getting into painting a bit. Here are some of my beginner level compositions: 

Dreaming of Summer Paddling 

Yukon: Wild and Free- Inspired by Ted Harrison

TO: The Urban Wilderness

I used acrylic paint and also different types of fabric for this collage piece. I want to create a PEI and Yukon scene as well, incorporating some of the same fabrics. This is supposed to look like the CN Tower and Skydome- to represent my TO roots :)

Quest 2013

This is a Yukon Quest collage piece. Using some of the newspaper clippings from Marcel, the elevation route, and a stamp from Dawson City that was on a letter he sent me during the race.

Mom sketching using one of her photos from our outings (on the computer)

Our creative center.

I also cut up a huge tablecloth I had and hemmed the edges so that I could use them for our endtables to hide the hideous 80s style glass tops. :)

 

Sunset on the Millenium Trail

 

Hike by the Klondike Steamship

Skiing through Chadburn Lakes area

Getting ready for a big ski at Mount MacIntyre. What a smile!

View of our roadtrip to Haines Junction to view the St. Elias Mountain Range.

Contemplating the views

 

 

   It was such a blessing to spend this time with my mom; to discover new places, share the beauty of the Yukon with her, ski in incredible sunshine, sleep in and drink delicious coffee together, find my inner artist (if its in me- its gotta be in everyone- somewhere down deep!), soak in the hotsprings, and relish in the time we had together. The memories made will never be forgotten.  

 

 

Final Stretch

  Well, the final stretch to the finish line is on! Hugh Neff and Allen Moore have been neck and neck the entire second half of the race and I'm sure it will be another exciting finish. I really like Hugh, but I'd feel really bad for Allen if he lost by less than a minute again this year! The two mushers are just about to head out of Two Rivers (10:30 pm Sunday) and are expected into Fairbanks in the early in the morning (7 or 8 am?). Hugh's tracker isn't working and so it really will be a mystery until a headlamp is seen coming up the trail into Fairbanks as to who the champion is this year.
  Here is a map of the whole route as well as the elevations the mushers have been racing through. Most of the mushers are headed toward or climbing Eagle Summit which is a dreaded "hill" with unwieldy weather conditions. Any trail the leaders make going up the summit is lost due to the wind and so although it is well marked, dogs have a difficult time finding their way up it. It has also been really warm the last 24 hours (+1 in Whitehorse!) and the sun beaming its warm rays on the dogs has also slowed them down.
 

(This map is backwards :) We started in Whitehorse and will end in Fairbanks this year. Also from Two Rievers to Fairbanks should be 72 miles not 45)
 
  Two other fierce competitors have been Brent Sass and Jake Berkowitz. I've shared a few things about Jake with you already. Earlier today he got stuck on Eagle Summit. His dogs couldn't find the trail and so I think he tried to lead them up the summit by pulling his lead dog forward, but then his sled tipped over and became kind of a yard sale. Brent Sass noticed him having trouble as he passed by up the summit. The rule is that no one can help a musher or the musher will receive a penalty (of time and/or dollars). However, a fellow musher may help and no reprucussions will occur. Brent anchored his own dogs down and then walked back to help lead Jake and his dogs up the rough part of the summit. A trail breaker captured some of the camraderie on film.
 
 
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpw5187hEBA
 
This is the two of them coming into Mile 101 after the big climb and talking about what happened.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wqmBFZcmpw&feature=youtu.be
 
Brent Sass is a fan favourite. He is just a really nice guy. Easy to talk to and emanating a vivacious energy and zest for life! He is a 32-year old from Eureka, Alaska and he has been running dogs for 10 years. He came in fifth in last year's Yukon Quest and it looks like he will be beating that record this year. His occupation (s) are listed as: Dog musher, landlord, cabin builder, wilderness guide, and gold miner-- so basically an all-out Alaskan. It won't suprise you to know that his kennel is called Wild and Free and he loves going on adventures like this with his best friends (his dogs!).
 
 
 

Brent's arrival into Circle, AK. Photo taken by Alistair Maitland-- sick photo!
 
 I haven't heard from Marcel at all today, but yesterday I heard he was back in a town with a road (Circle, AK) so that made me happy. Then in one of the above videos I found, I saw his black snowsuit and his furry brown hat and so I know that he made it to Mile 101. It must have been a beautiful drive in the sun today. On Friday, Marcel took a little float plane from Dawson City to Eagle, AK. Here are some of his thoughts (from an email) about the town of Eagle (remote fly-in only town):

"We flew in here yesterday in a Cessna 206 (pic). It was quite the flight. Our little plane was blown around by the wind like a balloon. But we landed her safely. First thing we see on the runway in Eagle is a lone outhouse, and a small plane getting groceries unloaded from it. Then we got picked up by the town "mayor" in his classic old-school Chevy pickup (pics). The Alaskan newspaper reporter rode in the back. Lol. A customs officer met us on the runway to check our passports. He also stands at the race checkpoint and asks for passports when they show up. Most of them just chuckle and say nice try.

Eagle has a population of 87 people. The school we sleep in has 18 students. Everyone calls me "Canuck" and they love the Roots patch on my coat sleeve... This trip has been exhausting and thrilling at the same time. Sometimes it's magical, when you see a headlight beam out of the darkness and it looks like a dog team coming out of some sort of smoke (actually dogs breath) into a checkpoint. Most of the top mushers know us now, since we interview them at every checkpoint."  

  He landed in Circle yesterday and I can only imagine that he is headed towards Fairbanks to meet the leading mushers tomorrow morning. It is strange not to have had a newspaper update from him yesterday or today... I'll be eager to pick up tomorrow's news :)

A frost-bitten toe for Dawson's famous Sour Toe Cocktail. It is a shot that you need to drink down with the toe in it. You don't drink the toe, but in order for you to receive a prized certificate it must touch your lips! I'm not sure if Marcel took up the challenge, but he took this photo of it! Eww!

View of Dawson City from the sky.

Marcel's sweet ride. All the media and even some dropped dogs needed to be transported this way!

View of the Yukon River.

Airport Shuttle service via the Mayor of Eagle

The Eagle Library was closed for a couple of days and made into the YQ Media Headquarters. Yes, it is heated by woodstove!

Keep the peace in Eagle and don't speed!