Birds on a Wire

There are a dozen-or-so swallows that hang around just outside my hotel room here in Beaver Creek. I think they're a mix of tree swallows and violet-green swallows. Whatever they are, they've definitely got personality.

"Oh, yeah. I'm cool. I know it."

"Oooh! Ooooh! Itchy!"

"Ha ha! Real cool. Flea-infested loser!"

"You're one to talk! You can't even keep your breast feathers from flopping out all over the place!"

"Eek!" (Groom, groom, groom.)

"Sorry..."

"Hey! How you doin'?"

"Kiss my tail feathers, slimeball!"

"This is all so embarrassing..."

"It doesn't matter how colourful I am, nobody seems to notice me..."

"Oh, I see you Mountains. You think you can intimidate me? You think you're all big and mighty and that I'm just a little bird, but I can fly right over you. Tony Robins tells me I can and I will. Whaddaya think of that, huh? Whaddaya think of that!"

An Extra-Special Anniversary

Today is an extra-special day. To the best of our knowledge, for exactly one year, Jade has been seizure-free.

In the immortal words of Kermit the Frog...

Machines that made history!

On March 8, 1942, construction began on a 2,237 km (1,390 mile) road that would come to be known as the Alaska Highway. It was finished by October 28, 1942 with the northern linkup at Mile 1202, Beaver Creek. The highway was dedicated on November 20, 1942.

And what type of equipment was used to construct a somewhat-passable 2,237 km highway in eight months?



Yeah, definitely gotta have ambulances.




And ya gotta have some excavators (one step away from a steam shovel). Check out that über-comfortable seat!

Of course, you'll need something to transport the wooden culverts.



Aww, look at it looking at the Alaska Highway. I think it's feeling nostalgic!


If you'd like to see these history-making machines for yourself, you can find them not far from Beaver Creek, Yukon at Bear Flats (Koidern) near the White River.

The Balding Bear

I saw a couple of very healthy bears on my drive to Beaver Creek. They ran into the trees at great speed as my car approached, with their fat and fur rippling as they ran. Then there was this guy.



He wasn't going anywhere. He just stood there, looking at me and my car. Fortunately, I have a good zoom and didn't need to leave my vehicle or get anywhere near him. (It's frightening how many Alaska Highway tourists get out of their vehicles and think they can pet the animals.)

Once, I found myself mere feet from a bear (not intentionally). The bear was feasting on berries and gave me a look that could clearly be interpreted as "Oh, hello. These certainly are delicious berries. Sorry, I can't chat; berries to eat and whatnot. My, these certainly are nice berries."

And I once drove past a bear that was feasting on a freshly road-killed bison. The look of pure pleasure on satisfaction on its face could clearly be interpreted as "Dude! This is awesome! Nom nom nom! Look at all these guts! Sweeeeet! And all this meat was just lying here! Can you believe it? Best. Day. EVER!!!"

I can confirm that it is possible for a bear to have a silly, happy grin of pure pleasure.

For this skinny bear, though, with its balding head and shining eyes and total disinterest in leaving the road, I wasn't sure what to think. One moment he seemed like the most piteous bear ever and the next...

When he stepped tentatively toward my car, I floored it.

Beware of balding bears.

Long-gone swan?

I was beginning to wonder if I would see any swans this year. I needn't wonder any longer.

What is the opposite of "impression"?

With the arrival of long days and spring heat, the ice on the lakes and ponds won't be around for much longer.

I'm in Beaver Creek now. On my way here, I noticed some tracks running across a small lake.  That's not unusual, but these tracks were.  You see, the walker compressed the snow in such a way that the surrounding snow melted faster than the footprints, leaving an elevated trackway.

Very cool.

A tinhorn study/

This sheep was grazing near the fence at the Yukon Wildlife Preserve.  I was able to get up-close and personal - with help from the zoom on my camera, of course.

Wildlife Preserved.

The Yukon Wildlife Preserve officially has ten mammal species. We saw at least thirteen, all of which were active, healthy, and seemed to be enjoying themselves - even the three-legged lynx!

Faro Crane & Sheep Festival - Part 8

As I mentioned in an earlier entry, I finally made it out to see Van Gorder Falls in Faro. It was a nice walk and heading up the slope meant that I got some good views of the town and the surrounding mountains.




The trail had substantially less snow and ice than it did just a day before.

I had been warned that the falls were small. And they were, but they were still pretty.


The rocks in the area were interesting, too.



Seeing a foot and sheep trail continuing up the ridge of the river valley, I decided to head up to investigate the views, but when I looked back at the viewing platform, I went right back down. While I was disgusted that someone would do such a thing, I wanted to investigate how the inconsiderate "Rick W." painted his hame below the viewing platform on a pillar of rock.



The way down looked next to impossible, but was really quite simple. There were decent foot and hand holds between the rocks, and I went down.






So, now I find myself wanting to curse "Rick W." for inconsiderately spraying his name on what should be a lovely natural site, but also wanting to thank him because, without the graffiti, I wouldn't have gone between the rocks and I wouldn't have found this tiny, beautiful plant.


If anybody can identify it, please let me know!

The Faro Crane & Sheep Festival - Part 7

While in Faro for the Crane and Sheep Festival, we decided to take a drive into the mountains to the old mine site. The mine is the reason why the community of Faro was built.



In addition to the community and bounty of lead and zinc, the mine produced 55 million tonnes of tailings and 250 million tonnes of waste rock. The waste rock looks like a mountain all on its own. On the other side of that pile is a pit that's 1.6km long, nearly 1 km wide and 345 metres deep. It is, apparently, half-filled with water.¹


Although the mine had a positive legacy in the creation of Faro - where many memories were created and numerous children we raised - there is a tragic legacy. The mine produces toxic acid rock drainage. It is estimated to take over 100 years and $1-billion to remediate the site.

The Faro Mine Remediation Project is responsible for remediating the site.  They've got their work cut out for them!


¹ Numbers obtained from this UpHere Magazine article.