Month: June 2009

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The Paddlewheel Graveyard

The reason I crossed the Yukon last week was to visit Dawson’s paddlewheel graveyard, where the great old ships of yesteryear were beached and left to die once their usefulness ended. The end of the steamboat era marked the end of an age for the Yukon, as the road network became larger and more reliable. The proverbial nail in the coffin were low-lying bridges under which these ships could not pass. It’s sad to know that this was the insurmountable obstacle for ships that made it through the Five Finger Rapids. Access to the graveyards is from a trail that starts at the Yukon River Territorial Campground; most easily found with a local guide.

trailhead from site 50something :)

trailhead from site 50something 🙂

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Crossing the Yukon

Last week, I crossed the Yukon on the Dawson ferry for the first time. The ferry runs 24/7 during the summer except for a 2 hour shut down for maintenance in the wee hours of Wednesday morning. During freeze-up in the fall and break-up in the spring, residents are trapped on their side of the river for about a full month. During winter, the ice is thick enough to drive on and there is an ice bridge. Crossing on the ferry is free and the boat can accommodate very big vehicles, including RVs. The ferry is small and wait times for RVs can be long since locals have priority.

waiting to get on (I crossed over on foot)

waiting to get on (I crossed over on foot)

heading across the Yukon

heading across the Yukon

Dawson is getting to be pretty small :)

Dawson is getting to be pretty small 🙂

the ferry

the ferry

The beginning (and the end) of the Top of the World highway

The beginning (and the end) of the Top of the World highway

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The Ninth Ave and Lookout Trails

Dawson has a fabulous mostly level cross-town trail called the ‘Ninth Ave Trail’, thusly named because it runs parallel to Eighth Avenue, the last road before the Dome. The Ninth Ave Trail ends at Mary McLeod Road. Kitty corner to the left from the end of the trail is the beginning of the Lookout Trail (just before the yellow sign). This gently sloping trail takes you up to the Lookout (hence the name), which offers a more intimate view of Dawson and the Yukon River than does the view from the very top of the Dome. I’ve been up this trail a few times and never grow weary of it as it offers an almost jungle-like experience before emerging into the open Lookout. From the top, you can continue up to the Slide, and from the Slide, you can reach the Dome’s summit.

Yukon River

Yukon River

Yukon River

Yukon River

Poplars at the Lookout

Poplars at the Lookout

Dawson City and the Yukon River

Dawson City and the Yukon River

Yukon River (looking up river towards Eagle, Alaska)

Yukon River (looking up river towards Eagle, Alaska)

the Slide (seen from the opposite side of the Yukon River on another day)

the Slide (seen from the opposite side of the Yukon River on another day)

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Camp Hosting Tips, Redux

Eight weeks into my disastrous camp hosting experience last fall, I came up with a list of camp hosting tips. Let’s look at them again and see how they apply to my current non-disastrous camp hosting experience.

1) Confirm the details of the arrangement before moving in and sign a written contract

That’s not how things are done in Yukon, so this tip was not applicable to my current situation. How things are done here is that you move in, get comfortable and caught up on your online stuff, have a brief discussion about arrangements, hit the ground running, and then smooth out the arrangement as time goes on. How well does that work? I was supposed to be here for three weeks. Three days into the job, I agreed to stay for three months and to come back next year.

2) Make sure you and the manager agree on what constitutes hours that qualify towards the minimum expected to cover your rent (or whatever you’re bartering for)

This time around, I decided to get hired as a ‘contractor.’ I was given a set daily rate for my rent and an hourly wage for all hours worked. How I decided to do my bookkeeping is that I invoice them every two weeks for the hours worked during those fourteen days minus my daily rent for that fortnight. This way I don’t have to budget for rent. It also makes it very easy to agree to extra hours because I’m going to get paid for them. Here, I work as hard as I did at the park in Oliver but what I get at the end of the week is at least four times as much as I got back there.

3) Get a bit of background on the people you will be working with (how long they’ve worked there, what they do, what their expectations are for temporary staff)

My arrangement is with the manager and if anyone has a problem, they go through her. This was the problem last fall; the manager did not know how to manage staff and she let the camp host with a stronger personality make managerial decisions that weren’t hers to make. A strong manager makes this particular point moot.

4) Don’t allow them to make significant changes to the contract without a new contract being signed

Again, this is not how things are done in the Yukon. One’s word is one’s bond. My staying on for the whole summer changed every single term of the previous arrangement (positively!) and my first pay cheque was all I needed to confirm the new arrangement.

5) Don’t assume that you and the manager speak the same language. Reiterate very instruction that you are told until you’re sure you know exactly what s/he means

This is not an issue here because the manager actually remembers most of the time what she’s told you and believes you if you say that she said something different. Another big difference here is that if I forget to do something or simply don’t do it because I didn’t know I had to do it, I am left a note as a reminder. If I don’t understand the instruction, I ask and it is explained to me and that’s that. I don’t have to listen to a lecture for a half hour about what a useless lazy slob I am and I am never faulted for not knowing something.

6) Be aware of just how much value you are being given for the number of hours you put in. Camp hosting can turn out to not be cost effective

Refer back to point no. 2. I know exactly how much money I am making in my day. It’s a fair wage and I even occasionally get a few dollars in tips for cleaning motel rooms. Moreover, this is a very pleasant work environment and I have a very varied workload. Add to this a town that closes very late and I rarely watch the clock. I was supposed to be done at 4 today, but finished at 5. Woohoo, an extra hour’s pay that will more than cover a drink if I choose to go out later. Another thing that makes working here so nice is that the manager and owner are appreciative and fully aware that, hey, people need lunch breaks, or breaks, period. I did two large days of housekeeping this week and was ‘treated’ to a morning in the office today.

7) Carefully evaluate the proposed schedule to ensure that it will not be damaging to your health

My schedule here is all over the place, but I never have to start early after a late night. There is also plenty of staff to cover the ‘off’ hours so there is no reason for guests to come knocking at my door in the wee hours of the morning, allowing me to have a life separate from the RV park and motel. Most important, however, is that I do not constantly feel belittled and devalued, so my emotional health is much better and I have more energy.

I guess it’s pretty clear that my current camp hosting position is working out just fine. 🙂

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A Night on the Town

When I arrived in Dawson City, I promised myself a night on the town with dinner and a show soon as I got my first pay cheque. Since getting first said pay cheque, no night felt ‘right.’ But, after today’s grueling workload, a night on the town was just what I needed, so I went out and had some fun.

First stop was Sourdough Joe’s for dinner. I’d heard good things about this restaurant, so I didn’t explore other options. I had the ‘special’–king salmon with lemon-butter sauce, steamed veggies (carrots and green beans), and herbed rice. The meal was very good; nothing fancy or special, but the price was just right for a homestyle dinner. I had a beer with it and came out at 26$ with tip which would not be considered expensive south of the 60th parallel for such a meal. I will definitely go back to this restaurant and try their ‘famous’ fish and chips.

Next stop was Klondyke Cream & Candy. As it turns out they rotate flavours, so the triple chocolate brownie I was addicted to is no longer available. No problem, I am now addicted to New York-style cherry cheesecake over peanut butter chocolate. 😀

And, then, the pièce de résistance: Diamond Tooth Gerties. This is the oldest casino in Canada and it is non-profit to boot, so all the money taken in goes back to the community. There are three cancan shows a night. Entrance to Gerties for two nights is 6$ per person. In case that’s not clear, a 6$ pass gets you access to all three shows for two nights. What a bargain! As an employee in the tourism industry, I get an even better bargain, a free season’s pass! I like to go out for a drink on occasion and will make it a point to time these outings with a Gerties show!

I went in a bit early tonight and played the slot machines, something I do very rarely, but which is fun on occasion. I never play more than my budget and I find it sad to watch the compulsive gamblers who are so stressed out and focussed on winning. I played the penny slots and had fun watching my fortune wax and wane. Then I sat down in front of the stage and ordered a drink, trying out a house special called ‘Gertie’s Garter’ which is rum, some sort of fruity liqueur, and cranberry and pineapple juices; very tasty!

The show started promptly at 8:30 (next shows are 10:30 and midnight) and it was a lot of fun. I loved watching the incredibly athletic gals kick up their heels, showing off beautiful coloured petticoats. All the staff at Gerties is dressed to the nines, with the servers and show girls dressed in period costumes. When the music starts, you are transported back 120 years in history to the Gold Rush days; it is quite an experience!

When leaving Gerties, I suggest putting on sunglasses inside the dimly lit building as the glaring 9PM sun will just about blind you. 😀