I will be leaving for Whitehorse within the next couple of hours. Monday is the big day when I meet up with the tour group and head for Skagway. I can’t wait!!!
My assumption is that I will not have access to the ‘net in Whitehorse. So, my next post might not be for another two weeks.
(Packing sucks; I’d forgotten what it’s like to not have all my personal effects with me at all times! 😀 )
A large RV caravan rolled in here tonight convincing me once and for all that I would never want to join one!!! I would hate to be stuck on a schedule and to have to play follow-the-leader. The only exception I would make would be to go into Mexico, but I would only follow one or two other RVers who are experienced at Mexico rather than go with an organized group. I’m a solo RVer through and through!
Yesterday afternoon, I made plans with a friend to hike up the Midnight Dome. We thought the hike would take two to three hours, but became emboldened the higher we went and ended up taking the incredibly long, hard, and dangerous route that involved some mountain climbing. Departure was 6PM and we made it back to my car at MIDNIGHT!!!
Being the idiot with lack of foresight that I am, I didn’t bring my camera, figuring that, heh, I’ve been to the top of the Dome before. AUGH!!! My friend had her camera, so hopefully I’ll be able to snag some pics from her. If that’s the case, I’ll publish an update to this post.
So, the first part of the hike was easy, one I’ve done several times before; Ninth Ave trail to the Lookout. From there, we proceeded to the Slide, which is where things became ‘fun’ (depending on your definition of fun. We had a jolly good time. 😀 ).
Crossing the Slide first meant picking our way across a huge field of loose boulders that took out a part of the trail. My friend took point and we would periodically stop to reassess our position and make sure we were still heading for the proper trail. We finally made it across and eventually came to a sign that said “Alternate route (straight up), original route with slide area (ahead). My friend decided she wanted to do the ‘original’ and I was just glad to get some real hiking under my belt, the kind that is foolish to do on your own.
We picked our way across the trail, which was very narrow and loose in parts, and reached the first of what turned out to be two slides. Imagine a wall of dirt that is practically at 90 degrees with just a few solid foot and hand holds lost among loose rock forming a very narrow ledge across. My friend got across very quickly and I ventured out there. Halfway, I ran out of obvious holds and my acrophobia started to take over. I was advised to go up and around, but there was no way I was going up; it would just mean a longer fall! I don’t know how long I clung to the cliff purposely sending rocks down until I got to a solid layer. I then took a leap of faith and before long found myself back on solid ground. I felt very accomplished, but that was not fun and I won’t pretend it was. We agreed that it was foolish. At the same time, though, I was glad to have had such an experience since it taught me that I am master of my acrophobia and not vice versa.
Not long after, we noticed people up on a point of land above us waving. My friend joked: “I wonder if they came this way or if they’re wondering what the heck we’re doing here!” When we came to another slide area, almost as bad as the first, we were glad to have witnesses who could quickly report our demise if necessary. 🙂 We made it across that second slide and continued picking our way along until we reached the point of land where the group was resting. We gave them a proper warning about going the way we came and also got advice on the correct route to the summit.
The rest of the way up sucked. 🙂 It was just a very steep, never ending trek up one mountain, across a ridge, and up a second to the top of the Dome. Thankfully, all the reading I’ve been doing about the Chilkoot made the pessimist in me expect a false summit when the trail leveled off, so I wasn’t shocked when we started to climb back up. 🙂 I am grateful for this climb, though, because it was the longest I’ve gone without reaching any bit of flat, allowing me to discover that my boots and socks are capable of giving me blisters (on my heels). I didn’t develop any there (just hot spots), but I now know that a blister kit won’t be excess weight on the Chilkoot!
Reaching the summit was very satisfying. 🙂 We had a snack, a conversation, and a rest, then we headed back down the road. We would have been happy to hitch a ride, but no one was out and about that late in the day. It was midnight when we got back to the car and I took a few extra minutes to drop her off at the pub. I would have loved to go in for a pint and a dram, but I needed to be up at 6:30 today!!!
Now that I know that I am in good enough shape for the Chilkoot, I am going to seriously ease off the training. We leave for Skagway a week from tomorrow (!!!) and I don’t want to risk injuring myself. Moreover, I am absolutely exhausted so it will be good for me to rest a bit beforehand. Work is keeping me limber enough. 🙂
Today, my manager suggested I check out the Dawson City thrift store at St. Paul’s church. The first Saturday of the month (2pm to 5pm), they have an ‘all you can stuff in a grocery bag for 5$’ sale.
I scooped up quite a few skirts and some blouses, several not being wearable right now but which I will be glad to have if I end up with an office job in Campbell River this winter. I also found a fleece jacket for the Chilkoot trip. I had not bought one at MEC back in Vancouver because I have a fairly good one, albeit with a temperamental zipper. I decided that if I found a cheap replacement, I would get one, but otherwise I would endure with the jacket I have even if it clashes with the rest of the clothing I’m taking on the trek. The jacket I found this afternoon is in perfect condition, is my size and is of a colour (olive-ish) that matches or complements the rest of my Chilkoot gear! Sweet!!! I also picked up several books. My bag was bursting at the seams, but I didn’t get a sarcastic comment from the cashier, so I don’t think I was excessive. 😀
Then, I checked out the Saturday market on Front Street and bought a mountain (okay, a pound) of basil from my manager’s husband before going to the general store where I found mozzarella on mega sale. Looks like I’m having pizza again for dinner. 😀 I am so excited to have so much sweet-smelling basil in the house! Whatever I can’t eat in the next few days will get frozen and enjoyed in the next few weeks. Yum!
Cooking in an RV is not without its challenges. For me, the single most important challenge is the lack of counter space. I don’t let that stop me from making absolutely anything I want, even if I have to pile things on top of each other in order to get enough room to roll out some dough.
Behold tonight’s dinner:
Homemade dough crookedly rolled out and topped with jarred pasta sauce (Prego Onion and Garlic, if you’re curious (very yummy!))
The flash makes the dough look quite pasty, but it was actually perfectly browned. The cheese is a mix of ‘Mexican’ cheeses giving the pizza a real kick! I also added a diced orange pepper.
OMG
This was the best pizza I have eaten in recent memory!!! It was even better than the pizza I had in Whitehorse! The crust was that perfect mix of crispy and chewy, the sauce was flavourful, the cheese blend unexpectedly delicious. I had a hunch that a pizza cooked in a propane oven would be superior to one cooked in an electric oven, and I was right. I’m going to get a pizza stone!