Freedom

back at the ranch...well..back in Toronto for now. it's snowing & slushy outside...the perfect day to curl up on the sofa & READ A BOOK. especially, READ A BANNED BOOK. because this week is

there are a slew of interesting websites about this...check out the official Canadian site or this library's Banned Book Challenge (their banned book list is in the right-hand column as a pdf).

Quest wrap

the Yukon Quest sled dog race is now officially over for another year. at this weekend's closing banquet, awards were awarded, speeches were spoken...and the winning lead dogs were given grade A steak. so it wasn't exactly the Academy Awards. but did Hollywood have a marriage proposal, live on stage? we did--Bill Pinkham asked his girlfriend & dog handler Jodi to marry him (looks like she accepted.) and we had some teary-eyed, surprised award-winners too...including 4-time Quest winner Lance Mackey, who was chatty and cheerful when he got his trophy for 1st place, but actually choked up when he was called back to receive the Vet's Choice Award--given to the musher who shows the best dog care. "This means more to me than winning the damn race," he said. his dogs, Handsome & Rev, made no comment, but they sure looked as if they enjoyed their steak... (the photo is from the race, during a pause at Braeburn)

Sourdough Rendez-Vous

gorgeous weather means the turn-out for Rendez-Vous weekend events has been fantastic.


there are competitions galore--from the silly (hairy-leg contest, anyone?) to the serious (snow-sculpting--these are photos of my favourite entry, by the Sundogs team). And all kinds of short sled dog races.

but i'm leaving my room with a view at the Edgewater to head home...

Sourdough Sams & Lake Laberge Marj

it's Sourdough Rendez-Vous in Whitehorse this weekend...an excuse for everyone to wear feathers...participate in strange competitions...admire Lake Laberge Marj & her snowshoe shufflers (yep, snowshoe-shod dancers making appearances in bars across town)...


and dress their dogs up in garter belts...

"Every self-respecting lady has to have one this time of year," said one dog owner. this dog looked unconvinced.

mush!

amazing day mushing on Lake Laberge with Ned Cathers. he's been living on the far side of the lake for twenty-five years; he and his daughter Jennine have both run the Quest multiple times, and you couldn't ask for better company. Ned got us each set up with a sled of our own and four dogs (the more dogs you have, the faster you go, so four is about right for beginners!) and off we went...across the frozen lake under a clear blue sky. this is the view, standing on the back of the sled as you drive:
we paused for a campfire picnic on the edge of the island in the middle of the lake...this is Ranger, rolling in the snow to cool off (it's only -4 in the sun today, so the huskies are a little warm). the sound of the sled runners and the dogs' running feet on the snow is magical...

cluttertorium

the McBride Museum in Whitehorse is currently expanding and renovating its collection--and in the process, the curator is creating a "clutterorium", a joking name for a room with shelves loaded with cool stuff. they're also making space to exhibit some of their 15,000 historical photographs. in the new extension, there's also a great series of walk-through rooms, installed with all kinds of Gold Rush souvenirs & strange artifacts. to see them, i had to step through a fair amount of sawdust and dodge some ladders, but this second photo shows my favourite installation: a Klondike-era bar that looks like a cross between Aladdin's Cave and Hernando's Hideaway.

Mackey wins 4th Quest

worth staying up until 1:30 in the morning: Lance Mackey and his Comeback kennel have won the 2008 Quest...their fourth win in a row...Mackey (in the white parka, center of the photo) looked tired but understandably pleased, saying: “[Win number 4] was so challenging, it feels nice...Hats off to Ken too. He really kept me on my toes.” after the immediate media scrim, he stood by for a few extra minutes to congratulate Ken Anderson, who arrived fifteen minutes behind him. a good close difficult race that started in impossibly cold temperatures & has finished with the mercury hovering at zero.

Braeburn: cinnamon & huskies

Braeburn Lodge (population 3 or so, not including 3 horses and a few dogs) is only 100 miles from Whitehorse, so today i got a lift to see the top two Quest contenders head down the trail.

Braeburn Lodge is the last official checkpoint on the Quest Trail--famous for its fabulous cinnamon buns (which are enormous) & for UFO sightings (maybe cinnamon buns, flying through the air?) here's a photo of my lunch--note how the cinnamon bun dwarfs the teacup...

Lance Mackey left Braeburn not even 20 minutes ahead of Ken Anderson. the snow is soft coming towards Whitehorse and no one's sure who will win, but i'm planning to be at the Whitehorse finish line around 2 am when they finally get here. this last part of the trail follows a section of the Trans-Canada trail (the old Overland Trail through the Yukon)--that's the sign behind Mackey's head, as he talks to his lead dogs in Braeburn.