June 29, 2006
In Kluane, you know that summer is here when the leaves in the trees grow full size, fireweeds require clipping around the bear fence to prevent grounding, mosquito-proofing of your hut is required if you plan on getting sleep and the bravest squirrelers risk a swim in “finally-free-of-ice” Sulphur Lake. Another good indication is when all females have bred, most of the nests have been visited and you encounter curious juveniles in the porch of the main cabin (when they don’t disperse up the hills behind camp!). Then, the trapping slows down and you sample vegetation in the afternoons or do some fixing around camp.
But the universal cue for summer is when people get together to have fun and party! And in this valley, it happens at three instances in June. First, there are the Alsek and the Bluegrass music festivals in Haines Junction where we danced all night to live music and made new friends within the community by volunteering. Then, there is the Kluane Chilkat International Bike Relay where our 8-person mixed team gave all it had for a 250 km ride down the Alaska Highway to the coast of Alaska. A lot of steep hills and strong headwind paid off by magnificent scenery along the way and a warm meal at the finish line after 11 hours of biking. And finally, the Solstice party at the Arctic Institute of North America, which has become a classic year after year. It gives us a nice opportunity to fraternize with our neighbors, as well as with the excellent local beers from the Yukon Brewery, and challenge each other at a rugby game.
Now still unsure if they need a break from fieldwork or partying, the crew started taking their days off. Definitely, you can’t go wrong about calling it summer.
CAT
In Kluane, you know that summer is here when the leaves in the trees grow full size, fireweeds require clipping around the bear fence to prevent grounding, mosquito-proofing of your hut is required if you plan on getting sleep and the bravest squirrelers risk a swim in “finally-free-of-ice” Sulphur Lake. Another good indication is when all females have bred, most of the nests have been visited and you encounter curious juveniles in the porch of the main cabin (when they don’t disperse up the hills behind camp!). Then, the trapping slows down and you sample vegetation in the afternoons or do some fixing around camp.
But the universal cue for summer is when people get together to have fun and party! And in this valley, it happens at three instances in June. First, there are the Alsek and the Bluegrass music festivals in Haines Junction where we danced all night to live music and made new friends within the community by volunteering. Then, there is the Kluane Chilkat International Bike Relay where our 8-person mixed team gave all it had for a 250 km ride down the Alaska Highway to the coast of Alaska. A lot of steep hills and strong headwind paid off by magnificent scenery along the way and a warm meal at the finish line after 11 hours of biking. And finally, the Solstice party at the Arctic Institute of North America, which has become a classic year after year. It gives us a nice opportunity to fraternize with our neighbors, as well as with the excellent local beers from the Yukon Brewery, and challenge each other at a rugby game.
Now still unsure if they need a break from fieldwork or partying, the crew started taking their days off. Definitely, you can’t go wrong about calling it summer.
CAT