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February 5, 2007
The Yukon adopted the "common raven" as its territorial bird in 1985. The raven is the largest member of the crow family, and the Yukon's version is bigger and tougher than other varieties. Survival in this harsh climate requires a hardy bird, and the "tough guy" you see sitting on a truck mirror would have seen an 80 degree celsius temperature swing (from +30 in the summer to -50 in the winter). Just the look of this guy's beak screams "built tough". The ravens will eat pretty much anything, and are a very common occurrence throughout the year in the North.
February 12, 2007
Mining exploration has resulted in people accessing pretty much all of the wilderness areas in Northern BC and the Yukon. This turbine-powered Bell 47 has landed above the Foremore Glacier, about mid-way between the volcanic Mt. Edziza Provincial Park in the Tahltan highlands and the Eskay Creek gold/silver mine to the south. Down on the glacier, diamond drillers were boring through some 800 feet of moving ice to determine what riches lie under the glacier. The river of ice flowing at about 6" per day and the presence of large boulders "floating in the ice" presented many challenges for the crews.
February 19, 2007
After the snow has been accumulating for several months. Scott usually takes a trip out to the mine to clear snow from the roofs of the buildings and make sure everything is still intact and ready to fire up in the spring. The snow's deep enough to require snowshowing the kilometer or so from the highway, and the snowshoes leave a solitary trail across the placer lease. Once onto the property, the real work starts as there's lots to be done, and one can only hope for a nice winter day to take care of the snow removal job at hand.
February 26, 2007
Although winter brings its challenges and usually a lot of work to Northern residents, it's also the time of year where the snow covers the land in a white blanket of "clean" - covering up the mud and dust that prevails during other seasons. Winter has always been one of my favourite seasons - not the -50 temperatures that the North gives on occasion, but the -10 to -20 days that are more usual. Standing in the middle of an isolated frozen lake can be a very satisfying experience, and you just can't get much further away from the city...
