Thursday August 4th, 2022
I don't sleep well. I toss and turn. I have to pee, but I don't want to get up and put on pants and shoes and walk through the dark to the pit toilet. I think I'm rattled by the wolves, and anxious about the sign that says No Overnight Parking. There's nobody around to care that I'm parking overnight, but it still makes me nervous. I don't want some strange Yukon highway patrol officer knocking on my car window at 3am.
Other than nearly pissing myself at daybreak as I scramble through all the motions to get myself to the toilet, nothing bad happens.
Pilot walk on the little trail around the rest area. Pass the old roadhouse, built during the gold rush days.
A portion of the old railway tracks that ran past this roadhouse have been left here as a part of the history of the place.
We wander the quiet, foggy trail, loop around to the highway, and walk back into the rest area where the car is parked. Do all the morning stuff, like make coffee and road snacks, then hit the road.
Not much driving today. We stop in Whitehorse, where I talk to a whitehaired woman in the parking lot of Save-On-Foods about Pilot's fantastic car seat and about my travels. I feel guarded whenever people approach me, but everyone is friendly. Curious. The exchanges are always pleasant.
Whitehorse is cute. Lots of parks. But we aren't staying. I stop at a Walmart to buy a compass because I promised my dad I would buy a compass. Then we head to Kluane National Park for a day off.
We secure a campsite about ten minutes north of the park, then get ready for a hike in bear country.
There aren't words enough to describe my anxiety over hiking in bear country. I don't know bears. I don't know bear culture and behavior. I only know what basics I've read online and on all the signs around hiking trails and camp sites that tell you how to deal with a bear. I'm terrified. I want to bail out on the hike. I don't, though.
From the park we take a steep 4km dirt road to the trailhead. When we get to the parking area of Sheep Creek Trail, there tons of cars. I don't feel disappointed about sharing my nature with a bunch of other tourists. I feel relieved that a bunch of other humans are out there making noise and scaring the bears away.
I strap on my bear spray and bear bell and bear gun and go hiking.
"If you hike in far enough you can see the glacier," the ranger had said earlier when I'd inquired about trails. She doesn't tell me that the entire trail is UP.
Feels good to hike, though. The wind and the sun remind me of the things I love about hiking, and my deep anxieties subside. I think about the moose again. Her elegant confidence as she moves through the wilderness. If only she knew what an inspiration she is to me.
When we stop to enjoy the view, I find myself swept by a sensation of lightheadedness I've never felt before. Am I going to faint? I drop to my knees and let my head hang. Pilot rushes over to check on me. I rest for a minute. Drink water. Remember that I have some electrolyte pills in my pack. I eat one. Feel incredible afterwards.
The trail is six miles in, but we don't hike the whole thing because I don't want to hike until 6pm. We go for about an hour until we see the glacier. I bust out the big lens for a few shots, then turn back.
The big lens is fun and even though it's heavy and awkward to carry around my neck, I don't want to put it away. I keep it out, and I'm glad that I do, because we are greeted by a chirpy little grey jay along the trail.
She's curious about us. We're curious about her. She flits about the brush, chirping and warbling and eyeballing and flirting. I ask her if she knows I'm the crow lady. I think she does. I hate to leave her behind, but she makes it easier by fluttering off into the wild beyond and leaving us behind.
We don't see a single bear.
Back at the camp site, I make dinner.
It stays light until forever o'clock, so Pilot and I take a walk around the lake. I stop to touch these giant dandelion type things. They are the softest plants I've touched in a while and I want to keep one, Lenny it in my pocket for a bit, but when I do pick one and stroke its fuzzies, the fuzzies just break off and flutter away in the wind.
It's sunny and the wind is invigorating. I wouldn't mind staying here forever.
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