RubiKon: Yukon Quest '09

What Happens in Dawson... Stays in Dawson

Yukon Johann is considering having his "SourToe" drink. This drink actually contains a human toe pickled in alcohol. No kidding!!

The Captain is showing Yukon Johann the toe close up.
To qualify as a genuine "Sourtoe" drinker, you must drink your drink and have the toe touch your lips. No swallowing, chewing and no eating is allowed. They have lost toes from people doing such things. Johann was a brave lad.
Not to be outdone by his son, GrizzLee had a go at it as well. The Captain rubs the toe all over your face and then if you are not truly turned off by the experience, you get to drink your drink.

Yep, it touched his lips.

Yukon Johann and Sean (friend form Whitehorse) proudly displaying his "Sourtoe" certificate of merit. Over 30,000 folks have now consumed a sourtoe drink in Dawson.

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Flying High over the Dempster

After Dawson, our next journey was out to Tombstone park and the Blackstone uplands. Real tundra and real beautiful.

We saw much wildlife, including this bull Moose and his two girlfriends. It would be interesting to see if this young bull can keep these gals during the fall mating season.

The first day, Sean, Johann and GrizzLee climbed AngleComb peak for the views and a tandem Para glide ride. Unfortunately the batteries went dead in the camera, but rest assured Yukon Johann got his first para glide ride ever. And what a place to do it in.

We spent the night next to the Blackstone river and the following day we climbed up another peak to watch our friend Sean para glide off into the wilderness.

At nearly 6000 feet he unfolds his glider.

Up and away. He soared for more than 1.5 hours into part of the back country (no roads or help for hundreds of miles). Yukona Johann and GrizzLee soaked up the views.
The views were spectacular. All the time we were in radio contact with Sean. Sean reported seeing Caribou, moose and spectacular scenery in to valleys where few, in any man, has ever walked. After his flight he landed near the Dempster highway and hitched a ride back up to the Toy camper where we all met to finish the day out.

Earlier in the day we spotted several moose, including this lady enjoying a mid-morning snack in a tundra pond.

As you can see, she was turning on the charm for us.

That evening we pulled up to a turnout for a view that couldn't be matched.
Sean and Yukon Johann pulled the glider out for another ride.

Not much wind for altitude, but enough for a flyby on the ridge.

The next day we said goodbye to the Dempster and Sean and headed into Dawson and spent an incredible evening on the Midnight dome.

On our way out of town we went by the steamer graveyard and looked at the abandoned steamers.

Safe Travels. We have parted ways with Dawson Dan and Klondike Kate. It iwll be interesting to see what they discover. As for us, we are heading over to Keno and Mayo to see soem mines and more country. Stay tuned.