Axes: Use and Abuse
Winter is the busiest and most abusive time of the year for axes. They get a solid workout in the fall when we split the […]
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Things the Forest Hides
Talking to my friend Mary Whitley, a fellow explorer, we started discussing how many trails we had found this summer that we did not even
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Cooler Tips
These days the word “cooler” can mean a pre-mixed alcoholic beverage, but it’s also the name of an insulated box to keep your food and
The Chilkoot Pass: The Challenge Of My Summer
This summer my family and I hiked the Chilkoot Pass. When we kids learned we were actually going, the first response was “Why?” and “I
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Laughter Is The Same In All Languages
Temperatures were in the mid-30s while we were in Munich. Many of the people spoke English, but many others did not. Neither Joanne nor I
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Living with Wildlife: Richard Brochet
Hello Everybody, We invite you to share your photos of Yukon wildlife. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s going on and what
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Beyond Thought
walking trails. We live not close to nature, but in nature. What is great is that so many of us are out there daily on
Extraneous Bananas
When your friend blows into town, you hang onto your hat and lay on the groceries, especially the Stolichnaya Vodka, or “Stoli”, as he calls
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Lists, Colour Coding and Labels
People new to outdoor activity such as hunting, hiking and camping are likely a bit more organized on the second or third trip than they
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What Not to Eat: Water Hemlock
When I first began eating wild mushrooms, I was studying squirrels. I watched which mushrooms they picked to stash in trees, and figured that whichever
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Three Books for Adventurous Souls
It’s the fall season, which means two things: the slow-creep of cold weather and a near-existential dread of the aforementioned. It also means, for thousands
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Lost, Who Me??
I bet almost every backpacker, hunter or any other outdoor person has been lost in the bush, at least for a short time. Most won’t
Welcome to the outhouse
I’m not saying my daughter Emily is soft when it comes to roughing it. She just happened to have spent her first three and a
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Exploring Atlin and the nearby volcanic field
Atlin Mountain might have lost some of its white stripes, but Atlin itself is still as much fun as ever – all inhabitants 100 percent
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Ramble in T.O.
My dance practice is rooted in uncultivated, wild, outdoor spaces. I often perform site-specific dances outdoors for audiences and/or camera. However, my latest collaborative
Didee & Didoo: My Gym
’When I mention my gym, it doesn’t have a basketball rim. My gym is the great outdoors, I share it with animals on all fours.
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Hiking: Other Essentials
In previous columns, I’ve talked about food, tents, packs, boots, foot care and outer garments. Now let’s look at other things that range from nearly
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A Northern Diary
Carolyn Vincent taught in the Yukon in the 1970s and also cooked for an outfitter for a few months in 1976. She typed out a
A smoky pinnacle beckons in a hiker’s personal Shangri-La
Yes! This month, Jane Vincent is coming with me on an attempt to climb the pinnacle. It’s a pinnacle I now call Dragon Mountain. Recently,
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The Camp Knife
Too often, I have seen people wearing knives that are really too big to take on any task except chopping down trees. These are often
Head in the Clouds
The motto on the Montana licence plate is Big Sky Country. I went to Montana before I knew the true meaning of ‘big sky’ —
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Clothing to Keep You Safe and Warm
Time on the land can be uncomfortable and even very dangerous if you aren’t ready for the weather nature sends to greet you. On a
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On Backpacks
Since people come in different lengths, so do packs. Most quality packs have frame adjustments to lengthen and shorten the unit. Some have no adjustments, but that’s fine if it fits you at the length it is. Don’t buy it simply because the price is right.
Life on the Edge of the Forest is a Hoot
It’s a cold morning. While I’m writing, the twin deer are in the yard — last year’s fawns, without their mother now. May was full
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Orienteering: What to do when Things Go Wrong
It is up to the orienteer to choose the routes between controls. The key to staying on track is to look at the map often,
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Slim’s River West Trail
I am making my way up a mountain. I am alone, tired, and very thirsty. The nearest road or person is 30 km away. The
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Learning from the Locals
Returning home after traveling can bring culture shock that’s just as discombobulating as that experienced when heading off to the far side of the globe.
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A Hike or a Walk
Both hiking and walking use feet for propulsion. A walk is often more leisurely, unless it’s your mode of exercise, and it’s done without a
Camp Tips and Ideas
Meat care: • Pre-cut ropes for hanging quarters. Make them six to seven feet long with a tied loop on one end to fasten to
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April Ain’t Cruel
In The Debt to Pleasure John Lancaster wonders if T.S. Eliot invented the link between April and suicides, just as painter Joseph Mallord William Turner
My Yukon Bison Hunt
There’s something special about waking up in a cabin with a bunch of peers who all want the same thing: to catch a bison. It
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The Aishihik Rock Slide
For three consecutive Sundays, my husband and I have been going to a place we both fell in love with. He found it when hunting
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Homage to a Yukon Birder
Yukon birds, and its birding community, have lost a true friend. When he died last month, at 75, Helmut Grünberg had spent over 40 years
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Adventures in Tombstone Territorial Park
Tombstone Territorial Park, and the highway that leads to it, evoke the images of the Yukon we love so much: vivid colours, vast, open land,
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Living With Wildlife: Maggie Leary
Hello Everybody, We invite you to share your photos of Yukon wildlife. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s going on and what camera
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February Seedlings
Anything can happen in February, weather-wise. It can be -30°C one day and 5°C a few days later. The sun can be very warm and
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Cold Water Immersion
The 1-10-1 principle refers to time: one minute, 10 minutes, and one hour. “One minute” deals with cold-water shock; when you first fall into the cold
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An elusive mountain creature: Mary Whitley
As her husband describes her, Mary Whitley is an elusive mountain creature. Mary’s favorite bird is the northern wheatear. I am proud to say that
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How About a Winter Road Trip?
Winterize the camper, stash the emergency parkas and boots, pack all the necessary clothing for three seasons (fall, winter, and spring), get coffee to go,
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A Recipe That Might Change Everything: The Ziploc Omelette
Next to drug dealers, North American kitchens are probably the biggest users of smallish, sealable plastic bags. There are a variety of sizes and brands,
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Vulnerable Ecosystems, Resilient Life Forms
The Yukon’s iconic mountains have captured the attention of visitors from around the world and can easily impart a sense of permanence. For many of
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Our Northern Summer Invasion: Having a good, old, time with Whitehorse’s RV’ers
It’s Saturday night in Whitehorse and Rose Vegter is wearing a satiny, layered, Klondike dress and feathered headpiece, drinking a beer next to her RV.
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Oyster Sauce and Tin Foil
A roll of aluminum foil can be a time and energy saver when cooking over an open fire – or even at home with the
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The Adrenaline-Rush Potential of Mountains
At the end of a refreshing ski or a meandering hike through alpine meadows, Haines Junctioners like to kick back and enjoy life in this
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The boulder you get
The sport of bouldering does not end with “conquering” a boulder but, rather, “understanding” it. The sport’s founder is a mathematician and accomplished gymnast, while
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Federal Campground is Nice, Too
HAINES JUNCTION There are numerous campgrounds in and around Haines Junction. Your YTG Campground permit will let you camp at most of them … but
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‘Forward, onward, says the wind.’
For our children: Tashina, Alysia, Aprile and Joshua My eyes are closed, but I can feel the gentle wind blow my hair lightly into my
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Yukon Trail Building, Animal Tracking
All winter I worked on a trail going due south from the house. My initial goal was to reach a little hilltop in the middle
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Sleeping Outdoors
Trappers and dog mushers have always slept out in the cold and with a few exceptions have done well. I got my start in occasionally
The Tradition of Trek
Learn about the history of Trek Over the Top 2013 and how snowmobilers revived the scenic Top of the World Highway.
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Wine Indoors or Out
Two weekends ago, a friend and I drove up the road from Rabbits Foot Canyon, to Fish Lake, to take her dog for a walk.
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One Thing We All Agree On …
Heading into summer = a wonderful time. And no matter how much extraneous snow may continue to fall, nothing can dampen the spirit of the
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Dressing for the Cold
Wearing high quality brands certainly helps, but the real key to staying warm in winter is dressing in layers with the ability to vent off
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Search and Rescue Association: a fine-tuned operation
Sebastien Weisser considers himself a fortunate man. When his snowmobile broke down in a remote location on the Top of the World highway near Dawson
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Seeing With Both Eyes
My first introduction to the CHAOS program involved driving up Grey Mountain to meet a group of grade 9 students and educators as they completed
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Out and Away: The First Camping Trip
What did you learn on your first camping trip this year? The first camp of the season is unique. It’s one of the only trips
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Miss Manners Goes Skiing
Cross country skiing can be conducted at breakneck speed or at a social pace. As with most social activities, there is etiquette involved.
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Ice-out Lake Trout
The three most targeted fish species in the Yukon are lake trout, Arctic grayling and pike, and are sought after in that order.
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Honing Their Outdoor Skills
“You get to learn how to notice the plants around you, how to shoot a rifle, how not to ground your boat in the river,
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Pushing Their Limits
Fourteen lucky young Yukoners will get the opportunity to take part in an outdoor education camp this July for free. The Yukon Fish and Game
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A World Beneath the Ice
As Oliver Barker tells it, fish taught him how to walk. “My family had this fish tank balanced on a crate in our living room,”
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The D.O.G. System
Are you struggling to stick to that resolution to shed a few pounds, made a few months ago under the inducement of a glass of
Moose Hunt Essentials
A moose will often fall exactly where you had hoped they wouldn’t. Here a prepared hunter shines and the newbie learns a few lessons.
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A debut Yukon novel
Enthusiasts of outdoor stories, adventure and romance will find all three at the preview of Roy Ness’s first novel, Rutting Season, at the Parking Lot
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Navigating Point to Point
Every second Wednesday throughout the summer, you can find a full cross-section of Whitehorse’s population—children, seniors, families, teens, young professionals, even excited dogs—out in the
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From Archery to Zumba: Up Off the Couch!
Is it possible to write a sports column that covers kayak polo, fighting kites, ice climbing, skinny dipping, and broomball? And if it is, would
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The View From a Horse is Spectacular
Having completed her review of a few basic riding skills, Mandy checked back and forth, matching rider with horse. “You can go with Nakinaw.” She
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Up, Up and Away From It All
There’s the “bird’s-eye view”, the “eagle-eye view” and then there’s the “flightseeing view”. Sometimes Whitehorse becomes … well, Whitehorse. The lineup at the grocery store
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Swimming, Cycling and Running for Shelter
The need for the Dawson Women’s Shelter is a serious concern, but raising money for its programs and operation can be fun.
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