The Edge of Civilization

Whitehorse.



One month in and I'm feeling sensations I've never felt before. My head is clear here, I feel on odd sensation of safety, my days go by fast but they are full of the best ingredients. Almost every morning I ride my bike down two hills to get to work and I can see the end of Whitehorse and the beginning of miles and miles of mountains and valleys. I don’t see miles of smog, highways and buildings, there is only stillness. I smell the pines – I even taste them in the air. When I stay up really late, the sun stays up with me - it peers through my window when I go to bed right until I wake up in the morning. If I walk 2 minutes from where I sleep, I’m on a trail in the forest. If I hike for a few more – I’m on the side of a mountain.

The people here are simply friendly and uncomplicated. They know where they live and appreciate it to the fullest – each one of them houses an unspoken understanding that this is the place of dreams. The edge of civilization. A centre point just miles away from hundreds of glorious places that are just as beautiful and untainted.

There is a corporate presence here but it feels almost as if it is more of a necessity than a narration of the culture. Aaron and I also have the most accommodating jobs ever. Our managers are super friendly, the benefits are insane and the respect for the employees is incredible – they make things happen for you if you need them to.

So far we have hiked to Stinky Lake, Miles Canyon, and back country camped in various places, played at an open mic in front of over 50 people, got bikes, saw Frantic Follies*, visited the museum (Yukon history is WOW!) and worked (a lot). We’ve drank wine overlooking the entire city and mountains with some good people and we have met the best and the weirdest and the creepiest and the drunkest and the most entertaining people we’ve ever encountered. Recently Aaron and I have started volunteering at the Humane Society of Yukon walking the dogs and are enjoying it quite a bit.

A few things we’re going to do (which we haven’t done yet)

- Go to Haines, Alaska (just submitted my passport application)



- Go white water rafting on the Tatshenshini river(which we’re doing this Wednesday)




- Go to Dawson City (a preserved gold rush town) where we’ll have the sour toe cocktail (a shot of liquor with a preserved human toe in it)



- Travel up the dempster highway through Tombstone national park



- Climb Grey Mountain (my arch nemesis that haunts me from my bike every morning)



- Hitchhike!! (Aaron won’t let me do this but I’ll convince him)



- Hike to Canyon City and Chadburn Lake



and I think that's all we can fit in to one summer.

I'm not ready to leave, and when I have to leave I still wont be ready.

I'm in love with a city.

Nikki


*The Frantic Follies is a turn of the century vaudeville revue which depicts the entertainment seen by the pioneers of the Great Klondike Gold Rush of 1898. The company has been in operation for 41 years and is known as the most popular and successful show in the Yukon and Alaska.