~Susan is working on other pieces of writing--memoirs, reflections, narratives, etc.
~Jake & Susan are working on gear reviews--both video & the written word. Reviews will include (but are not limited to) NURPU River and Mountain Supply, Going Gear, & Point6.
~On August 30th, Susan will be presenting to her Mary Kay unit; she will share about her YRT and the lessons she gained from her summer adventure.
~On September 20th, Susan will be presenting at the Teacher Creativity Fellowship Program Dinner.
Forging a destined dream of paddling 460 miles of the Yukon River, my husband Jake and I constructed the Sundowner with old pontoons and mostly used lumber as a testimony of our devotion to pursue this rugged adventure. In 2011, fate finally sent us venturing north over 3,000 miles into Canada’s Yukon Territory where the Sundowner enabled us to navigate the river, fish, pan for gold, photograph magnificent landscapes & wildlife, write, and play in The Land of the Midnight Sun.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
10 Things I Hate to Admit about My Yukon River Trip
Here's a collection of thoughts, actions, or whatnots that I would have been embarrassed to admit before I went on our Yukon River Trip. But somehow, these tidbits seem like an important part of my adventure that I should share.
1. As I was standing in an empty partaking lot in Whitehorse directly after our time on the Yukon River, I felt nature calling. Before I realized what I was doing, I had already scoped out a bear-free bush to relieve myself…. Sorry I can't make this story any better; I only said I scoped it out; I didn't act upon my newly acquired natural instinct. Instead, I excused myself and walked into the nearby McDonalds.
2. The Canadian & US Border Officers we encountered were all younger than us.
3. While on our Yukon River Trip, I will admit that my survival instincts did surprise me. More than once I caught myself selfishly eying the remaining filtered water or coveting a larger scoop out of the dinner pan.
4. We listened to Meat Loaf's Bat out of Hell album and sang at the top of our lungs…a few times. (Hey, you try spending 14 days of your summer hauling an overloaded trailer while covering almost 7,000 miles; you'd be surprised what you resort to in order to stay awake and to divert insanity's scheme against you.
5. Almost 2 weeks after returning home from our summer adventure, I was still sleeping in my clothes. The Yukon nights got down to the low 40s (℉), and I was already wearing my warmest clothes when it was time to burrow into my sleeping bag. Furthermore, changing required more exertion than just crawling into my cocoon of promised warmth; changing for bed just didn't seem important or necessary at the time. I also slept along side bug carcasses--big ones, little ones…it just was not a priority to dispose of them before laying my weary head to rest for the night. The Yukon had a way of altering my priorities without ever really bringing them to my attention.
6. I cried like a baby on the river…more than once.
7. I went 20 days without a full head-to-toe shower or bath. Because the water temperature on the Yukon River was around 40 ℉, fully submersing myself in the chilly waters was not practical. I got my nerve up twice to fully dunk my head for a good shampoo. The water was cold and stabbed dull butter knives into any piece of flesh daring enough to linger longer than a brief moment or two.
8. I ate fallen food off the dirty cabin floor and deck of our boat--every precious calorie mattered!
9. After our first week back home, I realized that I had only taken two showers: one the morning we arrived home and one a few days later. During that first week back on my way to the grocery store, one glance in the rearview mirror revealed that I had not put an ounce of makeup on nor had I made any attempt to tame the messy bun that was atop my head. I had also neglected to put on deodorant (so unlike me!).
10. During our Lake Laberge horror, I begged and screamed prayers up to God and thought He wasn't listening.
1. As I was standing in an empty partaking lot in Whitehorse directly after our time on the Yukon River, I felt nature calling. Before I realized what I was doing, I had already scoped out a bear-free bush to relieve myself…. Sorry I can't make this story any better; I only said I scoped it out; I didn't act upon my newly acquired natural instinct. Instead, I excused myself and walked into the nearby McDonalds.
2. The Canadian & US Border Officers we encountered were all younger than us.
3. While on our Yukon River Trip, I will admit that my survival instincts did surprise me. More than once I caught myself selfishly eying the remaining filtered water or coveting a larger scoop out of the dinner pan.
4. We listened to Meat Loaf's Bat out of Hell album and sang at the top of our lungs…a few times. (Hey, you try spending 14 days of your summer hauling an overloaded trailer while covering almost 7,000 miles; you'd be surprised what you resort to in order to stay awake and to divert insanity's scheme against you.
5. Almost 2 weeks after returning home from our summer adventure, I was still sleeping in my clothes. The Yukon nights got down to the low 40s (℉), and I was already wearing my warmest clothes when it was time to burrow into my sleeping bag. Furthermore, changing required more exertion than just crawling into my cocoon of promised warmth; changing for bed just didn't seem important or necessary at the time. I also slept along side bug carcasses--big ones, little ones…it just was not a priority to dispose of them before laying my weary head to rest for the night. The Yukon had a way of altering my priorities without ever really bringing them to my attention.
6. I cried like a baby on the river…more than once.
7. I went 20 days without a full head-to-toe shower or bath. Because the water temperature on the Yukon River was around 40 ℉, fully submersing myself in the chilly waters was not practical. I got my nerve up twice to fully dunk my head for a good shampoo. The water was cold and stabbed dull butter knives into any piece of flesh daring enough to linger longer than a brief moment or two.
8. I ate fallen food off the dirty cabin floor and deck of our boat--every precious calorie mattered!
9. After our first week back home, I realized that I had only taken two showers: one the morning we arrived home and one a few days later. During that first week back on my way to the grocery store, one glance in the rearview mirror revealed that I had not put an ounce of makeup on nor had I made any attempt to tame the messy bun that was atop my head. I had also neglected to put on deodorant (so unlike me!).
10. During our Lake Laberge horror, I begged and screamed prayers up to God and thought He wasn't listening.
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