Dawson City at 64 degrees North – West Dawson and the freeze-up. (Map this!)
We are at a Greek restaurant in Dawson City, 64 degrees North. Dawson is a beautiful little town which hibernates in the winter. It wakes up for the Yukon Quest, a 1000 mile dog sled race from Fairbanks, Alaska to Whitehorse, Yukon in the dead of winter. Nestling along the banks of Yukon and Klondike rivers, it boasts unpaved roads and brightly colored Victorian houses.
An interesting variety of people live here. One of our Inn’s proprietors is from Vancouver. She thought it would be a blast restoring one of the city’s brothels, with the result that we have a cute little boutique hotel in (what seems to us) the middle of nowhere. There are people from all over who stayed because of an inexplicable pull of belonging.
Then there are the residents of West Dawson. They live on the other side of the river from Dawson proper, eagerly awaiting the “freeze up” This is the special time when the ferry between the two banks is pulled out but the river isn’t frozen yet. There are ice floats making their way along the river making it a hazardous crossing. The residents of West Dawson hole up for the month, celebrating their isolation by throwing big parties. They often have no running water. But apparently they aren’t weird coots that would blow your head off if you wandered onto their land.
People are different. I guess we try to achieve the same community feeling at Burning Man.
Time for you guys to break out the Jack London books – that venerable San Francisco author wrote a great deal about Dawson, White Horse during the gold rush.
You guys look very cute all bundled up. The place looks so pretty, i want to be there!
(drafting resignation letter)…
madhuri.
Wow, Dawson does look great. I’m sure some of it had to do with the photographer. Good job. How much farther up north will you be able to make?
Dear Neena,
What a beautiful & a tranquil place, well captured by camera. Dawson on the banks of Yukon looks straight out of National Geographic Magazine.
Aai
Thanks all..Dawson was just lovely, specially our hotel. Very interesting people too. Photo was just taken with the Lumix using point and shoot…just goes to show what good light can do…
We are at Inuvik now and will be turning back on Sunday.
Fred, Jack London shows up all over Dawson.
Dear Neena & Shreesh,
Once upon a time, I use to tell my wife that we should build our house like Asian Eskimos on North or South pole.
Thank God you two are not yet doing it??????????
Daddy
Dear Neena & Shreesh,
Once upon a time, I use to tell my wife that we should build our house like Asian Eskimos on North or South pole.
Thank God you two are not yet doing it??????????
Beautiful pictures
Daddy
hmmm…We could do it if you would come down to help 🙂
brrrrr…..
well, the “Keno” is holed up for good on the banks of the Yukon! Georgeous weather!