Category: Seasons

A beautiful surprise – the first crocus

At the Carcross cabin, the arrival of Trumpeter and Tundra swans at Lake Bennett were always the first sign that Spring was nearing. At our new property, we haven’t had any clear sign yet – faint tree budding and some mildly energetic sprouting on the ground but nothing significant....
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In search of Spring – in Skagway perhaps…

The wind has a bite to it, and most of the fence post holes I’m digging still get stalled when I hit solid ice a few inches below the surface, so today I took advantage of an opportunity to go to Skagway with my buddy Rob, who needed to...
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Digging our way into Spring!

It’s not really Spring yet with well-below-freezing temperatures every night, but many folks in the North are digging their way into Spring, if not Summer. Up in deep snow country (the White Pass), the Yukon Suspension Bridge has the trenches dug into the property, now has to wait for...
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That Spring feeling!

When I posted last Saturday that Winter was over, I must have tempted fate, because Father Winter returned the next day and got the de-icing crews at YXY back to work. We’ve had a good run of days now where the temperature gets above freezing for a while now,...
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The shortest day, and SAD

Today is “hump day” in the seasonal sense – the day when we get the least sunlight of the year. Winter Solstice, the exact time when Whitehorse is leaning farthest away from the sun, occurs at 10:08 tonight. The sun will rise above the horizon today (and tomorrow because...
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Changing seasons, changing priorities

My good canoe, the Wenonah-Jensen, is now hanging from the ceiling in the Whitehorse garage, while the poor, heavy old Coleman sits on the beach waiting to be covered by snow. Between travel, poor weather and high water that eliminated the beaches on Lake Bennett, neither canoe got wet...
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Spring breakup – finally!

The last of the ice is finally blowing off Lake Bennett – it should finish today by the look of it. If you’ve never seen a breakup (of the ice, I mean!), it’s an experience you should seek out. The sights and sounds of the candle ice in motion...
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Spring – or just Getting Ready for Summer?

We have funny seasons in the southern Yukon. Spring and Fall are so brief and indistinct that it’s easy to just say that we have 2 seasons, Summer and Winter. It’s late Winter now, but it feels like Summer will be here shortly. Scattered pussy-willows can be seen along...
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