RubiKon Adventures

Tales and travels of "GrizzLee", "Looksha Lori" & "Yukon Johann"


Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Rubikon Adventure Quest 2011: Eagle Plains Yukon

"The love of wilderness is more than a hunger for what is always beyond reach; it is also an expression of loyalty to the earth ... the only home we shall ever know, the only paradise we ever need -- if only we had the eyes to see" ~ Edward Abbey

 
Its been a long time since we've been able to get a good connection to update our blog. We are currently in Eagle Plains, Yukon. We will cross the Arctic Circle tommorow. For the first time, we have the full Rubikon Adventure team with us. Looksha Lori joined us in Dawson city for our journey up to the Beaufort Sea in the arctic.

Since our last post, we've trekked 10 days in Kluane park following the Donjek Route. For me it was was the HARDEST thing I've ever done in my life... testing the mind, body and spirit. 10 days of awesome beauty, danger, blood, sweat, bears, moose, glaciers and not another person around for miles and miles. We had the wilderness all to ourselves. It was tough without a trail and the bushwhacking was pure hell! It took 4 hrs to traverse 1.0 mile at one point (wait until you see the video from hell!). We had to ascend and descend nearly cliff-like mountains without a rope with full packs. We had numerous rivers to cross. The route description is very vague on these details. They give basic GPS points and the rest is up to our experienced route finding skills (or lack there of). We are glad to be back alive. It was an experience of a lifetime. It was one of the most rewarding things I've ever experienced. I think I lost 10 lbs of fat, gained 10 lbs of muscle and learned more about my self determination than ever. Ibuprofen was our friend for a few days.

We made a new friend, whom we now call Bighorn. It was a great experience for us to meet up and trek with another perspn who has the same love and affection for the natural world.

From there we travelled to Tok, Ak, and then took the "Top of the World Highway" through Chicken, Ak and on to Dawson City, Yukon. It is all a blurr now. You can bet that we will post a comprehensive report of the Donjek Route in a future report.

For now, enjoy the pics and captions we posted from the past few days.
Cuddley bear along the Alaskan Hwy towards Slims RIver (Kluane Lake) 
 Typical lake views from the hwy.
 Old building in Dawson City.
 The RubiKon Adventure team enjoying the Midnight Dome (11:30 pm) waiting for the sun to set.
 Wow!! What a sunset!
 More sunset.
 More sunset.
 The USS Keno in Dawson City.
 Leaving Burwash Landing.
 Big Dredge at Chicken Ak.
 Greetings from Chicken, Ak.
 Yukon Johann and a mechanical miner in Dawson City.
 Starting the legendary Dempster Hwy.
 Views from GoldenSides summit in Tombstone Park.
 Yukon Johann hiking in the hi-country.
 GrizzLee in a profound moment.
 A whimsical Inukshuk pointing north... or is it s symbol of the Tundra fertility.  
Yukon Johann looking out across the divide into the Ogilvie Mountains.

Until next time...

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