Heart of Yukon

The rain started last night and shows no sign of stopping. WiFi at the visitor center in Watson lake is down, so my plan to send another update has been foiled. This morning the nearby gas station is an absolute zoo of RV’s and huge truck bed slide in campers. I assume most are headed north, like me, as it is early in the season. For some reason, nearly all of these behemoths have model names like “ultralight” or “travel light”. Actually, I assume for legal or just ethical reasons, they often use the spelling ‘lite’ and not ‘light’… to not be too overtly deceptive/dishonest.

Leaving town, I notice the notification signs for each town listing the services ahead. Normal ones like gas, food, lodging… but also a new one. It appears to be a cell phone. My phone is in airplane mode until Alaska, but I assume that means in and near town is the only place the locals get reception too. That kind of life is a bit alluring to me. It returns the phone into being a tool instead of a leash.

Drizzling persistently all day, the world had a gray backdrop. This has made the various mountains look like a blueish/gray-scale watercolor. The differing heights and distances being assigned different shades of similar color. It hasn’t been a great day for hiking or exploring on foot, but not a bad day for making miles and thinking. The rain seems to have a way of flooding old thoughts and memories to the surface of my mind.

I make it to the capital of the Yukon (Whitehorse) at the end of the day. I guess tomorrow will be a bit of urban exploring and digital access.