Ewample Of Application

From Whitehorse through Mud Lake to Rose Lake ... YUKON

... It's finally in the night all cases combined and dispatched in the sledges, all four teams rushed toward the "Shack in Vanier. Insofar as we have not found time to introduce the basics of Françoise driving sleds, and the track starting from Peter (our guide) is very steep and falls hard on the road below, it benefited from a snowmobile trip with Wendy to the beginning of Fish Lake. That is where Frances was finally able to taste the first slide of his sleigh driven by Kluane Cousteau and Polar in the light of headlamps.

strange ride, these teams slipping into the night, where we hear the panting of dogs and screeching of sledges over the frozen snow in the dawning light of an aurora borealis.

We arrive at the cabin well after midnight, but the fire in the stove purrs already, as Peter and Wendy have been there and deposited a large portion of our cargo.

That discovery: the legendary shack becoming reality, the establishment of "stake out" to tie the dogs, the first meal of the shipment and installation for the night in the royal bed with a question that torments all Françoise Throughout the journey, "could I hot enough? .

Before going to bed, Matt set up his latest acquisition, namely a thermometer that will be the sole judge of the question. Again he calls us to capture the aurora borealis, but the time to adjust our cameras ... it is too late.

The windows in the previous trip financed and installed by Adrian and Matthew are still in place. But where are the mice and other lawful inhabitants of this place? However as boxes and empty bottles. Why everyone feels compelled to mark it as his territory? Needed a major cleaning before spring, as the lake is still frozen and transport to 32 feet (eight dogs) works!

February 16:

The night was calm and the morning we find the dogs under a thin layer of fresh snow.

After feeding the dogs, we manufactures Matthew pancakes on her kerosene stove (caution: refrain uninitiated) that works whatever the temperature. Philadelphia cream cheese enriched with salmon, maple syrup, honey or Nutella, we did nothing wrong to succumb to temptation. Moreover, we must take to dinner ... because lunch will be frugal.

Peter, our guide joins us with his sleigh and four teams will take care of equipment and supplies, including dogs, for four days and three nights.

The start of the shack in which Vanier dizzying descent, some precautions are necessary. Only two dogs per sled are attached by harness to their limit traction. Still, Matthew, first literally explode from under the eyes of his mother, a young tree against a ten cm in diameter, which breaks under the impact (damage noise). We will see much later that one of two runners of the sled has suffered the same fate ... but the solid construction (type Renner) helped limit the damage. Peter helps us, Francoise and Marc to cross the steepest part, and we soon find on the lake for the big adventure.

We climb gentle slopes towards Ibex Mountain, Fish Lake, leaving behind our backs and occasionally wiping gusts of wind and snow that remind us that we are well into winter.

After several hours of gliding through the mountains we arrive at Mud Lake! It's cold, gray and wet, and are tired ... we find our 4 stars hotel.

Different tasks needed:

- install the dogs for the night. Not so easy, there is not a tree to secure the stake out and only a few bushes provide sufficient strength. Fortunately snowmobile wreck serve as an anchor,

- take a strong taste to take the shock (cheddar buns stuffed with bacon and grilled sausages),

- collecting firewood: Peter is convinced that there under the snow and begins to sound like the meticulously rescuers after an avalanche. The attempt will be unsuccessful and he will settle for a strain and found some logs under the table, finally enough. So thank you to those who preceded us.

- prepare water for dogs and for humans, looking for blocks of compacted snow, as clean as possible it will melt patiently. A tip: never eat yellow snow!

- feed the dogs with a tablespoon of dry and ensure that everyone has had the part that matches his appetite,

- identify our natural toilet where he should burn all paper and burying our tracks.

Finally, we can think of preparing our meals. He is 20h and 16h we arrived at!

the menu, soup of mushrooms, beef steaks from Alberta (excellent) and beans with maple syrup (mixed views), French cheeses and oranges.

For the night, there is room for two persons in the cabin. Peter moves into his sleigh, Matthew assembles a shelter against the wind, using a plank laid between two sleds. Francoise and Marc installed on the floor of the hut watching with concern the drops that fall from the ceiling on all sides. The heat melts the snow and the roof is leaking ...

February 17:

Fortunately once the stove off, the cold takes its course and the drops are frozen.

The night was apparently good at both outside the inside our castle. It is now necessary to feed the dogs and to make a hearty breakfast. On the menu: bannocks (adapted by Matthew local specialty) with apples and cinnamon.

Leaving for Rose Lake is a gray and cloudy weather. As expected the program (congratulations for the guide) elk and caribou are waiting for you. However, they are too far away to be photographed or, as they are close, move away too quickly. We cross a large swamp jelly and understand better than any travel on foot in summer is impossible.

While it is difficult to approach the caribou, however we can assess their number given the snow they plow fields in order to find the lichens of their diet. Only the trail sleds remained intact and one wonders by what miracle? Y-Would there be a contract between the caribou and the mushers?

The trail leads through forests of spruce which charred remains only the trunks with the bark comes off in shreds. Even after a few years most of the trunks remain standing while the forest regenerates naturally by the growth of young pine trees, an invasive species.

Amazing meeting with a wolverine trap (or greedy), hanging from a tree in that season just ended trap.

is a beautiful but very steep descent from the spruce trees that leads us to the edge of Rose Lake, where we taste finally rest well deserved. Several Canadian government shacks are a true resort.

The first step was to heat all the volume was easy because of the presence of a huge stove and an antique wood stove as our grandparents had.

Furthermore, the cabin has a real sink, but unusable in this season. Bottles of propane gas stove and fuel, ultimate luxury two lamps attached to the ceiling.

The place looks busy. In summer it is particularly accessible by seaplane and a relatively steady seems assured. The book of drawings of the cabin reveals works probably indicative of own experiences or thoughts on this unusual place: landscapes, horses, mice, anxiety, hallucinogenic mushrooms ... wolves. Even the elk horns are used to support design.

As for dinner, Matthew shows us the moose meat in the form of blocks succulent. Thank you to the colleague of Icy Waters, generous donor of this piece of meat.

The night was eventful: wolves and dogs to meet dogs respond to the wolves. The entire valley echoes with screams repeatedly. To believe that they have hundreds!