Summer has left the Yukon. The lower slopes of the Miners' Range are a riot of yellow and golden shades. The narrow leaves of the fireweed are all deep red now. Aspen leaves are starting to pile up in the ditches and low spots; some smaller stands of trees are nearly denuded, while the older, stronger groves are still green. The ever-changing Yukon skies today are filled with broad, menacing bands of purple stratus cloud hurrying up from the south. Last night it rained; at the moment the cloud is breaking up and it might clear off tomorrow. If you don't like the weather now, wait half an hour. This is the changeable season. A fire in the woodstove feels good in the evening.
A couple of nights ago the two Seppala bitches currently sharing my little shack, Tonya and Magick, refused to come inside. They were rushing excitedly around the wood pile in the dark. I went out to enforce my request that they come in, and heard an unfamiliar chittering. Got the flashlight and came back to remove a few loose chunks of firewood. When I did, out popped the brown head of a Least Weasel, eyes glaring redly in the light, complaining vociferously -- mad as hell, but not quite willing to mix it with a dog forty or fifty times his size! I grabbed Madge and Tonner and dragged them into the shack by their collars. Went back out and apologised to the weasel, who does good offices by keeping the field mice down. He was still in his dark brown summer pelage. Soon he will go snow white. These fearless little creatures are among the most fascinating of Yukon wildlife. If they get into the henhouse, they will wreak red ruin. Other than that, I like having them around and seeing them boldly going about their business in winter. If you live in a wall tent, as I did for four years, they are likely as not to move in with you, the better to deplete the rodent population.
The trail work continues, two or three hours of it daily. It's my promise to myself of a good winter's dog driving; dues paid to nature as an advance on winter snow. I've been indulging myself by browsing the sled builders' ads on Sled Dog Central, even though I know in the end that I will order my next dogsled from the local guy in Whitehorse who knows Yukon trails and conditions and can put together a durable sled for an attractive price. Some of the fancy racing sleds I've seen advertised go for as much as three thousand dollars (Canadian). Sometimes it seems like the veterinarians, dogfood manufacturers and sled builders are all part of a conspiracy to make dog driving into a rich man's sport. Just for fun, there's a link below to a three-thousand dollar dogsled!
http://gattsled.com/gattsledcom__products_long.htm
Posted by jjeffrey at September 2, 2003 06:51 PM