#Yukon Quest Day
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Yukon Quest Day
Yukon Quest Day is celebrated on the first Saturday of February and this year it will be marked on February 3. It is time to go on an adventure with Siberian Huskies! Dogs have been working with humans in inland Alaska for over 10,000 years. Folklore in Alaska has mythological heroes who interacted with dogs, and some claim canines to be the ancient ancestor of the first human. During the Alaskan Gold Rush, Leonhard Seppala introduced the Siberian Husky, which was smaller than native Alaskan canines. The current sled dog’s genetic base is made up of indigenous dogs and Seppala’s Huskies. The genetic mix of the normal Yukon Quest Husky has been carefully chosen through many generations of breeders.
History of Yukon Quest
Yukon River serves as the historical highway of the north. The trail would follow the routes taken by prospects to reach the Klondike during the 1898 Gold Rush, and then to the Alaskan interior for subsequent gold rushes in the early 1900s. They despised the Iditarod Sled Dog Race’s numerous checkpoints and envisioned an endurance race in which contestants would rely on themselves and survival would be as important as speed. On the 25th anniversary of the event, Shank stated, “We wanted more of a Bush experience, a race with a little woodsmanship in it.”
The Yukon Quest was conceived in a bar in April 1983 by four Alaskans: LeRoy Shank, Roger Williams, Ron Rosser, and William ‘Willy’ Lipps. To commemorate the Klondike Gold Rush era the four proposed a 1,000-mile sled dog race from Fairbanks, Alaska, to Whitehorse, Yukon. A sled dog race from Fairbanks to Whitehorse had been discussed as early as 1976. But it wasn’t until this discussion that the Yukon Quest became more than just a concept. The race was dubbed the “Yukon Quest” by them to honor the Yukon River.
The first Yukon Quest put both race logistics and all participants to the test. In 1984, 26 teams left Fairbanks. Twenty teams arrived in Whitehorse over the next 16 days. Six teams were forced to abandon the race along the way. Sonny Lindner won the Yukon Quest for the first time, finishing in just over 12 days.
Yukon Quest timeline
1986
The First Season of Yukon Quest Starts
LeRoy Shank, Roger Williams, Ron Rosser, and William ‘Willy’ Lipps take their first journey.
2011
Fastest Racer of Yukon Quest
Allen Moore, completes the race in just eight days, setting a record that is difficult to break for years to come.
2000
The First Women to Win the Quest
Aily Zirkle of SP Kennels, an American, becomes the only woman to win the Yukon Quest.
2020
The Lowest Number of Participants
Due to a lack of sponsorships, only 15 participants are present.
Yukon Quest FAQs
How do other Canadian provinces observe Yukon Heritage Day?
Yukon Heritage Day is observed on the final Friday of February. Heritage Day, on the other hand, is observed on the third Monday of February throughout the rest of Canada’s provinces and territories.
Is Yukon Quest harder than Iditarod?
The Iditarod has tougher competition, but the Quest path is far more difficult than the Iditarod, and it’s not simply because of the mountains. It is, in fact, the Yukon River. The Iditarod only travels roughly 130 miles along the Yukon, whereas the Quest travels closer to 400 miles.
What is the prize for winning the Yukon Quest?
Mushers in the Yukon Quest 1,000 Mile International Sled Dog Race will compete for a minimum guaranteed payout of $100,000. A portion of the prize money will be distributed to the top 15 finishers.
Yukon Quest Activities
Play the other games in the Yukon Sourdough Gathering: You can enjoy other winter sports like Dog Team Derby, Ski & Snowshoe Races, Ice Skating, Ice Hockey, Snowshoe Ski Ball, Bowling, and Basketball. There are many options to pick from.
Enjoy the carnival: The Yukon Sourdough carnival also includes fireworks, BBQ, ice sculptures, dancing performances, air shows, and a fiddle tournament. It is a feast for the senses so indulge in the merrymaking.
Learn about the history and legacy of Yukon: Do not only participate in numerous activities with your family but also connect with Yukon's legacy today. The festival's main goal is to bring all Yukoners together to celebrate the end of another winter.
5 Intriguing Facts About Yukon Quest Day
The coldest competitive sport ever: Every February, during the coldest and most unpredictable months of the year, this incredible winter event takes place.
Bad weather conditions don’t hamper the race: The Yukon Quest race begins on time, regardless of the weather, and lasts between 10 and 16 days until the last team crosses the finish line.
They’ve been no missed events: Since 1984, the Yukon Quest has taken place every year.
The trail follows the historic Gold Rush: This has been followed from the turn of the 20th Century.
Each team has 14 dogs: One human and 14 canine athletes traverse some of North America's last pristine wilderness.
Why We Love Yukon Quest
We love the stamina and drive of sled dogs: Sled dogs are serious athletes and the heart and soul of this sport. They are top marathon pros and are regarded as such throughout training and competition.
It emphasizes strategy: The race relies heavily on strategy and routine. The driver of the dog sled (musher) juggles between being a coach, cook, motivational speaker, cheerleader, and companion.
It’s the only international sled dog race: What began as a chat between mushers in a Fairbanks bar has evolved into something else. It is now one of the most widely followed sled dog races in the world, as well as the only one that covers two nations.
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#first Saturday in February#3 February 2024#travel#original photography#vacation#tourist attraction#landmark#cityscape#architecture#landscape#Yukon#Canada#summer 2023#Yukon Quest Day#YukonQuestDay#Whitehorse#Yukon River#Wye Lake#Watson Lake#Rancheria Falls#Alaska Highway#Emerald Lake#anniversary#sculpture#street scene#Nares Lake#Carcross Desert#Miles Canyon#Teslin Lake#fireweed
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Holidays 2.3
Holidays
American Painters Day
Artist Appreciation Day
Battle of San Lorenzo Day (Argentina)
Benelux Treaty Day (EU)
Booty Pic Day
Bowling Green Massacre Day (Kellyanne Conway Fictional Event)
Commemoration of the Batepá Massacre (São Tomé and Príncipe)
Communist Party Foundation Day (Vietnam)
Cow Day (French Republic)
Day of Finnish Architecture and Design (Finland)
Day of the Virgin of Suyapa (Honduras)
Desmond Tutu Day
Doggy Date Night
The Day the Music Died (according to Don McLean)
Elmo’s Day
Endangered Species Act Day
Feed the Birds Day
Four Chaplains Day
Halfway Point of Winter
Heroes' Day (Mozambique)
International Golden Retriever Day
International Lawyers Day
International Straw Free Day
John Lewis Day (Alabama)
Liberation of the Battle of Manila Day
Martyrs' Day (São Tomé and Príncipe)
Meaka Bochea Day (Cambodia)
National Cordova Ice Worm Day
National Doggy Date Night
National Honey Badger Day
National Missing Persons Day
National Patient Recognition Day
National Trevor Day
National Wedding Ring Day
National Women Physicians Day
National Women’s Heart Day
Nuestra Señora de Suyapa (Festival of the Virgin of Suyapa; Honduras)
Number Day
Take a Cruise Day
Veteran’s Day (Thailand)
Veterinary Pharmacists Day
Wedding Ring Day
World Free Love Day
Food & Drink Celebrations
National Carrot Cake Day
National Carrot Day
1st Saturday in February
Barber Day [1st Saturday]
Burning the Hom Strom (Graubünden, Switzerland) [1st Saturday]
Global Chaplains Day [1st Saturday]
Ice Cream For Breakfast Day [1st Saturday]
International Pisco Sour Day [1st Saturday]
Lace Day [1st Saturday]
National Play Outside Day [1st Saturday of Every Month]
Pork Rind Appreciation Day [1st Saturday]
Satyr's Day (Silenus, Greek God of Beer Buddies and Drinking Companions) [1st Saturday of Each Month]
South African National Beer Day (South Africa) [1st Saturday]
Take Your Child to the Library Day [1st Saturday]
Independence & Related Days
Danielland (Declared; 2015) [unrecognized]
Illinois Territory Day (Illinois; 1818)
Keep Watch (Declared; 2009) [unrecognized]
Liberation Movement Day (Angola)
Festivals Beginning February 3, 2024
Arizona Renaissance Festival (Apache Junction, Arizona) [thru 3.31]
Carnival Brasiliero (Austin, Texas)
Carnival of Viereggio (Viereggio, Italy) [thru 2.24]
Carolina Chocolate Festival (Moorehead City, North Carolina) [thru 2.4]
Downtown Gadsen Chili Cook-Off (Gadsen, Alabama)
Florida Renaissance Fair (Deerfield Beach, Florida) [thru 3.24]
Hudson Valley Wingfest (Poughkeepsie, New York)
Kurentovanje Carnival (Ptuj, Slovenia) [thru 2.13]
Melodifestivalen (Malmö, Sweden)
Northwest Briefest (Chicago, Illinois)
South Florida Garlic Festival (Wellington, Florida) [thru 2.4]
Temecula Valley Barrel Tasting (Temecula, California) [thru 2.4]
Yukon Quest (Whitehorse, Yukon)
Feast Days
Aaron the Illustrious (Syriac Orthodox Church)
Ansgar, Archbishop (a.k.a. Anskar; Christian; Saint) [Denmark]
Auscharius (Christian; Saint)
Berlindis of Meerbeke (Christian; Saint)
Blaise (Christian; Saint) [Blessing of Throats]
Blessing of Throats Day (St. Blaise’s Day); Everyday Wicca)
Build a Relationship with Brigid Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)
Celsa and Nona (Christian; Saints)
Claudine Thévenet (Christian; Saint)
Day of Remembrance for Oleg the Prophet (Asatru/Slavic Pagan)
Dom Justo Takayama (Christian; Saint) [Japan, Philippines]
Ewok Day (Pastafarian)
Festival of Sulis Minerva (Pagan)
Fiesta de San Blas (Protector of the Harvest; Puerto Rico)
Fukuju no mai (Jimai; Dance of the Seven Gods of Fortune; Japan)
Gaelic Lullaby Day (Celtic Book of Days)
Gertrude Stein (Writerism)
Gillian Ayres (Artology)
Hadelin (Christian; Saint)
Henning Mankell (Writerism)
Hickety Pickety (Muppetism)
ia (Christian; Virgin)
James Michener (Writerism)
Laurence of Canterbury, Srchbishop (Christian; Saint)
Laurence of Spoleto, Bishop (Christian; Saint)
Lesser Eleusinian Mysteries, Day 3 of 3 (Ancient Greece festival honoring Ceres, Demeter, Persephone, and Proserpine)
Magnolia and Fish Jubilee (Shamanism)
Margaret of England (Christian; Saint, Virgin)
Norman Rockwell (Artology)
Our Lady of Suyapa (Honduras)
Pagerwesi (Festival to Sang Hyang Pramesti Guru, god of teachers and creator of the universe; Bali)
Paul Aster (Writerism)
Pokémon Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)
Richard Yates (Writerism)
Setsubun (Bean-Throwing Festival; Shinto/Japan)
Theocritus (Positivist; Saint)
Werburga (a.k.a. Werburgh; Christian; Saint)
Woodrow Wilson Day
Lucky & Unlucky Days
Fatal Day (Pagan) [3 of 24]
Taian (大安 Japan) [Lucky all day.]
Unfortunate Day (Pagan) [8 of 57]
Premieres
Air Force (Film; 1943)
Amapola, by Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra (Song; 1941)
Birds of a Feather (Disney Silly Symphonies Cartoon; 1931)
Boys on the Side (Film; 1995)
Canned Feud (WB LT Cartoon; 1951)
Chilly Con Carmen (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1930)
Chronicle (Film; 2012)
Dead Man’s Curve (TV movie; 1978)
Death Be Not Proud, by John Gunther (Memoir; 1949)
Earthling, by David Bowie (Album; 1997)
Earwig and the Witch (Animated Film; 2021)
Fun, Fun, Fun, by The Beach Boys (Song; 1964)
Hanna (TV Series; 2019)
The IT Crowd (UK TV Series; 2006)
Jane Eyre (Film; 1944)
La Dolce Vita (Film; 1960)
Norman Normal (WB Cartoon; 1968)
Rock You Like a Hurricane, by the Scorpions (Song; 1984)
Roman Carnival, by Hector Berlioz (Overture; 1844)
Santa Clarita Diet (TV Series; 2017)
Semiramide, Gioachino Rossini (Opera; 1823)
Shanghai Knights (Film; 2003)
Society Dog (Disney Cartoon; 1939)
The Space Between Us (Film; 2017)
Transformations, by Anne Sexton (Poetry; 1971)
What the Bleep!?: Down the Rabbit Hole (Documentary Film; 2006)
Yield, by Pearl Jam (Album; 1998)
Today’s Name Days
Ansgar, Blasius, Oskar (Austria)
Simeon (Bulgaria)
Blaž, Tripun, Vlaho (Croatia)
Blažej (Czech Republic)
Blasius (Denmark)
Hubert, Hugo, Huko (Estonia)
Hugo, Valo (Finland)
Blaise, Nelson, Oscar (France)
Ansgar, Blasius, Michael, Oskar (Germany)
Asimakis, Asimina, Malamati, Simeon, Stamatia, Stamatis (Greece)
Balázs (Hungary)
Biagio (Italy)
Aīda, Ansgars, Ida, Laida (Latvia)
Blažiejus, Oskaras, Radvilas, Radvilė (Lithuania)
Ansgar, Asgeir (Norway)
Błażej, Hipolit, Hipolita, Laurencjusz, Maksym, Oskar, Stefan, Telimena, Uniemysł, Wawrzyniec (Poland)
Ana, Simeon (Romania)
Blažej (Slovakia)
Blas, Olivia, Óscar (Spain)
Disa, Hjördis (Sweden)
Simon (Ukraine)
Ansgar, Barclay, Baxter, Blaise,, Blase, Blasia, Blaze, Norma, Norman, Norris (USA)
Today is Also…
Day of Year: Day 34 of 2024; 332 days remaining in the year
ISO: Day 6 of week 5 of 2024
Celtic Tree Calendar: Luis (Rowan) [Day 14 of 28]
Chinese: Month 12 (Yi-Chou), Day 24 ()
Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)
Hebrew: 24 Shevat 5784
Islamic: 23 Rajab 1445
J Cal: 4 Grey; Foursday [4 of 30]
Julian: 21 January 2024
Moon: 42%: Waning Crescent
Positivist: 6 Homer (2nd Month) [Theocritus)
Runic Half Month: Elhaz (Elk) [Day 10 of 15]
Season: Winter (Day 45 of 89)
Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 13 of 28)
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Holidays 2.3
Holidays
American Painters Day
Artist Appreciation Day
Battle of San Lorenzo Day (Argentina)
Benelux Treaty Day (EU)
Booty Pic Day
Bowling Green Massacre Day (Kellyanne Conway Fictional Event)
Commemoration of the Batepá Massacre (São Tomé and Príncipe)
Communist Party Foundation Day (Vietnam)
Cow Day (French Republic)
Day of Finnish Architecture and Design (Finland)
Day of the Virgin of Suyapa (Honduras)
Desmond Tutu Day
Doggy Date Night
The Day the Music Died (according to Don McLean)
Elmo’s Day
Endangered Species Act Day
Feed the Birds Day
Four Chaplains Day
Halfway Point of Winter
Heroes' Day (Mozambique)
International Golden Retriever Day
International Lawyers Day
International Straw Free Day
John Lewis Day (Alabama)
Liberation of the Battle of Manila Day
Martyrs' Day (São Tomé and Príncipe)
Meaka Bochea Day (Cambodia)
National Cordova Ice Worm Day
National Doggy Date Night
National Honey Badger Day
National Missing Persons Day
National Patient Recognition Day
National Trevor Day
National Wedding Ring Day
National Women Physicians Day
National Women’s Heart Day
Nuestra Señora de Suyapa (Festival of the Virgin of Suyapa; Honduras)
Number Day
Take a Cruise Day
Veteran’s Day (Thailand)
Veterinary Pharmacists Day
Wedding Ring Day
World Free Love Day
Food & Drink Celebrations
National Carrot Cake Day
National Carrot Day
1st Saturday in February
Barber Day [1st Saturday]
Burning the Hom Strom (Graubünden, Switzerland) [1st Saturday]
Global Chaplains Day [1st Saturday]
Ice Cream For Breakfast Day [1st Saturday]
International Pisco Sour Day [1st Saturday]
Lace Day [1st Saturday]
National Play Outside Day [1st Saturday of Every Month]
Pork Rind Appreciation Day [1st Saturday]
Satyr's Day (Silenus, Greek God of Beer Buddies and Drinking Companions) [1st Saturday of Each Month]
South African National Beer Day (South Africa) [1st Saturday]
Take Your Child to the Library Day [1st Saturday]
Independence & Related Days
Danielland (Declared; 2015) [unrecognized]
Illinois Territory Day (Illinois; 1818)
Keep Watch (Declared; 2009) [unrecognized]
Liberation Movement Day (Angola)
Festivals Beginning February 3, 2024
Arizona Renaissance Festival (Apache Junction, Arizona) [thru 3.31]
Carnival Brasiliero (Austin, Texas)
Carnival of Viereggio (Viereggio, Italy) [thru 2.24]
Carolina Chocolate Festival (Moorehead City, North Carolina) [thru 2.4]
Downtown Gadsen Chili Cook-Off (Gadsen, Alabama)
Florida Renaissance Fair (Deerfield Beach, Florida) [thru 3.24]
Hudson Valley Wingfest (Poughkeepsie, New York)
Kurentovanje Carnival (Ptuj, Slovenia) [thru 2.13]
Melodifestivalen (Malmö, Sweden)
Northwest Briefest (Chicago, Illinois)
South Florida Garlic Festival (Wellington, Florida) [thru 2.4]
Temecula Valley Barrel Tasting (Temecula, California) [thru 2.4]
Yukon Quest (Whitehorse, Yukon)
Feast Days
Aaron the Illustrious (Syriac Orthodox Church)
Ansgar, Archbishop (a.k.a. Anskar; Christian; Saint) [Denmark]
Auscharius (Christian; Saint)
Berlindis of Meerbeke (Christian; Saint)
Blaise (Christian; Saint) [Blessing of Throats]
Blessing of Throats Day (St. Blaise’s Day); Everyday Wicca)
Build a Relationship with Brigid Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)
Celsa and Nona (Christian; Saints)
Claudine Thévenet (Christian; Saint)
Day of Remembrance for Oleg the Prophet (Asatru/Slavic Pagan)
Dom Justo Takayama (Christian; Saint) [Japan, Philippines]
Ewok Day (Pastafarian)
Festival of Sulis Minerva (Pagan)
Fiesta de San Blas (Protector of the Harvest; Puerto Rico)
Fukuju no mai (Jimai; Dance of the Seven Gods of Fortune; Japan)
Gaelic Lullaby Day (Celtic Book of Days)
Gertrude Stein (Writerism)
Gillian Ayres (Artology)
Hadelin (Christian; Saint)
Henning Mankell (Writerism)
Hickety Pickety (Muppetism)
ia (Christian; Virgin)
James Michener (Writerism)
Laurence of Canterbury, Srchbishop (Christian; Saint)
Laurence of Spoleto, Bishop (Christian; Saint)
Lesser Eleusinian Mysteries, Day 3 of 3 (Ancient Greece festival honoring Ceres, Demeter, Persephone, and Proserpine)
Magnolia and Fish Jubilee (Shamanism)
Margaret of England (Christian; Saint, Virgin)
Norman Rockwell (Artology)
Our Lady of Suyapa (Honduras)
Pagerwesi (Festival to Sang Hyang Pramesti Guru, god of teachers and creator of the universe; Bali)
Paul Aster (Writerism)
Pokémon Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)
Richard Yates (Writerism)
Setsubun (Bean-Throwing Festival; Shinto/Japan)
Theocritus (Positivist; Saint)
Werburga (a.k.a. Werburgh; Christian; Saint)
Woodrow Wilson Day
Lucky & Unlucky Days
Fatal Day (Pagan) [3 of 24]
Taian (大安 Japan) [Lucky all day.]
Unfortunate Day (Pagan) [8 of 57]
Premieres
Air Force (Film; 1943)
Amapola, by Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra (Song; 1941)
Birds of a Feather (Disney Silly Symphonies Cartoon; 1931)
Boys on the Side (Film; 1995)
Canned Feud (WB LT Cartoon; 1951)
Chilly Con Carmen (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1930)
Chronicle (Film; 2012)
Dead Man’s Curve (TV movie; 1978)
Death Be Not Proud, by John Gunther (Memoir; 1949)
Earthling, by David Bowie (Album; 1997)
Earwig and the Witch (Animated Film; 2021)
Fun, Fun, Fun, by The Beach Boys (Song; 1964)
Hanna (TV Series; 2019)
The IT Crowd (UK TV Series; 2006)
Jane Eyre (Film; 1944)
La Dolce Vita (Film; 1960)
Norman Normal (WB Cartoon; 1968)
Rock You Like a Hurricane, by the Scorpions (Song; 1984)
Roman Carnival, by Hector Berlioz (Overture; 1844)
Santa Clarita Diet (TV Series; 2017)
Semiramide, Gioachino Rossini (Opera; 1823)
Shanghai Knights (Film; 2003)
Society Dog (Disney Cartoon; 1939)
The Space Between Us (Film; 2017)
Transformations, by Anne Sexton (Poetry; 1971)
What the Bleep!?: Down the Rabbit Hole (Documentary Film; 2006)
Yield, by Pearl Jam (Album; 1998)
Today’s Name Days
Ansgar, Blasius, Oskar (Austria)
Simeon (Bulgaria)
Blaž, Tripun, Vlaho (Croatia)
Blažej (Czech Republic)
Blasius (Denmark)
Hubert, Hugo, Huko (Estonia)
Hugo, Valo (Finland)
Blaise, Nelson, Oscar (France)
Ansgar, Blasius, Michael, Oskar (Germany)
Asimakis, Asimina, Malamati, Simeon, Stamatia, Stamatis (Greece)
Balázs (Hungary)
Biagio (Italy)
Aīda, Ansgars, Ida, Laida (Latvia)
Blažiejus, Oskaras, Radvilas, Radvilė (Lithuania)
Ansgar, Asgeir (Norway)
Błażej, Hipolit, Hipolita, Laurencjusz, Maksym, Oskar, Stefan, Telimena, Uniemysł, Wawrzyniec (Poland)
Ana, Simeon (Romania)
Blažej (Slovakia)
Blas, Olivia, Óscar (Spain)
Disa, Hjördis (Sweden)
Simon (Ukraine)
Ansgar, Barclay, Baxter, Blaise,, Blase, Blasia, Blaze, Norma, Norman, Norris (USA)
Today is Also…
Day of Year: Day 34 of 2024; 332 days remaining in the year
ISO: Day 6 of week 5 of 2024
Celtic Tree Calendar: Luis (Rowan) [Day 14 of 28]
Chinese: Month 12 (Yi-Chou), Day 24 ()
Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)
Hebrew: 24 Shevat 5784
Islamic: 23 Rajab 1445
J Cal: 4 Grey; Foursday [4 of 30]
Julian: 21 January 2024
Moon: 42%: Waning Crescent
Positivist: 6 Homer (2nd Month) [Theocritus)
Runic Half Month: Elhaz (Elk) [Day 10 of 15]
Season: Winter (Day 45 of 89)
Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 13 of 28)
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Dawson City
Day 15 -
We started today with a walking tour of the the historic sites of Dawson City where we learned how the native peoples, The Han, moved down river 4 miles to get away from all the Stampeders and to preserve their way of life.
Dawson grew to 20+thousand people during these crazy times and is now a small town of 3200.
The Han gradually moved back into town during the 1970 and are now a big part of Dawson City.
The community where the Yukon and the Klondike came together was always the Han people’s homeland.
In the afternoon we drove up Bonanza Creek for a tour of Dredge #4, it’s a gigantic piece of equipment more then 100 years old.
This dredge is massive, 7 stories high. Everything is amazing about this machine, the size of the gears, the chains, the cables and the structure itself and to consider how everything had to be moved here. Very impressive and the local tour guide was awesome, enthusiastic and funny!
We got back to town, set up camp and relaxed for a while. I went for a walk along the river and saw the first two canoes arrive from the Yukon River Quest, the winning time was 46:17:20 hrs. which included a mandatory 10 hrs rest period in Carmack. A most incredible feat!
Sunset was at 11pm as we were down at river level, 11:30 if you’re up on the Dome. Funny story about that … check it out at dawsoncity.ca
Here we are the 7th day in 24 hours per day daylight ... very cool
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THE GLITTERING HISTORY OF CANADA GOLD
Gold, the luminous metal that has fascinated civilizations for millennia, has an especially radiant history in Canada. The narrative of Canada gold is deeply intertwined with tales of adventure, perseverance, and a nation's quest for identity. In this odyssey through time, we'll go through the annals of history and explore how gold has played an important role in shaping Canada's socio-economic tapestry.
Early Gold Use
Before the fervour of gold rushes gripped settlers, Indigenous communities in Canada had long recognized and utilized gold. For these communities, gold wasn't just a metal; it bore cultural and symbolic significance. Rituals, ornaments, and ceremonial items frequently incorporated this shimmering metal, emphasizing its role in the spiritual and everyday lives of these early inhabitants.
The Dawn of the Gold Rush Era
As the world witnessed frenzies from the gold rushes of California and Australia, Canada wasn't left untouched. The late 1850s marked the beginning of Canada's affair with gold rushes. The first significant discovery of gold in Canada opened the floodgates of opportunity, risk, and an unparalleled era of exploration.
Major Gold Rushes in Canada
The Fraser Canyon Gold Rush: This was where it all began. Nestled within the majestic mountains of British Columbia, Fraser Canyon echoed with the hopes of thousands seeking their fortune in Canada gold.
The Cariboo Gold Rush: Following the Fraser Canyon rush, the Cariboo region became the epicentre of activity, further intensifying British Columbia's prominence in gold mining.
The Klondike Gold Rush: Perhaps the most iconic of them all, the Klondike Gold Rush transformed the Yukon region into a bustling hub of opportunity and optimism. Its legacy, encapsulated in tales of tenacity and fortune, still resonates today.
The gold fever did more than fill pockets; it paved roads, built towns, and shaped a nation. The influx of prospectors led to rapid migration and settlements. Infrastructure grew at an astonishing rate, with railways, roads, and bridges sprouting to aid the pursuit of Canada gold. Cities like Vancouver owe their genesis and early growth to these gold-driven endeavours.
Transition from Manual to Industrial Mining
While the initial days were marked by panning and manual labor, the thirst for gold soon drove technological and methodological innovations. The transition to industrial mining was a testament to human ingenuity. Power drills, hydraulic mining, and advanced extraction techniques surged, with key players in the Canada gold mining industry emerging as global giants.
Canada Gold on the World Stage
From its humble gold rush beginnings, Canada now stands as one of the world's leading gold producers. The stringent standards set by Canada in gold mining and refining have influenced global practices, further elevating the country's esteemed position in the gold market.
Buy Gold with the Matador App and Get Physical Gold at Near Spot Prices from Your Smartphone
Gold's legacy in Canada is not just historical; it's a tangible part of the nation's present. Modern avenues now allow Canadians to invest and engage with gold like never before. The Matador app exemplifies this evolution, offering an effortless way to buy gold in Canada, letting you hold a piece of this timeless legacy in the palm of your hand or store it in your vault at the Royal Canadian Mint
If you're inspired by the journey of Canada gold and want to be a part of its ongoing story, download the Matador app and begin your personal gold adventure today.
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Fairbanks Community Museum in Fairbanks, Alaska
Located within the old Co-Op shopping arcade on 2nd Avenue in downtown Fairbanks, this small, volunteer-run museum is a tribute to the history and heritage of the area. Split into two areas, the exhibits here focus on the extensive gold mining history of the area and how it lives on through the Iditarod and Yukon Quest races. There are also exhibits on the spending the winter in Fairbanks, the Flood of 1967, and the famous aurora borealis. If you’re learning about the city the pictures and stories of the brave men and women who willingly came here to seek their fortunes are still unbelievable, as are the make-do ways that they moved around, lived day-to-day and, when times were good, managed to really party, despite the isolation and cold. Though rather small and very locally-focused, this charming and free museum is an appealing and informative alternative for a potential later visit to the larger historical theme park called Pioneer Park, which is still known to the locals as “Alaskaland.”
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/fairbanks-community-museum
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Experience Alaska's Living Cultures
From dog sledding to meeting local artisans, there are countless ways to experience Alaska’s diverse cultures year-round.
— By Christina Nuñez
Experience Alaska's living cultures! Embark on an overland journey like no other, traveling over Alaska's terrain via dog sled. Dog sledding, or mushing, has a long history in Alaska: Originating as transportation for Alaska Native cultures, it went on to become the official state sport in 1972. Throughout the state, visitors can join a range of dog sled tours, from jaunts lasting a couple of hours to multiday backcountry camping excursions. In the summer, rides typically take place on wheeled carts, but if you’re craving the sledding experience, you can helicopter to a glacier and glide over snow and ice behind a team of dogs under the midnight sun.
In addition to tours, kennels offer demonstrations that reveal how sled dogs and their mushers prepare for long-distance trips. Rangers at Denali National Park and Preserve—the only national park with a kennel of sled dogs—hold daily demos from May to September. Depending on the time of year, you might also be able to catch a sled dog race: The legendary Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race from Willow to Nome has a ceremonial start in downtown Anchorage every March, and the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race in February runs between Fairbanks and Whitehorse. CANNON PHOTOGRAPHY LLC, ALAMY
Learn about Alaska's aviation history! Thousands of Alaskans live in remote communities without road access. For many of these communities, small aircraft have long been a critical way to get supplies. Back when Alaska Airlines began in the 1930s, flights weren't scheduled—they took off when the plane was full. Today, traveling by bush plane or seaplane is an integral part of Alaskan culture.
The state's pioneering history of flight is on display at the Alaska Aviation Museum, located on the world's largest seaplane base, Anchorage's Lake Hood. Here, you'll be able to see more than 25 vintage aircraft, watch planes being restored, and get a pilot's-eye view in a full-immersion flight simulator. If you're eager to get off the ground, check out one of the state's many flightseeing and helicopter tours. Whether you take a short flight or a full-day trip, flightseeing is a great way to see some of Alaska's less-visited treasures, such as Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. FRANS LANTING, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC IMAGE COLLECTION
Tour Sitka National Historical Park! Located on Baranof Island in southeast Alaska, Sitka National Historical Park's natural beauty is punctuated by its signature feature: a collection of totem poles from the Tlingit and Haida people. They sit on ancestral land of the Tlingit Kiks.ádi clan, which is also the site of an 1804 battle between the clan and Russian invaders who eventually wrested control of Sitka. Americans acquired Alaska from Russia in 1867.
Nearly 40 years later, Tlingit and Haida tribes donated 15 totem poles to be exhibited at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri. Most—but not all—made it back to Alaska. Today, visitors to the park can explore the mile-long Totem Trail, with its 18 Tlingit and Haida totems. A self-guided walking tour of the trail offers a window into the rich history of these carvings and the living cultures they represent. Local artisans such as Tlingit carver Tommy Joseph are also on-site throughout the week working on various totem carving projects and available to answer questions about their craft. PATRICK J. ENDRES, GETTY IMAGES
Explore Ketchikan on a local-led tour! Once the site of a Tlingit summer fish camp, Ketchikan lies at the southern end of the Inside Passage and is the first port of call for ships heading north, earning it the nickname “Alaska’s First City.” Distinguished by its colorful waterfront buildings and the fact that it boasts the largest number of standing totem poles in the world, Ketchikan draws fishing buffs, nature lovers, and those wanting to experience Alaska Native culture and art. You'll find collections of totems at the Totem Heritage Center, Totem Bight State Historical Park, Saxman Totem Park, and Cape Fox Lodge, as well as dotted throughout downtown Ketchikan.
Learn about Ketchikan's remarkable history and art on a local-led walking tour, such as Where the Eagle Walks run by Tlingit Elder Joe Williams, Jr. With your guide, you might wander the pedestrian boardwalk on Creek Street, learn about the salmon that migrate through the area's waters, or watch Tlingit totem carvers at work in nearby Saxman Village. BARCOS, ALAMY
Visit Hoonah and Icy Strait Point! Over a century ago, Icy Strait Point was the site of a salmon cannery. Today, the striking red building is a "port for adventure" owned and operated by a local Alaska Native corporation, Huna Totem. Located about 30 miles west of Juneau on Chichagof Island, Icy Strait Point is a prime attraction in the town of Hoonah, Alaska’s largest Tlingit village. The restored cannery, which opened in 2004, is now home to a museum and 1930s cannery line display.
After soaking in the area's history, you can tour Hoonah’s many shops and restaurants, explore the surrounding wilderness, and embark on local tours. If you're a thrill-seeker, zoom down from the peak at Hoonah Mountain on the the state's longest zip line. For a more relaxed adventure, head to the Yaakw Kahidi Cultural Center to learn about Tlingit customs and traditions such as hand-carving dugout canoes. NAUM CHAYER, ALAMY
Experience wildlife, history, and culture on Kodiak Island! The second largest island in the United States is full of opportunities to spot wildlife, particularly bears and whales. Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1941, is home to 3,500 Kodiak brown bears, which visitors can view from a safe distance on guided tours available through local lodges and camps. The Kodiak Brown Bear Center & Lodge, owned by the Alutiiq people, is one of several sightseeing operators located in the refuge. Offshore, local charter boats will take you whale watching, though you may also be able to see them from atop cliffs or on beaches.
In downtown Kodiak, check out the Alutiiq Museum. The museum features exhibits on local archaeology as well as the culture and art of the Alutiiq/Sugpiaq people, who have lived in Alaska's southcentral and southwest coastal areas for over 7,500 years. A short walk away you'll find the Kodiak History Museum. Its many stories begin with the building itself: Built in 1808, it was at various points a private home, event space, and boarding house. GETTY IMAGES
Discover Alaska's locally sourced food culture! The idea of "eating local," or sourcing food close to home, takes on a new dimension in Alaska. Home to over 12,000 rivers, three million lakes larger than five acres, and over 46,000 miles of shoreline, Alaska has an unparalleled bounty of fresh seafood. Some of the many species that inhabit Alaska waters include crab, shrimp, Pacific halibut, and salmon.
Don’t miss the chance to try salmon from an Alaska smokehouse, where filets are soaked in brine, hung out to dry, and smoked for hours over a wood fire. Historically, smokehouses indicated clan ownership of a river during the summer fishing season and are a longstanding way that Alaska Native cultures have preserved salmon. Restaurants like Duck Point Smokehouse in the Tlingit village of Hoonah allow visitors to indulge in this culinary tradition.
Other locally sourced products to keep an eye out for include birch syrup and meats such as elk, bison, and reindeer. Take a culinary tour or cooking class to sample and learn more about these foods. Also be sure to visit some of the state's many craft breweries, wineries, and distilleries. JMP TRAVELER, ADOBE
Visit the Alaska Native Heritage Center! Alaska is home to over 229 federally recognized tribes—and one of the best ways to learn about Alaska’s diverse living cultures is at the Alaska Native Heritage Center (ANHC) on Dena’ina lands in Anchorage. A unanimous vote of the Alaska Federation of Natives in 1987 kicked off the effort to build the center, which opened in 1999 and has welcomed visitors since. In 2021, the Ford Foundation recognized the ANHC as one of America’s Cultural Treasures.
The center includes six life-size villages, which offer a window into traditional ways of life for Alaska’s Iñupiat, St. Lawrence Island Yupik, Athabascan, Eyak, Haida, Tsimshian, Tlingit, Unangax̂, Alutiiq/Sugpiaq, Yup’ik, and Cup’ik peoples. Enjoy a self-guided tour of the villages’ dwellings and artifacts, but be sure to leave time to attend one or more of the many events at the center’s main complex, the Gathering Place. On any given day, you might be able to catch the astounding athletics of Alaska Native games, watch a traditional dance performance, learn words and phrases from one of Alaska’s 300 dialects, share teatime with an Elder, or join a guided tour of the exhibits at the Hall of Cultures. KILIII YUYAN
Visit Utqiaġvik, the northernmost U.S. town! Utqiaġvik is a town of great beauty and great extremes. In U.S. territory, it's as far north as you can get. From May 12 to August 2, the sun never sets. And from November 18 to January 23, darkness reigns 24 hours a day. Even in summer, a trip to the beach demands fortitude if you plan to go near the water, since the frigid Arctic Ocean waters hover in the low 30s Fahrenheit.
Drawn by the migration of Arctic bowhead whales, humans have inhabited Utqiaġvik for at least a millennium, with evidence of former residents going back as far as 1,500 years. Now one of the largest Iñupiat settlements in Alaska, Utqiaġvik was known as Barrow until 2016, when residents voted to revert back to the town's traditional name.
While you're visiting "the rooftop of the world," don't miss the Iñupiat Heritage Center, which features exhibits, a library, and events and demonstrations led by locals. Other spots to see include the "Gateway to the Arctic," a massive whalebone arch on the beach near the Cape Smythe Whaling and Trading Station that commemorates the town’s relationship to whaling, and the Birnirk National Historic Landmark archaeological site, which marks evidence of habitation by the Birnirk culture from about 500 to 900 A.D. MICHELLE HOLIHAN, ADOBE
Attend a festival or market! Year-round, Alaska hosts unforgettable events that offer a chance to experience regional customs, shop for locally made goods, and cheer on competitors in races and games. The Festival of Native Arts held each year in February or March is just one of many Alaska Native festivals and events. Since 1973, the festival has brought together artists, musicians, and storytellers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks to share workshops and performances.
Around the June solstice, Utqiaġvik holds the whaling festival of Nalukataq, a celebration that includes launching people into the air with a group-held blanket. "This cultural celebration is one of the best ways to experience the true meaning of sharing and really highlights the value system of the Iñupiat," writes Tara Sweeney, who grew up in Utqiaġvik. Other events include June's biennial Celebration festival in Juneau and the four-day World Eskimo-Indian Olympics, held in Fairbanks in July. VICKI BEAVER, ALAMY
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Tips for someone who has been obsessed with mushing since a kid, but doesn’t think they will ever mesh well with northern breeds. Can I build a small team (this is just for fun of course) with a non traditional breed? Is there a certain minimum size I should keep in mind?
I have said this before and I'll say it again. ANY breed can mush:
In several mushing venues, such as Dryland Mushing for example, non-traditional breeds are THE dog (German Shorthaired Pointers & mixes of such are the breed of choice for dryland). Even most long distance winter races such as Iditarod and Yukon Quest feature Alaskan Huskies, a landrace mix breed that can vary widely in its appearance.
And you can absolutely do it with smaller dogs just watch THIS video of dachsunds bikejoring for example. Or follow THIS instagram account that has a Shiba Inu in their malamute team. There are also videos of full spaniels teams on both winter and dryland although I cannot find them right now for the life of me. When you have a smaller dog the only thing I would caution would be to help the dog out with the weight it is pulling, especially over longer distances. This can be pedaling your bike, or having multiple dogs in team to take the brunt of the weight.
In a world where Poodles have run the Iditarod more times than Malamutes breed does not matter.
#dogblr#faq#mushing#dryland mushing#nah this sport is for everybody#you're just not going to be running iditarod or yukon quest bc they require all northern adapted breeds now#vs back in the day#there are several other dogblr folk who do mushing sports with non-traditional breeds
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I’m cursed with a spirt that yearns to run dog teams in the subarctic wilderness, yet a body that cannot survive in <10℃ weather
#personal#me: one day I'm gonna go be involved in the iditarod and yukon quest! live my best life!#me when it gets slightly chilly: alas. today I die#it's 6℃ rn and I don't like it
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Newton Marshall (born 2 March 1983 in St. Anne, Jamaica) is a professional independent dogsled musher. In 2010, JDT musher Newton Marshall made international headlines when he became the first Caribbean musher ever to finish the famous Iditarod. He finished the race in 47th position out of a field of 71 mushers. His finishing time was 12 days, 4 hours, 27 minutes, 28 seconds.
Marshall joined Chukka Caribbean Adventures in 2002. He had always dreamed about working with the horses at Chukka Cove, St. Ann. His enthusiasm and hard work paid off and having moved up from gardener to other positions he was transferred to the River Valley Mountain Horseback Ride at White River Valley as a tour guide.
In 2005 Devon Anderson, another animal lover and operations manager at Chukka Cove, saw something special in Newton and handpicked him to look after a trio of new dogs at Chukka Cove Farm, renowned for its polo and now home to the Jamaica Dogsled Team. It was there he first met the future sled dogs including Marbles and Jimmy and his soon-to-be instructors Rick and Anette Johnson. "Rick started talking to me about dog sledding; I didn't know what it was all about at the time. I watched them walk and talk to the dogs and wondered what they were doing. Rick hitched the dogs to a three-wheel cycle and asked me to run ahead and call to them in a special way – I was surprised when they responded," says Marshall.
By 2006 the team was a reality; youthful exuberance and a way with animals propelled Marshall to train with huskies in Minnesota. About this Marshall had this to say: “I didn’t know what to expect. I was looking forward to working with experienced dogs and to seeing a lot of snow. I knew it would be cold but thought it would be like a rainy day in Jamaica. On the first day they pulled me on a snowmobile – my first time in the snow – it was freezing and very shocking and I thought I was going to fly; so amazing to see dogs move that fast.”
Even with all of this opportunity on his return to Jamaica, Marshall found himself without a job or a place on the Team. His poignant story plays out in the feature documentary Sun Dogs (2006). Throughout 2007 he worked hard to earn back the trust of Anderson and Melville and was finally welcomed back to Chukka Caribbean Adventures and the Jamaica Dogsled Team to train and escort visitors on the company's two sled dog tours in September. As fate would have it in November, Anderson, who was to train for the 2009 Yukon Quest, had second thoughts about being away from Jamaica for so long to train and race in the Yukon and so it was decided that Newton would step in to train and qualify for the Yukon Quest.
Marshall was one of the rookie mushers in the 2010 Iditarod race. He was the first Jamaican to compete in the race. His team was financially supported by Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville cafes and he was using borrowed sled dogs from Lance Mackey's Comeback Kennel. Marshall had been training with Mackey for this race. Newton came in 47th place in 12 days, 4 hours, 27 minutes, and 28 seconds.
Marshall returned to compete the next year. His bib number was 6. However, he withdrew from the race on 12 February at 1:01 pm. He had taken both his "layovers" and scratched at the checkpoint Anvik. He had 11 dogs when he scratched. After a 1-year absence Marshall returned to compete in the 2013 Iditarod independent of any major sponsorship, he ran a team of leased and borrowed dogs. He once again was forced to scratch when his now famous dog "Wrong Way May" got free from the team while Newton helped another competitor who was having trouble, May ran the trail backwards and was found 7 days later alive & well, near the race starting point nearly 300 miles from where she had gotten away.
Marshall returned to Alaska one more time, again without a Major Sponsor he funded his team with the help of a couple local businesses, as well as donations through Crowd-funding and Social Media. With a small team of Volunteers and a borrowed mixed team of dogs from the kennels of Kathleen Fredricks & fellow competitor Wade Marrs. Newton Marshall finished the race in the 43rd position out of 69 mushers, on a trail that was called the toughest in the 42-year history of the race, and saw many veterans and past champions not make it to the finish line. He finished the race in 12 days 1 hour 5 min. 52 seconds with 13 dogs in harness and was presented with the "Herbie Nayokpuk Award" given to the musher who best mimics Herbie with his/her attitude on the trail. Newton also made headlines during the race for coming to the aide of fellow musher Scott Janssen the "Mushing Mortician" who had broken his ankle on the trail and could not get back to his sled. Janssen laid in the icy overflow of the river until Marshall arrived.
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So uh...I know I don’t really post these days, but I can’t *not* share this one.
My annual craft for Desert Bus raised $13,000?! Somehow?! Which is truly ridiculous and amazing.
It’s based on the title graphic for LRR’s show Road Quest (which is a fun and gorgeous trip through BC and into the Yukon). I love the art (by Mackenzie Schubert) and the LRR community was super excited about the show, so it seemed like a good choice...I guess other people thought so too!
It set a Desert Bus record for live auctions and I think I still haven’t completely wrapped my brain around that.
And! Desert Bus raised almost a million dollars this year! Which is also just outstanding, and more than $100k higher than last year.
I love being a part of this thing and I’m so proud of all that we accomplish together. <3
#Desert Bus#DB2020#LRR#Road Quest#LoadingReadyRun#cross stitch#embroidery#my crafts#I still can't even with this#the highest any of my other crafts raised was $7k#and that was already amazing#now...what do I do for next year??
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Unmissable International Crime Fiction Novels from April 2021 onwards
1 April
The Untamable by Guillermo Arriaga
MacLehose Press
A gripping coming of age thriller of vengeance and destiny set between Mexico City's murderous 1960s underworld and the bleak tundras of Canada's most remote province. By the BAFTA-winning screenwriter of Amores Perros.
Yukon, Canada's far north. A young man tracks a wolf through the wilderness. In Mexico City, Juan Guillermo has pledged vengeance.
1 April
Bullet Train by Kotaro Isaka, translated by Sam Marissa
Harvill Secker
Five killers find themselves on a bullet train from Tokyo competing for a suitcase full of money. Who will make it to the last station? A bestseller in Japan, Bullet Train is an original and propulsive thriller which fizzes with an incredible energy as its complex net of double-crosses and twists unwinds to the last station.
15 April
Silenced by Sólveig Pálsdóttir, translated by Quentin Bates
Corylus Books
After a turbulent few years, Guðgeir Fransson is back with the Reykjavík police force and is called on to look into the suspicious suicide of a young woman in a cell at the Hólmsheiði prison. On the surface, it looks like a straightforward investigation. As he digs into the dead woman’s past, he unearths links to a man’s disappearance more than twenty years ago.
My review of The Fox:
15 April
We Trade Our Night for Someone Else’s Day by Ivana Bodrožić, translated by Ellen Elias-Bursac
Penguin Random House
Nora is a journalist assigned to do a puff piece on the perpetrator of a crime of passion–a Croatian high school teacher who fell in love with one of her students, a Serb, and is now in prison for having murdered her husband. But Nora herself is the daughter of a man who was murdered years earlier under mysterious circumstances. And she wants, if not to avenge her father, at least to bring to justice whoever committed the crime.
15 April
How To Betray Your Country by James Wolff
Bitter Lemon Press
Following on from the acclaimed debut novel Beside the Syrian Sea, this is the second title in a planned trilogy about loyalty and betrayal in the modern world. An authentic thriller about the thin line between following your conscience and following orders. James Wolff is the pseudonym of a young English novelist who “has been working for the British government for the last ten years”.
22 April
Trap for Cinderella by Sebastien Japrisot
Gallic Books
A beach house at a French resort is gutted by fire. Trapped inside are two women - one rich and the other poor. Only one of them survives, burnt beyond recognition and in a state of total amnesia. Who is she, the heiress or her penniless friend? A killer, or an intended victim?
29 April
Geiger by Gustaf Skordeman
Zaffre
The landline rings as Agneta is waving off her grandchildren. Just one word comes out of the receiver: 'Geiger'. For decades, Agneta has always known that this moment would come, but she is shaken. She knows what it means. Retrieving her weapon from its hiding place, she attaches the silencer and creeps up behind her husband before pressing the barrel to his temple.
29 April
Facets of Death by Michael Stanley
Orenda Books
Detective Kubu, renowned international detective, has faced off with death more times than he can count... But what was the case that established him as a force to be reckoned with? In Facets of Death, a prequel to the acclaimed Detective Kubu series, the fresh-faced cop gets ensnared in an international web of danger—can he get out before disaster strikes?
29 April
The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jonasson
Michael Joseph
Una knows she is struggling to deal with her father's sudden, tragic suicide. She spends her nights drinking alone in Reykjavik, stricken with thoughts that she might one day follow in his footsteps.
So when she sees an advert seeking a teacher for two girls in the tiny village of Skálar - population of ten - on the storm-battered north coast of the island, she sees it as a chance to escape.
13 May
Seat 7a by Sebastian Fitzek, translated by Jamie Bulloch
Head of Zeus
Psychiatrist Mats Krüger knows that his irrational fear of flying is just that – irrational. He knows that flying is nineteen times safer than driving. He also knows that if something does happen on a plane, the worst place to be is seat 7A. That's why on his first plane journey in 20 years – to be with his only daughter as she gives birth – he's booked seat 7A, so no one else can sit there. If no one is sat there, surely nothing will go wrong.
My review of Passenger 23 :
https://fictionfromafar.tumblr.com/post/643950323513311232/passenger-23-by-sebastian-fitzek-passenger-23-by
13 May
The Assistant by Kjell Ola Dahl, translated by Don Bartlett
Orenda Books
Oslo, 1938. When a woman turns up at the office of police-turned-private investigator Ludvig Paaske, has accepted a routine case to find evidence of a cheating husband but soon enough his assistant Jack Rivers has been accused of murder. Rivers is no angel, and Paaske must dig deep to find out what’s going on. The secrets he uncovers go all the way back to 1920s Norway when smugglers, pimps and racketeers ruled the Oslo underworld.
20 May
Summertime, All the Cats Are Bored by Philippe Georget, Translated by Steven Rendall
Europa Editions
It’s the middle of a long hot summer on the French Mediterranean shore and the town is full of tourists. Sebag and Molina, two tired cops who are being slowly devoured by dull routine and family worries, deal with the day’s misdemeanors and petty complaints at the Perpignan police headquarters without a trace of enthusiasm. Out of the blue a young Dutch woman is brutally murdered on a beach at Argelès, and another disappears without a trace in the alleys of the city. A serial killer obsessed with Dutch women?
20 May
Oxygen by Sacha Naspini, Translated by Clarissa Botsford
Europa Editions
Laura disappeared into thin air in 1999, at eight years old. She was found in a metal container, fourteen years later.
Luca is having dinner with his father dinner when they are interrupted by a visit from the carabinieri, who take his father away. Luca can only watch the scene unfold, helpless. The charges brought against esteemed anthropologist Carlo Maria Balestri are extremely grave: multiple counts of abduction, torture, murder, and concealing his victims’ bodies.
27 May
The Waiter by Ajay Chowdhury
Harvill Secker
Disgraced detective Kamil Rahman moves from Kolkata to London to start afresh as a waiter in an Indian restaurant. But the day he caters a birthday party for his boss's friend on Millionaire's Row, his simple new life becomes rather complicated. The event is a success, the food is delicious, but later that evening the host, Rakesh, is found dead in his swimming pool.
27 May
The Fortune Men by Nadifa Mohamed
Viking
Mahmood Mattan is a fixture in Cardiff's Tiger Bay, 1952, which bustles with Somali and West Indian sailors, Maltese businessmen and Jewish families. He is a father, chancer, some-time petty thief. He is many things, in fact, but he is not a murderer.
So when a shopkeeper is brutally killed and all eyes fall on him, Mahmood isn't too worried. It is true that he has been getting into trouble more often since his Welsh wife Laura left him. But Mahmood is secure in his innocence in a country where, he thinks, justice is served.
10 June
In the Shadow of the Fire by Herve Le Corre, translated by Tina Kover
Europa Editions
The Paris Commune’s “bloody week” sees the climax of the savagery of the clashes between the Communards and the French Armed Forces loyal to Versailles. Amid the shrapnel and the chaos, while the entire west side of Paris is a field of ruins, a photographer fascinated by the suffering of young women takes “suggestive” photos to sell to a particular clientele. Young women begin disappearing, and when Caroline, a seamstress who volunteers at a first aid station, is counted among the missing, her fiancé Nicolas, a member of the Commune’s National Guard, and Communal security officer Antoine, sets off independently in search of her.
10 June
The All Human Wisdom by Pierre Lemaitre
MacLehose Press
In 1927, the great and the good of Paris gather at the funeral of the wealthy banker, Marcel Péricourt. His daughter, Madeleine, is poised to take over his financial empire (although, unfortunately, she knows next to nothing about banking). More unfortunately still, when Madeleine's seven-year-old son, Paul, tumbles from a second floor window of the Péricourt mansion on the day of his grandfather's funeral, and suffers life-changing injuries, his fall sets off a chain of events that will reduce Madeleine to destitution and ruin in a matter of months.
15 June
The Transparency Of Time, Leonardo Padura, translated by Anna Kushner,
Bitter Lemon Press
Mario Conde is facing down his sixtieth birthday. What does he have to show for his decades on the planet? A failing body, a slower mind, and a decrepit country, in which both the ideals and failures of the Cuban Revolution are being swept away in favor of a new and newly cosmopolitan worship of money. Rescue comes in the form of a new case: an old Marxist turned flamboyant practitioner of Santería appears on the scene to engage Conde to track down a stolen statue of the Virgen de Regla—a black Madonna. This sets Conde on a quest that spans twenty-first century Havana as well as the distant past to uncover the true provenance of the statue.
My review of Havana Fever:
https://fictionfromafar.tumblr.com/post/631759758177746944/havana-fever-written-by-leonardo-padura
24 June
The Wrong Goodbye by Toshihiko Yahagi, translated by Alfred Birnbaum
MacLehose Press
In a nod to Raymond Chandler, The Wrong Goodbye pits homicide detective Eiji Futamura against a shady Chinese business empire and U.S. military intelligence in the docklands of recession hit Japan. After the frozen corpse of immigrant barman Tran Binh Long washes up in midsummer near Yokosuka U.S. Navy Base, Futamura meets a strange customer from Tran’s bar. Vietnam vet pilot Billy Lou Bonney talks Futamura into hauling three suitcases of “goods” to Yokota US Air Base late at night and flies off leaving a dead woman behind. My review:
https://fictionfromafar.tumblr.com/post/641412317374988288/the-wrong-goodbye
24 June
Sleepless by Romy Haussmann, translated by Jamie Bulloch
Quercus
It's been years since Nadja Kulka was convicted of a cruel crime. After being released from prison, she's wanted nothing more than to live a normal life: nice flat, steady job, even a few friends. But when one of those friends, Laura von Hoven - free-spirited beauty and wife of Nadja's boss - kills her lover and begs Nadja for her help, Nadja can't seem to be able to refuse.
29 June
Black Ice by Carin Gerhardsen
Scarlet
January in Gotland. The days are short, the air is cold, and all the roads are covered in snow. On a deserted, icy backroad, these wintery conditions will soon bring together a group of strangers with a force devastating enough to change their lives forever when, in the midst of a brief period, a deadly accident and two separate crimes leave victims in their wake.
1st July
The Darkness Knows by Arnaldur Indridason
Harvill Secker
A woman approaches Konrad with new information and progress can finally be made. But as Konrad starts to look back at the case and secrets of the past, he is forced to come face to face with his own dark side. In What the Darkness Knows, the master of Icelandic crime writing reunites readers with Konrad, the unforgettable retired detective from The Shadow District.
1 July
Resilience by Bogdan Hrib, translated by Marina Sofia
Corylus Books
Stelian Munteanu has had enough of being an international man of mystery: all he wants to do is make the long-distance relationship with his wife Sofia work. But when the notorious Romanian businessman Pavel Coman asks him to investigate the death of his daughter in the north of England, he reluctantly gets involved once more in what proves to be a tangled web of shady business dealings and political conspiracies. Moving rapidly between London, Newcastle, Bucharest and Iasi, this novel shows just how easy it is to fall prey to fake news and social media manipulation.
8 July
The Therapist by Helene Flood, translated by Alison McCulloch
MacLehose Press
A voicemail from her husband tells Sara he's arrived at the holiday cabin. Then a call from his friend confirms he never did. She tries to carry on as normal, teasing out her clients' deepest fears, but as the hours stretch out, her own begin to surface. And when the police finally take an interest, they want to know why Sara deleted that voicemail.
13 July
Elena Knows by Claudia Piñeiro translated by Frances Riddle
Charco Press
After Rita is found dead in a church she used to attend, the official investigation into the incident is quickly closed. Her sickly mother is the only person still determined to find the culprit. Chronicling a difficult journey across the suburbs of the city, an old debt and a revealing conversation, Elena Knows unravels the secrets of its characters and the hidden facets of authoritarianism and hypocrisy in our society.
My review of Betty Boo:
https://fictionfromafar.tumblr.com/post/633225446612484096/
15 July
The Basel Killings
Hansjörg Schneider
Bitter Lemon Press
It the end of October, the city of Basel is grey and wet. It could be December. It is just after midnight when Police Inspector Peter Hunkeler, on his way home and slightly worse for wear, spots old man Hardy sitting on a bench under a street light. He wants to smoke a cigarette with him, but the usually very loquacious Hardy is silent—his throat a gaping wound. Turns out he was first strangled, then his left earlobe slit, his diamond stud stolen. The media and the police come quickly to the same conclusion: Hardy’s murder was the work of a gang of Albanian drug smugglers. But for Hunkeler that seems too obvious.
20 July
The Double Mother by Michel Bussi, translated by Sam Taylor
W&N
Already shown as a serial on Channel4’s Walter Presents (as The Other Mother), four-year-old Malone Moulin is haunted by nightmares of being handed over to a complete stranger and begins claiming his mother is not his real mother. His teachers at school say that it is all in his imagination as his mother has a birth certificate, photos of him as a child and even the pediatrician confirms Malone is her son. The school psychologist, Vasily, believes otherwise as the child vividly describes an exchange between two women.
22 July
Girls Who Lie Eva Bjorg AEgisdottir
Orenda
When single mother Maríanna disappears from her home, leaving an apologetic note on the kitchen table, everyone assumes that she’s taken her own life … until her body is found on the Grábrók lava fields seven months later, clearly the victim of murder. Her neglected fifteen-year-old daughter Hekla has been placed in foster care, but is her perfect new life hiding something sinister?
My Review of A Creak On The Stairs:
https://fictionfromafar.tumblr.com/post/631717704661942273/
22nd July
The Doll Yrsa Sigurdardottir
Hodder & Stoughton
It was meant to be a quiet family fishing trip, a chance for mother and daughter to talk. But it changes the course of their lives forever. They catch nothing except a broken doll that gets tangled in the net. After years in the ocean, the doll a terrifying sight and the mother's first instinct is to throw it back, but she relents when her daughter pleads to keep it. This simple act of kindness proves fatal. That evening, the mother posts a picture of the doll on social media. By the morning, she is dead and the doll has disappeared.
5 August
The Soul Breaker by Sebastian Fitzek, translated by Jamie Bulloch
Head Of Zeus
He doesn't kill them, or mutilate them. But he leaves them completely dead inside, paralysed and catatonic. His only trace a note left in their hands. There are three known victims when suddenly the abductions stop. The Soul Breaker has tired of his game, it seems. Meanwhile, a man has been found in the snow outside an exclusive psychiatric clinic. He has no recollection of who he is, or why he is there. Unable to match him to any of the police's missing people, the nurses call him Casper.
12 August
Cold Sun by Anita Sivakumaran
Dialogue Books
Bangalore. Three high-profile women murdered, their bodies draped in identical red saris. When the killer targets the British Foreign Minister's ex-wife, Scotland Yard sends the troubled, brilliant DI Vijay Patel to lend his expertise to the Indian police investigation. Stranger in a strange land, ex-professional cricketer Patel must battle local resentment and his own ignorance of his ancestral country, while trying to save his failing relationship back home.
August date TBC
Skin Deep by Antonia Lassa, translated by Jacky Collins
Corylus Books
The corpse of an elderly millionaire is discovered brutally scarred with acid burns. Her young lover is the chief suspect but the authorities admit they are baffled. It will take the intervention of private detective Albert Larten to explore all the complexities of desire, and ultimately reveal the truth.
19 August
Come Hell Or High Water by Christian Unge
MacLehose Press
The first in a new Swedish crime series featuring Tekla Berg – a fearless doctor with a remarkable photographic memory
With 85% per cent burns to his body and a 115% risk of dying, it’s a miracle the patient is still alive. That he made it this far is thanks to Tekla Berg, an emergency physician whose unorthodox methods and photographic memory are often the difference between life and death.
30 September
Night Hunters by Oliver Bottini
MacLehose Press
The fourth in the Black Forest Investigations - by the four-time winner of the German Crime Fiction Award. Over the course of several days one hot summer, a female student from Freiburg disappears, a father is murdered in a brutal attack, a teenage boy drowns in the Rhine in suspicious circumstances. It soon becomes evident to Chief Inspector Louise Boni and her colleagues at Freiburg's criminal police that the three cases are connected - and that others are now in terrible danger. Including Boni herself.
07 October
Lemon by Kwon Yeo-Sun
House Of Zeus
Focusing on the unsolved murder of teenage girl, this literary crime novel offers insights into gender, class and privilege in Seoul, and marks the English-language debut for award-winning Korean author, Kwon Yeo-sun.
In the summer of 2002, my big sister Hae-on was murdered. She was beautiful, intelligent, and only nineteen years old. Two boys were questioned, but the case was never solved. Her killer still walks free.
12 October
Bread: The Bastards of Pizzofalcone
by Maurizio de Giovanni
Europa Editions
Sometimes it takes facing a formidable adversary to truly know one’s worth. The Bastards of Pizzofalcone may have found just that: when the brutal murder of a baker rattles the city, they are ready to investigate. There’s nothing they wouldn’t do to prove themselves to their community. But this time the police are divided: for the special anti-mob branch, the local mafia is doubtlessly responsible for the crime, but the Bastards are not so sure and think there may be another reason for the murder of the renowned artisan, whose traditionally baked bread attracted customers from far and wide. A rivalry between the policeman and the magistrate is formed, one that, in the end, will extend to more than just their work lives.
12 October
The Corpse Flower by Anne Mette Hancock
Crooked Lane Books
It's early September in Copenhagen, the rain has been coming down for weeks, and 36-year-old journalist Heloise Kaldan is in the middle of a nightmare. One of her sources has been caught lying, and she could lose her job over it. And then she receives the first in a series of cryptic and ominous letters from an alleged killer.
28 October
Inertia by Camilla Grebe
Zaffre
Inertia is an eerie psychological thriller from the award-winning Swedish bestselling author Camilla Grebe. When 18-year old Samuel finds himself at the centre of a drug deal gone wrong, he is forced to go underground to escape the police and an infamous drug lord.
October date TBC
The Commandments by Oskar Gudmundsson
Corylus Books
On a cold winter morning in 1995, Anton, a 19-year-old boy, met a priest outside Glerárkirkja in Akureyri. After that, he was never seen again. Two decades later a priest is found murdered in the church in Grenivík. When the police investigate the case, they finds that a deacon has also been executed inside Akureyri.
28 October
Cold as Hell by Lilja Sigurdardottir
Orenda Books
Icelandic sisters Áróra and Ísafold live in different countries and aren‘t on speaking terms, but when their mother loses contact with Ísafold, Áróra reluctantly returns to Iceland to find her sister. But she soon realizes that her sister isn’t avoiding her … she has disappeared, without trace.
As she confonts Ísafold’s abusive, drug-dealing boyfriend Björn, and begins to probe her sister’s reclusive neighbours – who have their own reasons for staying out of sight – leads Áróra into an ever darker web of intrigue and manipulation.
28 October
The Rabbit Factor by Antti Toumainen
Orenda Books
What makes life perfect? Insurance mathematician Henri Koskinen knows the answer because he calculates everything down to the very last decimal.
And then, for the first time, Henri is faced with the incalculable. After suddenly losing his job, Henri inherits an adventure park from his brother – its peculiar employees and troubling financial problems included. The worst of the financial issues appear to originate from big loans taken from criminal quarters … and some dangerous men are very keen to get their money back.
2 November
Bricklayers
Selva Almada
Charco Press
Oscar Tamai and Elvio Miranda, the patriarchs of two families of brickmakers, have for years nursed a mutual hatred, but their teenage sons, Pájaro and Ángelito, somehow fell in love. Brickmakers begins as Pájaro and Marciano, Ángelito’s older brother, lie dying in the mud at the base of a Ferris wheel. Inhabiting a dreamlike state between life and death, they recall the events that forced them to pay the price of their fathers’ petty feud.
My review of Dead Girls:
https://fictionfromafar.tumblr.com/post/642554449326489600/dead-girls-charco-press
4 November
The Night Will Be Long
Santiago Gamboa
Europa Editions
When a horribly violent confrontation occurs outside of Cauca, Colombia, only a young boy is around to witness it. But no sooner does the violence happen than it disappears, vanished without a trace. Nobody claims to have seen anything. Nobody claims to have heard anything. That is, until an anonymous accusation catalyzes a dangerous investigation into the deep underbelly of the Christian churches present today in Latin America. The Night Will Be Long is a dark, twisting thriller filled with moments of humor and pain--a story that will stick with readers long after they turn the last page.
11 November
The Shadows of Men by Abir Mukherjee
Harvill Secker
When a Hindu theologian is found murdered in his home, the city is on the brink of all-out religious war. Can officers of the Imperial Police Force, Captain Sam Wyndham and Sergeant Surendranath Banerjee track down those responsible in time to stop a bloodbath? Set at a time of heightened political tension, beginning in atmospheric Calcutta and taking the detectives all the way to bustling Bombay, the latest instalment in this 'unmissable' (The Times) series presents Wyndham and Banerjee with an unprecedented challenge.
#crimeintranslation#crime fiction#european literature#latinamericancrimefiction#Nordic noir#Japanese crime fiction
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To Carmack
Day 13 -
We drove back to WH to watch the start of the Yukon River Quest, a 715 km human powered race with Kayaks , canoes, pontoon boats and paddle boards and they must be human powered. This year they had ‘only’ 80 teams. Lots of people, mostly friends and support people to the competitors, this is truly an Amazing Race.
Then we took in the Museum of Natural History of Beringia and the Museum of Human History and Tribal Culture are both very well presented.
After a quick visit to the Chevy Dealer we were on our way down river on Hwy 2 driving North on the Klondike Highway along Laberge Lake. The Yukon River flows through this lake and meanders back and forth along this Alpine plateau.
But the road took us up to a higher level with long flat stretches with up and down undulations all the way to the arctic ocean.
Carmack is where all the competitors have to take a mandatory 10 hours rest. On the highway, it’s just a service stop with a few houses and 4 campgrounds for the Hwy traffic. At this point in the race all the competitors are spaced apart, arriving and leaving at different times.
However on the Yukon, the famous Five Finger Rapids is 10km down river from Carmack, I will have to find some drone footage of the racers paddling through the rapids, I am sure that it is gnarly.
We drove on northward to Minto Landing and Pelly Crossing. Declines and inclines at every river crossing is the only change during 500km.
At Stewart Crossing we decided to drive up Hwy 11 and look for a place to camp. Found a nice place 5km up the road along the river.
The deforestation on the sidehills along the Klondike River all happened during the 20years of the gold rush for fuel for the paddle wheeler ships on the river.
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Dalton Highway, Post 1/3
(Image limits, so I broke it up into 3 posts.)
First up, I already shared this picture, but I love everything about it, so I'm sharing it again. Included is the rare and elusive Holden smile. We were laughing about the ridiculous wind, and how no matter how much winter gear we had on, it was blowing right through us. The camera happened to capture pure happiness, pure bliss, laughter. And that's why I love this picture so much.
The mighty Yukon River! It wasn't our first stop, or our first pictures, but it's first in this post because it is what prompted the trip. We had seen the Yukon River in Whitehorse, Canada, but not in Alaska. I wanted to see it on our side! There are two ways to get to the Yukon River, and the Arctic circle, by car.
One is down Steese Highway to Circle, Alaska, and the other is up Dalton, which is known as the haul road. It runs along side the pipeline all the way to Deadhorse which is a few miles short of the Arctic Ocean. It continues on to Prudhoe Bay, though that isn't open for random people (unless you book a tour).
There are two main reasons we chose the haul road. 1- because it's the haul road! Think ice road truckers. Why not drive it?! And 2- because the Yukon Quest runs through Circle and I'd like to hope I eventually see Circle and participate in some form in dog sledding activities.
The Yukon River was my main objective when I pitched the road trip idea. We chose this weekend because it was a 3 day weekend. It worked out wonderfully, with perfect weather and road conditions!
I should also note here, that in keeping with our tradition, our dogs get to experience more things than a lot of humans do. I am and will remain quite proud of that. Simon doesn't enjoy long car rides anymore. But we had friends who came over and checked on him, and he even got an early dinner! So he was happy to sit this one out, and more comfortable than he would've been with us.
Of course, it's middle of winter, so we got to walk on the Yukon River! It was our longest walk of the day, so the dogs got booties. It was cold and super windy! I was surprised that the bridge was made of wood actually. The river definitely did not disappoint! Massive and impressive!
And, uh, did I mention it was COLD?! Foggy classes, icy hair, and frozen cheeks!
After the windy, cold walk, we got back in the car and Holden took off his overalls. They're great for, say, walking on a frozen river. But less great for riding in a car a few hundred miles! So he'd put them on before our walk, along with dog booties.
As we were milling about in the parking lot, the only food establishment turned on their open sign. Their parking lot is also the parking lot for the river and boat ramp, so I know they saw us. I felt a little bad for pulling out immediately afterwards. But we'd packed lunch which we were eating at this point. And we just didn't want to expose some pretty remotely located folks to anything we potentially had. Some day, it'd be nice to stop and chat with locals, but this day, we preferred our socially distanced road trip.
We had made decent time! We left home around 8:30am, and had a couple stops, plus a longer stop at the river. It was around noon when we were ready to get back on the highway. The Arctic Circle was 59 more miles, so it made sense to continue on. So we started driving north again.
(continued in post 2)
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Here are the most interesting articles I read this week:
I wrote this book because I think we’re at a dangerous time in what’s often called the criminal justice reform movement. There’s really exciting growing consciousness among many people in our society about the cruelty and irrationality of the punishment bureaucracy, but all of the same people that created that bureaucracy and profited off it are in charge of deciding what constitutes reform. If we’re not careful and we don’t build the right knowledge about what’s actually wrong with the system and empower people actually harmed by the system to fight against it, then those same punishment bureaucrats will reproduce all of the same mechanisms of oppression using different labels.
“Alex Karakatsanis on the ‘Usual Cruelty’ of the Criminal Justice System,” Texas Observer
Jeff and I volunteered to help out with The Yukon Quest again this year. The Yukon Quest is a 1,000 mile International sled dog race that goes from Fairbanks, Alaska to Whitehorse, Yukon, switching directions each year, roughly following the Yukon River.
“The 2020 Yukon Quest,” Lisa.blog -- My colleague, Lisa, lives in Dawson City, Yukon, which is a place I have no desire to ever go (except maybe in high summer), but find it absolutely fascinating to read about.
Even in healthy people, blocking vision for just a few days can bring about hallucinations. And the connections between vision abnormalities and schizophrenia have become more deeply established in recent years—visual abnormalities are being found before a person has any psychotic symptoms, sometimes predicting who will develop schizophrenia.
But the whispered-about fact persists: Being born blind, and perhaps specific types of congenital blindness, shield from the very disorders vision loss can encourage later in life. A myriad of theories exist as to why—from the blind brain's neuroplasticity to how vision plays an important role in building our model of the world (and what happens when that process goes wrong). Select researchers believe that the ties between vision and psychotic symptoms indicate there's something new to learn here. Could it be that within this narrowly-defined phenomenon there are clues for what causes schizophrenia, how to predict who will develop it, and potentially how to treat it?
“People Born Blind Are Mysteriously Protected From Schizophrenia,” VICE
But beyond the headline economic numbers, a multifarious and strangely invisible economic crisis metastasized: Let’s call it the Great Affordability Crisis. This crisis involved not just what families earned but the other half of the ledger, too—how they spent their earnings. In one of the best decades the American economy has ever recorded, families were bled dry by landlords, hospital administrators, university bursars, and child-care centers. For millions, a roaring economy felt precarious or downright terrible.
“The Great Affordability Crisis Breaking America,” The Atlantic -- I’ve been wondering when we’d start to see this talked about. When gauging the health of the economy, the focus tends to be on employment statistics and the traditional assumption is that if everyone has a job, that means everyone can afford to live. But the problem now is not so much unemployment; it’s that even employed, no one can afford anything. Part of this might be that so many are only employed by the gig economy. I think that with technology, we’re coming upon a situation where we actually don’t need everyone to work -- there’s just not that much for people to do. And I’m not sure how American-style capitalism will work in these conditions, given its moral underpinning that we have to prove our worthiness through some sort of labor.
About 50,000 years ago, ancient humans in what is now West Africa apparently procreated with another group of ancient humans that scientists didn't know existed.
“‘Ghost’ DNA In West Africans Complicates Story of Human Origins,” NPR
The idea that there were simply too many people being born – most of them in the developing world where population growth rates had started to take off – filtered into the arguments of radical environmental groups such as Earth First! Certain factions within the group became notorious for remarks about extreme hunger in regions with burgeoning populations such as Africa – which, though regrettable, could confer environmental benefits through a reduction in human numbers.
In reality, the global human population is not increasing exponentially, but is in fact slowing and predicted to stabilise at around 11 billion by 2100. More importantly, focusing on human numbers obscures the true driver of many of our ecological woes. That is, the waste and inequality generated by modern capitalism and its focus on endless growth and profit accumulation.
“Why we should be wary of blaming ‘overpopulation’ for the climate crisis,” The Conversation -- I’m hearing more and more complaints about overpopulation being to blame for our problems, and it makes me really uncomfortable. I don’t really think it’s possible to complain about overpopulation without being classist and/or racist about it, because presumably if you think that we’re overpopulated, you also have at least a subconscious opinion about which populations are superfluous (and they probably aren’t your own). I expect this sentiment will increase, because we know that one of the first results of climate change is going to be that people living in areas affected by rising sea levels are going to be displaced, and these are mostly poorer populations. We’re really bad about blaming displaced people for their own displacement (see our attitudes about those currently fleeing Central American violence), so I imagine that relocation is not going to be easy for these folks! Those of us who care about not being assholes should start being aware of these uncharitable notions now, because it’s only going to get worse as we get more crowded.
If you want to summarize the changes in family structure over the past century, the truest thing to say is this: We’ve made life freer for individuals and more unstable for families. We’ve made life better for adults but worse for children. We’ve moved from big, interconnected, and extended families, which helped protect the most vulnerable people in society from the shocks of life, to smaller, detached nuclear families (a married couple and their children), which give the most privileged people in society room to maximize their talents and expand their options. The shift from bigger and interconnected extended families to smaller and detached nuclear families ultimately led to a familial system that liberates the rich and ravages the working-class and the poor.
“The Nuclear Family Was a Mistake,” The Atlantic -- Look, I am loathe to link to David Brooks, but he’s completely right about this (and only this!).
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BLMers permit and compete in 1,000-mile Alaska sled dog race
In early February, as the rest of the country recovered from the Polar Vortex, Fairbanks residents turned to a mid-winter distraction of their own – the annual running of the Yukon Quest 1,000-Mile International Sled Dog Race. The Quest, as it's locally known, is near and dear to Interior Alaska residents, many of whom believe it's a tougher race than the Iditarod Sled Dog Race due to its more remote setting, runs of 100 or more miles between checkpoints, and weather that's unusually frigid even by Alaska standards. The race alternates direction each year between Fairbanks and Whitehorse, Yukon.
Like the more famous Iditarod, the Yukon Quest has long had a connection to BLM, and one that took a special twist this year. The Eastern Interior Field Office issues a Special Recreation Permit for the event, which traverses about 25 miles of BLM-managed lands along Birch Creek Wild and Scenic River and also runs along the Fortymile Wild and Scenic River, often an especially cold section of the race trail. One of the race checkpoints is on public land, and the BLM opens its Central Field Station for use by race officials and veterinarians.
Outdoor recreation planner Collin Cogley has been involved with the race for many years, both with the BLM and as a volunteer trail breaker. "The race has been great to work with," Cogley says. "The establishment of the race trail each year opens winter access to a remote part of the state. That's really valuable for public land users, but it also connects communities that are cut off from each other during the winter. So it's a real plus."
This year the role of Eastern Interior Field Office employees went well beyond permitting. Outdoor recreation planner Deke Naaktgeboren, a career seasonal employee who spends his winters mushing sled dogs, competed in the event himself, realizing a long-held dream of completing what many consider the world's most challenging long-distance dog sled race.
Naaktgeboren was on familiar ground as the race passed through the Fortymile region -- he spends his summers managing BLM's recreational facilities in that area – and Birch Creek, which he crossed last winter at a bone-chilling -30 degrees during a shorter qualifier race, the Yukon Quest 300, that also follows the wild and scenic river corridor.
Assisting Naaktgeboren in the race was a fellow BLMer, maintenance worker Colter Franz, who took time off work to serve in the unheralded but absolutely critical role of dog handler. In the Yukon Quest, handlers do it all – from driving the musher's dog truck nearly two thousand miles between checkpoints, to arranging gear and food, repairing broken equipment (even other mushers' dog trucks!), setting up campsites, caring for dropped dogs, and providing moral support.
Planning and environmental coordinator Chel Ethun, who has competed in long-distance sled dog races, knows what Franz went through. "It's a hard job," she says. "Handlers sleep in the dog truck or on the straw or on the floor of any checkpoint building, generally only for a few hours at a time. Handlers also have the unfortunate job of helping the weary and tired musher with math to figure out their rest/run schedule and how many hours of cumulative rest they might have -- all with not much more sleep than their musher has had."
Naaktgeboren and his dog team completed the race in a grueling 11 days, 21 hours, and 45 minutes. Fortunately, he has a few weeks to recover and relax with his dogs before he reports back to work.
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