We were honored to be invited by dear friends to join them on a hiking trip to the Yukon, the kind of friends that, when you find yourselves sharing the only hotel room available in Vancouver after a delayed flight, you are not only comfortable with but somehow sincerely more in love with by morning.
We relished our unexpected layover day, being treated to their favorite Vancouver eateries and spending hours in the absolutely stellar Museum of Anthropology at UBC. The hiking adventure began the next morning after a late-night flight into Whitehorse.
Oooooooooo the MOUNTAINS...!
Raymond, Heidi and Kobi on the trail
Beautiful. Beckoning. I wanted desperately to disappear into them, to explore and climb for days. Alas this trip had a schedule and also, I got sick.
I missed one hiking day entirely, holed up in a hotel room, but rallied enough to enjoy a day hike with Raymond and get a whiff of what is called “the Patagonia of the Yukon.”
The irony was not lost on me. Here I was surrounded by exactly the kind of wild country that makes every adventurous cell in my body light up, on an organized guided hiking trip no less, and my body simply wasn't willing to cooperate. But truthfully, I can't remember the last time I was sick. And rather than feeling betrayed by my body, I found myself strangely proud of it. Sleep had been especially elusive since the beginning of May, and still this body of mine had carried me through a whole lot of living.
There is a time for everything. And so very much to be thankful for.
My girlfriend Heidi ended up sick too, but that didn’t deter her and I from partaking in the infamous Sourtoe Cocktail in Dawson City. Look it up. It's pretty crazy.
And yes. It involves a real human toe.
