1.
courtenay- whitehorse
september 8
starting
morning bus departure
without nineteen year paddling mate
leaves emptiness to start
but quickly fades
as excitement rises
by just fitting on ferry
and avoiding rush hour panic
that gets to airport in time
for nine left standing lift off
-
reconnection takes over
check in wait time
before air flight meal
slips back into twentieth century
small town memories
where white horses
pull into gold rush saloon
and home town visit beer
washes down
in home town television surround
before late dinner
ends with stories
of crushed creative impulses
and distorted arm length photos
2.
whitehorse – squanga creek
september 9
day one
breakfast waiting before arrival
of big ears on his holiness
occurs when positive thinking breaks out
and is shot down
by creative mayhem
as it really starts
with superstore tackle shop
canadian tire liquor quest
-
rendezvous up north
before johnson’s crossing starting point
allows over planning
for no stove quinoa onion
steak cooking
at not listed perfect campsite
where waiting for fish to be caught
delays social gratification
long enuf to satisfy
3.
squanga creek – km 119
september 10
haiku
endless hours paddling
ran aground on hidden rocks
wheat grass plains above
4.
km 119 – o’brien’s bar
september 11
jobwadhi
jobwadhi morning stretches
sets off in time
for downstream minimal pull tailwind
before greyling catch
ends power evening
at o’brien’s bar where juniper berry
log cabin remains
and solid lined three inch tailings pump block
are left to rust together
in burnt teslin forests
under cut bank shortening hours
of late summer days
5.
o’brien’s bar - hootalinqua
september 12
russell
nine slice loaf
at new travel discovery mason landing
where pair of stubbies
line up past memories
with cleaning dinner necessity
before catching more
to cook at hootalinqua
while passing kayak
and stranded teslin native
slips into evening rain
before it starts
6.
hootalinqua – big salmon river
september 13
big salmon
sixty kilometre river travel
each day
needs organized eight hours
depending not on when it starts
or how much paddling
is done
or how many stops are made
when rivers merge
to become big salmon point
and drift on by
getting so much closer
to where it all ends
too soon
7.
big salmon river – little salmon reserve
september 14
little salmon
frozen morning clear sky
burns off foggy cover
but still prevents early swim
and sets us off
to fish th day away
with largest grayling
first cast
and many more
at beaver dam deep spot
-
to arrive
after raft women fantasies
with sunshine afternoon swim
and swamp grass camp rejection
at best site possible
for eight o’clock arrival
giving mealtime at nine
as set up speed develops
to process what is needed
-
stories of storms on lake labarge
from keplar kayaker with no sleeping bag
and fully equipped others
puts nightly service reading
of cremation of sam mcgee
into understandable context
8.
little salmon river - coal mine campsite
september 15
gambling
to see hear nothing more
than grouse thumping eagle screeching
raises question of whether hunting season
is known instinctively
by yukon wildlife
-
needing to wait
for fog to rise
before setting off
means days shorten more
than earth cools
causing echoes to rise
in time with four more eddy pool grayling
caught by another hooked gambling angler
before arriving as close
to where all is planned
to end
without realizing
9.
coal mine campsite - whitehorse
september 16
cinnamon buns
end by figgering
total impact of zunoquoa north
as teslin nine
learn hunting techniques
from forty year veteran
as spirit house
says goodbye
-
changed colours
two weeks later
shows expanse beyond
motorcycle momma’s cinnamon buns
and porcupine quill rest stop
winding down
at same place that it started
leaving only meandering memories
to reinforce what is known
to all
10.
whitehorse - courtenay
september 17
home
enuf time
for final street walking
museum gift shop souvenirs
and sort out finances
with minimal costs
for ten days
of beyond reach river refuge
enables satisfied soar away
with dreams beyond
for next year
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