"I'm Melting, I'm Melting"

In the classic 1939 film version of the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy, played by Judy Garland, inadvertently throws a bucket of water on the Wicked Witch of the West causing her to melt. As she’s shrinking, she cackles, “I’m melting, I’m melting.”

As I stood at the terminus of the Athabasca Glacier recently, which is retreating, aka melting, at a little over 16 feet a year, that refrain was all I could hear in the silence of this spectacular buildup of ice, part of the massive Columbia Ice Field in Canada’s Rocky Mountains. It’s easily accessible, although the hike is sobering. There are markers along the trail identifying how much the glacier has retreated since 1890, about 1500 meters (just short of a mile for us non-metric system people).

I crossed paths with many glaciers on my two-month journey through Alaska and Canada, predominately alpine glaciers I explored through my binoculars from a distance. All were impressive; long white arms of ice seemingly emanating right out of a mountain peak. These frozen rivers, formed over millenniums, creep downward, scraping away at the terrain, sculpting the landscape. I didn’t expect to be so captivated by these breathtaking natural wonders, but I was. And saddened by the fact that they’re disappearing.

It’s impossible to be in the presence of a retreating glacier and not be sobered by the effects of climate change. Not making a political statement, just acknowledging that the weather on this planet we all live on is changing … it’s getting hotter. Why? Well, so many theories compounded by so much disagreement on the cause makes it difficult to answer that. Not going to even try.

I’m not a scientist, just a believer in the merits of doing everything we can to take good care of our communal home. I’m not going to sermonize, experts much more knowledgeable than I am on the climate have done that — so often and so stridently that I think it falls on deaf ears more often than not now. There are just too many variables to a workable solution, one that could be embraced by the world populace.

But there are steps we can all take. One I’ve taken is to participate in the United Nations’ Act Now program. It identifies 17 Sustainable Development Goals designed to transform our world. It is a call for action to all countries in an effort to “promote prosperity while protecting the planet.” Goals include, of course, affordable and clean energy, clean water and sanitation, climate action, as well as addressing broader social issues like poverty, hunger, quality education, reduced inequalities and decent work and economic growth. There’s a call to each of us to choose an issue and make an impact. I chose “Healthy Planet.” And there’s an app — aWorld — where I can track the impact of my actions and those of a a global community committed to making a difference. It’s a simple way to be part of the climate change conversation.

In a moment of undue stress, Dorothy acted! She just wanted to get home. We can’t click red ruby slippers like Dorothy did, but we can, in this moment of undue stress to the planet, act. Because there’s just no place like our home.

We Didn't Find Gold in the Yukon or See the Northern Lights in the Northwest Territory but ...

We kept heading north out of British Columbia, jumped on the Alaska Highway towards Whitehorse, YT on our way to wiggle our toes in the Arctic Ocean. The Dempster Highway was our route in, the last big push to our goal … as far north as we could get on a road in the Northwest Territories. Since we weren’t in a hurry, we stopped … a lot … along the way. Our highlights:

• I’m a sucker for leaving and entering signs. Don’t miss taking a pic at the bright blue Yukon sign. Turn around and get a pic of the entering British Columbia sign too!

• We made a pit stop at the Yukon Hotel. Good thing, the cinnamon rolls are gooey delicious.

• The Provincial campgrounds are great, but most don’t have showers. We overnighted at Caribou RV Park, just outside of Whitehorse, YT. Sandra and Stuart have created a welcoming haven for weary travelers who need a bath!

• We were poking around in Carmachs, YT, checking for the visitor center where we ran into a Royal Canadian Mounted Police reserve officer checking us out. She was brimming with information. She will forever be Yukon Deb to us. You might see her cruising town in the summer months.

• Five Fingers Rapids Recreation Site — stop at the overlook for info and incredible views of the Yukon River, the fourth-longest river in North America. It carried a lot of stampeders in search of gold during the Klondike Gold Rush.

• Capture in one photo the trek north at the Arctic Ocean / Dempster Highway sign at the turn-off junction from the Alaska Highway.

• Don’t miss a guided tour of Goldensides Trail at Tombstone Territorial Park. It’s a hike through 2 billion years of geological history.

• Eagle Plains Hotel for fuel for both you and your vehicle.

• Photo op at the Arctic Circle kiosk, plus spectacular panoramic views.

• Haven’t been on a car ferry in awhile, here’s your chance … at Peel, Mackenzie and Yukon Rivers.

• Stop in and say hi to Nikkia at Western Arctic Regional Visitors Center and pick up your Arctic Circle Adventurer certificate. It makes a great placemat!

• At the end of the road, literally, is Tuktoyaktuk and the Arctic Ocean. Try the mukluk with HP sauce at Grandma’s Kitchen.

• Spend a day in Dawson City. This Iconic gold mining town on the banks of the Yukon River has a easy pace about it. A great place to decompress and regroup.

• What’s a pingo? You’ll find out at Pingo National Monument. Hint: it’s not an animal!

• Be on the lookout for bears, moose, caribou and, the ever present, pika.

• Boondock —just about anywhere. Turn everything off and just enjoy the quiet.

Fun Facts — Canada’s Yukon once was home to the Wooly Mammoth. Today, they’ve vanished but it can now boast it has more moose than people. The Northwest Territory is nearly twice the size of Texas and is home of the midnight sun.

As we prepare to leave Canada for Alaska, it is with a heartfelt appreciation for a country that has been ranked “one of the kindest countries in the world.”

Wandering With Warti

Warti - Winnebago Revel Sprinter Van! Warti - fellow adventurer & traveling companion!

Road trip! An immediate rush of excitement. curiosity and wanderlust kicks in when I hear these two words. Then my planning genes kick into high gear and a trip to AAA for maps sets the whole get-in-the-RV-and-go feeling in motion. We were all prepped to travel to Alaska and Canada in 2020; then, as we all know, COVID dominated our lives. Canada was closed and California was in lockdown.

Three years later, though, and it’s time to go! Maps unfolded, highlighters came out, mileage was calculated, ferry schedules were double-checked, campgrounds reserved and dates chosen.

Warti got Warti ready… so confusing, even for me. Nevertheless, we packed up the RV and left home for two months of exploration beginning in Savery, WY at our friends’ Boyer YL Ranch. It’s in a spectacular location, situated along the Savery Creek at the northern end of the Little Snake River Valley. You can stay here too!

From here we head north to Grand Teton, Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. We cross into Canada at Eureka, MT and then …. well, you’ll just have to follow along as our journey unfolds.

A few hints … there’s a good chance we’ll stop at the Farson Merc in Farson, WY, “Home of the Big Cone.”

And sit down for a Huckleberry Burger at Front Porch Dewey Burger & Fish Co. in Eureka, MT. The attraction? It’s served with a scoop of huckleberry ice cream … on the burger!

Maybe we’ll eat blubber at Grandma’s Kitchen in Tukoyaktuk, as far north as we can get in the Northwest Territories.

We’re going to launch our kayak into a few lakes. Travel a few arduous highways. See a moose — I hope! And experience as much of Canada and Alaska as we can.

In short, we’re just going to wander. Stay tuned!

Note: Warti is short for Warthog … known for its strength, perseverance, loyalty and courage.

A few snapshots of the BoyerYL Ranch.