Yukon Mike
Well-known member
Mac graduated this month, Meg's got her license now, and I feel like my "kids" became sub-adults all of a sudden.
View attachment DSCF3516.jpg
The boy worked his ass off this winter to get the best grades he could, and managed a 6th overall at the Canadian Nationals Xcountry skiing, beating all his best buds. Plan A was for him to relax post grad and go fishing with me more, then he got offered a job with the Yukon Forest Fighters' outfit and all of a sudden he's working 12 hour days. Its a great job and he's getting the chance to learn tons of cool stuff, plus they are paying him $22/hr when the OT kicks in. But I miss doing stuff with him.
I've been encouraging him to take a year off, travel explore, and mature before showing up at the next school level, which he's saving money to do. I thought it would be good to have something to get his traveling off the ground, and he found out about and signed up for a 5 day running race in November. Its a hundred mile race. In Darjeeling, India. He's already paid the sign up fee. Seems this kid's "launch" is well underway.
Fire season usually ends abruptly, so he's signed up to help out with 3 sheep hunts in Aug. for fun, money, and to train for the 100 miler. When he gets out of the bush in early Sept he's got about 5 days to hunt with me, before heading to a construction job (working on more hours for his first year apprentice in carpentry) in Calgary. From Calgary on to India, and beyond as long as his savings will carry him. Because he did so well at the Nationals last year, and they will be in Whitehorse next winter, he is qualified to race here if he wants.
In a kind of fairy tale ending to what might be our last hunting season together for a while, amazingly, I drew a permit sheep hunt near town here, and so did Mac. I kid you not. I've been waiting for this area for over 10 years. Its a short flight from town to an alpine lake, there are only seven tags issued for this zone, and my family owns 2 of them this year. That's a pretty nice gift from Karma. I don't even care if we get a ram, its going to be a great time. Meg is considering coming in with me for a few days in Aug to help me find a ram, and then I'll go in again with Mac in Sept to help him find one. Sadly, we won't likely have a chance to hunt birds together this year before he'll have to go. I'm so glad we have had so many great adventures together over the last 18 years.
So I guess its time for me to change my avatar picture, to mark the end of that era. That little kid grew up, but he's still got that same smile.
Mike
View attachment DSCF3516.jpg
The boy worked his ass off this winter to get the best grades he could, and managed a 6th overall at the Canadian Nationals Xcountry skiing, beating all his best buds. Plan A was for him to relax post grad and go fishing with me more, then he got offered a job with the Yukon Forest Fighters' outfit and all of a sudden he's working 12 hour days. Its a great job and he's getting the chance to learn tons of cool stuff, plus they are paying him $22/hr when the OT kicks in. But I miss doing stuff with him.
I've been encouraging him to take a year off, travel explore, and mature before showing up at the next school level, which he's saving money to do. I thought it would be good to have something to get his traveling off the ground, and he found out about and signed up for a 5 day running race in November. Its a hundred mile race. In Darjeeling, India. He's already paid the sign up fee. Seems this kid's "launch" is well underway.
Fire season usually ends abruptly, so he's signed up to help out with 3 sheep hunts in Aug. for fun, money, and to train for the 100 miler. When he gets out of the bush in early Sept he's got about 5 days to hunt with me, before heading to a construction job (working on more hours for his first year apprentice in carpentry) in Calgary. From Calgary on to India, and beyond as long as his savings will carry him. Because he did so well at the Nationals last year, and they will be in Whitehorse next winter, he is qualified to race here if he wants.
In a kind of fairy tale ending to what might be our last hunting season together for a while, amazingly, I drew a permit sheep hunt near town here, and so did Mac. I kid you not. I've been waiting for this area for over 10 years. Its a short flight from town to an alpine lake, there are only seven tags issued for this zone, and my family owns 2 of them this year. That's a pretty nice gift from Karma. I don't even care if we get a ram, its going to be a great time. Meg is considering coming in with me for a few days in Aug to help me find a ram, and then I'll go in again with Mac in Sept to help him find one. Sadly, we won't likely have a chance to hunt birds together this year before he'll have to go. I'm so glad we have had so many great adventures together over the last 18 years.
So I guess its time for me to change my avatar picture, to mark the end of that era. That little kid grew up, but he's still got that same smile.
Mike
