Since my last post a number of strange things have happened here. I have gone from wearing flip flops and cute skirts to Gore-Tex winter boots and my mittens. It seems I have been waking up earlier and earlier when, in fact, the days have just started later and later. This morning it was still pitch black outside at 7:30! I also have to be ready to leave earlier because I have to scrape and defog the truck’s windows, and allow for the bit of traffic backup as everyone has decided that cold weather means no more bicycling to work. Winter is here and I am not ready. Because it is not near Christmas, and that s when the snow is supposed to come. At least in Ottawa.
With fiancé finding himself with two days off over the weekend, in correspondence with my own weekend, we decided to take advantage and plan a road trip, my first outside of Whitehorse. We were to visit Pelly’s Crossing, about three hours northwest on the Klondike Highway.
An hour into the trip, we were white-knuckled with gritted teeth as we swerved all over that friggin, uncleared, snow-covered highway. There were three tire track lanes, meaning if another car came, one of us had to risk sliding over to the curb as the three driving tracks meant there was only room for one of us, albeit on our side of the road. The road trip could have happened, it just would have taken five hours of going 60 km/h, so we turned around at Fox Lake and came home. I have never felt like such a city girl.
“It’s October, the highways are snowed out, and ohmigod what are we going to DO?” I stood there, wearing my MEC gear (meaning wasn’t I PREPARED?) and looking to fiancé for comfort in this beautiful, barren land. Is this really the situation for the next seven months of winter? (That’s how long the season is here)
It matters not for the time being, as I am lucky enough to have a ticket home to Ottawa this week, home to plan the wedding, which will be a month away as of Wednesday. To Ottawa, where it is about 15 degrees warmer and (hopefully) where my winter gear will not yet be necessary.
I am not prepared to think ahead to the 24 hours of darkness days and the 40-below temperatures that await my return after the honeymoon.

Labels: Whitehorse, winter