Page 6 Cassiar Courier January 1987

Young men come north to make their fortunes and seek their futures...Blyth Grimmett was one of these! As he bikes around Europe, we wonder if it will be as challeng- ing as his trip this past summer.

During the summer, Atul Kaul. and I took up the challenge to bike the “Top of the World” Highway en route to reach Mt. McKinley. The trip covered 1,325 miles, of which 602 miles was cycled, 598 miles hitch- hiked, and 125 miles by train. Some of the events and ex- periences gained through the sixteen day journey I will try to pass on.

Before starting several hours were needed to organize gear and to load up the mountain bikes. Each

The bikes are loaded and ready to go

pike weighed about 150 pounds. Leaving Dawson City around 6:30 p.m., we took the ferry across the Yukon River to connect with the beginning of the Top of the World Highway (also known as Taylor Highway). Condi- tions couldnt have been worse; we started late in a con- tinuous rain storm, windy and cold. The highway was unpaved and would be for the next 170 miles. To get to the top of the highway, 40 miles of climbing hills lay ahead with an elevation gain of 6,000 feet! Right off the bat we faced hills never really ending. In completing one hill there would be a few yards of plateau and the start of a new climb. Some hills were very steep and slow going. It was quite a work out to make it without stop- ping.

We ended up biking 3% hours on the first day, resting 5 minutes for every 45 minutes on average and we covered only 15 miiles. My legs were shaking and wobbly while walking the bikes in search of a place to tent for the night! 1 felt ina hypothermic state with numb hands and cold wet feet. My clothes under a gortex suit were soaked with sweat. It was very frustrating setting up the tent due to our tiredness and-useless hands. We quickly learned how to undo pack straps and zippers with teeth or two hands together. After some hardship setting up we got out of danger and into our sleeping bags, stuffing our faces with “gorp” (trail mix) which tasted excellent. We kept the food out of the tent and downwind 20 feet, then blew several times on a whistle to ward off any bear or wild animals. Once settled in the tent, we seriously planned to turn back and try something of a tamer nature for a holiday.

Upon rising the next day, the rain had stopped and the sky looked like it was going to clear so a decision was made to carry on. After cycling for a couple of DOS PSOGSOOSOSPOSCOSOOOSOSOSOOOOO4

hours, the weather favoured us and we were able to light the stove and eat comfortably. We found a nice spot in the forest that screened the wind and provided a cushioned seat. Some wild parsley growing in abun- dance greatly enhanced our can of beans and it was discovered that uprooted grass and brush made an ex- cellent pot cleaner.

Later in the day Atul and I reached the “Top of the World” marker sight. The sun was shining so while waiting for dinner to cook, we spent some time sunbath- ing and enjoying the view. It was very scenic and in every direction one could.see nothing but mountain tops with three levels of ranges in the background. An awe- some view!! wikia ie

Riding on, the scenery continued to amaze us, making it easier to handle cycling the mountainous terrain. “A-great variety of. vegetation and natural land- scapes was encountered with wild flowers all around which varied constantly with elevation changes: monks hood, blue bells, rose hips, arctic cotton, poppies of all different shades as well as the constant presence of fire- weed fields are a few recognized and known by name.

Water became a problem when cycling at high elevations, no streams of any kind were running. We luckily spotted a puddle of rain water hidden from the sun which was just deep enough to fill our empty bottles. Several hours later we ran out again and flagged down a camper to bum some; and it tasted terrible compared to the fresh mountain water. Shortly we came upon a low lying stream and gladly changed our water. When water was not in short supply, it seemed that we each went through three to four bottles of water in a day of biking.

We enjoyed some home cooked food at Action Jackson’s, four miles past the Yukon border. Once in Alaska, the road became very bumpy and rough, with lots of pot holes and leaves. 1 almost wiped out going down one of the first steep hills near the border in Alaska. I hit this pot hole which sent the bike into the air and in landing a good section of gear bounced off. ©re~ then on a slower approach was taken.

Leaving Action Jackson’s, the road course varied greatly, rising to alpine tundra and descending down into forests and river valleys. The road led us into Jack Wade (a gold mining area) which gave an impression that things hadn’t changed since the turn of the century; very narrow, rocky roads, old log cabin settlements with sluicing operations and camps. At one spot we came across an abandoned dredge works, looking like an old steamship in the middle of the forest.

ON THE ROAD WITH BLYTH

Atul. During part of the day, | caught up on some needed rest in a campground and woke up to find some- one had taken my cycling shoes and Atul’s sweater. Fortunately, I had brought runners along and they would have to do. After seeing Atul off on the bus, I spent some time cleaning the bike before heading out. It was too bad Atul had to turn back because the 90 miles he had cycled was the hardest part of the trip. Leaving Tok it was easy riding and the road was flat and paved.

It took two days to cycle 140 miles to Glen- nallen. Along the way I managed. to stumble onto a grizzly bear while looking for a rest place. I blew the whistle and slowly cycled back out of the area before the bear decided what to do. In Glennallen (pop. 4,000) I met some really nice people through the church and en- joyed kind hospitality from one family, becoming good friends before leaving the next day.

In riding out of Glenallen, I had a nice day to view the Wrangle Mountains, over 16,000 high. For two days I proceeded on the Richardson Highway to reach the small town of Paxon. During this ride I stopped over in Sourdough where I checked out the “‘all you can eat’” pancake roadhouse. The building is in its original state, dating back to 1903, and was very cozy inside; lots of pioneer antiques and animal hides surrounded the fire- place and lounge chairs. The restaurant beside the lounge served hearty pancakes and | enjoyed my fill!

71 SOURDQUGH

eer Ay, ret Se Tummy’s happy and me too!

At Paxon (couldn’t buy any kind of produce there!) I had a chance to see red salmon travelling up the Gulkana River to spawn. Flocks of plover travel back and forth over the river, swooping down to feed on salmon eggs.

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Cassiar Courier January 1987 Page 7

ATHLETICS

The. Cassiar Eagles Girls’ Basketball team has begun practicing. Mr. Vickery will be coaching the team and he has a wealth. of experience <at the secondary, -university, and national levels.

INTRAMURALS

The Cassiar Secondary Floor Hockey League (CSFHL) has been organized. The Commissioner, Mrs. Trask, has scheduled games at noon on Tues- days and Thursdays until the end of January. Four teams will compete for the covetable Cassiar Cup.

SHIRTS AND BAGS

-The. Cassiar Eagles shirts: and bags have arrived and are being worn and ‘carried proudly by many _ CS students.

NEW PORTABLES

The new buildings being assembled at the west end of the school will house the Home Economics classes, Special Education, and Administrative Offices. Assembly is on schedule and occupancy is targetted for January 5th, 1987.

_ Zubek, and Troy Wanner.

CHRISTMAS DINNER DANCE

On Friday, December 12th, students were once again hosts to their parents, families, and guests at the Annual Christmas Dinner Dance. The dinner was a Pot Luck Smorgasbord supplemented with three turkeys prepared by Ms. Tavener and was excellent, as usual. The dinner was very well at- tended and a good time was had by all.

EXEMPLARY STUDENTS

Exemplary students for the month of November were: Raymond Carlick, Jennifer, Becket, Ellen Artico, Chantal Bilodeau, David Lanphear, Merle Carlick, Derek Andrews, Amarjit Athwal, Dyonne

POST SECONDARY TELEPHONE FORUM

Senior students had the opportunity to partici- pate in a telephone forum on November 24th. The students were in contact with representatives of the post secondary insitutions in B.C. as well as with students from other communities. Students had the chance to ask questions related to their education after secondary graduation and aquired information which thev will be able to apply to career decisions.

TARMIGAN PLAYERS

by Lorraine Lanteigne

Two successful performances of “Christmas in a Box” were presented December 13th. Over twenty cast mem- bers played Christmas characters who brought under- standing to a lonely giant of the celebration that is Christmas.

The cast (listed below) are commended personally by me. It was the first time a one-act production that I wrote was performed in public and its success, because of the efforts of all the actors, is my happiness.

The Giant Tim Walters The Snowflake Denise Gay Santa Roland Rudkowsky

The Reindeer

The group had been working almost every Saturday afternoon since late September on the project. Joe Hebert of Erickson Gold built the large framed box that was the “gift” and Walter Comper designed the scene. Much appreciated was the work done by Marc Poulin who created the sound effects that went with each character.

As well, Poulin played his own original music during the —

narration.

Maureen Bauer, Iris Trask, Antoine Beurskenes and Sherry Sethen are to be applauded for the time spent working on the carols and thanks also to Betty Studd for her piano playing.

‘IN AND AROUND CASSIAR SECONDARY SCHOOL

CHILD ABUSE WORKSHOP

Mr. van der Pol and Ms. Tavener attended a School District No. 87 sponsored Child Abuse/ CARE Program Workshop on November 27-28th. The session included a panel discussion with rep- resentatives from the R.C.M.P., Northern Medical Services, and Ms. Susan Henderson, a CARE Pro- gram Facilitator. Although the session dealt with the introduction of the CARE Program, the Green Thumb Film Series “Feeling Yes, Feeling No” and programs from the Justice Institute were also discussed. ‘‘Feeling Yes, Feeling No’’ will be aired on the Knowledge Network in January (con- sult your local listings).

SPECIAL EDUCATION OPEN HGUSE

On Monday, December 8th, Mrs. Trask’s class hosted an open house to display the Totem Pole being constructed. The boys: Huey Dennis, Dennis Dennis, Raymond Carlick, Kevin Johnny, Steven Johnny, and Willie Porter, have been working with Mr. Clary Poitras two hours per week on this project. Mrs. Trask has been recording various stages of the project on video tape. The display of the Totem Pole and the video diary were the focal point of the after- noon. Those in attendance were impressed with the project and its progress.

THE THEATRE -

POSSIBLE ARTS AND CULTURAL CENTRE?

by Lorraine Lanteigne

At the recent Club Presidents’ meeting, after the business at hand was over, a general discussion was held concerning the re-opening of the Cassiar Theatre.

In or about 1978, a Butler Building was erected by PermaSteel in Cassiar, It was officially opened by lona Campagnola who, at the time, was a Liberal M.P. and was also the Minister for Fitness and Amateur Sport. The funds for the structure were derived from the sale of Cassiar jade and an executive decision at the Community Club level was behind the building project, with commun- ity support.

The Concert Society (which was very active at the time) installed the parquet stage at no expense to the C.C.C. The community of Cassiar finally had a theatre, which, with its stage, curtains, outer lobby and 35 mm projector, was more like a playhouse than a mere movie house.

Live performances by the Vancouver Symphony, the Yugoslavian Dancers, Chinese Theatre and the “Edith Piaf’ production, to name only a few, graced the house over the four years of its short life. In fact, the theatre was so constructed that often performances did not even require the use of microphones!

A person could get tickets to six or eight concerts per year for $60.00. There was bar service available at the concerts and the “Theatre Season” was a positive, fun and educational part of Cassiar culture. The school children were invited to the theatre for some of the performances throughout the year, and this gave them a chance to

Marty Marion, —

Lee and Kerry DesJardins A very special thanks to Tim Walters for being our Braritallivetheatncal prodichons $ Subscriptions > The Elf Katherine Lanteigne Giant. It was Tim’s first appearance with the Players ae cae rising costs a a drop neiiterest: The theatre x ¢ Bees Di er een : and we hope to seeshim again. slowly died. Cable t.v. (a wonderful asset to our com- Subscriptions are only $8.50 per year. (Eleven 2 : sae ee panes ae SoS te Evans Jackie Roblin’s rendition of White Christmas was munity), as well as the availability of video cassettes, Issues) Why don’t ‘you send one to your Deserted cabin was a welcome spot to spend the night and'S5 P Willit ( : beautiful, and the Elf dance number by Lisa Ray and’ __ played a part in the decline. Arm chairs do not demand ¢ friends now? ° After biking 70 miles, we reached our destin- The Tree Aiberley wal flees) Katherine Lanteigne was very well received. The girls dressing up and participating in “something different ‘. ; r4 ation for the day, arriving in Chicken at 2:45 a.m. We The Christmas Star Amy Erickson choreographed the number themselves. Ws on ae ee t.v. or sbi programs as indi- ‘ 4 had misjudged the distance terribly. We set up the tent The A. ; P : viduals in the comfort of our own homes. Ps Cassiar Courier % Beil etre tuvant sand aii the momninw ate: bicaktad e Angel Chiera Borsato The Players are looking forward to a busy 1987 Finally@ decision was made’ by: Gary. Periard, the 4 A 4 : i Musical Notes Devon Walker, Jaime Harrison season. The R.C.M.P. Ball will be held in April and we Recreation Direetor= to close-the theatre. The insulation X 100 there before a bus load of tourists hit the site. Chicken The Shepherds Ree NGvore solic Chain PrlbeN enronn tie tare eueiestel cinereatiterpecniirall : : in y gh 8 g $ consisted of a cafe, bar and store with a house across and Jason Gay: of another dinner theatre and the kids would like to yee) ea gost i nee ae pum ue eee 3 Cassiar, B.C. une See ee Eek, simulayto Action Jackson's: 1 in The Wise Men Tracy McDougall, Korlaina — continue to perform so ... get involved. The next {pp eee Eigse a Sees ; d . STR s ae Back on the road, our progress was very slow - — Boutin and Ada Bennett meeting of the Ptarmigan Players will be held Sunday 4. Keen used for sraduation ceremonies and, last year VOC 1E0 due to Atul’s knee acting up. About an hour later, the A long drive ahead to reach Mt. McKinley Mary Lisa Ray night, January 11, 1987 at 7:30 p.m. in the Upper s been \ gra iS ty year, tour bus from Chicken passed and honked while the in the background ifeeean Lei R ; was the site of the “Culture Quest” competition where i i is di Cont. on Page 16 oP. SORE EEN pS contestants proved and improved their knowledge at the tourists gave friendly waves. Unfortunately, this did not 5 TOV. ! Name : Northern Invitational Friendship Games. @ help Atul’s knee and shortly we had to stop. Atul could a h lj h 1 ; i ci i Representatives at the recent meeting put forth ideas go no further and decided he must end the trip. We were B C f b Nort ern | ts sa Address able to flag down a camper who agreed to take Atul to Cookery Hours To Change rr A e (} j Cc | g abun ust ite pudine for ; few mont out of the seat A Tok, ninety miles away. I wanted to continue so took | : ilm festivals, children’s drama and music festivals, City a few more tools and supplies which Atul had carried P uary 5th, the Cookery will be closed on | Want to spend a pleasant even- O Ege theatre and performing arts, and displays by local artists 2 i c i Effective an Ss y were possibilities suggested for usage of the theatre. 5 and headed off. I soon realized I could do without some Monday and Tuesday. Open Wednesday through ing? Come play bridge each mcpecia Province @ supplies to lighten the load. I biked all day and night Fn A ded -dini | : 778-7878 Ptarmigan Players President Lorraine Lanteigne saw 4 ne : ven | the f Sunday, the facility will have an extended Giing: Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in the the re-opening of the theatre as a great opportunity for arriving at Tok at 7:00 a.m. so I could give Atul the tent erjod from twelve noon until 9:30 p.m. Beer and : j ‘ } Code d oth i il ded, before he left | P . ‘ F ‘ .. Upper Leisure Room in thee, § ., wanes : « the Players to have the experience of working on a real OC Hee : and other supplies not really needed, before he left later @ 50. cates will continue. until 10:00 each evening. pat ed cael ee AU Nate ee ‘ eer > Players to have | Tenc¢ 3 ; Nh ac AN ti glad lodeabavonncnftinemal srt « in’ the day for Whitehorse ‘Luckily ‘after, four hour$ of * : Died pomedy Lae re Saree Community Club. - va Town Ad ministration: Building . stage, in a building that specifically caters to live as esosseccesecocoocoooooosos! /scaiching: hotels¢and RV. parks Lawas: able 40 locate sr { PIRPRPROPROSOLLPPR PAPPOPDS RRELS Ah MANGES... rae cn oe oe oes Contou Lage ll