Getting There (Part 3): The Arrival!

Its a good thing that I decided to stay at a hotel across from the airport on my way up here, because I set my alarm for p.m. instead of a.m. last night. Its also a good thing that I have an internal clock that was used to getting up about an hour or two before I decided to anyway (since my body is still Central Time). I woke up at 5:30 a.m. instead of 5 a.m., which was still one and a half hours before my flight was scheduled to leave for Dawson. I had arranged to drop my rental  car off at 6 a.m., so I had to hustle to get everything together (kind of, I had repacked and showered last night before I went to bed, and laid out my clothes so I would be ready to go, it just meant that I wouldn't be able to eat breakfast before I got on the plane...which was probably for the best anyway...). So I got everything together, checked out of the Airport Chalet, and made my way across the street to Whitehorse International Airport. I figure out where to park my 98% clean rental can for return and make my way inside. The girl at the counter checks my mileage (I was sure I had gone over, but it doesn't show that on the final copy of my bill!!), and sends me on my way. I walk down the hallway to the Air North counters, there's a special line for Dawson City, Inuvik, Old Crow, and Fairbanks. I have three pieces of luggage and know that at least 2 will have to be checked. Im still not sure of the size or propulsion mechanisms of the plane I'll be flying on, but the passengers look to be a mix of Yukoner's, tourists, Native Peoples, workers, and myself. Most have luggage similar in quantity and type to my own, but a few others have something different. One young man looking to be a musician, photographer, or filmmaker has several pelican cases (similar to the one I brought for my camera equipment) that vary in size from smallish (again like mine, approximately 5" x 20" x 20"), up to gigantic (probably 4' x 3' x 3'). An older native looking fellow has a loose collection of packages of paper towels, boxes of food, and other amenities piled high on a rolling cart. It seems these flight carry not only the curious or those going home, but the necessities as well. Coming to the counter I find out that my carry on back pack can weigh no more than 13 lbs. To achieve this weight I have to shift most of what I had carefully packed last night into my other 2 pieces of luggage (I had packed most of my camera equipment into my backpack in case I had the chance to take any interesting shots from the air, this all had to go back into the pelican case, and what I had packed in there had to shift into my large piece of check luggage...). Basically I was able to keep my laptop, trip folders, and small external hard drive in my backpack. Once this was resolved (which the folks behind the counter seemed used to this sort of thing), I was given my boarding pass and told to wait down near the end of the airport (again its the smallest international airport that I've seen!) and they would call everyone for this flight about 15 minutes before its scheduled departure. We wouldn't have to go through security because of the size of the flight - the plane only holds about 40 people maximum, and the type of plane - its a twin prop that only fly's at about 300 mph (maybe), and so can only achieve a certain altitude.

So, like they said, about 15 minutes before the flight they call us over the PA and we make our way past the baggage claim area, down the steps, and out onto the tarmac. They tear our ticket at the gate, and we shuffle up the folding stairs into the rear of the plane. The seating is first come first served, so I tuck in the aisle seat next to a fellow who looks a little nervous to be on the flight. I look out the window to discover that we are basically just behind the wing, and between that and the large prop on the front side of the wing, you really can't see much of anything!! Once all are aboard we seal the doors, start the props (which are pretty loud!!), and begin the process of taking off. Much like on a regular jetliner flight, the flight attendants have to go through the safety policies, etc. Only its hard to hear or much less understand this gentleman above the prop noise and through his heavy and lisped Canadian accent!! From the hand signals I take it pretty much be the same as usual, and looking around the plane get the gist of what I would need to do in an emergency (besides not get eaten by a bear somewhere in the Canadian wilderness!!). Getting off the ground takes some effort and the engines get even louder as they strain to lift us! We get up, and for the next hour engage in a roller coaster ride of turbulence, ascension, and de-ascension!! Its certainly bumpy, and again the fellow next to me looks all too unsure about the successful completion of this flight. Everybody else looks fine, some have even brought ear plugs to help with the noise. The flight attendant passes out beverages (coffee please!!) and pastries (apple scone for me - breakfast!!). I'm anxious to get to Dawson, so the hour flight seems to take 3, but eventually (after reading through the provided magazine about life in the Yukon) we begin our descent. Of what I can see out of the sliver of a window that's not blocked on each side of me there's a lot of green - trees, hills, mountains; blue/green lakes with the sun shining off of them. And then closer to the airport and Klondike river, dusty beige and brown - dormant and still active mining activity. The most impressive parts of this are these low 'ribbed' hills right along the river. i has noticed these when I was looking at Dawson on google maps, but wasn't sure what they were, and still wasn't I'd have to ask once I had the chance. Landing was the smoothest part of the trip, and really even smoother than the jet landings on Monday. It takes all of 30 seconds to land, approach the small airport building, and open the cabin.

I'm now in Dawson!!!!!!! I shuffle off the steps with the rest of the passengers, a little glad for the roller coaster to have stopped and to be on firm footing again! I walk into the airport building and look around for Tara (residency director). She had e-mailed me late last week that she wasn't sure if she'd be able to pick me up from the airport because she might not have access to a car, and if that was the case to take the 'Husky Bus' (yes Eric Fox, you can start laughing now...). However, if she could make it she would be wearing an ODD Gallery T-Shirt. At first I don't see anyone fitting this description, but there aren't really many people in the building anyway. I look around for information about the 'Husky Bus' as they begin loading in the luggage (there's a little 'doggy door' that they toss luggage through piece by piece by hand off a truck). As I turn around I see Tara (young lady in an ODD Gallery T-shirt looking around expectantly). I make a 'B' line towards her and introduce myself. First contact has been made! She also spots a friend who was on the flight and they start to chatting I'm introduced and she offers him a ride. She says she has her boyfriends truck (a dual wheel ford 350 diesel - looks to be a work truck, which most vehicles up here would fit that description). He let her borrow it because he didn't need it today, its got a big bed and 4 doors, plenty of room! We both get our bags/luggage and pile in the truck, I'm on the road to Dawson!!

The airport isn't too far from the city, and shortly into the ride we come across those mysterious 'ribbed' short hills. I ask Tara what those are and she informs me that they are dredge piles. Back in the 40's a huge floating machine called a dredge was built on the Klondike River to systematically dredge up the rocks/bed of the river and sift out the gold (which it apparently did at an amazing rate). The neatly ordered foothill piles are the result of this action, and they go one for about 2 miles! While on the one hand its terrible to think about the impact this machine exacted on the landscape, on the other its prime fodder for my work - I'm already excited to come out and investigate them! I then see that there is development on top of some of them, some houses and apartments have been built (I find out later that Tara's house is out here, one of the first to be built). What else do these piles hold?? Sam tells me that he works for Parks Canada, his job is as an interpreter at the final resting place of the aforementioned dredge! I tell him that I'll most likely see him up there soon for a tour!

Tara shows me where the dump and the materials yard is just outside of town. I had contacted her about this previously, and she informed me that the city dump is actually a highly organized system where materials are separated out into their respective piles for reuse or recycling, and that there's actually very little organic material mixed in with it (they do a lot of composting/gardening during the summer months here). I'll visit these places soon for material scavenging.

We make our way into town, it looks different than I thought it would, not necessarily bad, just different.

Dawson is a city of about 1,800 people (at present including the surrounding area) living near the edge of the boreal forest/tundra transition - so taiga/boreal forest, that number fluctuates with the seasons and events in the town. The buildings are a mixture of historical, new, old, beat up, fixed up, museums, shops, etc. Its an eclectic mix of buildings that wear and advertise their history. People live here in -40 degree weather, so some historicity has to be discarded for survival necessities. 

Tara drops Sam off and heads towards the residency. Much like in St. Louis everything is 15 - 20 minutes away from everything else. Unlike St. Louis this means by foot! Most of what I'll need is within a 5 minute walk, or I can use the bike provided, or ask about rides to the dump, etc. I can ride, drive, or walk to and over the ferry at the north end of town if I like. That way goes towards Moosehide (a First Nations settlement). There's also a trail that goes there, but I have to get a permit to hike there. The residency house and the KIAC are 2 different buildings (I hadn't been certain about this). The KIAC building (pronounced 'kayak'...duh) is closer to the river/shops. It houses the ODD Gallery, performance hall/theatre, and administrative offices, as well as art camps. It was the Odd Fellows Hall before Parks Canada obtained it. The residency is in the Macauley House which is just a little bit further up Prince Street, closer to the woods at the back of town! Parks Canada takes care of the building and grounds, which need to be mowed. But really it doesn't look any better or worse than the rest of the buildings in town.

The Macauley House

The house two entryways: one through the warming room and laundry area (back door), and one that comes through my studio (front door). We primarily use the back door.

Coming in the back entry - extra parka's and boots left by former residents.

Looking into the kitchen from the back entry/laundry area

Looking back at the entryway/laundry area through the kitchen

From the back entry you pass through the kitchen into the shared living space:

Mac G4 and TV with VHS and DVD player

There' s a small selection of VHS and DVD's for entertainment. About half of them are about Dawson or the Yukon, though I did sit down the first night and watch 'Yellowbeard', a Graham Chapman film with most of the Monty Python fellows and Cheech and Chong. Its terribly great!

Looking back towards the kitchen

My studio is on the first floor just off the shared living area:

It has three table in it, lots of lights (which I won't need for the most part!!), some basic tools, a little stereo system, some shelves and cabinets, and the packages I sent earlier with materials. There's a small porch where the front entry is and some extra tables, our bikes, and random things left by past residents.

From there you go upstairs to get to the bedrooms, bathroom, and second studio. The residency houses 2 residents at one time. Right now there's another artist named Andrew from Toronto working on a radio piece in conjunction with the Natural and the Manufactured series of events (of which my exhibition in the gallery is one). We share a bathroom, and he has the upstairs studio, which is just a little smaller than mine. 

the stairwell with random artworks and objects left by former residents, including a makeshift 2 string 'acoustic' guitar

Looking into my bedroom, there is an opaque shade and drapes, which keep most of the light out, but it never really gets dark at night...

The bed is comfy, at night it gets cool enough to need the comforter

There's tons of closet and dresser space, but only 6 hangers...but someone did leave a terry cloth robe!!

After I got my stuff into the residency we went by the gallery to take a look at the space and meet the staff. I got to joke with the executive director about my experience with the Canadian Border Police (remember, the Square Heads?). We did a little tour of the building ad facilities/available tools and Tara provided me with my per diem. I hiked it back to the Macauley House and after unpacking took about a 3 hour nap. I was (and am) still catching up with myself!! 

After the nap I decided to go grocery shopping, I'd need food if I was going to make it here! There are a couple small grocery and general stores here in town. I decided to go to the Bonanza Market which Tara had said was smaller but better. I walked in at about 6:45 not realizing that they close at 7. People were stocking shelves, etc. which I didn't pay attention to since back home its not uncommon for that to be going on during normal shopping hours. It wasn't until I went by the deli to get some lunch meat that someone informed me that they were actually closed....oops! I was able to get most of the groceries I needed including a slice of pizza with what else but Canadian bacon (delicious!) and trek it back home. I stowed the groceries and watched the aforementioned 'Yellowbeard' while eating the pizza. Afterwards I did some e-mailing and blogging to let folks know that I had made it safely to Dawson.

Before I went to bed for the evening I decided to grab my camera and shoot some pics and maybe even video of the town and river(s). Here are a few of the town and the surrounding hills:

I was also able to capture video of the confluence of the Yukon and Klondike Rivers, which I plan to use (in combination with other/more footage) to create a multi channel video piece, possibly after I get home. One of my fears while up here is to simply regurgitate the landscape and elements of the town back to the people living here out of awe or wonder without adding or commenting on anything of relevance. I hope to abate that by making work that is more influenced by the concepts involving the differences between here and home, and concepts that can utilize certain aspects of the landscape or amount of daylight without being redundant. I also spent some time shooting video of the ferry at the north end of town across the Yukon River (the confluence is just south of the city). It operates 24 hours a day with a brief stoppage on Wednesday for maintenance. The path it takes ices over in the winter and cars are able to drive over it. I was amazed to find that people use it (by foot, bicycle, and car) even at 1:30 a.m. (which is when I finished shooting), enough so that it goes back and forth every five minutes or so! This is also when I realized that it never really gets dark here, the sun just rests behind the hills for a couple of hours, and then rises again, basically making a giant loop across the sky, instead of moving from East to West like I'm used too! I may have to make something about that as well...

I think I'll save images of the confluence and ferry for later, or maybe just wait until I finish the video to build suspense!!