For years I’d heard the stories from close friends
who’d lived in the Yukon, friends who described the place passionately with hands
and arms flailing and eyes wide open and alive, “the views are like nothing
you’ve ever seen with endless untouched forests, pristine rivers and lakes and
big and inviting mountain ranges everywhere,” they’d tell me. “You can
basically walk out your door to 1000 miles of nature all around you.” I
listened with keen interest as I’ve always been into outdoor adventure.
And
then came the larger-than-life stories of characters that they’d met in the
Yukon. “There’s this one guy that I became friends with who’s a total animal on
skis,” recalled Anthony, who’s now back in Montreal. “Basically he was this unknown
and unassuming guy who all but walked out of the woods and decided on a whim to
compete in a national cross-country race and he destroyed the world-class field
of competitors. And he did the same thing in a cross-country mountain bike race
too. We climbed and skied all kinds of mountains together - you have to meet
him!” The stories continued, the years passed and as it happens, these friends of
mine no longer live in the Yukon.
Then I met Ray. Ray is one of the most passionate
and warm-hearted people that I have ever crossed paths with. And guess what? He
told me similar stories – the epic adventures to be had, the amazing people and
the unreal natural landscape all around. And just like my friends before, when
he described the Yukon he spoke with reckless passion – arms flailing and eyes
glowing - he was practically dancing when he talked about the place. Then he
invited me up, and I went. We mountain biked and our trip was magical.
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