Postcard from Dawson City, YT

In Life Is Short, News & Stuff, Postcards From..., Travel, Vision Is Better, Wilderness by David23 Comments

20130903-Yukon-4557

A quick hello from Dawson City, Yukon. We pulled into town an hour ago in the middle of one of the craziest storms I’ve seen in years, after a beautiful drive from Keno where we spent the last couple exploring days the hills and chasing beauty. Been on the road for 16 days, with plans for another two weeks. Tomorrow we head to Tombstone Territorial Park, hoping the hills will by now be ablaze with the fall colours as blueberry bushes and cottonwood turn red and gold. From Tombstone we’ll head north to the Arctic Circle, then perhaps as far north as the roads will take us, into Inuvik, NWT. Then we’ll come back for round two of the colours in Tombstone and begin the trek south to Prince Rupert where we’ll catch the 20-hour Northern Explorer to Port Hardy, then slowly back to Vancouver.

Check in again on September 10 for the release of *The Visual Toolbox, my new book from Craft & Vision. I spent the summer working on it and I’m excited about what it means for people wanting to learn photography as more than just a technical pursuit but an artistic one. It’s the stuff I wish I’d learned when I was younger, and – I hope – a chance for you to get a jump start on some of those lessons. There are no short-cuts, but this book is 50 lessons for stronger photographs and if you’re looking for some guided learning, I can’t wait to show it to you. Until then, I’ve got dinner at Klondike Kate’s waiting for me, and if my girl, Cynthia, has her way, a SourToe Cocktail at the Downtown Hotel (look it up!) 🙂 (Updated: We went to the Downtown Hotel, shelled out $30, and drank the famous SourToe Cocktail, with certificates to prove it! Also, I’m told the colours in Tombstone are at their peak, so we’re bound there tomorrow. I’ll check in when I can…)

*UPDATE (SEPTEMBER 24, 2014): The Visual Toolbox has been acquired by Peachpit Press! This product has be pulled from the C&V store never to return. When Peachpit publishes it in early 2015, it’ll hit bookshelves with a new cover, and 10 new chapters.

20130903-Yukon-4692 20130904-Yukon-6081

I have this thing about edges…

20130904-Yukon-6116

Comments

  1. David – you are one fortunate individual. Not only do you follow your passion and make a living doing it, but now you have found a way to make autumn – the most colorful season of the year – last for months and begin in what most still consider summer. And you do it every year!. I am jealous beyond words. Have a great trip and keep the posts coming.

  2. David,

    Three things:

    1. Your books are invaluable to me
    2. You have a difficult “history” with edges if memory serves
    3. I’d like to see the books keep coming so stop with the edge addiction 🙂

    Actually ignore all that – have a ball. Looking forward to the Visual Toolbox!

    Mark

  3. David, thanks for the updates. The trip up the Dempster Highway is very high on my bucket list. I just need to figure out how I can afford to swing it one of these years. Coming from Tacoma, it isn’t actually that long a drive, being able to take off enough time to do it properly is the problem. Thanks for letting us know about the sour toe cocktail, I’ll put that on the list of things to do when I finally do make the trip.

  4. Beautiful colorful images…. amazing to see you on the “edge” after Italy, but wonderful too, that you can get “back in the saddle.” so to speak.

    However, the “Sour toe cocktail,” I think I’ll pass! YUK! 😉

  5. If you make it up to Inuvik book a trip to Tuktoyaktuk with a flight over the Mackenzie Delta. It is absolutely impressive.

  6. Hey David, I guess this means you won’t be bringing beer over any time soon.

  7. I love Dawson City, YT and it’s wonderful people! Nice to know Klodike Kate’s is still around!
    Enjoy your travels!

  8. I can see from that first image, they do not need to paint lines to demarcate the no passing zones… what a journey

  9. Sorry dude,
    I believe someone swallowed the toe last week.

    Was there myself in 1994 ( a long way from home in Australia).

    It’s a stunning place. Enjoy!!

    W

    1. Author

      That’s what I heard too! But they had a spare toe. I just plunked down $15 to do the deed. Have the certificate and the latent nausea to prove it! 🙂

      1. I’m not sure this qualifies as “street food”, so I think I still have you beat. Gotta admit, though… I’ve never eaten a toe. Yukon, ho! 😉

  10. > I have this thing about edges…

    I’m sure you are saving lives. Thanks to you I have a rule “never take a step back while taking a photograph”.

    My other rule is “never put finger near sewing machine needle while foot is on the machine pedal”.

    To learn the latter I had to stitch through my own finger, but fortunately your graphic stories were suffcient to learn the former.

    Thanks!

      1. The craziest part from the story of the guy who ate the toe was that they had a backup toe to replace it. (their website has a history page of the past 8 toes)

  11. Great photos David! I love following your adventures and your books can’t wait for the Visual Toolbox. Safe travels…..

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.