Snowbird - Salt River Wild Horses

We have a new Photography group at GC so now I am in 2 photo clubs down here.  They wanted to see the wild horses so on Friday our small group headed to the Salt River and came upon a number of small bands.  

Snowbird 24/25 - Riparian Preserve

Lori and I stopped at the Riparian Preserve for a walk among the ponds.  It's been a pretty dry summer and fall with many of the ponds dry but still found a few birds willing to pose for me. 

 

Alaska - Day 16 - Dawson City

 We got up and expected to have a leisurely breakfast before getting on a bus to the airport for our return flight to Vancouver.  The weather had other ideas and our flight was delayed due to low clouds preventing our plane, which was coming from Fairbanks, from landing in Dawson City.

We killed the morning by touring around town again while waiting for our plane.  Here are some final shots of Dawson City.  

After a few days of rain the grader is out smoothing out the ruts

This is what happens when a heated building sits on permafrost.  

 

Alaska - Day 15 - Dawson City

Last day on our Alaska/Yukon adventure.  We started off with a tour of a turn of the century gold mining operation.  It was basically a huge dredging machine which had to be shipped up in pieces and assembled on site.  The interior reminded me of the old grain elevators my dad operated back in the 50's.  Lots of massive timbers, winches and pulleys.  I have included a picture showing how it operated.  

We spent some time walking around town taking in the unique look of Dawson City.    We have been to many old west towns in the US but Dawson City is unique in that it's not just the Main Street developed to look authentic.  It is pretty much the whole town.  Due to the fact the town is built on permafrost, which is always moving, the sidewalks are not cement but rather wooden boardwalks.  The streets are gravel and the buildings are mostly built on wooden beams which allows the buildings to be jacked up and re-levelled every few years.  

The main highway going through town is the only asphalt road and the asphalt was imported from France.  Apparently, and I don't know why, but the asphalt from France is made differently from what we use and doesn't absorb as much heat from  the sun so it doesn't melt the permafrost.   

My old employer, CIBC.  The second floor, which used to house the bank manager, now is a Cannabis store.  

The original Bank of Commerce building.  I wonder how much gold was stored in the safe.  

Finally a nice sunset.

Alaska - Day 14 Cont'd - Dawson City

 Our very long day came to an end when we flew into Dawson City, checked into our hotel, had dinner and took a short walk around town.  We had booked the Top of the Dome tour which thankfully was just a short bus ride to the top of a hill overlooking Dawson and the river valley.  We were plumb tuckered out and hit the sack early.

The welcome banner was out to announce our arrival.

Diamond Tooth Gertie's puts on a Can Can show which we attended the next night. 

The view from the Top of the Dome.  

  

Snowbird 24/25 - Salt River Horses

I still have another post for Alaska.  Then there are the shots I got in Banff, Lake Louise, Moraine Lake and Jasper during our September trip to the Rockies.  Then there are the shots from Santa Fe and Sedona on our drive down for our 8th snowbird trip but today I am jumping ahead a bit with some shots of the wild horses on the Salt River that I took on Wednesday.  Always a favourite place of mine.  

  

It's nice to be back to our second home.