Company of the White Wolf

There are all kinds of hobby groups in Yukon. The Company of the White Wolf, based in Mayo, does sparring wearing medieval armour.

They had a demonstration outside at this year’s Sourdough Rendezvous.

Sourdough Rendezvous: Carrying the “flour pack”

   What is this dangling chair? It’s a steel backpack frame able to carry hundreds of pounds; the rig for the annual flour pack.

This Yukon test of strength goes back to the gold rush. In the 1890s the RCMP required people crossing the Chilkoot Trail to carry six months’ provisions when entering Canada.

Men and women would travel back and forth across the trail carrying flour, coffee, lard, preserves, candles, dry meat, clothing, lanterns, oil, tools, mining equipment and all manner of supplies.

This year the women’s gold medal winner walked a short distance carrying 530 pounds on her back.

The Flour Pack record is apparently more than 800 pounds for men.

(Safety note: The backpack is suspended by chains. The chains are kept loose and a supporting rig is wheeled along by assistants as the contestant slowly moves forward. If a person falls the backpack doesn’t crush them.)

Sourdough Rendezvous: The one-dog pull

A favourite event of the Sourdough Rendezvous is the one-dog pull. People bring their mightiest dogs and encourage them to pull a sled with dog food a few metres.

The winning dog keeps the food.

This kind of thing is fun for families, it’s very entertaining at little cost. A good reason to be outside an afternoon, bring out your dogs and cheer for the winner.

Sourdough Rendezvous 2014: Celebrating 50 years

 

 

Whitehorse marks the Sourdough Rendezvous every year. It comes at a time when the sun is returning and people look forward to spring.

The name “sourdough” is of course a type of bread which was brought to this region in Gold Rush times and came to mean experienced miners.

Sourdough Rendezvous has a lot of fur on display. There is snow carving, music and outdoor games for the love of winter.