Konny is traveling in New Zealand and had just left Christchurch a few days before the devastating earthquake this past week. I am grateful she was not hurt so this entry is dedicated to her and the friends I have made on the Yukon River.
The first encounter with Konny was on the River cruise boat the Yukon Queen when Andy was a Captain, a brief one but returned in the winter to do a dog mushing trip with Andy. Konny arrived on a plane from Fairbanks with another gal Manuela from Switzerland who was here for the same reason, I said hello and goodbye as I left on the plane they flew in on.
Konny and Manuela mushed to Dawson and back to Eagle a windy and snowy trip. Konny and Manuela became great friends during that time and continued their friendship since. It was not until the following summer that I really got to know Konny and Manuela when the pair came to stay with us for 6 weeks to learn about the subsistance lifestyle.
Konny is a very warm, kind, giving person a methodical and spiritual thinker,she appears timid at times but has tons of guts for adventure travel and trying new things. During their stay we all became good friends, we laughed and cried, got mad and frustrated we did it all from Dawson to Eagle to Calico but most of all we had a blast of fun especially girls night in Dawson for Konny's birthday, still makes me smile. I will say no more on that subject!
The summer of 2009 after the flood in May, Konny was once again traveling Alaska in a camper, she took time out from her route to come to Eagle to help out. I will never forget the day she arrived with my Christmas turkey and fresh treats and I am sure she will never forget the miles of electrical wire salvage we separated, measured and recoiled one hot, hot day on Berry St. in Eagle. Our arms were screaming that evening but we had a good day, I always have a good day with my friend Konny.
Here are some of Konny's words she wrote for our web site:
“Mushing in Alaska was a dream. The only problem was, I didn’t want to do it the way travel agencies in Germany offer it. Then I met Andy and Kate during a summer trip to Alaska. And here it was: The chance to do it in a very private way, just one or two people and 20 dogs, definitely being in charge of every job that has to be done to travel and to survive! It was a life-changing experience, nothing is the same since that trip – in a very good way! And because I liked it so much, me and the Swiss girl I met to do the mushing adventure returned next summer to share peak season of harvesting and getting ready for winter. We lived and learned a lot of Subsistence Lifestyle we worked and laughed and talked with our heartful caring hosts Kate and Andy, and hiked and canoed and made bowls and, and, and….to cut the long story short, they made us feel home and part of the land and taught us love and respect for all of Mother Nature For anybody who loves Nature and wants to connect to Her Callico is the place to go and to stay! You come as strangers, you leave as friends!”
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