2018/07 Arctic Part 2 - Faro Mine |
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We drove east out Dawson on the Klondike Highway, past the entrance to the Dempster, and on towards Carmacks. We had a brief stop, looking out over the 
Tintina Trench. The trench stretches across the Yukon and Alaska. The tectonic sliding and faulting which created it brought gold, silver, lead, and other minerals to within range of humans. The trench is also a bird migration route through the mountains. To give an idea of its size, the fireweed in the picture is on one side of the trench while the mountains are on the other.
We camped nearby in a gap in the aspen trees, just off the road. From the debris in the undergrowth we guessed it was once the site of a cabin or a shed. The evening was warm and at some point we must have left the door open as we’d picked up a horde of mosquitos, which kept Sandie awake and my blood pressure down.
Tuesday July 10th
Sandie proclaimed this to be Extermination Day and she was busy with the fly swatter. As usual, I just sat there as mosquito bait.
It was cloudy and dry as we headed east and south. The plan was to have lunch at the Coal Seam agate mine in Carmacks and then head east to look for agates on the Pelly River’s beach at Faro. On our way we saw the river at Pelly Crossing and noted that it was running high, not a good sign.
On our way down the hill into Carmacks Sandie saw a baby bear crossing the road; she woke me up and I only managed to get pictures of the bear obscured by trees, not worth printing.
At the visitors’ center we inquired about the Yukon liquor store and were told it was behind the saloon bar under the hotel. We found the bar and the barman pointed to the price list on the wall. No viewing or touching of the merchandise before buying. Once, all Canadian liquor stores were similar to this. The barman was helpful and told us he had both kinds of wine boxes, red and white. We opted for white as it’s less likely to be undrinkable.
We went back up the hill only to find that the coal seam mine had been fenced off. I assume someone had been hurt there. On our last visit I’d found a sheep that had been crushed by falling rock, so it certainly was a place to be careful.
We found another mine site for lunch, no agates but a scenic spot, with an overlook of the Yukon River as it winds through Carmacks.
Then we headed east along the Robert Campbell highway, a favourite drive of ours. It runs parallel with the Alaska Highway, a few hundred miles north, but it’s quieter and more scenic. It’s now blacktopped all the way to Faro but still has the feel of wilderness. 
It follows the north bank of the Yukon River and then the shore of Little Salmon Lake.
I
n previous years we’ve camped near Faro on the bed of the Pelly River and collected many colourful agates and jaspers from its gravel bars, and Sandie was looking forward to repeating this but we we’d arrived too early. To Sandie’s dismay, the river was still running high and the gravel was smothered in mud. A local we met suggested camping up in the mountains near Faro’s lead and zinc mine, closed for twenty years.
We crossed the bridge to the outskirts of Faro. This was one of the mine’s dump trucks, displayed here as a tourist attraction, trying to keep 
the town of Faro alive.
The long road up to the mine was gravel, but in excellent condition. To our surprise the road was busy with workers going home. The mine is in the midst of remediation, paid for by Canadian taxpayers, as the mine’s owners went bankrupt.
This was as far as we got before being repelled by more insistent keep-out signs: a view of the tailings from the lead and zinc mine.
We were camping in a gravel pit, mundane but with a good view of the mountains. This was our nearest neighbour in the pit. We had heavy rain and thunder so we didn’t venture far from the pit.
Wednesday July 11th
We went back down the hill towards town. On our way we found Faro’s arboretum and trails, quite nicely done originally but decaying with age; posts displaced or overgrown.
We went to the visitors’ centre, gay with flowers in an almost empty town. We read about the history of the town and the mine and its closure and planned remediation, which sounds like it will take decades. The town will survive at least that long. There is a possibility of opening another mine further back on the mountains, but only if the price is right.
We found Faro’s service station, possibly Canada’s smallest: a single pump for diesel and unleaded and a tiny hut. The hut door sprung open and a young lady popped out to pump for us.