For the last 15 years or so, I have gone camping to Tarfu for May long weekend. Last year being the exception since camping was not opened until later in the summer due to Covid-19.
I have often said that Tarfu is my favourite campground in the Yukon but have come to realize that this is not true. The reason that I’ve grown to love this place is because of the friendships and memories that I have built here year after year.
It’s not uncommon for me to head to Tarfu and meet up with people that I may have not seen in a year. We have always been able to pick up right where we left off and always have a great weekend filled with laughter to cherish for years to come.
This year, like many previous years, I drove out to get a spot on Wednesday night. After work on Thursday (and after finishing up everything that I needed to get done!) I again drove out to my spot.
Thursday was an evening as beautiful as the previous and although I knew that I would be alone for the night and was taking my sweet time to get out to camp as a result, once I arrived (in the dress that I wore to work no less) I had a perfect evening setting up camp, sitting by the fire and reading my book.
The following day was quite gloomy and it rained on and off throughout the day. I spent a lot of my time reading and sitting under my canopy to stay dry. I also had some work to do for a friend, so I brought my sewing machine so that I could finish sewing some curtains, which I did on the picnic table in the afternoon.
When you’re alone like that for long periods of time, a lot of thoughts cross through your mind. I reminisced about the good times that I have had in previous years camping here and eventually ended up getting sad by being there alone now. Maybe I’m not built for this camping alone thing after all.
I shed a few tears by the fire thinking about things and overthinking everything. I decided around 10 pm that I would retire for the night after an acquaintance inquired for the second time what I was doing and why I hadn’t joined them at their site for a beer yet as he drove by.
Not wanting to get into my whole life story and explain why I wasn’t drinking is what prevented me from visiting, and the strong desire to not share all of that.
Just as I was letting my fire die down for the night, my friend pulled into my campsite. I’d already given up hope that anyone would be visiting and felt like I could cry all over again because I was so happy.
He made dinner and we both had a couple drinks and chatted until 1:30 or so in the morning before going to bed for the night. In the morning, we had breakfast and he eventually went back to Whitehorse but said that he might return later that night. He left some of his things just in case, including bear spray for me to take on my hike once he left.
The sun came out briefly so I went on an adventure with the bear spray and a rape whistle (for scaring bears?) in tow. I didn’t see any bears but came across a big moose in the woods. Not wanting to get too close, my picture is weak but at least I lived to tell the story.
There was a wood shortage all weekend, so after my walk I scavenged the forest for wood to burn so that I didn’t freeze overnight.
My friend did come back before dinner time and I couldn’t have been happier. Wood arrived shortly after his return and the campground buzzed momentarily with machines trying to get wood back to their sites as soon as possible.
The wood guy brought us wood directly to our site on his way out when he didn’t see us lined up with the masses, which was very kind. After making us dinner, we spent the rest of the evening around a big fire doing crossword puzzles until bedtime, which was surprisingly a lot of fun.
I am not sure how my weekend would have turned out had I spent it alone. I may have been able to get out of my own head and out of my funk or I may have left early because I couldn’t.
I didn’t tell my friend how I was feeling that night, but he turned my whole weekend around and I am so thankful. I know that he will read it here eventually, so thank you. 😊
My MSsy Life 