Destination: Anchorage, Part 2

February, Yukon. Eddie, Mimi, and I continued north on the road, weaving through the Arctic snowscape. At Kluane Lake, I pulled beside a darkened Roadhouse, its porch covered in a foot of snow. A pitch-black night contrasted with the everlasting white ground. A waxing gibbous moon’s light reflected off ice and snow.

Before opening the door for Eddie, my dog, to get out, I saw the warning sign: WARNING! Wild Animals. Keep Pets Inside Your Vehicles. Eddie whined beside me. A fluffy tail covered my mouth. “Oh, Mimi,” I murmured, pulling the cat to my lap. Her litter box in the back had a cover, and I kept it clean for her. “Eddie, we must brave the elements and the ferocious animals. Stay close to the jeep, okay, Buddy?” I hooked his leash on, then walked around to let him out. The wind rocked the jeep, so I needed a protected spot to do our business. Mimi took the cue and went to her box in the back while Eddie and I relieved ourselves behind a small hill at the edge of the parking lot. Can’t leave a trail of yellow snow!

Eyes darting around, I watched for wild animals. Eddie jumped into the jeep, and I stood on the running board, looking toward Destruction Bay. Silver City is abandoned, and some say haunted, the Milepost book said. Lights flickering across Kluane Lake at Destruction Bay convinced me. Ghostly lights beckoned, daring drivers to approach, come closer if you dare.