While Matt was up
perusing Dawson City on the Top of the World highway, Henning and I
continued along the Alaskan Highway where we met a number of interesting
characters along the way, one of whom being is Dorothy Cook.
Dorothy moved to Koidern River in 1969 from Winnipeg to
follow her husbands dreams. When they moved to this isolated
outpost they had to build everything they needed. They also had to
bring a generator to power the house (which they still do) as well as having
to drill 93 feet through the permafrost to get to water.
They own a nice little gas station which is a real treat
to enter. Cut gems and polished rocks greet the visitor and
entice them to forage through the untold amount of nic nacs available.
In another corner of the store are half opened boxes of stones and crystals
waiting for a visit to the rock saw.
We sat and chatted with Dorothy for over an hour drinking
coffee and eating some of the best homemade cake while being drawn into her
conversation on times that were and times that are. These days Dorothy
and her husband escape to Arizona or Mexico for their Winters as she really
does not like the cold.
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