Inuvik (Apr 25/03) - A 73-year-old Gwich'in woman has returned from an annual pilgrimage to Old Crow, Yukon, along a path her husband used to take each year.

At 73, Jane Charlie drove her new snow machine more than 640 kilometres miles to Old Crow and back, following the route her husband Johnny helped clear seven years ago. - Terry Halifax/NNSL photo

Seven years ago, Johnny Charlie and about 30 others took their snow machines from Fort McPherson into the Richardson Mountains to clear a trail to Old Crow the Gwich'in people have travelled for centuries. Each following spring, a group has made the trek.

Four years ago, Johnny Charlie died, but his wife Jane kept the tradition alive, travelling with her children and others from town. This year, however, Jane made the trip on her own snow machine.

"I went into the store and said, 'I want to buy a Ski-Doo,'" Jane recalled. "He said, 'No problem.' "

The salesman gave her $700 off a floor model and she set about telling her children of her plan to make the trek into the mountains.

"My children didn't want me to go, because I'm old," Jane said. "I know I'm old, but I felt like I could do it."

Before she left for the trip, she was rooting around in the attic where she found a canvas bag with her name on it.

"I opened it, and it was Johnny's parkie," she said.

She took her husband's old down parka out of the bag and decided she would wear it as a tribute to Johnny on the trip to Old Crow.

Despite objections from her children, she set out with the group on the two-day trip.

Along the way, she recalled the days with Johnny and, at times, she was filled with the emotions of those days.

"The places where he made fire with me; the places where he set tent with me ... I could see where he cut a tree down..." she said, her voice trailing off.

"It's been four years, but it still feels like four days."

Tough sledding

The trip took them over 320 kilometres miles from McPherson to Old Crow and while the weather was warm, it was not an easy ride.

"One place there, we were going through this canyon and there was nowhere to go but through it," Jane said. "It was just like I was sitting in a speedboat; water spraying out both sides!"

They spent a night in tents at about the halfway point and the last leg of the trip home took them 12 hours.

Although she was cold and weary on her return home, Charlie still felt strong.

"I still wasn't stiff, but I was full of ice, from my knee down -- I couldn't take my boots off," she said. "I had lots of fun. Lots of fun times, lots of good times."

She credits her vitality on the trip to Johnny's parka.

"Elders told me that's why I was so strong -- he left all that strength behind for me," she smiled.

Once back home and unpacked, she returned the parka back to where she found it.

The elders told her to not too wear the parka for everyday use and to store it where it was found.

"They said, 'Keep it where Johnny left it."

If that trip wasn't enough, Jane drove her new machine to Aklavik from McPherson and planned to drive back home after the Rendezvous.

"It's a miracle -- I never got tired or stiff or anything," she said.

"I thank Johnny and I thank the Lord too, for giving me all this strength."