Inuvik (Apr 01/05) - Thirteen students from the college's Natural Resources and Technology Program went for the ride of a lifetime when they took part in the annual Johnny D. Charlie Memorial Ski-Doo trip.

Altogether, 25 people on 19 snowmobiles made the 370km journey over rugged terrain from the Richardson Mountains to the Yukon.

The annual trek to Old Crow is vitally important to the Charlie family as it helps keep alive the memory of Johnny Charlie, Sr., a respected elder devoted to his people, the land and its wildlife.

After leaving Fort McPherson March 2, the group, which included Charlie's children and grandchildren, managed to make 56km of headway, arriving at the Stony Creek cabin by late afternoon.

Our next navigational challenge was the steep slope at LaChute Mountain, but everyone was able to walk or drive down safely. On our way through the mountain pass, we came across a blizzard and the 70km winds blew massive amounts of snow onto the trail.

We were at a standstill for a while and although many people worked hard to break trail, we were forced to stop at 1:30 a.m. and make an open camp in a spruce grove. The idea was to seek shelter from the storm, rest and continue on to the next cabin when the first light of day appeared.

After a cold night at the open camp, we set out for the cabin at Curtain Mountain Thursday morning, arrived in a short time and spent the day setting up camp and resting.

We continued on the trail the next day and reached Freddie Frost's cabin at the mouth of the Peel River. Following a brief stop, we decided to push on to an RCMP cabin on the Porcupine River, where we camped for the night.

That night there was an incredible show of Northern Lights - deep blue and dancing across the entire sky.

When we finally arrived in Old Crow that Saturday afternoon, the whole town had prepared an extravagant feast of moose meat, fish, salads and desserts for us. It was amazing and a show of the Vuntut Gwich'in's hospitality.

The town itself is very small, tucked away in the mountains with many cozy homes heated by wood stoves. On Sunday morning, we visited the Anglican Church before gassing up our sleds and heading back to Fort McPherson.

Though we made good progress (255km in 10 hours) our return trip was hampered by poor weather when the blizzard and blowing snow returned, making it impossible for us to leave camp.

But we kept busy chopping wood, cooking, maintaining the camp and telling stories.

On Wednesday, Ernest Vittrekwa shot a moose and several of us helped to skin the hide and prepare the meat while waiting for the weather to improve. There's nothing like fresh moose meat cooked over a woodstove.

Arriving back in Fort McPherson on Thursday evening, we were all dog-tired and in need of a shower but pleased that we were able to complete the nearly 800km round trip.

It was an unforgettable experience. Long days traversing a narrow trail by Ski-Doo through the mountains and at Bell River were both physically demanding and mentally challenging, not to mention the weather conditions at times.

We experienced some remarkable leadership during the excursion, as well. The strength and determination of Johnny and William Charlie, Perry Roberts and Ernest Vittrekwa were inspiring to all.

Their tireless efforts to break trail and lead the group allowed us to have a safe and enjoyable trip. The Charlie Family definitely took care of us and offered kindness and advice, especially to those of us new to the traditional Gwich'in lifestyle. To them, the 2006 NRTP class would like to extend its sincerest thanks.

- Alice Graham is an

instructor with the

Natural Resources and

Technology Program at

Aurora College in Inuvik.