For the record, The Hostel Bear in Canmore, Alberta is fantastic! Why, you ask? Because it has unlimited free wireless, unlike 97% of hostels in NZ and Oz!! (By the way, the rooms, kitchen, and common areas are also spacious and clean.) I’m actually not staying there right now, as I’m in little ol’ Banff, but I had to give it a shout-out.

Last Sunday I landed in Calgary, Alberta, and I finally got an official Canadian stamp in my passport! After all those stampless trips through Windsor, I now have legal proof I’ve been to Canada. I need to continue this trend of international travel so my collection will keep growing…

Anyway, after I made my way through customs, I popped out to find a Canadian statue designed to reflect the spirit of western Canada. I needed a classic “Steph’s really tired and has all this luggage” photo, and the folks who took my photo had me let out a “Yahoo!” (pronounced yeah-hoo) to make me a temporary Albertan. I guess that’s what they say around here?

Since my flight landed early and getting through customs took a lot less time than expected, I managed to catch an earlier bus to Canmore, the home of Snowy Owl Sled Dog Tours. I definitely dozed for the first half but luckily woke up to enjoy the drive as we entered the Rockies. The difference between the plains of Calgary and the mountains is quite stark; there are definitely no foothills.

Now let me backtrack for a second. How did I find out about Snowy Owl, and why did I fly down to Alberta without knowing if a job was waiting for me there? The answer to the first questions is simple: www.sleddogcentral.com It’s a site for mushers, companies, handler hopefuls, etc. to post photos, ads, information, etc. regarding the world of sled dogs. Since I’d been working at Trail Breaker Kennel on my days off from the Riverboat (August onwards), I’d finally entered the world of sled dog work!  TBK is the kennel/property that Iditarod champ Susan Butcher and her husband Dave Monson own right on the Chena River. When the Riverboat comes by, it parks in front and Dave gives  a spiel while handlers like me play with puppies and hitch a team of dogs to a 4 wheeler. Here’s the view from shore… Life sure was rough there…

While I was working on the boat 5 days a week and at Trail Breaker 2 days a week, I had no weekends. Yes, by September I was pretty tired, but I had gotten my puppy time in! I had also learned enough to be able to put dogs in harness and hook up a team. With my new hobby, I was able to come along on a training run once it got cool enough! And there you have it, I became qualified to call myself a dog handler. 🙂

Since I was having difficulties finding outdoor jobs for the winter, I turned my search outside of Alaska. I applied for a Park Ranger job in Death Valley and of course, didn’t get it. I applied for more federal Biological Science Technician positions that I’m definitely qualified for but haven’t heard anything back on because they’re through the federal system. I applied for a field job in the Midway Islands that would have been awesome; I would have been wayyy out in the ocean for months and months! I applied for jobs in WI and VA, but nothing was working out. If the world didn’t revolve around having money, I would have just stayed in New Zealand and lived there happily ever after. Unfortunately, money ruins everything, which is why I found myself stuck and unable to land a job.

I turned to dogs to give me some hope, and after a lead for a mushing/outdoor guiding position in Vermont fell through, I found postings by comedian Canadians looking for guides. I didn’t think I’d hear anything back from the 2 companies I contacted, but lo and behold, Snowy Owl emailed and said they’d like to set up an interview! We talked on the phone, and I learned I’d have to head south to Canmore, AB (20 minute drive from Banff) for their October 1 Trial Day if I wanted any chance of getting the job.

I mulled that over for a little while, unsure of whether I wanted to spend the money to maybe get a job or not. I hadn’t exactly been planning on a trip to Canada this fall. However, I realized that there was no hope if I didn’t try, so suddenly I found myself buying a plane ticket to Calgary and telling Teri that I’d be leaving our dream cabin about 10 days later! So much for Steph being reliable and not doing the unexpected! Poor Teri. Poor cabin.

I did have another reason for taking that leap in purchasing a plane ticket. This job posting right here: http://wfscjobs.tamu.edu/jobs/field-operations-coordinator-washington-canada/ Dogs + biology fieldwork + remote location = Steph’s ideal job. It sounded perfect, and I figured that if Canada didn’t work out, there was an okay chance that Conservation Canines would. My qualifications and experience just seemed to match what the program was looking for so well. My parents and friends even said it sounded like the job was created for me!
So with that, I left Fairbanks after only being back for 5 months. No offense, Alaska.