Phase 4

July 14, 1997

My link to the virtual world has been severed for the last few weeks, but things now seem to be repaired - kids and computers can cause a little chaos on occasion!

I've completed the left side of the skull and have been at work on the right side for some time, however, I'm including only the left side view for this Phase's update.

The surface of the skull varies considerably for carving purposes, some areas are thick and luscious, whereas others are thin and delicate. The mid section of the nose is quite thin and may need to be carved away. I'll leave it as is for now and see how the rest turns out.

Two weeks ago, my son and I hiked the Chillcoot trail, from Dyea, Alaska to the end of the trail at Log Cabin, B.C. Whew! The trail is only 53km (33mi), but it goes from sea level to the summit of the coastal mountains and down again. Quite a hike. My admiration for the miners who followed the trail in 1898 on their way to Dawson, carrying a ton of supplies, has grown considerably. In a recent race from Dyea to Dawson City, some of the participants, carrying 50lb packs, made it to the summit in 4.5 hours. We were moving at a fair clip and it took us about 18-20 hours. My admiration for them is also considerable.

This past week Rick Steele, CBC Internet reporter and YKnet guru, covered art on the net. He mentioned this site. It seems that the Work In Progress page was a hit. Thanks for the promo Rick, it is appreciated!

Summer is here in Yukon. Plenty of daylight and warm weather.

Till next week...

Shane