It rained this morning, so it was a good time to replenish our food supplies. Rather than shop at the Wal-mart, I decided to try the “Real Canadian Superstore”, to better experience the local culture. The store was a cross between a Wal-mart and Costco. I encountered two interested concepts. First, I had to pay to get a shopping cart! All the carts were located in the “corrals” in the parking lot. Each cart had a device which locked it to the next cart in the row. You had to insert a loonie (Canadian dollar) and turn the key to unlock the cart. When I was finished shopping, I returned the cart to the corral, locked it to the next cart, turned the key and a loonie was returned to me. The second surprise occurred at check out. I was charged five cents for each plastic bag needed to bag the groceries.

By early afternoon, the weather had improved, so we went on a free, guided hike at Miles Canyon, where the Yukon River has cut through a flow of basaltic lava. There is an 85-foot-long suspension bridge across the narrowest part of the canyon. The bridge was originally built in 1922 and was rebuilt this past October. The guide told us about the geology and history of the area. I finally learned what gave the Yukon River its vibrant turquoise color. Glacial flour (sediment that comes from rocks grinding together underneath a glacier) is suspended in the water. The sunlight reflects off the flour, giving the water its turquoise color. The guide says that in the winter the river is almost black because of the lack of sunshine. It was a delightful, bug-free hike.