The Spell of the Yukon

As you can see, I've got the mountains on my mind lately! This photograph was taken at Brasstown Bald in Georgia last fall. It's hardly the Canadian wilderness, but every time I see vista's like this, it reminds me of 'The Spell of the Yukon', a poem by Robert W. Service. I've included an excerpt, just one verse (my favorite), that every adventurer feels in their hearts, even if they've never heard the words ...

There’s a land where the mountains are nameless,

   And the rivers all run God knows where;

There are lives that are erring and aimless,

   And deaths that just hang by a hair;

There are hardships that nobody reckons;

   There are valleys unpeopled and still;

There’s a land—oh, it beckons and beckons,

   And I want to go back—and I will.

by Robert W. Service

I love this passage ... it stirs something deep inside. You can read the full poem here.