Well the pictures are finally done, and I've posted them all on Facebook. Everyone should be able to see them by clicking on the links below.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Enjoy!
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Home
Well we've made it back in one piece. I'm a little late in writing this but its been quite nice to relax and there has been a lot of stuff to put away!
We left Whitehorse early in the morning and made our way down the Alaska Highway. We were hoping to catch the morning light and get some more good photos, but unfortunately it snowed for most of the morning. By the time we reached Watson Lake it had cleared a little and the day was looking up.
After a quick bite to eat and a tank of gas we headed down into B.C. and through the mountains. We stopped at the Liard Hotsprings as many people had recommended it. We parked and walked a little ways along a path, where we saw two moose mosying around just in front of us. Such huge beasts! We kept our distance until they retreated and made our way to the hotsprings. What a glorious spot! There's a large, waist deep pool with pipping hot water, and small falls with a bench underneath for that oh-so-important head/back massage. We could have spent most of the day there but figured we had better move on after about half an hour.
Back through the mountains we went, this time going through Fort Nelson, arriving just after dark. We were suprised to come across a Boston Pizza, so clearly we took the opportunity for a bite to eat and a cerveza. We had decided to drive through the night, so on we trecked, reaching Dawson Creek sometime before dawn. Down onto the prairies we went, driving straight into the morning sun. We stopped in High Prairie for our first Tim Horton's of the trip, and savoured the breakfast B.E.L.T. and the hot chocalate.
By noon we had made it up Highway 63 to Fort McMurray where I dropped Pete off at his sister's. He grabbed nothing but his sleeping bag and slept for the rest of the afternoon. I did the same, arriving home, stuffing the Jeep in the garage, and catching a few hours of rest.
And that is the end of our adventure. We drove 4940ish miles in 13 days through two territories and 2 provinces. We drove across and along the Mackenzie River, the Pelly River, and the Arctic Ocean. We saw the most amazing vistas, and witnessed the endless change of flaura from one region to the next. The solitude of Tuk will stay with me as well as the vastness along the Dempster Highway. What an amazing country with its variety of terrain, vegetation, animals, and people. Thanks to everyone for following along and I hope its given you the itch to get out and go somewhere fantastic!
We left Whitehorse early in the morning and made our way down the Alaska Highway. We were hoping to catch the morning light and get some more good photos, but unfortunately it snowed for most of the morning. By the time we reached Watson Lake it had cleared a little and the day was looking up.
After a quick bite to eat and a tank of gas we headed down into B.C. and through the mountains. We stopped at the Liard Hotsprings as many people had recommended it. We parked and walked a little ways along a path, where we saw two moose mosying around just in front of us. Such huge beasts! We kept our distance until they retreated and made our way to the hotsprings. What a glorious spot! There's a large, waist deep pool with pipping hot water, and small falls with a bench underneath for that oh-so-important head/back massage. We could have spent most of the day there but figured we had better move on after about half an hour.
Back through the mountains we went, this time going through Fort Nelson, arriving just after dark. We were suprised to come across a Boston Pizza, so clearly we took the opportunity for a bite to eat and a cerveza. We had decided to drive through the night, so on we trecked, reaching Dawson Creek sometime before dawn. Down onto the prairies we went, driving straight into the morning sun. We stopped in High Prairie for our first Tim Horton's of the trip, and savoured the breakfast B.E.L.T. and the hot chocalate.
By noon we had made it up Highway 63 to Fort McMurray where I dropped Pete off at his sister's. He grabbed nothing but his sleeping bag and slept for the rest of the afternoon. I did the same, arriving home, stuffing the Jeep in the garage, and catching a few hours of rest.
And that is the end of our adventure. We drove 4940ish miles in 13 days through two territories and 2 provinces. We drove across and along the Mackenzie River, the Pelly River, and the Arctic Ocean. We saw the most amazing vistas, and witnessed the endless change of flaura from one region to the next. The solitude of Tuk will stay with me as well as the vastness along the Dempster Highway. What an amazing country with its variety of terrain, vegetation, animals, and people. Thanks to everyone for following along and I hope its given you the itch to get out and go somewhere fantastic!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Whitehorse
We arrived on the outskirts of Whitehorse and met up with Steph and Chris in a beautiful cabin they were house sitting just north of town. After one of Yukon's finest, we decided a good meal was in order, something not requiring a griddle or deep frier. Steph and Chris out did themselves and gave us one of the best town tours I've ever had, showing us all the local sights including the snow sculptures from the Sourdough Rendezvous event, the log cabin skyscraper, Walmart, the dam, and a local grocery store crammed with delicious goods! It ended at the one of the local sushi restaurants for the much needed change in palate, and then it was home to a luxuriously flat and comfortable bed after our 24 hour marathon drive back from Tuk.
The change in weather was quite something, from -34C in Tuk to +8C in Whitehorse, if felt like we'd taken a wrong turn during the night and ended up in southern California (well, almost!). Though windy, the next day hovered around 4C. We headed into town to take in more of the local sights, sit in a coffee shop, and generally relax. In the afternoon we made it to the Yukon Brewing Companyt just in time for the tour of their vast and elaborate facilities. After 10 minutes we were back out front sampling some more of their delicious beer! We then kidnapped Steph from work and made her take us out snowshoeing along the Miles Canyon, where the Whitehorse rapids used to rage before the construction of the Whitehorse Dam in 1958. It was nice to get some exercise after so much driving, and the temperature made for a great walk!
We were back in time to meet up with Jordan, a fellow Jeep owner who's given us some great advise on the JK-Forum and has been tracking our progress to date. We discussed the trip and Jeeps over a few of the local brew; it was great to meet up and hear a few stories of the local area.
We treated Steph and Chris to some of Pete's homemade pasta sauce that night and enjoyed the growlers of Yukon Red we'd picked up earlier that day at the brewery. Whitehorse is a great little city, and somewhere I'd go back to in a heartbeat. Nestled in the mountains with so many activities on your front step, and the relaxed, friendly atmosphere, we really enjoyed the time we spent there. Thank you to Chris and Steph for their great hospitality!
The change in weather was quite something, from -34C in Tuk to +8C in Whitehorse, if felt like we'd taken a wrong turn during the night and ended up in southern California (well, almost!). Though windy, the next day hovered around 4C. We headed into town to take in more of the local sights, sit in a coffee shop, and generally relax. In the afternoon we made it to the Yukon Brewing Companyt just in time for the tour of their vast and elaborate facilities. After 10 minutes we were back out front sampling some more of their delicious beer! We then kidnapped Steph from work and made her take us out snowshoeing along the Miles Canyon, where the Whitehorse rapids used to rage before the construction of the Whitehorse Dam in 1958. It was nice to get some exercise after so much driving, and the temperature made for a great walk!
We were back in time to meet up with Jordan, a fellow Jeep owner who's given us some great advise on the JK-Forum and has been tracking our progress to date. We discussed the trip and Jeeps over a few of the local brew; it was great to meet up and hear a few stories of the local area.
We treated Steph and Chris to some of Pete's homemade pasta sauce that night and enjoyed the growlers of Yukon Red we'd picked up earlier that day at the brewery. Whitehorse is a great little city, and somewhere I'd go back to in a heartbeat. Nestled in the mountains with so many activities on your front step, and the relaxed, friendly atmosphere, we really enjoyed the time we spent there. Thank you to Chris and Steph for their great hospitality!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Canada Wins!
Well we made it to Carmacks in time to watch the second period of the hockey, and what a game! Crosby with the OT winner, a great way to end the olympics. We're now on our way to Whitehorse to begin the celebrations with my friend Steph.
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry
Tuk!!
We were up early today and on the road to Tuk by 9. This is a true ice road as we drive on the Mackenzie River the entire way. Its quite surreal, the road itself is turqoise, brown, white, and green all depending on the type of ice you're driving on. There are ominous cracks in places several inches wide and a few feet deep. The river is quite wide and so too is the road, but it still feels like you should be in a boat rather than a car!
We wound our way along the delta until finally we came out in Kugmallit Bay and onto the Arctic Ocean! We turned the rudder and headed east along the coast, slowling down as we got closer, not really wanting to reach our final destination. The thermometer read -34C as we rolled into town, and it sure looked every bit as cold as that. We had passed the tree line coming coming up the river and the surroundings were completely barren. The buildings looked as though they'd been battered by snow and wind for the last 30 years, which I'm sure they have.
We promptly got stuck in a snow drift at the far end of town, and had to get the shovel out as the locals looked on! I strolled down the main street and took a few pictures, and tried to imagine living in such a place. Although quite willing to give anything a go, I'm really not sure I could spend much time in this place, it just seemed so barren and lonely, the end of the earth.
Pete picked me up and we drove to the other end of town towards the Pingos. We could only get so close before we had to park and walk across the tundra and frozen lakes. We were well bundled against the cold and carried a bag of Smarties in case of emergencies! The pingo is like a giant frost heave and occurs when an ancient lake drains and the small amount of water left gets covered over and freezes, or something along those lines!
Pete and I were at a bit of a loss for what to do next. We had arrived very early, seen what we had wanted to see, and had originally planned to camp. However the extremely cold temperatute and a strong desire to get moving persuaded us to head out again, but not before cooking up a tasty lunch of spaghetti sauce and noodles which we polished off while watching the Top Gear Arctic special on the laptop!
We got back on the ice road and began our long trek south. The full moon was a good excuse to keep driving, so we refilled in Inuvik and tackled the Demster in the dark. We switched off every few hours and stopped to gas up in Eagle Plains, but had to use the jerrys as they were shut for the night. Our trusty Sceptor cans were still working great, but the cold was too much for the pour spout which cracked after our first can. As we are prepared for the wosrt (!) we got out the trusty funnel and managed to get another 40 litres in. The Demster was beautiful at night, even more so with the full moon and clear sky. High beams weren't even required as everything was so bright, and the wind wasn't an issue as it was on the way up.
We were successful and arrived back at the Klondike at about 5:30 this morning. We slept for a few hours at the gas station expecting it to open at 7, but it never did. We headed to Dawson for fuel, ended up staying for beakfast, and are now driving furiously towards Carmacks so we can watch the Canada vs USA Olympic hockey final!
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry
We promptly got stuck in a snow drift at the far end of town, and had to get the shovel out as the locals looked on! I strolled down the main street and took a few pictures, and tried to imagine living in such a place. Although quite willing to give anything a go, I'm really not sure I could spend much time in this place, it just seemed so barren and lonely, the end of the earth.
Pete picked me up and we drove to the other end of town towards the Pingos. We could only get so close before we had to park and walk across the tundra and frozen lakes. We were well bundled against the cold and carried a bag of Smarties in case of emergencies! The pingo is like a giant frost heave and occurs when an ancient lake drains and the small amount of water left gets covered over and freezes, or something along those lines!
Pete and I were at a bit of a loss for what to do next. We had arrived very early, seen what we had wanted to see, and had originally planned to camp. However the extremely cold temperatute and a strong desire to get moving persuaded us to head out again, but not before cooking up a tasty lunch of spaghetti sauce and noodles which we polished off while watching the Top Gear Arctic special on the laptop!
We got back on the ice road and began our long trek south. The full moon was a good excuse to keep driving, so we refilled in Inuvik and tackled the Demster in the dark. We switched off every few hours and stopped to gas up in Eagle Plains, but had to use the jerrys as they were shut for the night. Our trusty Sceptor cans were still working great, but the cold was too much for the pour spout which cracked after our first can. As we are prepared for the wosrt (!) we got out the trusty funnel and managed to get another 40 litres in. The Demster was beautiful at night, even more so with the full moon and clear sky. High beams weren't even required as everything was so bright, and the wind wasn't an issue as it was on the way up.
We were successful and arrived back at the Klondike at about 5:30 this morning. We slept for a few hours at the gas station expecting it to open at 7, but it never did. We headed to Dawson for fuel, ended up staying for beakfast, and are now driving furiously towards Carmacks so we can watch the Canada vs USA Olympic hockey final!
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry
Inuvik
We took it easy on Friday. We were invited to a potluck that evening so we decided to stick around and head to Tuk on Saturday. Pete had to take care of a bit of work, and I took the opportunity to update the blog. That afternoon we went for a walk throgh the town and had lunch at the Eskimo Inn, not a delicious place but supposedly the best of the three.
We wanted to go dog sledding but left it too late in the day, instead we for another walk. That evening we cooked up some of our chili and headed to the potluck. After some delicious grub and great conversation, we ventured into town to the local bar, The Mad Trapper, to immerse ourselves in the local culture. Good times were had and on the way back we were fortunate enough to see some northern lights, the first on our trip.
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry
Friday, February 26, 2010
The Dempster, Day 2
As we've gone north the sun rises much later, but also sets later. Not really wanting to get up before it was light outside, we got off to a bit of a late start. I went to start the Jeep and the key fob wouldn't unlock the doors, so I turned the key in the lock and opened the door, setting off the alarm in process. Normally I just put the key in the ignition and it turns off the alarm, however this morning it wouldn't go off. So with the alarm honking away we scrambled to unhook the battery, until Pete tried his key in the ignition and it went off. Strange.
I then went to start the Jeep, it turned over and started, revved, then died five seconds later, it did this several times. Thinking we had frozen fuel lines (it was -30 this morning and we weren't plugged in) we let it sit for a minute while we packed the rest of the stuff up. Pete then tried it and it started right up, odd... guess he's got the magic touch!
Later in the day after another stop, we had the same issue. I think it might just be the battery dieing in the key fob, or at least I hope it is because I'm getting a little sick of the horn going off and entire towns staring at me!
Anyways, we got on our way and within the hour we arrived at the Arctic Circle! I never thought I'd be driving to the Arctic Circle but there we were, what a crazy feeling. We snapped a few photos before gingerly stepping over the line and carrying on northward. The SPOT ceased to work at this point, it couldn't find any satellites. Our GPS was in and out as well, but generally had better reception that the SPOT. Once we were out of the mountains the SPOT was able to reconnect.
The mountains continued, and so did the wind. At times there was so much snow blowing across the road we couldn't see anything. But when we could see the mountains we were in were amazing. No vegetation at all, only the odd bush or tree hidding in a gulley. It was like a bleak, snow covered desert, quite surreal. We stopped a lot for photos; Pete hiked halfways up a mountain to get a few fantastic shots of the pass we drove through. Shortly thereafter we re-entered the Northwest Territories and slowly the mountains gave way to the plains.
We stopped in Fort McPherson for gas and to check out the local canvas and tent shop. They bring in all of their materials for an exorbitant cost from Edmonton and sell to people and companies across Canada. They probably don't make any money but its a government owned operation so I guess that doesn't really matter!
The drive from here was straight, flat, and dare I say a bit boring. We did cross the Mackenzie river one more time though, and found ourselves in Inuvik in good time. Its strange that a town of this size (only 3000 people but its the biggest town we've been in since leaving Ft. McMurray!) can be at the end of such a long and desolate highway.
We had the good fortune of having a friend of a friend who has very graciously invited us to stay at his place. He works as a biologist for Parks Canada, and cooked us a fantastic meal last night. I am now using his internet as Pete puts in his day of work at one of his branches in town! We will probably stick around here all day and hopefully make the final push up to Tuk tomorrow.
I then went to start the Jeep, it turned over and started, revved, then died five seconds later, it did this several times. Thinking we had frozen fuel lines (it was -30 this morning and we weren't plugged in) we let it sit for a minute while we packed the rest of the stuff up. Pete then tried it and it started right up, odd... guess he's got the magic touch!
Later in the day after another stop, we had the same issue. I think it might just be the battery dieing in the key fob, or at least I hope it is because I'm getting a little sick of the horn going off and entire towns staring at me!
Anyways, we got on our way and within the hour we arrived at the Arctic Circle! I never thought I'd be driving to the Arctic Circle but there we were, what a crazy feeling. We snapped a few photos before gingerly stepping over the line and carrying on northward. The SPOT ceased to work at this point, it couldn't find any satellites. Our GPS was in and out as well, but generally had better reception that the SPOT. Once we were out of the mountains the SPOT was able to reconnect.
The mountains continued, and so did the wind. At times there was so much snow blowing across the road we couldn't see anything. But when we could see the mountains we were in were amazing. No vegetation at all, only the odd bush or tree hidding in a gulley. It was like a bleak, snow covered desert, quite surreal. We stopped a lot for photos; Pete hiked halfways up a mountain to get a few fantastic shots of the pass we drove through. Shortly thereafter we re-entered the Northwest Territories and slowly the mountains gave way to the plains.
We stopped in Fort McPherson for gas and to check out the local canvas and tent shop. They bring in all of their materials for an exorbitant cost from Edmonton and sell to people and companies across Canada. They probably don't make any money but its a government owned operation so I guess that doesn't really matter!
The drive from here was straight, flat, and dare I say a bit boring. We did cross the Mackenzie river one more time though, and found ourselves in Inuvik in good time. Its strange that a town of this size (only 3000 people but its the biggest town we've been in since leaving Ft. McMurray!) can be at the end of such a long and desolate highway.
We had the good fortune of having a friend of a friend who has very graciously invited us to stay at his place. He works as a biologist for Parks Canada, and cooked us a fantastic meal last night. I am now using his internet as Pete puts in his day of work at one of his branches in town! We will probably stick around here all day and hopefully make the final push up to Tuk tomorrow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)