[07/08/2024 – 14/08/2024[

Our Last Week – Whenever You Read IT

Yukon / Klondike / Tombstone -> Names that resonate in my mind. Be it through books I´ve read in my youth or movies I have watched. Am pretty sure though, that the western “Tombstone” was set way down south from the Tombstone we drove through.
One day before passing the arctic circle we had 29°C and honestly it was pretty warm weather since we have left Vancouver. Thinking about the temperatures we had at New Years Eve in Ushuaia at 54°S this is really unexpected. The Google weather app reports “extreme heat and climate change Canada”. For us tourists this may not be apparent, but for the people living here it sure is. I had a conversation with a First Nation elder in Inuvik, who told me that the landslide in the river I wrote about last week, is just one of many happening up here everywhere. He spoke of one of his hunting camps, where close by a newly formed creek is flowing, due to the permafrost thawing. The soil sunk and now there is water flowing. More storms out at the sea where they used to go whale hunting. Again for us as tourists it might not be obvious, on motorcycles we even enjoy the temperatures. For the people living here climate change is becoming more and more a problem.
Last week, while being in Whitehorse we decided instead of making Prudhoe Bay our most northern point of the trip we will make Tuktoyaktuk our most northern point. From Whitehorse this meant to follow the Klondike Highway to the Dempster Highway Junction and then 886 km north to Tuktoyaktuk. As the Dempster Highway is full on gravel, it seems that we are going to do all our North America gravel travel in one go :-).

Highlights

Wednesday: Whitehorse

Oh you know the usual, blogging enjoying life, eating, drinking, and Stefan went for a run. Currently I am a bit inhibited as I am coughing a bit, either smokers cough or still the cold from before.

Thursday: Whitehorse – Moose Creek Campground

Thus far the only campground with amenities was the one in Lillooet from which we were evacuated. All other campgrounds only had pit toilets (plumpsklo/donnerbalken) and no other facilites. If you are lucky you get water from a well, but sometimes it is from a natural source aka river water. After a fashion you get used to it, and currently the temperatures are not oven like, so the sweating keeps to a minimum.

Friday: Moose Creek Campground – Eagle Plains

114 km to the Dempster Highway Junction, last filling station before Eagle Plains, and you do get this warm and fuzzy feeling that everything is gonna be alright if you see a very large sign saying “No Medical Services beyond this point” or some such. Oh yeah and somehow I had in my head that the Dempster is paved at least until Inuvik. Well NO. So back and forth 1600km of gravel awaits. Up until Tombstone everything was fine, overcast and a bit windy but otherwise no problem. And the road was in a very good state.
Right after Tombstone the rain started, first it was a drizzle, but it intensified and anyway, even a drizzle becomes wet on a 190 km stretch of road. In addition it turned out to be really bad that i never got around in getting a new front fender, as the dirt from the front tire blew into the cooling system, on the windshield and on the visor. Here heavy rain, does have its advantages, as it does was the visor clean, faster then it gets dirty. Visibility was worse then shit, on top of that my bike overheated, mud drying in the cooler, and the first time I checked (before the light came on) was away from the river or other water sources we had around us up until then. Last but not least – I mean we did not slow down much – i lost my left suitcase, first it just became loose, but the second time it dropped. Luckily Stefan was keeping his distance, so nothing happened, but yeah that thing needs replacing, well the whole suitcase rack, after the accident in Costa Rica. Well it has to keep it together till I am home. Meanwhile we have strapped it down. Eagle Planes is the only game in town between Dawson City and Inuvik, so there prices are hefty, But at least it was dry. Even got a hose you can use to clean your cooling system, yourself and your luggage, that is if you got pliers on you, as they apparently do not want to hand out the “key” to the hose. The food was only slightly above the average price, it is just the room i am annoyed about. Oh yes and they are one of the few places along the Dempster Highway that have internet, as for the most part, there is no cellservice on the Dempster (remember the Medical Services sign). This evening was in a sort of wet mood, as Stefan asked me what we are going to do if it keeps raining for about a week on a stretch? Let´s table that discussion for the time it is needed.

Saturday: Eagle Plains – Inuvik

Day 2 of rain. Even though it started dry during breakfast. Oh the joy of jumping into wet clothes to start a day of riding. Luckily it turned out, to be intermittend showers and we did only catch a few until white pass. Even saw a bear on our way there. At around White Pass the rain subsided and gave way to rather strong winds, Stefan even checked twice if he had a flat, as the front tire did not offer much grip. That persistet for about 20 km and then it got better every kilometer further north until we reached Inuvik. 20°C midnight sun (literally – sunset was at 00:10 am. Prices for accomodation were still steep, but when the lady at the front desk agreed to show me the room, I was quite happy, an appartment, including a living room kitchen combo and a bedroom for less then what we paid in Eagle Plains. After selling Stefan on it, we decided to stay two nights, to dry all of our clothes, and my shoes. The supermarket was closed, but Stefan created wonderful dinner, with farfalle, corned beef and some sort of tomato pesto, that I picked up in one of the convenience stores.

Sunday: Inuvik

Slow day, a little bit of blogging (yep the article you are reading has been written in two stages), running. Not yet the 10k but at least I was able to do 7 in <6min/km, so I was quite happy with that. And again midnight sunset.

Monday: Inuvik – Tuktoyaktuk – Inuvik

Many people have warned us about the road from Inuvik to Tuk, and even though it was wet in the morning, the first 50km of that 150km stage were easy. I waited for the hammer to drop, second 50 no problem, and neither were the third. So either Stefan and myself picked up a thing or two the past 40´000 km or the road was smoothed over in preparation of our arrival. Somehow the latter is a bit of an outlandish thought.
WE DID IT
8 Months and change after we have left Ushuaia we have reached the Arctic Ocean, even 3 days earlier than i thought we would and should. When i did see the Arctic Ocean sign, i became overwhelmed. 8 months ago, this was just a distant point on a map and now we are here. Of course I do not have an idea how the road to Prudhoe Bay are, but the Dempster Highway is worth to be driven, not so much because of the challenging road, aside of the gravel it is a pretty straight line, but the landscape, the ever changing landscape.
Planning geniuses that we war, we did not manage to find an accomodation for the night. Two of the places have closed down, or a in the process to close down, the other two were fully booked. And as the wind was back camping at the ocean front, did not seem an overly good idea.
The owner of the Hunters B&B after i asked for whether or not we could use her bathroom, not only brewed us a fresh cup of coffee but as well offered us homemade caribou stew, which was delicious.
After the coffee and the meal, we went for Inuvik again. This time we took the smaller room and just enjoyed the ride.
In addition we have now a set date on Monday next for our Motorcycles to be serviced in Fairbanks.

Tuesday: Inuvik – Rock River Campground

Stocking up supplies and back on the dempster we were. The left suitcase, wanted to become loose again, within the first 10 km, but once that was readjusted, stayed in place and did not give any trouble.
Our campsite was just a few klicks after White Pass, and the weather held splendidly. Nice joyful relaxing ride. We even saw a bear on the horizon. Right around the same spot we saw the first one, maybe it was the same one. Rock River is a nice campsite, with myriads of mosquitos,, well a few less now 😉
All the nights enjoying the midnight sunset now took its toll, and i went to bed at like quarter to nine (cannot tell you after which timezone, NWT Yukon border is at whitepass and i forgot to look at my watch).
I cannot say this enough, thus far, even with the rain, the Dempster Highway was a beautiful experience, it as well showed us some wear and tear on the bikes and the gear in general, but beautiful nonetheless.

this concludes week #37
till next time,
happy hacking everyone