Part 23: Inuvik, Tuktoyaktuk, Back down the Dempster.
Monday, 29 August 2011 12:28 pm
Thursday 25th August:
Up late and started in town at the very informative visitors centre, then to the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) office to catch up with Robert who we had met on the road. He was not in however we had a great tour of the establishment, including the lockups, interview rooms etc. Very kindly, they also offered us the use of the wash down facilities to clean the truck. Thanks to all !
Caught up with Christine, Robert’s wife and after indicating we wished to go to Tuktoyaktuk (Tuk for short) some 150 air miles to the north she organised the local RCMP guys to collect us from the airport.
During winter the ice roads are the only road connection to this remote Inuvialuit (Eskimo) community of Tuk. During summer only an air or sea link is available. That will be tomorrow’s adventure!
Just where the ice road starts is this old ship.
This is a Strange Land:
Where trucks drive on the river and ocean and ships park on the land !
Camp is in the same park as last night where we internet, skype, and watch the sun set around midnight.
Friday 26th August:
As we settle into the small 6 seater aircraft the young pilots turns and says “Tuk is closed in with fog, so we will try once or twice then we will have to return to Inuvik” Our return flight is 4pm on the same day, so here’s hoping !!!
He was correct the whole place is covered in dense cloud. First attempt looking good, then full power and up into blue sky again.
It is completely milky white down there
Second time approaching from the ocean side we are 100 feet lower,
may be yes
may be no.
Then suddenly he sees a gap in the cloud mass and we dive, dropping from the sky like a rock to then gently glide onto the runway.
Bush pilot style......... I think we were a bit stunned. One of the locals next to me said “ Welcome to the real North”
Caught up with the RCMP guys and were shouted a welcome coffee. They then arranged a tour guide to collect us and show us around Tuk (C$100).
Visited the ice house where the locals kept their provisions frozen 10 metres underground in the permafrost.
Following an enlightening town tour our guide took us out to what I really wanted to see...The Pingos.
A rare geographical phenomena where ice has grown upwards from an ancient lake thrusting the ground up into a volcano like structure.
There are 1400 around Tuk and are unique to this area. The only others are in Arctic Russia.
We then have 2 1/2 hours to do our own thing, which included Arctic Toe Dipping.
Interesting our guide works in Tuk in the summer for 3 months only, then spends with her husband, 9 months in their hut 175kms west out on the snow at minus 25 degrees. They live as in the old days ....off the land.
Meals include Beluga Whale meat, Seals, Caribou, Geese and ducks, and ice fishing.
Collecting some Arctic Ocean Water which we will empty into the Antarctic Ocean at some time in the future.
As we walk town you see that the young boys are very anxious for the fun of winter.
Personally I would like to try some of the grown up toys !
All the buildings, including this old church are built above the ground and away from the permafrost.
Dig a hole in your back yard and every year, as the permafrost melts, the whole will grow until you have a lake!
Apart from shopping at the local store the First Nation Peoples also live off the land. This is a Polar Bear skin.
Tuk is a small community of 900 and during winter most return to their home campgrounds to live the old ways.
Our flight back was in clear sky, where we see the vast Mackenzie Delta system with its numerous lakes.
This will eventually be the connecting road from Tuk to Inuvik...in about 5 years
Camp in is a road quarry about 20kms south of Inuvit
Camp 114: Sth of Inuvik Quarry Camp
Cost Nil
N68* 10.405 W11`3* 25.603
Today +: 109 Kms.
Trip Total : 51,469 Kms.
Saturday 27th August:
On the way back at Fort McPherson we called in to see the graves of the Mounties “Lost Patrol”. In the winter of 2010, travelling without an Indian guide the party lost its way in the frozen north. Much of the highway follows their path.
The quality of the gravel Dempster H’way is superb. I would have to say it is the best 700 gravel road I have travelled on in 4 continents.
Camp 115: Repeater Tower Camp
Cost Nil
N65* 50.632 W117* 40.825
Today : 429 Kms.
Trip Total : 51,898 Kms.
Sunday 28th August:
Today two great things happened. Firstly we discovered the incessant knocking under the cab that has been plaguing us for over 60,000 kilometres ! I also managed to fix a couple of things in the camper, being well prepared with a tube of Sickaflex ( Builders Glue) is always a good addition to the tool box.
Secondly two moose, then two Grizzlies.
The latter were on the road and were quite happy to forage on the road verge whilst we sat for more than half and hour watching.
This was a mother and her cub from last season. They constantly dug for roots in preparation for the long winter ahead.
The country is now changing colours in preparation for the whiteness that approaches.
Average winter temp here Minus 27*C
BBBBrrrrrr
Back in Dawson City we walked down the Yukon River to the Paddle Wheelers Grave Yard.
Here lie 7 old Stern Wheelers that became redundant after the road link was opened to Dawson 1953.
They were dry docked on the edge of the Yukon until successive floods washed them downstream. What stories must be hidden within the now rotting hulls!
Camp 116: Fire Tower Camp we used previously above Dempster
Cost Nil
N64* 04.109 W139* 20.026
Today : 340 Kms.
Trip Total : 52,238 Kms
Something else we can now cross of our Bucket List:
The AURORA BOREALIS
It was 1.15am and a freezing cold wind, but just had to stand and watch the sky dance and change colours. Caused by the ionised particles from solar flares, hitting the gasses in the upper layer of the atmosphere around the earth’s magnetic fields. The dancing phenomena was discovered by NASA in 2008 to be caused by explosions of magnetic energy a third of the way to the moon.
The green colour is from ignited Oxygen, and in very intense Auroras a purple colour is produced by igniting Nitrogen.