Arctic Adventure

[T120]

Did you get your generator sorted out? If not you can stay over for the Jamboree I read about while looking for the local paper. I was trying to see if they had your adventure listed.

Join us for the 55th Muskrat Jamboree in Inuvik, Northwest Territories on March 30 – April 2, 2012

http://inuvik.ca/special-events/muskrat-jamboree/

..I suppose a trip up north wouldn't be complete without sampling some of the local "cuisine"

Edited March 24, 2012 by Ralph D25cpe

[greg g]

muskrat isn't a bad eatin critter. As long as they get butchered right and the musk sack doesn't get cut and taint the meat.

My Grandma would fricasee one every now and then. In the same catagory as raccoon, possum, woodchuck, squirrel and other tasty treats.

[michael.warshaw]

all i can say is that you guys have balls of steal! really cool journey.

[bamfordsgarage]

Hello All, Day 7, In and around Inuvik, NWT, 12 miles today, 2,118 total. Car running fine again.

We drove over to the Fire Hall this morning and the Chief was already expecting us... "Hi, I'm Jim. Just drive around the back and I'll open the bay door for you." He gave us a nice warm spot to park and the run of their workshop for any tools or supplies we didn't have on board. The old generator would not light the test bulb or motor from the battery so off it came — there were no visibly obvious problems and the brushes, wires and commutator seemed fine, but rather than get any further into it I installed our known-good spare and we were back in business. We took advantage of the nice working conditions to clean up the fuse holder and remove our headlight guards which had proved to be unnecessary on the Dempster Highway and made cleaning the lights near impossible. The local paper sent a (the) reporter over to the hall for an interview and photos and we will be featured in next Thursday's edition. Inuvik is perhaps the most welcoming community on the planet — everyone has been so helpful and friendly and interested in the car and our little expedition.

The town of Inuvik was the largest planned community in the Canadian North when it was conceived and built starting in 1958 to replace the flood-prone nearby traditional community of Aklavik. A few facts: Population 3,500, located 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle, mean temperature 14°F, highest ever recorded 89°F, lowest -70°F, 30 days of no sun around December, 56 days of 24-hour daylight in summer.

Photos Batch 1: Our warm and cozy workshop. Note the rescue snow machines and stretcher sled; All buildings are above ground to avoid melting the permafrost; Insulated "Utilidors" deliver utilities and pipe away sewage from buildings; Largest log building (850 logs worth) north of the Arctic Circle; Local telecommunications outfit is housed in a former DEW (Distant Early Warning) Line dome from the Cold-war era. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distant_Early_Warning_Line

Edited March 24, 2012 by bamfordsgarage
Add link

[bamfordsgarage]

Thanks everyone for your kind words, and Ralph, if we happen to hit a muskrat I'll bring him south for you to skin and eat. Al, several locals have also pitched that Jamboree to us, but we are men on a mission and we wait for no Muskrat.

Last photos: Photovoltaics on a multi-family building... while they are little use in winter, all summer long they save big on the expensive diesel fuel used for electrical generation; Said to be the northernmost greenhouse in the world and built on an old skating rink, it houses 72 community garden plots for an extended summer growing season; We got invited to a traditional caribou soup and bannock supper featuring native elders teaching string and other games — this Inuvialuit gal shows off her dogsled; Northern nursery rhyme; Looking ahead to the final push tomorrow: Drive onto the river. Stop. Turn right. Head for the ocean.

Edited March 24, 2012 by bamfordsgarage
More info

[Roger the Dodger]

Just loving this. Following on Google Maps and Street View so I can see more. Although the Street View has no snow. Keep safe. Roger.

[TodFitch]

Just loving this. Following on Google Maps and Street View so I can see more. Although the Street View has no snow. Keep safe. Roger.

When I checked on Google Maps it was unable to give me directions for that last leg. I guess they figure you can't drive on a river.

There is a satellite dish in one of those recent photos that is pointing almost level. Tells you how far north it is even if you weren't told where the picture was taken.

[greg g]

enjoying the hyperboreal sights. Glad you got your charging situation fixed.

Mapquest says 111.7 miles, 3+ hours travel time utilizint the temporary road.

http://www.mapquest.com/embed?hk=GN72B6

Edited March 24, 2012 by greg g

[bamfordsgarage]

Hello All, Day 8, Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk to Eagle Plains, 459 miles today. Car running perfect and we're heading back south.

It was a great day today once we got over the first look out our hotel window — some low life mangy little snake kissing snot slurping stinking son of a rabid weasel stole our two 5-gallon jerry cans — and their $7.50/gal contents — off the roof rack last night. Serves me right of course, leaving something like that in plain sight shouts "Steal Me Now" in any language. Oh well. As it turns out, we found one of the cans, Jerry's old one, now empty and missing the cap and spout, just a few miles up the ice road.

The ice road was mostly fine for driving and a really unique experience. It was close on 100 ft wide most places with long sweeping curves that begged for, and got, a certain amount of gentle four-wheel drifting. Lots of fun. The first half was down the Mackenzie River delta and reasonably flat with small cracks visible but nothing you could feel. We averaged close to 50 mph through this section. Once we got onto the ocean there was more waviness and a rougher surface but one could still maintain 40-45 mph (posted limit is 70 km/hr or 42 mph.) except in a few areas where there were deep cracks and some heaving. The worst of these areas were marked and one just had to be careful to intersect the cracks as close to 90° as possible. We saw five vehicles on the road on our way to Tuk and double that on the return trip.

There is a young fellow in Tuk, Sam Jacobson, who billeted with our family in Edmonton a couple years ago and he was delighted to have us visit and show us around town.

Photos Batch 1: Sad way to start the day; Broad and flat, the superhighway of the north; Keep your wheels out of this one!; A playful Sister Fay and little ones in the temporary Roman Catholic Church; Friend Sam, right, and a local artisan who carved this stone Inukshuk for my bride while we toured the town. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inukshuk

Edited March 26, 2012 by bamfordsgarage
Speling

[bamfordsgarage]

Our most fascinating tour today was the Tuktoyaktuk community freezer. Looking like a modest shack from the road, it is actually a series of tunnels and rooms located 30 feet below grade, and carved out of permafrost dating back thousands of years to the last ice age. Remarkable.

Photos Batch 2: You can't judge a book by its cover; Looking 30 ft down a frosty vertical ladder — the two black blobs are Sam and Jerry; Scientists have used this ice strata for researching climate history; Unlike Inuvik, water and heating oil are delivered by truck; And the collected sewage is pumped down this funnel into a lagoon. That is a Pingo in the distance — a naturally occurring ice mound unique to the Tuk area. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pingo

[bamfordsgarage]

The school is hosting a Northern Beaufort Winter Games this weekend, for 220 students and teachers from eight northern communities, some with only fly-in access to the outside world. Everyone is sleeping at the school — Sam toured us through the building and it was one very busy place.

Photos last batch: Snow soccer at the winter games; Another game — the Alaska High Kick which involves sitting on the floor then thrusting one's body and leg skyward to kick the fur-covered "fish" dangling on a rope. This fellow, a former student, has hit an incredible 7'10"; Public transportation, northern style; We Made It! Past the end of the road at a picnic site on the northernmost point of the Canadian mainland; We spotted the other stolen can, empty of course, on a snow bank as we approached Inuvik. It can't have been there long — we didn't see it this morning and surely someone else would have picked it up.

Edited March 25, 2012 by bamfordsgarage

[oldodge41]

Great trip, great story! So sad to know that "some low life mangy little snake kissing snot slurping stinking son of a rabid weasel" stole your gas cans and gas. Safe journey and thanks for taking us along.

[40plyrod]

I'm really enjoying your adventure even though I have to put on a sweater just so I can read it:D

[TodFitch]

Congratulations on making "the summit" as it were. But in climbing it isn't over until everyone is off the mountain. Same thing for this trip, so we are looking forward to your safe return and progress reports on your way home.

[RobertKB]

Chris and Jerry. Congratulations on "getting there"! Now we are all looking forward to the trip "getting back". Hopefully it will be as basically trouble-free as the northbound trip. When I see pictures of you and your car, I smile and am glad there are guys around that will do this kind of trip! Good luck on the way back to Edmonton. Looking forward to the posts.

[P-12 Tommy]

Wow!! I'm totally impressed with your journey!! Glad you guys are having a great time!

Tom

[Joe Flanagan]

I see the Amazon rain forest in you guys' future. Edmonton to Tierra del Fuego.

[Greenbomb]

Uh, oh, Joe- You might have just created a monster!!! It would be cool, though.

[T120]

...Joe,Are you "throwing down the gauntlet", thereby issuing a challenge in which you would be obliged to be a participant?

[Joe Flanagan]

I was just trying to see how little prodding it would take for them to start outfitting the Dodge for South America.

[T120]

Might not take much prodding at that

[bamfordsgarage]

Hello All, Day 9, Eagle Plains to Whitehorse, Our longest day at 536 miles, 3,113 total. Car running fine (everyone please knock on wood).

Thanks everyone for your kind words and encouragement. I intend to continue the updates as long as there is internet available.

We had an unusual night in Eagle Plains, which is basically a gas station, service shop and hotel/bar/restaurant, 220 miles from anywhere in either direction. We rolled in about 11:00 to get a room and couldn't find the desk clerk or any staff anywhere. So we figured to snooze in the lobby until someone came along. There was no wireless password required, so I could post the day's events and I got up a couple times to start and warm up the car. We spent the entire night on couches and by 7:00 the restaurant was open so we had breakfast, gassed up and left. Very strange. Not my best night's sleep, but we saved $145+tax, which was twice what we lost in the gas theft the night before.

Today was a long drive back to the south, basically retracing our steps from the trip up. We prefer to not backtrack, but there are few practical alternatives in the north.

Tomorrow its an oil change first thing followed by a short hop down to Skagway, Alaska for a look around then back up to the Alaska highway and east to Teslin, Yukon, home of the big bridge and tame mooses. We plan to take an alternate route back to Edmonton by heading south on the #37 Cassiar Highway into British Columbia and then east to Edmonton on the #16 Yellowhead Highway.

Joe and Ralph, sorry to say it would take some mighty big prodding to get me driving to South America — I've driven plenty in Mexico and Central American and while I have no problem duking it out with the other drivers I hate being shook down by cops and border officials. Its happened to me in Mexico, Guatemala and Nicaragua and I've had my fill of it.

On the other hand, if the forum would like to take up a collection for steamboat passage, it would be heaps of fun to take the old tub to Oz and have a Foster's with Andydodge...

Photos: Who let these bums into the building?; Copilot's view to the rear — nice to have when you are the highway slowpoke; Tightening the roof rack screws. Three of the 12 had worked a half-turn-plus loose; Our last crossing of the continental divide for now, and at 4,229 ft, the highest point on the Dempster Highway; Despite long summer days, the short growing season means post-fire forest regeneration is a long time coming.

[PatS....]

On the other hand, if the forum would like to take up a collection for steamboat passage, it would be heaps of fun to take the old tub to Oz and have a Foster's with Andydodge...

I have relatives in both Edmonton and Innisfail, Queensland, Australia and true to family form, there is ALWAYS COLD Fosters available!!!

I would sure donate to THAT trip!!!

Love the updates and while I am definitely not a fan of cold and snow, I would love to be tagging along...in a new Ram Truck as the chase vehicle:D:o:)

[Joe Flanagan]

The couches look better than I imagined them. Not enough room to stretch out, though.

[Young Ed]

The couches look better than I imagined them. Not enough room to stretch out, though.

You need one of these extending couches. I slept on this for 3 nights at the hospital. Its not pushed out very far in the photo but the end at my feet moves a couple feet out to turn it into a bed.