2009 June - Inuvik

[drbike]

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Yeah, for sure, it is a view worth savoring. There is a great little campground in Mayo as well. Have good memories of cooking steaks drinking a little beer and basking in the sun, it was a fine time. Hope the weather is as good this time around. I think that if we get that far we have to have a photo in front of the sign. I think its as important photo as the well photographed Artic circle sign.

Any other suggestions?

 

[04klr]

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before getting to Keno to see the really old Polaris sled, as you are arriving via the Cassiar, hang a left at Watson Lake (after obligatory photos), gas up full at johnsons crossing (hit the bakery yum) up the South Canol Rd. to Ross river, amazing scenery, then over to a side of Mayo on the Campbell hwy, cuts outa bunch ofAlcan Hwy. and don't go to Dawson without doing the Top Of the World, wow.

 

[MTR SPORTS]

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Hey 04KLR

Have you been up the North Canol?

I'm planning on riding it beginning of June.

Robert

 

[Proudman]

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My info is that the North Canol goes from Ross River to the NWT border (aka highway 6) and then on to Norman Wells, NWT (and it may just be a trail).

There is a road from Ross River to Carmacks but nothing that I have found that goes from Ross River to Mayo.

 

[Proudman]

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I'm trying to figure out how long it will take us to reach Inuvik and where we can over night.

How long of a day should I make it? I'm just looking at riding time to figure how far we should be able to go in a day.

 

[RocketMan]

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Proudman wrote:

I'm trying to figure out how long it will take us to reach Inuvik and where we can over night.

How long of a day should I make it? I'm just looking at riding time to figure how far we should be able to go inDempsre

Dempster corner to Inuvik only takes 10 hrs if the road is good,and that still gives plenty of time for pictures.Whitehorse to dempster corner only takes 5hrs if you go straight there.Might be worth going halfway up the Dempster and staying at Eagle plains for one day,that way you can take it in and not rush.Nice thing about riding up there is its daylight pretty much all the time so you could put in some really long hours if you need to make up some time.

 

[drbike]

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Last time we did it we rode out of Dawson City leaving bright and early, 9:00 or so. We then fooled around looking for fuel containers in case. By the time we hit Eagle Plains it was lunch and the food was welcomed but service was slow, it was nearly dinner by the time we left. Got to Inuvik just as the bar was closing:X!!! Our mph was so slow going up the Dempster none of us needed the extra fuel we carried I still had a quarter of a tank left.

Ten hours from the crossing seems about right but it never gets dark so what the heck. Lots of places to stay in Inuvik, I got a room at the Eskimo Inn just because I liked the name (its so not right) might of been called the igloo inn I forget. If it rains that ten hours can be much much longer. I think you can safely say 3 days for an in/out, one in one out and one to explore, if the road is bad you will use it all, if not your back half a day early. There is so much to explore and experience up there, I spenta few hours on the way back just sharing a meal and talking with the park interpreter at one of the campgrounds along the way. We also had a meal with a reindeer herder and a couple of funny Inuit ladies, what a hoot....it was soooo Canadian Chinese food at two in the morning at a no name muti racial food outlet.

Is it worth adrive into Fort McPherson do you think?

Greg call me:talk: if you get a chance, I am home today.

 

[Proudman]

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I can't call any where today as I am at a hotel in Stewart, BC that doesn't have telephones in the rooms.

This is my first draft of an itinerary to get us to Inuvik for the 21st, averaging 500 KM per day:

Day 1 2009 Jun 16, TuesdayTerrace0 km

Day 2 2009 Jun 17, WednesdayDease Lake 562 km

Day 3 2009 Jun 18, Thursday Teslin 1,049 km

Day 4 2009 Jun 19, Friday Ethel Lake 1,625 km

Day 5 2009 Jun 20, SaturdayEagle Plains2,248 km

Day 6 2009 Jun 21, Sunday Inuvik 2,615 km

I have chosen stops with campgrounds with the exception of Eagle Plains. If we want to lay over there we should make reservations now. We may be ready for a shower by then .

Nothing set in stone, just thrown up for discussion purposes. I've never been on a long ride so I don't know if 500 km per day is too much or not enough. It certainly leaves us time for challenges, side trips, and ER visits .

I want to spend some time in Fort McPherson and Arctic Red River as I used to be stationed up there. I was thinking of asking the current RCMP if they would let me camp in someone's back yard. We used to have a whole compound up there so it shouldn't be a problem.

I was thinking that D2D is doeable but may want to pace ourselves on other routes, depending on when everyone needs to be home.

 

[Proudman]

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I pre-ordered a copy of the 2009 Milepost online and they gave me an electronic version of the 2008 Milepost. They have the best maps so far. I found more campgrounds and points of interest.

If anyone will need hotels please let me know as I will try to make sure that our overnight stops have hotels and campgrounds.

 

[04klr]

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I'm gettin old maybe my memory is too, I was thinking that Mayo was well on the Dawson side of ross river along the Campbell rd (hwy), I'll double check, in response to a reply later than this one 500km days arefine if that is your days worth, personally my days tend to be much longer than that, eg. Dawson-Inuvik with sit down lunch and beer @ Eagle plains with all photo ops along the way. There is a great campsite just shy of Inuvik ((walkable to the bar),a tower to climb for a better view, good showers AND lots of sunlight at 5am.

 

[drbike]

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I like the way 04 put it, I agree that 500 km days are a litte short, 500 miles may be a bit more like it. I did not know about the campground within walking distance of the bar. The hotel was within rolling distance, but rolling up the stairs was a little tough, they were made out of that expanded or extruded mesh.:hb:I will keep an eye out for the campground this time.

 

[04klr]

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DOH! now I'm thinkin it was a walk to the one night (ripoff) B&B (with1/2 a "B") and a very short (minute) to the campground,I was shooting all 35mm so posting pics isn't going to happen.

P.S.if the trip is to be done on a KLRsuggested to tape up the vents in the front fender for the trip as the vents quite efficiently route sloppy calcium whatever it is onto the rad (which leads to stopping by the river and using a toothbrush and clear cool H2Oto clean the crud outwith) just a thought.

hmm, this toothpaste seems gritty

 

[CANADIAN BACON]

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drbike wrote:

Yesssssss you can come, and I will even buy the first round at the bar across the street from the Eskimo inn.

We had a great ride last time, it was all fun and most relaxing. We even saw a few female joggers with major headlight flashing along the way. I think that is the main reason Vince wants to do it again. Might be wrong he missed out on some big buns...along the way he may be going back for those.

There is an annual ride into Dawson run by a bunch from Anchorage from what I can gather, dust to Dawson or d2d, which is a hoot as well the party goes on in Inuvik on the solstice weekend, where the Canadian Government buys everyone lunch, we managed to do both last time and it was good.

I wouldn't mind going further west this time, but am really easy, don't really care. You can come but now you have to plan it.....

As far as I am concerned the more the better. I mostly camped but the other inmates I traveled with motel-ed it most of the time, lots of options in most places. Loads of gas and tons of options for food, we did have problems with beer once, bad planning.

I just booked the time off work as of the 16 of June, Ishould beback a couple of weeks latter, but that can be changed. This is about when we did it last time and the weather was pretty good. It was surprisingly hot, and dry. The only real bugs were in Atlin.

Hello Painless
The A1 guy phoned me about your E mail.:talk:
Thanks for the head light guard:tup:
Any way my Son writes exams 17-19 June. The plan is to purchase a new KLR and travel to Deadhorse Alaska. After that ride we plan to come back through Chicken and then see if we want to run to Inuvik. The A1 guy likes that Dempster road so my Son and myself may be the only ones going to Prudhoe Bay.
Doesn't matter we're all in the same hemisphere.
Iam told the way to travel to Deadhorse, rent a room at Wiseman for two nights and leave your gear in the room and do a return trip to Prudhoe rest up and head out the next day.
Good to hear your still "Grinding" away:dr:.
Keep in Touch

 

[drbike]

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Well well well Canadian bacon.....we can change dates, I was hoping you were going to come along. We can change dates I am sure its still early in the game. Going up to the American north spot would be good too. If we go much latter I could actually take my other bike and my youngest kid who finishes school about the 27Th apparently anytime after the 20 th they are welcome to leave.

I am taking the summer off anyways so really I could leave in the last week of Juneand not need to be back till the second week of September. I am planning to head across northern Canada, Translabador highway, followed by Trans-newfoundland rail road and down to Mexico across to the Baja and home up the west coast. With side trips here and there so chime in with the date you want and see what happens.

Glad you like the guard, make sure you stick it on, it will save you 87.00 for a new headlight (ask me how I know).

 

[CANADIAN BACON]

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My Son is finished school June 19. We'll probably leave here the 22nd.
I have two other Son's in P/G and would like to spend some time there.
I can either do the time on the way up or down, maybe a little bit of both.
Iam like you no rush. However I can't wander out of B.C. this trip.
Your itinerary looks pretty impressive for this year. Iam toying with the idea of a ride down to Cape Horn. Although a trip to Deadhorse will probably beat that idea out of me.:wi::wi:
I think bringing your new Graduate along would be a great idea. That would give my young fella someone to talk to. We are trying to do a deal on a 06KLR but the seller wants $5000 I thing it's a little pricey. My Corbin saddle is starting to get "Sitable",
I let my Son ride a lot, using the bike to go back and forth etc.
Anyway June is down the road and the planning process has begun.:dr:
And besides he who has a gps rules:tup:
Wish I had a GPS,
May your flat tires never run out of air:hf:

 

[drbike]

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Have had a downed computer for a while....glad to be up and running again.

Think the new plan is to leave Terrace, on the morning of June 20th, up through the lava beds and cranberry junction.

Going through Dease lake (in to Glenora and Telegraphor not)

Through Dease River crossing up to Watson more or less

up to Ross river Canol road or not over to Carmacks, up to Stewart Crossing into Keno city or not nice camping in Mayo

Up to Dawson City into Inuvik or not down to Tok up to Fairbanks, into Prudhoe bay from here its southward.....

Trip is intentionally vague I am in absolutely no rush after this little trip I will continue to the east coast and down into Mexico and further south perhaps, I need to be back by the second week in September.

I really did not like the run on the Alaska Highway too much especially on the KLR its just a big road, thought for a change the Campbell may be fun but lets vote.

I am not sure how it will turn out but one of my daughters wants to come along, she is missing the bike and the skills but she is a fast learner, she reminded me her dad went to Inuvik on a learners and figures she can too. I have no doubt she will be fine, she is awfully short, any suggestions for a dual sport of someone just over 5 feet. Reliable but cheap if possible.

I am sure this will turn out to be a little loosey goosey, I know some of the group will go into Inuvik for sure, me included,but I would also love to go into Deadhorse.

I personally like the date of the 20 th from Terrace as a start location and Date.

We got a few months to throw around ideas and between cell phones and INTERNET we can track each other down once on the roadif necessary. Say for example if you want to stay in PG with some folks and not go up the Dempster we can meet up in Tok or someplacea while latter. There may be some people from PG joining the group but if they leave PG on Saturday they will be a day behind us, if we go into telegraph on the way up that would allow time for a catch up, I am sure it will all work out it always does and one way or antoher we will all have great memories and stories to tell.

 

[Proudman]

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I have most of the optiongs mapped\GPSed (a new word?). I just don't have any Alaska digital maps for MapSource yet. I am working on acquiring everything on my packing list too.

I've fallen a bit behind on this important stuff as I have been working on starting a business. I will be caught up soon.

I will have a computer with me on the ride (maybe just a web browser on a cellphone that I don't have yet) so joining\rejoining the ride should be easy (famous last words).

My first choice is to go straight through to Inuvik to catch the height of the solstice. Not a big deal to be there on the 21st, just as close to it as possible. Would like to do all of the side trips on the way back south. The problem may be that I wan to do ALL of the side trips. Will even get a passport so I can get into the US on the highway and not have to go on the drug trails, although I'm told that's one place to meet interesting people.

 

[hardyklr]

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Trip is intentionally vague I am in absolutely no rush after this little trip

I like this approach. My advice, IMHO, is to dump the mileage charts and endless lists/planned ride km and not overplan or get caught up with too many logistics about riding on routes that have been travelled by thousands before. This ain't rocket science and the best parts of riding the Yukon/Northern BC are all the local side roads and spurs that you will find by flying a bit under the radar and talking to locals.

 

[CANADIAN BACON]

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10/4 TERRACE on the 20th of June:wi::wi:
We'll push hard from the Kootenays and visit in P/G on the way back.
Will take in Inuvik on the way up then go to Deadhorse and all the side trips I want to show "Piglet".
I just have to figure out when I'll be in Prudhoe Bay so I can make a reservation.
On the way back Yellowknife would be a nice side trip.
I plan on camping everywhere except Deadhorse and Fairbanks.
My Son did a 1200k bicycle trip last summer so he is up to this trip.
WHO'S OLD:dr::dr:

 

[Proudman]

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I used to be stationed in Tuktoyaktuk and saw a narwall swimming by one day. When we get to Tuk we can check out the pingo and the DEW Line site, too. On the down side, when I was up there you couldn't buy a beer in town, at least not legally:hb:.

The only thing that is firm is that we leave from here (Terrace, BC) on the morning of the 20[suP]th[/suP] and head north on highway 113 through the Nisga'a Memorial Park lava beds. They are awesome.

Everyone is welcome to stay over night at my house on the 19[suP]th[/suP]. I only ask that you let me know a little in advance so I can lay in supplies :br:and can make sure that everyone has a fairly soft area to bed down in.

This is going to be one awsome trip.

Greg