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Journey to the Land of the Midnight Sun · Sun. Aug. 7th, 2022 - Sat. Aug. 27th, 2022
Warning: This is an old trip - it already happened
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Start: Sunday, Aug. 7th, 8:00 am
End: Saturday, Aug. 27th, 8:00 pm
Pre-trip meeting location: TBA, we will plan to meet before summer sometime
Description:
The Dempster Highway cuts through the tundra of the far North, connecting Dawson City, Yukon to Toktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories at the Arctic Ocean. Along the way it passes through stunning scenery and crosses the Arctic Circle into the land of the midnight sun.
This drive (and associated adventures along the way) has long been high on my list and this summer I will be fun-employed enough to attempt it with my partner Jessica. We have room for 2-3 more in my truck, and would welcome other drivers if there is interest in this trip. The plan, however, is somewhat complicated as this is a smaller portion of our nearly summer-long Alaska/Yukon road trip/bikepacking/backpacking adventure.
We won't be able to pick people up in Vancouver, so anyone wishing to join will have to either fly (to Juneau or Whitehorse) or drive themselves (to Whitehorse) to meet us. The important dates are as follows:
August 7 (8am) - Arrival in Juneau via ferry. This is the first opportunity to meet up, as Juneau has an international airport. Note that Juneau is not accessible by road and anyone joining would need to book a ferry ticket to Skagway.
August 9 (6am) - Departure from Juneau to Skagway via ferry. (You will need to book this ferry)
August 10-12 - Backpack part of the Chilkoot Trail in Skagway, Alaska.
August 12 (late) - Arrival in Whitehorse. This is the second opportunity to meet. Whitehorse has an airport and is also car accessible via a long drive from BC.
August 14 - Depart for the far North
August 15-17 - Backpack in Tombstone Territorial Park, Yukon
August 17-21 - Drive Dempster Highway up to Toktoyaktuk, NWT and back down to Dawson city, YK
August 21-27 - Drive back to Vancouver, taking our time and stopping along the way to explore northern BC (like at Liard Hot Springs, Smithers). We could drop people off in Whitehorse along the way if they want to fly or drive out sooner.
This will be a long trip in uniquely challenging and remote terrain, so we are requiring previous backpacking and camping experience for those who join. I cannot stress enough how remote these places are - there are only 3 places to get gas on the entire 737km Dempster Highway, which is almost entirely dirt! Wildllife is no joke either - we will need to always be alert for grizzly bear and moose, and at the Arctic Ocean it is possible to encounter polar bears.
Thus you will need to have bear awareness skills and have/know how to use bear spray.
Other things you will need include:
- durable camping gear (and comfort camping in grizzly bear country)
- bug spray and mosquito net (they can be quite intense)
- backpacking gear
- willingness to share costs, including chipping in for bringing the truck up to Skagway
If you're serious in your interest and able to make any of these date ranges work, please email or message me and we can chat. There are things to book which do fill up so the sooner we get things sorted out the better.
Cheers,
Isaac
PC: https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20220124-driving-canadas-toughest-road
Posted: 2022-04-04 13:23:36
Last modified: 2022-04-04 14:28:55