Day 41 (June 24). Dempster Highway, Part 2 (of 4)

From Eagle Plains, YT

To: Inuvik, NWT

Miles today: 228

Total miles: 9439

I didn’t know this before I started the Dempster. I was just trying to get to Inuvik so I could then proceed to the Arctic Ocean, and this seemed like a less “industrial” route than the Dalton Highway along the Alaska pipeline, the only other road in North America to the Arctic Ocean.  The Dempster is one of the top ten scenic drives in North America, and perhaps in the world.  Here are a few of my favorite photos from today.

Tombstone Range

I'm calling these Ice Floes, dammit

Tundra at Solstice along the Dempster.

Into the next range.

On the other hand, parts of the road were as difficult to traverse as anything I’ve come across so far. In addition to disruptive gravel and  slippery wet chip seal, I was thrown a new one today: wet chip seal with gravel.  (I thought the whole point of chip seal was that you didn’t have gravel, but apparently I misunderstood the chemistry of the substance.)  The wetness did not come from rain; it was a gorgeously beautiful day.  No, it came from gigantic trucks that were deliberately spraying water on the road, followed by other trucks that sprayed what is euphemistically called “Calcium.” They say this is to keep down dust, but I hadn’t seen much dust; what I had seen, and what I was dealing with, was slippery chip seal. Miles of it.  Later, I discovered more about the dust problem, and had to rethink my attitude.  The last 50 miles or so had not been “watered” in a while, and whenever a truck passed me going the other way the cloud of dust was so thick I honestly could not see for several seconds.  I was less concerned with a second truck ahead of me than one behind me, bearing down on me as I slowed to 5 mph.  Every time a big truck approached me (usually carrying gravel, I swear), I would check my rear view mirror first to see what, if anything, was behind me.  Finally I learned to just pull as far over to the side as I  could without going off the edge of the berm and just stop and wait for the dust to clear.  Why don’t they just pave the dammed road?  Because between permafrost and “frost heaves” it would be torn to pieces in the first winter. 

OK.  I think I need some motorcycle riding points for technical difficulty for reaching the end of the Dempste (I still have to go back!).  Amazing views the sides, nothing but anxiety straight ahead.  If I live through this, it will become my greatest “fish story” ever.  “How I Conquered The Dempster.”  (Or at least fought it to a tie.)

My two triumph pictures of the day.  Of the two, the latter is definitely the more impressive to me.