Departing Whitehorse on June 17th, we continued North on the Klondike Highway for our next stop Dawson City, YT. The drive of 536KM would take us most of the day and really starts to show the vastness of this northern wilderness.

Note: Before departing Whitehorse we had one more task to complete which was to engineer, develop, Macgyver, or somehow find a way to protect the Mini (tow car) from getting destroyed the remainder of our Alaska adventure. After considerable research and discussion I decided to head to Canadian Tire (one of or favorite stores in Canada) to see if I could figure out an economical functional solution… After several false starts, of different products, I finally decided to buy a large moving blanket, some grommets, and use some already owned cinch straps. The solution turned out to be very practical, not too offensive, and an effective way to minimize damage. While the glass and hood seemed protected the low spoiler would continue to experience the gravel blast for the remainder of the trip…

The Mini Protection Solution…

Thanks Canadian Tire…

Like most travel days Mike does the driving, while Joanne works on navigation and camping spots. We are a good team, which are important success factors in this Full-Time RVing lifestyle.  Having looked extensively at camping choices Joanne decided one of the best options was Yukon River Government Campground about 8 miles outside the city. We had already discovered these government campgrounds are a great value. The price is $12.00 canadian (or $9.00 US after the exchange). In addition to a very affordable rate they also include all the free firewood you want which can be collected at multiple stations in the park. Usually all of these government parks are dry camping locations which is fine with us given our solar system and tank capacities. After driving around the park we decided on a pull-thru site which had sufficient sun exposure to charge our batteries each day.

Klondike River Campground -Dawson City, YT

With our trip moving farther and farther north,  the hours of sunlight had already gotten exceedingly longer each day. Actually the sun wasn’t even setting only getting like twilight about 2:00 in the morning for a few hours before getting bright and sunny the next day. Since Whitehorse we had begun using our black out shades and our Camco insert that blocked sun through our fantastic fan vent.

Exploring Dawson City turned out be a great adventure for us. This little city has a rich heritage that is linked to the Gold Rush. Because of the permafrost up here the roads are still dirt/mud with sidewalks of wood planks. It clearly is a time warp that looks like a real Wild West gold rush town of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.

Welcome to Dawson City…

One of first stops in town was the Visitor Information Centre at the end of main street. The staff here was terrific and we signed up for a walking tour of the historic buildings later that day. Our tour guide France made the architecture, history, and experience come alive and was without question worth many times more than the $6.00 fee? We were able to walk into buildings that are traditionally closed to the public and France made sure to include stories and tales of the Gold Rush and  the lifestyle practiced by those of the Gold Rush Era. While visiting Dawson City over the next several days we stopped in and experienced, Jack London’s Grill (White Fang’s author), had ice Cream at Klondyke Cream & Candy, visited the famous Sourdough Saloon (where you kiss the toe?), took in a meal at the Eldorado Hotel/ The Bonanza Dining Room, took a drive up to the Dome Mountain Lookout,  and hiked several local trails including The Ninth Avenue Trail, The Waterfront trail, and parts of the Ridge Trail.

A toast at the Eldorado Hotel…

Views from the top of the Dome in Dawson City…

Views from the top of the Dome in Dawson City…

The Ninth Avenue Trail took us directly past the famous Robert Service Cabin which is a small museum today highlighting the contributions and literary works of this famous Dawson city resident.  It’s where much of the world has gathered their information and views about the Gold rush era….

Our second night in town we went to the famous “Diamond Tooth Gerties” casino show which might be the best show for the price we have ever attended. For $15.oo,  you can attend as many as 3 different shows a night (each different/unique) throughout your stay.   As you might guess, once again, Mike was picked to be part of the stage show…he’s working on another career with all these Can Can show appearances.

Diamond Tooth Gerties…

Diamond Tooth Gerties…

Diamond Tooth Gerties… & Mike Joining the show again!

One of the most distinct features of the land adjacent to most roads in the Dawson City area are the large piles of dredged stone everywhere you look -piles of polished stone are everywhere.  This eye sore was really bothersome to the environmentalist in Mike.  Ultimately,  these leftovers and remnants of greed/expediency from the “Gold Rush ” years are the result of the mining heritage here;   it is crazy how much the geography has been scarred by all the dredging.

Dredge # 4…

The dredge silt & leftovers…

The dredge silt & leftovers…

Although we didn’t do any gold panning here, which seems to be a big tourist attraction, we did visit the famous Dredge # 4 where you can really get the feel for what gold rush and other ore mining was all about in the heyday…

Across the street from Visitor Information Centre is a second center specifically designed for those interested in the Northwest Territories. The NWT Visitor Information Centre  provides information about the Dempster Highway, The Northwest Territories, Inuvik, Tuktoyaktuk (Tuk), and the Invuvik-Tuk Highway.

Since learning about this area of Canada, while visiting Whitehorse and now watching the movie at the NWT center we had started talking about how unique an adventure/drive to this last great frontier might be.  This trip requires a minimum of a 3-4 day round trip through some of the most remote parts of North America. It is almost 550 miles one-way or 1100 miles round trip from Dawson City.

With the knowledge that driving our RV or the tow car was not an option, we explored renting a truck camper for a week.  That really wasn’t a good choice economically!  We thought this side trip wasn’t going to happen….. Then we just couldn’t let it rest.  We wanted this once in a life-time adventure.  The staff at NWT Information Center told us about a new local business that rents small SUV’s in Dawson City just for the purpose to do this adventure.   Knowing it was a slim chance that they would have an available vehicle on such short notice, we nonetheless still decided to reach out to Klondike Car Rental.   Most rental companies specifically state that driving their cars on the Dempster is prohibited.  This company (owned by Ken in Dawson city) started about a year ago, rents vehicles just for this trip.

Klondike Car Rental has about 6 Ford Escapes which are rented for a minimum of 4 days to make this trip. While Ken does everything he can to maintain these vehicles, the trip certainly pays a heavy toll on windshields, bumpers, hoods, and tires. Ken is a good guy and after much discussion we decided to go for it. The cost is about $1,000 Canadian for a 4 day minimum rental and Ken gives you a brief run-down on the challenges of the trip along with 2 spare tires, 1 key which he warns you not to loose (As he won’t be able to get to you for a least 10 days or at all…), and the rules and responsibilities regarding vehicle damage, and then a hearty good luck…. Picking the car up on 6/21 (the Summer Solstice) we knew we were  in for a great adventure. We decided to leave our tow car and RV on the site at the Klondike Government Campground (since we had already paid). We packed a camp stove, blankets, clothes, some simple food, and we set off on this once in a life time adventure…

Klondike Car Rental Ford Escape….

The Demster Highway was begun in 1959 and was completed in 1978. It was officially opened in 1979 and was named  for Inspector William John Duncan Dempster of the RCMP. The Dempster is a challenging road because of the frost heaves, potholes, gravel sections, boggy or slick patches, and crushed shale (which is very very hard on tires). We would highly recommend  pulling -over (if space allows) for oncoming trucks or to allow trucks to pass  (this is critical to windshield preservation). You need to drive with your headlights on at all times.

The Dempster-Tuk Adventure…

The first stop on the Dempster is actually right at the entrance. GAS! There is a gas station on the corner that is the last gas until Eagle Plains about 229 miles/369 km. It is highly recommended you top off your tanks here!

The entrance to the Dempster!

Next stop is the Tombstone Territorial Park.   The Tombstone Interpretive Centre is at km 71.5 on the Dempster Highway. It’s a 1.5 hours drive from Dawson City, 7 hours from Whitehorse and 12 hours from Inuvik, NWT. The park actually covers  2,200 square km. The Dempster Highway bisects the park and provides an opportunity to view stunning arctic tundra landscapes, wildlife and access to some outstanding hiking areas.

Tombstone Territorial Territorial Park…

Tombstone Territorial Park…

After taking some great pics in Tombstone we continued on our trek north on the Dempster. It didn’t take long before we happened on the first of several people with car problems on the Dempster. (Note:Before departing on the trip we decided to bring our Viair compressor, a flat tire plug kit, and a gel inflator can.)  On this very remote road everyone seems to stop and try to help along the way. Our (first act of kindness) stop included a large SUV with 2 flats and a motorcycle rider with 1 flat. After helping them with our compressor we continued on our way …

We saw several broken down vehicles old & new with flats, broken axels, and steering/suspension issues. We were only a few hours in to this trip and it was clear the Dempster was clearly going to challenge all on this adventure.

Our next stop was about 2:30 for a picnic lunch at Engineer Creek Campground. While the mosquitos were bad, the views along the river were grand, and it was a great spot to stretch our legs and have a bite to eat. Continuing on our next stop was at “Ogilvie Ridge – Kwazhal Kak” for some pics and views of the countryside followed next by a gas stop at Eagle Plains Outpost (known as an oasis in the wilderness…) – needless to say gas isn’t cheap here though you have little alternative options….

A grizzly along the road…

After stretching our legs and getting gas we continued north to the next stop for a classic picture at the Arctic Circle…One would think this is near the end of this road though in reality it’s only a little over 1/2 way. Since the hour of the day was near dinner time we found several other Dempster travelers getting ready to cook dinner and boondock/park for the evening here. We opted instead to continue since today was the Summer Solstice and at this latitude we would have sun 24 hours up here… What we discovered on this trip is when you are this far North the sun on this day literally does a circle overhead and never sets… Very cool for sure.

The Arctic Circle on the Summer Solstice…

The miles & miles of wildflowers….

Eagle Plains and Gas…

Around 11:00 pm we got to the first of 2 free ferries along this route at the Peel River Crossing via the CF Abraham Francis.. The 2 Free ferries transport motorists across the Peel River and the Mackenzie River. Ferries operate about 15 hours a day in summer/fall, from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. between late May or early June to mid-October or first week in November. I proceeded to ask the ferry stewart how long it would take to get to the next ferry and he said he was doubtful we could make the last ferry of the night around 11:45 pm. Regardless we continued on hoping by chance we could make the last ferry of the night at Fort McPherson. We started looking for boon docking options once we realized we wouldn’t make the 2nd ferry.  After briefly exploring a few less than optimum spots we decided to just continue on to the ferry port. Actually around midnight a giant Moose jumped onto the highway in front of us that definitely gave us a wake-up call for the remainder of the drive to the ferry crossing.   Arriving at the ferry crossing about midnight,  we decided to  car-camp at the ferry entrance for the night. With the sun still shining brightly we tried to get comfortable in our rental car though after some car gymnastics we quickly realized the space was just a little too short to stretch our legs and needless to say we were in for a very uncomfortable few days in this Ford Escape. The laughs and dialogue we had that night will probably relive in stories the rest of our lives. I am actually laughing to tears right now as I write this. If you asked me to tell you all that happened that evening I would be at a loss, but the emotions and laughs are definitely anchored in!

Car Camping at the Ferry…

Our midnight Moose encounter…

The great Northern Frontier…

We woke up (or stopped lying with our eyes opened) in our Ford Escape around 5:00am and then proceeded to boil some water for our tea and cups of instant oatmeal; still laughing until the ferry arrived around 8:00am. Although the ferry is very small, we were fortunate they did have a head on the boat which we both immediately used…

The Northwest Territories…

By 8:30am we were on the other side continuing our quest for Inuvik.  Along this trip we can’t possibly describe the views, wild flowers, diversity of landscapes, mountains, rock formations, rivers , and just awe inspiring moments we witnessed on this drive. Every 50 miles was a completely different and new view. This truly is the last frontier in North America.

The Ferry…

The Ferry…

Most of the land on the Dempster and Inuvik-Tuk Highway is primarily inhabited by the indigenous Inuvialuit and the tribe of First Nations. They have been the only people living here for many, many generations and they take their livelihood, food, shelter, spirituality and everything from this sacred area. They are clearly a proud and hearty people.

Welcome to Inuvik, NWT…

We arrived in Inuvik, NWT about 11:00am and after touring a little of the town we decided to stop at the Visitor Information Center. The center had artifacts, history, a movie , and a wealth of information about the building of the Dempster and the Inuvik-Tuk highway. Prior to late 2017 the only way to travel to Tuk was by the infamous Ice Road which was made famous several years ago on the reality TV series “Ice Road Truckers”. Several years ago the road started becoming increasingly more dangerous to navigate due to the global warming threat; though the visitor’s center still shows highlights of this famous yearly engineering marvel which has only recently been discontinued.

Completing our Inuvik Visitors Center visit we decided the plan for the remainder of the day would be to venture north the additional 86 miles to Tuktoyatuk (Tuk). Unless we discovered a reason to spend the night in Tuk, we would just spend the day there and then return back to Inuvik late in the day.

The drive from Inuvik to Tuk was every bit as exciting as the first stage to Inuvik. Actually,  we thought the ride was a little better on this section (as it is a newer road).  Although we did find there is a ton of excess stone on the road and even more on the shoulder areas where the material had pushed to the side over time it actually seemed better maintained regardless of the fact the entire road is built on permafrost.

Arriving at TUK is both exhilarating and disappointing at the same time. You can’t help to be in awe of the Pingos in the distance that dot the coastline, though in contrast the first thing you actually see when driving into TUK is that the road requires you to navigate past the dump for the area  (Literally the dump).  It’s so unfortunate the town dump is so close to the road as you enter this special place at the top of the world…

The end of the Road North…

The Root Cellars of Tuk…

The Pingos…

Arriving at the visitor information center (very small) we got the lay of the land including directions to the famous Arctic Ocean sign, beach camping area, root cellars, public in-ground cold shelter for food, and the restroom (which is probably in our top 3 worst ever -sorry need to be honest here). The staff is nice  and we immediately head over to the sign and the beach.

Many tourists take the customary plunge in the Arctic Ocean which we opted to forgo and instead just dipped our toes, talked to a few locals, and then headed over to Grandma’s – the only place to get something to eat by the water. (Very Rustic trailer though she is known for her main dish –Beleuga Whale Meat/MukTuk…)

Getting into the Arctic Ocean…

Getting into the Arctic Ocean…

We spent a few hours taking in the scenery and fresh air, then decided to head back to Inuvik for the evening and a little campground called Jak’s Territorial Park just south of city.   After a few days/nights of car camping we decided a hot shower was a must this evening…

The long drive back…

I’d be lying if I said the Ford Escape is a good option for car camping. Even though neither of us are tall people it is still about 6 inches too short to stretch out in and the night at Jak’s was no different. Joanne had enjoyed her shower so much she decided to rise early to get another shower in before hitting the road. Mind you, with the sun never setting and the Escape just too small an early rise was probably a reprise from our rough sleeping option. With Joanne at the bathouse I thought I would continue to catch a few Zzzz’s.  When she returned to the site she started making some tea on the stove at the picnic table and it only took a matter of minutes for the infamous mosquitoes of the Northwest Territories to descend on her in mass. She opened the door and announced “We are leaving” …. Although it was only 5:00am I knew my easy going bride was not up for a discussion and I got up and packed quickly and we hit the road again…

Getting such an early start this day allowed us to catch the first ferries at both locations and then we drove the entire way back along the Dempster with no other challenges. The views and scenery going South were even better than coming North and it was an incredible day on the Dempster!   We both agreed that although car-camping is a long way from our normal camping lifestyle in the RV,  it was without question,  one of the greatest drives/trips we have ever taken. It was an adventure that we will cherish and remember forever…

Our belief is that it soon will become more commercialized and crowded over the next few years and we are so glad we got to complete it before this happens.

Arriving back in Dawson City in the early evening we spent some considerable time around the campfire, with our free firewood, (after showering), reliving and talking about our decision to venture into one of the last great frontiers of North America.  We reminded ourselves why we love and are so fortunate to be on this Revolutionary Journey….

We made it back although pretty dirty…