Greetings Friends and other observers,
Day of truth, the dreaded Dempster Highway, Klondike River Lodge, Yukon Territory to Inuvik, Northwest Territory, 456 Miles of gravel. The brochure says it's a 12 to 14 hour drive. It didn't say anything about 12 to 14 hours of suffocating dust. Some say don't start the highway if it's raining. The road surface, which is treated with a calcium solution to provide a hard surface when it is dry, turns to something that was described to me by another rider as "a combination of skim milk and baby powder" when it gets wet. So, we sacrificed a goat to the weather gods (in spirit) and prayed for fair skies and gentle breezes. And, you know what? It worked. Clear and beautiful all day, no rain.
The first 228 miles to Eagle Plains, the half-way point, where was gassed up and had lunch, was almost like driving on pavement, except for the dust. We were able to make 55 to 65 MPH, no problem. But, evil was lurking ahead just beyond the Arctic Circle, some 20 miles north of Eagle Plains.
After the obligatory photo at the Arctic Circle, we headed north again through barren mountain passes into an expansive valley of white flowers resembling little cotton balls. There must have been a thousand acres of them. In the next moment, we were slipping and sliding in loose gravel on the highway. After about ten miles we commented that we would have to remember that section of road on the return trip. Little did we know that the remainder day, another 200 miles, would be on that loose gravel that some fellow riders described as "riding on marbles." I've never worked so had to keep a motorcycle upright in my life. We were really working hard and working up a sweat.
The road department drops gravel on the road a grader smooths it out. Unfortunately, the graders also created small gravel berms that are nearly impossible to cross without causing the front tire to wander off on its own. It's incredible unsettling. I kept cranking my steering stabilizer down trying to stabilize the front end. It was only marginally effective. Our only salvation was to get in a wheel track and try to stay in it.
After two ferry crossings, which were welcome reliefs from fighting the gravel berms, and another 200 miles, we finally arrived in Inuvik, NT. We covered the 456 miles in a little less that 13 hours, including a gas/meal break in Eagle Plains.
We ended our evening with a 10:30 pm supper and a date with our beds while the sun was still high above the horizon. We're getting about 18 to 20 hours of sunlight at these northern latitudes. Tomorrow, were going to fight 228 miles of loose gravel again going south and quit for the evening at Eagle Plains.
I hope you enjoy the pictures. Remember--double click on the pictures to enlarge them.
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