Edmonton to Inuvik

[pidgey]

Well it was quite a trip, 6315KM in just under three weeks. The rig performed admirably, the only issue I had was a broken gas can bracket at the end of the Dempster. I did two oil changes on the road and cleaned the air filter three times. When the weather is dry on the Dempster (which it was) the dust is incredible, when it rains, it's a sea of mud particularly on the mountain passes.
But overall, it's not a bad drive and there were a few guys doing it on two wheels. I saw a KTM, a few GS's and a KLR. I allowed myself two days to do the distance of 740KM, and had an overnight stop at Eagle Plains, the halfway point.

The Beginning: The giant Beaver, Beaverlodge Alberta


Mile '0' of the Alaska Highway, Dawson Creek B.C.


Our camping setup, Ft. Nelson B.C. just before the thunderstorm


More rain in northern B.C.


Rest stop, Toad River B.C. after a 50km's of road construction


Some of the locals


Crossing into Yukon and finally some sunshine


More to come

[Tud]

Fantastic!!! Looking forward to more pics.

(hehe, giant beaver, giggity giggity)

[berger]

(hehe, giant beaver, giggity giggity)

I knew it!!

No comment about the gas can bracket Tud??

[palica]

Waiting for some more... (Mike, we need the pop corn eater smily).

Thank you for sharing.

Fred

[bikerdruid]

hey man. sorry i missed meeting up with you. i was not in the house the other day and missed your calls. bummer.
sounds like a fantastic trip.

[Tud]

(hehe, giant beaver, giggity giggity)

I knew it!!

No comment about the gas can bracket Tud??

I would have said something, but I was absolutely floored that one would fail. I am just now picking myself up off the ground after reading that someone had a problem with one of the brackets. He must have abused it terribly.

OK, so I'm not busy enough with work, and now school is starting up again and I've already got assignments due for the first day, which is three weeks away, but I've also started looking for sponsors for my next adventure. No, I'm not going to head up another run north, or anywhere else for that matter. What I am planning to do however, is enter the 2011 Budapest to Bamako rally and I'm starting to get some material together that. I'll keep you all posted on how it goes, still not sure if it'll be on the bike or not.

[cubituscubitus]

What I am planning to do however, is enter the 2011 Budapest to Bamako rally and I'm starting to get some material together that.

Hi Tud,
On your way to Budapest, I hope you'll make a stop in Belgium, the wife and I would be glad to have you spend some time in our home, you'll be welcome !
(Needless to say that this applies to any fellow Curdite who makes it to Europe !)

[cubituscubitus]

Hi Pidgey,
Sorry for my hijacking your post, I apologize - thanks for sharing your ride !

[pidgey]

hey man. sorry i missed meeting up with you. i was not in the house the other day and missed your calls. bummer.
sounds like a fantastic trip.

Yeah, sorry it didn't work out, I was looking forward to seeing your Dnepr........Wife wanted to push on to her mom's in G.P. so we did over 700km in the heat on Tuesday.

[pidgey]

Sign post forest, Watson Lake YT. Kind of cool to wander thru, signs from all over the world. It was started by a U.S. serviceman during the construction of the Alaska hwy.


Teslin Lake YT


Arriving in Whitehorse


A C.J. that I spotted in downtown Whitehorse. Owner had it shipped from Alberta.


The S.S. Klondike, once a lifeline for communities upriver, now a tourist attraction in Whitehorse


Arriving in Dawson City


Historic hotel, downtown Dawson


Gassing up prior to starting the Dempster. No gas for 350km


Unusual menu items


The Dempster begins

[pidgey]

Easy going at first. Can't be like this the whole way, can it? Not a chance.....


The Ogilvie mountain pass. some rough road around here...


Going gets tougher, very soft, dry gravelly dirt material, front wheel sinks into it big time.


Eagle Plains, the halfway point. The place is a dive, but the showers are hot and the beer is cold.


The Arctic circle marker, about 30km north of the motel


Snow


A pic of the mountains near Wright pass.


The ferry across the Peel river

[palica]

Oh Jeeezzzz, it starts again.... How far is Alaska from Quebec?

Thank you again. I miss it.

[mastercylinder]

Looking good, pidgey. Some of those places look familiar. Hopefully you weren't the only one having fun.

[berger]

Oh Jeeezzzz, it starts again.... How far is Alaska from Quebec?

Thank you again. I miss it.

I was thinking the same thing. I am getting very fed up with work right now, and I am seriously contemplating leave income averaging....

Great pics Pidgey.

[Tud]

What I am planning to do however, is enter the 2011 Budapest to Bamako rally and I'm starting to get some material together that.

Hi Tud,
On your way to Budapest, I hope you'll make a stop in Belgium, the wife and I would be glad to have you spend some time in our home, you'll be welcome !
(Needless to say that this applies to any fellow Curdite who makes it to Europe !)

I'll be sure to keep this in mind, and if I'm nearby I will definately take you up on it.

[Tud]

Those are great pictures, and I think the trip is all the more better for having your family along. Kudos to your wife for putting up with the kids in the car by herself. It's great to see people including their young children in their adventures, I think I would have been hard pressed to convince my wife to follow us up to Goose Bay with the boys in the car.

[pidgey]

Thanks, guys. Yeah, the wife did great driving and having the kids all day, I owe her big time........

Waiting for the MacKenzie river ferry


Graves of the NWMP lost patrol at Ft. McPherson


MacKenzie river


Arriving at our final destination, Inuvik NWT


The 'igloo' church in Inuvik


Crossing back into Yukon at the NWT 'border'


I need a bath


Fireweed in bloom on the Dempster


Dempster on the way back to Dawson


Just descended the Ogilvie range

[pidgey]

Our hotel in Dawson city This subsidence is caused by building directly on top of the permafrost, nowadays they sink pilings and raise the building up so that heat from the building vents away from the ground.


Lyle from Calgary on his modded Beemer. That's a 42 Liter tank he has on it


Gassing up on the road


Cadets on parade in Whitehorse. We met up with our son here.


Sign at the sign forest. Kinda applicable to Urals...


My busted fuel tank bracket. I'm gonna have the damn thing reinforced for the next big trip


Not surprisingly, the Dempster (and the Alcan in places) were hard on the rubber. I had installed a brand new Heidenau on the pusher prior to leaving. 2500km later in Dawson City is still looked more or less new. By the time I reached Inuvik it was 2/3 worn and I needed to change it out when I got back to Whitehorse. Total kms on it was 4700. I can still use it as a spare, but there's not much tread left.

[Spicy McHaggis]

Awesome! Glad to see someone else with a Ural is willing to go even farther North on the Dempster than I did! Bravo!

[URAL CT]

Hi Pidgey,
Great ride report....enjoyed it a lot..
I noticed the med cannister you have on the back. I have one just like it, I think. Would you mind getting a close-up picture of how you mounted it on the rear of the bike. I like the way you mounted it. Where did you get the bracket? Please let me know. Thanks!
Charlie T...