Inuvik N.W.T. Lat. 68.3 N Lon. 133.7 W

We made it!   INUVIK  in the Northwest Territories
                   Lat.68.3 N 133.7 W
                      Kilometer 737.0

This explains it's self.

The sculpture at the entrance to the Inuvik Visitors Info Centre

Inuvik Info Centre

It seems very popular in the far north to have old planes as wind vanes and after Whitehorse that has the DC3 for their wind vane and now Inuvik has Cessna 140 and when there is a good breeze the prop turns and the plane turns into the wind. This is just outside the Visitor Information Centre.

Inside the Information Centre they had a wonderful display of Arctic animals and above the Mustox which were just about extinct a hundred years ago from over hunting and have been bought back to today and there is now a very sizable herd in the Arctic on Banks Island.

I just wanted to cuddle this Arctic Fox he was so adorable and soft.
The Caribou or Reindeer, with a very large set of antlers, note the one that comes from the right antler and runs down the bridge of the nose.

Buildings in Inuvik

The Igloo Church,  Our Lady of Victory Roman Catholic Church

Inuvik's Port on the Mackenzie River,  once again the water front like the ferry landings are reshaped with heavy equipment after the spring run off each season.  A barge on the left with living accommodations that can be moved to provide camps for working mine sites.  A lot of equipment comes down the Mackenzie River from Hay River on Great Slave Lake in Alberta.   Below there were four tugs and a barge not launched yet.

Because of the permafrost all buildings as the park models below have to be built above and off the ground on piles.  Any building built on the ground would eventually melt the permafrost and the ground would heave underneath the building  and it would buckle and lean. 

Inuvik was conceived by the Canadian Government in 1953.  It was intended to replace the hamlet of Aklavik in the Mackenzie Delta, which was subject to flooding and offered limited space for expansion. Originally it was named New Aklavik but this caused confusion for the delivery of mail and supplies, so the name Inuvik was selected in 1958.  In Inuvialuktun it means "Place of People". The Arctic Ocean is only 97 kilometers north and the Arctic Circle is 200 kilometers to the south. 

Inuvik has what is called the Utilidor System,  no plumbing can be dug into the ground due to the permafrost as all plumbing would freeze.  So this system carries the fresh water and sewerage pipes in a heated enclosed pipe to each house and building in the town.

As you can see this three story building built on legs and completely off the ground.
Smartie Box housing or known as Jelly Bean houses below.

The INUKSHUK.  The symbol of the Northwest Territories above
Below the Community Greenhouse, a project that germinated in 1998, the facility (a conversion of an old arena) is the most northern greenhouse in North America and the only community greenhouse of its kind in the world.  The purpose of the greenhouse is to ensure a more successful harvest and allow production of a greater variety of crops in an area where fresh economical produce is often unavailable.  The building houses two areas: raised community garden plots available to residents and a 4,000 sq ft commercial greenhouse. 

Inuvik - Mike Zubko Airport km 727

The view from Jak Park over looking the town of Inuvik and the river delta.

This Polar Bear was at the Vancouver 1986 World Expo in the Northwest Territories Pavilion and now graces the departure and arrival concourse at Inuvik - Mike Zubko Airport.  We had a very nice mustox burger at the restaurant there.

Air Canada does not fly into Inuvik but there are two northern airlines that have regular flights across the Yukon and Northwest Territories, Air North and Canadian North.
There is an Canadian Air Force base here with six hangers for jet fighter planes but it is in mothballs at the moment but ready if ever needed.  There is also a huge hanger for repairs on regular jets and well as these two pristine DC3's  one of them we watched take off and land again.

Mackenzie River km 607

72 kms further on across the low  Mackenzie Delta we come to the second of the ferry crossings at the community of Tsiigehtchic (Mouth of the Iron River) which is situated at the confluence of the Arctic Red River and the Mackenzie River. Tsiigehtchic is a Gwich'in community, the name of the First Nation People that have lived on the Delta here for thousands of years.

These grizzle bear tracks were fresh and right beside the ramp to the ferry, we scanned the bushes and area around with the binoculars but did not see it.  On our return trip I was mentioning the foot prints to the crew on the ferry and he said that they had watched the bear swim across the river that day.

 

We got talking to the two guys on the motor bikes, they were Aussies and bought their bikes in L. A.  had come north through the States, British Columbia and travelling this highway, then the Top of the World Highway and onto Fairbanks and Anchorage.

While crossing  on the ferry we were watching the swallows coming and going from their nests under the superstructure of the upper deck of the ferry.  Now we know were the swallows that build nests in the top of the pilings at the marina at the Kerikeri Cruising Club go in the southern winter.

Our graceful exit off the ferry onto the gravel ramp and road. You can see the equipment for leveling the gravel ramp if and when the river washes it away.

Peel River Ferry Crossing km 539

As we crest the last rise and look down on to the Peel River and the start of the Mackenzie River Delta.

This ferry  at km 539 winches itself back and forth across the river on a cable, there are no docks as such just dirt and gravel bulldozed to form the ramp. The two ferries we crossed are free and run daily early June to mid October.  During winter, (from the end of November to late April), except at fall freeze up and spring break up, there is an ice bridge at the crossing. In fall the ferry is pulled from the water sideways on skids up the river bank.

The front and back ramp of the ferry is dropped onto the dirt ramp to drive on and off the ferry.

North West Territories

To get to the Northwest Territories we have traveled through the Yukon Plateau North, the MacKenzie Mountains, the Ogilvie Mountains, Eagle Plains Plateau and here we are looking at the Richardson Mountain range still to be crossed with a mixture of tundra and boreal forest in the fore ground. 

 Km 465.0 of the Dempster Highway on the border of the Yukon and Northwest Territories.

The road disappearing off into the horizon.

Arctic Circle

The Arctic Circle at km 405.5

Amazing to think that we were having temperatures in the high 20c here on the Arctic Circle and Vancouver was only 16c that day.

The Highway conditions

The Boreal forest (Black Spruce) as we drive further and further north is getting shorter. The trees have a very short growing growing season and their root system is not very extensive due to the permafrost.

In the 737 kms of the Dempster Highway there are only four proper bridges, all the rest of the river/creek crossings are huge culverts and road built way up on top. When the road is built the soil only is scraped off the road bed and then large rocks are laid down, with smaller, then smaller to gravel size. The permafrost is not disturbed to prevent melting and then heaving of the road. 

The black tape is the first of the wind shield cracks, on the whole the gravel was very good but the big trucks do not slow down when you meet them but most tourists on the road were good at slowing down and pulling over.

Yes, at the bend in the road it widens and is an emergency airstrip, we came upon two built onto the road and one beside of the road.

Dempster Highway

Completed in 1979, the Dempster is the only highway in Canada that crosses the Arctic Circle and connects Dawson City with Inuvik in the Northwest Territories. The highway is not paved with various surfaces from gravel to crushed rock and hard packed sand. It is 737 kms in length with a return trip almost 1500 kms. Most travelers breakup the trip at Eagle Plains close to the half way point. The highway is open most of the year closing only during the spring breakup and autumn freezing. This is necessary as the Peel and Mackenzie Rivers are crossed by free ferries in the summer months and with ice bridges during the winter. 

When you turn off the Klondike Hwy on to the Dempster Hwy the above signs meet you. You cross a long one way bridge over the Klondike River and have a sealed road for five kms and then there is gravel.

For the trip up the Dempster Hwy we have a second spare tire with us but not mounted on a rim, we also have sleeping bags, blankets, pillows, two coolers with food, water, drinks and snacks, summer and winter clothes and most important BUG and BEAR SPRAY.

We started climbing into the Ogilvie Mountains almost straight away and entered Tombstone Territorial Park, we stopped at the Interpretive Centre over looking the valley we had just climbed out of at 71 kms. You can see the road climbing out beyond the building.
In the next valley we are above the tree line and the river below still has blue ice on the almost dry river bed.

Bear Country

In the Ogilvie Mountains we came up a rise and around a corner to the right and there was a grizzlie bear standing on his hind legs. (I think both our jaws dropped at the sight)  He must have heard the car coming up the hill. He came down on all fours and ambled across the road in front of us into the bushes. Bill wound his window down and I was able to snap off this quick photo of him grunting at us as we shot away before he changed his mind about us.

Eagle Plains

We left Dutchess at the Klondike Lodge at the junction of the Klondike and Dempster Highways and set off in 'Granny' our Suzuki Grand Vitara. This is what she looked like at the end of the first day at Eagle Plains.

The service centre and fuel pumps at Eagle plains with the Hotel beyond.

The view out either side to the ridge at Eagle Plains. We felt we could see for about 150 kms in each direction.

Dawson City

We took two days to drive the Northern Klondike highway from Whitehorse to Dawson City, stopping at Takhini Hot Springs and Moose Creek for the night on the way. This Welcome sign really typifies the buildings in town.