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.