Day 11 July Inuvik and back down the Dempster

Inuvik is the end of the road in Canada, so they have no problem getting people to arrive in their town.  However they do next to nothing for them to extend their stay beyond 1 day. Get there, sleep and turn around and go back, unless you are taking an Arctic adventure there is no reason to stay.  Soon they will not be the end of the road. Next Year or 2 years from now the ice road to Tuktoyaktuk about 196km further north on the Beaufort Sea will be open in the summer to SUV/car traffic. 

Tuktoyaktuk has several things to offer over Inuvik; one a true Inuit community; Two the Beaufort Sea; Three the actual center of Inuit art, like 70% off all art produced comes from there; Four Beluga and Bow-head Whales, so maybe whale watching is a possibility. Not to mention that given its 200km further north, arctic tours will have to move their operations from Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk.

That aside I was a bit lucky, the Artist from Tuktoyaktuk and some local were having an artist Festival and so I took it in $5. Everything was for sale, lots of sculpture, painting some really good most childlike, clothing, rugs and jewelry.  I really like the sculptures stone and masks however $4k is not going to work for me. I think the best way the buy this stuff is at an estate sale or where it’s a fish out of water situation. Basically someone on their travels bought it and now their heirs are trying to get rid of it.  

There is one restaurant serving Inuit meals, it’s very near the Happy Valley camp ground, I missed it, their hours are a bit odd. However I did talk to the owners who turn out to be Swedish.

Leaving town I was not looking forward to the road, I made the mistake of washing my car, in particular my wheels.  There was quite a build-up of mud on the inside of the rims and the car wash removed only part making the tires unbalanced.  After several attempts with the power washer, I got my hand really dirty pushing the mud away. 

Leaving just after 2pm Yukon Time, the drive to the first ferry was ok, winds were calm and I noticed they have swallows nesting under the captains perch.  I filled up at Fort McPherson 1.399, BTW the car started right away today, I think I just got ½ tank of bad fuel, that’s why when I travel, I will only fill ½ tank at any unknown station.

The second ferry I got a private ride, The road conditions were dry now and the next 50km’s the road was stone not gravel, I did not notice this before and thought the road was very good in the wet but now dry it was the worst part of the trip back. Funny thing after the mid-point the rain started again and road became a nightmare again, plowing through either mud or fish tailing on loose gravel.  I pulled off at Engineers Camp within Tombstone Park just 191km from the end, made food and finish of my bottle of Thorn Crest Merlot 2013 very nice, too bad with free trade we can’t buy this in Ontario.

It would seem that deciding factor whether the road is good or not, is it wet or dry.  Wet watch out its tough driving, dry much easier but still you need to pay attention to the road and not the fantastic views out the window. There are no guard rails and by southern standards they should be everywhere.  I did see an SUV will off the road crashed in a river, on the way down it had been removed.

590km’s today.