Overland Journal Arctic

8/4/2019 Overland Journal Arctic

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Overland Journal Winter 2007


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By Scott BradyPhotography by Scott Brady

and Chris Marzonie

A solo vehicle adventure to lands endArctic Ocean Expedition


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The Ends of the EarthThere has always been something about distant places that resonates deeply within the adventurer. A

mountain summit, a coastline, the end of a roadall pull at us, inspiring the commitment and sacrice

necessary to continue past the horizon, or beyond another false summit. An end is a goal, and in our

case, the end was Tuktoyaktuk, the last vehicle-accessible human outpost in northern Canada, over 230

miles north of the Arctic Circle, clinging to the edge of land and the start of the frozen ocean. Thenal stage of our route would take us down the ice road on the Mackenzie River, which each year freezes

solidly enough to support 18-wheelers.

Getting to Tuktoyaktuk was not easy; in fact it took over 3,000 miles and eight days of solid drivingto just reach Whitehorse, in the Yukon Territory. From Prescott, Arizona, we drove north, over HooverDam, through Las Vegas and another 200 miles beyond to our rst camp, in Utah. Before sunrise, we

were on I-15 again, and into Salt Lake City, where we had lunch with Paul May of Equipt Outtters. I

have always enjoyed meeting up with friends and other adventurers along a road trip.Next was Idaho, and then Jackson, Wyoming, and the Gun Barrel Steak and Game Restaurant,

which served without question the most impressive cuts of buffalo and elk I have enjoyed outside ofmy uncles Brady-Vekol Ranch. Stuffed and tired, we camped along the Snake River and for the rst

time used our arctic bags. We only had the liners left for additional warmth, and still another 40 degreesof temperature drop to deal with.

One of the highlights of the trip north was a stop at American Expedition Vehicles (AEV), and aday on the trail with Dave Harriton and their two Icelandic expedition vehicles. The specially prepared

Jeep Commander and 4-door Wrangler were built to support a glacier crossing and kayak expedition.Our trek took us into the mountains of Missoula and into the deep snow still clinging to their northernface. The Commander drove much better than it should have, given the 40-inch IROK tires tted for

maximum otation on Icelands Vatnajokull Glacier. Even at street pressures, the Commander climbed

high into the forest, further aided by the Hemi V8 and the teams experience in Montanas deep snow.Spending the day with AEV was a further boost to our excitement about getting to the Arctic, and it

was impressive to see how much a small team can accomplish with the right talent.The next day we crossed into Canada, and faced our rst real challenge of the trip. It appears that

three guys driving a fully kitted-out truck plastered with commercial decals raises much more suspicion

crossing into Canada than Mexico. After a few moments talking to the border guard, we were asked topull over and see the ofcer upstairs. Next came the waiting, sitting in a small room with a few chairs

and even fewer things to read. Chris, Pasquale, and I looked around at the various framed pictures ofthe Queen and highway safety campaign posters, all the while attempting to look as innocent as possible.

The ofcer asked a few questions, took our passports, and then asked us to sit again. More waiting, andmy imagination was now picturing our failed expedition turned back at the border for violating someobscure vehicle regulation. From around the corner, the ofcer rst called Chris into his ofcealone.

Even though I was concerned, things were, at least, getting interesting. This guy is checking out our

story, I commented to Pasquale, and he responded with a half-crooked smile. I normally love crossing

Journal Entry, March 29thIt is 2:30 a.m. The temperature outside the canvas wall of the roof tent is 50 degrees below zero Fahrenheit.

I retreat deeper into my sleeping bag , drawing my arms across my chest. Im drifting between restless sleepand half-awake shivering; the slightest movement sucks frigid drafts around my face and neck, causing me to

cough, lungs rebelling against air cold enough to injure them.

I am startled to alertness by what at rst feels like a strong earth tremor, or a furious blast of wind. The

truck and tent are shaking. Finally I realize that Pasquale, in the bag next to me, is shivering violently, inter-

spersed with bouts of deep coughing.

Pasquale! Are you okay? I ask. He responds through chattering teeth, I split out the zipper in my bag ,

and I cant feel my legs.

Fully awake now, I immediately yell to Chris, sleeping in the other tent mounted on the trailer. Chris, get

up! We need to get out of here, now!


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WhitehorseAfter driving for days on the Alcan, each town barely registering as a blip in our daya stop for

expensive fuel, cheap coffee, a slice of brown bread, and the irtation of WiFi (travelers note: a sign in-dicating Wireless Internet is not a guarantee of actually connecting to the internet)Whitehorse came

as more than a surprise. First, it was much bigger than we expected, and it has great coffee, real WiFi,

and more than a few excellent resources. The downtown area has great character, a decent sushi place,the Edgewater Hotel, located along the Yukon River, and most important of all, The Kanoe People,

a family-run outtting company that specializes in expeditions farther north. They also rent personal

locator beacons (PLB), which would be our only means of calling for help once on the ice.We performed a full inspection on the truck, and rearranged the trailer by putting the lighter sleep-

ing bags and clothing on the bottom, and moving the survival gear and Arctic supplies to the top. Wealso topped off both of the trucks fuel tanks (18-gallon main, 22-gallon auxiliary) and the trailers jerrycans (10 gallons) in preparation for the push to the Dempster. As we would discover, nding fuel, or

more bad coffee, would not be that difcult.

The DempsterThe Klondike Highway is a well-maintained road, and proved to be not only exceptionally scenic,

but also an easy segment of our journey. This allowed us to subtract nearly a day from our schedule,as we covered the Klondikes entire length in only ve hours. So, with a camp in Dawson City not

needed, we topped off the fuel tanks a few minutes before the gas station closed, and turned north

on the Dempster Highway, despite warnings from the shopkeeper that weather was moving in and theDempster was closed.

We decided to air down the tires on the truck and trailer. This would improve the ride quality on theuneven route, and also increase our traction on the irregular ice found farther north. Then we started

up the 417-mile-long gravel road, looking for a place to camp.Camping on the Dempster in winter is not an easy task, mostly because people dont camp on the

Dempster in winter. All the campgrounds were closed, and deep snow prevented access to any side trail

or rest area. We continued to drive, growing more concerned as the sun began to set, casting a rose-colored glow across the roads surface, the distant mountains standing in sharp detail against the bent

and broken spruce that created a corridor to the north. We scanned the sides of the road looking fora trail, even a pull-out that would provide protection from the building wind and 24-hour truck trafc.

Luckily, we found a side road that led into a stand of trees, apparently used by loggers to collect woodfor heating the homes in Dawson City.

We pulled back into the trees and shut off the motor. It would be well below zero that night, andwe would have to trust that our large battery, synthetic drivetrain uids, and the Toyotas toughness

would allow it to start in the morning. We deployed the roof tents, climbed inside, and cooked dinner

borders, and I had thought Canada would be all smiles and ehs welcoming our visit. No, we weregetting questioned more by the Mounties than I did at a military checkpoint on the Algerian border.Pasquale was next, passing Chris as they traded seats. Then came my turn, and the ofcer honed in on

my time in service, asking about which base I was stationed at, was I deployed overseas, etc. Then hestood up and said, Welcome to Canada, and with that we were blazing north to nd the rst green

beer we could order for Saint Patricks Day.To break up the drive a bit, and experience some suitable winter adventure sport, we drove to Can-

more, Alberta, for an ice climbing lesson. We had booked the day with Sarah, a world-class climber and

one of the Yamnuska Mountain Guides. Excited to escape the cab of the Tacoma, we loaded up ourgear and headed to Cascade Falls, a grade three route just south of town. Once we began trusting the

crampon points the climbs came easy, and Chris and I knocked off several fun routes. With a half-daysrest, we climbed back in the truck and drove down the hill to Calgary and a meal with the members ofthe Rocky Mountain Cruiser Cluba rst-class group of Toyota fans.

From Calgary, it was all about making mileage, and we drove for days with stops only for sleep. Ar-

riving at the start of the Alcan (Alaska-Canadian) Highwaywas a major milestone, but only affordedenough time to take a few pictures and grab a cup of coffee before moving on to Whitehorse.

On the road! After three days at the ISE

show, we had Monday to change out the

uids and pack the truck. Of course I was

my typical optimistic self about tting ev-

erything in the truck and trailer. Well, we

did t everything, but could not have add-

ed one loaf of bread in the space left over.

The rst thing that amazed Chris and me

was how well the truck was running on the

highway, despite weighing over 7,700 lbs.

GCWR. The smooth-riding ATs and the

5.29 gears was the right combination, and

we managed nearly 600 miles before stop-ping south of Nephi. We had the Eezi-

Awns deployed in a few minutes and I fell

asleep with the sound of I-15 rumbling in

the background.

Journal Entry, March 13th


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and brewed chai on two stoves perched on a Storm case. Despite the heat from the stoves, we were stillwearing our heavy jackets, the condensation from our breath billowing like smoke from our lungs. The

cold, dry air was already beginning to take its toll.The idea of camping at well below zero had sounded like fun in Arizona, but in practice the results

were much less glamorous. As soon as the sun set, or with even the lightest breeze, our time spent out-

side the vehicle or tent was measured in minutes. Being desert dwellers, our skin, our lungs and evenour eyes where ill-equipped for the cold, and our heads would retreat inside the sleeping bags to retainevery ounce of moisture exhaled.

We awoke well before dawn, and with the HID driving lights puncturing the distance we rollednorth. The air was perfectly still, and save for the road we were driving on there was no other sign ofman: no buildings, no aircraft, no other vehicles. For hours, we continued north without encounter -ing another soul; we were completely alone. Well, not completely, as the silence and lack of trafc had

emboldened the fauna on this desolate piste. Pure white ptarmigans erupted from the side of the roadas we passed, completely camouaged against the snow. A fox crossed directly in front of us, his fur a

deep red, and full, and in a moment he had cleared the snow bank and was off into the brush, leavingthe three of us scrambling for cameras and feeling more than a bit slow.

Of all the animals this far north, the one I wanted to see the mosteven more than a polar bearwas a wolf, to have the chance to lay eyes on one of the planets most cunning and accomplished carni-

vores. My chance would come.The Dempster can best be described as purity of purpose, a narrow thread of a gravel roadbed built

several feet above the permafrost and tundra, and heading as straight as possible to its goal: Inuvik and

the rich oil elds above the Arctic Circle. Fortunately, the scenery is nothing less than breathtaking, and

every kilometer yields a new vista, a change in ora, or a scurry of fauna. For 735 kilometers, its length is

only interrupted once, by the fuel stop at Eagle Plains.

Eagle Plains is also where they often close the road north, because of frequent storms and white-out conditions. Dont expect a town there, as Eagle Plains is only a small collection of metal buildings,their sole purpose to service passing vehicles. A gas station (run by the lady in the bar), a repair shop,and a motel with cafeteria, all with a heavy 70s feel. The place just felt odd, and not only because the rst

item for sale on their billboard was ICE. The lady in the bar condentially informed Pasquale that the

mountains to the west were not real, only a gment of our imagination. Fearing that another few minutes

in Eagle Plains would really have us seeing things, we jumped in the truck and continued north, passing

through the open gate with no warning of things to come.As we would nd out later, the gates should have been closed hours before our arrival. The road

crew monitoring the winds and white-out just a few hundred kilometers north simply forgot. So our solowhite Toyota slipped past Eagle Plains and north to the Arctic Circle, our second major milestone of the

trip. The wind was already building, and we pulled masks over our faces and big gloves onto our hands.We could barely see the sign welcoming our arrival at N66 33, as the truck rocked from the gusts. I thinkwe spent less than ve minutes there, our eyes tearing from the biting wind, no longer able to see through

the viewnder, the howling blasts stealing our words of celebration, our concern building.

The Tacoma wouldnt move, despite the throttle Chris was applying. The engine revved against anunknown obstacle, then suddenly let loose with a wild crack, truck and trailer lurching forward. Certain

something had failed; I jumped from the truck and went to investigate. Had my most trustworthy ofvehicles let us down in a rising storm? Crawling around on the frozen surface I saw nothing out of place,

and I even double-checked the CV axles, certain they were the culprit. The wind grew more wild anderce, and sent me retreating to the cab, lling it with blowing snow. Go ahead and drive again, Chris, I

said, between wiping my running nose and tearing eyes. Again, a violent crack as he pulled away, and withit a revelation: The tires, warm from the previous hours driving, had frozen to the surface. Relievedat

least somewhatwe continued north, deeper into the storm.

We should have stopped, since there were several pullouts along the way, and visibility had droppedto just a few feet, the wind carrying a sheet of white nearly horizontally across our eld of view. We had

heard rumors of these storms lasting for days and actually turning over trucks. Instead we switcheddrivers quickly and I continued north, our progress measured 10 feet at a time, the distance between the

snow plow poles that lined our side of the road. Inching forward, a pole would come into view and wewould move toward it, pass it, and then see nothing for a few moments before the next pole would break

the whiteout. For 20 miles this continued as we snaked along the twisting ridgeline that slowly droppedtoward Fort McPherson. At last the visibility began to increase, along with it our speed and condence.

Journal Entry, March 23rd

Despite the lack of clouds, the sky has

almost no color, a muted shade of lav-

ender punctuated by the near-stick-like

spruce trees, coated in frost, stunted andpacked tightly together. It is so dry that

my eyes itch and my nose stings when tak-

ing a long breath.

Animals seen so far: Lynx, Fox, Wolves,

Coyote, Caribou, Moose, Bison, Willow

Ptarmigan, Ravens.


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In the distance we saw a parked truck, its yellow lights ashing, clearly waiting for us. A young, smil-ing Inuit man was sitting in the truck, his cheeks full and lightly frost-nipped. We slowed to a stop along-

side and were greeted with a Hello, and, You guys okay? followed by, You know, you guys were thelast to make it through Eagle Plains before they closed the road, eh? All we could get in was a Yeah,

before his eyes lit up and he said, There are wolves here, just up on the hill, protecting a fresh caribou

kill. I watched them take it. With that, my eyes lit up too, and I was clamoring to get out of the truckwith my camera. With emphasis, he added, There were four of them during the kill. I can only see twonow. Not really a warning against checking them out, but a friendly comment, most likely needed for our

survival. We were way down the food chain here, and surrounded by elements and animals that could killin a moment. The man was patient with us, incredibly kind in sharing information on what he had seen,

and pointing to where the wolves were, his eyes trained to the terrain.And there they were, resting at the top of a ridgeline, their heads, eyes, and ears trained in our direc-

tion, but certainly not showing much concern. Actually, more of a taunting look, it seemed to me. Seeingthem on the ridge, only a hundred yards away, was a powerful experience. I was humbled to be in their

presence.The road worker followed us the last few miles to the northern gate and let us through and on our

way to Inuvik, locking the gate behind. It would remain locked for the next two days. We had been lucky.

InuvikPushing farther north, we arrived in Inuvik a full day early, which allowed us some time to thaw out

in a cabin and prepare for the nal push to lands end. We had reservations at the Arctic Chalet, which

had several excellent cabins with, incredibly, mostly functional WiFi, and about 30 uffy malamutes.

With a day to spare, we booked a dog sled ride with Judi and her malamute/husky teams. I have a bigsoft spot for dogs in general, but especially the Arctic breeds (we own a 132-pound Malamute namedYukon), so going on the dog sled route was pure and absolute fun. My cheeks were hurting more from

smiling than the cold, and we laughed, fell over, and got dragged behind the teams for over two hours.What a thrill. There is just something about working with dogs; the activity strikes deep within our na-

ture, supported by 10,000 years of symbiotic partnership with mans best friend.Judi and Olav were also a huge help with our planning for the trek farther north, and she called in a

favor for us, arranging a day with a polar bear hunter named Joe in Tuktoyaktuk. Things were shapingup nicely, and the next morning we would be within sight of our goal.

The Mackenzie RiverWe almost failedwell in reality, Ialmost failed to reach the Arctic Ocean, as the night before our

departure I was lying in a pool of sweat, shivering on the bathroom oor of our little cabin. The poison

worked swiftly through my body; whatever toxin I had ingested from the food earlier that day was mak-ing quick work of me, stealing my strength and clouding my mind. I was shaking so badly that the oor

of the cabin began to creak, and with it grew Chriss and Pasquales concern for my safety. They spokequietly about when to take me to the hospital, despite my urgings to the contrary. I was in violent intes-

tinal distress and had a building feverand I was the only member of the team with medical training.I called for Chris to bring me a blanket and pillow, since even though I was sweating profusely I was

losing too much body heat, the cold bathroom oor soaking away my strength with each minute, and I

could not throw up despite the effort to rid my stomach of the offending bug. Still on the oor, my head

in a fog of thoughts, my imagination swimming with the possibility of failure, I slowly faded, slipping

into a deep sleep. And my most trusted companions never left my side, checking on me throughout thenight.

During the night my body fought back, and I awoke feeling considerably better, although still a littlepeaked and mentally fogged. Despite this, we knew it was the day to drive north, and we had an appoint-

ment with an Inuit hunter, an opportunity not to be missed.Pulling out onto the ice roadthe frozen surface of the Mackenzie Riverwas a bit anticlimactic.

As with most things, the anticipation and imagination of the unknown is much more dramatic than real-ity. There was even a stop sign at the rivers edge and a road marker indicating maximum weight the ice

could carryover 20 times the weight of our little Toyota. The early spring ice was stable and, most im-


Mush! Well... at least that is what we

thought we were supposed to yell. But it

turns out that "mush" isn't really the

thing to shout and "go doggies!" worksjust ne. Give a light press on the brak-

ing pad and say "Chee" to turn right

and "Chaa" to turn left. Judi Falsnes

of Arctic Chalet has some very ne dog

sledding teams and they hauled us around

this arctic wonderland for the ride of our

lives. We were lucky enough to sled with

a cross-breed of Alaskan malamute and

Siberian husky. They are pure white andI would consider them to be the "Land

Cruiser" of sled dogs. They aren't the

fastest, but they will just keep running

forever.


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portantly, thick. Driving on the ice road was in fact easier than driving on the Dempster: it was at, and

the turns were wide and easy. Our condence grew and so did our speed. Lands end was approaching.

The Mackenzie River begins to split into a wide delta as it nears the Arctic Ocean, and the land loses

much of its elevation, becoming nearly at and difcult to distinguish from the level of the ice. Calling

it a river doesnt quite do the Mackenzie justice, as it is monstrous, the longest river in Canada and when

combined with its headstreams the second-longest river in all of North America at 4,241 kilometers(2,635 miles) in length. The delta untethered us from the proximity of land, and all that lay before uswas ice, delta, and Arctic Ocean frozen together in an unbroken layer out to the sheer point, the place

where polar bears stalk the fractured and broken ice, the point where the sea is too deep and too violentto form a solid layer of ice. We were less than 1,500 miles from the North Pole.

Standing on a Frozen Ocean

Tuktoyaktuk is lled with history and adventure. People die all the time up here, when a whiteoutcauses them to get lost, or their snowmobile breaks through the ice, or a polar bear catches them un-

aware. These are tough people, committed to their heritage, yet more than a bit inuenced by those

living far to the south. TVs crackle with bad reruns, and the Internet has reached their homes, teaching

them as much about who they are and where they came from as anything in their own legends, andexposing them to new concepts of commerce. Joe, our host, spent the rst few minutes of our visit en-

thusing about the antique tea set he had bought off eBay. Meanwhile Joes son Larsen strummed Johnny

Cash songs on an Epiphone guitar, also from eBay. We were all impressed by this family, who have greatcommitment to their heritage yet are not afraid to embrace new opportunities or ideas. Larsen was a

skillful guitar player, and we could see his dad was proud.

Joe left the table for a moment, and returned with a few heavy packages wrapped in newspaper.He slid the contents of the packages onto a piece of cardboard: a few sh and a huge chunk of red

and white esh, rolled into a log. If supplies or money run short for a family, this is what they eat, the

menu of their ancestors, caught and prepared in essentially the same way. The sh was herring, caught

in big nets and then smoked over a re and frozen. Joe cut off several small chunks for us, salting them

heavily to help mask the intense avor. My stomach still reeling from the night before, I took a small

bite. Next was the muktuk, an Inupiaq word for raw whale esh and blubber. Joe cut small slivers of the

creamy white fat for us to try. It was chewy and nearly tasteless.While we sampled, Joe gorged, as if the traditional sources of protein before him had struck a deep,

primal chord. He used a big knife to cut mouthfuls of meat, pouring on the salt and stufng them intohis mouth. He stopped talking altogether and nished off the herring before coming back to his more

modern self. Looking a bit conscious of the amount of food he had just eaten, he said, I have eatenenough fat in my life that would have killed ve white men. No doubt he had. With that, he was up,

and moved outside to show us his polar bear mitts, skins, and hunting equipment. He was planning atraditional hunt, with only dogs and spears. He wants to tilt the odds back toward the bear.

As the day came to a close, we took a tour of the community ice house, a food storage tunnel dug 40feet below the surface, deep in the permafrost, used to store emergency staples, and food for dogs. At

the top of the entrance shaft, Joe tied a tattered hemp rope around my waist; the rope must have been asold as the tunnels, dug a half-century before. He called it their Eskimo climbing rope, and the frayed

ends and multiple knots provided no sense of security for the climb down the ancient ladder. It creakedwith each step, and my shoes slid about on rungs coated with a veneer of frozen blood and fat. Soon,

Chris and I were at the bottom, no worse for wear and walking about with the aid of our headlamps.Small, crooked doors concealed the contents beyond the narrow corridors. My head bumped the ceiling

and my shoulders rubbed the walls, the permafrost twisting in shapes and colors. It was like walking

through the center of a huge bowl of rocky road ice cream. The walls had been frozen through sincethe last ice age. It must have taken immense effort to create this life-saving storage.

After the ice house, we spent a few more minutes talking with Joe, asking him a few questions abouthis life in the Arctic. One comment was of note. I asked Joe if he had seen any effects of global warm-

ing. He smirked a bit, and said, You mean, other than all the scientists that started coming up here?Then, Well, I am looking forward to global warming. Have you seen where we live? The thought of it

getting warmer up here sounds pretty good to me. Certainly a different and understandable perspec-tive.


The cold creeps in quickly on the frozen

sea, with no land to break the winds

path, not a tree within a dozen miles for

shelter. It is 23F and the sun is set-

ting against the expanse of frozen ocean

beyond our view, the crumpled surface

reecting the suns auburn hue across s-

sures of ice cracked from the pressures of

the ebbing sea.

Despite our discomforts, we are humbled

by the fact that Joe, our Inuit guide,

maintains a hunting igloo 30 miles fartherinto the Arctic Ocean, where he insulates

himself with twin caribou hides laid skin

to skin and covered with a 4X down

blanket. We spent the day in

Tuktoyaktuk with Joe and his family,

sharing in their stories, myths, and a

meal, the silence broken by their son

Larsen playing Folsom Prison Blues with

his hair greased back and wearing a white

button-down shirt.


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Arctic Trip RouteCartography by Andrew Long(longcreative.com)


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Aklavik and the Peel RiverAfter visiting Tuk, and spending nearly an hour watching the sun set across the Arctic Ocean, we

returned south for one more night at the Arctic Chalet in Inuvik. With our return visit came good for-

tune in the form of an email . . . from the resident of the cabin next to ours. Marcel had looked up theExpeditions West website and found my email address, and sent us a note.

Hey!

I'm in the other side of the cabin at Arctic Chalet. I assume you'll be going to Tuk, but I wanted to suggest another

road less traveled once you take care of that. The ice road to Tuk branches off a bit north of Inuvik, the branch leading

to Aklavik (which means Grizzly Bear Place). Past Aklavik there is a new road north by northwest leading to a gravel

source in the Richardson Mountains. I discovered it on a drive to Aklavik a month ago, but ran out of time, so couldn't

drive it. Just thought I'd let you know. Most people around here don't even know yet that it exists! Also, I heard recently

that there has been an ice road from Aklavik to Ft. MacPherson, so you won't have to backtrack so much.

Marcel (next door)

Our schedule allowed for an extra day as safety margin, and now we had been granted an opportu-

nity for some very remote exploration. We quickly packed up the truck and drove back out onto the iceroad, but this time our rst objective was Aklavik, which is accessed from a narrow ice route that splits

from the main Mackenzie ice road and turns west.The town of Aklavik is a gem, and sees little tourismwhich is unfortunate, as the people who live

there are considerably more friendly toward travelers than the main stops. They also had a new store

with readily available fuel and food, including fresh (if understandably expensive) vegetables. Two ofthe locals took particular interest in us, and regaled us with the history of their town, the legend of the

famous Mad Trapper, and the ice performance of their big Ford diesel. After we declined their invita-

tion for an ice drag race, they wished us well with big smiles and rm handshakes.To drive the Peel River was a rare opportunity, as this route is not maintained by the government and

its condition is only conrmed through local knowledge. The 120-mile, twisting, narrow, and remote

river is cleared to the width of one vehicle every few years, in support of the big native festivals held inthe area. It allows for a much shorter route from Fort McPherson to Aklavik, and we would be amongthe rst outside visitors to drive its length and document its challenges.

The narrow Peel was signicantly different than the Mackenzie. The snow had collected in deep

bands across the cleared route, and in several locations the ice had shifted and fractured, leaving a tallshelf to climb. It was perfect, and for over 100 miles we did not encounter another vehicle, not even

a tire track, as we wound our way south. Absolute silence and the sense of remoteness reigned as thethree overlanders from Arizona proceeded over-water to a distant goal. We were completely dependent

on our truck; it was our only lifeline.

The AuroraOur arrival in Fort MacPherson signaled the end of the ice roads, and in our minds the end of the

adventure. From that point, we would only have the long trek back south, retracing over 4,000 miles ofwinter road conditions to home. However, the Arctic still held a surprise.

As we headed south on the Dempster, my only regret was that we had not seen the Aurora Borealis.It was late, and the cab was quiet, the silence lightly broken by whatever music played from the iPod. I

was driving, and just inside my peripheral vision I caught a glimpse of green. I slowed down and lookedover my shoulder to the northand stared, my eyes transxed on the most amazing display of light

and color I have ever witnessed. It was like the combination of 20 years of grand nales dancing across

the horizon. It was the Aurora, and we came to a stop in the middle of the road and stepped out of thetruck to watch in silent wonder. The Arctic had bid us the most magnicent of farewells.


There is no way I can possibly describe

everything that has happened since we left

Tuktoyaktuk. I have been humbled and

awed by what I have seen and experienced.Some of the highlights: We successfully

navigated a very remote route between

the Mackenzie ice road and the town

of Ft. MacPherson. Along this route,

we stopped at a great little place called

Aklavik. That was the last outpost we

would see before Ft. MacPherson 120

miles later with only the Peel River to

guide us. We encountered no one along theway. We watched Caribou battling in the

snow. That evening, I saw the Northern

Lights for the very rst time. We ended up

camping along the Dempster about half

way between Eagle Plains and mile 0.

The temperature dipped very low, at least

-23F which is where our digital gauge

seems to bottom out. It was likely -47F

based on numbers from other people. We

are in Whitehorse this morning and areheaded out for the Cassiar Highway.

We have a long way to go on our journey

south.


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RequirementsThe Arctic is a volatile region. Travelers can ex-pect intense temperature variations, white-out

conditions, frequently closed roads, and poor

infrastructure. Obtaining spare parts and having

them installed can take days or weeks. Repairs in

the eld can be deadly. So, as a traveler, properpreparation of the vehicle and team can mean the

difference between enjoying the Northern Lights

and coming home minus a few toes.

Vehicle PreparationProper vehicle choice, preparation, and inspec-

tion is absolutely essential to a successful Arctic

trip, especial as a solo vehicle. Accounts of othertrips to this region are littered with dead batteries,

cooling system failures, doors frozen shut, andseized engines. Here is our top ten must-do list

for a long-distance Arctic adventure.

1. Reliability: Vehicle reliability is vital, so proper

service is paramount. Start with a high-quality

vehicle, designed for operation in harsh cli-

mates and over long distances of rough roads.

Research the cold-weather testing performed

by the manufacturer of your vehicle. All Toyotatrucks are tested to 60F; other manufacturers

typically employ much less stringent standards.

2. Batteries: Install two, large-capacity batteries

and keep them isolated when the motor is notrunning. We installed a group-31 and group-24

AGM Lifeline battery in the truck with a heavy-

duty relay. Even at 40F, the truck always started

immediately, and we had a spare that could jump

or assist the main if needed.

3. Low-glass-rated tires: Make sure that the

tires tted to the vehicle have a glass rating (the

point at which rubber becomes a solid and can

fracture) below your predicted operating range.

The BF Goodrich All-Terrains we had tted aregood to at least 60F. Use an all-terrain tread

design with siping for good performance on ice

and wet roads.

4. Fluids: Use 0W30-grade synthetic engine oil,

and lighter synthetic gear grades as well. Weused a Wolverine 50-watt oil pan heater to run

off 12V and a 250-watt unit for shore power. The

transmission was tted with a 125-watt unit.wolverineheater.com

5. Lighting: Winter brings long nights, and forperiods in December and January the Arctic is

cast into nearly complete darkness. We used IPF

HID lighting to extend driving hours and ensure

sufcient visible distance to eliminate animal

strikes. We combined two HID lights on the bum-per with four halogen spot beams on the roof.

6. Chains: In winter, a trip to the Arctic from the

continental U.S. will require thousands of miles

of road driving. Many areas require chains to ne-gotiate mountain grades, and it is a good idea to

have them regardless. Quick installation is also

critical at sub-zero temperatures. We used the

new Thule tire chains for fast set-up and good

traction performance on ice and snow.konig.it

7. In-cab air temperature: Keep the truck cabin

cool, to prevent large swings in temperatures as

you enter and exit the vehicle. This also helps

reduce condensation on camera lenses. Overall,

it is safer and more efcient to wear extra lay -ers while driving, just in case a quick exit is re-

quired.

8. Water temperature gauge: The gauge pro-

vided by the vehicle manufacturer is not suf-

cient to monitor coolant temperature. In the Arc-tic, it is essential to ensure that the engine gets

warm enough to promote efcient combustion

and proper operation. We used a Scan Gauge

II to monitor the engine and transmission status.scangauge.com (OBDII vehicles only)

9. Spare parts: Talk with other owners of your

model vehicle and determine the parts most

likely to fail at your mileage (plus 20 percent) andeither replace the components or carry spares.

A spare alternator, all belts and hoses, fuel lter,

critical fuses and relays, and known failure com-

ponents should comprise a minimum spares kit.

Know how to change them all in the eld using

the tools you carry in the vehicle. At 20F, there

is little time for troubleshooting. Consider bring-ing a tent heater and tarp to make a temporary

work-space shelter.

10. Code reader: For OBDI and II vehicles, a

code reader can be a trip saver. In Whitehorsemy truck displayed a check engine light, which

proved to be nothing but a loose gas cap. Being

able to diagnose issues quickly and bring in the

right parts is a real time saver.scangauge.com

Personal EquipmentAs three guys from the Southwest, we learned

a lot about personal equipment, and some of it

the hard way. The expensive North Face equip-

ment did not work as advertised, but the lessexpensive Columbia Titanium gear exceeded our

expectations. This was particularly true of the

manufacturers comfort rating. Our 20F-rated

North Face boots left our toes frozen at 10,while Pasquale stayed comfortable in the same

conditions in a pair of identically rated Columbiaboots (and he was even more stationary). Here is

what worked:

1. Layers: Youve heard it before, but layering is

essential. We used Minus 33 brand wool baselayers and then a series of Columbia layers, in-

cluding eece and wool. Avoid cotton.

2. Protecting your skin: Products such as Mus-

tela with beeswax work well. The dry conditionsrequire constant evaluation of skin and eye con-dition. Those with contacts will suffer the most.

3. Protecting your lungs: I did not use a bala-

clava for most of the trip, and my lungs suffered

severely as a result. It took several weeks before Icould take a full breath pain-free. Use a balaclava

to rebreathe warm, moist air.

4. Survival bag: Prepare for the worst event (like

the vehicle falling through the ice) with a bug-

out bag lled with survival essentials, includinga personal locator beacon (PLB), dry clothes,

emergency water, food, shelter, and a compact

down sleeping bag. Each of us had a bag handy

in the cab.

5. Good boots: One of the products that failed

to perform was our expensive boots. Research

the performance of the brands you are inter-

ested in, beyond the manufacturers claims. We

found that different boots with the same ratingperformed differently. I also recommend a good

pair of down-lled booties, which will make a bigdifference for sleeping. We used 700-down-lled

booties with rubber soles for camping.

6. Quality sleeping bag and liner: One of ourtwo Alps Mountaineering 20F bags split out a

zipper, and both Chris and Pasquale experienced

severe cold spots. I had better success with my

traditional Coleman canvas 0F bag and a 15

eece liner. If specifying for this trip again, wewould use bags with much lower ratings and

higher-quality construction.

7. Organization: Keep the cab and storage areas

organized and easy to access. At these distancesand temperatures, efciency is key to morale and

comfort.


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8. Canon cameras: For four weeks, 4,000 im-

ages, and 28 hours of HDV footage, we had no

failures in the camera equipment. Chris and I

used Canon 20D prosumer bodies with CanonL lenses (24-105mm and 70-200mm). Pasquale

used XLH1 and XHG1 high-denition video cam-

eras with PortaBrace covers.

9. Good food and liquids: Stick with high-qual-

ity foods and lots of warm liquids (avoid restau-rants). We used a Jetboil (see stove test, this is-

sue) to simplify preparing tea and coffee. Healthy

snacks kept the drivers nourished and prevented

big swings in blood sugar.

10. Good tent: We used Eezi-Awn roof tents for

the entire trip, and although they were not de-

signed for Arctic conditions, they never failed

us, and always provided a comfortable place

to sleep. The canvas walls also fractionally im-proved insulation, along with the standard thick

mattresses.

SeasonsDriving to Tuktoyaktuk can only be done while

the ice roads are open, which means late winter

to early spring. Ice is usually at its thickest and

most stable in early spring (March timeframe).Expect temperatures to be as low as 60F and

as high as +15F along the Dempster and Mack-

enzie routes. Summer is typically beautiful in that

area, yet still cool. Overall, precipitation above

the Arctic Circle is minimal, and restricted to latesummer months.

Waypoints/RouteBraeburn Lodge (Klondike Hwy Mile 55)

Approximate coordinates: N61 28 51.74, W135

46 44.07

Famous for their enormous cinnamon buns, and

also a stop on the Yukon Quest dog sled race,

Braeburn Lodge is a welcome sight for hungry

travelers.

Klondike River Lodge (Dempster Hwy Mile 0)

At the intersection of the Klondike and Dempster

highways (Mile 301 of the Klondike), this is the

sub-Arctic equivalent of a desert oasis for theWhitehorse-to-Inuvik traveler. For fuel, food, and

water this is a priority stop. From here, it is 456

miles to Inuvik.

Eagle Plains

(Dempster Hwy Mile 229, population: 8)There is a hotel, restaurant and phone (867-993-

2453) as well as a tire repair shop and fuel sta-tion. Diesel fuel and propane available. Electrical

hook-ups, dump station and camping (check

ahead of time depending on season). This iswhere the road is often closed to north-bound

trafc due to common weather issues (including

white-outs in our case).

Fort McPherson

(Dempster Hwy Mile 342, population: 952)

Small town with a few services, located where

the Dempster Highway crosses the Peel River

(ice bridge or ferry crossing). Dene Indian crafts,

artwork, and guide services may be available de-

pending on the hours and season. Home of thefamous Fort MacPherson Tent & Canvas Com-

pany.

Mackenzie River Crossing(Dempster Hwy Mile 378)

Ice bridge or ferry crossing depending on sea-

son. Townsite of Tsiigehtchic, a small Gwichya

Gwichin community is located here. Location of

the conuence of the Mackenzie and Arctic RedRivers.

Inuvik

(Dempster Hwy Mile 456, population: 3,667)

Small town located on the banks of the Macken-

zie River. This is a hub of activity in the region andhas all major services including food, fuel and

lodging year-round. This is as far north as you

can drive, except in the winter season when the

frozen river becomes certied for vehicular use.

Visit the Arctic Chalet for comfortable accommo-dations year-round. Be sure to inquire about their

dog-sledding adventures.arcticchalet.com

Tuktoyaktuk, or Tuk

(93 miles north of Inuvik, population: 943)

Approximate coordinates: N69 26 34.00, W13301 52.00

A small Inuvialuit community on the shores of the

Arctic Ocean. Approach by vehicle must be made

during the winter, driving on ice beginning on the

Mackenzie River at Inuvik, to one of the largestriver deltas in north America, ending with a drive

along the surface of the Arctic Ocean close to the

shoreline. Tuk is famous for its pingos, large hills

of frozen ground being forced upward by subter-ranean water pressure, some of which are around1,000 years old.

Resources and Special

ThanksKanoe People: A wealth of local knowledge and

support in Whitehorse. Personal locator beacons

available for rent.kanoepeople.com

Arctic Chalet: Dog sledding and WiFi, along with

clean, comfortable cabins.arcticchalet.com

Gun Barrel Steak and Game House: BuffaloPrime Rib.gunbarrel.com

American Expedition Vehicles: Custom expedi-

tion vehicles prepared by overland enthusiasts in

Missoula, MT.aev-conversions.com

Adventure Trailers: For providing Chaser #1,which made a solo vehicle expedition possible.

adventuretrailers.com

Thr Jnsson of Viking Offroad: Thr also was

a key supporter of our expedition, providing de-tailed logistics support on Arctic travel.

vikingoffroad.com

A big thanks to all those who helped along the

way, including Jeff McLaird, Matt Svoboda (from

Jeep), Steve in Calgary, Peter Hartl and Jim inWhitehorse. Without your hospitality and support,

this trip would have been much less enjoyable.

And our Arctic sponsors: Mobil1, Adventure

Trailers, American Racing Wheels, ARB USA, BFGoodrich Tires, Deaver Springs, Donahoe Rac-

ing, EarthRoamer, Equipt Expedition Outtters

(Eezi-Awn), Extreme Outback Products, Sirius

Radio, Thule, and Viking Off-Road.

TRIPPLANNINGWhitehorse to the Arctic Ocean,

northern Canada


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40


VehIcLeFILe2004 Toyota Tacoma SR5 Double-cab TRD

Adventure Trailers Chaser #1

Owner: Scott Brady

Demello Offroad heavy-duty skid plate

Overland Hardware securityhasps with stainless locks

Lund Challenger toolbox housing

auxiliary battery, electricals, and

ExtremeAire 4cfm/150 psi air

compressor

Toyota OEM electric locking rear

differential with 5.29 axle gearing

Demello Offroad bolt-on rock sliders295/75/R16 BF Goodrich All-Terrain TA/KO

tires with low-glass compound

16x8 American Racing

Chamber alloy wheels

Front differential tted with ARB air locker

and 5.29 axle gearing

Donahoe Racing 2.5 coilover shocks

with extreme weather plating

Morphic Industries alloy lightbar

with IPF 900XS spot lamps

ARB Safari snorkel

Warn M8000 winch with

Viking Offroad synthetic line

and Delrin roller fairlead

ARB bumper with IPF

900XS HID lamps


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Mobil1 FluidsMobil1 was the

title sponsor of our

expedition, and for

good reason, sincethe temperatures

encountered inthe Arctic required

the absolute nest

uids. Prior to the

expedition, our team worked with Mobil1 productengineers to evaluate grade range requirements and

any special considerations, such as being able to

cold-start at 60F.

Synthetic uids in general provide several advan-tages over traditional oils, and Mobil1s SuperSyn

further extends the protection range over traditional

and even other synthetic oils. The long life of theMobil1 lter and uids permitted us to drive the

entire 9,000-mile expedition on a single oil change.Testing after the trip indicated that the oil had not

fallen below any specication levels.

During the trip, the uids worked as predicted, and

allowed several cold starts at below 30F, and one

at below 40F, without any noticeable valvetrainclatter or difculty in starting.

For the trip, we used the following:

Engine: Mobil1 0W30 synthetic with Mobil1 extend-

ed-performance oil lterDifferentials: Mobil1 75W90 synthetic

Automatic Transmission: Mobil1 synthetic ATF

Hella Matador adjustable

work-lamps

Hi-Lift Extreme Jack

Total Vision Products

rearview camera

Deaver 11-pack leaf springs with

Donahoe Racing reservoir shocks and

Downey HD shackles22-gallon auxiliary fuel tank

Demello Offroad rear bumper

with swing-out tire carrier and

quarter-panel protection

Thule rack system

Independent suspension with airbags

and adjustable dampers

Nosebox with Lifeline battery, brake system, and fuel cans

(2) Eezi-Awn Series 3 1200

roof-top tents mounted on

truck and trailer

Custom shovel and axe carrier

Thule No-Problem tire chains

Matching tires and wheels

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