MFI has done all the driving since we began our RV adventure in September 2019. It was her choice, since she readily admitted to being a lousy passenger, and she credited me with being a better navigator. That being the case, she endured much more stress from driving than me (sitting, as I did, in the passenger seat taking pictures). As a result, she captured from a driver’s point of view her emotional reactions to driving the Dempster Highway in a blog titled The Dempster Highway Experience by MFI published September 1, 2024. For the full perspective of this road trip, I highly recommend you read her account first, before reading mine and seeing the photos and videos, which helped bring it all to life.
The Dempster Highway was also known as Yukon 5 and NWT 8, but in hindsight we’ve referred to it as the “Dumpster” Highway, because the road conditions were such trash. The roundtrip from Dawson City to the Arctic Ocean at Tuktoyaktuk (“Tuk”) and back was 1,260 miles, and pictured was the first of only a few distance signs posted along the route. Nevertheless, we easily pinpointed our locations by comparing periodic roadside km markers with the detailed Highway Log provided in The Milepost travel planner. Our approach was to take it easy by breaking the oneway distance up into four comfortable driving legs: the first to Engineer Creek, the second to Eagle Plains, then Fort McPherson, and finally Inuvik. From Inuvik, we’d leave Arthur parked and make a day-trip loop up to the Arctic Ocean and back.
In her blog, MFI mentioned our volunteering to carry a box of supplies and deliver it to the managers of the lodge in Eagle Plains, which was approximately halfway to Inuvik. (This was common practice for those traveling the Dumpster on foot, bike, or motorcycle.) The supplies were for a bicyclist making the same roundtrip as us. Within minutes of shooting the video above, we saw this young woman riding her fully packed bike. We had no idea whether the supplies we carried were for her, but we were glad to be helping some rider out with their journey. Neither of us could imagine doing the Dumpster in anything other than an enclosed vehicle.
The scenery was already proving to be beautiful, but it looked like we were headed into stormy weather.
After 46 miles, we stopped at the first turnout (elevation 4,003 feet) for views of the 2,000 square kilometer Tombstone Territorial Park. This park was part of the Final Agreement with the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Peoples to protect this significant area for future generations. Final Agreements were based on negotiations between the Canadian government, provincial or territorial governments, and indigenous peoples. From the turnout, we overlooked the North Klondike River Valley, while Tombstone Mountain (7,192 feet) to the west was obscured by the clouds. We also had the chance to compare our level of filth with vehicles returning south.
We crossed the first and highest of three continental divides between us and Inuvik. North Fork Pass in the Ogilvie Mountains summitted at 4,593 feet. All rivers to the south flowed to the Pacific while all to the north flowed to the Arctic Ocean. The temperatures were dropping, and we saw evidence of snowfall above us. In one day, we’d seen all weather conditions except sleet and ice as we crossed the open arctic tundra of the Blackstone Uplands.
It took us four hours to cover 145 miles and reach the Engineer Creek Campground for our first stop. The creek was a reddish with orange-brown colors caused by dissolved iron oxide and other sediments. The Milepost explained the water had a sulphur smell caused by nearby springs and warned campers not to drink the water. Fortunately, we didn’t experience any smell, and we carried our fresh water. The campground operated on an honor system. The rules were posted at a registration station, where forms, envelopes, and a slot for payment were provided. We only stayed one night at a very reasonable rate of $20 CAN. Before exploring, we had to set up, check our exterior dirt level, and determine whether we’d experienced any damage inside.
We were mildly shocked when we entered Arthur and saw what had happened. Of particular note, the electric panel had vibrated loose and come out of the wall beneath the refrigerator. It’s held in place with four screws, so this was an easy fix. Also, the upswinging door of our medicine cabinet was hanging askew. The left hinge had vibrated out of the cabinet and the right hinge was all that was preventing it from falling to the floor. This repair was also easy; however, the hinge screws could no longer be trusted, so thereafter, we taped the door closed when towing.
Once we were set up for the night, we wandered around the grounds and over to the creek. The eroded dolomite outcroppings were a section of the Ogilvie Mountains. This area was part of eastern Beringia (ancient land bridge connected with Russia), and as such, was not glaciated during the Ice Age. The results of being unglaciated allowed for unique flora and fauna, rounded mountains, and rocky rubble slopes caused by exposure to weathering.
We clearly hadn’t gone very far yet, but we had survived, albeit not unscathed. We shared a glass of wine with dinner, celebrated the day’s success, and wondered aloud what was in store for us tomorrow, let alone the coming week.
