I'm putting this out to see if anyone is interested in joining us. We should be able to take another eight vehicles or so. I will post the info for sign-up after the first of the year. No registration fee if you're wondering.
Edit: I guess the NWOL put a registration fee in if you're not a member of NWOL. And I believe the registration fee is the same as a year's membership fee. I guess you might as well join NWOL and then register for "free" for this event.
Plan is to leave Bellingham WA 16 August 2019, run the Dempster Highway all the way to Tuk, kayak a bit in the Arctic Ocean (Beaufort Sea - kayaking optional), then return to Bellingham by 2 September. It will be a fast paced trip, and we'll be sticking to a timeline (start/departure times and length of stop times will not be determined by the slowest person or "when everyone is ready"). We will have just over 5,000 miles to cover in only 18 days. Tentative route below (gray line up, blue line back).
Pace vehicle will be a four-cylinder Jeep TJ with a kayak on the roof pulling a small trailer, so we won't exactly be speeding.
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If you're interested, email me to send you more info at paul.r.dickinson@att.net and put something like "NWOL Arctic Ocean Trip " in the subject line. I will send you more information to help you decide if this trip is for you. We want to have fun.
Well, with any luck we'll be about 6 months behind you. Although probably won't be doing any kayaking. Currently #3 on the waiting list (already moved up from #5) for the Alcan 5000 Winter Rally. Similar route up to Tuk, but then heads over to Fairbanks and then down to Anchorage. An ex-member (maybe still, just not active -Otis the Porsche) is signed up.
Going up the Cassiar through BC is beautiful, just bring a lot insect repellent that time of year. Sounds like a fun trip, lots of miles.
Yes; a whole lot of miles in a relatively short amount of time. Around 300 - 450 miles/day on average.
Therefore, one of the requirements of all participants is a wristwatch. A cell phone IS NOT a wristwatch, nor a substitute for a wristwatch. A clock on your dash is not a substitute for a wristwatch. There will be definite "wheels rolling" times in the morning, and appointed times when we're rolling after a gas stop or meal break (not "when everyone is ready to go") otherwise we'll never make it.
Email me for more information paul.r.dickinson@att.net
I submitted an event notice so folks can start signing up. PLEASE email me at paul.r.dickinson@att.net if you're signing up (or even thinking of signing up) so I can send you the list of vehicle requirements, gear requirements, and mental preparation requirements. I want to front-load attendees with information about requirements (and recommendations) and what to expect so there's no missunderstandings before or once we get going and are on the road. This will be a hard trip with long days, but will be worth it in the end. You'll be able to point to the top of a globe and say "I was there".
This looks to be an epic journey. I won't be able to attend this year, but it is certainly on my bucket list.
I am going to Issaqua (WA) Tuesday to buy a dry suit for kayaking in the Arctic Ocean (at Kayak Academy - I hope they have my size). Having a kayak is not a requirement for this trip; think of it as icing on the cake once we get to Tuk to be able to say you kayaked in the Arctic Ocean.
Update: They didn't have my exact size (I needed a larger sock size) so they ordered one - I should have it in 3 - 5 weeks. It came out to a bit under $600 after the cash and military discount. I guess if I have to use it even once in the water it will be worth it. I'm pretty sure the Arctic Ocean is chilly.
I've had a couple folks expressing interest in running the Dempster with us. Great! That's the whole reason I planned this trip for the NWOL. PLEASE email me (paul.r.dickinson@att.net) if you're interested so I can send you the trip information packet (and keep you updated as we get closer to the departure date). This is going to be a hard-and-fast trip (5,000 miles in 18 days), so I need to make sure everyone knows what to expect, is prepared, and we're all of the same mindset as to what a typical day on the road will be like. I don't want anyone to say "this isn't what I expected". August will be here before we know it.
And for the record, kayaking is totally optional for this event. The main goal of this trip is to run the full length of the Dempster Highway to the Arctic Ocean; tossing a kayak in the Arctic Ocean is just icing on the cake - a bonus if you will. You don't have to bring a kayak on this trip. But if you want to, that's great. Some folks might want to do a "polar plunge" in the Arctic water, some might want to kayak a bit; and some might just want to just dip their toe in the Arctic waters just to say they made it. Others might be happy just taking a picture of themselves there. Whatever you want to do once we're there is up to you. The fun will be getting there. The scenery is spectacular, there should be tons of wildlife, and it will be an adventure to remember.
So we're about four months from the departure date (which is 16 August). I'll be arriving in Bellingham the evening of 15 August so we'll be ready the next morning to do vehicle inspections, hand out trip packets, and hit the road! I've been getting some little things ready for the trip, buying a few things I've been wanting and using this trip as an excuse to get them, etc.
Please email me at (paul.r.dickinson@att.net) if you're interested in going or have any questions (put something like "Actic Ocean Trip" in the subject line) and I'll send you the information packet. This trip is designed for folks that can't take months off from work but still want to "Do the Dempster" without having to wait till they retire. Let's do this! I'm excited.
And the 2019 edition of the Milepost book is out. Get one for the trip!
This sounds like an awesome trip! We are going up to Alaska via Cassiar for most of July 2019. Here is a look at our route.
We are super stoked as this has been a bucket list item for many years! We will be taking our travel trailer and dually - glamping so to speak.
We have the Milepost 2019 and I'm already geeking out with highlighting and putting tabs on pages.
Here's the route from Bellingham to Tuk:
We will leave Bellingham, WA on Friday morning, 16 August 2019 (some of us will be getting up there the night before and getting a room). We will take the eastern route to the border crossing at Sumas, then up to 1, and then on 1 going up to Hope to catch 5, and continue north on 5 to Tete Jaune Cache at 16. Then west on 16 (Yellow Head Highway) to Prince George, where we will catch 97 north (West Access Route) which will bring us to Dawson Creek (the start of the Alaska Highway!). From Dawson Creek we will follow 97 (Alaska Highway) up to Watson Lake. From Watson Lake, we’ll head to Whitehorse on 1, and then just north of Whitehorse we’ll catch 2 (Klondike Highway) and take it all the way to Dawson City (Dawson City is right outside the beginning of the Dempster Highway). In Dawson City we will do our final restocking/gassing-up before heading up the Dempster Highway. I’m figuring five days (six max) to run up and back down the Dempster (about 600 miles up, and 600 miles back down to Dawson City again). There will be two free ferry crossings on the Dempster Highway to Tuk. Once started on the Dempster Highway, the first place to get gas (or anything) is at the 225-mile point at Eagle Plains. The Arctic Circle is just north of Eagle Plains. Your vehicle will get filthy running the Dempster Highway. Your MPG will suck. And it will be awesome!
The Dempster Highway ends at Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada. We will camp there, explore the area, and those that brought them will put our kayaks in the Beaufort Sea. This is a bucket-list trip. Enjoy it!
Here's the return trip route from Tuk back to Bellingham:
We will return to down the Dempster Highway from Tuk to Dawson City to restock and clean-up before heading back down to Whitehorse on 2 (Klondike Highway), and then take 1 to Watson Lake.
At Watson Lake, we will change directions. Instead of going the way we came, we will head down towards Prince George on 37 (Cassiar Highway). 37 will take us to Kitwanga, where we will pick up 16 (Yellowhead Highway) heading east to Prince George at 97, and then take 97 south to Cache Creek where it turns into 1. We’ll continue south on 1 which brings us back down to Hope, and then back to the border crossing at Sumas and to Bellingham WA by no later than Monday, 2 Sep (Labor Day). I’m planning about 400 miles driving/day (+/-) when not on the Dempster Highway.
The route will be roughly 2500 miles each way (5000 miles total round trip), with about 1200 miles of that (600 miles up, and 600 miles back down) being the Dempster Highway. Other than the Dempster Highway, the route should be essentially paved. We will have 18 days from start to finish. At least for the first half, we will be kinda pushing it time-wise. After we return to Dawson City from running the Dempster, we will reassess how we’re doing for time, and how fast or slow we need to go to get back to WA in time.
Hi Paul,
Great to have established contact with you last week. Here is a pic of my rig. I am looking forward to this trip!
Andrew
Nice looking rig - it should do great on the trip. I'm jealous of the RTT; wish I had one. Are you bringing a kayak?
The 2019 edition of the Milepost is out (I've got my issue). It is updated annually, and this is the latest version. This will be our guide book during the trip. This is the book we will be referencing prior to departure, and during the trip. And it truly is the Bible for travel in western Canada and Alaska. I would strongly urge anyone going on this trip (or any trip in this region) to purchase a copy (~$30 or so - not expensive). I ordered mine off Amazon, but most book stores should have a copy (or can get it for you).
Paul,
I also just ordered mine per your recommendation. It arrives from Amazon tomorrow!
Once you start reading it you won't be able to put it down! I detailed in a recent post above the route we're taking up and back for this trip; there are detailed descriptions in the book of the routes I posted (check it out when your book arrives). You'll also find another dozen trips you'll want to take just from looking at the maps and reading the route descriptions in the book. It is called the Milepost partly because it literally will describe routes mile-by-mile. And lots of good write-ups of what's in the little towns you're going through, campgrounds along the way (important for our trip), history, etc..
Today I swapped out my trailer's springs. Old ones were 26" eye-to-eye two-leaf pack rated at 575lbs each. New springs are still 26" eye-to-eye, but are a three-leaf pack rated at 840lbs each (bad picture, but new leaf pack on top, old leaf pack on bottom). The trailer will be fully loaded for the trip, so I figured I'd upgrade the springs to compensate for the added weight. Can't wait! Still tweaking my set-up (that's part of the fun!) for the trip.
Oh; I may be pre-running part of the trip (at least from Bellingham WA to Dawson Creek - the start of the Alaska Highway) prior to the official start date. Might go as far as Whitehorse (four days' drive from Bellingham - just short of 1600 miles). Seems I have some extra time on my hands now.
Today is 16 May; we leave in three months (16 August)! Those of you who have purchased your Milepost books, have you had a chance to flip through it yet? Checked out our planned route? For those of you who are thinking about going, please contact me at paul.r.dickinson@att.net for a list of what's needed and expected of participants. This is going to be a fun trip.
Hi Paul,
An update... my 15 year old son David will be joining me on this trip. This is a miracle as he is aware there will be no Internet access for over a week.... and he still wants to hang out with dad :)
I am departing a week ahead of you to do some work in northern BC. I work for a semi-truck manufacturer and will be visiting some of my truck dealers in the area. David will fly from Vancouver and meet me at Whitehorse on Saturday, August 17th. I will meet you at Whitehorse on Monday, August 19th. On the return leg, my plan is to head east from Whitehorse. I will be going to Ft Nelson and Hay River to do more dealer visits. David will fly back to Vancouver from Whitehorse.
I have a couple of questions....
1) I am in the process of booking David's plane ticket to Whitehorse and back. Do you have time frame of when we may get back to Whitehorse from Tuk?
2) Do we need to make any booking arrangements for campsites?
P/S. I was hoping to go to the NW Overland Rally to meet you. Unfortunately, I was just invited to an important work event on the Friday of that weekend. It looks like our first meeting will be at Whitehorse.
How exciting for you and your son. Hopefully this will be a trip he'll always remember. I'm hoping to pre-run the trip from Bellingham to at least Whitehorse sometime in July. Until proven otherwise, our tentative timeline is:
16 Aug - depart Bellingham ~ 0900
17 Aug (later in the day) arrive Dawson Creek (start of the Alaska Highway)
19 Aug (later in the day) arrive in Whitehorse
21 Aug (later in the day) arrive in Dawson City
22 Aug begin running the Dempster Highway in the morning
23 Aug (later in the day or morning of the 24th) arrive in Tukyokatuk
24 Aug spend the day in Tukyokatuk
25 Aug depart Tukyokatuk heading back down the Dempster Highway
26 Aug (later in the day or morning of the 27th) arrive back to Dawson City
28 Aug depart Dawson City (would be nice to spend a little time in Dawson city before leaving)
29 Aug (later in the day) arrive to Whitehorse
30 Aug head out from Whitehorse to complete remainder of drive back to Bellingham, WA
2 Sep arrive back to Bellingham, WA
Some of these dates may shift to the left or right a day depending on how we're doing time-wise. That is why it is so important we keep moving, everyone has a watch (it is ok if we get ahead of schedule), and nobody is the LCD. Stuff happens (heck - I've had vehicle breakdowns in the past), but outside of that if we make good time driving, then we can better enjoy our stops (like in Dawson City up near the start of the Dempster Highway). Unfortunately, this trip is being compressed due to the fact that most follks can't take a month off from work - I wish we had a month to do this trip. Hopefully this trip will give you ideas of places you might want to spend more time at a later date, or you'll see some roads where you go "I want to see where this road leads".
Generally with the government Canadian campgrounds it is first come- first served. They generally are primitive, inexpensive, and have free firewood(!). There are also private campgrounds along the way. This is one of the reasons I want to pre-run part of the trip now that I have some time. We might at times just camp off the side of the road.
Hopefully folks are getting their copies of The Milepost book so they can start checking out the proposed route and such.
Sorry you won't be at the NW Overlanding Rally. If anyone else is planning on attending the Rally, let me know - I'd love to meet you prior to our Arctic Ocean adventure.
I was doing some tweaks to my trailer over the weekend getting it ready for the trip. It'll be here before we know it!
Today is 16 June. We leave in two months (16 August). How's everyone's preparations going?
Hey Paul,
I hope you are enjoying the NWOR. I have been on the road for work these past few weeks. Sad I can’t make it to Plain this year. But I hope to kick back from work for the BCOR in Whistler.
My truck has been going through a number of updates. Got the new engine, shocks, coils, ignition coils, transfer case back in March. Currently back in in the shop for a new rear diff and suspension poly bushes.
My work travel schedule will slow down after this weekend. I will start figuring out what dates to book for my son to fly into Whitehorse and then out of Whitehorse back to Vancouver (he has to get ready for the start of high school on the first week of Sept). I may plan on driving to Hay River, Northern Territories. Not sure yet, but will confirm when I have more time to plan the return journey these next few weeks. I will confirm shortly.