The Adventures of a Rally Roadie

We’re up early and have breakfast at the hotel. Today is just a drive up the Dempster Highway to Inuvik which is the end of the road north. Inuvik is the largest town north of the Arctic Circle and the start of the ice road to Tuktoyaktuk which is the end of the road, literally, on our way north.

The sun doesn’t come up until 9:30 or so up this far north so we’re driving with the rally lights. Back down the Alcan for 20 miles or so and then left onto the Dempster. The Dempster is a narrow 2 lane, mostly gravel road so it’s fairly smooth. Yvon and I are leading Dick and Marie and we start out slowly. The road is going through mostly forest and the lights don’t penetrate very far into the sides of thew road. There’s no traffic so we start to creep the speed up. Soon we’re back at 75-80 mph.

Eventually, we start climbing and we’re in some rolling hills. It’s starting to get light and it looks like the overcast might lift. As we go farther north the trees get shorter and sparse. There’s still only an occasional truck. It’s an enjoyable ride.

As we get higher and farther up the road, the sun finally rises above the hills and the overcast lifts. It’s becoming a beautiful day. And the temperature is going up. About 10 days ago, it was 35 degrees F below zero. This morning it was about 10 degrees above zero in Dawson and now it’s headed to 20. Who-hoo! Summer.

We stop a couple of time to take some pictures and then once to add fuel. We should have stopped for fuel at the start of the Dempster but we didn;’t and I don’t think we’ll make it to Eagle Plains without adding a couple of gallons from the jerry cans on the roof. We make it into Eagle Plains, fill up and stay for lunch. Then it’s off again to Inuvik.

A few miles up the road is the Arctic circle. We pull up just in time to see Karla Rounds running about in a bikini. She’s crazy. It wasn’t THAT warm. We take our pics and head on to Fort McPherson. Another fuel stop and then back on the road again to Inuvik.

We pull into Inuvik, get fuel for the morning and check into the hotel. It’s very nice but very hot. Unpack and by then it’s getting dark. We head over to the McKenzie motel for some drinks and dinner. At the drivers’ meeting, we get certificates attesting that we have crossed the Arctic circle. For most of us this isn’t the first time aboce the circle but it is nice. More bull and war stories and finally back to the hotel and bed.

At about 2:00 AM, I wake up to go to the bathroom. Along the way, I look ouyt the window and see a shimmering wave of green light. It’s clear and cold and there’s the Northern Lights. Wake up Yvon and call Dick and Marie. This is so cool.

C8-)