Builds Ozzi, 2000 HZJ78 in Canada - travel/maintenance/build (2 Viewers)

[janyyc]

We packed up and left the mosquito-infested lake as quickly as we could, and continued on our journey. Since technically-speaking the road is a highway (I'm guessing this is in order to secure federal funding for maintenance), there are signs once in a while - mile-posts (yes, miles, not km!), speed limits (haha!), bridge load limits, sometimes even overgrown chevrons indicating a bend...

We came across the first real graveyard of abandoned US Army trucks. It is obvious these were progressively abandoned in strategic locations along the route after breaking down, taking part in an accident, or perhaps simply no longer being needed, and then being used for parts as necessary. Often all that remained of the engine was the long block, but some were quite complete. Most impressive was the overall lack of rust, and incredible quality of the chrome - still shiny and pristine after over 70 years!

 

[janyyc]

Here we also encountered our Swiss motorcycle friend, who had managed, using the many hours of sunlight available, to drive all the way to the border and back, with some adventures on the way. He lost his extra fuel bladder and later found it, encountered a wolf directly in front of him on the track, and drove through some rain. He was heading back and onto further adventures - lightning speed traveling!

The views along the road were spectacular, too, especially nearing the Mackenzie Mountains. Here is Itsi Mountain and its glacier:

We couldn't resist driving up a little side-spur, which was overgrown, but overall in surprisingly good shape. Not knowing how far it went, where to, and what for, we abandoned the effort after about 30 minutes. But the views were amazing!



Here is the longest and newest bridge on the northern section of the Canol, and a spot we noted as a potential campsite for our return.

At times the road was practically below the level of water in the surrounding muskeg, and the smell could also be quite unpleasant.

 

[janyyc]

A while later we encountered the second large "stockpile" of old trucks: this one is considered the main graveyard, located on a ledge, just above a beautiful bend in the river.

 

[janyyc]

Soon we passed the primary reason the road is maintained and used by big semis - a diamond mine in the Macmillan pass. There was an airstrip, some outbuildings, a mixed tent/permanent camp, and lots of human-caused harm and unpleasantness. But thanks to the mine, we were driving on this road - everything in life is a compromise.

After passing the diamond mine, the road was still in great condition (in fact, better condition, due to the lack of heavy traffic), but noticeably narrower, and the landscapes became more dramatic as we climbed "Mac Pass" as it is colloquially known.

We were above the treeline, and the landscape was surreal: the colours pastel yet vivid, the mountains jagged yet soft.

We saw a burnt-out side-by-side/ATV/UTV near the top of the pass - judging by the surroundings, it appeared to have caught fire while driving. We also found an old F-150, keys in the ignition. Anybody want to try to do a cold start?

 

[janyyc]

There might be a bit of work involved...

The border was marked by various signs, testaments to the folly of government bureaucracy - not only signposts indicating distance, but forbidding pack animals (seriously?), and those souvenirs of the unbelievable Covid-times, where the North of Canada was sealed off from the rest of the country in unprecedented ways. It should be noted that the road ends a few dozen kilometres further, and there is no access to the rest of the province, except by a long, arduous hike. The sign was most likely brought in along with a work crew by helicopter... just because of invented rules and non-existent borders.

The track, now no longer an official highway, became significantly worse after crossing the border - it was an immediate and very perceptible change, to no more than a pothole-littered track. But almost immediately after crossing I spotted a single caribou, calmly feeding in the distance.

Not long after we came across this very helpful sign:

 

[janyyc]

We stopped to asses the situation, and my dad offered to walk the first crossing - we shared further duties, braving the ice-cold waters.

The crossing was easy and great fun:



In the north, one shares the road not with pedestrians or cyclists, but with wildlife. In this case, a caribou was on the track ahead of us and trotted forward for a few hundred meters, with us following. The landscape was awe-inspiring, the silence absolute.

 

[janyyc]

Though it was a short 17km to the end of the road, this portion of the drive was - for us - the most spectacular, with landscapes from another world, complete solitude, and untouched beauty.



Nearing the "wildlife station", there was another, smaller, mine camp (though the mine is located elsewhere), and we witnessed a helicopter taking off and flying into the distance. Here we encountered the last road-accessible scrapyard, this one with a colourful array of different items.

A few of the trucks were even right-hand drive!

 

[janyyc]

The wildlife station was completely shuttered, the Canadian flag was faded and tattered: I'm not sure on what terms and when it is staffed. There were a few vehicles parked about, all heavy duty dually pickups. The station was on skids, which made me wonder whether it had been airlifted in with a heavy helicopter, or dragged in by road.

The track continued a little further, and is technically drivable for another 6 km or so to the Dechenla Lodge. However, there is a significant river crossing shortly after the wildlife check station, and in early August the water was still quite high: generally attempts at driving further are made later in the season. Being alone and not intending to prove anything to anybody, we opted to turn around and make camp a bit earlier, still in the Northwest Territories but further away from the camp and "civilization".

"End of the road" for us, the first of two consecutive long, fast-flowing, and fairly deep water crossings:

 

[Tennessee Jed]

Beautiful country. Did you wade across the river just for the picture?

 

[John Young]

It is interesting to me how good those old trucks actually look. The paint is still on them and I don't see much in the way of rust holes. Either of them could make interesting resto-mods.

 

[janyyc]

We headed back the way we came, and decided to simply camp off the side of the road - if we could find a nice pull-out, that is. The road is very narrow, there are no side spurs in this area, and not only is the lichen-covered land very soft, but also delicate: we certainly wouldn't want to damage it by driving to create a camp.

We came across a small area where the road was wider, and decided it would be excellent for a campsite. While we were parked enough to the side that any eventual traffic could pass by with ease, we didn't expect nor encounter any.

We made dinner - not especially decadent chicken burger patties, but our ice was melting so it was time to clean out the perishables.

The campfire was quite small: I managed to collect some rocks from the side of the road to make a minuscule fire ring, and wood was limited to dead brush and a few ancient, rotten logs that were decaying in the bush.

I first went for a walk down to the river to fetch some shower water, and got only as far as a crystal-clear small gurgling stream with plenty of algae. Then we climbed up the hill to survey our spot (picture above) - walking barefoot on lichen, like on a perfect foam mattress that gives way just enough to be pleasant. Along the way, I found a small caribou antler, a great souvenir of the trip.

 

[janyyc]

Beautiful country. Did you wade across the river just for the picture?

Not quite - we waded across to check the depth and flow, and after testing various routes decided not to pursue the crossing. But of course I had my camera with me and captured the moment.

It is interesting to me how good those old trucks actually look. The paint is still on them and I don't see much in the way of rust holes. Either of them could make interesting resto-mods.

I knew you'd like that! Yes, it's amazing how well they are preserved, especially considering the climate isn't an arid desert - they are likely covered in deep snow for most of the year. I'm not sure if their preservation a testament to the quality of the steel, or a combination of meteorological factors. Luckily what is left behind is protected as heritage objects and tampering with them is considered a crime. The Canol was cleaned up a bit over the years from telegraph wire, drums, culverts, etc. - but beyond the trucks, there are still lots of relics left behind.

 

[John Young]

I will have to go and see for myself in Missus White!

 

[janyyc]

The lichen gives an amazing colour to the landscape, but up close, it is comprised of many different varieties, each with a different, individual texture and shape.

Then we were treated to a spectacular sunset.

 

[coldtaco]

I carry chest waders when we go exploring, not a fan of cold water

 

[janyyc]

Of course the following morning started with a delicious (and healthy!) breakfast, and the last of our Whitehorse bagels. Unfortunately, overnight the wildfire smoke had come in, and the haze was to accompany us for the remainder of our trip.

We turned off on the spur to Mactung Mine. A little backstory on the mine here: Mactung mine - Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mactung_mine
Apparently it's supposed to open again, but there is absolutely no indication of any activity on the road, which would presumably be the first area of construction. It was in good enough shape, especially for the first portion - a little overgrown, and even tall grasses growing out of the gravel, indicating very little use.

 

[janyyc]

We headed up a little side-spur to a campsite I had noted - very nice but our spot was even better. The track was narrow and at times we were flanked by beautiful fireweed, the colours bringing the landscape to life.

We continued up a steep track to the mine, in places completely overgrown from all sides, in others littered with large rocks.



Eventually we reached the end of our adventure - a landslide had swept the road away. I proposed we park and hike the few remaining kilometers to the mine, but upon exiting the car, I heard a hissing noise... the driver's front tire had been punctured. The gash was in the sidewall (though still on the tread area of our KO2's), and the sharp rock was still in place. This meant we quickly did a 10-point turn to face downhill, inflated the tire as much as possible, and drove to flat ground - replacing a tire on a narrow track, an incline, and a precipice would not be ideal. We made it down, stopping once to reinflate, and stopped directly on the road, on a flat area in the valley. The tire was removed, plugged, and the spare was put in place. All-in-all, about 30 minutes and not a problem at all.

Heading back towards the main Canol road, we stopped at a beautiful stream for some clear mountain water and exploration.

 

[John Young]

Ali seems to be having hard luck with tires both in Oman and now in Canada!

 

[janyyc]

Ali seems to be having hard luck with tires both in Oman and now in Canada!

This is Ozzi, not Ali. But yes! Two tires this year. The Dunlop in Ali was because of the quality of the tire (=not so good) but here the KO2 I'd attribute to bad luck... but it plugged successfully, kept air, and now I'm just waiting for the right occasion to take it into Costco and get it replaced under warranty.

 

[janyyc]

Back on the main Canol track, we stopped at the weather station on the Yukon/NWT "border" and discovered a jettisoned Ford Courier "parked" there. It's nice to see things abandoned but not vandalized, left as monuments of a time gone by.

The sticker "Cominco", by the way, refers to a mining company. It has quite some patina but I'm not sure if it's original or added by some workers at a later stage.

We passed by the large diamond mine again, this time stopped and met a nice guy from Saskatchewan who was working there. Apparently the operation scope was increasing significantly, and some new employees were being flown in shortly - we did in fact witness the airplane approaching to landing a while later.

Instead of showing you the pictures of mankind's follies (keep in mind it's diamonds they are mining), I will instead share a gem of nature's own creation. Tundra moss of such a vivid colour as to be completely unnatural.

We found camp that night on an abandoned old hunting camp, a few old beer cans and gas canisters around, but overall quite clean and a great view. After setting up camp and getting the rice ready, we bushwhacked down to the river, where we found plenty of animal tracks in the muddy banks. There was a large section of hillside cleared out by beavers, and a beautiful tributary stream. For dinner, we finished off the chicken burgers, which added just a little extra protein to our MUJI chicken curry. Ice in the YETI was getting perilously low, so we were looking forward to restocking the next day.