Yukon 2016

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hiluxjeremy

hiluxjeremy

Joined
Jun 25, 2012
Threads
22
Messages
445
Location
Delburne, Alberta
This needs to happen. It simply hasnt been possible for me in years past despite the desire to do so.

So, let the planning begin. I want to follow the Canol road as far as reasonably feasible. I'd like to do it in the northern fall, to let the colours accent an already breathtaking natural landscape. As far as I can tell the last week of August should be a good time to be on the trail.

This could very well be the trip of a lifetime. It will mean days and days of highway driving, culminating in a vehicular venture into extremely remote country.

Who wants to go?
 
Too far out for me to commit now but I like the idea!
 
I'm hoping to go in July I'll see how the next near future goes.
 
Lets start hashing out the details of this trip and get a basic itinerary with fuel stops and route. We don't have to finish the trail the first time. All we need to do is scout it out for future runs.
 
Red Deer to Whitecourt, less than 400km. Whitecourt to Dawson Creek, 406 km, Dawson Creek to Fort Nelson, 453km, Fort Nelson to watson lake, yt, 513km (fuel at toad river at 180km+/-), watson lake to ross river, yt, 371km. Straight line distance from Ross River to NWT border at Macmillan pass is about 200 km, Im counting on 300 km of crappy road. Last reliable fuel is at Ross River.


"Macmillan Pass Airport has a 50 ft wide runway and receives no maintenance. It is along the Canol Road. The airport is located on the Continental divide near the border of Yukon and Northwest Territories, Canada. Wikipedia"

So, sounds like the mac pass airport is a gravel strip in no mans land. Cool.
 
Beaver dam photo is approximately 200km in a straight line from Norman Wells. So, figure 300km or more to get there. For the sake of a fuel estimate, double it. And even then it will likely be low. We need to do alot more low speed testing, allowing initially for low speed gravel (40km/h as a baseline?) Low speed, low range, (first/second/third/fourth?) hard terrain, (first/second) soft/muddy/skag. Even idle by the hour, due to nasty winching. high idle, if you have a choice. Speaking of the photo above, the only way I can see driving anything across that mess is corduroy, This requires a certain physical commitment from participants. Saws and logs, fellas. Alot of logs. Yep, and more. Keep in mind this is only the first obstacle we know of.
 
I just came back from the end of N Canol Road. You might get 25-30 kms past the mandatory game center. It's trail
after that. Probably no way of actually driving to the Mackenzie River. pics 421 and 422 are the water swollen portis of the first couple of miles of the trail after the sign. As I had just assisted the last string of guides and horse for end of year out, I was understandably paranoid of going further knowing that there is no one, and no support going east at this point. The crossings when I did them were 24'-40" deep. High water
silt run off.
It's 245 kms from Ross River to the station. The road is essentially good, some steep grades. All the bridges to the station are excellent
and the road is well used. There will be no issues. I saw moose, grizzly, but too early for caribou. A hunter was eaten in his tent out
past the check point station by a grizzly. Having competent protection is good idea. Thousands of game birds, Wow!!
My camp pic was along the lower Macmillian R.
I drove to Inuvik, N Canol and other secondary stuff. It was pretty, and spectacular.
Drive time, Vancouver to Fraser Lake, day one. Whitehorse day 2. I did drive one day Whitehorse to Inuvik,
1250 kms for that, but longer coming back. J

P1000417.webp


P1000418.webp


P1000421.webp


P1000422.webp


P1000404.webp
 
Thanks for posting up! Your pics make me jealous and your insight is much appreciated. Having the tool for the job is indeed a requirement just to visit an area such as this, be it potting a ptarmigan or dealing with bears.

I think I'm the only member of our little club who has visited the yukon or nwt, although it was years ago now. I find it difficult to impart the feelings invoked by the north, just how much distance there really is. I feel that the ambitious among us will be somewhat/severely cowed faced with a first person view of how things up there really are.

It is sobering, but compelling. A savage beauty. Your caution is prudent, any less would be foolish. Nonetheless I can imagine the trip was everything you hoped for.
 
Is mac pass an obvious landmark? If so, I presume the station to be on the east side? What did fuel cost at ross river? When exactly where you on the north canol?
 
I see you understand, I call it 'time and space'. This pic was on the Dempster 3 days earlier. I was up there last week of Sept.
My need was for the isolation and quiet beauty of the north. I am a past Yukoner, sort of a going home trip.
P1000267.webp
 
Macmillan Pass isn't marked as such. There are sign posts on every creek crossing, mile markers occasionally but there are
distance to destination signs. Ross River has no restaurant. Fuel is a huge self serve depot with a card machine, credit only.
I couldn't believe the prices.............Diesel $1.17/litre! yeah, it was a good year for fuel prices. Watson Lake at the Fas Gas
was $1.10 / litre. Whitehorse was $1.24/lire Inuvik $1.50/litre. Eagle Plains $1.66/litre Dease Lake $1.23/litre.

I'll be back next year for sure, late August early Sept. Too much to see, J
 
Yes, Northern Store or a variation of it. I don't shop there, there is a Superstore in Whitehorse with
comparable prices so unless you really have forgotten something I'd not plan on anything there.
 
Sheldon Lake would be a nice place to camp, but it really popular. There was a group of guys in there with a
huge tent city set up, even had a sauna. They were hunting for 4 weeks as they do every year through Sept.
If no one is there, or there is space down the beach, it would be a nice place to hang around for a day. I didn't
take any pics there as don't take pics of others camps.

image.webp
 
Sounds like we may have a couple rigs from back east on this run. My brother and a friend are working towards making it happen. I'll vouch for them. Get tinkering.
 
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