Date: Thu, 9 Nov 1995 19:42:03 -0800 (PST)
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: "Tobin T. Copley" <tobin@freenet.vancouver.bc.ca>
Subject: JOIN US: Arctic Bus Trek to Inuvik, NWT, Canada
Hey, gang! Gerry suggested I chuck another post/invitation for this
hair-brained trip up onto the vanagon list, so here it is.
Read up, kids, 'cause this is gonna be fun! And you'll want to start
buttering up your bosses now so you can get the time off for this trip
next summer.
OK, here's the skinny:
WHAT: Vanagon@lenti Top of the World Tour 1996
(More commonly known as "The Inuvik Trip")
(Taking liberty with "Top of the World" bit, since there are other
roads going further north, including the road to Prudhoe Bay,
AK which is finally open to the public -- even though it only goes
a little over 100 miles further north...)
WHEN: July 22 - August 14, 1996 (leaving/returning Vancouver, BC)
(I suggested these dates, heard from 10 people, and all but 2
could make it... and MAYBE those two could finagle an
appearance???)
WHERE: To Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada (near the Arctic Ocean)
This is the farthest north one can drive in Canada, the
northernmost country in the world. Yeah, sure, the Dalton Haul
Road in Alaska goes a few miles further north, but, well, I'm
Canadian, so you'll have to bear with my choice of
destination...
WHY: You tell me.
DURATION: 24 days return from Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Maybe less if it works out that way, but I thought we should
plan on the long side so we don't feel rushed at all. There's
more to travelling than driving, after all.
-> This still allows time for 3 days transit each way between
your home and Vancouver. People from SoCal, for example should
have no problems getting to Vancouver in 3 fairly substantial
driving days on the interstate. People from elsewhere (say,
the U.K., for example) could fly in and rent, which brings me
to...
-> I'm looking into the possibilities of EUROVAN or VANAGON WESTY
RENTALS either here or just over the line in Washington state.
The trick will be finding an agency that is ok with renting a
vehicle for nearly 3,000 kms of unpaved roads! (Funny, that.)
STYLE: We'll be staying at campsites exclusively, and will be free
camping whenever possible -- which will be most of the time.
The B.C. Forest Service operates terrific little free sites
with "primitive" services (meaning more or less level ground
and a latrine somewhere). This is porta-potty country, kids,
so get a good one like Steve Johnson's diesel model. The Forest
Service sites are typically located on alpine lakes, next to
waterfalls, or next to rivers or alpine streams. Fresh fish
should be plentiful! (yum!) The Forest Service sites are often
several miles off the main road, accessible by dirt logging
road. Off-road vehicle modifications should not be necessary,
although anyone with a front air dam may want to remove it
before starting the trip. While we should plan to be as
self-sufficient as possible (including water and
shower/bathing equipment), we will stop every few days
somewhere where Martha can have a hot shower. :)
VW MAG T&A discussions will be strictly off-line, and civil. ;-)
WHO: Anyone with a VW bus. Currently, the roster contains... well a
bunch of folks, and I have to confess I haven't been keeping
track of all the inquiries so far. Here's a partial list, and
apologies to those of you I've missed (no offence intended!):
Tobin Copley & Christa Ovenell
Martha & Sarah Rubin
Ron Lussier & his Dad!
David Schwarze
Bob Hoover
Bill Abbott
Michael Wagner & family
Paul Uusitalo
Edmund Hintz
Dennis Carr
Done Kane, wife, and 3 (!) kids
Chris Grant, Leilani, and baby Connor
Gregor Durstewitz
Bette Vidrine
Johnny Stutsman
Sean Roberts
(others...)
MORE INFO: Ron's Inuvik page: http://www.chaco.com/~coyote/vw/trek
The Inuvik mailing list: inuvik@zuni.chaco.com
To subscribe, send the following message to
Majordomo@chaco.com:
subscribe inuvik "Your Name"
Why not call these numbers for some very nice information
packages? Tell the nice people what the planned route through
their area is, and they'll fix you up.
Tourism BC: (800) 663-6000
Tourism Yukon: (403) 667-2915
Heritage Canada, Yukon: (403) 667-3970
Tourism NWT: (800) 661-0788
(I had numbers for Alaska Tourism, but misplaced 'em.
Directory assistance call help you there...)
THE SCENE:
This is some of the most beautiful, desolate, and remote country you
could ever expect to drive to. The days will be long, but the Northern
Lights should be visible late at night in the less-far-north portions of
the trip. Temperatures will likely be between 45 and 75 degrees F in
Inuvik, and may be substantially warmer in Northern B.C and the Southern
Yukon. July and August are typically fairly dry in the Far North. Bugs
(mostlt mosquitoes and black flies) will be a problem, but will not be
neary as bad as in late May - July. I would hope we could take the short
bush plane flight from Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk on the Beaufort Sea for day
trip. Cost for the one day flight to Tuk is $95.00 CDN per person (1995
price).
THE STATS:
Summary of the planned route and mileage (distances in km):
Vancouver to Prince George 738 km (via Whistler, Lillooet)
Hwy 16 W to Hwy 37 nr. New Hazelton 482
Hwy 37 N to Watson Lake, Yukon 756 (approx 120 km unpaved)
Hwy 4 NW to Carmacks, Yukon 588 (approx 550 km unpaved)
Hwy 2 N to Dawson City, Yukon 357
Hwy 5 N to Inuvik, NWT 777 (Dempster Hwy: all unpaved)
Return:
Hwy 5 to Dawson City, Yukon 777 ( " )
To Beaver Creek, Yukon 970 (via Tetlin Jct AK 479km unpaved)
Hwy 1 E to Whitehorse, Yukon 457 (Alaska Hwy)
Hwy 1 E to Watson Lake, Yukon 454 ( " )
Hwy 97 S to Fort Nelson, BC 525 ( " )
Hwy 97 S to Prince George, BC 815
Hwy 97 S to Vancouver, BC 738
TOTAL: 8424 km / 5235 mi from Vancouver
Unpaved distance 2703 km / 1676 mi
OK, folks, let's go! You've got the winter to prep the bus, so pick up
that wrench! (It's the metal thingy with "10" on one end and "13" on the
other.)
Northward ho!
Tobin
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tobin T. Copley Only Somewhat =============
(604) 689-2660 Occupationally /_| |__||__| :| putta
tobin@freenet.vancouver.bc.ca Challenged! O| | putta
'-()-------()-'
Circum-continental USA, Mexico, Canada 15,000 miles... '76 VW Camper! (Mango)
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