Dempster in 2020?

[penner]

Anyone planning a trip up the Dempster to Tuk in 2020? We will be heading up either mid June OR late July , thinking later because of the bug factor. Figuring on a 6-8 week trip from Ontario. Any suggestions and info would be appreciated. Thanks. Glen.

 

[klahanie]

Maybe. We had been intending to do a North trip aiming to be up that way end of July but now are kicking around going back to the East Coast. Prob decide closer to Feb. Will follow this tread as a possibility.

Do you have a tentative route planned to get to Yukon ?

Six to eight weeks is really good but you know, it will go quickly. I googled TO to Tuk (as an example); it's a heck of a long way but will be well worth it !

Only tip I can give right now is to take your time on the Dempster part. Don't drive it as a punch list, get down and soak in the environment as often as you can, bugs be damned.

Enjoy your planning ...

 

[penner]

No real route planned yet. I did "map quest" a tentative route and it will be a good hike. Add in stops in Ft Smith and Edmonton for visits and even 8 wks might be pushing it. If you decide on the East will you do Nfld again?

 

[klahanie]

^ Yup, Newf and NS, which we only drove thru. That could mean the Trans Lab again, hehe, but only if I can swing including the Trans Taiga.

Ft Smith, eh ? So the rapids, Pine Point, Wood Buffalo. Nice.

 

[Dirt Rider]

When you say Ontario, are you referring to Calif or Canada?

 

[penner]

When you say Ontario, are you referring to Calif or Canada?

Canada. I'm about 2hrs N/W of Toronto.

 

[smlobx]

We’ll be going to AK and Tuk next summer. We are not going to detail the entire trip (3 months) but will explore and stop where interested. We should be in tuk mid to late July. We will be leaving Virginia in mid May visit Banff and Jasper on our way to Prince Rupert where we’ll be taking the ferry to Haines then on to the rest of AK. We’re estimating about a 15,000 mile trip!

just an FYI for anyone planning on going to Denali it appears that there has been a huge landslide about 44 miles into the park and it is unknown at this time if the full road will be open by summer....

 

[trikebubble]

My Wife (and our 2 dogs) drove from our home in Penticton BC to Tuk and back in July of 2018. We took three and a half weeks and drove a total of 8600+KM. I'll start by saying both that I'd would go back in a hear beat, and I think "Going North" should be mandatory for every single Canadian. It is hard to appreciate what we have in a country unless you've had the humbling experience of going way North, seeing what is up there, and meeting the Canadians who live their lives above the Arctic Circle.

A few highlights from our trip.
- I'd really recommend taking the Cassiar Hwy up, and going to visit Stewart.Hyder and the Salmon Glacier on the way. (I could honestly take or leave the Alaska Hwy route in Northern BC)
- Plan to spend a couple days playing tourist in Dawson City, it is without question the best little town I've ever visited anywhere in Canada. We camped at the campground in the middle of town, hung up our driving duties for a couple days and really enjoyed walking around town, sampling local food (Joe's wood-fired pizza is tops), hiking the local trail network, kissing the sour-toe, and just hanging around. Sitting in the campground at 1am in total sunlight, enjoying a beer and chatting with other travelers was also a highlight.
- We really tried ot take our time when driving up The Dempster. I kept the speed at no more than 80km/hr which allowed us ot really soak it all in, and we stopped multiple times to just stand there in awe of the vastness of the area.
- Tuk in July of 2018 was simply magical. We were fortunate to drive North before a lot of other people, so we were able to camp in a place that you no longer can. I would still recommend camping in Tuk for the night (regardless of the cost, it is something you would regret later in life if you didn't). I never really believed people who said "yeah, the sun never sets up there in the middle of the summer" until I witnessed it for myself. Standing on the shores of the Beafort Sea at 3am just watching the sun hover there was breathtaking.
- On our way South we detoured onto the Campbell Highway, and took a quick drive around the partially abandoned town of Faro. It is a very strange experience driving thru neighborhood's of closed up houses and apartment blocks. (I do hear they have a famous golf course their though)
- After visiting Faro, we drove east than hooked onto the South Canol Road. I'll say this was without question the most isolated, and equally beautiful and amazing road of our whole trip. It's appx. 225km long, and we saw maybe 3 other vehicles on the entire road. Now that I think of it, we saw more porcupines than passing cars. We stayed at Quiet Lake Territorial Campground, which is easily one of the best campgrounds I've ever stayed in. (Yukon campgrounds cost around $12 a night, and you get free firewood with that. It's a hard deal to beat, and you can help support their campgrounds up there)

I'm sure their is more that I can't think of right now, but overall I'd say to slow things down as much as possible, stop as much as possible to take it all in.

 

[penner]

Thanks for the replies and suggestions. Leaning towards leaving here mid to late July . Probably drive fairly steady until we get to B.C. then slow it down. Looking at taking I-90 and then cutting up to B.C. and hooking up with the Cassiar. Any suggestions on a border crossing and route to connect with the Cassiar? Have no intention on going to Vancouver. Thanks again and Happy New Year

 

[dennis 221]

tuk short CUT road last summer was and still is UNDER construction!! avoid at all cost! 26 miles of one way hell

 

[klahanie]

... leaving here mid to late July . Probably drive fairly steady until we get to B.C. then slow it down. Looking at taking I-90 and then cutting up to B.C. and hooking up with the Cassiar. Any suggestions on a border crossing and route to connect with the Cassiar?

G, if you're thinking drive to Spokane then north you could: cross at Nelway and possibly visit some W Kootenay towns like Nelson, maybe Ainsworth hot springs, Kaslo, Nakusp then make your way to #1 TCH. Or, cross at Osoyoos and possibly up thru Penticton to Vernon. This is the Okanagan and be warned it's gonna be busy in summer and prob hot, but the fresh peaches might just make it worthwhile. Consider parts of the KVR esp Myra Canyon if you'll have bikes, or even for walking.

From Kamloops on the TCH you could take #5N, the positive here would be a chance to visit Wells Gray PP (waterfalls). But there's not much from there to Valemount. Beyond V, you'll be in the Rocky Mtn Trench which can be pretty in fine weather.

Or from Kamloops you could head W to Cache Creek and N on #97, thru The Cariboo. Possible backroad route is W of Clinton, thru Jesmond, maybe thru the Gang Ranch and N to Riske Creek. Can see a different side of BC. Further up and N of Quesnel is Barkerville - if that is of interest.

Now, tell me that you're not going to miss the Icefields Parkway ...
Done it or driving on the way back ?

 

[Missing Link]

Glen and Eddie - We drove the Dempster in 2010 and again this past summer. Here is a link to the narrated slide show that that I put together after this last trip. We took seven weeks and covered 10,700 miles(live in California). A lot more than just the Dempster is covered but feel free to fast forward to the part you are interested in and skip the rest . . . . . although, it's all great country.

For some reason, I can't get the link to paste into this message. You can also see it by going to You Tube and typing in Canada Alaska Road Trip, 2019, missinglink

Hope you find it useful, and I hope you both have great trips. - Richard

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Here’s Missing Link’s missing link...

Glen and Eddie - We drove the Dempster in 2010 and again this past summer. Here is a link to the narrated slide show that that I put together after this last trip. We took seven weeks and covered 10,700 miles(live in California). A lot more than just the Dempster is covered but feel free to fast forward to the part you are interested in and skip the rest . . . . . although, it's all great country.

For some reason, I can't get the link to paste into this message. You can also see it by going to You Tube and typing in Canada Alaska Road Trip, 2019, missinglink

Hope you find it useful, and I hope you both have great trips. - Richard

...and apologies for the pun.

 

[penner]

Link. Thanks for the video , looks like a good trip!! We flew into Anchorage a few years back ,rented a truck, and spent 2 weeks traveling around. It was when we returned from that trip that we decided to order our camper. D. Icefields Parkway, never heard of it until now but after checking it out We will definatly be doing it on the way home. Other than flying to Edmonton to take in the Heritage Classic,and visit my sister, in 2003 I have never been any further west, in Canada, than Thunder Bay. Thanks again Guys.

 

[Missing Link]

Sage - Thanks for putting up the link (and for the pun ). Any idea what I did wrong when trying to post the link myself?

 

[klahanie]

Icefields Parkway, never heard of it until now but after checking it out We will definitely be doing it on the way home. Other than flying to Edmonton to take in the Heritage Classic,and visit my sister

Oh right, I forgot you could be travelling S from Hay R to Edm. If so it would be a drive over to Jasper...

If there are large fires burning in the West best to check on visibility thru that corridor before going out of your way. A couple of times for us in recent years driving thru the Rockies the views have been obscured by smoke. There will still be traffic and packed parking lots tho, as people plan their trips ahead of time and the whole Rockies trip is national bucket list fodder à la trikebubble's 'visit the North'.

At the the south end of the Parkway there are a few more 'drive in the mountain' choices that head S, SE - if you are returning via the US - and you are not sick of mountains by then (!). But if you go out to Calgary and continue E on the TCH consider a visit to Drumheller and the museum there, it's about an hour off the hwy.

 

[Vic Harder]

Oh right, I forgot you could be travelling S from Hay R to Edm. If so it would be a drive over to Jasper...

If there are large fires burning in the West best to check on visibility thru that corridor before going out of your way. A couple of times for us in recent years driving thru the Rockies the views have been obscured by smoke. There will still be traffic and packed parking lots tho, as people plan their trips ahead of time and the whole Rockies trip is national bucket list fodder à la trikebubble's 'visit the North'.

At the the south end of the Parkway there are a few more 'drive in the mountain' choices that head S, SE - if you are returning via the US - and you are not sick of mountains by then (!). But if you go out to Calgary and continue E on the TCH consider a visit to Drumheller and the museum there, it's about an hour off the hwy.

If you are in Banff already, then rather than heading west on the TCH, consider going further south through Kananaskis (Can an ass kiss) country. Lovely, LOTS of hiking, and a lot fewer tourists.

 

[smlobx]

Glen and Eddie - We drove the Dempster in 2010 and again this past summer. Here is a link to the narrated slide show that that I put together after this last trip. We took seven weeks and covered 10,700 miles(live in California). A lot more than just the Dempster is covered but feel free to fast forward to the part you are interested in and skip the rest . . . . . although, it's all great country.

For some reason, I can't get the link to paste into this message. You can also see it by going to You Tube and typing in Canada Alaska Road Trip, 2019, missinglink

Hope you find it useful, and I hope you both have great trips. - Richard

Thank you for the video.
I have a couple of questions if you don’t mind...It looks like we will be leaving on the Alaska Marine Highway System in Bellingham instead of Prince Rupert and you mentioned that you camped there. Where did you stay?
Also, do you think you have to make a reservation for the near viewing float plane trip several months out as you did or is ther a chance to book something like that maybe a week or two before? I’m trying to keep our schedule as flexible as possible.

 

[Vic Harder]

Glen and Eddie - We drove the Dempster in 2010 and again this past summer. Here is a link to the narrated slide show that that I put together after this last trip. We took seven weeks and covered 10,700 miles(live in California). A lot more than just the Dempster is covered but feel free to fast forward to the part you are interested in and skip the rest . . . . . although, it's all great country.

For some reason, I can't get the link to paste into this message. You can also see it by going to You Tube and typing in Canada Alaska Road Trip, 2019, missinglink

Hope you find it useful, and I hope you both have great trips. - Richard

Great video!

 

[So Cal Adventurer]

Unsure why so many folks do this in the summer...

I did it this September and it was literally as ideal as it gets

I'll be doing a similar one again this fall, if the new truck is "done enough" in time.

Advantages of September instead of July:

-Not a single bug the entire trip
-INSANE Aurora for 7 nights straight non stop
-Never got below freezing
-Fall colors were off the charts gorgeous
-No Crowds Anywhere
-Salmon running and i got lots of great bear photos.

If possible, reschedule from July to September and enjoy the Northern Lights, fall colors, no bugs, and bears chasing the salmon