In the vast wilderness that is northern Canada, only one year-round highway crosses the Arctic Circle. And this road, the Dempster Highway, is less a highway than a back country road. From its beginning on the North Klondike River, it traverses a single, expansive wilderness, almost untouched by civilization, and crosses the Continental Divide three times. On our road tour of this Arctic region, we visit the few, far flung First Nation communities on the Dempster, and will spend most time alone, seeing only scattered traffic.
In this land of the midnight sun , the sun holds its place in the sky for an entire summer, enabling wildlife to be seen almost 24 hours a day. Black bear, wolverine and fox live in the forest and grizzly bears, wolves and caribou roam the mountain valleys and plains. Dall's sheep can often be seen on the mountain ridges while moose live near valley streams and rivers. Bird life includes eagles, falcons and hawks and a variety of migratory birds.
Surprisingly, at the northern end of the highway there is civilization - in Inuvik, the modern Arctic service centre founded in the mid-1950s. However, we don' t linger in civilization too long! After a tour of Inuvik we head out by boat into the Mackenzie Delta, a haven for wildlife. The next day we take a low level flight across the tundra and taiga of the Mackenzie Delta for a day visit to the Inuvialuit hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk on the shores of the Arctic Ocean.
Departures from Whitehorse, YT, begin June 23/09
Itinerary. Whitehorse, YT, Return.
Day 1. Whitehorse, YT.
We've set this day aside for everyone to travel to Whitehorse. In the evening, your guide will meet everyone at the High Country Inn for a no-host dinner.
Accommodation: Hotel
Included Meals: None
Day 2. Dawson City, YT .
After departing Whitehorse, we take the Klondike Highway to the historic gold-mining town of Dawson City (pop. 2000). En route, we stop at Five Finger Rapids and cross some of the great northern rivers including Yukon River, Pelly River and Stewart River. We arrive in Dawson City in late afternoon after driving 540 kilometers. In the evening we'll have time to stroll along the boardwalks and admire the town's original buildings.
Accommodation: Hotel
Included Meals: Hot breakfast
Day 3. Dawson City, YT .
Our stay in this restored gold mining town will include a focus on historical and cultural attractions including: The Grand Palace Theatre, the SS Keno National Historic Site, the Dawson City Museum and the Danoja Zho Cultural Centre. We'll also have the option to pan for gold and, in the evening, visit Diamond Tooth Gertie's Casino and Gambling Saloon with live stage performances. Entrance fees to the above attractions are optional and range in price from $10 to $15.
For those with a hankerin' to see the countryside, we set aside a half day for an optional visit to Dredge No. 4, located 12 kilometers from Dawson City. Built in 1912, this historic dredge is the largest wooden hull bucket-line dredge in North America. After our one-hour tour, we'll continue up Bonanza Creek to see miles of tailings worked two or three times in the continuing search for gold.
Accommodation: Hotel
Included Meals: Hot breakfast
Day 4. Eagle Plains, YT.
Leaving the Klondike Highway, we begin our 750 kilometer journey up the Dempster Highway to Tombstone Territorial Park. The southern part of our journey passes through the valley of the North Klondike River and skirts the Ogilvie Range. After crossing the North Fork Klondike River, we ascend above the treeline to encounter the dramatic Tombstone Range, considered by many to be the most spectacular mountain range in the Yukon. We'll visit the Visitor Information Centre and stretch our legs on a one-hour hike in Tombstone Valley.
We continue our ascent up the Dempster to North Fork Pass, past the treeline and into open tundra. An elevation of 1289 metres marks the highest point on our Dempster Highway tour and our first of three crossings of the Continental Divide. From this point on we enter a region of near-continuous permafrost and tundra.
Heading north along the Blackstone Uplands we stop at Chapman Lake, the largest lake along the highway. Here we encounter a fertile area rich with bird life. Leaving Tombstone Territorial Park, we climb over Windy Pass, making our way along the ridge of the Eagle Plateau and completing our second crossing of the Continental Divide.
Before the night's rest at Eagle Plains, we stop at the Ogilvie-Peel viewpoint that provides one of the best panoramas of the northern fringe of the Ogilvie Mountains. Entering the land around Eagle Plains, we'll see a rolling, hilly region covered with stunted black spruce forest. Due to permafrost under the soil, the trees lean in all directions, giving them a comical, drunken appearance. Our 430 kilometer drive from Dawson City leads us to the self-contained truck stop on Eagle Plains, the only place on the Dempster to eat, sleep and fuel up. We'll largely be in the company of long haul truckers, road maintenance crews and locals.
We arrive at our hotel in Eagle Plains in late afternoon. From Eagle Plains, the Richardson Mountains provide an incredibly beautiful sight, forming a narrow north-south line of softly sculptured ridges. They are believed to be the most northerly range of the Rockies.
Accommodation: Hotel (basic)
Included Meals: Hot breakfast
Day 5. Inuvik, NWT.
Just north of Eagle Plains we'll arrive at the Arctic Circle monument at N 66°33'. We then ascend to the last mountain pass, which takes us over the border to the Northwest Territories. Here we change our clocks one hour ahead and cross the Continental Divide for the third time. We now descend into the expansive valley of the mighty Peel and Mackenzie Rivers.
During the ice age, continental sheets of ice stretched across much of this area. Consequently, thousands of small lakes and ponds attest to the passage of the grinding of massive glaciers. We'll look out for wildlife as we make to the Peel River Ferry Crossing. After the crossing we stop at the Kutching community of Fort McPherson, an early Hudson's Bay Company post and now home to 800 first nations people. Time and store hours permitting, we'll visit the Fort McPherson Tent and Canvas Shop , famous for famous around the world for their prospector tents, tipi's and sturdy luggage.
The areas of the Peel/Mackenzie lowlands are mostly flat and marshy. But the warm waters of the mighty Mackenzie bring to this arctic area allow a diversity of biological zones to exist far north of their usual boundary. Stands of white birch, white and black spruce, cottonwood and tamarack are common. While none of these forests can compare to the magnificent west coast rainforest, some of the white birch have been documented to be up to 800 years old. An essential resource for the native population of the Western Arctic, whitefish, Arctic char, trout and burbot (freshwater ling) are fished from the river.
Canada's longest river, the Mackenzie River, is our last river crossing; this river empties into the Beaufort Sea in a region known as the Mackenzie Delta, one of North America's great migratory bird flyways. Five globally significant Important Bird Areas (IBAs) and one continentally crucial IBA stretch along the river. These IBAs are vital staging and nesting areas for tens of thousands of waterfowl, such as tundra swans; greater white-fronted, lesser snow and Canada geese; canvasback and mallard ducks; and thousands of songbirds. Roughly 100 species of migratory birds are present in the Mackenzie River Delta alone, including the last known breeding habitat of the highly endangered Eskimo curlew. All travelers are encouraged to keep their cameras and binoculars handy! We arrive at our hotel in Inuvik, located two degrees above the Arctic Circle, in the late afternoon.
Accommodation: Hotel
Included Meals: Hot breakfast
Day 6. Invuvik, NWT.
We depart our hotel mid morning for a guided two hour tour of Inuvik. Sights include Our Lady of Victory Roman Catholic Church (The Igloo Church), Inuvik's Inukshuk, Inuvik Community Greenhouse, t he most northern greenhouse in North America and the only one of its kind in the world. We'll also s top by the Town Hall and sign our guest book and pick up a Town of Inuvik souvenir pin.
We then embark on a four-hour boat tour into the Mackenzie Delta. In more southerly climates, deltas are usually prime agricultural land. In the North, however, productivity is expressed instead in seasonal abundance of various forms of wildlife. Many of these wildlife species are migratory and also play a vital role in the traditional lives of peoples living in and around the delta. Approximately fifty-four species of mammals, one hundred and thirty-seven species of birds, one amphibian, and a total of fifty-five fish species are known to occur in the delta region.
As we cruise through the creeks and channels, your guide will describe the unique ecosystem of this area and point out traditional native camps. Arctic wildlife spotting opportunities include moose, bear, mink, fox, beaver, muskrat, golden and bald eagle. Wolves and wolverine may also be sighted. Part way through the tour, we pull over at a local cabin, build a fire and partake of traditional native fare.
After the boat tour, we'll wander down Mackenzie Road, the main street in town, where we can shop for northern souvenirs take dinner in one of the local pubs. A number of restaurants offer a range of eating experiences including northern delicacies, take way food and fine dining. In the evening, we can explore the nearby Jimmy Adams Peace Trail around Boot Lake.
Accommodation: Hotel
Included Meals: Hot breakfast and lunch.
Day 7. Inuvik, NWT.
During the winter, the highway extends another 194 kilometres to Tuktoyaktuk, on the northern coast of Canada, using frozen portions of the Mackenzie River delta as an ice road. However, today is summer and so it's off to the Inuvik airport to meet our chartered plane.
After a one hour flight over the Mackenzie delta, we touch down in Tuktoyaktuk, where we'll be met by our local guide. This is the northernmost point on this tour and we'll spend some time exploring the town with its old mission vessel, many old cabins and the ice-house.
During the tour, we'll sample some local fare, and stop for a traditional toe dipping ceremony in the Arctic Ocean. We'll also learn about the impact climate change is having on this community and how it is affecting the traditional hunting and gathering of its residents.
Tuktoyaktuk is also the gateway for exploring Pingo National Landmark, an area protecting eight pingos in a region which contains approximately 1,350 of these arctic ice dome hills. We'll visit this Landmark, which comprises an area roughly six miles square, just a few miles west of the community, and includes Canada's highest (and the world's second-highest) pingo, at 160 feet. It is managed by Parks Canada within the national park system, and, although a nationwide Landmarks program was envisioned, Pingo remains the country's only national landmark.
Accommodation: Hotel
Included Meals: Hot breakfast and lunch
Day 8. Whitehorse, YT.
In the morning, we'll have time for a leisurely breakfast, some last minute shopping and to pack before heading to the Inuvik Airport for our afternoon, three-hour flight to Whitehorse. Your Arctic holiday concludes when you arrive at the Whitehorse Airport. Please advise us if you wish us to book accommodation in Whitehorse for this night.
Included Meals: Hot breakfast
Accommodation: On own
Notes:
Airfare is included in the tour price.
Included:
Experienced guide
Seven nights accommodation
Entrance fee to Diamond Tooth Gerties
Tour of Inuvik
Half-day Mackenzie Delta marine wildlife tour
Flight excursion to Tuktoyaktuk including day cultural tour
Scheduled flight from Inuvik to Whitehorse
Airport transfer in Inuvik
Meals as listed
The single supplement is $500
Not Included: Optional activities, gratuities, and 5% GST.
Also see tour packages in:
Canada
Northwest Territories
Yukon
Arctic
Wildlife Viewing
Ecotourism
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