Beyond the Arctic Circle | The Road to the Arctic Ocean

The adventure continues north on the Dempster Highway

beyond the Arctic Circle and deeper into one of the most remote parts of Canada.
With my brother Dan riding alongside me, I continue north in the old Land Rover Defender toward Inuvik, Tuktoyaktuk and ultimately the Arctic Ocean.

The Dempster has already thrown just about everything at us, but this stretch of road brings a little bit of everything — incredible Arctic landscapes, changing weather, river crossings, long stretches of gravel and another reminder of how important it is to look out for each other when you're travelling this far north.

Along the way we stop to help a stranded traveller dealing with a badly damaged tire. After several plugs still wouldn't hold the sidewall, we swapped on his spare… only to discover another problem with the valve stem.

From there, the road carries us across the Mackenzie River and into an incredible Arctic evening. Golden hour seemed to last forever as the sun dropped toward the horizon, lighting up the tundra while Dan and I continued toward Inuvik.

After picking up a few supplies in town, it was back on the road to find camp and put ourselves a little closer to the final destination:
Tuktoyaktuk and the Arctic Ocean.

This is exactly why I wanted to drive the Dempster Highway — the remoteness, the people you meet along the way and the feeling of travelling farther north than most roads will ever take you.
Thanks for coming along for the adventure.

Next stop: Tuktoyaktuk.