New Roads

[Pete A.]

Has anyone tried taking the Dempster highway to the end....wondering if doing this solo is foolish

[busterbrown]

I haven't but recently watched a YT family do it last year in an overland rig with trailer. They full time with their young daughter in that setup. I think they published 3 videos on their Dempster Highway adventures. It'll give you some indication on the conditions of the roads and what to expect in Tuktoyuktuk. Here's the first of these videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Emhylk9kGVA

[goducks]

I watched a couple with a MH do it on YouTube. I had to wonder why? I can understand the "I did it" part. But there's nothing to see at the end. It's fugly. Every rig going there will suffer some road damage. To me the end doesn't justify the means.

[notanlines]

I suspect it is the "yes, I've done it" mentality. I'm familiar with that when speaking of traveling to Alaska. People who cruise to Alaska and then fly home from Anchorage simply don't have the same experience as those who drove through YT, crossed the river on the ferry and had lunch in Chicken. They will never get to brag about four days of wheat fields before you get to see a pine tree. I would love to make the Dempster trip....nope, not alone. That isn't on my bucket list.

[ADQ K9]

The Milepost is the bible for any travel in the north (Alaska and Western Canada). I suggest getting the most recent copy if going. There are many motorcycle groups that travel up the Dalton Highway to Deadhorse here in Alaska I have never done the Dalton I commute to work via a Boeing 737. One thing people don't realize when they come up here is that you have to take an "organized tour" to see the Arctic Ocean. You simply cant just drive to it. I hear a road to TUK is open now too and one can access the Arctic ocean from there.
IMO a pickup with a slide in camper would probably be what I would take on those roads