Day 8 - Aug 11: Up the Dempster Hwy

Today the convoy heads north (no, not to Alaska! Alaska is west at this point).  They are traveling on the Dempster Highway. This road was constructed from 1959 to 1978 to connect to towns in the Northwest Territories. It ends at Inuvik. The Dempster is a year-round highway, with northerly portions being ice roads.

The convoy will not get up into the Northwest Territories, but will make it to the Arctic Circle tomorrow. Today's destination is Eagle Plains, Yukon Territory (population 8).

AC'12 Day 8 travel route

Some of the support vehicles have chosen not to travel on the Dempster Highway to the Arctic Circle. They headed to Dawson City a couple of days early.

Day 6 - Aug 9: Ross River to Pelly Crossing

I found out today that due to the rough road conditions of the Campbell Highway between Watson Lake and Pelly Crossing, that most support vehicles stayed on the Alaska Highway to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. From there, the support vehicles will head north and meet up with the main AC'12 convoy. I would guess they will take Highway 2 to Carmacks, and then on to Pelly Crossing.

Some of you might be interested to know that Ross River is where the Canol Highway crosses the Campbell Highway and then the Pelly River. The Canol Highway goes way up into the Northwest Territories. The Canol (Canadian Oil) Highway was also a WWII construction project. The old pipeline bridge is now a walking bridge. Crossing in summer is by a cable ferry. Crossing in winter is by ice road.

Faint line across river from right to left is the ice road at Ross River
The cable ferry is next to the old pipeline bridge (far right)
SPOT satellite imagery

This morning the main convoy passed near the town of Faro. People in town were anxious to see the convoy and posted to Facebook that they would be out on the main highway ready to cheer them on.

AC'12 Day 6 travel route

- Ellen