Month: November 2019

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Day 105 – The northern lights appear!

As I opened my eyes a glowing sunrise greeted me. Winnie needed to stretch her legs so I let her out to play in the snow as I stood there admiring the warm and radiant colors off in the distance.


The last bit of the drive was rough. Deep potholes and all kinds of bumps challenged my focus as I tried to weave my way around them the best I could. Soon that brutal road took me to the destination I’d drove up north for, I’d arrived at last in Tuktokuktuk, land of the pingos. Pingos are a neat natural phenomena as freezing and thawing water in the earth create all sorts of bumps that rise up from the earth.


I drove to the end of the hamlet right up to the edge of the Arctic Ocean. I’d made it! I took my boots off and dipped my feet in the freezing waters. It was the coldest water I’d ever felt, with the icy waves numbing my feet in seconds. I’d done it though, I finally dipped my feet in three different oceans, an achievement that I’d talked about accomplishing for years.


There was only one restaurant in town, Grandma’s Kitchen. I drove up to the house and knocked on the door where a friendly face greeted me and invited me in. The kind lady along with her husband and daughter sparked up a conversation with me as my meal was prepared. Being this far up north I had to try something unique so I got the muktuk, the outer part of the beluga whale along with some miqpuk, dry whale meat. Both had quite the interesting taste. The muktuk was kinda sweet and meaty where as the miqpuk was like steak with a hint of fish flavor. Both were incredibly delicious!


I did some more exploring of the tiny hamlet. The locals were very friendly, often waving as I drove by. I wanted to pick up a souvenir but the store that sold them was closed for the season. I asked around, seeing if anyone knew where I could get any collectibles when I came across an old lady that told me she had something. I drove to her house and she brought out some handmade moose hide gloves. Being that she’d spent her entire life in the town, she was full of interesting stories and I eagerly listened as I tried on my new gloves for the first time. I was ecstatic, I had obtained the best possible souvenir I could possibly ask for! Her neighbors were quite friendly as well, sparking up a wonderful conversation with me.


Having spent the day wondering about, chatting with locals and admiring the town, I returned to the shores of the Arctic Ocean where I watched the sun slowly go down over the chilly water.


The sky was quite clear as darkness arrived and I was feeling lucky about seeing the northern lights. After a lifetime of waiting they finally revealed themselves! Pictures don’t do them justice, not even close! The light danced rapidly across the sky, like a musical symphony orchestrated in beams of light. I laughed as I stared at the natural phenomena, words could not express the joy that flooded my heart, I’d waited my entire life to see this and it was even better than I’d ever imagined. I put on my new moose hide gloves, keeping my hands nice and toasty as I stared at the sky for hours. At last the show came to an end and with great fulfillment I fell asleep.

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Day 106 – The case of the missing drone

With such an amazing time the night before I took to the road smiling as I began the return south. I found the perfect spot about 180 km outside of Tuktoyuktuk where I decided I’d fly my drone up and take a pic. I pulled over to the side of the road and went to grab it from the back seat where I normally kept it. That was strange I thought, it wasn’t there. I figured I must’ve buried it under something and kept searching. I began to panic as the search became frantic, where was my drone?! It was missing! Did I place it down somewhere and forget I’d done so? How could this happen?!


I rushed back to Tuktoyuktuk fighting back tears. This couldn’t happen, how on earth could I lose something like that?! The adventure couldn’t end like this! I found myself distraught, praying to God that it would show up.


I made it into Tuktoyuktuk and went to the bench I might’ve left it on, it wasn’t there. Crushing sadness began to overwhelm me. I couldn’t give up though, I had to try and find it despite a diminishing hope . I asked all the locals I could find, offering a generous reward for its return. I got recommended to go to the town office and made my way there.


An administrative lady greeted me and heard my story. It turns out her husband had come across a drone in the past day and made a facebook post about it. My eyes widened as she spoke, my once dim hope growing to a prodigious optimism. She called him and he showed up carrying a black box. I lifted the cover and peered inside, there it was, God had heard my prayers and answered them! The overwhelming relief! The boundless happiness that filled me! I offered the kind man a reward but he refused, saying one of his workers had found it and freely brought it to him, that he simply couldn’t take anything in return. I will never forget the kindness that was shown to me in that moment, there truly are beautiful souls out there.


So how exactly did I lose the drone to begin with? After I’d taken some pictures of the pingos the previous day and packed my drone up, I’d left the box on the back of my car instead of immediately putting it back inside like I normally would. I had walked over to read one of the signs explaining the natural wonders in depth and somehow I’d forgotten the box was still sitting on my vehicle out of sight. As I drove into town it had fallen off and onto the road where it was found a few hours later.


I gave the drone a thorough inspection once it was returned to me. Overall it had suffered minimal damage, a few scrapes here and there but the lens and other vulnerable parts were still perfectly fine. One of the detachable wings was broken though and my spare battery was gone. That was fine. The wings are attached every time you fly it so I could easily replace them. I was so happy to have the drone returned to me I didn’t care about the wing and missing battery. I won’t be taking any aerial shots until I can pick up a spare wing but that’s ok, there is some pretty rough weather ahead that would prevent me from flying anyway.


It was a lot later than I wanted it to be as I took to the road again heading south. I was also feeling a growing fatigue as it’d been a pretty emotional day coupled with barely any sleep from the previous night watching the northern lights. I made my way along though, passing through Inuvik and catching the ferry’s in time.


I was originally scheduled to avoid the snowstorm that was coming but with the massive loss in time dealing with the drone situation I was now driving in a blizzard at night. I took my time as I carefully navigated the slippery roads, taking no more then 5 minute breaks when focusing became difficult. I eventually arrived back in the Yukon and made my way to the Eagle Plains, an outpost with a hotel and gas station. I opted to finish driving the Dempster in the morning when I was well rested. What an emotional roller coaster the day had turned out to be.

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Day 107 – Caught in a northern blizzard

The snowfall I’d dealt with the night before was still falling heavily by the morning and the road north was now closed. Luckily the southern part of the Dempster was still open and waiting for me to embrace a challenge of snow and ice.


I knew the drive would be perilous but I couldn’t shy away, a thick snowfall was forecast to continue for days. The landscape took on a new appearance with the compounding snow, adorning it with a layer of fresh powder like a woolly cloak.


The highway cut through Tombstone Provincial Park, an appropriate name for such a location. Tall mountains appeared through the fog, towering over the icy rivers that moved through the valleys far below. The highway may have been dangerous but its views certainly rewarded the adventurous traveler.


During the last 40 km of the highway the snow turned to rain and the white path I’d traveled on became a mix of mud and slush. It was much worse to drive in than the snow. Rain would fill the pot holes and it was a gamble on what you were gonna drive through when you hit one. I managed to make it though and arrived at the bridge that marked the entrance to the Dempster Highway. Phew, what a drive it had been!


I managed to make it another couple hundred kilometers before turning in for the night. Fatigue was becoming as issue as driving a highway like the Dempster is stressful, draining your stamina quicker than you may have thought. Being aware of this, I finally found a place to pull over and dozed off in my car for the night.

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Day 108 – Wandering through Whitehorse

Another cloudy morning paired with rain and snow accompanied me as I journeyed south towards Whitehorse. I stopped in at Takhini Hot Springs on the way where I took a nice dip in the steamy pool as snowflakes gently fell above me. It was a refreshing way to start the day, for I had plenty of ground to cover.


I made it into Whitehorse and began to wander through the city. Sadly all the tourist attractions were closed for the season but I still got some exploring in. I ventured to some unique sites such as the SS Klondike and the Old Wooden Church, places I’ll hopefully be able to walk inside one day.


As I made my way out of the city the clouds began to break apart, revealing blue skies that were a welcomed change from the dreary weather. The roads guided me through a land of thick forests and pristine lakes, all to the backdrop of snow covered mountains that towered over the land.


Dusk quickly turned to darkness as heavy clouds returned to snuff out the remaining light. I pushed on for a while before taking a moment to rest my eyes. That brief stop turned into a full nights sleep, I guess I’d been more exhausted than I thought.

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Day 109 – The scenic British Columbia

I’ve been sleeping in my car a lot lately, I just feel it’s safer at the moment. Winnie recently went into heat and sleeping in a tent in grizzly bear territory with a bleeding dog feels like I’m ringing a dinner bell. I don’t sleep as well as I would being sprawled out in a tent but at least I’m not worrying.


I made it into BC and found myself on a quiet road leading south through a fire kissed region of bare trees and calm lakes. The adventurer in me wanted to explore the land, to scale the towering mountains that surrounded me and stand upon their peaks. Perhaps one day when I have more time to spare I’ll do so.


I hope to make it home for thanksgiving which means I’ll have to cover a massive amount of ground in two days. One thing I know for sure though, the drive will be a scenic wonderland.


I arrived at a funky little place called Jade City. I was glad I made the stop as all sorts of incredibly unique creations found their home there. My poor wallet quivered as I walked into a shop full of alluring souvenirs. From skillfully carved jade animals to big chunks of sparkling crystals, the shop was a reminder of the many fascinating materials that lay hidden below the earths surface.


Northern BC is an incredible place to explore, the land is humbling, reminding those who travel through it how small they really are. Roaring rivers would cut their way through the rocky land alongside lush and vibrant trees that grew amid moss covered stones. Unique views revealed themselves with every turn of my head.


I pushed through the fatigue, driving into the night as I passed through a handful of small little towns on my way south. Having covered over 1000 km I was definitely feeling the strain on my body and decided I’d finally catch some rest before the grind continued in the morning.

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Day 110 – The grand finale!

A blanket of frost covered the land, sparing nothing from its icy touch. I was on the road bright and early, for I had a lot of ground to cover if I was to make it home to Coquitlam for Thanksgiving. My partner Jenn had been incredibly patient while I’d traveled the country and I knew making it home for dinner that day would mean a lot to her.


Countless memories filled my mind as I headed south, it was difficult knowing the adventure was coming to its end. Pictures of the many places I’d visited came rushing in, overwhelming my thoughts and filling me with all sorts of emotions.


Sometimes some of the best places to visit are close to home. I discovered one of those places on the way that left me in complete awe, the Fraser Canyon. Mountains surrounded the highway as it cut a path across the land, taking those who ventured its roads along steep cliffs, through lengthy tunnels bored through the thick rock and beside rushing rivers that lay at the feet of the rocky giants.


I could’ve spent the entire day exploring that canyon but I still had a dinner to make it to. As I finished driving through the scenic land I promised myself I would return sometime soon and explore it in greater depth.


I entered the home stretch where a thick of traffic welcomed me back to the busy city. Crawling along I drove to my destination, arriving just in time for Thanksgiving dinner. A table of smiling faces greeted me, eager to hear my tales of adventure as I began to stuff my face. I felt proud as I shared my stories, I’d accomplished quite the feat and the memories made me smile.

This isn’t the last of Canadian Adventuring, for this trip has increased my desire to explore more, to see more, to travel more and see the world. If you’ve made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read my blog and view the many pictures I’ve taken, I hope it’s kindled a burning desire to go out and explore for yourselves, to build your own unique stories of adventure. The next chapter begins soon!