The Road

Dempster Highway, Yukon/NWT Border

I’m always a little nervous as I turn north on the Dempster Highway. This time was no exception. The road was rough. It was closed in several places just the day before. I worry about the van, the tires, and the gas. I mostly worry about the road. It can be a challenge when it is rough. We made our way to Tombstone Territorial Park.

Tombstone Territorial Park Sign, YT

We got a great campsite with a 360-degree view. I didn’t drive much after we got there. I wanted to save gas for the run to the Arctic Circle the next day.

The next day we woke up at 5am to frost on the dining tent. About 6am as we drove north past the Tombstone Viewpoint we caught the full moon setting - a good omen.

Full Moon, Tombstone Park, YT

The road was very rough in some areas but we made it fine. We camped at Rock River near the Yukon/NWT border. It is very beautiful. Lori and I looked for caribou but we must have been a bit early, as we didn’t see much of anything. Driving back to camp, we did spot a Grizzly at the side of the road. I did my best to get a shot but it never stopped. It just kept eating and walking. Still it was a thrill to see.

Grizzly Bear

The next day we decided to head south. It is so wet that we fear one more rainstorm will close the road again. We will resupply and head back up as far as Tombstone tomorrow.

Northwest Territories on the Dempster