Great White North

[oonimog]

Just completed a tour from Vancouver, BC to Norman Wells, NWT and back. Since we didn't make it all the way to Norman Wells via the Canol Road last summer, we decided to drive up the winter and ice roads to check out the town. Truly beautiful country.

Along the winter road in NWT

Roadside stream

Ferry on shore, ice road across the river

Entrance to the ice crossing

Further north, the road can only be driven in the winter, when frozen, despite being on land. It's closed in the summer because the ground is too soft so the only way to Norman Wells in warmer weather is by air or barge.

Clear and sunny, but -20C

Long day of driving, averaged ~ 1000km per day

 

[oonimog]

Norman Wells and Canol Road museum. Small but worth a visit.

While at the airport, we found out that these buffalo aren't just for TV, they actually exist...

Beautiful old bird

C-46 taking off

Flying buffalo

The sound of those radials was sweet

 

[oonimog]

The people in the small towns up north are soooo nice, they even let us onto the roof of the terminal to photograph the planes. This is the control tower.

The flying buffalo were interesting but the real reason for going to the airport was to visit a chopper pilot we met while on the Canol Road

Forward looking radar on one of their two Hueys

UH-2 dash

Our ride was this slick Eurocopter. Very nice but lacking that unique Huey sound and .50cal on the door...

Off we go to check out Dodo Canyon on the Canol

1000ft above the Canol Road

 

[oonimog]

Visited this old Catholic church farther north in Fort Good Hope

Interesting interior

Back on the road and heading home

Back out on the ice

The sun remains pretty low this time of the year

This crossing was bare ice. There was no traffic so we had fun drifting and spinning.

 

[oonimog]

Along the Icefield Parkway between Jasper and Banff NPs

This guy had no fear until we were about 10ft from him

 

[oonimog]

Columbia Icefield

 

[Scenic WonderRunner]

One of the best ever.....and All Time Epic trip reports on ExPo......Ever!

Thank You!


.....:costumed-smiley-007



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[KEENO]

Awesome.... Very inspirational! I didn't even know this was out there, it's on the list.

KEENO:smiley_drive:

 

[Redline]

Thanks for sharing.

Not that I don't want to visit the south, Mexico and beyond, but I'm increasingly convinced there is much to see in the North. Maybe the roads are even a bit less traveled?

 

[BorntoVenture]

Beautiful! When the day comes that I am able to begin my first long-range expeditions the North is my first goal! Thanks for posting this!

 

[oonimog]

Thanks for the gracious comments guys. The north is a beautiful place to explore and very easy given there's no language barrier. There are lots of interesting things to see and the scenery makes it hard to take a bad photo. I've spent some time in the desert as well and I loved it. It's not a question of one or the other, do both! So many places, so little time...

We were lucky as the weather could not have been better. -20C is cold, but not really that bad (no bugs..., it's a dry cold...). I expected it to be colder (-30 to -40)so I took my Toyota as starting a gasoline engine is easier (and has better heat) than might have been the case with the 300Tdi in my 110. As it turned out, I think the 110 would have been fine.

If anyone wants more info on the places we visited, I'm happy to help. Don't wait too long, the glaciers are shrinking. I watched a documentary on the Rockies last night and they said it is estimated that the glaciers along the Icefields Parkway will be completely gone in ~ 100 years...

 

[Rot Box]

One of the best ever.....and All Time Epic trip reports on ExPo......Ever!

Thank You!
.

:Wow1: Wow I agree! Thanks for sharing this with us :wings:

 

[shellb]

Amazing...thanks for the trip report and the pictures.

 

[Northern Explorer]

Also added to my list of places to see.

 

[August]

Great trip and photos! Could you have continued on to Fort Good Hope and Colville Lake?