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Deane, Norm, and Kay's Motorcycle / RV Trip to Northern Canada and Alaska | |
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August 21, Yellowknife, NWT to "Somewhere on the Mackenzie Highway", NWT, in the "Boonies" - 255 Miles |
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This day started our second major goal of this trip, and that is for Deane and Norm to ride our second motorcycles on about 400 miles of gravel roads, off the beaten track. From our first trip to northern Canada and Alaska, we learned of some areas not easily accessible, and decided to ride them this time. We are now riding the Mackenzie Highway, named for an early trader influential in Canada's early growth as a nation. It forms a low traffic route to get into fairly inaccessible small towns. After 140 miles of this gravel road, we will attempt the Liard Highway, another 260 miles of gravel road. Kay followed behind us with the motor home and trailer, and we used it as our "motel in the boonies". For us, this is just the long way around traveling on the first of the "Alaska Highway", formerly known as the "ALCAN Highway". We'll meet up with the Alaska Highway soon. Coming back from Yellowknife, we again saw many buffalo along the highway, some in two small herds of about 20 each, and several big solitary bulls. It was fun to see them, while keeping a respectful distance so the bulls didn't chase us, as one chased Deane on his motorcycle last year. Kay also saw a Black Bear near the tree line.
In the process of the ride today, we came back across the Mackenzie River on a ferry.
After the ferry ride, we headed out on the "Mackenzie Highway", a major gravel road connecting the middle communities we had visited with the community of Fort Simpson in the western part of NWT. This was a really nice highway, even though dirt and gravel. It was well graded, nicely crowned, had been watered enough to have almost no dust, and just a great road in many ways. We traveled about 50 mph and made good time. About midway of the 140 miles, we stopped and set up the RV for the night, at a place which was high enough to have a panoramic views of the "Muskeg" forest surrounding us. |
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