Sep 4, 2009 - Back to Alberta where I grew up

Can it really be so long and so many stories since we spoke? Yet here it is Sept.Can it really be so long and so many stories since we spoke? Yet here it is Sept....

Aug 13, 2009 - Waterfall Route to Hay River

Yellowknife is such an interesting city to visit with its unique blend of city high rises and ATV's on the streets. ... Happy to say we found the best fish n' chips in Yellowknife. ...

Aug 8, 2009 - Back into BC and on to Yellowknife, NWT

There is no straight across route from there to Yellowknife, NWT so we had to go back to Watson Lake, Yukon. ... "Can't we just stay here and pretend we went all the way to Yellowknife?" I asked. ... We've been in Yellowknife, the capital of NWT now for 3 days. ... We've toured the most beautiful legislative buildings in the country here in Yellowknife but the best part was being taken home by a First Nations Dene family. ...

Jul 13, 2009 - Exploring Inuvik

Inuvik was first conceived by the Canadian government in 1953 with the intention to replace the hamlet of Aklavik in the Mackenzie Delta which was subject to flooding. ... So in 1958 the name “Inuvik” (place of the people) was chosen. ... Today Inuvik is the administrative and commercial centre for Western Arctic and is Canada’s largest community north of the Arctic Circle with a population of around 3,450 people. ... Inuvik enjoys 56 days of 24 hours of daylight and the day we explored the temperature was a nice 70ºF. ... The other interest part of Inuvik is that all services are above ground in insulated ducting again due to the permafrost. ...

Jul 12, 2009 - Crossing the Arctic Circle and into Northwest Territories

After a not so restful night (the neighbouring room had their television on loud till two in the morning!) at Eagle Plains we headed out again on the Dempster Highway. The rest of the journey to Inuvik was easy and on a very good gravel road except for some dust. ... We arrived at Inuvik in good shape but tired only to find it was Sunday and only one restaurant and a small corner store open to get something to eat! Never mind. ...

May 10, 2009 - still no bike for Lynda!

Well, we are back in Yellowknife after checking out our new bikes, preparing to leave next Wednesday (May 13), and Lynda still does not have a bike! Seems that the good folks at Marinoni, the bike builder in Montreal, made a mistake in welding her frame, and her bike will not arrive in Edmonton until at least May 19, the day we leave for Ireland. ... Lynda was of course upset! Soooo .Well, we are back in Yellowknife after checking out our new bikes, preparing to leave next Wednesday (May 13), and Lynda still does not have a bike! Seems that the good folks at Marinoni, the bike builder in Montreal, made a mistake in welding her frame, and her bike will not arrive in Edmonton until at least May 19, the day we leave for Ireland. ... Lynda was of course upset! Soooo ....

May 6, 2009 - No bike for Lynda yet!

Soooo, we are flying to Edmonton tomorrow to try out our new bikes, except Lynda's bike has not arrived! The bikes were built in Montreal, and shipped to the bike shop we are dealing with in Edmonton.Soooo, we are flying to Edmonton tomorrow to try out our new bikes, except Lynda's bike has not arrived! The bikes were built in Montreal, and shipped to the bike shop we are dealing with in Edmonton....

Nov 5, 2008 - Second trip to the Arctic

SECOND STINT AT HOPE BAY - 10TH OCT - 10TH NOV, 2008 After a much too short two weeks off, I was again boarding a plane bound for Yellowknife. ... After the compulsory nights stay at the Chateau Nova in downtown Yellowknife, I was once again on the Dash 7 heading north to lovely Robert’s Bay, Nunavut. ... The next day, the weather was still fairly ordinary but at about 10am the message came through that the plane had actually left Yellowknife this time and was due to touch down in Hope Bay in about an hour or so. ... Considering the size of the planes we had to travel on and the limited size of the seats, the extra clothing made for a pretty cramped flight back to Yellowknife! We were loaded on to the yellow school bus that took us to the runway to meet the plane and I can tell you it was a good feeling to see that plane touch down. ... Southbound at last! As we flew into Yellowknife, I was suprised to see the place was totally covered with snow and all the lakes had frozen over. ...

Sep 27, 2008 - 1 Month in "The Great White North", Robert's Bay, Nunavut.... And I thought Newfoundland was cold!!!

ROBERTS BAY, NUNAVUT - SEPTEMBER, 2008 I actually wrote this on paper while up north and have only just got around to typing it up. Yeah right!!! Luckily everyone has been generous and so far I’ve been given a couple of zip up jumpers and when one guy left he gave me his old goose down jacket before he flew out - that was a life saver! I think word must have got out that the stupid aussie came up with just a hoody and jeans, because people I hadn’t even talked to would come up and say things like – “Simon, I’m from Yellowknife so I don’t find this too cold. ... I ended up getting a pair of -100°C boots sent in from Yellowknife because my feet felt like they were starting to freeze every now and then, but as Murphy would have it, when they finally got here the weather cleared up and I never needed them! Oh well. ... They might come in handy one day.ROBERTS BAY, NUNAVUT - SEPTEMBER, 2008 I actually wrote this on paper while up north and have only just got around to typing it up. Yeah right!!! Luckily everyone has been generous and so far I’ve been given a couple of zip up jumpers and when one guy left he gave me his old goose down jacket before he flew out - that was a life saver! I think word must have got out that the stupid aussie came up with just a hoody and jeans, because people I hadn’t even talked to would come up and say things like – “Simon, I’m from Yellowknife so I don’t find this too cold. ... I ended up getting a pair of -100°C boots sent in from Yellowknife because my feet felt like they were starting to freeze every now and then, but as Murphy would have it, when they finally got here the weather cleared up and I never needed them! Oh well. ... They might come in handy one day....

Aug 30, 2008 - First day of work - Sort of!

Well, after saying our goodbyes at the airport for 4 weeks and hopping on the milk run from Toronto to Yellowknife (via Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Edmonton!) and spending the night at the Chateau Nova, I was finally onboard a 30 seater turbo-prop bound for the arctic! The first stop out of Yellowknife was a small town called Tugluktuk, where we picked up more passengers and took on extra fuel. ... So, it was back to sunny Tugluktuk to refuel and decide whether to try again or go back to Yellowknife. ... After about two hours of waiting in the very sparse Tugluktuk departure lounge, the captain informed us that we would be heading back to Yellowknife and will have another go tomorrow. ... After getting my new flight details back at the airport and booking myself back into the Chateau Nova for the night, I decided to have myself a nice steak and a couple of beers and figure out what to do for a whole day in Yellowknife the next day (The new flight time was 1730!). ...

Jul 9, 2008 - Day 41 – Road Closed: Ferry landing washed out

Needing some petrol (gas to you southerners), we took the ferry at the Peel River to Fort McPherson. ... Fort McPherson is built on permafrost, therefore one can’t dig much. ... But before we noticed that the road gate was partially closed toward Fort McPherson. ...

Jul 8, 2008 - Inuvik, We Made It!!!!

Up about 7 and gone about 8:30. Arrived at our destination, INUVIK, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES. ... As far north as you can drive in Canada.Up about 7 and gone about 8:30. Arrived at our destination, INUVIK, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES. ... As far north as you can drive in Canada....