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North America » Canada » Yukon » Dempster Highway
June 24th 2012
Published: September 16th 2012
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A WolfA WolfA Wolf

This wolf, and it is a wolf even though it's a bit blurry, was wandering through the campground.
The evening got a bit more exciting when I was sitting in the cooking shelter at the campground before I went to bed. I was sitting quietly when I heard a bang on one of the garbage containers outside. I looked out and there was a wolf. It was skulking about, but didn't run off when I went outside to take a photo. That was really neat. I only got a couple of blurry photos of it, but I am very fortunate to have seen one. It doesn't happen often that a person sees a wolf.



After I got up, I headed on down the highway. I soon passed Eagle Plains which was the halfway point and continued on down. I had been having a bit of a scare with gas mileage. On the way back from Inuvik to Eagle Plains, I was getting significantly lower gas mileage, about 15 to 20 percent lower. That was a concern, particularly with the high gas prices around here. I had taken out the air filter and given it a shake to get the dust out. It seemed most likely that the dust was the root cause. It didn't initially help.
Dempster SceneryDempster SceneryDempster Scenery

More of the scenery along the Dempster Highway.
Uh oh. However, once I was past Eagle Plains, and there was lots less dust, suddenly things righted themselves. Phew!



Shortly after Eagle Plains, I passed a couple of fires. I wasn't sure if I should be reporting them, so I was looking for anyone along the way who might be official, but I never did find anyone.



Then I came across the tour group I had gone to Tuk with. They were stopped at another campground for lunch. It was good to see them again. But they weren't having much luck seeing animals. One of them facetiously suggested they should be following me around as I was seeing so many things. They were sure right about that. Soon after I left them, I came across some Dall sheep grazing by the highway. The group passed me in their vehicle, but they didn't stop. Later I passed them again as they were looking for gyrfalcons, the official bird of the Northwest Territories, and they were amazed that I had seen the sheep.



They did see falcons, but I had gone on. Birds aren't really interesting to me. But as I was
Drunken ForestDrunken ForestDrunken Forest

Because the trees grow on shallow permafrost, the trees are subject to frost heaves and the forest take on the aspect of a bunch of drunken trees, wobbling all over the place.
approaching a spot called Two Moose Lake, I saw this weird rock in the middle. I didn't remember seeing that when I had gone up. And then the antlers came splashing out of the water. It wasn't a rock. Another amazing sight for me to behold. The people from the Tuk tour were chagrined when they heard that one.



While I was at the lake, I met a couple from Oregon. They were retired and were just out touring about. They took whatever time they wished and went where they pleased. It was interesting to talk to them. They headed off to see if they could see more of the moose, while I continued on down to the Tombstone Interpretive Centre.



That was a cool place as well. I read about the natives of the area, as well as the wildlife and flora. There was also a good bit on the highway. I was just getting ready to head out on one of the local hikes when Joe and Colleen, the couple from the lake, came strolling in. They were going to do that hike as well. We decided to go together. They were
Dall SheepDall SheepDall Sheep

Along the highway, I saw a stopped vehicle, a fairly certain sign of some wildlife. These sheep were grazing along the slopes beside the road.
great company along the way.



We got to the river near the centre and found an interesting phenomenon. There is a spring that bubbles to the surface continuously. It does this despite any permafrost and freezing temperatures. Because of the cold winters, the water comes up and freezes. But it freezes in layers, much like when a skating rink is made. The surface is flooded. Then it is allowed to freeze. Then it gets flooded again. And so on. This area must get really large. This was the only huge mass of ice anywhere nearby. It was melting quite rapidly, but was still very large. It must have been immense by the time of the spring thaw after growing for more than 6 or 7 months. It was quite interesting. And the water was very cold. It is definitely a snow-fed river up there. (The only way to get a good look at the ice is to cross the river and go to it. And we didn't find a place to climb up the opposite side of the river. So I had a look at it while standing in the freezing water. Wheeeeeee!)



After
DivideDivideDivide

This ridge separates the watersheds in the north. North of the ridge, water flows to the McKenzie River and the Arctic Ocean. South of the divide, water flows to the Hudson Bay.
that, it was back down to Dawson City again to find a place to stay and figure out how to have my oil changed.


Additional photos below
Photos: 7, Displayed: 7


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MooseMoose
Moose

Initially this moose looked like a boulder sitting in the water. Then it lifted its head out of the water and the antlers came into view.
Glacier-like IceGlacier-like Ice
Glacier-like Ice

Every year, this thick piece of ice forms near an active spring. It floods during the day and then freezes at night. The layers build up over the winter and creates something a bit like a glacier, but not as large.


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