MARCH 12 05
Recap of March 8th
239 miles (369km) without a stop on the Dempster Highway...
... this icy and snowy
gravel mountain road made me feel closer to myself than i never did before!
it snowed for the first 100 miles and the blizzard pickup from there. The
traction and handling of the Sidecar is excellent on the ice, but it felt
like an eternity and my humility increased an other notch!
On this tuesday March 8, 3 weeks after my departure and 5473 miles (8756 km)
away from New York City, i am at Eagle Plains (an oil/truck relay in winter)
21 miles South of the Arctic Circle, the average temperature is -15F (-25C),
the road is officially closed because of the blizzard blowing at the next
ridge (the wind is at 50/60 mph (80/95 km/h), and i am waiting for the weather
to clear to go cross the magic line!
Hubert
in my juvenile excitement...
... and my desire to cross
the magic line…and because the Arctic Circle is only an imaginary line
- and consequently invisible - invented by a descendant of Christopher Columbus
(could someone tell me by who and when?) … i was at full speed when crossing
it! The wooden panel indicating the awaited Lattitude: 66° 33' 00"
is on a snowy alley too far from the main road.
Nevertheless, very quickly, i felt a natural release… instinctively,
i knew that i was North of the Arctic Circle… the serenity of the white
dressed Arctic Mountains invaded my soul!
I am sleeping at Inuvik end of the Dempster Highway. The 120 miles ice road
on the frozen McKenzie river to Tuktoyaktuk is my last leg that i will attempt
Saturday or Sunday.
Hubert
March 14th:
No word from Hubert for the past few days. I believe he is in Tuktoyaktuk,
NWT. He most likely will send out E-mail when he hits Inuvik on his way back.
Here's a view of Tuktoyaktuk
This is a Pingo
Click
Here for the Virtual Guidebook to the Northwest Territories
Tuktoyaktuk