Stage 3: North Inuvik NWT on the Dirty Dempster

On the Dempster Highway, the 732km dirt road, we went 4 days without seeing a building of any kind – meaning that we camped in the dirt, rode in the dirt, gravel, and rocks. Drank, ‘washed’ and did laundry in creeks and streams. It was cool, because for a bit I wasn’t sure if we were going to make it.
So I woke up, and was the slowest to get rolling in the morning – surprise. When we’d asked at the tourism office, they had said if we dropped a food box off with them, they’d confirmed that we could leave boxes of food with our names on it and they would arrange for moto-tourists to drop it off ahead of us. So I rolled back into town, and got my food boxes on. Then punched it back to the ‘home of the muskox burger’ and start of the Dempster highway.
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Stage 2: Whitehorse to Dawson City Yukon Territory

So after 2 days sleeping indoors. The little Bro, has a cool friend, Tiffany, and she hooked us up with a place to stay at her co-worker Karen (Holla – what ever that means). So we got to use ‘real’ stoves, keep our stuff in a fridge, and not be chased by bugs (no they weren’t bad, but they were usually around). Of course with only one spare bed, and traveling with Pops, no straws were drawn, I got the floor. But how soft, and even that carpeted flooring was…

If you don’t know about the history of the Klondike (click here) Gold Rush, it’s part of what makes Canada NOT America.
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Stage 1: Quesnel BC- WhiteHorse Yukon (north by north tour)

After rendezvousing with my Father, Barrie, in southern BC, we spent the rest of the day driving, and then next day re-packing our gear, tracking down bear spray, and getting advice from everyone.
It was a relief when around 10 am May 18th we wrapped up the last of our chores, and started north towards Prince George BC on Hwy 97.

Starting towards the Canadian Rockies, we should have our coldest weather first, and I was quite worried about this, as my trip last fall in the Rockies, I’d suffered mild hypothermia, and frost bitten toes. Not to mention that we could see snow on the hills beside us.
Because the bears have been sleeping all winter they are very hungry (there is no bear poop, just rumbly bellies). Their normal foods: berry’s, bearies, (barrie’s?) haven’t grown yet, and favorite food – Salmon, aren’t spawning. Next choice? Chilled cyclo-tourists. After 2h or riding we had spotted 3 bears, then later a moose.
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Bike tour to the Arctic: Packing List

My Gear List:

I have amended this list, post tour, to show which gear I deemed excessive (because there was a lot more than needed).
After the last trip when my bike was an excessive 140 lbs I wanted to try to avoid that. As I took more gear than my father, my bicycle weighed between 110, and 130 lbs depending on if I was carrying 4 days of food, or about to starve.
I am worried about being cold.
I am also a little worried about being eaten by bears.
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