The concept of having a contingency plan is something I have noticed being in fairly short supply for motorcycle riders intent on getting up to Tuktoyaktuk and posting their selfie to prove the accomplishment. Come hell or high water they are going to get all the way to that fucking sign. As I sit in an Inuvik hotel room it was only after the third serious push on this trip that I was able to get all the way to end of The Dempster. (NWT Highway 8). Technically the next bit is the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway (NWT Highway 10). And I’m still trying to figure out how the NWT Infrastructure folk figure they have at least 10 significant roadways deserving highway number designations - can’t be more than 5 roads in the whole of the territory. But I digress.
Contingencies - I knew that trying to do this ride strictly adhering to a fixed scheduled defined by a series of non refundable reservations made months in advance was a recipe for pain and suffering. I intentionally set off with an open ended itinerary, Tuk as the ultimate goal. But I also had a whole bunch of interesting places circled all over Southern Yukon and South West Alaska maps just in case; and ended up at surprisingly large number of them - believe me Juneau was way down the list of possible waypoints, but it was on the list. Atlin, Haines, Juneau, Skagway, Mayo, Keno City all served their purpose waiting for the weather or the ferry to be fixed. Unlike those who chose travel without contingencies who all mostly seemed in agreement that they had made some horrible choices at some previous point in their lives to have endured such misery as only The Dempster can dish.
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