Nice road trip my friend. I love these sort of videos that our generation make, where we don't have 16 tons of fireworks going off every five minutes or at the introduction come bounding down the stairs yelling "What's up you guys, boy have we got some amazing stuff to share with you". I like the road trip, the running repairs, the arctic circle, the gravel roads, the unexpected camera lady and your brand of just being straight with us. Top effort my friend.
you are so lucky that you did not fall into a muskeg hole , when its wet and soft it can be extremally dangers , I worked up in that area and i have seen trucks and bull dozers vanish
Great point and you are totally right about safety. We should have mentioned that we tried to stay in an area the locals use for staging their snow machines, but not sure that is foolproof. But you are so right, situational awareness is so important. Thanks for sharing this. What did you do for work?
A few points to illuminate some of your observations. Everything is doubly/triply expensive up there and you can't dig a landfill into tundra and unless you are government you can't afford to haul it out either. So you get open air dumps. Caribou when they are wild, reindeer when they are managed but same animal. Muk Tuk is a novelty now but was indispensable back in the day to keep the locals fueled and healthy all winter. Big time fuel for the body. We've managed to be up there twice, well two and a half times and I'd go again but my wife is done, its less camping and more expedition, no? Thanks for a loving look into one of my favourite parts of Canada.
Excellent clarifications and I appreciate your comments. I assumed that was the case with the trash given the geography, sadly given the beauty of the place. It was a wonderful place to visit and simply see/experience/learn about their way of life. You are correct that it is more of an expedition and less of a camping destination although we did see a few dispersed campsites that were pretty appealing. On trips like that however I often prefer to stop in places like Eagle Plains to stay the night as we love to interact with local folks and other travelers to share stories and experiences, to me that is a huge part of travel. Thanks for watching and for the enlightening comment.
The first time I ever saw the Dempster Highway was a couple of years ago here on RUclips. It was Foresty Forest. What was absolutely impressive about that road trip was that he did it in the winter and he did it in a used minivan.
It is a funny thing that. The overland community is in awe of the road as if it some mythical beast to be overcome. The reality (IMHO) is that being able to travel to the Arctic is the joy along with the isolation of the road. BUT everyone seems to forget that there are people who live up there and need to get around, most in normal sedans or pickup trucks, not big overland rigs. With a good set of stout tires to avoid flats you could drive anything on the road as you pointed out. Heck most people just seem to drive to Tuk, snap their picture by the sign and then leave. I think this is a big miss as we stayed in town and enjoyed some great interaction with the local community. That being said it is a great trip and something I am really glad we did.
@@dickinaroundoutdoors8609 Well, I certainly thank the people like you that does it and shares it so people like me can get a sense of something I most likely will never have a chance to experience in my lifetime.
I hope you are wrong about that and get the chance one day. In the meantime I hope to have some other adventures to share. Sadly our big fall trip was cancelled this year due to the forest fires in Canada.@@richcoe9273
@@dickinaroundoutdoors8609 Thank you for your kind words. I live in the Northeastern part of the US which is close enough that the density of the smoke from the Canadian fires made me think that the fires were local to me. Well, I have subbed your channel and am ready to be a virtual passenger on your next adventure.
Great video! I just did the trip in the beginning of July, definitely better on the weather side for our three days, clear skies and didn’t drop below 55. We hit Glacier Nat Park in Montana on our way back to the Midwest. Got out with just a cracked windshield on my Lexus sedan. One heck of a journey for sure.
Thanks for checking us out. Ya a great trip and a wonderful area to travel. We did a night at Whitefish Video where we had a really nice campsite and the Glacier Park Kintla Lake Campground might be something that interests you as well-here are the links: ruclips.net/video/cfJRGdg_hB8/видео.html ruclips.net/video/sScw1X6SQiE/видео.html It is funny-our JK got a nice crack on our 2021 SW and West Coast trip but on the Dempster/Alaska trip we only got a small chip. We have not replaced it yet as we figure it is part of the routine for such travel!
That's awesome! I have those destinations on my bucket list. I noticed that steering wheel out of kilter earlier in the video and I thought; that's a newer Jeep, you wouldn't think it would go out like that. Glad you were able to fix it yourself fairly quickly.
The front end had just been rebuilt about a month before the trip and I am guessing the shop forgot their torque wrench when they put it back together...Thanks for watching
It always amazes me, how Jeeps can be such a rugged off-road vehicle, yet come apart under fairly routine road conditions. Our 1993 Toyota Hiace van took us up and back the Dempster without a hitch. He's right about the potholes once it starts raining: they are deep and jarring, bashing you just when you think it's safe to increase your speed. This video brings back many fond memories of our trip in September 2022.
I chuckled at your comment when you assumed that motorcyclists don’t have a enjoyable ride. Hahaha. Honestly, I’ve rode up the Dalton Highway twice and Dempster one time on motorcycle. Yes there are gazillion of potholes and washboard but once we get past 30mph we don’t even feel anything at all. Then when I rode on a tour bus oh my god. The whole bus was shaking badly from the potholes and washboards going slow at 30-40mph. I would rather be on a motorcycle than on a pick up. But that’s just me. Thanks for posting the video. I’m planning a project of truck camper (building my own) and drive up Dalton/Dempster so that’s why I was watching your video.. but I wanted to do it in wintertime then I might stick around for snow to melt.
Ya, I reckon you are right about he adventure bikes being pretty comfortable. When I did the Dalton in 2003 I did it on a Harley Low Rider so my perspective probably a bit skewed! Thanks for checking out the video and let us know how your trip goes, sounds awesome.
Man, This was an epic road trip. It's nice to see you and your jeep on the artic circle sign. Salute to those bikers braving the elements! Good point on always bringing tools. You two are smart just submerging your feet. I don't blame you all. That's the artic! ❤
Beautiful footage, makes me miss living in Washington State. But I do love Michigan! Looks like a great adventure! The Jeep is doing what it is suppose to do!
For sure, the Jeep was in its element. I too love the Northwoods and really do need to get up and see some friends in Traverse, maybe some ice fishing this year.
Yes, those folks riding bicycles are minimalists for sure. We actually had a great chat with one on the Ferry who had ridden from Deadhorse to Haines and was bucket-listing a ride down the Pan American Hwy.
Didn't expect the full campground at end of this episode. Was it a smaller campground or just a popular stop? Looks like lots of fun and enjoying tagging along!
It is a pretty popular stop that everyone we spoke to on the way up seemed to know. In reality it was not that large and (in my opinion) not really that nice but it was in a more mountainous area so there was hiking etc around.
Canada, Alaska and Russia have many towns up north that are not connected by road. If only their governments would demand road connection for all towns.
Great video, thanks for sharing this. This is a dream drive for us. What are your thoughts on towing a travel trailer on this route? Reasonable or ridiculous?
Great question. We met some folks heading up there before we actually got onto the Dempster and they told us their daughter (who lives up there for some sort of work) told them to park their camper trailer in Dawson City and not take it up the Dempster. I think it totally depends on the type of trailer but most are not really designed for such roads-I think tires might be the biggest issue and I have no idea how hard it is to change a camper tire. If you do pull a trailer up and avoid flats I think a nice slow pace and you could get it up there.
We didn't. We run 35" E-rated tires at 32 pounds and didn't have any issues. There is no need for traction purposes but if the ride is a bit stiff you might want to depending on normal road pressures you run.
For sure a motorcycle is an entirely different beast on these roads. I did the Dalton in 2003 on a HD Low Rider and can attest it is a different experience.
You are so correct! It was getting worse as we drove. We pulled out the tool kit and corrected it that night at the campground. We had some suspension work done before the trip and it seems the shop forgot what a torque wrench is so the drag link was moving a bit-the Jeep drove great but the steering wheel was not lined up to center. I put a shot of fixing it in a video and brought up the importance of having rudimentary tools at a minimum.
I followed along on google maps as best I could. what a road that is!
It was a very fun trip with a lot of interesting folks along the way!
I appreciate the picture of the permafrost and the plants.
Thanks for watching and I am glad you enjoyed it.
Wow what an incredible and interesting road trip to make thanks for taking us on your journey have a good week
Glad to have you along.
Nice road trip my friend. I love these sort of videos that our generation make, where we don't have 16 tons of fireworks going off every five minutes or at the introduction come bounding down the stairs yelling "What's up you guys, boy have we got some amazing stuff to share with you". I like the road trip, the running repairs, the arctic circle, the gravel roads, the unexpected camera lady and your brand of just being straight with us. Top effort my friend.
Thanks for hanging out with us for a while and the very nice comment. I am glad you like them.
Amazing trip! Thanks for taking me to the Arctic Ocean.
Would not be the same without you!
you are so lucky that you did not fall into a muskeg hole , when its wet and soft it can be extremally dangers , I worked up in that area and i have seen trucks and bull dozers vanish
Great point and you are totally right about safety. We should have mentioned that we tried to stay in an area the locals use for staging their snow machines, but not sure that is foolproof.
But you are so right, situational awareness is so important. Thanks for sharing this. What did you do for work?
Beautiful road surface until it’s raining;)
Hahahah, ya can get slick, thick and vehicle encasing!
Interesting sharing! take care there! stay i touch with you! keep it up!
Thanks for checking us out.
A few points to illuminate some of your observations. Everything is doubly/triply expensive up there and you can't dig a landfill into tundra and unless you are government you can't afford to haul it out either. So you get open air dumps. Caribou when they are wild, reindeer when they are managed but same animal. Muk Tuk is a novelty now but was indispensable back in the day to keep the locals fueled and healthy all winter. Big time fuel for the body. We've managed to be up there twice, well two and a half times and I'd go again but my wife is done, its less camping and more expedition, no? Thanks for a loving look into one of my favourite parts of Canada.
Excellent clarifications and I appreciate your comments. I assumed that was the case with the trash given the geography, sadly given the beauty of the place. It was a wonderful place to visit and simply see/experience/learn about their way of life. You are correct that it is more of an expedition and less of a camping destination although we did see a few dispersed campsites that were pretty appealing. On trips like that however I often prefer to stop in places like Eagle Plains to stay the night as we love to interact with local folks and other travelers to share stories and experiences, to me that is a huge part of travel.
Thanks for watching and for the enlightening comment.
Beautififul trip in summer months😀❤️
Be very careful in the fall, and expect road closures in winter months.
Great reminder that this is not an all season road for the casual traveler. Thanks for dropping by and commenting!
What a wonderful trip! 😊 I absolutely enjoyed the nice tour. You are a wonderful host, thank you for sharing!! Big like 17👍👍👍
We had a great time and appreciate you stopping by.
Beautiful sharing ❣️ lovely ❤️ 🎁 stay connected with stay bless 😘
That's definitely some beautiful country Dick! Awesome road trip all the way!!!👍👍👍
Thanks for riding along!
Amazing trip! Ive been talking about doing this with my family and your video is a super helpful research tool!
Thanks so much for dropping by and I am glad you enjoyed it.
The first time I ever saw the Dempster Highway was a couple of years ago here on RUclips. It was Foresty Forest. What was absolutely impressive about that road trip was that he did it in the winter and he did it in a used minivan.
It is a funny thing that. The overland community is in awe of the road as if it some mythical beast to be overcome. The reality (IMHO) is that being able to travel to the Arctic is the joy along with the isolation of the road. BUT everyone seems to forget that there are people who live up there and need to get around, most in normal sedans or pickup trucks, not big overland rigs. With a good set of stout tires to avoid flats you could drive anything on the road as you pointed out. Heck most people just seem to drive to Tuk, snap their picture by the sign and then leave. I think this is a big miss as we stayed in town and enjoyed some great interaction with the local community.
That being said it is a great trip and something I am really glad we did.
@@dickinaroundoutdoors8609 Well, I certainly thank the people like you that does it and shares it so people like me can get a sense of something I most likely will never have a chance to experience in my lifetime.
I hope you are wrong about that and get the chance one day. In the meantime I hope to have some other adventures to share. Sadly our big fall trip was cancelled this year due to the forest fires in Canada.@@richcoe9273
@@dickinaroundoutdoors8609 Thank you for your kind words. I live in the Northeastern part of the US which is close enough that the density of the smoke from the Canadian fires made me think that the fires were local to me.
Well, I have subbed your channel and am ready to be a virtual passenger on your next adventure.
Thanks for that , really helps to people who want to try it .
Great, I am glad you found it useful. Thanks for stopping by.
Great video! I just did the trip in the beginning of July, definitely better on the weather side for our three days, clear skies and didn’t drop below 55. We hit Glacier Nat Park in Montana on our way back to the Midwest. Got out with just a cracked windshield on my Lexus sedan. One heck of a journey for sure.
Thanks for checking us out. Ya a great trip and a wonderful area to travel. We did a night at Whitefish Video where we had a really nice campsite and the Glacier Park Kintla Lake Campground might be something that interests you as well-here are the links:
ruclips.net/video/cfJRGdg_hB8/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/sScw1X6SQiE/видео.html
It is funny-our JK got a nice crack on our 2021 SW and West Coast trip but on the Dempster/Alaska trip we only got a small chip. We have not replaced it yet as we figure it is part of the routine for such travel!
That's awesome! I have those destinations on my bucket list. I noticed that steering wheel out of kilter earlier in the video and I thought; that's a newer Jeep, you wouldn't think it would go out like that. Glad you were able to fix it yourself fairly quickly.
The front end had just been rebuilt about a month before the trip and I am guessing the shop forgot their torque wrench when they put it back together...Thanks for watching
It always amazes me, how Jeeps can be such a rugged off-road vehicle, yet come apart under fairly routine road conditions. Our 1993 Toyota Hiace van took us up and back the Dempster without a hitch. He's right about the potholes once it starts raining: they are deep and jarring, bashing you just when you think it's safe to increase your speed. This video brings back many fond memories of our trip in September 2022.
I chuckled at your comment when you assumed that motorcyclists don’t have a enjoyable ride. Hahaha. Honestly, I’ve rode up the Dalton Highway twice and Dempster one time on motorcycle. Yes there are gazillion of potholes and washboard but once we get past 30mph we don’t even feel anything at all. Then when I rode on a tour bus oh my god. The whole bus was shaking badly from the potholes and washboards going slow at 30-40mph. I would rather be on a motorcycle than on a pick up. But that’s just me. Thanks for posting the video. I’m planning a project of truck camper (building my own) and drive up Dalton/Dempster so that’s why I was watching your video.. but I wanted to do it in wintertime then I might stick around for snow to melt.
Ya, I reckon you are right about he adventure bikes being pretty comfortable. When I did the Dalton in 2003 I did it on a Harley Low Rider so my perspective probably a bit skewed! Thanks for checking out the video and let us know how your trip goes, sounds awesome.
Man, This was an epic road trip. It's nice to see you and your jeep on the artic circle sign. Salute to those bikers braving the elements! Good point on always bringing tools. You two are smart just submerging your feet. I don't blame you all. That's the artic! ❤
It was indeed a wonderful trip and it was great to see all the different areas. More to come.
enjoyed riding with you
Thanks for riding along.
Beautiful footage, makes me miss living in Washington State. But I do love Michigan! Looks like a great adventure! The Jeep is doing what it is suppose to do!
For sure, the Jeep was in its element. I too love the Northwoods and really do need to get up and see some friends in Traverse, maybe some ice fishing this year.
You mean having its front end come apart d/t driving on a gravel road? :)
I love the happy jeep scene 😅That campsite was a good find! Just remember, everytime we think we are roughing it out, don't forget the bikers 😂
Yes, those folks riding bicycles are minimalists for sure. We actually had a great chat with one on the Ferry who had ridden from Deadhorse to Haines and was bucket-listing a ride down the Pan American Hwy.
Whoa!
Thanks for riding along and I hope you enjoyed the scenery.
Didn't expect the full campground at end of this episode. Was it a smaller campground or just a popular stop? Looks like lots of fun and enjoying tagging along!
It is a pretty popular stop that everyone we spoke to on the way up seemed to know. In reality it was not that large and (in my opinion) not really that nice but it was in a more mountainous area so there was hiking etc around.
Great video…whale?? Nope. Not unless it’s fried like catfish!! 🤣 Fantastic scenery. Really enjoyed this! 🍻
@@TheBeardedItalian That would take one heck of a fryer!
Canada, Alaska and Russia have many towns up north that are not connected by road. If only their governments would demand road connection for all towns.
For sure there are a lot of remote places that take some effort to get to! Thanks for checking out the channel.
This looks fun and awesome. What month was this? We are going up that way in late May early June.
We stayed the night in Tok on August 23rd so sort of end of summer timeframe. Have a great time!
Great video, thanks for sharing this. This is a dream drive for us. What are your thoughts on towing a travel trailer on this route? Reasonable or ridiculous?
Great question. We met some folks heading up there before we actually got onto the Dempster and they told us their daughter (who lives up there for some sort of work) told them to park their camper trailer in Dawson City and not take it up the Dempster. I think it totally depends on the type of trailer but most are not really designed for such roads-I think tires might be the biggest issue and I have no idea how hard it is to change a camper tire. If you do pull a trailer up and avoid flats I think a nice slow pace and you could get it up there.
@@dickinaroundoutdoors8609 Great advice! Thanks for your reply. We're looking forward to watching more of you videos.
1:47 PINGO !
For The Win!
Did you guys have to air down your tires at all?
We didn't. We run 35" E-rated tires at 32 pounds and didn't have any issues. There is no need for traction purposes but if the ride is a bit stiff you might want to depending on normal road pressures you run.
@@dickinaroundoutdoors8609 Very good, I had heard of possibly airing down. How were the insects?
@@richardg6949 We were there at the end of August and had no bugs, however it was in the 50s with lots of wind and weather.
Easy in a Jeep
Challenging on a motorcycle
For sure a motorcycle is an entirely different beast on these roads. I did the Dalton in 2003 on a HD Low Rider and can attest it is a different experience.
It hurts my eyes to see how bad the alignment is on that poor Jeep. Cool trip otherwise, but that just kept buggin’ me.
You are so correct! It was getting worse as we drove. We pulled out the tool kit and corrected it that night at the campground. We had some suspension work done before the trip and it seems the shop forgot what a torque wrench is so the drag link was moving a bit-the Jeep drove great but the steering wheel was not lined up to center.
I put a shot of fixing it in a video and brought up the importance of having rudimentary tools at a minimum.
@@dickinaroundoutdoors8609 wow, good on you for staying safe given the suspension situation!
Sorry I don't think this drive is worth it !
As they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What is your favorite type of terrain? Thanks for dropping by.