8 days of fog, rain, clouds, winds, mud and here we are. The total damage for the 8 days included a chain, a few tires and 7 derailleurs and/or hangers (5 in one 500 meter stretch of mud). Left people riding cobbled up single speeds or sitting in the truck (others sitting in the truck from exhaustion). The lucky ones were able to repair, to some extent, their equipment, though the mud left most of us with less than a full complement of gears.
We learned that the far north - even when not in bug season - has lots of mosquitos and black flies. And, trees, lots and lots of trees except that when you get really far north and more than a few meters above sea level, there aren't any more trees. I'd heard that the Taiga or Boreal forest was extensive - now I believe it. We rode for days and days, and depending on altitude were in boreal forest (mostly spruce and tamarack) or tundra (no trees at all). Crossed a few really dramatic mountain ranges. Looked for bears - but saw only a few paw prints and poops. Saw some loons and arctic swans, and got to listen to the call of the loons.
Crossed the second biggest river in North America (the Mackenzie) on a little ferry - and now are at the edge of the Mackenzie delta - the size of Massachusetts.
Saw lots of bogs and big "slumps" - from melting permafrost.
Interesting geology contrast: we traveled through areas that had been covered by continental glaciers - so everything was rounded off. Areas at the edge of the continental glaciers - so very large glaciated mountain cirques and valleys well as lots of glacial moraines and debris in the less mountainous areas. And areas (Beringea) that were not glaciated - and part of the land bridge to Siberia - so hills and small mountains that were made of frost shattered rock (mostly limestone). Beringea had apparently been mostly wide plains, relatively flat, lots of grass but few trees and grazing animals - including the mammoths.
Mostly, just rode through the land and saw that it was big. Very, very big, with lots of trees, lots and lots of trees. And rocks. And mud. And we looked for bears. And looked, and looked. And we heard that there had been one up the road ahead, or back behind us, or that someone or other had seen one. The bears appear to be wise enough to understand that when bear meets human, bear always looses. The only time that anyone used their bear spray was the woman who had it accidentally go off inside her pack - made for interesting clothing.
Inuvik is at nearly 69 deg North latitude - seems to get cold here. And, permafrost - so all the pipes are above ground and run in heated tubes so they don't freeze. Buildings are built on stilts so that they don't melt the permafrost and sink.
Off to look for bears and a coffee shop.
............
The day after the bike ride, took a ride in a little 4 seater Cessna - flying over the area at 1000 feet. Gives a very different perspective on the land we've traveled through: from the road, you see trees and bushes with an occasional stream or lake. But, there is no perspective - except from an occasional high spot where you can see for great distances, but it still looks like the same forest. From the air, you can see that a huge amount of the area is taken up by those streams, rivers, and lakes - they're everywhere - looks like 1/3 of the area is open water. And, when we later walked more through the tundra, there is lots of water hidden in the bushes - waiting for me to fall in, knee deep. Presumably a function of the permafrost - no drainage, it all stays on the surface.
A sidelight: we visited a lady at her family whaling camp. Asked her whether the bears ever bothered her, and she said no - they mostly scrounge around in the berry patch behind the cabin. Where her 6 year old grandson was playing - guess he enjoys having the big, fuzzy animals around.
Really, despite all the hype about bears, they are rarely seen, and rarely troublesome when seen - much less of a hassle or danger than riding around in a big American city.
And, the small plane flight (and the flight home in a 737) gave a better perspective of the terrain we came through: the rounded rocky terrain that had been under the continental glaciers, the mounds of glacial debris/moraines at the edge of the glaciers, the Ogilvie mountains that had been sculpted by mountain glaciers, and the Richardson mountains that had never been glaciated and were all frost shattered rock. And, the Mackenzie delta the size of Massachusetts, that is flat, flat, flat and is so wet that nothing happens there in the summer except by boat - anything you do happens in the winter when the water is frozen.
Well, the above is a mashup of the last week - we didn't get enough internet access to get it sent out, and there wasn't much to write about in real time.
Signing off.
We learned that the far north - even when not in bug season - has lots of mosquitos and black flies. And, trees, lots and lots of trees except that when you get really far north and more than a few meters above sea level, there aren't any more trees. I'd heard that the Taiga or Boreal forest was extensive - now I believe it. We rode for days and days, and depending on altitude were in boreal forest (mostly spruce and tamarack) or tundra (no trees at all). Crossed a few really dramatic mountain ranges. Looked for bears - but saw only a few paw prints and poops. Saw some loons and arctic swans, and got to listen to the call of the loons.
Crossed the second biggest river in North America (the Mackenzie) on a little ferry - and now are at the edge of the Mackenzie delta - the size of Massachusetts.
Saw lots of bogs and big "slumps" - from melting permafrost.
Interesting geology contrast: we traveled through areas that had been covered by continental glaciers - so everything was rounded off. Areas at the edge of the continental glaciers - so very large glaciated mountain cirques and valleys well as lots of glacial moraines and debris in the less mountainous areas. And areas (Beringea) that were not glaciated - and part of the land bridge to Siberia - so hills and small mountains that were made of frost shattered rock (mostly limestone). Beringea had apparently been mostly wide plains, relatively flat, lots of grass but few trees and grazing animals - including the mammoths.
Mostly, just rode through the land and saw that it was big. Very, very big, with lots of trees, lots and lots of trees. And rocks. And mud. And we looked for bears. And looked, and looked. And we heard that there had been one up the road ahead, or back behind us, or that someone or other had seen one. The bears appear to be wise enough to understand that when bear meets human, bear always looses. The only time that anyone used their bear spray was the woman who had it accidentally go off inside her pack - made for interesting clothing.
Inuvik is at nearly 69 deg North latitude - seems to get cold here. And, permafrost - so all the pipes are above ground and run in heated tubes so they don't freeze. Buildings are built on stilts so that they don't melt the permafrost and sink.
Off to look for bears and a coffee shop.
............
The day after the bike ride, took a ride in a little 4 seater Cessna - flying over the area at 1000 feet. Gives a very different perspective on the land we've traveled through: from the road, you see trees and bushes with an occasional stream or lake. But, there is no perspective - except from an occasional high spot where you can see for great distances, but it still looks like the same forest. From the air, you can see that a huge amount of the area is taken up by those streams, rivers, and lakes - they're everywhere - looks like 1/3 of the area is open water. And, when we later walked more through the tundra, there is lots of water hidden in the bushes - waiting for me to fall in, knee deep. Presumably a function of the permafrost - no drainage, it all stays on the surface.
A sidelight: we visited a lady at her family whaling camp. Asked her whether the bears ever bothered her, and she said no - they mostly scrounge around in the berry patch behind the cabin. Where her 6 year old grandson was playing - guess he enjoys having the big, fuzzy animals around.
Really, despite all the hype about bears, they are rarely seen, and rarely troublesome when seen - much less of a hassle or danger than riding around in a big American city.
And, the small plane flight (and the flight home in a 737) gave a better perspective of the terrain we came through: the rounded rocky terrain that had been under the continental glaciers, the mounds of glacial debris/moraines at the edge of the glaciers, the Ogilvie mountains that had been sculpted by mountain glaciers, and the Richardson mountains that had never been glaciated and were all frost shattered rock. And, the Mackenzie delta the size of Massachusetts, that is flat, flat, flat and is so wet that nothing happens there in the summer except by boat - anything you do happens in the winter when the water is frozen.
Well, the above is a mashup of the last week - we didn't get enough internet access to get it sent out, and there wasn't much to write about in real time.
Signing off.
