Jan 8 – Trip to Tuktoyaktuk

Inuvik is only a two to two and a half hour drive to Tuktoyaktuk along one of Northern Canada’s newest gravel roads. Since being built in late 2017, it has become an important link to the once isolated Inuit community on the Arctic Ocean. It used to only be linked by the sea in the summer and ice road in the winter but now it has a year-round road connecting it to the rest of Canada.

The drive is a long one that passes the treeline in Inuvik to the frozen tundra bushes that reveal the harsh landscape of the Arctic. The only roadside features we saw along our drive were the many pingos that would pop up as tall hills on the barren flatlands. These pingos are created by buildups of permafrost underneath the surface of the earth. They create pressure and as the permafrost gets thicker and thicker. These small hills rise up out of the desert like landscape. The tallest pingo is 48 metres tall and is located just outside of Tuktoyaktuk.

We arrived just before noon as it was starting to get light outside. Tuktoyaktuk is a small community of a little over 900 people bordering the Arctic Ocean. We made stops at the sign to the entrance of the city and again as we reached the Arctic Ocean. This was also the location of a makeshift campground as visitors poured in last year on their quest to drive to the Arctic Ocean. The community has little to no facilities for tourists but the local Northern store stocks all sorts of supplies including some souvenir t-shirts, hats, and sweaters.

We visited and toured a local school as well as climbed to the top of a pingo to get a view of the setting sun. It was another frigid day but with stops outside of no more than 5 to 10 minutes at a time, it was manageable. I just had to warm up my hands upon reentering the bus after each stop as I kept taking my gloves off so I could take photographs with my phone.

One fun activity to do when it is this cold is the “Tea Toss”. While you don’t necessarily need the tea, you do need some hot boiling water and a cold climate. The outdoor temperature sure met the second qualification. So we got some boiling water and headed off down the road. We couldn’t wait long and as it was still light out we stopped at the side of the road. Tossing the “Tea” into the air causes the hot water to instantly freeze to a powder creating a mist rainbow in the air of what looks like smoke. Some of the water crystallizes and drops in a stream to the ground while the rest seems to hover for a time in the air.

It was a long drive to Tuktoyaktuk but well worth a visit to the northernmost road of North America. The drive however at this time of year can make one sleepy as you set off in the dark and return home in the dark as well.