Tell me about Tuktoyaktuk!

[Table 5]

Glad to hear!

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Realistically what are you looking at drive time and time spent in Inuvik/Tuktoy? 5 days drive, 4 day stay, 5 days back?

I'm just at the beginning of planning, but at the moment the hope is to do it in about 10-12 days. It's about 7500km of driving, and some of it on slow roads, so I assume it's not something that can be too rushed...so perhaps even that is too aggressive. Hopefully anyone who's actually done it can chime in with their own experiences.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Glad to hear!



I'm just at the beginning of planning, but at the moment the hope is to do it in about 10-12 days. It's about 7500km of driving, and some of it on slow roads, so I assume it's not something that can be too rushed...so perhaps even that is too aggressive. Hopefully anyone who's actually done it can chime in with their own experiences.

Greta is going to find you and cut you.

[You Need a Thneed]

All I know is that this road between Inuvik and Tuk can be brutal.

My colleague was driving back to the airport in Inuvik, and ran into a huge snowdrift across the road up to the hood of his truck.

Had to shovel himself and others out for several hours, then returned back to try again the next day.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Glad to hear!



I'm just at the beginning of planning, but at the moment the hope is to do it in about 10-12 days. It's about 7500km of driving, and some of it on slow roads, so I assume it's not something that can be too rushed...so perhaps even that is too aggressive. Hopefully anyone who's actually done it can chime in with their own experiences.

Sounds tight to me, but I guess it depends how much you stop. We camped in Tombstone and Eagle plains on the way up. I think you want 2 days each direction just for the gravel road to Inuvik, then maybe just a day trip to Tuk and back? So 5 days, and that doesn't include getting all the way to Dawson City first. That's gotta be 4 or 5 days each way, I'd think. If you want to stop for stuff.. Of course you can drive all night if you go in the summer.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Sounds tight to me, but I guess it depends how much you stop. We camped in Tombstone and Eagle plains on the way up. I think you want 2 days each direction just for the gravel road to Inuvik, then maybe just a day trip to Tuk and back? So 5 days, and that doesn't include getting all the way to Dawson City first. That's gotta be 4 or 5 days each way, I'd think. If you want to stop for stuff.. Of course you can drive all night if you go in the summer.

Wait, I'm a bit confused. You drove from Calgary to Inuvik in 2 days?

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Wait, I'm a bit confused. You drove from Calgary to Inuvik in 2 days?

No, from Dawson City. The start of the Demster is near there. Gravel road starts at Tombstone.

[opendoor]

Yeah, it's about 80 hours from Calgary to Tuktoyaktuk and back. I think the only way 10-12 days would be enjoyable would be if you knocked off 14-15 hours or so each way on the first and last days from/to Calgary (since that part isn't particularly scenic). That'd leave about 50 hours of driving spread over the remaining 8-10 days.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by opendoor

Yeah, it's about 80 hours from Calgary to Tuktoyaktuk and back. I think the only way 10-12 days would be enjoyable would be if you knocked off 14-15 hours or so each way on the first and last days from/to Calgary (since that part isn't particularly scenic). That'd leave about 50 hours of driving spread over the remaining 8-10 days.

I’m a big fan of marathon first days. Leave early stay in a hotel. Opens up the entire western half of the continent for two week driving vacations.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by opendoor

Yeah, it's about 80 hours from Calgary to Tuktoyaktuk and back. I think the only way 10-12 days would be enjoyable would be if you knocked off 14-15 hours or so each way on the first and last days from/to Calgary (since that part isn't particularly scenic). That'd leave about 50 hours of driving spread over the remaining 8-10 days.

That's more or less the idea....since we'd have two drivers per car, we'd marathon drive that first stretch.

But even so, I think 10-12 days may be a bit tight and may need to make it a full two weeks.

[You Need a Thneed]

-42C is starting to wear on me.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

-42C is starting to wear on me.

And you're missing a practical heat wave in Calgary.

[You Need a Thneed]

For anyone who might be wondering, this is the price of a 2L bottle of Coke:

[Locke]

You could probably get actual Coke for less than that!

[Wormius]

Your mistake is not walking across the parking lot to get pop at the grocery store instead.

[Fire]

I don't like paying over $2 for a 2L.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Wormius

Your mistake is not walking across the parking lot to get pop at the grocery store instead.

Walking across the parking lot literally walks you into the Arctic Ocean from that store.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

Walking across the parking lot literally walks you into the Arctic Ocean from that store.

You’d still find a cheaper bottle of pop.

Man, though, imagine just having a Sodastream and some Pepsi syrup. You’d make a small fortune - assuming anybody is even buying those $12 bottles of Pepsi.

[opendoor]

The spread between 2L and 355mL sizes is interesting compared to most other places. It's basically the same price per mL, whereas in most other places a single can is about 4-5x more expensive by volume.

I guess when transportation makes up almost all the cost, you're basically paying solely by weight.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

Walking across the parking lot literally walks you into the Arctic Ocean from that store.

And....?

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by opendoor

The spread between 2L and 355mL sizes is interesting compared to most other places. It's basically the same price per mL, whereas in most other places a single can is about 4-5x more expensive by volume.

I guess when transportation makes up almost all the cost, you're basically paying solely by weight.

it’s definitely the weight for transportation. heavy things, like water based substances like pop, seemed to have a higher percentage premium to “normal” prices than lighter things.

the 2L bottles at $13 were still the cheapest cost per mL. 500mL bottles were generally $5, 1L bottles were $8. 12 packs of cans were $22.

on the other hand, i bought a box of cereal, probably only 15% or so premium from prices here. family size box for $7 something.

a 4L jug of milk was about $15, i didnt buy that, i bought a 1L carton that expired soon for 50% off, saved some money.