Day 1

Thursday July 4.      Cycling Day 1.

Tuktoyaktuk (NT) to Inuvik (NT)

Distance:  (Km) 152

Time: 9:28

Average Speed: (Km/ hr) 16,04

Ascent:  (m) 1216

Heart Rate: (beats / min) 129

Cumulative Distance:   (km) 152

Cumulative Ascent :  (m) 1216

Punctures so far : 0

So , we’re off.

Had a good nights sleep but was awoken by the rain on the tent. In a tent, any rain sounds torrential. But, I didn’t fancy packing up the tent in the rain. However it cleared up before ‘dawn’ but the ground showed the effects once I had packed up.Porridge for breakfast and conversation centered around the expectations of the day.Some were only going to ride half the day...didn’t fancy 152km on the first day. But it had to be 152 as there is no possible place to camp in between.

Just outside Tuk we all availed of the Welcome song to record our leaving on this expedition.

A big attraction around Tuk in particular are the pingos...the bottom of deep lakes don’t freeze, but if they lose a large amount of their water, the unfrozen earth beneath freezes and unable to squeeze out the surrounding permafrost, it’s forced to expand upwards. They look somewhat like the moats in Kilfeacle and Donohill.

This new  Tuk to Inuvik Highway lies on an average of 1.8 metres of gravel on the permafrost. There’s no cut-and-fill, just fill from a number of large gravel deposits along the route. Grading was in process in places. That softens up the gravel in the short term.

 It snakes it’s way around the landscape which makes it less monotonous. No big hills but it’s continually undulating evidenced by the 1216 metres that we ascended today. Very little washboard except for the 10 lm stretch into Inuvik. Lots of loose gravel that caused at least two to fall today, but with very little traffic it was safe and acceptable to cycle on right or left as the surface suited.Plenty of lakes and inlets along the route. 

And vast area covered with bog-cotton (or cennabhain). Looked identical to that seen at home on the bog.

After two and a half tough cycling I spotted this sign......and I was bound for the said Inuvik.

Another sign prohibited caribou (reindeer) hunting but it was another one later in the day that spooked me. Must keep my eyes open.

Till lunch stop at 83 km the wind was coming in from our right. As the road twisted and turned it helped or hindered. After lunch it shifts more to our rear, but now r

Cold rain started to fall. It wasn’t too heavy but uncomfortable and made the road surface in places very messy. Still the second half of the day was easier in the opinion of those who went the whole way. I briefly considered taking the truck for the second half but now I’m glad I completed the full152.

After we came to the tree line again. In the far north trees just won’t grow, only bushes and tussocky grass. At first there were just low spindly specimens with them all lying to the left and right. By Inuvik they’re looking a bit healthier but not very tall....all lower than telephone lines.

I got into the Happy Valley camping ground in Inuvik around 6 and got a full camping bay all to myself. I availed of the hose to clean up the bike somewhat, it was in a grimy mess. And especially welcome was the hot showers in the service block.

A good start to this expedition, a baptism of fire.

PS: I’m writing this here outside the tent after 10 pm with the sun high in the sky and the solar panels charging all the devices.

Thank God for the health and thank God for the energy.

‘