Traveling to Tuktoyaktuk on the Arctic Ocean by adventure motorcycle

Adventure motorcycle ride on the Dempster Highway from Dawson City in the Yukon to Tuktoyaktuk on the Arctic Ocean. You can also read about this trip at a comprehensive blog here: www.stephenfis...

[@gungho6798]

Some people go to church Sundays. I don’t. I watch this video as it inspires me to do this very same trip. June 2024 is the date. From Key West riding the 2023 Pig

[@rodneyjordan6745]

To say this is well-done is putting it mildly. Very inspirational.

[@vsbiker]

Good video and pictures. I rode to Tuk in 2018 on a Yamaha Super Tenere 1200 solo. I was lucky it was dry and warm in July. No flats( lucky). I also went into Alaska and enjoyed the Chena Hot Springs. Your trip brought back a lot of good memories . Thanks for posting.

[@dn8533]

I am planning to ride there in summer 2021 do you think honda shadow would make it there?

[@vsbiker]

@@dn8533 I know a Honda shadow would make it no problem to Dawson City Yukon great road. You should be comfortable with riding your Shadow on gravel roads and if the dempster highway is dry and you take your time ie go slow carry extra gas ,you could make it to Inuvik. The road from Inuvik to Tuk is new and quite soft in spots. I would not recommend it with a Honda Shadow unless the condition has changed. Right now the NWT boarder is closed because of Covid. I would ride to Dawson City try the Dempster and if that does not work for you ride the top of the world highway to Tok Alaska I have seen Harleys on that gravel road. You will have a great trip even if you don't ride the Dempster Highway. Enjoy !!

[@cyrilfredlund2182]

Did the trip by van from Churchill, Manitoba (Gillam) to Inuvik and back before the Tuk highway was built. Went in the summer with some of my family. Would highly recommend it and do it in other seasons too. One of my best road trips ever.

[@richardberry8769]

Nice ride,I really enjoyed your choice of music and editing thanks.

[@adamperkins9490]

I’m inspired.

[@rodneyjordan5078]

Very impressive & inspirational. Considering doing this ride as well. Thank you for sharing such a gorgeous ride.

[@marcrobyn4844]

Stephen, that video was the perfect way to start my morning. We are doing that trip from Cincinnati Ohio this July and that just motivated me more. Perfect music for it too!!!!🙂

[@sfischerphotography]

I am glad you liked it. July is a good month to do it. Pray for no rain when riding the Dempster.

[@johnhamilton2680]

Really enjoyed your video. Thank you so much.

[@MarvinDuBois]

At 06:55 Fort McPherson is called an "Inuit town". But while some Inuit may well live there, the great majority of the residents are Gwich'in people. More specifically, most belong to the Teetł'it Gwich'in First Nation.

[@sfischerphotography]

Thanks for pointing that out. I have it correct in my blog (www.stephenfischerphotography.com/Motorcycle/rides/alaska/alcan_day10.html), but could not correct the video once it is posted. "After a ferry crossing at the Peel River we then stopped at Fort McPherson to eat lunch, finding some picnic tables by a general store and historic Gwich'in cemetery next to a more contemporary Christian church. While there I ended up chatting with a local First Nation Gwich'in coming out of his relatively primitive house. We made some small talk, telling him I was from California. He seemed surprised by that and said he also knows somebody from the village that went to California, implying if I might know him? I said it's a big state and probably not. I asked him if the permafrost was a problem for the buried bodies at the cemetery. My/his language understanding here seemed challenged, but from what I could gather is the graves are fairly shallow because of this. Like Ross River, Fort McPherson is a local native village with historical ties for being the principal trading post for the Hudson's Bay Trading Company, so the town is rather primitive by western standards and with limited facilities."

[@mikecolesvids]

Fantastic vid, in fact the best I’ve seen. thanks and good job!

[@chwaqasjamal]

Great story, well captured, amazing views and great ride. Very impressive 👍

[@christophepoteaux3932]

AMAZING! Thanks for sharing. Planning my trip for 2021.

[@craigsturman6661]

Same here. Leaving from S.E. Idaho.

[@rohith.h]

Same here. From Seattle

[@urbanpipingltd.7139]

Same from Calgary

[@sinbrujulaamericano7070]

Chris cheers!!! Amazing ‼️ I live in México also planning the same trip for 2021 !!!

[@peterfettig8666]

Chumbawamba? Was not expecting that.

[@mikespekreijse391]

Well well, myself another two Kiwis and Norwegian (hi Kurt) were up there in late July 2019, yeah just over 2yrs ago. First time I have seen your video, just so good to see it and relive the memories of an awesome place. We were fortunate to have perfect weather and not to much bull dust (that's what they call deep dust in Oz). FYI , we Kiwis has 650 VStrom, 1st 2nd and 3rd edition and were all fine for fuel, Dawson City to Eagle Plains.

[@breakevenmining]

My mate & I flew our R1200 GSA's to Seattle WA from Brisbane 2 years ago & did the Dalton Hwy - we had great conditions & it was a breeze - even though we came back through Dawson City, we didn't have time to ride to Tuk as we had to meet friends in Sturgis SD but after seeing this & the conditions you had, I think we 'll have to come back & do it...

[@warped8425]

Amazing. Thank you.

[@willmcgregor7184]

Nice job, thanks. Beautiful scenery. How were the bugs??

[@dennisfant2620]

Dang awesome video and ride guys!! Thinking real serious about going with buddy in July and August. How long did it take to get from Dawson city to the artic ocean? And fuel stops in between? I was going to take a WR250R with 3 gal. And 2 gal. Roto pax. Range is about 225 plus.. Any other tips would be helpful. Thank you.. Again that is an awesome video..

[@sfischerphotography]

Thanks Dennis. I have written an extensive blog on this here: www.stephenfischerphotography.com/Motorcycle/rides/alaska/alcan_intro.html But to summarize, it took 2.5 days to reach the arctic sea at Tuktoyaktuk from Dawson City. We reached Eagle Plains on day 1 (256 miles), Inuvik on day 2 (227 miles), and out to Tuktoyaktuk and back to Inuvik on day 3 (188 miles). The first day ride to Eagle Plains will put the most stress for your gas. There is a gas station at the junction of the Dempster Highway, but you will still probably need a range of about 235 miles.

[@AttorneyThatRides]

I have always wanted to go. I have been to Prudhoe Bay on my Harley three (3) times. I have had friends go to Tuk on Harleys. Maybe this summer.

[@sfischerphotography]

The key is doing it during a good day weather window (not raining), otherwise the mud can be treacherous. Also, have enough gas for a 250 mile range. Eagle Plains has a garage where a friend of mine who flatted on the way back on his tubeless was able to get the tire patched.

[@AttorneyThatRides]

@@sfischerphotography I have an AUX tank with an additional 5.5 gallons. I am trying to set my travels for an exciting summer

[@ricardoenmotoca]

Hello, thank you for sharing your trip, tell me what date of the year is the best to do the route you did? Regards

[@sfischerphotography]

July. You can also read my blog of this ride here: www.stephenfischerphotography.com/Motorcycle/rides/alaska/alcan_intro.html

[@ricardoenmotoca]

@@sfischerphotography thank you...

[@alftorrisi8795]

Sky at 6:20 just magic.

[@zorbakorba4180]

Congrats. My trip in July was not as fortunate. It was solid rain off and on in mud that's was as bad as slurry at times. 30-40 kms max speed sliding 3 different directions at the same time. Made a command decision to enjoy the Arctic Circle for what and where I was. And try for the ocean another time. That being said 7200kms in 7 days on the klr. Maybe one day I'll know what the Dempster feels like in the dry. For now I know it's worst and survived. And yes I would recommend it as an amazing adventure.

[@sfischerphotography]

I sympathize with your experience. From what I learned, doing the Dempster successfully is all about having good weather. I ran into some riders returning on the first day out of Dawson City that warned me of the difficulties they encountered, ranging from mud to poor visibility going over the final pass into Tuk. When we reached Eagle Plains, our plan was to make a call based on the weather window, potentially delaying for a day and hunker down if it looked like it would turn for the worse. But we were more fortunate and able to get up and back within a reasonably good weather window (other than forest fires that created a lot of haze).

[@sinbrujulaamericano7070]

Beautiful experience!!!! Eyyy man tell me something.. why did you decide go to tuktyaktuk instead of prudhud bay !! There was some special reazon?? Thanks , p.d. What month do you recomended to go there !? Saludos amigo👍🏻

[@sfischerphotography]

In my planning I heard that the road to Tuk is more scenic, and that you also have the freedom to get to the Arctic Ocean without some escort or tour. With Prudhoe Bay, you are basically at a large industrialized oil extraction hub with limited access. However, the Dempster Highway to Inuvik (and Tuk) can be more treacherous when it is wet compared to the Dalton, so the final plan depended on the weather. We had a backup plan to ride to Prudhoe Bay if the weather was not good during the time window we arrived at Dawson City. But the weather ended up being relatively good (other than the smoke from the fires), so on to Tuk!.

[@sinbrujulaamericano7070]

@@sfischerphotography thanks so much friend 👍🏼

[@vinayjaiswal16]

Excellent video

[@offthecuffadventureswithjamie]

Dempster highway so cool. 😊

[@borjaruiz1941]

13:51 What a shame... Great video, If any time I live in North America, I will do same trip for sure...

[@deadmanprodinc]

Before the road, nowhere to truck or put garbage, also too expensive. City folk live in a bubble believing their garbage miraculously vanishes.

[@mikeokeeffe6163]

Nice job on the trip and video. Yes, it looks like the weather played nice with you. Do you think you'd have been able to do the trip from Dawson City to Tuktoyaktuk in 2 days each way, rather than 3? In early July, I'm guessing sunset is really late.

[@sfischerphotography]

It is possible to do Tuk in 2 days from Dawson City. While camping at Eagle Plains at the end of the first day from Dawson City, I met another rider who left the next morning early. He got to Inuvik in the early afternoon, setup his camp at the local campground, dropping off the overnight gear, and then did an out-and-back to Tuk, returning to Inuvik that evening. I met him at camp in Inuvik after he returned. He was riding fast and by himself, but it can be done.

[@dn8533]

I am in Calgary I am planning to ride there . Would you suggest it on honda shadow cruiser?

[@sfischerphotography]

A Honda Shadow wouldn't be my first choice for this ride, but I think it is possible. The terrain for this particular ride does not require a large ground clearance or specialized off-road suspension. But I think descent off-road or 50/50 tires would be important. When it is wet, the mud can make this ride very difficult, so having good skills for riding in the mud can be helpful. Don't fight the ruts when it is muddy. Just ride in the compressed wheel tracks and keep power to the wheels without coasting, and stay off the brakes. The road department seemed to swing the pendulum the other way between Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk, by overdoing the gravel. I found this extra gravel to make it a real nail biter on some of the corners and dips where it seems to accumulate.

[@lucecannon]

You show a single event of repairing a flat. Was that the only flat your group experienced? How did you repair it?

[@sfischerphotography]

Surprisingly, it was the only flat of the trip and with one of the other riders with a tubeless rear tire. Apparently a small and sharp piece of slate rock made a slice about 1/2" wide in between the knobs. My friend only had mushroom plugs to patch it, and it did not suffice, still slowly leaking air, holding it for only about 10 minutes. The others were ahead and I was equipped for only my tube based tires. Given we were still about 40~50 miles from Eagle Plains, we had to just ride for about 8 ~ 10 miles, stop and air up again, and repeat. This took a few hours given how slow the small air compressors we had were. Once we got to Eagle Plains, they have a gas station with a small service area and mechanic. They were incredibly helpful and able to patch the inside of the tire for a more permanent fix.

[@oldwaitekauri]

Shows how much camera stabilisation has improved in the last couple of years.

[@sfischerphotography]

Yep. But in this case the plastic tabs holding the GoPro mount to the bike fatigued out, with one of the two breaking off by the time I got to Dawson City. The vibration of the ride all the way from Sacramento, CA was appparently too much. The mount completely failed by the time I got off the Dempster on the ride back. Even when I got to Fairbanks later in the week I could not find any availability for a replacement mount. Since then I have switched to a more heavy duty mount.

[@dennisfant2620]

Cool video guys!! We're planning a trip this July up to TUK from SW AR. But now that this mess is going on I'm not to sure now..ARGH!! so I've got to watch your video for now.. ha!! Awesome scenery and footage..

[@johnmartin7144]

It appears you had good weather. What dates did you travel? Thanks!

[@sfischerphotography]

I did it last year from June 28 to July 26. The Dempster Highway segment was July 6th through July 10th. You can also read about the trip more in my detailed blog here: www.stephenfischerphotography.com/Motorcycle/rides/alaska/alcan_intro.html

[@johnmartin7144]

@@sfischerphotography Thank you! Planning a trip for 2021 after the border opens and hoping to leave around June 21st from WA state area. Rain and insects are always an issue 😂.

[@Peeohtrek]

I want to ride there so bad!

[@rayfriend7450]

Awesome video! What month did you make this trip. Looks like you had great weather.

[@sfischerphotography]

Thanks. The weather during the Dempster Highway portion of the ride was mostly good. The riders a day ahead has more mud due rain the previous day, so I got lucky. The Dempster is the type of road that when it is dry, it is pretty easy with the worst being the loose gravel that can be excessive in places. But when it is wet, the mud can be extremely hazardous.

[@mrnewtonski2827]

@@sfischerphotography I am curious when you made the trip. I rode the Dempster on an Africa Twin July 19-23rd, 2019. Rain and mud on the way up. Super slow going and I questioned the decision to make the trip. Way back was sun and some of the best riding ever.

[@sfischerphotography]

@@mrnewtonski2827 The Alaska trip took the entire month of July. As for the Dempster: 7/6: Dawson City to Eagle Plains 7/7: Eagle Plains to Inuvik 7/8: Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk and back 7/9: Inuvik to campsite along the Ogilivie River 7/10: to Dawson City, and beyond over The Top of the World Highway

[@Sportinglogic]

What is the best month to experience this adventure on a motorbike?

[@sfischerphotography]

mid-June through July

[@chrisbourgeois2695]

Thanks man one more question how do you Purchase it with card lock up there visa

[@sfischerphotography]

Hi Chris, Not sure I understand your question. Purchase what? A visa credit card there works just as well, including at the pumps. You just need to preauthorize the max amount you will spend when buying gas. I also brought some Canadian cash for smaller incidentals. There is gas at the southern junction of the Dempster Highway, Eagle Plains, in the town of Fort McPherson, and Inuvik.

[@sinbrujulaamericano7070]

@@sfischerphotography hello bro !! So a motorcycle with a tank of 5 gallons is enough ? I have a klr 650 and i will try to get there ( tuktyaktuk ) thanks friend

[@jdgreany]

cool!

[@chrisbourgeois2695]

Did you have extra gas?

[@sfischerphotography]

Not for me. My F800GS Adv has a 6.3 gallon tank, and that was ample. The worst case one needed a range of about 250 miles. Some of the other riders did have to carry extra: Vstrom 650 and the 1200GS Ralleye.

[@sinbrujulaamericano7070]

Suscripción like and share ‼️ tanks man saludos de México 🇲🇽

[@sfischerphotography]

Thanks. You should also check out my Baja ride to Cabo and back here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oHSql4yVq5l3pMU

[@billshamblin5103]

Could have enjoyed the video more if you had explained what you were seeing instead of the music

[@sfischerphotography]

Hi Bill. If you want to learn more about this trip, I have also written a detailed blog you can find here: www.stephenfischerphotography.com/Motorcycle/rides/alaska/alcan_intro.html

[@juancarlosgianola630]

video ok ok , but the music 😭😭

[@jimmiehoyt729]

KLR 650 AK 907

[@4grndkds]

Music annoying

[@chadkline4268]

No 😊 usually I agree, but not here. It adds something that isn't distasteful overall 😊 it's his view of his ride.