Arctic Ocean Expedition: Winter 2007

[Scott Brady]

WEB PAGE and BLOG

Chris and I will be driving to the Arctic Ocean via the ice roads in the NWT all the way to Tuk and the Arctic Ocean.

It will be a 3 week assault, with some marathon driving segments.

Driver/Logistics: Scott Brady
Driver/Navigation: Chris Marzonie

[Nullifier]

Ya know when we spoke about it I figured your were crazy enough to do it LOL! Don't forget your long johns!

[goodtimes]

Hey Scott. Your nuckin futs.

[ErrinV]

Damn, this sounds like it would be a blast. Hmmmmm.

[datrupr]

BRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!

Good luck, I can't wait to hear about it.

[Scott Brady]

Hey Scott. Your nuckin futs.

Yeah, but you already knew that

[Doin_It]

I'm not sure how I missed reading this post till today...oh well. I'm also not sure why some of our other fun lovin members think your'e nuckin futs. Remember, it's because of the good 'ol cold winters up here that us folks here in Alberta and Alaska are able to get out on the ice roads on the frozen lakes etc. to extract all that oil, (30% of the known world oil reserve is in Alberta you know, so we need winter, Alberta and Alaska give each resident dividend checks each year cause theres so much extra cash in the gov. coffers) So a winter trip would be a blast. We're out there every day in the bush just a givin her. There are literally 1000's and 1000's of miles of roads in the northern bush. Example, take out your trusty Rand McNally and find "Manning" in northern Alberta, on Highway 35 then Fort Nelson, on the Alaska Highway, in BC to the north west. There are no roads on the map right, but in the winter you can travel on winter roads (no chains) between the two places. Or you notice a lake in the top northwest corner of Alberta, in the summer it's a fly in fishing camp, with guys comming in the summer from the US and having to pay $5000 for the week of fishing. Well, in the winter you can drive in and ice fish all you want for "free". (You'd have to pay to stay in a open oil drilling camp up there if you wanted, or just camp) So any way, all that to say winter camping/expiditing allows you to do things you'd never get to do in the summer, and in a whole different way. It's a riot.

[Jonathan Hanson]

I think this is a great idea. You could drive all the way to Tuktoyaktuk down the Mackenzie. And your truck is light enough that you wouldn't have to worry about the "ice wave" effect.

What's that, you ask?

Occasionally when the semi-truck drivers are making the run to Tuk from Inuvik, the weight of their truck pushes a bulge of ice ahead of it. Very occasionally this bulge reaches a point where it essentially explodes and the entire semi plunges through the ice into the depths of the river/ocean. Sometime the driver escapes, sometimes not.

But you wouldn't have to worry about that.

Most likely.

[BajaTaco]

I think this is a great idea. You could drive all the way to Tuktoyaktuk down the Mackenzie. And your truck is light enough that you wouldn't have to worry about the "ice wave" effect.

Funny you should mention that, I was just discussing it with my dad last night.

... But you wouldn't have to worry about that.

Most likely.

I wonder if Scott has weighed the tacoma lately...

[Scott Brady]

I think this is a great idea. You could drive all the way to Tuktoyaktuk down the Mackenzie. And your truck is light enough that you wouldn't have to worry about the "ice wave" effect.

But you wouldn't have to worry about that.

Most likely.

That is the plan, ice waves and all

I am actually quite geeked about this trip. Just all of the specialized research and gear will keep me occupied well into the night.