We were somewhat excited and apprehensive this morning. We have heard and read so many stories about the Dempster highway and its challenges and magnificent scenery.

From the junction the Dempster quickly turned into gravel as it passed through spruce and pine forests. The temp was around 29°F and the road was frozen. Not long after getting underway we came across a diesel generator on the side of the road near a frozen stream that had flowed across the road as ice. While we were stopped to look at this a pickup came past and the driver told us that the generator was powering an air compressor that was pumping air into the stream so that the stream would flow over the road continuously rather than in one big break out.

Mid morning the highway climbed into the Ogilvie Mountains and moved above the tree line with the temp down around 18°F. The scenery was breath taking. This continued for many miles/kms until the road descended to follow the Tombstone river through a twisting gorge.

Climbing out of the Tombstone valley the road then started to follow the ridge line of the hills for many miles rather than the valleys. This continued until we arrived at Eagle Lodge our stopping point for the night and a bit over half way to Inuvik.

Eagle has a population of 8 people. At the motel we met the bartender, manager - a german lady - who organized to get us some diesel fuel, showed us where we to plug into electricity for the night and told us that the road from Inuvik to Tuk was still open.

So after all the anticipation how was the Dempster. Well we are not finished yet so I am a little cautious about that; but so far the road has been good. At times frozen and hard, at times covered in snow and ice, at times muddy, at times rough - but much better (so far) than roads we have traveled on in Australia and Asia.