We set out from Amherstburg, Ontario with one goal: ride to the end of the road and reach the Arctic Ocean. In just under two months, we covered over 15,000km total, crossing multiple provinces, states, and some of the most remote roads on the continent.
We crossed an incredible stretch of North America:
- Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota
- Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia
- Yukon, Northwest Territories
- Alaska
Riding the famous highways
We did some roads that adventure riders talk about all the time, like the Alaska Highway, the Cassiar Highway, Denali Highway, and the Dempster Highway. These difficult roads made the trip feel like a real adventure.
Skagway + White Pass Railway
Skagway was a big change from riding. It’s a small town, but it feels like a tourist trap. tons of people walking around from the cruise ships. A relaxing but sour vibe than being on the highway.
We decided to go on the White Pass Scenic Railway, the train climbs up through the mountains and you can see a lot of the valleys, cliffs, and waterfalls. It’s one of those things you should do at least once.
Chicken Alaska
We stopped in Chicken, Alaska, which was funny by itself (mainly because of the ‘Chicken Saloon’). We then we rode the Top of the World Highway into Dawson City. This was one of my favourite views because we were riding on top of a mountain ridge.
Dawson City
One of our goals was to visit Dawson City, you hear and read about it in books but nothing compares to being there in person. The town still has an old gold rush theme, with wooden buildings and a lot of history.
One of the most famous (and best story to tell about the entire trip) things in Dawson City is something called the Sourtoe Cocktail. You take a shot of whisky that has a real human mummified toe in the glass..
Of course, I did it.
The rule is that your lips have to touch the toe while you drink, it was one of those ‘one in a lifetime’ that you cant pass up.
Tuktoyaktuk
This was the main goal of our trip, making it to Tuktoyaktuk and the Arctic Ocean. To get there, we had to ride the Dempster Highway. It has been called one of the most dangerous highways in Canada, and was one of the hardest and coolest parts of the trip. It’s long, almost 800km of loose pea gravel, no cell service, very little gas stations or human civilization, and you really feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere.
One of the hardest parts about the Dempster Highway is hurricane alley, it’s on the border of NWT and the Yukon and it can be extremely dangerous.. especially to motorcycle riders. As the name implies it is a corridor between many mountains and it funnels the wind into this tiny stretch where they decided to build the road. Often times wind speeds will be over 100kmph sustained.
When we finally got to Tuktoyaktuk, it felt very rewarding. We dipped our feet in the Arctic Ocean to signify our achievement. Definitely the most rewarding part of the trip.. then we realized we had to ride back.
Final thoughts
This trip wasn’t just a regular motorcycle ride, it was an adventure across some of the most beautiful and remote terrain I’ve ever experienced.
If you’re dreaming about doing a long ride like this, I’ll sum it to this: it’s absolutely worth it. The days are long, the weather wasn’t always favourable, and the road will make you question your riding ability.But when you find yourself standing at the edge of the Arctic Ocean.. you’ll understand why we did it.
