Don Barrett (aka DBs travels)'s photos with the keyword: Tuktoyaktuk

What else do you do when at the edge of the Arctic Ocean -- test the water and have a stone-skipping contest (I always lose). Scan of an older picture. Best viewed as part of the NW Canada set.

Another traditional sled and more Skidoos. From 1994 San Francisco - Arctic Ocean camping trip. Scan of an older picture. Best viewed as part of the NW Canada set.

From 1994 San Francisco - Arctic Ocean camping trip. Scan of an older picture. Best viewed as part of the NW Canada set.

Tuktoyaktuk was, again, somewhat disconcerting. It was a native village, but all of the housing was fairly modern, small, prefab units. Also disconcerting were the extensive radar facilities -- Tuktoyaktuk was one of the sites of the DEW line . See map. Scan of an older picture. Best viewed as part of the NW Canada set.

The town provided multiple, interesting juxtapositions between modern and traditional. A boat with an outboard motor, a husky sled dog, and prefab housing. From 1994 San Francisco - Arctic Ocean camping trip. Scan of an older picture. Best viewed as part of the NW Canada set.

The Catholic church. From 1994 San Francisco - Arctic Ocean camping trip. Scan of an older picture. Best viewed as part of the NW Canada set.

What appears to be a very small building on the far shore is a traditional lodge that had been used by the Intuit. There is some debate as to the value of having moved the Intuits from such traditional lodging into the pre-fab housing of Tuktoyaktuk. From 1994 San Francisco - Arctic Ocean camping trip. Scan of an older picture. Best viewed as part of the NW Canada set.

The altar cloth is seal skin that was trapped, tanned, and sewn by locals. From 1994 San Francisco - Arctic Ocean camping trip. Scan of an older picture. Best viewed as part of the NW Canada set.

Since I have this fascination with the existence of established churches in very remote areas, I suggested that we stop at the Anglican church. From 1994 San Francisco - Arctic Ocean camping trip. Scan of an older picture. Best viewed as part of the NW Canada set.

The flights to Tuktoyaktuk serve multiple functions: 1) carrying cargo and mail, 2) providing access to Inuvik for local residents, and 3) as Arctic tours. Of the 7 passengers on the plane, five of us were tourists. The bush pilot arranges for a van to pick you up at the airport and take you around the town. The van isn't really a tour, since the driver says "tell me where you'd like to go," and doesn't provide much guidance. From 1994 San Francisco - Arctic Ocean camping trip. Scan of an older picture. Best viewed as part of the NW Canada set.

From Inuvik to the Arctic Ocean is a relatively short distance, but it is across the tundra and there are no roads. Luckily there are regular passenger/freight flights -- and luckily I got to sit in the co-pilot seat. Through the pilot's window is the town of Tuktoyaktuk. See map. Scan of an older picture. Best viewed as part of the NW Canada set.

The landing strip...Short, dirt, and very cold bodies of water on both ends. Scan of an older picture. Best viewed as part of the NW Canada set.

Tuktoyaktuk is in the distance, the mound in the foreground is a "pingo", which is essentially a giant frost-heave cause by temperature differences. From 1994 San Francisco - Arctic Ocean camping trip. Scan of an older picture. Best viewed as part of the NW Canada set.

One of my primary goals of the trip was to visit the Arctic ocean. Even though the Dempster highway ends in Inuvik, there are bush pilots in Inuvik that will arrange flights and tours to the Arctic Ocean. Unfortunately, in the summer the landing strips along the Arctic Ocean are frequently fog-bound for much of the day, and I had to wait three days before a flight was available. Luckily for me, the flight was going to be full (6 passenger seats plus cargo) and the pilot needed someone to sit in the copilot seat. Since I was the only one traveling alone and not afraid of small planes, I got the front row view. It's hard to believe, but this photo was taken at about 7PM. From 1994 San Francisco - Arctic Ocean camping trip. Scan of an older picture. Best viewed as part of the NW Canada set.