DEMPSTER HIGHWAY - Canada Road Trip Travel Documentary

The Dempster Highway is a 737 kilometer long gravel road running from the Northern Yukon Territory into the Northwest Territories. The condition of the road changes dramatically with the weather. Rain and snow turn the highway into a dangerous mud track with little grip. Flooding occurs regularly in spring and early summer and a decent mud coating is unavoidable. Snowfall in late May is nothing unusual, leaving the landscape in Tombstone Territorial Park looking like a winter wonderland. The wilderness surrounding the Dempster Highway is prime black bear territory. It is no wonder we spotted three different individuals within two days directly on the This fellow clearly had just taken a bath. His chase of the snowshoe hare was rather perfunctory. Black bears are the smallest of the three Canadian bears, but can still grow to a size of 2 meters and 300 kilograms in weight. They are often unafraid of humans and curiously look who's occupying their road. Black bears are opportunistic omnivores. This bear had found an old and completely dried up bird, but was devouring it with relish. Coming up on this bear, we first thought it was a grizzly. A close look at its features reveals that it is a brown colored black bear. Although they are called black bears, they come in a variety of use, ranging from a dark plaque of a cinnamon brown to a rarely seen white called spirit bears. This specimen was a true poser, who even performed a little back scratch dance for us. After 400 kilometers, we arrived at the Arctic Circle. We were excitedly greeted by the local inhabitants. These arctic crown squirrels live directly underneath the Arctic Circle sign. They feed on a variety of plants and seeds, but rarely venture far from their burrows. The surrounding tiger landscape is very scenic. There are a limited number of trees, but many different kinds of plants. Although we didn't see any auroras, the sunset 2 o'clock at night was very colorful. We decided to turn around at the Arctic Circle, as the rivers further north were not yet navigable by ferry. On our way south, the landscape was completely different than two days ago. The snow and fog made way for clear skies and sunshine. Splendid rock formations, known as torts, protrude from the mountains around the highway. They are the result of frost chattering. Water seeps into cracks, and as it turns into ice, it shatters most of the rock. Only the solid stone remains standing. Whenever a big truck drove into the opposite direction, we thought it advisable to pull over as far as possible. Driving along the Peel River, we found some of the most majestic landscapes we had the luck to witness on our travels. Thick ice flows were slowly melting on the river, with glorious mountains in the background. At some points, almost the entire river seemed to be covered in ice. When you are traveling through this landscape, it is hard to focus on the actual road, as the scenery invites to be looked at all the time. Similarly, the Tombstone Territorial Park didn't disappoint us on our second visit. Towering mountain peaks form formidable backdrops to numerous little lakes. We also came upon this monument, showing Joey and Annie Henry, true Yukon pioneers, who lived in the area and were indispensable in the process of building the Dempster Highway. Looking for a campsite, we had to navigate some obstacles. Not long after, we were granted a dramatic display of the clouds. Just two days before, the entire landscape around Tombstone Mountain had been covered in snow, whereas now, all the legion and plants emerged. If you liked this video, give it a thumbs up or leave a comment. Also make sure to subscribe for more videos to come.