Yellowknife ice trucking

[squonker]

I’ve been in touch with a moderator, hoping that I could put this in ‘Ride Reports’, but unfortunately because my KLR is hibernating October to April, I can’t really pretend that this has anything at all to do with adventure riding. It is adventure, however – it’s just adventure trucking.

This story takes place February and March each year, when I drive the ice roads from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, to the gold and diamond mines along the Tibbett to Contwoyto Winter Road. I haven’t seen it, but I gather that there’s a series about the ice road on TV right now. Someone even said it was #1 in the ratings in the U.S. Well, I ordered the DVD from The History Channel yesterday, so I’ll be able to check it out soon enough.

I noticed that many of the threads about Yellowknife mention the ice road, so I thought I’d post some pics. I kinda wanted to do a story about one trip, but all my pics are jumbled up in no order whatsoever. I did 21 trips my first season (Diavik, BHP and Lupin), and then either 16 or 19 my second season (Snap Lake, Diavik and BHP).

I drove the ’05 and ’06 seasons, but took last year off (as I will do this year) while I’m at school. 2009 I hope to have my own rig, but I’ll be driving again whatever happens. This job has everything I ever wanted in it, other than cheerleaders. I live for this job!

Ok, I’ve never posted any pics here before so I’ll try a little experiment, and write/post some more soon. A word of warning – you might want to wear some warm clothes to read this thread. The very first trip I ever did, when I got to Diavik it was -87c with the windchill. Hold on, I’ll go online and convert that into Farenheit: ok, it’s -124F. That’s no exaggeration. It was cold, believe me!

Here goes with some pics.

When the ice is really sketchy they slow us right down to 15 or even 10 kmh. We're all paid by the trip, so it really hurts to have to slow down at all. It breaks my heart every time I see one of these signs!
http://www.advrider.com/forums/attac...1&d=1190142767

Some of these loads are massive. I've hauled heavy equipment up there, but they never had to take it apart so it would fit on my trailer! I took this pic just 'cos it was cool, then found out that a writer from Maxin magaazine was riding in this truck. Bastard could have dropped a few of the Maxim girls off at dispatch for the rest of us to take as passenegers!
http://www.advrider.com/forums/attac...1&d=1190142904

And one more for now 'cos I'm still just experementing with uploading pics. Do they need to b bigger? Smaller? I'm only allowed to upload one at a time so it takes a while. This one is pretty self explanatory, I think.
http://www.advrider.com/forums/attac...1&d=1190143029
1202 is diesel fuel. I carried it in 45 gallon drums to the Lupin gold, literally just metres from the Arctic Circle. Who can say they drove big rigs into the circle across frozen lakes?

[squonker]

Ok, I guess I need to work on actually posting pics into the link...not very computer savvy....

Attachment 134537

Let's see if that worked.

Alright, maybe I have this figured out. Here's one I took of myself at Diavik. I guess it was cold that day too. Believe it or not, I would be allowed to vote wearing this in Canada.

[squonker]

Maybe I'm only allowed one pic per post. Here are the three from the first post that didn't appear.

When the ice is really sketchy they slow us right down to 15 or even 10 kmh. We're all paid by the trip, so it really hurts to have to slow down at all. It breaks my heart every time I see one of these signs!

[squonker]

Some of these loads are massive. I've hauled heavy equipment up there, but they never had to take it apart so it would fit on my trailer! I took this pic just 'cos it was cool, then found out that a writer from Maxim magazine was riding in this truck. Bastard could have dropped a few of the Maxim girls off at dispatch for the rest of us to take as passenegers!

[squonker]

And one more for now 'cos I'm still just experementing with uploading pics. Do they need to be bigger? Smaller? I'm only allowed to upload one at a time so it takes a while. This one is pretty self explanatory, I think.

1202 is diesel fuel. I carried it in 45 gallon drums to the Lupin gold mine, literally just metres from the Arctic Circle. Very cool to be able to say that I drove there across frozen lakes.

[kootenay kid]

Very crazy job you have there. I would love to try it. I guess you dont shut the trucks off in that kind of weather very often. Keep the pictures coming. Oh and I watched a show on Tv once that explained how if you travel on the ice too fast you create a wave under the ice that will lift the ice up when it hits shore because it has nowhere else to go. Do I have that right?

[squonker]

The next four are from my first trip in '06. Buddy driving the white Western Star here drove off the road in a narrow, tricky section and got himself well and truly stuck. Just what you want at 2am on your first trip of the year when you aren't used to the crazy hours yet. We had a winch truck in the convoy, so Jay tries to haul Don out of his predicament. But no, that truck is stuck fast, carrying an abnormal load to boot.

[squonker]

Every time Jay starts to reel his winch in, his truck just slides on the ice towards the stuck truck.

[squonker]

A grader operator hears our chatter, and with the road being blocked we're in danger of holding up the convoy behind us. Mr. Grader Man digs his blade as firmly into the ice as he can. Jay hooks up to that, and we use the grader as an anchor.

[squonker]

It still takes some time, with the grader and Jay's winch truck now both sliding toward the schmoo, but eventually we're all good to go again. No harm done to Don's truck, as I recall.

[squonker]

And one more 'cos I'm logged on already.

You can't tell me it's not beautiful above the tree line, too.

[Statdawg]

A 1990 GSPD with a sidecar took that road. The story is here www.thetimelessride.com those truckers had a heated cab and were getting paid, tough job but helmets off to Hubert.

[kodiakfrank]

What are the chances of getting permission to run the road with a Ural/hack combo?


Hey Moosekiller, are you paying attention?

[squonker]

Kodiak,

Technically the road is a private road that's open to the public. They can't stop you driving it, but if you were in anything other than an SUV or a pick up you can bet they'd stop and ask questions. One place you wouldn't be allowed is onto any of the mines - very tight security there. If you weren't prepared to do any winter camping, you might be in for a bit of a hard time, but I have one idea....PM on the way.

[Commuter Boy]

You won't have any problems along the main ice road to Fort Providence over the Mackenzie or to some of the other hamlets around there. We did it in the car a year or so ago no problems.

Coming back was a little hairy, I wasn't finished my work in YK, so we got the 12 hours notice till closure. Wife had the bags packed, threw the kids in the car and went for it. No way was she camping out in YK for another month till break up was finished.

By that time the road is covered in a foot of slush, and starting to rot out. An older Dene couple went before our Passat to act as a guide to find the potholes under the slush. Every now and then one of the wheels on the jacked up 4x4 they were driving would DISAPPEAR 3/4 of the way up, wooo, steer around that one, keep going.

SWMBO said she only took a couple of breaths the whole way across