Yukon – Page 8 – The (Mostly) True Adventures of Lupe

On the Dempster Highway to Eagle Plains, the Arctic Circle & Northwest Territories, Canada (8-17-18 & 8-18-18)

Part 2 of Day 14 & Part 1 of Day 15 of Lupe’s 2018 Dingo Vacation to the Yukon, Northwest Territories & Alaska!

8-17-18, 1:20 PM, 53°F, km 224.5 – From Churchward Hill (2,871 ft.), Lupe had seen that, on the way to the Eagle Plain plateau, the Dempster Highway went N closely paralleling the Ogilvie River. However, out on the heavily forested floodplain beyond the last of the Ogilvie Mountains, the river was seldom in sight.

Approaching the Eagle Plain plateau, the highway curved NE and soon began an impressive climb up Seven Mile Hill. The Ogilvie River was now being left behind, but from the edge of the giant escarpment, Lupe could see it again off to the SE. Somewhere beyond vision E of here, the Ogilvie would join forces with the Blackstone to form the Peel River.

At km 259.0, the Dempster Highway reached its high point along the SE edge of the Eagle Plain escarpment 1,000 feet above the valley. A huge pullout was here, plus the added convenience of an outhouse. Lupe had reached Ogilvie Ridge.

Ogilvie Ridge was a popular spot. As many as 6 or 7 vehicles were present at any given time. The day was still heavily overcast, and the cold S wind still blew. People came and went quickly. In no rush to get back out into the wind, Lupe and SPHP waited. More than 20 minutes went by, before a moment arrived when no one else was around.

Lupe and SPHP left the G6 to experience the gray, wind-swept solitude of Ogilvie Ridge.

At **Ogilvie Ridge**, km 259.0 of the Dempster Highway.

The Ogilvie River valley stretched from the S to the E. Beyond the broad, green valley, rose distant gray peaks of the Taiga Range. Churchward Hill had provided far superior views of the Ogilvie River, but for being right along the highway, Ogilvie Ridge wasn’t a bad vantage point at all.

The **Ogilvie River valley** from **Ogilvie Ridge**. Photo looks SE.

Lupe sniffed around in the bushes, while SPHP perused several colorful displays about the geological history of the region.

2:58 PM, 47°F – Continuing N from Ogilvie Ridge, the Dempster Highway kept climbing. The road wound around on big hills and ridges. This first part of the Eagle Plain plateau didn’t seem much like a plateau at all. Deep valleys flanked barren hills, but the hills were rounded, not flat.

3:22 PM – Shortly after passing what seemed to be the highway’s highest point in this region, a small pullout appeared. The long climb out of the Ogilvie River valley was over. Lupe stopped for a quick sniff. The Taiga Range of the Ogilvie Mountains could still be seen back to the SE. Ahead, the Dempster Highway kept winding N along a series of lower hills.

Probably wouldn’t have been too hard to take a stroll up to the top of the hill the pullout was on, but Loopster didn’t do it. Having already made it up Churchward Hill this morning, traveling in the comfort of the G6 on a windy, gray afternoon had its charms.

The now distant **Taiga Range** of the **Ogilvie Mountains** from near the high point of the Dempster Highway at the S end of the **Eagle Plain plateau**. Photo looks SE.

The Dempster Highway winds away across the **Eagle Plain plateau**. Photo looks N.

Lupe and SPHP kept going. The highway wound crazily around in what felt like a desperate attempt to stay up on a strip of hilly high ground. Up and down, this way and that, on and on!

Mountains faded away. Hills and ridges shrank. Often only the highway could be seen. Broad swaths of the spindly, Dr. Seuss trees of the boreal forest were clear cut away from both sides of the road. In their place, bushes thrived.

Despite the overcast sky, the road had been dry, or nearly so, ever since Churchward Hill. At km 335, though, suddenly the Dempster Highway was wet. Within minutes, SPHP drove into rain. The highway became slick and rough. Potholes were brimming with water.

There was supposed to be a viewpoint at km 347.0 where the Richardson Mountains could be seen for the first time. SPHP missed it, but did stop at a wet pullout that appeared a little farther on. Lupe got out for a look around, but no mountains were in sight. A vast, rolling plain stretched away into the fog.

5:38 PM, 44°F, Eagle Plains Hotel & Service Center, km 369.0 – It hadn’t been much farther to the first and only fuel available in the entire 369 km (229 miles) since way back at the start of the Dempster Highway. The Eagle Plains Hotel & Service Center, situated on a hill, probably offers fine views on a clear day, but Lupe arrived amid rain and fog.

With no clue as to how far it might be to the next gas station, a fuel stop was an absolute necessity. Eagle Plains was a full service station. Before SPHP could pump any gas, a relatively young man appeared. That was his job. Fill’er up?

Yes, please!

Asking was a mere formality. The attendant already knew the answer. When it’s 229 miles between opportunities, does anyone skimp? Way up here in the Yukon, it’s a helluva walk back to civilization. Conceivable that stroll might get a mite chilly, too, any time of year.

SPHP didn’t bother asking the price. Whatever it was, one just paid it, and felt fortunate to have the opportunity to do so. The receipt would reveal what a fabulous bargain SPHP had just made.

31.52 liters at $1.65 Canadian per liter came to $52.00 Canadian. That was the same as $39.80 US for 8.328 gallons, or $4.78 US per gallon at the current exchange rate.

Eh, not much worse than going to California, Looper!

Loop spotted a muster point nearby. Was that a requirement? SPHP didn’t know. No one else was mustering, but the American Dingo put in an appearance, just in case.

Nothing happened, though. Nobody came to muster with her, or even say what all the mustering was supposed to be about. Maybe it had been a long summer? Perhaps the local Canadians were sick and tired of mustering on these endless, blistering hot August days?

Loop mustering on yet another baking hot **Eagle Plains** summer day.

However, Loop didn’t get totally ignored in Eagle Plains. A doorman, snappily dressed all in black, came prancing jauntily over from the Eagle Plains Hotel. When he didn’t welcome the Carolina Dog to Eagle Plains, but instead leapt right up onto the G6, and started demanding rewards merely for the privilege of parking in the muddy parking lot, Lupe was pretty put out. The were-puppy appeared and barked ferociously at him. Of all the nerve!

Since Eagle Plains was the only civilized spot for such a long distance, SPHP felt that even if the doorman’s demands were outrageous, perhaps it was best to at least toss him a few raisins and cashews. The doorman was evidently satisfied. He eventually flew off, defusing the whole Dingo/doorman confrontation.

Dressed all in black, the Eagle Plains doorman comes over from the hotel to demand payment for the privilege of parking in the parking lot.

Pretty cheeky to hop right up on a G6 defended by a ferocious were-puppy, but it paid off! SPHP gave in, and bought him off with raisins and cashews.

The Dempster Highway crosses the Eagle River 9 km N of Eagle Plains. Despite its soaring name, the river wasn’t particularly inspiring. Murky brown water in what amounted to a big ditch. Since it was raining, the Eagle River hardly seemed worth stopping for. SPHP paused on the bridge, but only long enough for Lupe to get a look from the G6.

The **Eagle River** was more of a ditch full of muddy water than a scenic highlight.

6:35 PM, 44°F, km 405.5 – Other than the commemorative sign, there wasn’t much more to see here than at the Eagle River. Nevertheless, the Most High Exalted Dingo of the Arctic Sisterhood was back! Lupe had reached the Arctic Circle again for the first time in nearly a year. It was a glorious moment! A moment destined to be prolonged.

The Arctic Circle featured a huge parking area with two entrances off the Dalton Highway. Two man-made attractions sat along the border of the muddy lot – the commemorative sign, and an outhouse. Of course, the big attraction was the invisible one, the unseen Arctic Circle itself. This was the edge of the true Arctic! Everything to the N was part of the fabled frozen land of the Midnight Sun.

Midnight Sun? The Carolina Dog hadn’t seen the sun all day. Rain, wind, fog! Beneath a leaden sky, it was darker and seemed later than it really was. Who knew what lay ahead? The highway had been greasy slick coming up out of the Eagle River valley. Rough and full of potholes after that. Maybe this was far enough? Maybe Loop ought to spend the night right here at the Arctic Circle?

As the evening wore on, dense fog turned the world a featureless gray. The rain increased in intensity. Traffic ceased. The windows fogged over. Dinner. A warm blankie. To the steady beat of rain on the roof, the Most High Exalted Dingo of the Arctic Sisterhood settled in for a snooze.

One of the displays – the most interesting one with a map.

At the start of the Land of the Midnight Sun.

Home for the night. The G6 did get moved farther from the sign, in case anyone else happened by.

8-18-18, 4:17 AM, km 405.5, the Arctic Circle – Light out, kind of. Still raining, still foggy. The growing light did nothing to dispel the gloom. Every time SPHP had woken up, it had been raining, not lightly, but steady. How much had fallen in the past 10 hours? Half an inch an hour, easy. Maybe double that. A regular monsoon!

What was the Dempster going to be like? A sea of mud? Maybe the Most High Exalted Dingo of the Arctic Sisterhood wasn’t going any farther? Maybe she was stuck here, unable even to retreat? The poor G6 wasn’t exactly a Jeep, even if SPHP treated it like one.

Nothing to do about it now, though, except sit tight. The G6 wasn’t going anywhere. Not until SPHP saw similar vehicles out on the Dempster. Better safe here than sunk to the axles somewhere in the literal middle of nowhere.

5:54 AM – Brighter out, still socked in with fog, but the rain had finally let up. Only a light mist now. A few other vehicles had spent the night here. None had budged yet. Not a hint of activity. Certainly none on the highway. Lupe needed out. She made a quick tour of the area. From close to the commemorative sign, a couple of picnic tables sat in a flat area down an embankment. Bet those get a lot of use!

The rain started in again. Back to the G6! May as well snooze some more. “Well-rested” was the predicted future state of things.

The new day bore an uncanny resemblance to the old.

The Arctic Circle picnic area was deserted. SPHP suspected this was its natural state.

9:45 AM – Rain, rain, rain! Wind, too. It hadn’t rained all the time, but did more often than not. A flurry of activity had occurred around 9:00 AM, though. Two big white pick-up trucks started it off, charging by out on the Dempster Highway around 8:40 AM. A green van then appeared out of the N sending up a gigantic spray as it encountered long chains of pothole lakes upon the road.

Other vehicles came and went. People pulled in to use the rest room, or take a look at the commemorative sign. None of their vehicles, however, were as small and pathetic as the intrepid G6. The wait continued.

*You know, SPHP, if you’ve got such a thing for invisible circles, maybe we could try the Tropic of Cancer next time around?*

11:28 AM, 44°F – Alright! Still rainy, still foggy, but it must be OK out there. After a lull, a parade of vehicles had come by. Most were huge pickups, or other massive high-clearance 4WD’s of one sort or another. However, a number of sport utility vehicles, a small tour bus, and even a motor home had been by, too. And just lately, a couple of passenger cars and two motorcycles.

A guy came along on a bicycle, and disappeared over the embankment down toward the picnic tables. That was it! The Most High Exalted Dingo of the Arctic Sisterhood was on her way. Going N, too, not S!

It was slow going, but the Dempster Highway wasn’t nearly as muddy as SPHP had feared, as long as one stayed away from the shoulders. The road was rough, though, and full of potholes, each an abyss of unknown depth. The G6 crept along enduring one jarring jolt and drenching spray of dirty water after another, but Lupe was on move again.

There were places where the road was much smoother, pothole free, but they didn’t last long. Amazingly, only 10 minutes from the Arctic Circle, SPHP drove out of the rain. The windshield wipers had to be kept on to sweep away the filthy water still spraying up from the road. However, the fog had lifted a little, and it was possible to see.

Hills were ahead. Lupe was getting closer to the Richardson Mountains. The land was changing. What could be seen below the cloud cover was increasingly beautiful.

Loop out on a nice smooth stretch of highway after SPHP drove out of the rain.

**Foothills of the Richardson Mountains** are ahead. The highway stayed W of them.

The land became more beautiful as Lupe continued N.

12:38 PM, km 445.8 at the Rock River campground – After following a rip-roaring creek down to a low forested area, Lupe reached the Rock River campground at a bend in the Dempster Highway. As SPHP read the map, the campground was not actually on the Rock River, but on White Fox Creek, a major tributary.

It had taken an hour to drive 40 km (25 miles) to get here from the Arctic Circle. The campground, though open, was deserted. Time for lunch, and this appeared to be a great spot for a break from the rough ride N. While SPHP prepared a meal, Loopster made a thrilling discovery. This Arctic forest was full of squirrels!

So, Rock River campground became an instant hit. After lunch, Lupe and SPHP took a stroll around the entire campground loop. Like all the other streams that had been seen from the highway on the drive here, White Fox Creek was full bank to bank, practically at flood stage.

Lupe was more interested in sniffing eagerly from one promising tree to the next. To her everlasting delight, she frequently found a bundle of joy chattering away high above her. For a deserted campground, between the American Dingo and the squirrels, Rock River was a noisy place.

Relaxing at Rock River campground shortly before striking it rich with squirrels.

**White Fox Creek** was running high, full bank to bank.

2:19 PM, 48°F – No doubt the Carolina Dog would have preferred to stay at the Rock River campground a while longer to stake her claim in the great 2018 Yukon Squirrel Rush. And perhaps that would have been the better choice, but Lupe’s journey N continued.

Even before reaching the Rock River campground, the highway had been heading N along the W flank of the Richardson Mountains. Sadly, the mountains were completely lost in the clouds. Loopster had already gone by Mount Hare (4,070 ft.) without even seeing it.

Climbing out of the White Fox Creek valley, the Dempster Highway came to a high, rolling prairie. Large hills and ridges were to the NW, the still unseen Richardson Mountains to the E. This was a gorgeous area!

N of the Rock Creek campground, the Dempster Highway led to a gorgeous rolling prairie with big hills and ridges to the NW. Photo looks NNW.

The Richardson Mountains lie hidden to the R (E) of the highway. Photo looks NE.

Lupe had a few peakbagging candidates in the Richardson Mountains along in here, but none were worth an attempt given the weather. No point in putting out any big effort just to see nothing, and risk getting lost in the fog. Maybe the weather would be better on the return trip? Lupe could do her peakbagging then, SPHP reasoned.

A typical stretch of the Dempster Highway W of the Richardson Mountains.

Onward! The Dempster Highway started curving NE and climbing. Up, up! Views of the beautiful highlands became more spectacular, faded to gray, then vanished. The road wound ever higher past hillsides torn up during recent road construction. The highway leveled out. A parking lot appeared on the S side of the road. SPHP stopped.

3:11 PM, km 465.0 – Outside the G6, dense fog raced by driven onward by a 40 mph gale roaring out of the W. An uninviting, unforgiving world. This was it! Wright Pass (3,133 ft.), end of the Yukon Territory!

Incredibly, E of Wright Pass was an even more remote and mysterious land. A land neither Lupe nor SPHP had ever seen, or even been close to, before. Abandoning the G6, buffeted by the chill wind, together Loop and SPHP walked to the edge of the unknown to experience, for the first time, the Northwest Territories.

When she got there, the Most High Exalted Dingo of the Arctic Sisterhood couldn’t see a thing.

At **Wright Pass**, border of the Yukon Territory and Northwest Territories, Canada 8-18-18

Links:

Next Adventure Prior Adventure

The Dempster Highway Travelogue Guide

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The Ogilvie River & Churchward Hill, Yukon Territory, Canada (8-17-18)

Part 1 of Day 14 of Lupe’s 2018 Dingo Vacation to the Yukon, Northwest Territories & Alaska!

5:15 AM, Windy Pass summit, Dempster Highway km 152.8 – Enthused on the way back from Lupe’s grand success at Windy Pass Peak, Distincta Peak, and Peak 5906 yesterday, SPHP mentally had the American Dingo going from one peakbagging success to the next all the way up the Dempster Highway to Mount Sittichinli.

Silly delusions! As evening faded, clouds had swept over the entire sky. The wind picked up, and blew all night. This was Windy Pass, after all. Now dark clouds draped over the mountains looked like rain. Before long, it was raining. Felt like it could rain forever.

7:14 AM, 42°F – Surprisingly, on the drive N from Windy Pass, the steady rain quickly dwindled to a mere mist, though the sky remained heavily overcast. At km 166, an unusually colored stream appeared to the R (E) of the Dempster Highway. Light green to tan waters flowed over a bed of charcoal or rust-colored rocks. The overall effect was striking! SPHP stopped to let Lupe take a closer look.

Strikingly colored **Engineer Creek** at km 166 of the Dempster Highway.

A few km farther, a sign said “Red Creek”. However, Red Creek was only a tributary of the colorful stream, which SPHP finally determined was actually Engineer Creek. In any case, Engineer Creek remained visible along the Dempster Highway for a considerable distance, growing rapidly as tributaries contributed their rain-swollen flows.

7:32 AM – At km 179, Lupe and SPHP got out for another look.

Km 179. **Engineer Creek** was already a much larger stream.

The Dempster Highway follows **Engineer Creek** all the way down to its confluence with the Ogilvie River, although it’s not always visible from the road like this.

7:49 AM, 45°, km 190 – The Dempster Highway eventually angled NNW away from Engineer Creek. Dead ahead, Sapper Hill (3,019 ft.) was now in view. SPHP had expected Sapper Hill might be an easy peakbagging objective for Lupe. Instead, Sapper Hill was steep and capped by a long, ragged ridgeline. The rock formations looked so formidable, a technical rock climb might be required to reach the true summit.

Approaching **Sapper Hill**. Photo looks NNW.

Sapper Hill was surprisingly rocky and steep!

8:22 AM, 45°F, km 195.5 – A nearly deserted campground was hidden in the forest at the base of Sapper Hill. Not far beyond it, Lupe arrived at a bridge over the Ogilvie River. The bridge went right over the confluence with Engineer Creek.

The Ogilvie River was a blue, green, gray color, and much clearer than Engineer Creek. Immediately downstream of the bridge, the newly combined flows hadn’t had a chance to mix yet, and the tan silt-laden waters contributed by Engineer Creek could be seen hugging the E bank.

Sapper Hill was still in sight. Around a bend in the Dempster Highway, Mount Jeckell (4,725 ft.), another peak SPHP had hoped Lupe might have a shot at climbing, could be seen, too. However, Mount Jeckell was a much more formidable undertaking. The gloomy sky and intermittent light rain didn’t make tackling either one seem like such a hot idea.

By the **Ogilvie River** just upstream of the Dempster Highway bridge where Engineer Creek joins in. Photo looks SSW.

The Dempster Highway bridge over the **Ogilvie River**. The tan waters of **Engineer Creek** join in from the R. **Sapper Hill** is in view beyond the bridge. Photo looks E.

Looking downstream (NNE) from the bridge.

Conditions weren’t right. Lupe and SPHP continued N. The Carolina Dog would soon get to the last peak in this vicinity that SPHP had researched before she left home on this Dingo Vacation.

9:05 AM, about km 120 – SPHP parked the G6 at a pullout near the rapidly expanding Ogilvie River. Lupe’s last peakbagging candidate for a very long way was now in view. Churchward Hill (2,871 ft.) appeared less daunting than Sapper Hill or Mount Jeckell had been, and if forest didn’t interfere, views of the Ogilvie River from the summit ought to be superb. Maybe it would be worth waiting around to see if the weather might improve a bit?

**Churchward Hill** from the **Ogilvie River**. Photo looks N.

Looking upstream along the **Ogilvie River** from the same pullout. Photo looks S.

10:19 AM, 50°F about km 224.5 – There hadn’t been any decent place to park closer to Churchward Hill, so SPHP had simply pulled over as far to the R (E) along the Dempster Highway as possible. An hour had been diddled away eating an early lunch and getting ready while waiting to see what the weather was going to do. Apparently not much. No rain had fallen while Lupe had been here. Just an overcast, breezy, cool day.

Far from ideal, but good enough to take a crack at it. Starting from a point only a little SE of the mountain, Lupe crossed the highway, went down into the ditch, and started up a steep slope.

Loop about to set out for **Churchward Hill**. Photo looks NW.

The usual thick, spongy tundra of the N was underpaw. Nice and soft, but laborious to move through. The topo map showed that heading W along the lower S slopes of the mountain ultimately ought to lead to a longer, but easier route up from the SW than a direct ascent up the S face would be.

That was SPHP’s intent. The terrain never completely leveled out, but once Lupe was up the first steep embankment, the going did get easier. Loop and SPHP turned W, while still gradually gaining some elevation. So far, so good. Everything seemed to be going according to plan.

*We’re off to a good start! We’ll turn L (W) here, and look for the easiest way up*. Photo looks NW.

*Not so bad along in here, is it?* Photo looks N.

Gaining elevation at a moderate pace on the way W seemed like a good idea, but it wasn’t. Shouldn’t have gained much at all! Worked for a while, but the higher Lupe got, the steeper the terrain became. Soon SPHP was finding it difficult to make much progress toward the W. The slope was too steep. Going almost directly up the mountain was easier than making a traverse.

Up and up! Sooner or later, Lupe was going to reach the rock formations near the top of Churchward Hill. Hopefully, the Carolina Dog was far enough W to avoid getting topped out below insurmountable cliffs.

Loop was not amused by this turn of events. The were-puppy appeared, attacked SPHP several times, and delivered a stern, shrill message.

I thought we were going W! What are we doing here? Are you out of your mind, SPHP?

The were-puppy voices considerable displeasure at SPHP’s foolish deviation from the original plan of attack.

The top of Churchward Hill was more than 1,100 feet higher than where Lupe had left the G6 down at the Dempster Highway. The climb nearly got so steep that SPHP wasn’t going to be able to make it, if the incline got any worse, but by the time the first rock formations appeared, the news was good!

Lupe wasn’t stuck at the bottom of a continuous line of cliffs. She could go between the rock outcroppings. Furthermore, the climb already was no longer quite as steep. Only a short distance above the first rocks, the situation improved greatly. The slope was rapidly decreasing. Gonna make it!

Within minutes, the American Dingo was up on top. Everything was easy now, surprisingly easy. Although the entire climb had been through forest, the top of Churchward Hill was mostly open ground. With few trees and little in the way of spongy tundra up here, it was easy to move around, and the views were going to be great!

Two high points of nearly the same elevation were separated by several hundred feet. Lupe had come up quite close to the E high point, which was where the great views of the Ogilvie River ought to be, so she went over there first. A tripod stood next to a circular cairn built around a survey marker. Nearby, a sign about the survey marker stood facing SE toward a cliff. Weird! If the sign had been any closer to the cliff, no one could have read it without risking an unduly speedy descent.

Lupe reaches the **E summit of Churchward Hill**. The **W summit** is directly beyond her.

This survey marker was enclosed by a circular cairn.

Too bad it wasn’t a prettier day! The views would have been stunning! Lupe cringed at the viewpoint along the E edge of the mountain in an unpleasantly cold 20 mph S wind. The dull, gray sky did nothing for the mood, nor for the scenes on display. Yet even under these conditions, the Ogilvie River from on high was an impressive sight.

The **Ogilvie River** from **Churchward Hill**. Photo looks S.

Rapids in the **Ogilvie River**. Photo looks S with help from the telephoto lens.

Accompanied by the Dempster Highway, the **Ogilvie River** flows off to the N. Photo looks NNE.

Another look with help from the telephoto lens. The big ridge in the distance is the start of the **Eagle Plain plateau**.

Churchward Hill’s commanding views of long stretches of the Ogilvie River were the main scenic highlight, but not the only one. Beautiful mountains could be seen in most directions, the highest being off to the S. Many peaks E of the river looked like fun, relatively easy climbs, if Lupe had a way to get over to them, but she didn’t.

Peaks E of the Ogilvy River looked like fun climbs, but lacked access. Photo looks E with help from the telephoto lens.

Looking SW with help from the telephoto lens.

Much of **Churchward Hill’s summit area**. Photo looks W.

**Ogilvie River** from **Churchward Hill**. Photo looks S.

Although in the upper 40’s °F, the S wind sweeping over Churchward Hill felt cold and damp. Lupe and SPHP retreated a little down the N slope to escape the worst of the breeze, then sat together enjoying the views. The Ogilvie River flowed N toward a long ridge in the distance. This ridge was the start of the 1,000 foot high Eagle Plain plateau.

Loopster under a jacket taking shelter from the S wind. Photo looks N.

If it had been a little nicer out, it would have been fun to stay longer. As it was, at least Lupe had gotten to visit Churchward Hill (2,871 ft.). Half an hour on the forlorn, windswept summit beneath the somber sky, and the American Dingo was ready to move on.

Before leaving, Loopster visited the W summit, too. Though less of the Ogilvie River could be seen from here, looking back toward the E from a little wall of rock at the highest point, it did seem like this W end might well be the true summit of Churchward Hill.

**Ogilvie River** from **Churchward Hill’s W high point**. Photo looks S.

Lupe up on the W high point. SPHP was of the opinion that this was actually the **true summit of Churchward Hill**. However, the views of the Ogilvie River were better from the E high point, which, if not equally high, was only slightly lower. Photo looks WSW.

Looking back toward the E high point where the cairn is (R).

On the return, Lupe took a different route. Instead of heading nearly straight down the S slope the way she’d come up, she explored the route that SPHP had originally intended to take during the ascent.

This really was a better, though considerably longer, way to go. Lupe left the summit continuing W along a mostly open ridge that provided a much more gradual rate of descent. This ridge was capped by a broken line of limestone formations. The rockier terrain made for easy travel.

Lupe up on one of the bigger limestone formations on the way down the W ridge. Photo looks SW.

View to the W with help from the telephoto lens.

At the far W end, the ridge ended abruptly, dropping off sharply from a final massive rock.

*Oh, this is a better way, isn’t it? I’m glad we came this way, but we’re almost to the end of the ridge now. That last big rock on the R is it.*

From the W end of the ridge, Lupe still had considerable elevation left to lose. She headed SE down into the forest, and was soon back on deep, spongy tundra. Didn’t seem as bad going downhill, though. Turning gradually E, Loop actually had a lot of fun exploring the boreal forest.

The Carolina Dog got to roam a lot farther on the way back than she had on the way up, but eventually the final steep embankment leading down to the Dempster Highway appeared.

1:20 PM, 53°F, km 124.5 – It was still early afternoon when Lupe reached the G6. Churchward Hill had been a success, and had probably been the best possible choice that could have been made on this gray day. Plenty of time to do more, though! From up on Churchward Hill, off to the N Loop had seen the long ridge of the vast Eagle Plain plateau. Beyond the plateau was the Eagle River, and beyond that …

SPHP fired up the G6. The Dempster Highway curved a little passing through a narrow spot between the cliffs of Churchward Hill and the Ogilvie River. The road then headed N. By nightfall, for the first time in nearly a year, the Most High Exalted Dingo of the Arctic Sisterhood would return to the true Arctic.

Links:

Next Adventure Prior Adventure

The Dempster Highway Travelogue Guide