The arctic through which this very special tour ventures, is an environment unlike any other in beauty and remoteness. The demanding reality of these latititudes promises natural and cultural experiences without parallel, and we ask that you keep in mind the unique factors that determine life here, should things possibly deviate from the best laid plans.
Flexibility is the watchword and adventure the reward.
We'll immediately set our compass on North, leaving town on the Elliot Highway towards the old mining settlement of Livengood. Descending from the White Mountains we arrive at the mighty Yukon River sweeping southwestward, just in time for lunch. The vegetation now begins to directly reflect the latitude, the trees looking more like shrubs in the valleys, and the tops of the rounded hills we cross covered only by arctic tundra a few inches high. Traversing the Kokrine Hills, we'll make our first of six crossings of the Arctic Circle, meriting of course a stop and a bit of background. The road this morning continues to snake northward, climbing the south face of the imposing Brooks Range with the Gates of the Arctic National Park just to the west.