Way up north
12/07/16 04:34
Despite a busy week with Vacation Bible School, things are relatively calm here in Rapid City. That isn’t quite the whole story, with a drowning in Pactola Reservoir, a suicide in the hills and several other things that are keeping law enforcement and rescue personnel busy. But in many ways this week seems like about our usual. Our community is large and complex enough that there are always tragedies and problems. But nothing too out of the ordinary is going on unless you happen to be a relative of one of the people involved in the tragedies that have taken place.
Part of my attention, however has been focused on the adventures of our friends. For many years, I have dreamed of following the Dempster Highway to Inuvik. I think it would be a grand adventure to take the 450-mile gravel road that extends the farthest north of any road in Canada. Up above the Arctic Circle, alongside the Mackenzie River, the town of about 3,500 doesn’t have much for tourist services and is nearly as far off of the beaten path as one can go. This summer, we have friends who have made the trip all the way up there. Their plan was to stay in Eagle Plains, about half way up the Dempster then make the run to Inuvik for one night and return to Eagle Plains. Things were a bit sketchy however, last week. On Monday of last week the Dempster Highway ferry crossing at Fort McPherson was closed briefly. Then it reopened on Tuesday and our friends made it up there.
On Thursday, however, with the Peel River in flood, the ferry was closed again and it still has not reopened. The traffic on both sides of the river is backing up as crews scramble to repair the landings on both sides of the river. Among the vehicles waiting to cross on the southern side of the river are a couple of truck loads of freight, including groceries.
I understand that our friends are playing a lot of hands of cards as there really isn’t much social life in Inuvik at the moment. And the days are long, with the warmest part of the day coming around 8 pm. And the mosquitoes are really big and really hungry.
Oh, and to add to the situation, there have been several mudslides in the area and one took out a cell phone tower, so cellphone service is down.
Our friends’ grandson is getting the adventure of a lifetime. I’m thinking he’ll have a few stories to tell when he gets back to school in the fall.
The ferry being down for several days is not out of the ordinary for the people who live in Inuvik. The ferry generally funds from June to October. Most years there is an ice road from about December until late March.
Probably our friends are also spending some of their extra time while they are waiting revising their plans for the rest of their trip to Alaska. Each day that passes means one less day for touring and traveling in Alaska and the trip back to South Dakota.
I still dream of making the trip. I’m pretty sure that I need to do so when I have some flexibility to my time.
According to the Canadian Broadcasting Company, resident Robert Alexie Sr. of Fort McPherson says that the little hamlet is busier than usual. “I keep telling themn, you’re a resident of McPherson now,” he said. “Welcome to the Arctic.”
Our sense of time doesn’t always line up with the ways of nature. Folks who live in places like Fort McPherson and Inuvik have had to learn to adapt to things like the ferry being out and food supplies from lower regions being delayed. The grocery store occasionally runs out of bread and milk and other items.And now they have a group of tourists who also are competing for short supplies. After all there is no cafe in Inuvik. It isn’t a place that is used to taking in a lot of guests.
It isn’t that my life is dull by comparison. I seem to have a lot of things to do to keep me busy. I’m responsible for part of the program of Vacation Bible School. I have regular meetings to which I need to attend. I have a family gathering this weekend for the wedding of a granddaughter of a cousin. There are the usual chores at home and in the yard. It continues to be very dry here, so the garden needs to be watered regularly. And I have the usual concerns of a congregation with its share of normal illnesses and problems.
I don’t think I want to switch places with our friends. I have no need to be stranded on the other side of the river with the ferry out. Still their dilemma does hold some fascination for me. I am delighted with their sense of adventure and their willingness to go to considerable effort to experience things that many people would never consider trying. I like the idea that 450 miles (one way) of gravel road isn’t a barrier to them. And I know for a fact that their grandson is on a once-in-a-lifetime trip that he will remember for the rest of his life.
The good news is that they are safe. Inuvik does have air service and food and freight can be flown in if necessary. Ferry service is likely to be restored soon and I’m pretty sure they’ll be on their way before long. And they will have great stories to tell.
And, while they have been waiting for the ferry, crews have repaired the places where the pavement has been torn up for installation of new water pipes around the corner from our home. The commute to and from church will be smoother now that the repair is completed. If there are a few potholes and rough spots and some uncompleted work alongside the road, we’ve got nothing to complain about. We’re not waiting for them to figure out how to get the ferry close enough to shore to drive on it.