Feb 2009 - Tour du Nord V: this time, it's personal

[squid]

Things I am thankful for: great expeditions with fine company; reliving expeditions on flickr; my snorkel parka; heated seats. Hopefully Sirius will avoid bankruptcy and demise.

[DUCTTAPE]

FYI, 1609 to 2009, 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's voyage to New York

[MinorRoadsKill]

It just occurred to me that since DUCTTAPE has sold his once-flipped MINI, I may be the only one able to bring a piece of it this year back to Radisson or wherever else we go - I still have a chunk of DUCTTAPE's front bumper lying beside my garage (probably under a lot of snow right now, too).

Maybe I should bronze and mount it for a trophy, to be chauffeured each year by the MINI doing the longest Arctic Run.

If we had more than one award, could we call them 'the flippies'?

[blalor]

Hope we won't need our own tree of shame!

[olYeller]

Good to see you on here squid! You gonna make the trek this year?? I think we may need a 4wd safety vehicle if you still have the WRX. Hope all is well in NY. Did you go to Radisson the first time around?
Blaine

[squid]

Quote: Originally Posted by olYeller (original)

Good to see you on here squid! You gonna make the trek this year?? I think we may need a 4wd safety vehicle if you still have the WRX. Hope all is well in NY. Did you go to Radisson the first time around?
Blaine

I still have the WRX / STi, yes.
The first Radisson trip I took my (now sold) MINI and Uptick brought the safety chase X3.

[NoNo]

Ah yes, the X3, the only vehicle whose engine froze

I was able to get a signal with my Sprint phone in Matagami. Perhaps 5 years on the coverage has expanded even further north. I was also able to call from Happy Valley/Goose Bay, and from the deck of the Smallwood.

[MinorRoadsKill]

Quote: Originally Posted by NoNo (original)

I was able to get a signal with my Sprint phone in Matagami. Perhaps 5 years on the coverage has expanded even further north. I was also able to call from Happy Valley/Goose Bay, and from the deck of the Smallwood.

No new towns have sprouted up north of Matagami, it's still a remote 600km stretch with only one stop. So no new cell towers for you.

MinorRoadsKill

[NoNo]

Do you know that for a fact? Anyway, my main point was that I still received a signal on all of our trips well beyond where I thought I would. Besides, the James Bay Rd has emergency phones every 100km

[MinorRoadsKill]

Quote: Originally Posted by NoNo (original)

Do you know that for a fact?

Yes.

Quote: Originally Posted by NoNo (original)

Besides, the James Bay Rd has emergency phones every 100km

True, but they don't expand the range of your cell phone. But who knows, maybe they offer WiFi at the phone sites now!

[MinorRoadsKill]

I've looked into the train for the Hudson Bay West / Moosonee trip, and have some updated info.

The mixed 3-times a week freight-passenger train has been replaced by a Monday to Friday passenger train and a 2-times a week freight train. However, they will still put cars on the passenger train. Normally, up to 5 cars, but apparently more possibly, if we ask really nicely. In any case, more cars can go on the freight train, but it's inconvenient, since it would mean a delay on the return leg.

The upshot of the train changes is that it makes it possible to cut a day off the trip, which is helpful.

So if we choose Hudson Bay West, the schedule would be:

Thursday: Drive to Cochrane, ON. 15 hours from NYC/Boston, 8 from Ottawa. Those who decide to do it over 2 days are invited to stay at my house in Ottawa Wednesday night (we have lots of room). Overnight in Cochrane Thursday Night.

Friday: morning train to Moosonee, afternoon activity: tool around Moosonee/Moose Factory

Saturday/Sunday: activity days. Also possible is an overnight trip further north, up the ice road to Attawapiskat, also located on James Bay. Tour the Victor Diamond Mine.

Monday afternoon: train trip south to Cochrane. Overnight in Cochrane.

Tuesday: return home.

The train cost is still around C$120/car/direction, so assuming double occupancy of cars, it's US$100/person round trip for the car (and about US$75 as a passenger)..

[MinorRoadsKill]

The schedule for a Return to Radisson, assuming we take the Great North Road one way, would be as follows:

Thursday: Trois-Riviere or Drummondville, QC (7-8 hours from Boston and NYC)
Friday: Chibougamau, QC (start of the Great Northern Road) (7.5 hours)
Saturday: Radisson, QC, via Great Northern Road, and James Bay Road, 9 hours.
Sunday: Activity Day
Monday: James Bay Road to Matagami, overnight somewhere south of Matagami (e.g. Val d'Or)
Tuesday: Val D'Or to home (15 hours).

If you're Roman, of course, you just drive all day Friday to Chibougamau (pronounced Shi-boo-ga-moo).

MinorRoadsKill

[DUCTTAPE]

Quote: Originally Posted by NoNo (original)

Do you know that for a fact? Anyway, my main point was that I still received a signal on all of our trips well beyond where I thought I would. Besides, the James Bay Rd has emergency phones every 100km

Yes, and as i found out, the secret is not to need one 50 km past (or before) one of those phones

[MinorRoadsKill]

The new poll attached to this thread has only 2 options, both of which take us back to Hudson Bay for our 5th annual trip.

There are less options this year because only these 2 trips got any specific interest. They are the same length, 6 days, 5 nights.

Go and Vote!


Ross

[DUCTTAPE]

I want to go to Moose's Ass, or Jaw, or whatever it is called.