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

[MinorRoadsKill]

OK, it's time to gather suggestions for a destination for the 5th Annual Arctic MINI Run. In a couple weeks, we'll have a poll. Please discuss.

Suggestions from previous years:

Return to Radisson (James Bay Road, Great Northern Road)

Hudson Bay West via Train/Ice Road

Great Lakes Circle Tour

Gaspe Peninsula Loop

[NHRef]

The title says it all . . . Tour du Nord V - time for a Fifth Reunion!



I'm up for a Return to Radisson!

[LePew]

IN.

Prefer a fifth anniversary "Return to Raddison". Since I never saw it in daylight, it would be a first trip to Radisson for me. "Hudson Bay West" is also intriguing. Will "North Bay" and the "ice road" be accessible in February?

But all destinations are worthy!

[blalor]

These routes look fantastic; I'm going to take some time and read through them all before voting. I'm definitely IN, tho. I've set aside some vacation time from this year and (provided I still have a job in February) I'm psyched about doing this trip!

[DUCTTAPE]

All of these spots look superb!

But, before I start, I have to say I might not be able to make it: I missed 2007 because I sailed to Antarctica David & Josh's Excellent Adventure: Sailing to Antarctica

and I might miss this year because I am trying to hitch a ride to Svalbard to dog sled to the Noorderlicht, which ices in a fjord for the winter:

B U T... if I can't make it, I would be up for something wild and wooly. I think the ice road looks grand. I've been to Upper Peninsula, but in summer. It was drop dead gorgeous then.

Ross, AZ, a temp move, or have you gone to the Dark Side?

Oh, I sold DUCTTAPE II. I'm now on DUCTTAPE III, a 2008 Clubman S.

David

[blalor]

Quote: Originally Posted by DUCTTAPE (original)

Oh, I sold DUCTTAPE II. I'm now on DUCTTAPE III, a 2008 Clubman S.

Uh, oh. That's gonna be *much* more difficult to flip back over (*ducks*)

[geowit]

Quote: Originally Posted by LePew (original)

IN.

Prefer a fifth anniversary "Return to Raddison". Since I never saw it in daylight, it would be a first trip to Radisson for me. "Hudson Bay West" is also intriguing. Will "North Bay" and the "ice road" be accessible in February?

But all destinations are worthy!

Ditto. Oops, I've haven't been there yet but I'm game!

[olYeller]

Radisson would be great OR points beyond if there are any roads open past that point.

i'd be up for driving on ice too!

[NoNo]

Bring it on.

[blalor]

Quote: Originally Posted by NoNo (original)

Bring it on.

Oh, in that case, I'm OUT.

[blalor]

Do we yet qualify as a large enough group to do a group-buy on snow tires? I'm thinking I should probably pull the trigger on a set of Nokians for Scrat, and Mater needs new winter boots, too. Ugh.

[blalor]

Oh, and has anyone rented a satellite phone in years past? I found a couple places online that do rentals, about $40 for a week, provided you don't make any calls. Thought that might come in handy in an emergency. I know cell phones won't work up there..

[LePew]

I rented a crappy old globalstar SAT phone on the cheap for the Labrador trip. It didn't work up there. I think Blaine had one -- Iridium maybe? -- that one DID work.....

[blalor]

Yeah, from what I've seen, Globalstar bad, Iridium good, relatively speaking, at least. If I remember correctly, Globalstar uses geostationary satellites, so their coverage is fairly fixed. Iridium's satellites are not geostationary, so one will eventually come into range.

[olYeller]

Yep,
Chuck borrowed one from a friend for the week. We just had to pay air time.

I have a feeling it was a globalstar too but may have been iridium.
we had pretty good signals outside the car.

I'm sure we can get it again for the week