All in all it was a hell of a trip! It was pretty cool to see the different cultures. The people in these harsh, unforgiving areas take care of and help each other. They are wonderful people.”

Mike Eslinger

Mike Eslinger, age 26, of Boyd, recently took a motorcycle trip—but not just any trip. Mike rode 8,500 miles on his KTM1190 Adventure motorcycle, an Austrian adventure touring motorcycle, to the Arctic Ocean.
The idea for the trip came about three years ago when Mike was listening to a podcast of other riders who had taken the trip. They talked about a little Inuvialuit community called Tuktoyaktuk (Tuk for short) on the Arctic Ocean in the Northwest Territory that connects to the rest of Canada by a 140 km road (about 87 miles), and it sparked his interest. So, about a year ago Mike began mapping out his own trip. He asked a few others if they’d like to go along and although there was interest, no one was quite ready to hit the road.
On June 22, 2024, amidst a rainstorm, Mike loaded up his motorcycle and headed West. His outgoing 5,000 mile route took him through Minnesota, South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana, taking in some beautiful scenery in the National Parks, mountain ranges and the countryside. From here he headed into Alberta Canada and continued through British Columbia, Yukon and the Northwest Territories. Heading North on July 1, he was in Dawson City in the Yukon and heard a forecast of snow coming within a couple days. He made the decision to ride the 575 miles (about a 14-hour ride) from Dawson City to Tuk, arriving at the Arctic Ocean on July 2 around 10 p.m. It was rainy and windy and 40 degrees, but not snowing yet! He set up camp right on the edge of the Arctic Ocean. He had made it! Since there are 24 hours of daylight at the Arctic Ocean this time of year, he had a great view of the Ocean, even at 10 o’clock at night. Because of the snow predicted the next day, he decided he better not stick around so he got up the next morning and started back south. He said due to all the daylight, you feel more energized and don’t feel like you need to sleep as much.
Mike’s trek took him on the Dempster Highway which is Canada’s most northern highway, and is the only highway in Canada that crosses the Arctic Circle and goes right to the edge of the Arctic Ocean. It spans 900 kilometers (about 560 miles) from the Klondike Highway near Dawson City (in the Yukon) to Tuktoyaktuk. And minus a small stretch near the town of Inuvik, it’s unpaved, meaning gravel and sometimes pretty poor gravel to ride on. According to Mike, there aren’t a lot of gas stations in that remote area, so you have to plan your stops carefully. At one point there were 225 miles between gas stations and his motorcycle doesn’t go that far on a full tank, so he had to carry gas with him. He said the highest price for gas he saw was $8 per gallon.
Mike stated there is a lot of wilderness and mountain ranges in Canada, especially in the Yukon and Northwest Territories. He saw quite a few black bear, caribou and other wildlife. He did run into a few other adventure tourists, many retired folks, taking the trip. This area of North America is very remote, with little human population. About half his days riding was in the rain, and it got pretty chilly some nights. In Canada, the high temperatures hovered in the mid 50’s, with some nights getting down to the mid 30’s. Traveling by motorcycle means you travel light. Mike said he packed a tent, sleeping pad and a pillow, and a change of clothes into his saddlebags and camped out every night, either in a campground or sometimes alongside the road. He also packed a small camp stove and took along freeze-dried foods and had a few nights eating ramen noodles. He’d try to eat at a restaurant when he could find one. Since there isn’t much cell service in the Yukon and Northwest Territory, he had taken along a GPS communicator that he could hook to his phone. This way he could text his location to family and friends back in Wisconsin.
Overall, the trip went well with no big issues. He did say the bugs, especially mosquitoes, are huge and ruthless. You couldn’t have exposed skin for long before the hungry bugs bit into you. As he headed North, about a 50 to 60 km (about 35 mile) section of road had been closed due to wildfires between Whitehorse and Dawson City in the Yukon. Fortunately, this re-opened just before he got that far. After he got to the Arctic Ocean, he realized the drive train on his motorcycle had worn out. He limped his bike back to the village of Inuvik and had a chain flown in from Edmonton Alberta Canada. Mike said the people, especially those in the Arctic Circle, are the most outgoing and friendly that he’s ever run across. He met a guy named Raymond who offered Mike the use of his shop and tools to fix his motorcycle. He also mentioned to Mike that the North ferry was out of service for a few days. There are two ferries, North and South, that take travelers across the Mackenzie River. With the North ferry shut down (which travels from the North to the South) Mike was looking at a 2-to-3-day delay. Raymond mentioned a friend who had a fishing boat that could get him across the river. A call was made, and arrangements were made to get Mike and his motorcycle on their way. Another example of the kindness of the locals, a ferry worker had been visiting with Mike and invited him back to his home for a steak dinner while he was waiting. Unfortunately, the fishing boat showed up and Mike had to leave before he could sample the local fare.
His trip home took a slightly, more direct route, riding some 3,500 miles. He was getting ready to see Wisconsin again. The weather improved and even got quite hot. He arrived home on July 13.
“All in all it was a hell of a trip! It was pretty cool to see the different cultures. The people in these harsh, unforgiving areas take care of and help each other. They are wonderful people”.
As for another trip to the Arctic Ocean? Mike thinks maybe in a few years, but only with a travel buddy. So, if this peaks your interest, reach out to Mike for a possible ride of a lifetime.