Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine Spring 2017 | Page 23

SPRING SUMMER
2017
CANADA
NT 1870
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
GREAT WHITE
NORTHWEST
BY JESS WATT
As parts of the world rush to close their doors, the
small village of Tuktoyaktuk is going in the opposite
direction. Once only accessible by plane or along a
seasonal ice road, this small village (population:
996) in the Northwest Territories will later this year
mark the opening of an all-season overland highway.
Meaning, the ultimate Canadian road trip just got
138 km longer.
As Team Offtrax, a two-woman adventure crew, we
explored this remote area, leading Subaru Canada’s
Arctic Challenge in the so-called warmer months in
2015. Being August and all, running into the Arctic
Ocean was more like taking the annual polar bear
dip in January — the water is freezing! But with one
less ocean scratched off our bucket list, it was so
worth it.
What was even more rewarding was speaking with
locals and exploring the small settlement during our
trip. At the time, there were no cafés to duck into and
warm up, something that would’ve been appreciated
after a refreshing dip. Instead, it was the local RCMP
branch that took us in and described what it was
like to live here.
The remoteness of Tuktoyaktuk merely adds to its
beauty, but the location has its challenges. Milk, eggs
and vegetables have to be flown in and expired foods
are still sold (at a discount, of course). The reason
being, the idea of wasting anything is unheard of
here; your neighbour’s yard is full of antlers from
past hunting trips.
As life becomes “more convenient” and the same
from day to day, maybe you should take that road
trip north, way north, and experience something
spectacular. There are no excuses now — every road
must be driven, especially such a historical road.
six star magazine 21
JESS
Jess Watt and Corinne Copreni are the driving forces behind
Team Offtrax, the all-women, all-adventure duo that recently
explored the Arctic in a Subaru Crosstrek. Their adventures
in the Mongolian Charity Rally, also in a Crosstrek, formed the
cover story for the Spring 2015 issue of Six Star.