War of 1812

I have been on a virtual walk since 1 March 2004 when I left St. John's NFLD. I am about 70 K's short of Inuvik, NWT on the Demster Hwy.
So I am taking two new walkers under my 'wing' as we walk towards the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, 18 June 1812. First will be 'Walking with Joseph' He is my gr gr grandfather, Joseph Stanzel, who according to the family story was in Napoleon's army before coming to Canada. He will be walking around Europe and his adventures will be posted in December, February and April. Second will be 'Walking with Andrew'. He is Sgt. Andrew Spearman of the 100th Regiment [99th Reg't after Feb 1816] and will be walking with his Regiment during their stay in Canada. His adventures will be posted in January, March and May.
All posts will be on/near 18th of each month
Joseph's posts will cover the years 1806 ,the year it is estimated that he was conscripted into Napoleon's Army, until 1812.
Andrew's posts will cover the years 1805, the year his regiment had its traumatic voyage to Canada, until 1812. Each post will be in 2 year 'steps'
Posts for both during the years 1812-1814 will cover events in both theatres as we walk thru the calender
There may be posts about the first of each month dealing with points of interest about the war

Walking around Canada

Since leaving Ft. McPherson on 3rd of Sept I have been walking in slow gear. Reached the MacKenzie River crossing on 9 Oct. a distance of 56K's . From the river it is 120 K's to the Inuvik Airport where we find pavement. What a change but due to a peculiarity of the area we have permafrost. The road was like riding in a boat on slightly rough seas. Only 10K's to Inuvik, the end of the road. When I arrive at Inuvik on my virtual walk I have to determine my next leg of my walk but I will be virtually flying somewhere.
I have just received a strange dispatch. I have been informed that there is an order to the Quartermaster for two pairs of Boots. My informant would not disclose the source of these orders but I suspect that someone or sometwo are to start walking?? I wonder if it has to do with the date on the calender. 'Walking with Jim' may have company?

Walking Around Canada

To-day is 29 Sept 2011 and I have been negligent about posting my virtual walk. Since crossing into the North West territories [18 July] I travelled along the Dempster Hwy, all gravel,reaching Midway Lake. There was a huge music fest underway.[44k] Next we crossed the Peel River [74k, 25 Aug] by cable ferry. B was driving and had a bumpy drive up onto the ferry. The river was higher than normal and they had to build up the ramp so it wasn't hard packed. 51K's back the road descended 853 meters out of the mountains. A spectacular view. On 3 Sept I reached Fort McPherson [86k]
In the real world B and I spent 2 weeks in Yellowknife with a trip into Little Doctor Lake, 1 to 6 Aug 2011, where we spent 6 days in a lodge on the lake with no one around. Closest civilation was Fort Simpson, a 40 minute flight away by float plane. On our way back to civilization we made a stop at Virginia Falls, a real spectacular sight [twice as high as Niagara Falls]. Word is that we have completed or sojourns into the [no appropriate adjective exists]northern parts of Canada

Walking Around Canada

Last Thurs 16 June 2011, I crossed the artic circle on my virtual walk heading for Inuvik, NWT.
I have been on this walk since 1 March 2004 in St. John's NFLD. When I reach Inuvik I will backtrack to Flat Falls and head west to Dawson City and loop thru Alaska back to Whitehorse.

Walking around Canada

On my walk around canada I reached Eagle Plains on 26 May which is about the halfway point on the Dempster Hwy to Inuvik. I was physically there in early august 2010. Expect to be at the article circle this week. The picture on my Facebook is of me at the sign indicating article circle
66 degrees and 33' 14/6/11

Walking Around Canada

Chapman lake, the largest on the trip is at 116.0K and at 120.3K we pass the northern boundry of Tombstone park. On 5 Dec 2010 we actually drive down a runway, at 124.4K- no parking or stopping allowed. There are two runways, used when they built the highway, now for emergencies. The Dempster now follows Engineer Creek down to the Ogilvie R. starting 168.3 to 237K, here on 29 Dec. On 14 Jan 2011 reached Engineer Creek Campground and Sapper Hill at 193.8K. If we ever go back we will use these campgrounds? At 195.0 K we cross Engineer Creek bridge and the Ogilvie R. watershed. William Ogilvie, after who all the 'Ogilvie' features are named, was a surveyor sent to the area to determine the 141st meridian, border between Yukon and Alaska in 1887. On 11 Feb at 237.0K we drive down an airstrip, no parking or stopping, that was used in construction of the highway. Now for emergencies.
On 17 Feb we start up Seven mile hill to reach the 300m high Eagle plain plateau
On 24 Feb we reach the Ogilvie-Peel viewpoint at 259.0K. Great view! these rivers flow into the Mackenzie basin. On the road to the richardson mts [9 mar 2011]

Walking Around Canada

On Saturday 27 Nov I reached 'Twp Moose Lake' on my virtual walk up the Dempster Hwy. At 71.5k we entered Tombstone park, where there is a very new, impressive Interpretive centre. This centre explains the cultural and natural history of the Park. Also near by is a Campground which is 1,034M ASL. By taking advantage of all the facilities here, one will be better able to make the most of your Dempster journey
Glaciation and Beringia. [Beringia is an ice free area [the most recent ice age started 3 million years ago and changes in climate caused sea levels to drop and the Bering Strait became a grassy plain] from Stewart Crossing, YK , across Alaska to what is now Siberia] The Dempster Hwy. passes mostly thru Beringia.
At 74Km we reach the Tombstone Range Viewpoint [a prominent peak 2,193M is 20Km in the distance. At 80Km we reach North Fork Pass summit 1,400M ASL which is the highast point on the Dempster. It is the first [of three] times we cross the continental divide, where rivers to the north flow into the Beaufort Sea via the Mackenzie River system, and rivers to the south are part of the Yukon River watershed that flows into the Bering Sea. As one drives northward, the landscape shows less and less evidence of glacial action.
At 90.5K we enter the Blackstone Uplands which stretch from North Fork pass to Chapman Lake and beyond. This area is the richest area on the Dempster for bird life.
At Km 102.6 we reach Two Moose Lake.[ On our trip back we actually saw two moose in the lake, a mother and her young one]