Canoil Trail Trip Planning

B-Red · October 30, 2016, 01:38 PM

I came accross this new YouTube movie about the trail. Still on my list to visit. The Canoil Hilton looks like a safe destination.

https://youtu.be/LH7s_HPVNXg

Trevor · October 30, 2016, 03:12 PM

It looks like that guy quite likes his biking adventures. Pretty impressive trip, and alone to boot.

binch · October 30, 2016, 09:26 PM

Wasn't it at the Titya (sp?) river where the last crew got stopped but unfordable conditions?

headdamage · October 30, 2016, 10:21 PM

The last rover group didn't quite make it to the river, apparently the valley sides became too steep and the old road was covered in rock slides or something like that.

binch · October 31, 2016, 05:16 AM

Yup....that sounds familiar.

camo388 · October 31, 2016, 01:30 PM

Still that would be a hell of an adventure getting as far as one could by Land Rover.
After that just unpack the bike and carry on to Norman Wells. ;) , no big deal judging from the bike riders trip. ::)

headdamage · October 31, 2016, 01:38 PM

There is quite a bit for pressure to turn it into a park but it is not likely to happen for at least a few years yet I hope. I intend to go hunting there next fall if I can swing it but it is just a far from Yellowknife as it is from Calgary if you can believe that.

Red90 · October 31, 2016, 01:42 PM

My 17 cents.... I'm not sure I see the point of this trip by truck unless you are happy with exploring the western end of the trail. It is not possible to drive the whole way. This was clear before any attempts were made. If you read the hiking guide, this is quite obvious.

camo388 · November 01, 2016, 12:40 PM

I for one, like to go exploring and see some of the history of places. I'd be happy to see what I could of the Canoil Trail then carry on through other parts of the Yukon. Faro, Carmacks then up to Dawson. After I've made my fortune digging for gold, ;D I could then maybe go farther north to Inuvik and possibly Tuktoyaktuk. I hear they are building an all weather road to Tuk. It use to be, driving to Tuk was in winter only by ice road on the Mackenzie River and the Beaufort Sea.

Trevor · November 01, 2016, 01:37 PM

Quote from: headdamage on October 31, 2016, 01:38 PM
There is quite a bit for pressure to turn it into a park but it is not likely to happen for at least a few years yet I hope. I intend to go hunting there next fall if I can swing it but it is just a far from Yellowknife as it is from Calgary if you can believe that.

ok, that I never would have thought!

One forgets how vast the terrain is up in Canada's north.

ugly_90 · November 01, 2016, 10:38 PM

Seems there was some bad press in at least one article about trail damage from Land Rover on the Canol. If you go again, you'll need to install Toyota logos on your trucks and pass the blame to them.

It looks like some of the trail is impassable, and there roads much closer to home to get stuck on. I would expect a good part of the original road was built in winter. Some of those winters were particularly cold years while the related Alaska highway was under construction.

SpeedyJ · November 02, 2016, 07:47 AM

^What he said. I think that a lot of the bad press originated with an outfitter located along the route. He seemed to take offence with the expedition for one reason or another. I really don't know if it was justified or not, but in some circles the Land Rover expedition mentioned here is not well regarded due to his complaints.

Red90 · November 02, 2016, 09:07 AM

It was just a bad route choice for long term sustainability. There are various river crossings that have large spring flows making permanent bridges not practical. Two or three of these rivers can't be crossed by vehicle. In addition, a few of the valleys are very narrow and steep leading to frequent slides and washouts. At the time, most people agreed it was a very poor choice for the pipeline route.

The pipeline was only 4" and was in use for a bit more than a year before it was abandoned. It took almost two years to construct.

http://www.normanwellsmuseum.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/NWHC_CANOL_BROCHURE_web.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canol_Heritage_Trail

QuoteTrail damage from unsuccessful Land Rover attempts in 2009 and 2011 sparked controversy in the Northwest Territories over motorized use of the trail.

It is a long way to go for "looking around" and you would want a lot of spare time and not be alone. I think the trail head is around 2500 km from Edmonton and the closest fuel is 450 km of dirt road away. The trail itself being 370 km long.

headdamage · November 02, 2016, 09:53 AM

The outfitter sells hunting trips to an accessible by air only area for in excess of $20,000... doesn't like his clients to see trucks drive by ;)

Side note, the outfitter lives in Alberta.

RWAYOUT · November 03, 2016, 12:29 PM

I was trying to set up a try at this in 2011... but after extensive research, phone calls , e-mails , and finally had Permission from various people in government , and First Nations , I stepped away. I was simply not ready to potentially lose a vehicle I invested tens of thousands into. Here is a link to the thread I started way back then.

https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/canol-road-expedition.451270/