Washboarding to Tuktoyaktuk.

The topography changes gently from the Shield near Inuvik to the MacKenzie River delta (with tundra like topography) as we get to Tuktoyaktuk.

They have had to put in some bridges in places over small creeks, but in general the road is simply built on permafrost. The flowers are wonderful still at this time of summer.

We noticed snowmobiles on the side of the road, usually ten to 100 meters from the road. In some places there were dozens of them. It finally dawned on us that the indigenous people simply leave them there over summer and start using them again in the fall and winter when fishing and hunting.

When planning time to drive designated speeds for the northern Canadian highways, note that speed limits can be ignored. If you follow that max your vehicle will be a bucket of bolts having been loosened by the solid corduroy gravel roads. Add the potholes that can hide cantalope to watermelons, and rocks a person who needs two hands to hold, you could easily be looking for a good deal on new tires or at least one to replace a ripped flat. We saw several instances of "tread sticks" on the side of the highway.