> -=> Quoting Mike Powell to Jim Weller <=-
>  MP> I am not certain that my current vehicle is of the proper
>  MP> "configuration" for the "all-weather" roads.  I have seen some footage
>  MP> of vehicles on both... the Dempster seems to be kept in better shape
>  MP> than the Dalton,
> I have driven all kinds of gravel roads in northern Ontario and
> here in a 2WD sedan with no problems.

And at some point during all my expeditions with
all these Alaskan cuckoos there has been at least
one flat tire on each until this one, but that
was because we were driven by a drunken Inupiat
guide who merely got us stuck in the gravel, but
we managed to get out after some modest effort.

>  MP> even though both have some disclaimers regarding
>  MP> sturdy tires and plenty of spares.
> That is sound advise as service stations (or anything else for
> that matter) can be hundreds of miles apart and there's no cell
> phone coverage out there. I have often driven a poor quality gravel
> road from Fort Simpson NWT through Fort Laird (186 miles) to Fort
> Nelson B.C. (another 130 miles) to get to Whitehorse and Alaska from
> Yellowknife without going all the way down to Grimshaw AB (Mile 0 of
> the Mackenzie highway) and then Dawson Creek B.C. (mile 0 of the
> alaska Highway). On one trip I had two flats but just one spare. I
> had to hitchhike 100 miles back to Simpson from a campground with a
> flat tire and then hitchhike back to my car with the repaired tire.
> I now travel with a spare plus two cans of that aerosol foam gunk
> and an air compressor that runs off of the car's cigarette lighter
> socket.

A good reminder to Swisher - I'd say an armload
of cans of Fix-a-Flat, and maybe you can convince 
me to ride shotgun with you at least from the 
Washington border to Anchorage. Google in its
wisdom says that that will take 40 hours of driving.
I'm thinking more like 100.
 
>  MP> I was not aware that the Dempster was completed all the way to Tuk
>  MP> yet. 
> It is over 90% complete and drivable in a tough truck but won't be
> open to civilian traffic until this fall.

H'm. 

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v7.07

      Title: Polar Cap Cake
 Categories: Cakes, Alcohol
   Servings: 10 to 12

      9    Egg Whites
  1 1/4 c  Sifted Flour
    1/4 ts Salt
      4    Egg Yolks
  1 1/2 ts Cream of Tartar
    1/4 c  Yukon Jack
      2 ts Pure Vanilla Extract
    1/4 c  Chopped Walnuts
      1 c  + 1/4 C Granulated Sugar
           Polar Cap Cake Glaze:
    1/2 c  Yukon Jack
    1/3 c  Water
      3 tb Butter
      1 c  Confectioner's Sugar
    1/4 c  Granulated Sugar
    1/4 c  Chopped Nuts

  In large bowl, beat egg whites, salt, cream of tartar and vanilla until
  soft peaks form.  Slowly add 1 cup sugar continuing to beat.  Fold in
flour
  in 4 parts.  In seperate bowl, beat yolks, Yukon Jack and remaining 1/4 C
  sugar until pale yellow.  Sprinkle nuts in bottom of ungreased 10" tube
  pan. Pour in batter.  Bake in preheated 375 oven 35 minutes or until
  toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool on rack 15 minutes.

  Polar Cap Cake Glaze In saucepan, combine Yukon Jack, butter gran. sugar
  and water.  Heat, stirring, just to dissolve. Do not boil. With fork,
poke
  holes in cake. Drizzle with 1/2 glaze. Cool cake additional 10 minutes.
To
  remaining glaze, mix in conf. sugar. Remove cake from pan. Frost.
Sprinkle
  with chopped nuts. Source unknown

MMMMM