Down the road to Tsiigehtchic

March 3, 2013

Sunrise: 9:03 am

Sunset: 7:09 pm

Temps: -21'C - -30'C

This week brought me to the tiny community of Tsiigehtchic, population <150. This predominantly Gwich'in community sits at the confluence of the Mackenzie and Arctic Red Rivers.

The 1 hour 45 minute drive from Inuvik to Tsiigehtchic was peaceful and beautiful, with a particularly stunning sunrise. I love the characteristic pastel hues that accompany Arctic sunrises.

To access this community, I drove on the Dempster Highway. In the summer time, one can take the Louis Cardinal ferry to reach Tsiigehtchic; in the winter, crossing the Mackenzie River is made possible by ice road (pictured right).

Visiting Tsiigehtchic requires a slight detour off the main drag, but is community is visible from the ferry or ice road. From the river, you can see the picturesque church that sits high on the bank, overlooking the rivers' confluence.

This little community has a small grocery store, a band office, school, and a few other amentities. The tiny health center has a nurse that visits once per week (from Inuvik) for the majority of the year. During thaw and freeze-up, when crossing the river is not possible, a nurse is stationed in the community for about one month at a time.

As in many other communities, snowmobiles are a common form of transportation, as seen by the trails on the frozen Arctic Red River (left). During my short stay in Tsiigehtchic, I saw several snowmobiles pulling toboggans, carrying 4 or 5 children at a time!

The drive back to Inuvik was also calm and beautiful. I think I passed two vehicles during the entire drive. To the West were the last remnants of the sunset, and I reflected on how normal it felt to have a sunrise in the morning and a sunset in the evening. Only two months ago, the sun didn't rise at all. In another few months, it won't set at all. This adds to the magic of the Arctic, as does the starry night and the hints of northern lights that greeted me when I arrived back in Inuvik.