NorthernHippo
Member
So my girlfriend, our dog, and I decided earlier this year that we wanted to set out to explore the north of our country (Canada) all the way up into the arctic. We own a 04 Freelander SE 2.5L Petrol and are based at the bottom of Vancouver Island BC. After months of planning and working on the hippo we finally departed on our month long 14,000km road trip at the beginning of July. Our trip took us along the Dempster Highway into the Arctic. The Top of the World Highway from the Yukon into Alaska. And the 125km descent switchbacking down dirt road into the "Grand Canyon of the North" BC's most remote community: Telegraph Creek.
Unfortunately the Freelander wasn't large enough to sleep in, so we tent camped the majority of the way. But what she lacked in size, she made up for in spirit. Along the 725km Dempster highway into the arctic there wasn't an obstacle she couldn't handle, or a vehicle she couldn't overtake. She climbed glaciers, cruised on permafrost tundra, conquered summer roads through a lava field, and slid along some of the most intense mud patches I've ever seen in Alaska.
Here are some photos of my hippo from our travels: Enjoy.
I upgraded tires before the trip to these Toyo AT ones. I'm still in love with them.
Here is the hippo all packed up on the day we departed.
Ready for Take Off
Here she is at the bottom of Telegraph Creek
And again at Telegraph Creek with the dog checking out the scene:
Next up we were glacier conquering:
Up to Salmon Glacier:
Some midnight sun along the Dempster Highway in the Arctic
Made it to the end of the road. As far north as you can drive in North America: Inuvik NWT
Our Campsite that night:
And it wouldn't be a Landy forum if I didn't include a pic of me working on the rover roadside. Here is a pic of myself working to reattach my exhaust pipe to the resonator after cracking the bracket holding it in place driving through a particularly muddy and rocky section of the Top of the World Highway. Zap straps made do until we could drive the 400kms to the nearest welder in Alaska.
Unfortunately the Freelander wasn't large enough to sleep in, so we tent camped the majority of the way. But what she lacked in size, she made up for in spirit. Along the 725km Dempster highway into the arctic there wasn't an obstacle she couldn't handle, or a vehicle she couldn't overtake. She climbed glaciers, cruised on permafrost tundra, conquered summer roads through a lava field, and slid along some of the most intense mud patches I've ever seen in Alaska.
Here are some photos of my hippo from our travels: Enjoy.
I upgraded tires before the trip to these Toyo AT ones. I'm still in love with them.
Here is the hippo all packed up on the day we departed.
Ready for Take Off
Here she is at the bottom of Telegraph Creek
And again at Telegraph Creek with the dog checking out the scene:
Next up we were glacier conquering:
Up to Salmon Glacier:
Some midnight sun along the Dempster Highway in the Arctic
Made it to the end of the road. As far north as you can drive in North America: Inuvik NWT
Our Campsite that night:
And it wouldn't be a Landy forum if I didn't include a pic of me working on the rover roadside. Here is a pic of myself working to reattach my exhaust pipe to the resonator after cracking the bracket holding it in place driving through a particularly muddy and rocky section of the Top of the World Highway. Zap straps made do until we could drive the 400kms to the nearest welder in Alaska.