Getting a long way ahead of reality with some thoughts on what routes might be possible for an all-weather road to the Rae project.
Three possible routes which are covered in more detail in this PDF.
Rae access possibilities.pdf
To get a sentinel image without snow and almost no cloud I had to go back to August 2022. Imagery is relatively low resolution with Google Earth and the nearly free Sentinel system with no indication of activity on those that are available. Here is a supposedly cloud free image taken recently.
Total snow cover except for a few wind swept icy lakes - perhaps. Care to imagine what it would be like to work there to get drill samples?
Can use helicopters, snow mobiles and larger gear to get an RC rig to site from Kugluktuk. Camp site or commute from Kug.?
The symbol is placed at Danvers from the August 2022 true colour image.
The days are getting longer and the snow will gradually melt, Larger lakes can no longer take aircraft around the end of June [40 years ago anyway]. Float planes mid to late July when most ice is gone until freeze up begins in September.
One version of Kugluktuk's weather averages.
Positively balmy. Thought it would be more severe. These are averages so the occasional -40+ day with a blizzard is to be expected in full winter.
(20min delay)