Thanks!
I've run some mixed setups for many years, both on KLR's and on the SuperT. I know some people get very antsy about 'mixing' tires, but I've never found it to be an issue
I'll go look up where Oshawa is now
Coast to Coast to Coast in Canada
- Thread starter jeckyll
- Start date
I've run some mixed setups for many years, both on KLR's and on the SuperT. I know some people get very antsy about 'mixing' tires, but I've never found it to be an issue
I'll go look up where Oshawa is now
Alphalfa
Member
Welcome to SK, where the wind never stops blowing. That’s why we come to BC to ride
SuckSqueezeBangBlow
Well-Known Member
On either your way home or the way there you may want to head South at Wawa and take Ranger Lake Road then 129 South. Will change up your route and the scenery a little and not really change your overall time. Have a great ride and thanks for posting your journey so those of us that are home bound can enjoy it too.
Day 3 + Day 4 - The Prairies
The sleep in the tent was as good as any 'first of the season' sleep ever is for me. Which is not super great, but also kind of fun. However, as I started packing up and bent down for the first tent-peg, I realize that my back was not doing well. By the time I had the bike packed it was in full spasm, so off to McD's, gently, to sit and have breakfast and break out three double-strength Advil. About an hour later I could get back on the bike to set off, so a slow start, not on the road till 9:40 or so
I did manage to get a partially taken-down photo
The green circle was the remnant of the pool apparently.
The bike was cozy and close by
While at McD's I did meat an interesting character, Rolf. 84 years old he sat a booth over and checked if I was alright when I first came in. So we talked about trains and his previous work etc. At then end as he's leaving with the 2nd coffee I find out he's going to bring it to his wife, who's not well and may only have a few days.
Everyone you meet is fighting their own battle...
So, the forecast
Wind in the Prairies? It was supposed to be 30 - 50 km winds. That's a pretty decent amount.
The night before Brad told me:
When you get to SK you'll know it, their roads are bad
The gas is way more expensive
The beer is rediculously expensive
He was right on all 3 counts.
The ride was quite something. The cross winds together with some nice slick tar-snakes. Stay loose!
In the end, I managed to get past Regina and then was done. Found a hotel and the guy at the front desk told me "we had gusts up to 80". I wouldn't be surprised if he was right, but I'm not sure if I hit anything that high. Did have the bike leaned over and found that 120 to 130 was pretty stable.
First order of business - sink laundry. You know it has to be done.
Next, some food that's the shortest possible walk away
Next, procure a beer
Next write some notes of the day so you don't forget (see laptop in background)
The day
Some stats:
Total km: 1798
Wildlife - 3 pronghorn, dodging multiple birds
Overall spirits - so-so.
Forecast for tomorrow: wind! yay...
Day 4
Slept pretty good, but the lower back was still an issue.
I skipped down for some hotel breakfast, took a muffin for the road and got ready to pack. The wind was already whistling outside, not that it ever stopped. There she is resting outside
And you can see what ever was in the background. I.E. not much
I held onto the bike a couple of times while filling up here
It got darker in Manitoba
I tried to get around Winnipeg using the 100 and the rain finally caught up. It was nasty and I turned around (and around again when I missed the exit for Hwy 1).
Finally went straight through Winnipeg during rush hour. My average km/h for the trip went from 101 to 98 I think. But, I stayed dry, got some gas and then on whim rode down to Steinbeck.
Couldn't do normal fast food and a quick search revealed a Pita place that turned out to be awesome.
Yes, I had the burger, it was on special
Talked with the owner a bunch, Charles if I remember correctly, super chill guy from South America, I want to say Ecquador, we talked about my trip, his moving from London, Ont to small town MN, to the locals.
Awesome time
Then at the hotel, serious Advil time! And stretching and a tennis ball jammed into my back. And it finally popped a bit and wow, so much better.
The route:
So, no lower route, not cool exploration, but hopefully on the way back.
Total km: 2448
Wildlive - zilch, zero, nada, nil. Except for about 5 birds that made me quickly duck and missed by not-much-at-all.
Overall spirits - much improved.
The sleep in the tent was as good as any 'first of the season' sleep ever is for me. Which is not super great, but also kind of fun. However, as I started packing up and bent down for the first tent-peg, I realize that my back was not doing well. By the time I had the bike packed it was in full spasm, so off to McD's, gently, to sit and have breakfast and break out three double-strength Advil. About an hour later I could get back on the bike to set off, so a slow start, not on the road till 9:40 or so
I did manage to get a partially taken-down photo
The green circle was the remnant of the pool apparently.
The bike was cozy and close by
While at McD's I did meat an interesting character, Rolf. 84 years old he sat a booth over and checked if I was alright when I first came in. So we talked about trains and his previous work etc. At then end as he's leaving with the 2nd coffee I find out he's going to bring it to his wife, who's not well and may only have a few days.
Everyone you meet is fighting their own battle...
So, the forecast
Wind in the Prairies? It was supposed to be 30 - 50 km winds. That's a pretty decent amount.
The night before Brad told me:
When you get to SK you'll know it, their roads are bad
The gas is way more expensive
The beer is rediculously expensive
He was right on all 3 counts.
The ride was quite something. The cross winds together with some nice slick tar-snakes. Stay loose!
In the end, I managed to get past Regina and then was done. Found a hotel and the guy at the front desk told me "we had gusts up to 80". I wouldn't be surprised if he was right, but I'm not sure if I hit anything that high. Did have the bike leaned over and found that 120 to 130 was pretty stable.
First order of business - sink laundry. You know it has to be done.
Next, some food that's the shortest possible walk away
Next, procure a beer
Next write some notes of the day so you don't forget (see laptop in background)
The day
Some stats:
Total km: 1798
Wildlife - 3 pronghorn, dodging multiple birds
Overall spirits - so-so.
Forecast for tomorrow: wind! yay...
Day 4
Slept pretty good, but the lower back was still an issue.
I skipped down for some hotel breakfast, took a muffin for the road and got ready to pack. The wind was already whistling outside, not that it ever stopped. There she is resting outside
And you can see what ever was in the background. I.E. not much
I held onto the bike a couple of times while filling up here
It got darker in Manitoba
I tried to get around Winnipeg using the 100 and the rain finally caught up. It was nasty and I turned around (and around again when I missed the exit for Hwy 1).
Finally went straight through Winnipeg during rush hour. My average km/h for the trip went from 101 to 98 I think. But, I stayed dry, got some gas and then on whim rode down to Steinbeck.
Couldn't do normal fast food and a quick search revealed a Pita place that turned out to be awesome.
Yes, I had the burger, it was on special
Talked with the owner a bunch, Charles if I remember correctly, super chill guy from South America, I want to say Ecquador, we talked about my trip, his moving from London, Ont to small town MN, to the locals.
Awesome time
Then at the hotel, serious Advil time! And stretching and a tennis ball jammed into my back. And it finally popped a bit and wow, so much better.
The route:
So, no lower route, not cool exploration, but hopefully on the way back.
Total km: 2448
Wildlive - zilch, zero, nada, nil. Except for about 5 birds that made me quickly duck and missed by not-much-at-all.
Overall spirits - much improved.
Thanks for the tip! I think it will be on the way back as I'm trying to keep making good progress and use weather windows while they exist (one closed today
)
Bill_C
Well-Known Member
Man, I know what those kinds of winds and tar snakes can be like. My butt was puckered just reliving my experiences as I read through your write-up.
What a fun looking trip though, wind or not. Glad you are feeling better. Back spasms after a night of camping became pretty common the older I have gotten. Sounds like you share my motto, "Advil early, Advil often."
Ride safe. Looking forward to reading what the road brings over the next few days.
Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk
What a fun looking trip though, wind or not. Glad you are feeling better. Back spasms after a night of camping became pretty common the older I have gotten. Sounds like you share my motto, "Advil early, Advil often."
Ride safe. Looking forward to reading what the road brings over the next few days.
Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk
Day5 - Into Onterrible
The morning in Steinbeck looked good. The clouds were gone, some wind remained but it was a much more pleasant looking day. I got out of town at a reasonable time after having breakfast at the hotel (the same poor quality eggs and sausages as the day before, they must all be supplied by the same company). Up to the Trans Canada, and ever Eastward.
Manitoba definitely has more trees than SK, and the landscape was changing. The wind was a tail wind mostly and soon enough, hey it's Ontario!
I yelled "have a great ride" at the cyclists as I left and they wished me the same.
The first part of the ride is quite nice, through Kenora. Though man, what a difference.
First, the signs. How much the OPP (Ontario Provincial Police) will charge you for different speeding offences. Again and Again and Again with these signs. And the number of cops!
I saw maybe 4 or 5 cops on the Trans Canada in Saskatchawan and Manitoba. I must have seen 15 - 20 OPP on the first day alone. There's an outbreak!
Next, the speed limit. After doing 120 - 135 cruising across the Prairies, it's 110 but you know, everyone just kinda makes time, in Ontario, it's 90. And it's 90 for pretty much 3 days. Nirvana sings about Novocaine(tm) for the soul, that is numbing for the throttle hand.
Plus, it was cold. And it got wet. I put on my rain gear after the first shower, and it kept coming. I finally had to stop to return some water to the environment.
Full rain gear for the whole day.
Point of interest: Trucks towing boats, very popular North of Thunder bay
Kenora was a very pretty little town, I see why it's popular.
My rough plan was go get to Thunder Bay, but I pushed a bit further as one of my 'points of interest' was just to the East
Now, I hurt riding a motorcycle to Thunder Bay. He ran. On one leg. While having cancer. What a freaking hero.
Aside: There are some things that you read about, like running over 3000 km, but it doesn't register. Once you make the journey, it start to register. I was wondering if I could make the trip East given my back etc etc, and here is a man who decided that "hey, I'm dying of cancer, I want to run across Canada to raise awareness". I was humbled and it caused me to reflect a bit on how easy our lives are.
Similarly, the 'dust bowl' of the 1930. You don't have a good sense of what the wind can do until you battle it for a couple of days. After that, it has a slightly different impact. If you don't know, google it (better yet, use duckduckgo ). <end Aside>
Anyway, while at the Terry Fox lookout (there's a somewhat largish lake behind, did you know?) I called ahead and about an hour down the road there was motel with good reviews, and motorcycles out front in the picture on google, well they would hold their last room for me, so off I went.
Now, I thought it was 60 km and I'd be OK on gas, but it was 99 km. So, a bit of gentle riding and a bit of drafting of RV's on the highway, and I made it.
Got checked in and got the lay of the land (town maybe). Key was to go past the gas stations in town and to the 'Res' because "Gas is cheaper on the Res".
I got some Timmy's for dinner after waiting out a heavy rain shower at the motel and chatting with some hydro crews who were restoring service to some folks. We talked after I got back to. Young guys, they all rode dirt bikes and so we talked bikes for a bit.
Then it was time to turn in. Well, first I wrote the day 3 and 4 update, and by the time I was done it was about 11.30 pm. The hour I lost due to the time change to Easter was hurting me.
Long day!
BTW, can you tell my gear was a bit wet when I arrived? (sorry for the poor quality photo)
Some stats
Total km: 3216 - that means over 1/2 way! 768 km day.
Wildlife: 3 moose. 2 bulls and 1 cow (no photos, remember I was wet and frankly it would have been dangerous to stop)
Spirits: well, pretty good, but man, I wanted some better weather. It was good to get some rain out of the way, and I was glad they were showers not steady never ending rain.
The morning in Steinbeck looked good. The clouds were gone, some wind remained but it was a much more pleasant looking day. I got out of town at a reasonable time after having breakfast at the hotel (the same poor quality eggs and sausages as the day before, they must all be supplied by the same company). Up to the Trans Canada, and ever Eastward.
Manitoba definitely has more trees than SK, and the landscape was changing. The wind was a tail wind mostly and soon enough, hey it's Ontario!
I yelled "have a great ride" at the cyclists as I left and they wished me the same.
The first part of the ride is quite nice, through Kenora. Though man, what a difference.
First, the signs. How much the OPP (Ontario Provincial Police) will charge you for different speeding offences. Again and Again and Again with these signs. And the number of cops!
I saw maybe 4 or 5 cops on the Trans Canada in Saskatchawan and Manitoba. I must have seen 15 - 20 OPP on the first day alone. There's an outbreak!
Next, the speed limit. After doing 120 - 135 cruising across the Prairies, it's 110 but you know, everyone just kinda makes time, in Ontario, it's 90. And it's 90 for pretty much 3 days. Nirvana sings about Novocaine(tm) for the soul, that is numbing for the throttle hand.
Plus, it was cold. And it got wet. I put on my rain gear after the first shower, and it kept coming. I finally had to stop to return some water to the environment.
Full rain gear for the whole day.
Point of interest: Trucks towing boats, very popular North of Thunder bay
Kenora was a very pretty little town, I see why it's popular.
My rough plan was go get to Thunder Bay, but I pushed a bit further as one of my 'points of interest' was just to the East
Now, I hurt riding a motorcycle to Thunder Bay. He ran. On one leg. While having cancer. What a freaking hero.
Aside: There are some things that you read about, like running over 3000 km, but it doesn't register. Once you make the journey, it start to register. I was wondering if I could make the trip East given my back etc etc, and here is a man who decided that "hey, I'm dying of cancer, I want to run across Canada to raise awareness". I was humbled and it caused me to reflect a bit on how easy our lives are.
Similarly, the 'dust bowl' of the 1930. You don't have a good sense of what the wind can do until you battle it for a couple of days. After that, it has a slightly different impact. If you don't know, google it (better yet, use duckduckgo
). <end Aside>Anyway, while at the Terry Fox lookout (there's a somewhat largish lake behind, did you know?) I called ahead and about an hour down the road there was motel with good reviews, and motorcycles out front in the picture on google, well they would hold their last room for me, so off I went.
Now, I thought it was 60 km and I'd be OK on gas, but it was 99 km. So, a bit of gentle riding and a bit of drafting of RV's on the highway, and I made it.
Got checked in and got the lay of the land (town maybe). Key was to go past the gas stations in town and to the 'Res' because "Gas is cheaper on the Res".
I got some Timmy's for dinner after waiting out a heavy rain shower at the motel and chatting with some hydro crews who were restoring service to some folks. We talked after I got back to. Young guys, they all rode dirt bikes and so we talked bikes for a bit.
Then it was time to turn in. Well, first I wrote the day 3 and 4 update, and by the time I was done it was about 11.30 pm. The hour I lost due to the time change to Easter was hurting me.
Long day!
BTW, can you tell my gear was a bit wet when I arrived? (sorry for the poor quality photo)
Some stats
Total km: 3216 - that means over 1/2 way! 768 km day.
Wildlife: 3 moose. 2 bulls and 1 cow (no photos, remember I was wet and frankly it would have been dangerous to stop)
Spirits: well, pretty good, but man, I wanted some better weather. It was good to get some rain out of the way, and I was glad they were showers not steady never ending rain.
Day 6: Why is it so cold in June? Also: Gas is cheaper on the Res!
The previous night the boys from the hydro crews were out partying a bit, but I didn't get done with everything till late and by then they'd turned in.
When I got up, I checked the weather on my phone and it was still set to Dryden, Ont and it showed -1 C. WTF? It was below freezing on June 4th? Later when I got up my bike showed 41 F (it's a bike originally from the US, so the temps never convert to metric unfortunately), translated that means 5 C. Not warm, but better than freezing.
Here she sits, packed and ready to roll.
I did find something during my pre-ride check: She need 3 more psi in the rear tire. After 6 days of riding, and it being about 6 degrees C colder than when I filled them, that didn't seem like a crisis and was quickly addressed.
Now, did I make sure that I had coffee and food? Did stop at Timmy's which was just up the road? Have the hotel coffee? Have one of the 10 packs of homemade oatmeal Michelle so nicely vac-packed for me?
No. Why?
I can only come up with a quote:
"Maturity is realizing you used to be an idiot; common sense is trying not to be an idiot now; wisdom is knowing you could still be an idiot in the future." - unknown
So, I rode to the Res just outside town and filled up for much cheaper. But I didn't get food there either.
I did see something cross the road and it took me a second to process, because it was a fox! We don't get a lot of those on the west coast Later on I also saw another cow moose.
I did ride along a beautiful stretch and pulled in for a fig bar, my emergency 'tank-gag-food'
... and I was grateful for it.
I tried using the timer on my Canon S95 to get a selfie, but the light was tough
But the shoreline was beautiful
There was a loon calling while I took that photo and his haunting call made it a perfect 'Canadian' scene... still, I wouldn't have minded some Timmy's to go along with it
The story of the day was 'cold'. It was toggling between 46 and 48 F, sometimes reaching all the way up to 50. Some great views when you could see the red rocks and the water. I'll need to spend more time taking photos on the trip back, if I come that way. Lk Superior Provincial park is beautiful.
I did stop at a few pullouts
When I got to Wawa, I thought 'Here we go, finally I'll get my coffee and some food! Womp Womp... it was drive through only, with a long lineup. I went to the general store and bought a coke and snickers for $4.50. Yikes.
Here's my steed tied up outside:
Wawa does have a big goose, so they got that going for them
I went on and decided to pull out at a nice spot and sit. Smart move #1 for the day (late in coming as it may be)
Old woman bay:
I don't look 100% thrilled
But then I sat here and just contemplated life for a bit and let the sun warm me while I had a coke and a snickers
It was a very good moment.
But the ride had to go on, I was heading south mostly, though at one point the road turns and I was heading west! After a week of E, NE, SE alternating back and forth, West was shocking. It didn't last of course.
Just outside of Sault Ste Marie I had to return some coke to the environment and luckily there was a closed concrete yard
As you can see, still plenty of clouds, I was still at the very edge of the weather system
After a few aborted attempts at Motels (poor reviews, sketchy people around, etc) I found a place, got stuff off the bike and got some Subway and some beer.
Blue sky, Blue bike, Blue beer
Another 700+ km day in the books.
Some Stats:
Total KM: 3956
Wildlife: 1 fox, 1 moose, plenty of cranes (sand-hill I think)
Weather: cold at first, then nice
Spirits: Pretty good, but ready to get the hell out of Ontario. It stretches!
The previous night the boys from the hydro crews were out partying a bit, but I didn't get done with everything till late and by then they'd turned in.
When I got up, I checked the weather on my phone and it was still set to Dryden, Ont and it showed -1 C. WTF? It was below freezing on June 4th? Later when I got up my bike showed 41 F (it's a bike originally from the US, so the temps never convert to metric unfortunately), translated that means 5 C. Not warm, but better than freezing.
Here she sits, packed and ready to roll.
I did find something during my pre-ride check: She need 3 more psi in the rear tire. After 6 days of riding, and it being about 6 degrees C colder than when I filled them, that didn't seem like a crisis and was quickly addressed.
Now, did I make sure that I had coffee and food? Did stop at Timmy's which was just up the road? Have the hotel coffee? Have one of the 10 packs of homemade oatmeal Michelle so nicely vac-packed for me?
No. Why?
I can only come up with a quote:
"Maturity is realizing you used to be an idiot; common sense is trying not to be an idiot now; wisdom is knowing you could still be an idiot in the future." - unknown
So, I rode to the Res just outside town and filled up for much cheaper. But I didn't get food there either.
I did see something cross the road and it took me a second to process, because it was a fox! We don't get a lot of those on the west coast
Later on I also saw another cow moose. I did ride along a beautiful stretch and pulled in for a fig bar, my emergency 'tank-gag-food'
... and I was grateful for it.
I tried using the timer on my Canon S95 to get a selfie, but the light was tough
But the shoreline was beautiful
There was a loon calling while I took that photo and his haunting call made it a perfect 'Canadian' scene... still, I wouldn't have minded some Timmy's to go along with it
The story of the day was 'cold'. It was toggling between 46 and 48 F, sometimes reaching all the way up to 50. Some great views when you could see the red rocks and the water. I'll need to spend more time taking photos on the trip back, if I come that way. Lk Superior Provincial park is beautiful.
I did stop at a few pullouts
When I got to Wawa, I thought 'Here we go, finally I'll get my coffee and some food! Womp Womp... it was drive through only, with a long lineup. I went to the general store and bought a coke and snickers for $4.50. Yikes.
Here's my steed tied up outside:
Wawa does have a big goose, so they got that going for them
I went on and decided to pull out at a nice spot and sit. Smart move #1 for the day (late in coming as it may be)
Old woman bay:
I don't look 100% thrilled
But then I sat here and just contemplated life for a bit and let the sun warm me while I had a coke and a snickers
It was a very good moment.
But the ride had to go on, I was heading south mostly, though at one point the road turns and I was heading west! After a week of E, NE, SE alternating back and forth, West was shocking. It didn't last of course.
Just outside of Sault Ste Marie I had to return some coke to the environment and luckily there was a closed concrete yard
As you can see, still plenty of clouds, I was still at the very edge of the weather system
After a few aborted attempts at Motels (poor reviews, sketchy people around, etc) I found a place, got stuff off the bike and got some Subway and some beer.
Blue sky, Blue bike, Blue beer
Another 700+ km day in the books.
Some Stats:
Total KM: 3956
Wildlife: 1 fox, 1 moose, plenty of cranes (sand-hill I think)
Weather: cold at first, then nice
Spirits: Pretty good, but ready to get the hell out of Ontario. It stretches!
Stlll catching up on the ride reports, we're at Day 7:
Slept well and the morning looked nice. I got the bike packed with no issues and vowing not to make the same mistake again, went to Timmy's for a coffee and a muffin. Fortified I went into the day. Still made sure I had the layers on to stay warm as it was going to take a while to heat up.
This was another fairly dreary commute to start, not that the scenery was poor, just a lot of riding without anything too interesting. I did see a couple of quads driving on the street get pulled over by OPP. Besides that, just making time.
I did stop at a Reserve gas station and sent Michelle a message, and she believes she stopped there many years ago when she and her friend drove across the country and got a flat tire.
My goal was to get through Ottawa so that I wouldn't have to face Monday morning traffic in Ottawa (and would face it instead in Montreal )
You could tell that it was a return from the weekend, things definitely got busy closer to town. And then things actually opened up and speed limits picked up. All was good until there was an accident in Ottawa and it took a while to slowly make my way past. After that, no significant issue.
Finally, my body was telling me it was enough, so I pulled off the highway and searched for a 'reasonably' priced hotel. Called an got a room, rode out and it turns out that it was a bed and breakfast. Which turned out to be great.
The owner used to ride (a mid 90's Virago, with the shaft driver that jacked up the rear end whenever you downshifted, I'm sure some people here remember those) and was able to give me tips for where to get dinner and some beer.
I treated myself to some very tasty pizza
And then put the bike to bed
And finally sat down outside to watch the chipmunks and birds, call Michelle to chat and see how she was doing, and take some notes about the day.
Beautiful spot in the country and comfortable bed.
Some stats:
Total: 4705 km (another 700+ km day)
Wildlife: none
Laundry needs: getting somewhat dire, need to figure out how to stretch to 2 more days. Sink laundry can only do so much
Spirits: Quite good, stopping in a nice little tucked away spot, having beer and pizza on a sunny evening in the country, nothing wrong with that
Slept well and the morning looked nice. I got the bike packed with no issues and vowing not to make the same mistake again, went to Timmy's for a coffee and a muffin. Fortified I went into the day. Still made sure I had the layers on to stay warm as it was going to take a while to heat up.
This was another fairly dreary commute to start, not that the scenery was poor, just a lot of riding without anything too interesting. I did see a couple of quads driving on the street get pulled over by OPP. Besides that, just making time.
I did stop at a Reserve gas station and sent Michelle a message, and she believes she stopped there many years ago when she and her friend drove across the country and got a flat tire.
My goal was to get through Ottawa so that I wouldn't have to face Monday morning traffic in Ottawa (and would face it instead in Montreal
)You could tell that it was a return from the weekend, things definitely got busy closer to town. And then things actually opened up and speed limits picked up. All was good until there was an accident in Ottawa and it took a while to slowly make my way past. After that, no significant issue.
Finally, my body was telling me it was enough, so I pulled off the highway and searched for a 'reasonably' priced hotel. Called an got a room, rode out and it turns out that it was a bed and breakfast. Which turned out to be great.
The owner used to ride (a mid 90's Virago, with the shaft driver that jacked up the rear end whenever you downshifted, I'm sure some people here remember those) and was able to give me tips for where to get dinner and some beer.
I treated myself to some very tasty pizza
And then put the bike to bed
And finally sat down outside to watch the chipmunks and birds, call Michelle to chat and see how she was doing, and take some notes about the day.
Beautiful spot in the country and comfortable bed.
Some stats:
Total: 4705 km (another 700+ km day)
Wildlife: none
Laundry needs: getting somewhat dire, need to figure out how to stretch to 2 more days. Sink laundry can only do so much
Spirits: Quite good, stopping in a nice little tucked away spot, having beer and pizza on a sunny evening in the country, nothing wrong with that
SuckSqueezeBangBlow
Well-Known Member
Hey since you have nothing else to do in the evenings (LOL), you can look through here (https://motorcycletourguidens.com/) and get some hotel and other tour info.
That's great, thank you for the link!
Day 8:
I gave myself some additional time leaving the B&B as I didn't want to be in Montreal during rush hour. I had heard horror stories about both the drivers and the highway system. So I left shortly after 9 am, knowing it would take me over an hour to get there and hoping traffic would be light.
Google indicated that the fastest way was straight through Montreal, I had initially considered crossing the river before and taking Hwy 30 around.
Everything went well (just don't trust google when it tells you the exit numbers you need to turn at!) except for the construction around the tunnel. There I sat for quite some time, getting nice and hot, not moving very much at all. But eventually I popped out the other side. Felt good to be moving again.
My goal for the day was Saint-Pascal, which split the distance I had remaining in 1/2, giving me two days under 575 km, which would be nice.
This is what I saw when I pulled off the highway to have a little snack and take a break
The ride was quite dull and I eventually found a motel. The setup was funny, I had to call a number and then the owner (manager?) told me someone would be there in 15 minutes but wouldn't speak English, only French. No problem, I said. Then he said "well since you're here, let me tell you where we hide the keys, go take #16 and you can put your things into your room in the meantime". A little 'Easter-egg hunt for the room key
In the end he came himself and was super helpful, telling me where the best places were to view the St.Lawrence, even making me a hand drawn map, then filling me in on visiting Quebec city and how much time can be saved taking the northern route (vs the southern route along Hwy 17 in Ont).
Janin was a super guy!
I was debating waiting until after dinner, but was feeling a bit low on energy, so went beforehand.
Just outside of Mont-Carmel I found the spot
Having no luggage on felt amazing!
I sat here for 30 minutes or so, staring at the St.Lawrence and marveling at the view and the scale of the river. The town itself is beautiful, which a huge church given the size of the town.
Wonderful.
An older woman walked past, said Bonjour and I tried to explain that I spoke only the tiniest bit of French, but she seemed please and I think said that she spoke no English, so we were good.
After I got back I went across the parking lot and had the burger 'with everthing' not realizing that they put relish on them! Who puts relish on their burgers?!?
Still, it was good and plentiful.
I've never seen Ketchup packets this size, massive!
Then it was back to the hotel and time to watch MotoGP from the day before.
Some stats:
Total KM: 5255 km
Wildlife: Montreal drivers (I kid, I kid, there was no wildlife)
Scenery: Much better _away_ from the river and in the hills.
Spirits: Happy. Tired and looking forward to seeing my father and his wife tomorrow. I'm almost there, then the 'real' riding and exploring can begin
I gave myself some additional time leaving the B&B as I didn't want to be in Montreal during rush hour. I had heard horror stories about both the drivers and the highway system. So I left shortly after 9 am, knowing it would take me over an hour to get there and hoping traffic would be light.
Google indicated that the fastest way was straight through Montreal, I had initially considered crossing the river before and taking Hwy 30 around.
Everything went well (just don't trust google when it tells you the exit numbers you need to turn at!) except for the construction around the tunnel. There I sat for quite some time, getting nice and hot, not moving very much at all. But eventually I popped out the other side. Felt good to be moving again.
My goal for the day was Saint-Pascal, which split the distance I had remaining in 1/2, giving me two days under 575 km, which would be nice.
This is what I saw when I pulled off the highway to have a little snack and take a break
The ride was quite dull and I eventually found a motel. The setup was funny, I had to call a number and then the owner (manager?) told me someone would be there in 15 minutes but wouldn't speak English, only French. No problem, I said. Then he said "well since you're here, let me tell you where we hide the keys, go take #16 and you can put your things into your room in the meantime". A little 'Easter-egg hunt for the room key
In the end he came himself and was super helpful, telling me where the best places were to view the St.Lawrence, even making me a hand drawn map, then filling me in on visiting Quebec city and how much time can be saved taking the northern route (vs the southern route along Hwy 17 in Ont).
Janin was a super guy!
I was debating waiting until after dinner, but was feeling a bit low on energy, so went beforehand.
Just outside of Mont-Carmel I found the spot
Having no luggage on felt amazing!
I sat here for 30 minutes or so, staring at the St.Lawrence and marveling at the view and the scale of the river. The town itself is beautiful, which a huge church given the size of the town.
Wonderful.
An older woman walked past, said Bonjour and I tried to explain that I spoke only the tiniest bit of French, but she seemed please and I think said that she spoke no English, so we were good.
After I got back I went across the parking lot and had the burger 'with everthing' not realizing that they put relish on them! Who puts relish on their burgers?!?
Still, it was good and plentiful.
I've never seen Ketchup packets this size, massive!
Then it was back to the hotel and time to watch MotoGP from the day before.
Some stats:
Total KM: 5255 km
Wildlife: Montreal drivers (I kid, I kid, there was no wildlife)
Scenery: Much better _away_ from the river and in the hills.
Spirits: Happy. Tired and looking forward to seeing my father and his wife tomorrow. I'm almost there, then the 'real' riding and exploring can begin
Day 9:
Had an early start to the day, I had checked the maps and it was clear that there was plenty of gas and breakfast opportunities along the way. As I was loading the bike, I was contemplating how different this trip was compared to my Yukon & Alaska trip, where I seemed to meet riders all the time. I'd had few interactions on this trip.
That's the problem with expectations, they are going to lead you astray, but such is life.
I was almost done loading when a gent walks out of the motel and says "Good Morning". Now, we're in Quebec, so that's odd.
I said, "You must have seen my plate!" and he had. Turns out that he and his travel companion were both riders and upon coming in his buddy had seen my plate, send a photo to his friend and said "now here is a real rider". He insisted on showing me on his phone and translating the text
Great guys, super nice and I met them just at the right time.
Out on the highway and feeling good, I eventually stopped 36 km before New Brunswick for some coffee and a donut. I was getting close now!
I was right at the edge of the highway, but trucks and cars changed into the other lane to give me space.
In NB the speed limit was 110 and I was making great time. It was about 25 C and amazing riding weather.
I skipped lunch and rode on, arriving just 5 minutes after my estimated arrival time.
Not many photos after I arrived as we sat outside on the porch, enjoying the beautiful weather and I had a beer with my father and watching the humming birds
Of course, this is just the start of the Atlantic portion of the trip, the commute being done now. Tomorrow I was planing to check out the Bay of Fundy.
Some stats:
9 solid days of riding
5844 km travelled
Moving avg speed across Canada 96.2 km/h
3 days quite cold
1 day quite wet
2 days battling the wind
Plenty of dead bugs
3 days battling significant back pain
1 dead headlight
Much less camping and Bunk-a-Biking than planned
Arrived as planned.
Had an early start to the day, I had checked the maps and it was clear that there was plenty of gas and breakfast opportunities along the way. As I was loading the bike, I was contemplating how different this trip was compared to my Yukon & Alaska trip, where I seemed to meet riders all the time. I'd had few interactions on this trip.
That's the problem with expectations, they are going to lead you astray, but such is life.
I was almost done loading when a gent walks out of the motel and says "Good Morning". Now, we're in Quebec, so that's odd.
I said, "You must have seen my plate!" and he had. Turns out that he and his travel companion were both riders and upon coming in his buddy had seen my plate, send a photo to his friend and said "now here is a real rider". He insisted on showing me on his phone and translating the text
Great guys, super nice and I met them just at the right time.
Out on the highway and feeling good, I eventually stopped 36 km before New Brunswick for some coffee and a donut. I was getting close now!
I was right at the edge of the highway, but trucks and cars changed into the other lane to give me space.
In NB the speed limit was 110 and I was making great time. It was about 25 C and amazing riding weather.
I skipped lunch and rode on, arriving just 5 minutes after my estimated arrival time.
Not many photos after I arrived as we sat outside on the porch, enjoying the beautiful weather and I had a beer with my father and watching the humming birds
Of course, this is just the start of the Atlantic portion of the trip, the commute being done now. Tomorrow I was planing to check out the Bay of Fundy.
Some stats:
9 solid days of riding
5844 km travelled
Moving avg speed across Canada 96.2 km/h
3 days quite cold
1 day quite wet
2 days battling the wind
Plenty of dead bugs
3 days battling significant back pain
1 dead headlight
Much less camping and Bunk-a-Biking than planned
Arrived as planned.
sheikyerbooty
Well-Known Member
Well done mate!
Some little stories based on interactions from the road that never made it into the ride report during the proper day (FYI, I'm going to try and post the update for yesterday once I get back from today's riding, yesterday was a visit to the Bay of Fundy ). It's too easy to forget them, but these little things are an integral part of the trip.
#1
Outside the Beaver Motel, Ont:
Utilities guy looking at the front of my bike (not seeing the plate) "Where you riding to?"
"Nova Scotia"
"Wow, that's a long way..."
"You haven't asked the key question"
"What's that?"
"Where are you riding from."
"OK: Where are you riding from"
"Vancouver"
"HOLY CRAP!"
#2
Random old and out of shape dude at a gas pump
"That rideing suit break the wind"
Me, confused
"No the wind shield breaks the wind"
"Oh..."
#3
Guy driving, girl looking over her shoulder at me smiling as they pass me (I'm sitting with one foot on the crash bar, left hand tapping along to the music, doing about 10 over only)
I give her a little wave
She waves back with a bigger smile.
No idea why, but it was interesting.
#4
Cruising through SK, fighting a serious side wind, wave at bikers going the other way. Big waves back.
Or none as they're hanging on.
We're fighting the same fight that day.
#5
Quebec guys outside motel after we talked about where I'm going and how long I'm on the road
"Here is a man who doesn't have kids"
"Correct, but I have a wife and she's fully supportive"
<impressed looks>
). It's too easy to forget them, but these little things are an integral part of the trip.#1
Outside the Beaver Motel, Ont:
Utilities guy looking at the front of my bike (not seeing the plate) "Where you riding to?"
"Nova Scotia"
"Wow, that's a long way..."
"You haven't asked the key question"
"What's that?"
"Where are you riding from."
"OK: Where are you riding from"
"Vancouver"
"HOLY CRAP!"
#2
Random old and out of shape dude at a gas pump
"That rideing suit break the wind"
Me, confused
"No the wind shield breaks the wind"
"Oh..."
#3
Guy driving, girl looking over her shoulder at me smiling as they pass me (I'm sitting with one foot on the crash bar, left hand tapping along to the music, doing about 10 over only)
I give her a little wave
She waves back with a bigger smile.
No idea why, but it was interesting.
#4
Cruising through SK, fighting a serious side wind, wave at bikers going the other way. Big waves back.
Or none as they're hanging on.
We're fighting the same fight that day.
#5
Quebec guys outside motel after we talked about where I'm going and how long I'm on the road
"Here is a man who doesn't have kids"
"Correct, but I have a wife and she's fully supportive"
<impressed looks>
Day 10: First look at the Bay of Fundy
After a great night staying in the 5th wheel, I headed out after some breakfast with my father to check out Fundy National Park. The weather was mixed (read: rain) but I figured a loop through Fundy, then up to Moncton was just the ticket. It would give me a chance to see how waterproof / water-resistant my riding suite still was after 6 years.
It's a short hop to the exit of Hwy 1 from where he lives, so soon I was treated to my first view of the Bay
Yes, the road does drop away a bit
Getting closer, the boards tell the story of the highest tide in the world
I stopped to get some stickers for the hard cases
I didn't spend a lot of time in Alma, as the weather was poor. I used the day as a 'scouting day' and rode on. I know I'd come back when things were a bit better.
After a while heading NE I stopped at one of the covered bridges to take a closer look. I guess they put the barriers up in 1975
... waits for no man.
I guess horse riding is an issue?
I was tempted to ride my bike inside since there was nobody around, but I figured someone would object. So she stayed out
Taking a stroll into the bridge, there were some 'port holes' cut so you could see the little creek below, which was tidal of course
Some of the graffiti was quite interesting
Not original, but so true. And so hard to actually live to.
Afterwards, a wet ride to Moncton to buy oil so I could do a much needed oil change tomorrow.
Short day. No stats, just sightseeing a bit. The Firstgear suit is still working well, it rained a fair bit, but I was good
After a great night staying in the 5th wheel, I headed out after some breakfast with my father to check out Fundy National Park. The weather was mixed (read: rain) but I figured a loop through Fundy, then up to Moncton was just the ticket. It would give me a chance to see how waterproof / water-resistant my riding suite still was after 6 years.
It's a short hop to the exit of Hwy 1 from where he lives, so soon I was treated to my first view of the Bay
Yes, the road does drop away a bit
Getting closer, the boards tell the story of the highest tide in the world
I stopped to get some stickers for the hard cases
I didn't spend a lot of time in Alma, as the weather was poor. I used the day as a 'scouting day' and rode on. I know I'd come back when things were a bit better.
After a while heading NE I stopped at one of the covered bridges to take a closer look. I guess they put the barriers up in 1975
... waits for no man.
I guess horse riding is an issue?
I was tempted to ride my bike inside since there was nobody around, but I figured someone would object. So she stayed out
Taking a stroll into the bridge, there were some 'port holes' cut so you could see the little creek below, which was tidal of course
Some of the graffiti was quite interesting
Not original, but so true. And so hard to actually live to.
Afterwards, a wet ride to Moncton to buy oil so I could do a much needed oil change tomorrow.
Short day. No stats, just sightseeing a bit. The Firstgear suit is still working well, it rained a fair bit, but I was good
Day 11:
Another easy start to the day, having breakfast with my father. Then a casual start to head down to the Sussex Corner and St.Martins.
A scenic country loop that ends at the water, with some fun twists and hills along the way.
The closer I got to the coast the colder and foggier it got.
St.Martins harbour:
I went a bit further, but visibility did not improve.
Almost sank the bike in the soft sand (see the rear tire )
I had to find a rock to kick under the stand, or she surely would have gone over. That's why the ground is so stirred up.
I stopped for a quick sandwich and then headed back to Alma as things looked 'lighter' than they had earlier.
Boy was I glad that I did. You can still see some of the marine fog in the distance, but it was dry and warm!
The beach was empty, I had it to myself and wandered around
The tide was way out
And the channel markers were on dry land
Look how lonely the SuperT looks in the parking lot!
On the way out I left the bike where she shouldn't have been parked, right by the bridge between Alma and Fundy National Park, and wandered onto the middle of the bridge to get the classic "Bay of Fundy" photo
Then it was back with plenty of time to take care of the SuperT, "if you love 'er, lube 'er!"
Tire pressures were checked and she got the once over. Because, tomorrow it was time for the final leg North East, time to get to Cape Breton and then onto the Cabot Trail!
No stats, but this is what the day looked like on a map
Another easy start to the day, having breakfast with my father. Then a casual start to head down to the Sussex Corner and St.Martins.
A scenic country loop that ends at the water, with some fun twists and hills along the way.
The closer I got to the coast the colder and foggier it got.
St.Martins harbour:
I went a bit further, but visibility did not improve.
Almost sank the bike in the soft sand (see the rear tire
)
I had to find a rock to kick under the stand, or she surely would have gone over. That's why the ground is so stirred up.
I stopped for a quick sandwich and then headed back to Alma as things looked 'lighter' than they had earlier.
Boy was I glad that I did. You can still see some of the marine fog in the distance, but it was dry and warm!
The beach was empty, I had it to myself and wandered around
The tide was way out
And the channel markers were on dry land
Look how lonely the SuperT looks in the parking lot!
On the way out I left the bike where she shouldn't have been parked, right by the bridge between Alma and Fundy National Park, and wandered onto the middle of the bridge to get the classic "Bay of Fundy" photo
Then it was back with plenty of time to take care of the SuperT, "if you love 'er, lube 'er!"
Tire pressures were checked and she got the once over. Because, tomorrow it was time for the final leg North East, time to get to Cape Breton and then onto the Cabot Trail!
No stats, but this is what the day looked like on a map
Dneprrider
Member
This is a great trip report and highly entertaining. I have been watching your progress across the country and living vicariously through your adventures. One day I hope to do the same trip but in reverse order. Leaving Nova Scotia and make Vancouver to visit family.
Have you made plans for your Cabot Trail visit yet? I personally like doing it counter clock wise so you are closer to the edge. Which can make it more fun......
There are several Nova Scotia forum members and some in Cape Breton. I am in Margaree Valley just off the Cabot trail. If you are close and timing is right maybe a chance to meet up.
Cheers,
Richard
Have you made plans for your Cabot Trail visit yet? I personally like doing it counter clock wise so you are closer to the edge. Which can make it more fun......
There are several Nova Scotia forum members and some in Cape Breton. I am in Margaree Valley just off the Cabot trail. If you are close and timing is right maybe a chance to meet up.
Cheers,
Richard
I'm doing the Cabot Trail tomorrow morning. I'm just outside of Baddeck in a motel.
I'll PM you my contact details in case you are around
Bjorn