nick949
Well-Known Member
Not my usual gravel road slogging this time. 
There was only one short stretch of 70kms on the Sultan Road and another 10kms in to Westree. Nothing broke, nothing stopped working - hardly worth the effort really............... 
So I've been doing this daft Compass Challenge from the RealClassic magazine and found Westree in northern Ontario, so I had to go there. And I hadn't been to Hornepayne in a while (there's still nothing there). In three days I rode 2527kms (1570 miles) and spent about 38 hours in the saddle with the last day from Kapuskasing to home - a 1302 km (809 mile) 14 hour slog, none of it on super-slab.
OK, so I like self abuse. The Eldo, however, couldn't care less, and apart from a bit of stuttering and briefly running on one cylinder during a couple of thunderstorms, she plugged on tirelessly. Not bad for a 44 year old bike. She's not ready to be relegated to sunny days and coffee-shop rides yet (note the subtle plug?).
So here's the route (or if you are a map geek https://goo.gl/maps/uJ86KzscDj52:
As usual, there are endless ponds and lakes, this one with a fresh beaver dam.
South Algonquin Township lies (oddly) just east of Algonquin Park
Most of these lakes have names. This one's called Quiteaniceone Lake (OK, I made that up).
Westree was my destination. As I stopped to take a picture at the sign at the edge of the village, some local folks immediately invited me in for a beer and burger. They were well into their supply of liquid by that point, so I demurred.
Westree isn't the most prepossessing place on the planet. It is little more than a run-down former stop on the Canadian National trans-continental rail line.
Property is probably quite cheap though.
That night I stayed in the worker's bunky behind the gas station at the end of the Sultan Road.
Heading down the Sultan Road at 6AM. This road cuts across north-eastern Ontario and heads for Chapleau and Wawa (that mystical place where, in the 1970s, hitch-hikers used to get stuck and end up staying forever).
White River used to advertise it's self as the 'Coldest Place in Canada' until a few years back when people started to notice that it wasn't exactly true. To quote Wiki:
White River advertises itself as "The Coldest Spot in Canada" with recorded temperatures as low as −58 C (−72 F). However, this is a myth, as the coldest temperature in Canada has been recorded in Snag, Yukon, at −62.8 C (−81.0 F) on 3 February 1947. Even in Ontario, the coldest recorded temperature was in Iroquois Falls at −58.3 C (−72.9 F) (23 January 1935), which is the lowest temperature reported in Eastern Canada too.
So now the thermometer doesn't show anything. It is, however, also famous as the original home of Winnie-the-Pooh (the real bear, that inspired the books and cartoons).
The view from my office.
Finding a motel room in Kapuskasing wasn't too difficult. I imagine it fills up in winter when GM is actively using its cold weather research station on the edge of town.
Hearst, Ontario. You can just imagine the local municipal council: 'What we really need is a huge sculpture of a moose and some wolves - that will really bring the crowds' (although actually, this one is better than most).
From Kap, I took a short detour into Quebec to add another village sign to my compass collection. It's daft, but takes you places you might not otherwise go, and any excuse for a long ride is a good one.
Classic Canadian scene: Tim Hortons, Canadian Tire and plenty of free parking.
Next time I go on a ride like this I'm going to take a sign to leave on the bike:
It's a '72
It's Italian
Made by Moto Guzzi, like it says on the tank (you ride a bike - don't you know jack-shit?)
Yes, they still make bikes
They've been making bikes since 1921
Then I won't have to say the same things over and over every time I stop. Although really, I'm a lot more polite than that and don't mind answering questions - much.
Nick
There was only one short stretch of 70kms on the Sultan Road and another 10kms in to Westree. Nothing broke, nothing stopped working - hardly worth the effort really............... So I've been doing this daft Compass Challenge from the RealClassic magazine and found Westree in northern Ontario, so I had to go there. And I hadn't been to Hornepayne in a while (there's still nothing there). In three days I rode 2527kms (1570 miles) and spent about 38 hours in the saddle with the last day from Kapuskasing to home - a 1302 km (809 mile) 14 hour slog, none of it on super-slab.
OK, so I like self abuse. The Eldo, however, couldn't care less, and apart from a bit of stuttering and briefly running on one cylinder during a couple of thunderstorms, she plugged on tirelessly. Not bad for a 44 year old bike. She's not ready to be relegated to sunny days and coffee-shop rides yet (note the subtle plug?).
So here's the route (or if you are a map geek https://goo.gl/maps/uJ86KzscDj52:
As usual, there are endless ponds and lakes, this one with a fresh beaver dam.
South Algonquin Township lies (oddly) just east of Algonquin Park
Most of these lakes have names. This one's called Quiteaniceone Lake (OK, I made that up).
Westree was my destination. As I stopped to take a picture at the sign at the edge of the village, some local folks immediately invited me in for a beer and burger. They were well into their supply of liquid by that point, so I demurred.
Westree isn't the most prepossessing place on the planet. It is little more than a run-down former stop on the Canadian National trans-continental rail line.
Property is probably quite cheap though.
That night I stayed in the worker's bunky behind the gas station at the end of the Sultan Road.
Heading down the Sultan Road at 6AM. This road cuts across north-eastern Ontario and heads for Chapleau and Wawa (that mystical place where, in the 1970s, hitch-hikers used to get stuck and end up staying forever).
White River used to advertise it's self as the 'Coldest Place in Canada' until a few years back when people started to notice that it wasn't exactly true. To quote Wiki:
White River advertises itself as "The Coldest Spot in Canada" with recorded temperatures as low as −58 C (−72 F). However, this is a myth, as the coldest temperature in Canada has been recorded in Snag, Yukon, at −62.8 C (−81.0 F) on 3 February 1947. Even in Ontario, the coldest recorded temperature was in Iroquois Falls at −58.3 C (−72.9 F) (23 January 1935), which is the lowest temperature reported in Eastern Canada too.
So now the thermometer doesn't show anything. It is, however, also famous as the original home of Winnie-the-Pooh (the real bear, that inspired the books and cartoons).
The view from my office.
Finding a motel room in Kapuskasing wasn't too difficult. I imagine it fills up in winter when GM is actively using its cold weather research station on the edge of town.
Hearst, Ontario. You can just imagine the local municipal council: 'What we really need is a huge sculpture of a moose and some wolves - that will really bring the crowds' (although actually, this one is better than most).
From Kap, I took a short detour into Quebec to add another village sign to my compass collection. It's daft, but takes you places you might not otherwise go, and any excuse for a long ride is a good one.
Classic Canadian scene: Tim Hortons, Canadian Tire and plenty of free parking.
Next time I go on a ride like this I'm going to take a sign to leave on the bike:
It's a '72
It's Italian
Made by Moto Guzzi, like it says on the tank (you ride a bike - don't you know jack-shit?)
Yes, they still make bikes
They've been making bikes since 1921
Then I won't have to say the same things over and over every time I stop. Although really, I'm a lot more polite than that and don't mind answering questions - much.
Nick
