nick949
Well-Known Member
Shortly after Austin and Anne left my place, I went on a short jaunt up the Lake Superior coast, circling back through part of northeastern Ontario, visiting old haunts and exploring a few new places. A & A missed most of Lake Superior - it was socked in with mist and rain. Too bad!
I posted this on the Wildguzzi forum and ADV, but here is a slightly edited version for your (dubious) pleasure.
But first a map to get you oriented. The blue bits are Lake Ontario (bottom), Lake Huron (middle left) and Lake Superior (top left) and for a sense of scale,
from where it says 'Start/Finish' to '1st Night' is 900 kms (560 miles).
Heading west between Denbigh and Bancroft
Along the Trans-Canada Highway near Blind River
Near Bruce Mines I found this guy with a dead bike at the side of the road with a flat battery / no generator. Bloody useless modern bikes. I heard from him by email that in the end, he got it sorted - long story involving Harleys and beer! The best things happen when your bike breaks.
A little scenery in Lake Superior Park
The road is long......
Old Woman Bay, Lake Superior Park
Roadside attractions - lots of these
The road in to Missanabie. Missanabie was a stop on the trans-continental rail line, a jumping off point for prospectors and trappers, and briefly, a mining centre. I was in here in the late 70's, so I wanted another look.
Almost there
The end of the road. The community hangs on by a thread. Population (2006) = 62.
But Ernie's makes a good hamburger. The only beer options are 'Blue' and 'Canadian' (and Coors Light if you're really unlucky)
Heading towards Chapleau - then on to Timmins for the night
Logging road heading south from Timmins
No traffic in 60 miles - none!
I stopped at this bridge about 30 miles in to take some pictures etc. and when I started off again, my clutch cable broke.
I had a cable with me, but of course, it was one for the Nuovo Falcone, and about 6 inches too short.
BUT - it fitted well enough to get me home (note unorthodox cable routing).
As soon as I set off again, a large bear loped across the road in front of me.
Scenery along the Trans-Canada heading back to North Bay
Back into Eastern Ontario, south of Algonquin Park
Schutt
It's not all just lakes and trees you know. OK, I lied.
So I stopped in at my friend Norms (he of the Trans-Taiga Road) for a beer just a few miles from home. When I went to leave I noticed my tyre was flat (wouldn't you know it), so we pumped it up and it seemed to be holding air.
5 miles from home, it was flat again.
Fortunately, Norm has a bike trailer, so the faithful Eldo was ignominiously trailered the last few miles.
Nick
(4 days - roughly 1400 miles total)
Wildlife Tally:
Bugs? Surprisingly, not too bad - but, after years or working in the bush, I don't notice them much anyway. A minor irritation while I was changing the cable.
5 bears,
2 adult moose + 2 impossibly cute newborns, no more than a day or two old
Endless deer
plus the usual assortment of roadkill (skunks, porcupines, deer, beaver etc. etc.)
I posted this on the Wildguzzi forum and ADV, but here is a slightly edited version for your (dubious) pleasure.
But first a map to get you oriented. The blue bits are Lake Ontario (bottom), Lake Huron (middle left) and Lake Superior (top left) and for a sense of scale,
from where it says 'Start/Finish' to '1st Night' is 900 kms (560 miles).
Heading west between Denbigh and Bancroft
Along the Trans-Canada Highway near Blind River
Near Bruce Mines I found this guy with a dead bike at the side of the road with a flat battery / no generator. Bloody useless modern bikes. I heard from him by email that in the end, he got it sorted - long story involving Harleys and beer! The best things happen when your bike breaks.
A little scenery in Lake Superior Park
The road is long......
Old Woman Bay, Lake Superior Park
Roadside attractions - lots of these
The road in to Missanabie. Missanabie was a stop on the trans-continental rail line, a jumping off point for prospectors and trappers, and briefly, a mining centre. I was in here in the late 70's, so I wanted another look.
Almost there
The end of the road. The community hangs on by a thread. Population (2006) = 62.
But Ernie's makes a good hamburger. The only beer options are 'Blue' and 'Canadian' (and Coors Light if you're really unlucky)
Heading towards Chapleau - then on to Timmins for the night
Logging road heading south from Timmins
No traffic in 60 miles - none!
I stopped at this bridge about 30 miles in to take some pictures etc. and when I started off again, my clutch cable broke.
I had a cable with me, but of course, it was one for the Nuovo Falcone, and about 6 inches too short.
BUT - it fitted well enough to get me home (note unorthodox cable routing).
As soon as I set off again, a large bear loped across the road in front of me.
Scenery along the Trans-Canada heading back to North Bay
Back into Eastern Ontario, south of Algonquin Park
Schutt
It's not all just lakes and trees you know. OK, I lied.
So I stopped in at my friend Norms (he of the Trans-Taiga Road) for a beer just a few miles from home. When I went to leave I noticed my tyre was flat (wouldn't you know it), so we pumped it up and it seemed to be holding air.
5 miles from home, it was flat again.
Fortunately, Norm has a bike trailer, so the faithful Eldo was ignominiously trailered the last few miles.
Nick
(4 days - roughly 1400 miles total)
Wildlife Tally:
Bugs? Surprisingly, not too bad - but, after years or working in the bush, I don't notice them much anyway. A minor irritation while I was changing the cable.
5 bears,
2 adult moose + 2 impossibly cute newborns, no more than a day or two old
Endless deer
plus the usual assortment of roadkill (skunks, porcupines, deer, beaver etc. etc.)
