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Six Weeks, a Tent and a VFR - Updated November 12th: Traffic with a Capitol "T", Hollywood and the Score: Wind 1: Olive 0 (Day 41/48)


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Today was cold and wet. The rain was just threatening when I picked up the bike from Honda, but socked in fairly quickly as I headed east. The wind was driving it which didn't help matters.

I posted up about the service experience on my previous post, but have a few more pictures to share on this post.

You can see where oil soaked into this tire, despite it being cleaned:

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Alex, the friendly service tech at Reiger Honda who provided priority service to put me back on the road:

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Temperatures on the bike were registering in the low 40s (6C), with high winds and rain that seemed ever present. At times it was really coming down. I had hoped to ride through it quickly, but by the time I reached Moose Jaw I needed to stop to warm up and dry out a bit. I took the opportunity to don my rain gear, and add an extra layer under the jacket. I felt a little overstuffed with the number of layers that I was wearing, but riding when you are both cold and wet can be a draining experience.

Turning the heated vest to "high" I headed eastward. I only saw two other motorcylists all day. Friday, when I left Calgary I didn't see any other riders, and Saturday I saw a couple before I had the bike towed back to Swift Current. Most riders aren't convinced that riding season is upon us.

Strong wind really seemed to slow down the ride - I was heading right into it. Weather forecasts indicate that wind was gusting 60, although at times it felt stronger than that. Roads in Saskatchewan are fairly straight, and there isn't much wildlife around. I had a beautiful coyote cross the road in front of me. He was jogging with his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth and reminded me of Wilie Coyote. No indication what mischief he was up to, and I didn't see any signs for Acme Industries. (No roadrunners either.)

Potholes like these are a regular sight after Canada's hard winter. Lots to be found on the TransCanada. Extra attention is needed!

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Along the side of the road there were a few hawks keeping an eye out for a tasty morsel. Mid afternoon I spotted a fox trotting down the grassy divider between westbound and eastbound highway 1. Foxes aren't a normal sight for me - I think this is the second one that I have seen on the road. Beautiful animals, and they always surprise me with how small they are.

The highway curves around Regina, and I thought that I needed to stay on the same road. As I passed the exit for the Trans Canada eastbound I realized that I was now traveling Regina's ring road, and got to look at a bit of the city as I retraced my steps back to the main highway.

It seems odd how the highway circles around Regina, much like the highway in Tennessee slides around Nashville. I am accustomed to Calgary where the highways intersect the city passing directly through it.

There wasn't much to see as the day was very overcast, and the rain was a constant veil shadowing the land and reducing line of sight.

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Indian Head, Saskatchewan

Finally I stopped in Indian Head to use a washroom at the visitor's center, pull out the camera and give myself a break from the wind. Apparently Indian Head, Saskatchewan is home to a quirky Canadian TV show, "Little Mosque on the Prairie"'. It is also home to a large statue of an Indian Head.

I continued riding through the rain, battling fierce gusting winds and started looking for a campsite. The first place that I pulled into had a sign up indicating that their tent sites were closed due to weather. Large puddles were evident, and grassy fields were partly flooded. I continued on. The next campground I also passed up after one glance at the deep muddy tire ruts that lead into the site. I didn't want to take the bike mud-bogging.

Camping seemed to be a bad idea given the rapidly dropping temperatures and heavy rain. I pulled into a small motel in Broadview, Saskatchewan - Sweet Dreams Motel. It is an older building but well kept up. Small touches such as these friendly bears stood outside the inviting rooms. The owner offered me a decent price on the room for the night, so I opted to keep the tent dry. Given that the tent had leaked the first night, it was probably the best idea. My plan for the road was to camp whenever feasible, but to take an inexpensive motel or hostel if the weather seemed hostile.

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Sweet Dreams Motel, Broadview Saskatchewan was a welcome sight in driving rain and high winds

Checking the forecast for the evening I am glad that I stopped in for a room. Environment Canada is calling for up to an inch of rain overnight, and temperatures dropping just a few degrees above freezing with a risk of frost.

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Welcome Bears add a whimsical touch at the door to my warm and dry room in the Motel.

After checking into the motel I hung up my gear to dry. My left boot has a significant leak and had trapped some icy cold water. The sock was completely soaked. The right boot also leaks but not as badly - the sock and boot were merely damp. It will be nice to start off tomorrow with dry socks, dry boots and warm feet.

Tomorrows forecast is more of the same - chilly temps and liquid sunshine. Regardless of the weather it feels really good to be out on the road, and in a few weeks time I am likely going to be wishing for some cooler temperatures.

Sitting in the Motel I had an opportunity to go through some of the pictures I had taken yesterday in Swift Current. I liked this shot of one of the local houses with the resident peeking out the front door.

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"After checking into the motel I hung up my gear to dry. My left boot has a significant leak and had trapped some icy cold water. The sock was completely soaked. The right boot also leaks but not as badly - the sock and boot were merely damp. It will be nice to start off tomorrow with dry socks, dry boots and warm feet."

Leaking boot you say? If you have time to stop at a motorcycle store, you may wanna check if they ave some water proof booties you slide over your existing boots. I think I paid something like $20 fr mine about two years ago. They're cheap and riding with wet socks just sucks!

Interesting report so far. Always eventful.

Cheers.

C

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"After checking into the motel I hung up my gear to dry. My left boot has a significant leak and had trapped some icy cold water. The sock was completely soaked. The right boot also leaks but not as badly - the sock and boot were merely damp. It will be nice to start off tomorrow with dry socks, dry boots and warm feet."

Leaking boot you say? If you have time to stop at a motorcycle store, you may wanna check if they ave some water proof booties you slide over your existing boots. I think I paid something like $20 fr mine about two years ago. They're cheap and riding with wet socks just sucks!

Interesting report so far. Always eventful.

Cheers.

C

I am always nervous about putting something over the boot that might impact my boots traction with the ground. I was considering a plastic bag over the sock inside the boot. I'm pretty sure that the lack of waterproof for this boot is related to dropping the F800 on it a couple of years ago. I broke the toe in three places, but the boot did a remarkable job of surviving. If I could find the location of the leak I would apply some silicone, but haven't been able to pinpoint it yet. Even with the leak I must say that SIDI makes a good product! Mine are race boots, not touring boots - boot options are significantly more limited for female riders. Women's feet are usually narrower than mens, and that makes a huge difference for the fit of footwear.

Ride reports are likely to be much more entertaining when the weather clears up a bit. :fing02:

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This morning I woke up to discover the motel room had been leaking. The wind was blowing hard enough that the water came through the window, and the floor was rather wet. The wind continued to howl unabated, and the rain came down with a vengeance. I took my time getting going this morning, hoping that the weather would die down a bit.

Heading east on the Trans Canada the wind was ferocious, pushing the bike around like it was a lightweight. I was thankful that I was riding the VFR with full luggage, because every pound made a difference. I stopped in one of the small towns that dot the highway looking for gas, but after one look at the muddy clay that the bike would have to cross to reach the station, I decided to press onwards. It wasn't just wet dirt, it was well churned up mud, the kind that is usually incredibly slick. Deep tire tracks cut across it, showing just how much rain had settled into the ground. The idea of going down in the wet muck had little appeal.

I continued riding east and stopped in the next small town. My gas gauge was flashing. At this point I decided that worst case I would park on the road, hike in to the gas station and borrow a Jerry Can if there was no paved access. No gas station to be found. Returning to the highway I pressed onwards. The same problem at the next small town. At this point I was getting very nervous recognizing that I was probably going to be out of fuel soon, and backtracking to the last known location of a gas station would be too far. The idea of running out of fuel in the driving rain and strong winds on the highway had little appeal.

I was very relieved to spot a sign indicating a gas station ahead, and when I topped up the fuel the bike needed a full tank. That was really cutting things close. I noted with humour that the small town had not one but three gas stations - feast or famine. Even here on the main highway gas stations aren't as plentiful as I might wish. Every trip I seem to have at least one occasion where I get nervous about the location of the next gas station. I need to remember to treat 1/4 tank as "empty".

As I filled up with gas I noticed that snow was mixed in with the rain. White flakes howled past, settling momentarily on the bike before melting. I thought this was supposed to be Spring, after all it is May 31st already. Frost in many Canadian locations last night, snow today... yup, still in Canada. Forecast for points further east is a lot more promising - sunshine and warm temperatures.

Returning to the highway I noted that the bike was handling a little nicer - the added weight of the fuel made a difference to the handling with the wind. Even so the wind gusts were really pushing me around, and seemed a cause for concern. Wet roads with rivers of water running down the tire tracks do not make fun riding even on calm days. The rain was sheeting down, and I adjusted my speed according to conditions and direction of travel - the wind was easier to deal with when it wasn't catching me right from the side.

Gusts pushed me around in my lane, and the occasional vehicle passed me - the extra spray from their tires all but obscuring visibility. It made for very stressful riding. At times I had the bike on a hard lean just to keep myself tracking against the wind to maintain my line. The wind was even pushing hard at my tank bag and it was leaning against my left arm.

When I went through Virden wind gusts were around 90km, and making the road a real challenge. The bike was registering a temperature of 33F, and I was wet despite my rain gear. My boots were leaking, and I could feel the icy water sloshing when I moved my feet around. Water had soaked my socks and leached its way up my pants. My gloves also were soaked, and water was slowly working its way up my sleeves. I started to consider the wisdom of making it an early day - nobody would accuse me of being a fair-weather rider, but this was truly beyond riding conditions.

Along the roadside fields were lakes, and water was running along the side of the highway like a river. A truck pulled past me and was caught by a gust of wind, pushed into my lane. I tracked sideways into the shoulder - not exactly where I wanted to be riding. Definitely not good riding conditions. I decided to call it an early day.

Approaching Brandon, Manitoba the road crossed over the assiniboine River - it was spectacular to see the flooding. The river was well over its banks, and spread out like a lake with trees and other dry-land features sprouting from the surface. The rain made it unfeasible to take a photo.

I pulled off the highway down the 1A which advertised access to central Brandon. The old highway wound past a few houses and then dropped down to pass under a low bridge. There was a submerged car parked directly under the bridge, so I re-evaluated my plan and very carefully turned the bike around balancing it against the gusting wind.

Returning to the Trans Canada, I continued onwards to a better access to Brandon. Pulling into the first motel, I parked the bike in a sheltered spot and booked a room for the night. Soggy conditions over the past month had caused major flooding in the Brandon area, and a number of residents had been evacuated. That fact, along with the rivers running along the side of the highway were a clear indication that camping was not feasible, unless it was a tent mounted on a canoe.

I was drenched. I pulled off my wet gear and hung it out to dry. Stepping into the bathroom I noted that the tile floor and my soaked socks were a bad combination - very slippery. I pulled off the socks and wrung them out in the sink. Stopping for the day was definitely a wise choice.

Once I was settled in I walked over to a neighboring restaurant for coffee and a small bite to eat. I didn't want to tempt fate by taking the bike out in the ferocious winds again. I had found myself struggling to balance the bike at stop signs against the gusting wind, and that always makes me nervous.

This evening the rain cleared up enough for me to take out the camera and shoot a few pictures along the highway to show the amount of water on the ground. Winds were still very strong, and you can see them in the ripples in the pooled water at the side of the roadway.

Water filled ditch - notice the water is right up to the roadway.

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Another soggy ditch, not quite as much water.

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Water gathered in low spots. Grass looked lush, but was growing out of a bog.

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hiya olive...

i tried to send you this in a PM.. but wont send... GGRRRRR

i live in laurel MD close to the DC area.. about 1 hour north of timmy the cop.. but i work close to him as a motorcycle tech. ( 20 years experience honda certified.)

when you hit the area let me know. i will be happy to check your bike over for free. and i offer a place to hang your helmet for the night.. or you can take timmy up on his offer.

:)

hope the weather turns better for you.

greg :fing02:

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Something is missing... :comp13: what was the cause of the leaking oil...? Inquiring minds want need to know

Brian

edit: never mind found it in your other post.

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...alright olive; all caught up now! The bike looks sharp with full hard luggage! Is your stowed hear staying dry?

Following...

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Hey Olive I use those rubber Overshoes and they are fine, traction-wise. I got mine from White Horse press. They keep you dry but do trap sweat as well. You are wise to call it a day in such weather. No need to be a hero.

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Glad to hear you're making some headway. On the open highway like the #1 you'll likely get around 380-400 kilometres per tank. Hopefully the weather will improve for you. The nasty stuff is tracking East so you're stuck with all the weather we had last week. :laughing6-hehe:

I've got a set of over-booties and they work great. They hook over your toes and your heal but leave the base of the boot free for the grip of pedals and the road. Worth the 20 bucks. Even with waterproof boots it keeps water from running up and over your boots.

"After checking into the motel I hung up my gear to dry. My left boot has a significant leak and had trapped some icy cold water. The sock was completely soaked. The right boot also leaks but not as badly - the sock and boot were merely damp. It will be nice to start off tomorrow with dry socks, dry boots and warm feet."

Leaking boot you say? If you have time to stop at a motorcycle store, you may wanna check if they ave some water proof booties you slide over your existing boots. I think I paid something like $20 fr mine about two years ago. They're cheap and riding with wet socks just sucks!

Interesting report so far. Always eventful.

Cheers.

C

I am always nervous about putting something over the boot that might impact my boots traction with the ground. I was considering a plastic bag over the sock inside the boot. I'm pretty sure that the lack of waterproof for this boot is related to dropping the F800 on it a couple of years ago. I broke the toe in three places, but the boot did a remarkable job of surviving. If I could find the location of the leak I would apply some silicone, but haven't been able to pinpoint it yet. Even with the leak I must say that SIDI makes a good product! Mine are race boots, not touring boots - boot options are significantly more limited for female riders. Women's feet are usually narrower than mens, and that makes a huge difference for the fit of footwear.

Ride reports are likely to be much more entertaining when the weather clears up a bit. :fing02:

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Hey Olive,

Thats quite a ride your on, Im envious at least. Theres nothing like a good pair of waterproof boots to keep the feet toasty and dry!

I'm looking foward to more riding in Canada again, beautiful scenery and warm freindly people.

Good luck

Marcel

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Update from Olive

"Tent is set up beside the Lake in Dryden, Ontario. Low to mid 50 temps were a welcome change. There was even a strange glowing yellow orb in the sky, although it occasionally played shy and hid behind the clouds.

Ontario is beautiful country to ride through compared to the Prairies - curves in the road, lush green trees and hills. Speed limit is 90 (55mph). Limit seems to be dropping as I head east - Alberta 110, Saskatchewan/Manitoba 100, Ontario 90.

No WIFI tonight, so a proper trip update will come tomorrow. Just wanted to quickly update progress and let everyone know where I am for the night."

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Update from Olive

"Tent is set up beside the Lake in Dryden, Ontario. Low to mid 50 temps were a welcome change. There was even a strange glowing yellow orb in the sky, although it occasionally played shy and hid behind the clouds.

Ontario is beautiful country to ride through compared to the Prairies - curves in the road, lush green trees and hills. Speed limit is 90 (55mph). Limit seems to be dropping as I head east - Alberta 110, Saskatchewan/Manitoba 100, Ontario 90.

No WIFI tonight, so a proper trip update will come tomorrow. Just wanted to quickly update progress and let everyone know where I am for the night."

LOL!! Thanks for relaying, Daisy!! You got all of the support started by being the goto person: thanks for looking out for our girl!!

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Update for Wednesday - limited internet access can sometimes delay posting... This was written Wednesday evening in the tent - and this is the first opportunity I have had to post up with full net access:

Woke up to a strange sight – sunshine, and very little wind. It looked like I was actually going to be able to put a few miles on the bike. I packed up my gear, and then went to lock my GIVI cases. Hmmm.... where did I put that key? A methodological search ensued, checking the pockets in every piece of clothing, scouring the top of flat surfaces, looking underneath things, checking the bike, and eventually unpacking and repacking the hard cases. No key. I did have a backup set of keys, but figured that my main set couldn't have gone far. Eventually I discovered them in the hidden forearm pocket of my jacket. Apparently I had outsmarted myself.

I put on the rest of my gear. Everything was dry except for my gloves – cold and clammy. They dried out quickly enough once I started riding, but they are perforated leather and more appropriate for use as summer gloves.

Off to a little later start than I had planned, I dialed the bike out onto the highway. It was a far cry from yesterday – today the roads were dry, wind was moderate and conditions were ideal for riding. The bike felt much more confident under me – strange how much more settled you feel when you can see potholes before you are right on top of them and the bike is not in imminent danger of hydroplaning.

Rivers ran in the ditches along the side of highways, and wheat fields were lakes of water. Grass and trees were a lush green from all the rain, but farmer's fields still lay unplanted. With the massive amounts of rain and flooding from spring run-off the farmers are going to be off to a very late start this year, if they are able to plant at all.

In places the road was in rough condition – lots of potholes, especially down the center of the two lanes where the dotted line was painted – at times it looked like there was a small ditch between the lanes, just deep and wide enough to spell disaster if a motorcycle tire was to get caught in it. The road continued in front of me for many miles, straight and open. The green of grass and trees was offset by the golden shade of wheatfields harvested the previous fall. Skies were blue with white clouds. A beautiful day where temperatures stayed in the low to mid 50s. Comfortable temperatures to ride in.

Apparently I was not the only person to think that it was riding weather – I saw a number of bikes on the road. The previous day in the gusty winds and torrential rain I was the only rider foolish enough to venture out.

My first gas stop was in Portage la Prairie. Portage la Prairie was just off the highway and I followed the 1A highway through town. Nothing in particular caught my eye, so I continued riding, stopping only to top off the tank. While waiting to pay for my tank of gas I had a short conversation with someone driving a large van. They commented about the wind pushing them around on the road. Hmmm... they must have missed out on the fun and games of highway driving yesterday, because today's wind was not nearly as noticeable.

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After another expanse of vast prairie, I followed the highway through Winnipeg. I could have circumvented the city using the ring road, but decided that I wanted to see what the city had to offer. I didn't stop to take any pictures, but it felt like a much smaller city than I was expecting. While riding through I turned off of the main route, and took a scenic route back to the highway. I figured that if I continued to follow roads south and east I was bound to intersect with the Trans Canada again.

Leaving Winnipeg traffic ahead of me came to a stop. Two Canada Geese and twenty goslings walked across the road. They moved with purpose, Geese marching as if they expected to have the right of way. My camera was inside the tank bag and not easily accessible at the time.

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Stopping at Falcoln Lake to fill up with gas I looked for a place to have a cup of coffee. Popeyes wasn't open so I made do with the small restaurant beside it. Typical small town restaurant it was set up cafeteria style. Tables were pushed together in long rows, and locals dropped in and joined in at the tables in a constant dance of people. It was easy to pick out the tourists – they sat by themselves. One fellow rode up on a bicycle. He was wearing a large backpack, and his bike was outfitted with pannier bags. Strapped across the rear of the seat was a large sleeping pad. Obviously someone on a journey like mine. We made eye contact and nodded to each other, but sat alone at opposite sides of the diner listening to the chatter of the locals.

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As I passed from Manitoba to Ontario I left the prairies behind. Ontario definitely has a different look and feel to it. Wide open fields were replaced with lush green forests. The speed limit dropped to 90km/hr (55 mph). It seemed that the speed limit continued to drop as I traveled east . Alberta featured 110, Saskatchewan and Manitoba favored 100 and Ontario insisted vehicles slow down to 90. Signs along the highway advised the cost of traveling in excess of the posted speed – it seemed rather effective to actually post the cost of the ticket that would result at higher speeds (110, 120). A little later I passed a sign that advised the penalties for travelling in excess of 50km over the posted limit – a fine of up to $10,000, vehicle seizure and immediate loss of license. Ontario definitely takes their speed limits seriously, although I didn't see any officers handing out performance awards.

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In Ontario, so far, the Trans Canada has been mostly one lane traveling in each direction, with the occasional passing lane opening up every 15 or 20 km. The road winds through rocky hills, and the sight of blasted rock allowing the road to pass through hills is a common sight. I have always found riding through an expanse with walls of blasted rock on either side of the road to showcase man's mastery over nature. Not only have we painted an asphalt ribbon across the land, but where it is not convenient to curl that ribbon around hills, we blast right through them.

Clouds painted a picture overhead, partly obscuring the sun.

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I passed four deer nibbling on the grass at the side of the road. These were the first deer that I had seen since leaving Calgary – that in itself seemed odd since I encounter deer on almost every ride I go on. Insects were out in full force as well, as evidenced by the splatters on the face shield of my helmet.

Another gas stop in Vermilion Bay. I stopped to take a few photos.

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I was beginning to get hungry, so I started looking out for a place to pitch the tent for the evening. Down by the lake in Dryden, Ontario I found a small campground with fully serviced RV sites, a marina and a grassy area to pitch a tent. This was exactly what I was looking for – inexpensive and quiet.

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After setting up the tent for the night I took a walk on the docks. The lake stretched out a gorgeous shade of blue. In the distance homes dotted the lakeside, and some sailboats were out for an evening cruise. Along the docks a few people were fishing – it looked like they were having more luck drowning minnows than catching dinner, but they didn't seem too bothered by that.

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Sitting in my tent typing up today's update I am listening to the trill and evening calls of birds, gulls screeing, robins chattering, geese honking and the mournful call of a loon as dusk falls across the lake. A veritable symphony. A car crunches along the gravel drive down to the docks, headlights flickering across my tent. Finally, it feels as if this trip has gotten started – I am outside my normal frame of reference, seeing new things and appreciating the journey.

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...aaahhh: let the trip begin!! Its starting to sound like the previous 'coffee table' read that you wrote last season. When you remarked about the sounds of the lake--the loon in particular, it reminded me of several Steven King stories ive read... He seems to favor the loon! Glued to the monitor; cant wait for the next update!!

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I woke up with the sun. Bright and early. Didn't hear very many birds calling out yet, so assumed that they were still asleep. It had rained a little during the night, and everything outside was wet. I stayed in the tent for a little while hoping to catch a little more rest, and to let outside temperatures warm up a little. It was another chilly night spent in a tent.

Finally I started packing up inside the tent – stuffing the sleeping bag into the compression sack I pulled the straps tight. Well, perhaps a little too tight – I pulled one of them right off the bag. No real harm done. I adjusted the other three to make up for the missing strap, and still get the bag down to a semblance of “small”. I squeezed the air out of the sleeping pad, and rolled it up as well. Blankets were folded into zip-loc bags, and I shuffled the rest of the gear that spent the night inside the tent with me towards the front.

Unzipping the tent, I pulled on shoes, and then unzipped the tent fly to see what the day had to offer. The lake was a gorgeous shade of blue, but the sun had risen high enough in the clouds that the light was watered down. The docks were quiet, as was the campground and the lake. I had the entire place to myself.

Efficiently I started packing up the tent. Shaking out the wet fly to get rid of as much moisture as possible I tucked it away in one bag. Once the tent was emptied I packed it up as well, folding the groundsheet leaving only a crushed impression in the grass to show that I had been there. The bike was repacked, and giving one last look to make sure that nothing was left behind, I threw a leg over the bike and followed the gravel road to return through town.

The town was also very quiet. On one road a woman jogger silently headed up a hill intent on her destination, or perhaps the tunes of her headphones. A couple of blocks further away someone was walking from house to car. But still, very quiet. I stopped at McDonalds for my morning coffee. The coffee there is inexpensive, and they offer free WIFI – something that I need to take advantage on during this trip. The table beside me was a group of local seniors. One noticed that my bike had Alberta plates and asked where I was from. The usual small town friendliness. Someone new, something new, and it becomes a temporary topic of conversation, dismissed as easily as last night's hockey game.

Finishing up my coffee I headed outside and did a preflight check. Bags were secure and locked cloesd. Tank bag was fully clipped. Checking out the tires I noticed something that was a note of concern – the rear tire was looking awfully short on tread. I figured that I was going to be replacing it a lot sooner than I had anticipated. Everything else with the bike checked out, so I headed East out of town.

While riding I was thinking about the tire – and started considering what my options were. Thunder Bay might have a solution. Sault Ste. Marie was another option. So were Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa. The next stop I would take a better look at the tire and the map and decide the best course of action.

Scenery was gorgeous as the day before – the road curved around hills, lots of changes in elevation, lush green trees, majestic rocks, and an odd brown shadow... I slowed down quickly as I spotted the Moose, scanning for the rest of his friends. Belated it dawned on me that Moose are usually solitary creatures unlike deer who travel in herds and it is the deer you haven't spotted yet that has suicidal tendencies and a fond wish to throw himself on the road in front of your bike. After spotting the first moose I also noticed a tree and two rocks later in the day that also had moose-silhouette-characteristics about them. Very little wildlife on the road, if you don't count the variety in cars.

Riding I realized that I was still tired, and the tire was on my mind. I pulled in for gas, and after filling the tank moved the bike over to the parking area so I could take a better look at the tire without being in the way of cars lined up for fuel. Checking out the tire I went from concerned to alarmed. I hadn't travelled excessive distance, yet the tire was visibly lower on tread from the previous time I checked. This did not bode well. At this point I noticed that the tire wear was very uneven around the circumference, and my mind was made up to replace it at the earliest opportunity... Thunder Bay was my destination, after another cup of coffee.

There was spotty rain, and the sun spent a lot of time hiding behind clouds. Not many places to stop for pictures, and I was eager to get the bike to Thunder Bay early enough for tire replacement. The road was lined with trees as the previous day, and at times I saw a passing train as the tracks followed the road in many places. The Trans Canada continued to be one lane each direction, with frequent passing lanes opening up. I saw a couple of Ontario's finest on the road, but they didn't take issue with me.

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Running low on gas I pulled into an old Shell station. It had obviously been there for quite some time to judge from the age of the pumps. This gas station was notable, however, because it had the highest prices per that I had encountered the entire trip thus far.

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The ride to Thunder Bay wasn't as enjoyable because the tire remained at the back of my mind. It didn't feel good under the bike, and every time I stopped I was expecting to see a completely bald tire. Eventually I reached the city, and tried to find Excalibur Motorcycle Works on May Street. First I found May Street, but didn't spot the sign for the company. It was pretty clear when I reached the end of the street that circled behind some houses changing name along with direction that I had missed out on the business I was looking for. A second pass yielded the same empty results. So I pulled out the Blackberry and checked the address, making note of the street number. This time I found an empty building that seemed to be a match, along with a sign indicating a new address for whomever had previously occupied the building – although there was no indication that it had been a motorsport company. I had noticed the sign the first time I went past, but had dismissed it as it didn't seem relevant to my search.

I flagged down a passing biker and asked for directions to the new address – he provided clear directions, but I wasn't convinced that I was on the right track as the road I was on turned from business to residential with no sign of the company in question. Eventually the residential gave way to business once again and in the distance I spotted my elusive quarry.

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Pulling up, I parked beside the service gate and headed inside. In very short order I selected an Avon Storm (Traditionally I prefer to run Pilot Road2s on my bike, but that wasn't an option open to me). It surprised me how quickly and efficiently the service manager whisked my bike into the back. I was fully prepared to pull the rear tire off myself, but was told not to worry about it – the VFR has a single sided swing arm and it is a question of removing a few bolts and popping the tire right off. Simpler than the tire on the BMW F800S that I had owned previously – it also had a single sided swingarm design, but also required the exhaust to be swung out of the way to provide access to the tire.

Excalibur is a small shop, but staffed with people who are riders themselves. Always a good combination. They offered me a coffee while I waited, and had the bike ready in record time. After I settled up I started heading outside to the bike and the service manager stuffed a T-shirt into my helmet. The first souvenier of my journey – a 20th Anniversary Tee for Excalibur Motorcycle Works in Thunder Bay.

After a quick check of the bike ensuring the tire was mounted the right way and bolts were secure, I set off to top off the gas tank once again. While I am sure that the staff at Excalibur are competant, like most other riders I like to double check anything that is mission critical on the bike myself. After all, if anything goes strange, the rider is ultimately the person who has to deal with the consequences.

I rode around Thunder Bay a little more to check a few things out, including their construction zones. Continuing east I decided to make use of the sun while it lasted. I finally pulled in just west of Nipigon at a small campground.

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This campground was evidently well kept up, and someone there likes to garden. Reasonable price for a tent, I settled up the bill and pulled my bike around to park just off the “road”. Getting off the bike the first thing I noticed were lots of black flies all interested in me. I sprayed myself down with bug spray, and this seemed to have a measurable impact on the black flies... it attracted more of them over to me.

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Tent set-up was accomplished while swatting at the air in front of my face to keep the flies out of my eyes. After I got the tent put together and everything loaded inside, I headed for the enclosed porch to charge my phone and quickly catch up on the internet. There was a connection to the net, but it was very slow and not conducive to doing much on the web beyond text based email.

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Back in my tent for the evening I finished setting up my nest for the night. Since the temperatures were rapidly dropping I crawled into the sleeping bag and tried to get some rest.

Boom! Flash-BOOM! A thunderstorm rolled overhead. It was neat to watch it light up the tent as it headed over. As lightning and thunder neared in proximity, I briefly considered the location I was in. The tent has aluminum poles stretched out over top of my head, but the bike was parked not very far away, and had a lot more metal, and was higher from the ground than me. I stayed inside listening to the rain fall on the tent, and watched the light-show that nature was providing to me.

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Previous update was Thursday - still need to process pictures and the trip report from Friday, but at least now I am only a day behind.

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Net access the past few days has been very spotty - and I am unable to update the forum from the Blackberry.

Was in Quebec City today, and visited Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre, Quebec. Now heading towards New Brunswick along the Gaspe Penninsula. Full update will follow from the past few days of riding dependent on full net access. :computer-noworky:

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Limited internet access means I am a little behind posting reports - this is from this past Saturday.

With a new rear tire on the bike I felt a lot more confident about riding. The sun was out as well which brightened things up significantly. The previous night I had eaten a bagged salad for dinner. I must have looked a sight riding with my dinner stuffed inside my gear to transport from the store.

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I got off to a later start than planned. Packing and repacking – still getting into the groove of putting everything where it belongs. Finally I was ready to go and headed towards Ottawa.

The skies were overcast, but the weather was nice. I headed through roads that were laced with curves, a little busier now than the previous day. More bikes were on the road as well.

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I passed through White City, home of Winnie the Pooh. Stopped to take a picture of Winnie himself. In front of his statue was a plaque... or rather space for a plaque. The woman in the visitor center told me it had been stolen the previous year and the town had no budget to replace it. This is a story that seemed to repeat itself at many visitor sites across Canada - a space where a plaque used to be invariably meant that someone had decided it would look better inside their garage, basement, or perhaps hanging like a trophy kill in the living room over top of the hearth.

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Many small towns had small monuments and something that they were known for, if only a slogan. Many of them seemed to feature slogans such as “the best place to live, work and play” - and invariably the signboard with the slogan was posted beside a boarded up gas station or business that had closed its doors. A little depressing to see.

I passed through a place called Wawa. I'm not sure if it was named for the lake, the large puddles of water everywhere after the rainstorm, or perhaps the sound of a goose calling, but the goose was certainly popular around there. Here is a picture of the town mascot. These giant geese were standing at the entrance to the town, on the roof of the motel, and beside the gas station.

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Gas was the real reason I had pulled in to the town although since I was there I took a short tour to see what the town had to offer. The gas station afforded this photo opportunity with a Moose. This one was friendly enough... The ones who live in the wild also like to get friendly with visitors on the highway. My bike and myself had no desire to meet one.

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Heading down the highway a small mite got sucked into my helmet vents and headed straight for my eye. I blinked furiously and came up a little blurry. Did I lose a contact? Not exactly... when I closed the other eye I could still see out of the blurry eye, but only partly. Hmmm.... this wasn't exactly good. I wondered if I had somehow torn a contact, leaving me with only partial vision. I headed into the first stop that presented itself – Echo, Bay. I found a gas station with a bathroom and checked out the contact in the mirror. The problem was that the small mite had gotten itself underneath the contact and was holding the contact partly away from my eye. I removed it and cleaned it. (I have no idea how I managed that through just blinking).

Sight restored, I continued on past Echo Bay. As I rode I spotted some road signs that were amusing. They indicated that the road was shared with horse and buggy – and it certainly was. It wasnt much past the first sign that I spotted a horse pulled buggy being driven by two women. The women were wearing long brimmed bonnets that reminded me of those from “Little House on the Prairie”. They were dressed in sombre colours, long sleeves and long skirts. I found it most amusing. A little further along the road I spotted a few more trotting along the side of the road, unperturbed by the cars on the highway passing them. A young lad dressed in similar style of clothing cycled past. In places the buggies were stopped at the roadside selling wares.

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I shared the road with a lot of furry creatures. Small bunnies. Large racoons. Adventurous chipmunks. Dead porcupines. The occasional collection of feathers blowing across the road that had previously belonged to an unlucky bird. I avoided everything except for the bugs that splattered themselves across my face shield. Saw quite a few juicy wasps close up, turning my helmet to allow the wind to whisk the carcass off of the face shield leaving only the goey yellow smear behind.

At times the road signs amused me – I spotted “Seldom Seen Road”, but since it also looked seldom traveled I opted to remain on the main road. I passed by one of Canada's nuclear reactors, and the site of a meteor crater. A little while later I slowed for flashing blue and red lights ahead – a police officer was investigating a car that tried climbing a tree. That was odd since it was at a location where the road was straight and there was no sign why he left the road, or how he managed to land with his hood pointed up a tree, rather than the tree trying to pass through the hood. Still I pressed onwards.

Construction ahead was signaled with the customary unhappy motorcyclist sign showing ruts in the road. I've ridden these ruts hundreds of times before, but these were very notable. They were deep and wide, and despite riding easy and relaxed the bike was pulling all over the road. They continued for quite some time and I was relieved to finally leave them behind. I also passed through a small town that featured construction. The main road passing through, the highway, was torn up with large rocks scattered across the muddy surface, and water pooling in huge muddy puddles. I picked my way through this carefully, choosing to bypass a couple of puddles on the oncoming side of the road. I did this right in front of a local cop, but he didn't bother with me at all – probably understood that I was just trying to maintain a vertical position on the bike.

As dusk fell I headed into Ottawa passing signs advising of deer and moose at night. Fantastic colours of sunset were evident in the sky reflected by my side mirrors – pinks, blues, purples in an ever-changing dance.

I stopped a couple of times to consult the tiny map on my Blackberry, finally locating my cousins place where I stopped for the night. He was inside his garage working on something when I pulled up, and didn't hear the smooth exhaust sound of the VFR. His bike of choice is a Harley, and he values the roar of his loud pipes. Amusingly enough he had been into bikes when he was young, but didn't get back into them until he heard that I had taken up riding.

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I still have to catch up on Sunday (Riding in Ontario and Quebec), Monday (Quebec) and Today (Quebec, New Brunswick and a stone's throw from Maine - my phone reported international roaming, so I was very close). Tonight I am in Frederickton, New Brunswick and looking forward to seeing more of the Maritimes. Limited net access and limited access to power for the mini-laptop has been a challenge.

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What area of the country do you expect you'll be in around June 19th, 20th or 21st? If you're anywhere between New York and Virginia Beach I will be out there on my first 7+ day adventure and it would be awesome to meetup. I'm heading out with a buddy from MN on the 17th!

I'd love to meetup and ride with anyone VFRD along my route.

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Great Olive, looking forward to the rest of the trip and lots of pics. Maybe the VFRD California contingent can meet up with you when you make it out here! :fing02:

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My cousin Derrick took me out around the Ottawa area. One Harley and one VFR. First up was a visit to Parliament.It might not have been the way I had hoped to visit the Parliament buildings, but I certainly made it there in style.

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Then we headed onwards through a small park like ride through Promenade de la Gatineau in Hull, Quebec that lead up past lakes and to a fantastic lookout point. There were a lot of cyclists out on the road, and it seemed a popular destination for motorcycles as well. The road had wonderful curves in it, however caution was called for as in many cases you came around a corner to find a car encroaching well into your lane passing a cyclist.

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My cousin and myself do not share the same philosophy towards riding. My attitude is that the cow is already dead and has little use for his hide, and I still have some use for mine. His is that the freedom of the road entails riding in blue jeans and a short sleeved shirt. I guess to ride a Hog you have to be tough enough to withstand a little road rash. His argument is that he is careful when he rides. Personally I'll stick with my gear, because my crystal ball isn't good enough to predict when I am going to go down despite the care and caution I ride with. Riders know it is not a question of if you fall off the bike, but when. I do my best to stack the odds in my own favour.

Leaving the park we returned through Ottawa for a quick stop at my cousin's place where I stopped to pick up my battery charger that had been forgotten, and then across the ferry into Quebec. We rode for a while, then stopped for a late lunch before Derrick headed back towards home and I set off for Montreal.

Everything in Eastern Canada is lush and green – quite the contrast to when I left Calgary a little over a week ago. Trees were still beginning to bud, I only saw one tulip starting to bloom, and my grass was still a shade of winter brown, with fresh green starting to poke through

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Passing through Montreal was an odd experience, and the language barrier seemed obvious when I was faced with road signs that were difficult to interpret. The road passed through a long tunnel underneath Montreal – very cool to ride. The Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine Tunnel. (It is actually the longest underwater vehicular tunnel in Canada, . The tunnel was well lit, and the edges were slightly curved. Three lanes headed down the tunnel, with lit “exit” doors every few hundred feet. There was nowhere t o pull over to take a photo.

Leaving Montreal I started looking for a spot to pitch my tent for the night. The first road I followed to a provincial park didn't actually have any camping. The next pull off was a grand detour – a little frustrating to discover that I had mis-translated a sign and sent myself on a wild goose chase (something that perhaps is more appropriate in Wawa, Ontario than Quebec). Finally I found a campsite, and had a small struggle with the attendant. Language was definitely a barrier, but it seemed that they wanted to charge me $60 for the site for the night. Assuming that I was misinterpreting I even pulled out my wallet to show $20, but they shook their head, and held up three fingers pointing at my twenty dollar bill. Hmmm... no, there was no way I was paying THAT much for a campsite. Highway robbery!

Continuing on as dusk began to fall I finally found a place to spend the night. I was tired and feeling very frustrated with my efforts to communicate. Quebec seemed in some ways more foreign than anywhere I had traveled in the States. Distinct and different certainly was the feeling.

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