Access to Hudson Bay or James Bay
 

Hello out there, Two years ago I made my way up past Thompson Winepeg on Canada HWY 6; in search or road access to Hudson Bay. As best I can tell there is not a singel road on the western or eastern shore of this impresive body of water. I have searched James bay (lower Hudson bay) on Google maps...nada. Do any of you have any knowledge of such a route, it can be a logging road or trail. You might ask why ? because its there and it looks hard . :ban:

I once planned to ride a mountain bike up the rail line to Churchill. Seemed do-able, but in the end I chickened out and rode the train with my bike in the baggage car....then rode all over the place around Churchill looking for polar bears, which some considered less-than-optimally-intelligent. A dual sport or trail bike would make short work of that rail spur, though; just keep an ear out for overtaking freight trains.

Seems to me I heard about a logging or hydro service road which reached saltwater on the eastern side of James Bay, but maybe I imagined that. Good luck with your search.

Mark

Just looking at my AAA atlas I see Hwy 109 from Amos Quebec going North with braches going to James Bay.
Hwy 280 in Manitoba goes to Bird on the Nelson River, then the train to Churchill.
And remember riding on railroad property and is tresspassing.

Hudson salt
 

Thank you Mark and John, I appreciate both your responce's and will check out both options for my next attempt; The next step is to find a riding partner and make it to salt water in 09!...its hard to find people willing to go so far north then retrun by the same route.

James Bay Road
 

Hello Wind Sand Star,

New to the Hubb and my first post!

Here is a website about the James Bay Road that may be of interest to you > James Bay Road - Home Page

It is paved for it's entire length of 620 km but services are very limited. I plan to get up that way towards the end of the summer.

Regards,

~TR~

You might get more info from a lifetime Churchillian. Mike Macri is a wealth of information about the Hudson's Bay Area.

Check out Sea North Tours:

Churchill, Manitoba Canada - Beluga Whale Tours Specialists

I met Mike when I spent a summer in Churchill in 1990.

Cheers,

Arkayik

.....have a look at this little James Bay ride report!

last I remember there was a road in northern Quebec that lead to the bay. However, if memory serves right, this was a seasonal route, for winter. I will try to confirm for you.

In the early 1990s I rode this route 109 through northern Quebec up to its northernmost point, the village of Radisson. There is a hydroelectric dam there, and that is the only reason the road exists: for the trucks to service the dam.

I rode a Kawasaki Ninja ZX11. There was a checkpoint at Matagami that let me through. After that, there was 388 miles of road to Radisson. There was one truck stop with gas 236 miles up from Matagami. Holding the ZX-11 down to 80mph, I just made it on fumes. Other than that truck stop, there was not another structure on the entire 388 mile route: not a house, not a store. There was gas and a hotel in Radisson.

This was in the first week of September, and when I got to Radisson it was 40 degrees F and drizzling, but it felt like it was about to snow. This is about 800 miles due north of Lake Ontario.

There is also a gravel road that goes west of route 109 for 55 miles to Chisasibi on James Bay. I did not take this road on my Ninja.

A few months later, there was a cover article in American Motorcyclist Mag about a couple who rode two-up to Radisson, roughly around the same time as I did. As I recall, I think they rode to Chisasibi, too.

I'll be heading up there in August to cut my teeth on outback type riding. I would like to go up the james bay rd to the most northerly road terminus, then charter a plane up to the northern section of the bay. Who flies up there, any suggestions?

Look into Bush Panes charters. Alot seem to fly out of Cochrane ont.

A group of 7 of us are heading that way the first week of Sept. Taking the Rue Du Nord (400km gravel), then the James Bay Road up to Radisson then left to the water, Trans Tiaga Highway up and back (1330 km gravel) then returning on the James Bay Road. We are from Ottawa and given we only have a week this seemed to be the best "how far from civilization can you get" trip we coould think of. Bit of a bummer having to back track but I guess that the nature of the beast for that area.

Looked into getting a heli lift from the end of the Trans Tiaga to the Trans Lab highway but the logging companies up there either were not into it or threw out some crazy not doable prices.

Anyways, if you see a rag tag group of 7 bikes give a honk and we can have a coffee.

Ride report with some photo's

Northern Quebec Canada - ADVrider

James Bay Trans-Taiga Road August 8thish..
 

This will be my turn to do this adventure. I have wanted to do this for many years and the economy really got in my way.

Well....it's happening now.
August 8thish 2011.
Detroit to Radisson to Caniapiscau and return.
Camping along the way.

Marrakesh Red:D

I live in Windsor by the way, right accrossed the river. :thumbup: