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I just spend two blissful days at a beautiful and free campground half hour north of Mafeking on the lake.
It was just gorgeous and peaceful! My ride from The Pas was uneventful, and I rode for quite a while. Funny how thoughts pop up in your head if there is nothing to do other than riding, especially if the scenery is really not that captivating. I've even had total strangers talking to me, and suggesting I write a book about my travels. To me it would just seem like a boring book, but it seems many disagree. Maybe I should take a go at it and see if I can even write anything logical :biggrin3: It was getting late as I had spent way too much time in The Pas, and again I started going down little roads, but nothing felt right to me. I almost pitched my tent in an acceptable spot, but the mosquitos were bad. I had to pee, and my butt looks horrendous now! I envy guys!! :biggrin: Somehow I felt that I needed to keep going, that I shouldn't settle for something less than I found so far. The road all of a sudden got really bad, they were redoing the tar, and had made the sand wet. It was now thick almost hard mud with lots of groves. No fun! Glad it was only a short while. On the map there was a small icon of a tent way north of Mafeking, and I thought I'd just pay for a campsite and take a shower. When I finally got there I was stunned. It was awesome!! http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psd4805ff7.jpg http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps542727f1.jpg Not a soul in sight http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psb3548037.jpg No idea what flowers these will become http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psaa5bcc02.jpg Had a dragonfly land on my sleeve and stayed there for a long time, until I accidentally dropped my camera on him, oops! Was trying to take a really close shot and it slipped out of my hands. I spend the day dong nothings, like knitting, Finished Spanky's hat, drawing, reading, eating and relaxing. Even though I love riding and seeing beautiful things and surroundings, I love pitching my tent and doing nothing the most. LOL, probably not something a lot of people do when traveling. Everybody seems to be on the go all the time, it sounds exhausting! I was debating staying another day at the campground when the crew came to clean the bathroom and mow the yard. I decided that maybe I should just mosey on. One of the crewmen was also a rider, and he gave me some info on routes to take. He shared his cherries with me, which was really sweet. He said he was jeoulous and would love to find himself a girlfriend just like me. I didn't quite know what to say to that! :eek1 I told him that he would one day, seemed to be the only thing appropriate. I took my sweet time and must have gotten another 20 or so mosquito bites. I look like I have contracted the chickenpox!! Trying not to scratch is quite a challenge! After having packed up and saying but to the crew i headed for Swan River. Along the road were tents, http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps729b4f55.jpg I am guessing these are the beehive tents too, even though they look way different than the other ones in Alberta. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9cda5112.jpg The only bummer right now is the there is no Telus service here in Manitoba!! I looked for one of those cheap go phones at a gas station or supermarket, but I guess it's not as common as in the US. Looks like I wil be able to have reception once I am north of Winnipeg. Well, this is all for today folks, till later, I am heading to Duck Mountain…. |
I'm in Gimli now, and no, I did not just get eaten by the dwarf! :biggrin3: (I think only Lord of the Rings fans will get this joke!)
Anyways, after posting my last RR, I walked back outside to find the heat just blasting me! http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psd94cb8c1.jpg Just to show how warm it was, the asphalt was melting! I headed to Duck Mountain, and hit the dirt fairly soon http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8e1a3981.jpg It was real easy riding though, nice and solid with not much gravel. All in all I found the road not too impressive, I had hoped to see more hills and such, but other than a slow incline at times I did not realize I was on a mountain. The area definitely draws a lot of locals in the summer. There was a huge campground with swimming area in the lake, a playground and such, even a boat ramp. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8285d38a.jpg I didn't stay long as I just wasn't feeling it. The road through Duck Mountain PP was rather short, and before I knew it I had gone through it. The last 10 miles or so were freshly grated! I discovered that a certain speed lets you go through that stuff without too much wobble, so I kept plowing on. I've got to get better at riding it!! One of these days I'd like to ride the Himalayas, and that's really gnarly roads, so I'd better toughen up!! I stopped at a small gas station on my way east (I think it was in Dauphin) where I got some gas and batteries. I got a shock to find out that in Manitoba the tax is 13% The owner of the gas station, and Indian feller, felt sorry for me, and gave me the batteries for free! Awwwww. We had been talking for a while about my trip and where I was going, and he figured I had to be low on funds. I kept riding for a while but it was getting darker. All of a sudden in the corner of my eye, I saw a little gravel road going up and disappearing. I made a quick U-ey and rode up it. It was a gravel pit, or should I say gravel mountain! I kept riding on the grass around the mountain of gravel and behind it was the perfect camping spot!! http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2cc38010.jpg There was a little broken down storage shed or so behind it, with some odds and ends furniture strewn all over the place. Left and right of the grassy field where barbed wire fences with cows behind them. I felt really safe there so I pitched my tent in the high grass, which is quite a feat really! I loved my little spot! I fell asleep in no time and slept really well. The nice thing about having no time frame is that I can do whatever I want to do, and I didn't want to pack up and move again, so I stayed. Not having shade is a bit of a drag, but that day was really windy, so I sat outside most of the day (and got sunburned) and relaxed. As I am rather trigger-happy as far as the camera is concerned and decided to snoop around and see what I could find that might be picture worthy. It's amazing the wealth of beauty one can find in a wild grassy field! http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps130e3bc7.jpg http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8aec4d53.jpg http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psa0840ef5.jpg http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psaaea9dc7.jpg http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7336e6e5.jpg http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psf4dacfcd.jpg http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psb99789f8.jpg It's funny how I am so used to seeing things at large, but really looking into the little things in life, the things not seen unless really looking, those things are just as amazing as the highest mountain tops and the biggest lakes. There is so much beauty in the small things, not only that, but every little thing, be it a bug or a small flower, it feels as if I've discovered something never seen by anyone else. Which is both true and silly. Of course people have seen a grasshopper or a nettle flower, but it is also true that nobody will have seen that particular one! So I really enjoy looking at the world up close, as well as from far away. I spend a really blissful day there and was ready for another day on the road the next morning when I woke up. It was drizzling a little so I took my time packing. After a little while the tent dried (there was lots of wind) and the sun came out. Once back on the road I headed East again. I needed a shower (baby wipes help, but not where your hair is concerned). http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps156c4ced.jpg As I was riding through Manitoba Narrows, I saw a touristy spot with a store and a huge camping area. I stopped in the store and asked the guy there if there was a laundromat, and the owner of the store let me use the one in the camp ground. The washing machine was only a loony and a half!!! Awesome, but best of all, there was a shower in the ladies bathroom!! And not a coin one, just a normal shower. Yippee!!! I tossed my dirty clothes in the machine and took a nice leisurely shower!! Once clean I scrubbed my jacket, as it was no longer high vis yellow!!! I spent a long time there, as the dryer did not work too del, and required more coins than the washing machine did. Still at around 5 my jacket, mu clothes and I were clean! I had also purchased a bunch of snacks at the store while waiting, so that way I felt I gave them at least some of my money :cool4: I hit the road again and was aiming for lake Winnepeg. As I got to the lake I realized that this might not have been a bright idea. This was a very touristy and populated area! I went on some dirt roads leading to the lake, but there were no camping signs everywhere! At one spot I stopped to take a picture, it was beautiful there http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps831f94d6.jpg I walked through the grass to take another shot, and got assaulted by bugs!!! http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psfcc4418d.jpg I closed my helmet really quickly as I didn't want them in my face. You can imagine how fast I got out of there!! I stopped at one camp ground, but it was expensive and too crowded. I didn't realize that it was Friday….. As I kept going south on 222 toward Gimli I noticed another sign saying Camp Morton Provincial park. Turns out that the office was back 2 km, and already closed as it was late. I stopped to ask someone how much the camp ground was, and was told $17. I decided to just stay there. But now I faced the question where to stay, as the list of sites still available was from the day before. I got really lucky then, as campsites 9-12 were already taken by a big family gathering, but 9 was still empty as those friends never made it. I was offered to take their spot! That was so sweet. Kate made a run to Sobeys and asked if anyone needed something. I asked if she could pick me up some tofu, and handed her some money. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psdbd7563b.jpg I pitched my tent and made some dinner. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7f3d25c0.jpg Fran is the gal who offered the spot to me (in orange shirt), and Kate is the young girl to the left. Later on we all played a dominoes game (involving trains) It was cool, and I won the second game (beginners luck I guess). http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psd3f31ecd.jpg Thousands of dragon flies hovering in the night sky http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9a189d73.jpg close up of a bug, the same kind that were on my helmet earlier. Fran told me they only live 24 hrs and don't have a mouth! Now what would the purpose of their lives be? To live and not eat? Are they only some other bugs food? Very odd! I went to bed around 11 but had a tough time ring to sleep as a girl started screaming at the top of her lungs, and her dad was cussing at her telling her to stop. Then he hopped in the truck and left!!!! She screamed even louder for about half an hour. I felt like calling the cops, but had no cell phone reception. She fell asleep after a while, and the dad returned. I think she was mentally challenged, as her sounds were high pitched and didn't sound like a language at all, as if she couldn't talk. Still, what a way for a dad to react to a situation like that! (I am guessing it was a dad, if it was a nurse or so, or camp leader, well, I'd have his ass fired!!!) After she quieted down (it was midnight by then, some campers showed up and pitched their tent next to mine, making a lot of noise and then decided to make a fire and drink. :confused1: I put some earplugs in and went to sleep! Today I decided to go into town and find some internet. I headed to Gimli (which is really a touristy place) and took a bunch of pictures. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps40ce0421.jpg http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psb8b8f31b.jpg http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psd4a5d931.jpg This one was definitely my favorite! There was a little tent site with booths selling all kinds of stuff This one made me laugh!!! http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psb3e7dece.jpg Hopefully tonight will be quieter, and tomorrow I'm heading to Sellkirk, as I have been told it has a health food store. Afterward Ontario!! Yep I am getting closer to Labrador!! |
I didn't get very far today :cool4:
Fran and Rick invited me to stay at their place for a night and get a shower etc. I figured as I still have a ways before it's mid August (trying to meet up with Jettn Jim in Quebec at some point) I would be able to just take my time. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...pse999d3aa.jpg There was a little trail to the beach from the campground http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psdb884808.jpg The beach itself was very pretty and the sand soft. In Hawaii the beach is more grainy because of all the small coral pieces. The gang was having fun while cooking dinner, one of the things was making little animals http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psaed7f0e7.jpg I made the giraffe!! It's like lego's, but the legs and neck are little plastic strips you fold into a triangle lengthways The clouds turned very dark, and before I knew it rain came down hard!!! We all huddled under the motorhome awning, but that didn't do much good. I crawled back into my tent as soon as it eased off a bit and grabbed my Nook to read. It was a stormy night, and the lake sounded like a rough ocean with the waves crashing on the shore. I have to admit that I missed that sound!!! It was so soothing to hear, but the wind on top of that was pretty deafening. I slept like a log!! (always do when it's stormy) and woke up fairly early. Was packed up and out of there by 10 The ride to their house was short but it was a nice ride along the coast line http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1f81e1df.jpg I got myself situated in the camper, which is awesome ( a little home to myself) and went to the local market with Fran. There were little craft, and produce booths. It wasn't a large market and we didn't spend much time there, but it was neat meeting some local folks. When we got back to the house Fran took me for a walk around the yard http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps55887765.jpg I can't help it, I just love Lilies!! http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psad20add4.jpg http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3dbc2be3.jpg http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psd40c6974.jpg Doesn't that look like a little bitty cauliflower in the center?? Then Fran and I went for a short ATV ride around the property. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psc6382e44.jpg A genetically correct tin man hanging from a tree, I think his name was Wilson?? LOL http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3c9f8596.jpg I loved this old stove. I bet cooking on this thing was pretty easy, but I'm guessing your legs would get pretty hot while standing there stirring away. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psfb234614.jpg You can't tell by the photo, but the little pansy is not bigger than your thumbnail!! I can take my time tomorrow, as I will be visiting an Earth house at noon. Rick and I got to talking about houses and I told him I really wanted a Hobbit home. He then mentioned there being one only a few miles away, where he did the Electrical wiring. The home is off the grid, and only has solar for electric and windows for heating in the winter. Can't wait to see it!! After that I'm heading toward Sellkirk, where there is a health food store. Running low on Tasty Bites again! I can't believe how close I am getting to Quebec and Labrador!! Still, Ontario and Quebec are pretty huge!! |
I'm in Kenora Ontario right now after an eventful yesterday :biggrin3:
Slept in as I had some trouble with mosquitos during the night, LOL, pesky little buggers! Fran had made some fried green tomatoes in the morning, I had to think of that movie. She cooks outside in the summer so the house doesn't heat up so much. Quite clever! It tasted really good! Around noon we left to go see the earth house. It was really close by, which makes it double so funny that I had even mentioned what my future house would look like. As we turned into their driveway other than their sheds, you could only see a big grassy hill, and an antenna :biggrin3: http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4da9b20a.jpg As we walked around the other side the front of the building came into view http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7f9f550e.jpg As you can see, it is still a work in progress as they are doing everything their selves (other than the electric) That's Rick in the foreground The dogs heard us coming and we hoped that we hadn't woken up the baby. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5c8b9009.jpg Once you walked into the covered "porch" area, you could feel how hot is was in there. In the winter that would be wonderful! http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psd9721a27.jpg If it got too hot, there were vents in the ceiling you could open up http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8b6c890c.jpg A very huge Hibiscus I didn't take too many pics as I felt it was a little too intrusive. The house was very nice, but there were things I would not do in my place, like a concrete floor. I'm sticking with my dome plan so far, and other than the dome being built out of three layers of brick with tar in between the layers, and the 4 support walls out of brick, everything else in the house will be out of wood. It's good to dream right??? :biggrin3: I said goodbye to the young woman who showed us the place, to Fran and Rick, and rode toward Selkirk. As I arrived I happened to see a Safeway there, I decided to stop (gut feeling) and see if by any chance they sold Tasty Bites. The health food store Grandma Carol's didn't. They didn't have Tasty Bite, but they did have lots of other similar meals http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7705a202.jpg I was in heaven!! They also had a RedBox, and after a quick google, Yep I had reception again, I found out that Kenora also had a RedBox. I got two movies, one of them "Winter's Tale" and looked forward to a nice movie night in my tent I bumped into Fran and Rick again, and told them I had found what I had been looking for. Finally I hit the road again. The scenery changed, and no longer was I only on straight roads, there were actually some curves here and there!! http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4bac0363.jpg I found an awesome spot at the lake and I had just finished pitching my tent, when an official looking truck appeared…… Crap! I walked up to the rangers and said, it's okay to camp here right?? Both their heads shook no. LOL We got to talking and asked them where a good legal spot would be. Of course they mentioned the obnoxiously loud and full campground in town, but I told them that there was no way I would ever be able to fall asleep there, and that I was looking for some wilderness camping. The guy told me that for a "more personalized experience" I could continue for another 14 kilometers and be out of the park, where there were dirt roads that I could go on and camp. LOL, I had to laugh about his phrasing. I told them I'd be finished in half an hour and they said okay. It took me indeed half an hour to pack back up, and I was soaked through by that time as it was really hot, in the nineties! http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psc40a1759.jpg Once back on the road it was only a few kilometers to get into Ontario!! 14 km??? The guy was a tad off. I kept riding for a while until a dirt road beckoned me. I swung on it and in no time got to a nice cozy spot http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psdb7428d6.jpg There was a sandy track that looked like some ATVs had been riding on. I had my tent up in a jiffy, eager to try out my new meals and kicking back watching a movie. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps96b44e11.jpg Looked like I had parked myself smack-dab in the middle of a huge blueberry field!! Hmmmm, bears might definitely be around!! The new food was very spicy!! Had to add a few raisins in the meal and eat some chocolate afterward to quench the burning!! LOL I packed up all my food, and crawled in the tent to watch my movies. It was heavenly!! I slept great and woke up around 8. It's weird, years ago I was a bit of a Keanu Reeves fan, and for some odd reason the last week or so he's been in my dreams. Then it dawned on me this morning that he grew in Ontario. LOL, what the subconscious mind doesn't drag up in ones dreams!!! http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1c7e66ba.jpg A shot from the other side I was out of there by 10 and headed to Kenora to return the movies to RedBox. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps23dcda19.jpg I was really enjoying the few curves here and there http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psa40d7d1b.jpg http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psb296f983.jpg As I rode into Kenora I noticed a huge white tent in the distance, not sure what it was. I found the tourist info and got myself a map of Ontario. Ha, Dryden was like a stone's throw away. Oh well, I guess I won't be meeting DrydenRider54, as he is out of town till Thursday, unless I find some awesome spot to hang out for a couple of days. :biggrin3: I found Safeway and returned the DVDs. I also found aMcD and used their internet. Too bad hardly any of them have electric plugs, so I hope it will be sunny so I can charge my laptop again. It's almost three and I'm going to hit the road again, but not before saying Thank you sooooo much Geoffrey for putting quite a few full tanks into my Paypal account!! I'm pretty sure that now I'll actually make it to Newfoundland!! I'm so glad for everyone's help, you are all making my dream come true! |
WOW what a fantastic read and journey. I have great respect and admiration.
Ride safe NG. |
Excellent read & pics once again NG :thumbup1:
Happy trails to you |
It's Saturday morning almost 8, and I am actually awake, and sitting in a real bed at Finndian's girlfriend's house in Wawa.
I had a great few days since I last posted, so here it goes. After leaving Kenora I discovered that Dryden is not exactly a stone's throw from Kenora http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5cc8ca5a.jpg The road was getting more interesting and had some twists and turns and ups and downs. I did miss that! http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psbabcd404.jpg I eventually got to Dryden, after having gotten poured on, and took a picture of the downtown sign, just so I could show Dryden-Rider-54 that I'd been there. I parked at a little rest stop just at the edge of Dryden to lube my chain and to check my tire pressure, there were beautiful flowers planted there, still wet from the rain. I couldn't help but take some pics of them. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psce73b22e.jpg http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps159c34aa.jpg http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps481ce68f.jpg http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4e818152.jpg After leaving Dryden I was just cruising along when out of the corner of my eye I noticed a street sign http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psb09fec32.jpg I had to make a U-ey and take a pic. My son's name is Travis, and I'd been missing him.so seeing a street with his name on it was kinda cool. I figured he'd get a kick out of it. I kept riding for a while and decided at one pint that I'd had enough and wanted to crash. Of course when you are looking for a place to stealth camp, it might take a while at times. I kept turning in here and there, but nothing looked right. I even checked out a few rest stops with tables and such, but all specifically said no camping. The at the last rest stop road work was going on and they had detoured the entrance. Once I got there I rode up the hill and saw a wonderful little spot. It was late and a few other folks had the same idea as me and had made camp there as well. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps671e6fea.jpg I pitched my tent near a table right next to the river and after a quick dinner fell right asleep. The next morning (I did not get thrown out!) I discovered why the river was that loud!! http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psbf4a4fb8.jpg just a few yards from where I was camped! http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psfa0ae4e9.jpg There was even a second one, but hard to see through all the bushes and trees. Because I had plenty of time before meeting Jettn Jim, I decided to hand there for a day and relax. There were a lot of folks stopping by that day to see the little waterfall. Towards the end of the day the thought of maybe spending my night in my hammock and hide between the trees, entered my mind. So I broke camp and set up my hammock so I wouldn't be visible, and also hid Spirit in between the trees. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7f585e0d.jpg Not sure if that had been a smart idea!! There were so many mosquitos there that they made me miserable, and I had just lost my repellent. The night turned out to be really cold, high forties and I was really cold in my hammock, as it doesn't have one of those down blankets suspended underneath. I even had my little foam pad in the hammock. It took a while but I finally fell asleep, woke up in the middle of the night cold, and fell asleep again later. Yep, hammocks just aren't comfortable for me. I think they are great when it is warm, and when I absolutely can't pitch my tent. I crawled out fairly early and broke camp in the middle of a sunny patch so I wouldn't get bitten too much. It took me still more than an hour to get ready, basically because I dragged everything in the sun before packing up. I was glad to be on the road again, away from those pesky little buggers. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6d0e6f76.jpg Crossed yet another time zone!! http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps459436ad.jpg I was nearing Thunder Bay, and rode the scenic route past Kakabeka Falls. I had been there with my kids years ago when they were little, (touring for three weeks in an SUV camping all the way). http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9fb42ed4.jpg I spent a while in Thunder bay buying more food for the road and mosquito repellent, even found Off botanicals, a lotion with Eucalyptus oil and no Deet! I also had to get a phone top up card, as my bank had put a hold on my account because I'd forgotten to mention that I was going to Canada. Thunder Bay was a tad too crowded for me, so I hurried on out of there. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8cefd238.jpg http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps652d88e0.jpg http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...pse32a3058.jpg http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...pse681ec23.jpg I found another little rest stop, and cooked dinner there. I was really hungry and figured that this way I could just pitch my tent somewhere and crash without having to haul my cooking gear out. I was tempted to stay there as it was quiet and remote, but I had wanted to put a few more miles on, so I could meet up with Finndian in Wawa at a decent time the next day. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps69eb9051.jpg It was getting darker, and my camera takes odd pixels pics when it gets darker. I ran into another rest stop at the lake, and noticed another camper there as well. There were no signs there that I couldn't camp, so I pitched my tent in a remote corner next to the water. It had gotten dark by now and as soon as I was done, it started raining as well. Boy, talk about perfect timing!! I slept like a baby with the sound of the rain and the lapping of small waves agains the shore. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6646fde1.jpg http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6bd70c5c.jpg The morning sun looked awesome on the lake http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps48356a9f.jpg Tent view from the lake http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6ac45ded.jpg The sun was right in my lens, so it looks a little weird but still cool I left fairly early, but had to pack a wet tent as the dew and the rain make both sides wet! I figured I'd put it up at Finndian's place. The road toward Wawa was awesome! I even saw a sign to some falls and even though it said boardwalk closed due to painting I went there anyways. There was no painter there and the ropes had been removed, so I went down the boardwalk anyway. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps383bb037.jpg It was worth the little hike and ignoring the signs :D http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps53fc4d8f.jpg I stopped at a rest stop to eat some chips I had bought earlier and rest a bit. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9f035631.jpg Amazing to see Fireweed all the way here as well. If you look closely you'll see I even got a bee in the pic http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psaa4a896c.jpg I'm guessing there are beavers in the area! http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps88880df3.jpg I made it to Wawa and found Finndian's work place (after my GPS sent me somewhere else), he had given me the address. Turns out his shop has ATV, skidoos, and a couple of used bikes. Awesome! I asked if I could borrow an oil pan so I could change moil, and he gave me one. Changed my oil in no time and to my delight discovered an absolutely clean oil filter!!! not a sliver or grain of dirt in it!! I don't think I've ever had the filter this clean when changing my oil! I was so happy to see that!! Gord (Finndian) closed his shop at five and we went over to his girlfriend Mary-Ann. She rides as well, and it is always great to meet another woman who rides!! His mom came over later with his youngest daughter and we had a very nice dinner together. His mom is quite a traveler herself, so here we were, a bunch of nomads sitting at the table. Mary-Ann and I spend a while talking about riding and life, it's funny how many things we had in common. She is a do-it-herselfer too. I took a nice bath and crashed in her son's bed who wasn't there. I slept great but woke u early (forgot to lose curtains) I'm glad though, cause now i could do my ride report before I leave. Gord and Mary-Ann are leaving today with the kids to go camping in Michigan, so I am glad I had the chance to meet them before they left. Now I'm slowly heading toward a place where I'm to meet Jim. It's the start of a dirt road heading toward a small lake that I had picked out to meet at. Gord told me about a nice side road that avoids Sault Saint Marie, and that has some nice camping. So I am heading there today. |
Great pictures and RR. Hope you enjoyed your ride on the north shore of Superior (other than the mossies). Say safe.
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I'm in Val-d'Or!! Yippeeeeee!!
Funny how your mind makes up the worse scenarios and boy am I glad I just ignored it and chose to go the dirt way from Belleterre to Val-d'Or. Anyways, let me go back to the time that I was leaving Mary-Ann's home. Gord (FINNDIAN) Mary-Ann and the kids were leaving at noon to go to Michigan for the long weekend. Gord came by early and helped me replace the headlight bulb which had burnt out. I thought I had to remove the fairing, but luckily Gord showed me how to pull out the rubber cap and then the spring. The rest was easy. Afterward I packed up the Spirit and quickly got a few things taken care of, i.e. loaded up my prepaid phone, talked to my dad, and got a hold of Jim to finalize out meeting place. Time speeds up on me occasionally, and I'm afraid that I was making Mary-Ann nervous by not having left yet :biggrin3:, sorry Mary-ann!! We were all out of there at noon. Gord had given me some roads to ride and that's where I was heading. I had forgotten to put in my ear plugs so I stopped on the side of the road to put them in, beep beep, there passed Gord and family! :biggrin3: I enjoyed the road along the lake, gorgeous!! http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psce259bc3.jpg http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psdbe05109.jpg I found the turn off to a road around a little peninsula to the right, and I thought I could ride around the coast. Unfortunately there were a gazillion homes there, and the gravel road dead-ended. I had missed a turn. I rode back and found the turn I missed, but that road turned into a very dark tree covered mud road that I decided I did not want to take. So I turned around and got back on the Highway. :mchappy: Gord had told me about Hwy 556 that bypasses Sault Set. Marie, and goes through Ranger Lake. It's mostly dirt and ends up on Hwy 129 where I would be able to find a camping spot along the river. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4ac2e8fa.jpg http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psec8749b1.jpg http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psaab32093.jpg http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psf02cce6c.jpg After a few miles or really hard, teeth chattering washboard (which my XOG really didn't like), the road turned easy to ride and quite relaxing. Before I knew it I hit 129 and went South. I kept looking for the spot between two sharp turns, and I found it. Unfortunately, or should I say fortunately, it was utterly crowded!! Yep, so not my style…..:biggrin3: I kept going al the while looking for a little side road to the river. I was getting closer and closer to Iron Bridge, when I noticed a very dark and narrow dirt road I made a quick turn as I had already passed it, and rode through the sandy ditch onto the little road. Luckily it wasn't very long, and I had to duck occasionally as it looked like nobody had been here for a while. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6ceac10c.jpg I ended up at a wonderful little spot at the river http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps970dce27.jpg Looking back where I had come from. Perfect!! http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps59e07d59.jpg I pitched my tent, where by the looks of it, some folks used to camp and had left a couple of chairs It was wonderfully peaceful, the birds were twittering and the sound of the river, albeit pretty loud, was soothing. The mosquitos weren't bad, and the mosquito lotion I had found at Walmart, Off botanicals, was working great! There were plenty of flowers around the tent and the river and I couldn't help but put them in my camera's lens :D http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...pscb8594e3.jpg http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps33cb5b34.jpg http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9db852b0.jpg I also discovered that the previous "tenants" had made a "bathroom"!!! A tarped in square with a roof that had collapsed, but the pit and the really beautiful toilet with seat, was still there. I cleaned it up a bit, and enjoyed going to the bathroom in style!! :biggrin3: I slept great, again, and once I woke up decided that I wanted to hang for a day. As it was getting too hot in the tent, I opted to hang my hammock between the trees for some shade. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psc9c03e61.jpg Heaven!!! I spent my day hanging around (literally) reading and crocheting, and closing my eyes while listening o the river and the birds. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps72097e3f.jpg View from within the hammock As I woke the next morning, i had a very unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach, I couldn't explain why. I kept looking at the trees and the river, but I felt like I was being watched. I kept my bear spray handy, and my ears open to the sound of snapping branches, but heard nor saw anything. I fired my tent off so the sun wouldn't have to work too much, and packed up quickly. By now my mind was literally screaming get out, I still had no idea why. As soon as I was packed up I rode out of there, and once I hit the road the feeling subsided. What the …..????? :confused1: Oh well, hard to tell what is in my mind and what is really there sometimes. Still, I have learned to listen to my gut feeling. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps177d421e.jpg I rode toward Greater Sudburry and decided to make a little detour into Espanola to buy some food for on the road. I had a hard time finding what I was looking for, no Tasty Bites or anything similar. Bummer. Afterward I continued and took 144 North toward Timmins. Halfway there was the turn off to Shining Tree and Gowganda. I figured that I should have no trouble finding a place to pitch my tent. Of course while I was riding I glanced at my speedometer, yikes, already that many miles?? I thought I'd gas up at Cartier, but there was no gas station. Well hopefully there will be one at Shinging Tree or Gowganda. Luckily, right at the intersection of 144 and 560 was a gas station! Phew!!! I've got to do a better job at keeping my tank full! There was a rest stop too, with some huge bushes with some lovely flowers. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps59ba9134.jpg http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6f9baf9f.jpg Couldn't decide which to post, so I posted them both :lol3 As it was getting toward sunset I stumbled upon a rest stop but it had a no camping sign. However, right across from it was a small gravel road. Hmmmm, I was thinking of how nice it would be not to have to offer my butt cheeks for breakfast to a bunch of hungry mosquitos, so and I walked down it a bit to see if I would be able to pitch my tent alongside of it. Sure enough, there was a spot big enough for my tent! I walked back to Spirit, hopped on and rode on the little gravel road. I put my tent up in record time as the mosquitos were horrifying!! http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7bccb7b7.jpg Made myself a late dinner and immediately crashed, I was tired!! The next day I rode to Englehart and New Liskeard to see if I would have better luck finding some vegetarian meals, but only found some packages of rice noodles. I did find a bulk food store where I stacked up on a bunch of goodies to make my oatmeal out of. Seeing as my 12 volt adapter was also biting the dust I looked around for a new one, hoping that maybe that was the reason why my GPS would not turn on, or if it did would stop it from turning off immediately. I felt rather lost without my GPS. Back to reading maps I guess. I got into Quebec at 5:30 and stopped by the tourist info. They were closed!!??? Hmm, on the internet it said they were open till 6! Guess the page is old…. I stopped at a gas station to see if they had a map, but they didn't. Finally at a little town before Laverlochere, I found a small local map, but it had the dirt road on it that I wanted to take, or at least had one of them on it. Turns out that the other dirt road washed away so the only one I could go on was toward Val-d'Or. I was nervous as heck, what was I getting myself into?? My French is not too good and even though I had asked some locals, nobody seemed to have taken that road. I got to Belleterre in no time, and from there took the road to Laforce. As I was almost there (my XOG miraculously started up again) I saw a sign saying Cascades (waterfalls). I just love waterfalls, and even though the narrow little road looked iffy, I decided to go and take a look. Hmmm, I almost wiped out at the end as I hit a patch of sand, but I plowed through it and made it to the top. After parking Spirit at a little table I waked off to find the fall. Yep, not easy to get to, and I was in no mood to keep hiking between the shrubs in my hot jacket which I didn't wan tho take off as there were plenty of bloodsuckers about. I took a pic from afar. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7dbde218.jpg It was getting late as I got back to the bike, and I looked around….. "This is really a nice spot", I said to myself. So I decided to stay and hoped nobody would throw me out. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psea14a95c.jpg http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1aeb81e2.jpg pitched my tent under a tree and parked Spirit close the the tent. The moon was already up. Of course the big plus that came with my little camping spot, was an outhouse!! Once dark the mosquitos left, and within no time the temperature dropped considerably!! No idea how cold it was, but the inside of my tent got wet quick!! I checked my cell, but had no reception, bummer! I did however sleep wonderfully!! |
Continued
I woke up rather early, a bit before 7, and was at odds with myself. Should I leave or should I stay??? I loved the spot, but had no idea what the road to Val-d'Or would be like, or how long it would take me.
I did want to get to Ste.-Anne-du-Lac a day before Jim got there, so I could relax and be rested. In the end I opted to leave and packed up between rain bouts (the tent dried luckily). The ride going down hill toward the main dirt road went smooth, the rain had tightened up the sand a bit. Did I mention I was a bit of a nervous wreck starting this dirt road?? On the map were so many turns and turn-offs that I was afraid to get lost, as my sad GPS no longer turned on. Still, I figured how bad can it be. Before long I actually saw a sign that said Winneway, perfect!! Little did I know that even though it was a dirt road, there were signs everywhere, and the road was not nearly as long or confusing as the map made it look. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psd1d7acfd.jpg The gravel road itself was indeed gnarly at times having been freshly grated (why oh why do they do that???) but there were lots of solid hard packed stretches too. At one point I saw an animal smack dab in the middle of the road, it did not move, not even when I stopped next to it to grab my camera. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps821166a1.jpg Hmmm, what are you?? He was not scared at all, actually he was rainy his hackles at me!! http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...pscefade9c.jpg http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...psfb4b83c7.jpg http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8419eed9.jpg Stopped to take a pee when I noticed a while bunch of these, yum!! Before long I got to Rapide Sept, and then to Val-d'Or. Al that fear and worry for no reason.!! I gassed up and put the air bcd into my tires and found a Burger King. I got lucky!! They had an electric plug!! So here I am, having eaten a huge batch of fries (they were out of medium baggies) and a huge cup of iced coffee (the kid had forgotten that I had paid for a small). My lucky day today! So here I am, close to Ste.-Anne-du-lac and it is only Wednesday. LOL. I'm gonna find a place to kick back a couple of days and ride into Saint Anne on Friday to get the lay of the land so I can tell Jim where exactly to meet me. |
Hanging in a conference room with Jim!
We met up last night and had dinner till midnight at a pretty cool restaurant pub that made it's own beer (15 flavors to choose from). Not that I drink beer, but Jim sure was loving the Jalapeño beer. Okay, I guess I am not allowed to use the word BeEr Then because it was so late Jim opted for spending the night at a motel. Turns out that all the motels/hotels in town were full!! He talked the owner into letting us stay in the conference room. At first we thought just to put our pads on the floor, but they brought in a couple of fold out beds, short but comfy! Anyways, let me backtrack real quick. I left Val D'or fairly late, but couldn't help notice that it really was a quaint little place. I loved the lamp posts!! http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5acadfd7.jpg All of them had flower baskets hanging down from them! As I was riding South in search of a camp spot a huge double rainbow appeared!! Awesome!! http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5e559717.jpg http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps68661027.jpg I didn't have my camera in panorama mode, so you're just gonna have to visualize the whole thing :biggrin: I found a free little campsite with outhouse right off the road. There were other people camped nearby so I felt pretty good about the location. Pitched the tent and crashed there for a couple of days, relaxing and waiting for Jim to head out. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7257c6b9.jpg The road toward Mount Laurier was picturesque, but mostly trees and lakes the whole way down. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps83f24558.jpg Once I got to Mont-Laurier I had the hardest time finding a laundromat. My cell kept on giving me the wrong location. Boy was I ever missing my XOG!! When I finally found one of them it was closed. I went in search of the second one, and had to cross this bridge. Too bad the fencing was in front of the view. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...pse6361d02.jpg The other one was still open, but it had gotten late. I opted to come back the next day to do my laundry then. The ride toward the Parent turn-off was fairly short and went on the dirt road for a ways until I found a spot to pitch my tent. http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps03ad586c.jpg A fallen down tree! Perfect! Not many people would be driving past here. I pitched my tent while being swarmed by mosquitos and bugs, but once inside the tent it was peaceful and bug free. I cooked myself a nice diner as I had bought fresh mushrooms, veggies and tofu! I slept like a baby and took my sweet time the next morning to get packed up. The laundromat was quiet, but luckily for me there was a guy there who happened to have change for a $20 as the coin machine was broken. Serendipity!! The bathroom was a mess!!! someone had crapped and then tossed a plastic cup into the toilet with a rag in it!! People????? As I really had to go I figured to just go and grab one of my vinyl gloves and yank the crappy (literally) cup out of the bowl and flush. Gross!! Afterward I figured I was entitled to use the bathroom to "shower" and wash my hair. It was 4 when I was all done with everything and hung out at McD waiting for Jim who showed up a little after 8. It's still early but the both of us are doing out RR and having a cup of coffee. Pretty soon I'm going to put my new chain and sprockets on that Jim brought with him. and maybe do the valves. It depends on the weather and location of where we can do this. Otherwise somewhere on the dirt road under some trees with a tarp over our heads might work better!! |
Thanks
Hello NomadGal (Ester???). I've been following your adventure for the past year or so here and on ADV. I must say you are one hardy gal and handy with a needle. I admire the fact you will pitch a tent in a bear infested remote area without a concern and sleep through the night. Myself, I would be quivering like a poodle facing a wolf. The fact that you do your own work on a scoot is admirable as well.
As you and the other riders fulfill your dreams and hit the road for extended periods of time, me and my desk bound brethren say thank you for entertaining us and stay safe. |
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