Better late than never....

[stevie t]

So I finally get on the road this morning.....lots of rain...lots of fog...need some sun.



I finally get to Wawa...




stevie sleep now...

[HyRyze]

I just did the northern Ontario trip last month... the Sue up to Wawa is amazing! except half of our trip was during the night, and in the rain... but the roads and views are amazing!
Take lots of pics!

[stevie t]

Ok, so it is official...I hate riding in the phoocking rain...4 hours yesterday, and another 3 or 4 today...it was cold, 10 degrees...brrrr in Wawa this morning...it warmed up a bit before Thunder Bay...but then the sky opened up...I could feel the drops through the leather and rain gear.

Did get to take some shots though at a roadside bathroom break...





Beats the bathrooms in the gas stations....

[yettiman121]

Last time i was in thunder bay was Winter.


awesome views, even for winter.

did the drive in 12 1/2 hours

[stevie t]

Last time i was in thunder bay was Winter.


awesome views, even for winter.

did the drive in 12 1/2 hours

Yah, Wawa to TB is one of my favourite rides in ON. Need to do it on a dirt bike/dual sport one of these days...lots of little roads going off towards the various lakes all over the place in the middle of nowhere. One place I stopped for gas did not even have phone service...he had one of those cellular phones that has it's own briefcase, the size of an automotive battery...maybe a sat phone?

Did you have Herbie and Rudolph with you to light the way?

[stevie t]

So today was about 8 hours of riding in the rain...and about the second worst rain I have ever ridden in....running at 80kph with the four ways on...and the wind off the canola fields in MB was enough to move me across the lane..not to mention that b/c of all the transports, the lane has two deep ruts and the bike is climbing up and down as goes across the lane...almost shiit myself a few times....but on a good note, the speed limit on the Trans Canada in SK is 110 kph, (100 in MB and of course 90 in Ontanamo) so I am hoping to make up some time once the rain lets up a bit...the sun finally broke through about an hour before I stopped for the day...


So I am riding along and hear this clunking sound and think oh no...that's not good...seems my chain is in need of adjustment. So after I stop for gas and a hot beef sandwich at the Husky just outside of Winnipeg I figure I should adjust the chain...but is raining like the dickens...when I spy a motorcycle dealer across the street from the Huskey..



Hey, how can they not let me do the chain adjustment under cover? After all we are all bikers etc., well the lady who runs it says she can't b/c of insurance reasons etc. yah no worries...lady, so I go back to the Husky and find a little cover at the side of the restaurant..and adjust the chain.




I don't know if you can see it, but in the first shot is the Princess Auto in Brandon MB that saved my sorry arse!

Seems the Dupont Teflon spray doesn't hold up as chain lube under extended use in the rain. My chain is getting a little stiff, but then I find the PA and pick up a can for 6.99, and the guy gives me a few cotter pins just in case...otherwise I would have to buy a package of hundreds for about 15 bucks! Yay PA...

Now all is well and the bike is running much better, may need a new chain and sprockets when I get back though.

Then the sun finally comes out..



and it is back on the TCH to find a motel (on a Friday of a long weekend..doh!), with all the pipeline workers already using about half of the rooms in all the motels I find one in a town called Mossinine, (I think?) that has a few rooms left and get one. Now to see if I can make BC tomorrow..they say it is finally going to stop raining...


I FRICKIN' HOPE SO.....

[stevie t]

So it was 7 degrees this morning in Moosomin SK ...and by the time I hit Alberta it was about 35 or so....but no rain...just a gas shortage, some of the gas stations in AB were out of gas...go figure.
Some pics along the way...





But fear not...by the time I get to Sparwood BC and get a room this happens...


fortunately I had some cover to park under



but hey, I made some good distance today...



Should be there Sunday...

[Graves]

wow man!! this is epic!!

[FiReSTaRT]

So I finally get on the road this morning.....lots of rain...lots of fog...need some sun.

stevie sleep now...

I'd remove the GPS pic or at least blur out the maximum speed.

[stevie t]

Get to Kelowna after dark. All I can say about today's ride is WOW.....now I remember why I did this!

[stevie t]

I'd remove the GPS pic or at least blur out the maximum speed.

The max speeds are probably the short bursts required to pass the transports on the TCH...the air behind them is way to turbulent to ride safely in, not to mention the gravel they blow up off the shoulders, the double trailers are the worst as they tend to weave more, or so it seems. Lesser of two evils I guess...but point taken.

[dankyyz]

Awesome ride man. Great story. Love the posts. Luck!!!

[stevie t]

So Sunday was a great day for riding...so I did not take many pics, should have, but screw it, time to ride. If you are ever in BC you must ride 3A north out of Creston, what a road...lots of twisties in the mountains...I still get a chubby just thinking about it...I even got to put the bike on a boat!


Then down through Nelson and into the Kettle valley and up to Kelowna. I am getting gas in Grand Forks and everyone is telling me watch out for deer, as I leave, there are 2 on the road (other lane) and they almost take me out! Bambi my arse..see many more at the side of the road but none on the road...still freaked me right out for the next hour or so as it got dark.

The next day I see this...


Which just reminds to get the fuuk off the road by sundown, which is why I call it a day in Golden BC.

Today I rode out of Kelowna, to Vernon and then down to Needles and up 6/23 to Nakusp and Revelstoke...another chubster road! This time the ferry was a little lined up [waited about an hour and a half] because of this ******



But there is still lots of this..



so it's all good.

After revelstoke, it starts to rain...again...but who cares...I got this staring me down...





sweeeet!

[Psilyguy]

What's this Steve? You just get a new job, and your on vacation already? You lucky s.o.b!!!
Looks like you're having a blast. Keep the pic.'s coming!

When do you "plan" to arrive back home? Get in touch, and we'll go for another ride!

[stevie t]

So I wake up in Golden BC...which looks like this...


and again from the top of the hill...



But back to the important stuff...like my bike is still there ...



and it seems like a few others showed up overnight...



There is a fine mist in the air.....going to be a wet day...again...



so off I go.....down the road into the park...



Crazy riding the mountain roads...wide, but wet...lots of twisty stuff and the mountains are kinda distracting me a wee bit...but I don't want to go off the road in this part of the world...not much of a shoulder, one side is solid rock..the other falls off, way down.

Eventually I get out of the parks and make it to Calgary and get stuck in construction traffic for about 20 minutes...in the constant fine misty rain...so it's time for a hot meal....I find a Husky in Strathmore, just after Calgary...



now it's off to the prairies....and the sun looks like it wants to come out to play....



but then again, maybe not...



but it holds off for the rest of the day...



I make it to Swift Current and the first 5 motels are full, finally find one and what do I see in the parking lot?



they just don't look like this in Ontario....



But wait...it gets even better.....



I will try to get a pic of the owner tomorrow......you gotta see him...

Now to see if I can make Ontario tomorrow....



they say it isn't going to rain....much.

[stevie t]

Well, it did not rain...yay! Rode all day, no pics...made it to Willard Lake ON. Just past Kenora...would've kept on going to Dryden, but the watch out for Moose signs got to me...not to mention it was very cold.

Found a motel/hunt camp on highway 17...cheesest motel yet.

Did get a pic in the room...



oh ya, the pic of the Doobie dude.....












































I would love to see the cop's face when they pull him over.....

[stevie t]

So I'm off to make my way across Ontario...grab a coffee in the restaurant at the motel and see the four dogs that live there, great dogs...

Whiskey...


Ginger...



da hound...



and my favourite....Bear...(what else?)




now to make it to Wawa....

[stevie t]

So I stop for lunch in Upsala, met a couple on a V star, nice bike people, we talk about the usual stuff...they leave and I see them looking at the back end of my bike...ok sure...then I leave, this guy comes roaring in on this..


I say hi and he sz 'This bike is running like shiit!', I refrain from any brand humour....then he sz 'Your back tire is done!' He is right of course..



He recommends a shop in Thunder Bay that is better than the Harley shop...go figure...he gives me the # for the shop...actually he is a pretty cool guy...

He also tells me to check out the falls in Kakabeca.....





He is right again....

So as I am leaving the falls, I see this in the parking lot...







and the guy who owns it....



So I am off to the shop in TB, only problem is the GPS has the old address on file...however, the first Harley guy gives me the phone #, but a fax answers...but the GPS has the real phone #, so I call and get the new address, punch it in and it's all good.

so I get there and the tire is toast....



the service manager has an Metzler M1 that will fit...



the tech is psyched to do the job....



and away we go.....



I am outta there by 6:15...they close at 6...now I just want to pimp this place a little...I show up just after 5...on a Friday...they get the job done and not too pricey....they seem like nice people...but what da fuk do I know...if you ever need a bike shop in TB I fully recommend this place..



Anyway...I'm off and see this at the side of the road....



....so if no means no....what does stop mean?

Oh ya, I did meet one other person in TB...























































Doh!!!!!!!

Let's just say I got to ride away and leave it at that....

I never did make it to Wawa.....

[Akshun]

Awesome read and pics!
Thanks

[stevie t]

What's this Steve? You just get a new job, and your on vacation already? You lucky s.o.b!!!
Looks like you're having a blast. Keep the pic.'s coming!

When do you "plan" to arrive back home? Get in touch, and we'll go for another ride!

anytime..