Riding buddy wants to do a ride to Thunder Bay in September. How’s the weather/road conditions around that time and is there a preferable route and place to stay along the way?
Would be leaving from the Haliburton area. Two days up and two days back.
Riding buddy wants to do a ride to Thunder Bay in September. How’s the weather/road conditions around that time and is there a preferable route and place to stay along the way?
Would be leaving from the Haliburton area. Two days up and two days back.
I did it in September 2011 and the weather was all over the place. We did mostly camping.
Took the Trans Canada there and then we scooted along Ranger Lake Rd to the 129 up to Chapleau and then across the 11 from there. Was a great trip and on your bike, you will have a blast. Lots of places to stay along the TransCanada and then less so along the 11.
Don’t forget to check out the Terry Fox memorial near Thunder Bay.
Toronto>Manitoulin>Thunder Bay>Lake Superior Park>Timmins>New Liskeard>Toronto
Left Friday after work and returned Tuesday night for 3600km in about 4.5 days and we camped along the way.
Gas in Toronto was around $1.30/litre and gas along the North Shore was routinely $1.40/litre. We payed as much as $1.45/litre...
Day 1:
Caught the ferry to Manitoulin and spent the night at Green Acres Trailer Park which is located on the north end of the island in Sheguiandah. There was a large group of Harley riders that all had made reservations for the ferry (and I hadn't) so I was a bit...
I’ve looped Superior a few times, weather is cool but pleasant in September. Expect nice days cool nights. My stop along the Superior coast is Marathon, there’s a city campground that costs a few bucks, clean and if I recall free firewood.
If you’re going the northern route (11), you can use my place in Timmins for an overnight stop. Not fancy, but more comfortable than a tent!
Thanks guys! Yeah we’re not fancy but our backs are old enough that we don’t camp much anymore.
I visited there years ago and saw the memorial and the falls but I’ve never ridden there (or ridden north of North Bay for that matter).
I’ve looped Superior a few times, weather is cool but pleasant in September. Expect nice days cool nights. My stop along the Superior coast is Marathon, there’s a city campground that costs a few bucks, clean and if I recall free firewood.
If you’re going the northern route (11), you can use my place in Timmins for an overnight stop. Not fancy, but more comfortable than a tent!
Watch your speed, I got a speeding ticket on hwy 11 somewhere around geraldton a few years ago.
I'd probably just stick to hwy 17. Hwy 11 is scenic for the first 100 kms north of nipigon. After that is it very long, straight and boring until Timmins.
Riding buddy wants to do a ride to Thunder Bay in September. How’s the weather/road conditions around that time and is there a preferable route and place to stay along the way?
Would be leaving from the Haliburton area. Two days up and two days back.
I spend a fair amount of time in that part of the world. It’s got a lot of options for ADV riders. Boring highways (11 & 1), blue highways with lots of desolation scenery, twists and sweepers, the my fave - gravel.
A few of my favorite roads:
Portlelance between Carrol and Shining Tree. A bit knarly in spots, dirt and gravel - not well maintained, it’s a fire/logging road so it’s very doable on an ADV. Requires moderate ADV riding experience, 200km, I’ve done it in a little over 4 hours late summer.
66-566 Kenogami to Timmins. Starts paved, finishes as a well maintained gravel highway. Good for beginners.
Hwy 144 Chelmsford (Sudbury) to 101. Beauty paved surface, all but the last 70km is sweeps and twisty. Down side is cops, it’s 80kmh and patrolled heavily.
631 White River to Palmquist. Paved, great sweepers, desolate.
129 Thessalon to the Chapleau (101). This one is a gem. It’s curvy, swept, lots of elevation change and zero traffic. Well maintained asphalt.
Sadly I rarely take pics on my travels so I can’t share anything that way. I’ve done all these roads a few times, the make the ride to Thunder Bay better.
You shouldn’t tackle any of these roads solo or between dusk and dawn. Few services and the wildlife (moose and bears) is a clear and present danger in the dark.
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