Winter road travel

Mad Mike

Mad Mike

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I’ve been thinking about an epic winter adventure… riding the winter road from Smooth Rock falls to Moosonee.

Lots of fat bike riders are doing this now, some going all the way to Fort Albany. I was thinking about trying it on a small motorcycle, maybe a TW200 with ice spikes.

Anyone done an ice road excursion?
 
Neat idea. You might want to do some math to see how much heated gear a TW200 charging system can handle. Fat-biking is a lot of work that'll keep you warm, but I wouldn't be able to do that trip on a motor bike since my hands get painfully cold even with heated grips and heated gloves. Most people won't have that problem to the same degree though. I usually run my heated grips on medium even in 20*C weather.

I'm assuming you've seen Ed March of c90adventures:

 
GreyGhost said:
That's awesome. Check the GVW of the TW200. I assume you plus warm stuff plus gear may add up substantially.
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TW will be fine, it has a 400lb payload, which is plenty. 50 km/h is the max speed on the ice roads, might be able to push that to 65. I picked that bcause I've had one before and my good neighbour offered me his low mileage TW for a case of beer.

I wouldn't do it Noraly style; I'll only try if I can go like Boorman (balloons in my saddlebags and a safety escort truck following me with all my kit).

I know a few guys who run light vehicle deliveries up the ice roads. I can run with them, my kit in their pickups.

I'm headed on an adventure up the Hudson Bay coast tomorrow. I have a few hours layover in Moosonee, and I'm having coffee with an experienced ice road driver.

The Wetum Ice road runs from Otter Rapids to Moosonee, about 170KM, and takes 4- 5hours. Trailer bike(s) to Otter Rapids, bikes and riders return on the Polar Bear Express train (to Cochrane).
 
Whoa that would be very cool. I've a friend who travels up there for work and it's not a easy place to get to, at least by car etc. (he gets flown in).
 
sburns said:
Whoa that would be very cool. I've a friend who travels up there for work and it's not a easy place to get to, at least by car etc. (he gets flown in).
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Ya, not easy. You can get to Moosonee by rail, Northland's Polar Bear Express - that's how I ' normally go.

I'm working at a settlement up the western James Bay coast, -- gotta fly in. Not for the faint of heart, 9 passenger cargo planes, loaded to their max takeoff weights, weather isn't usually clear, gravel or snowpack runways.
 
Mad Mike said:
Ya, not easy. You can get to Moosonee by rail, Northland's Polar Bear Express - that's how I ' normally go.

I'm working at a settlement up the western James Bay coast, -- gotta fly in. Not for the faint of heart, 9 passenger cargo planes, loaded to their max takeoff weights, weather isn't usually clear, gravel or snowpack runways.
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I thought someone went up there on a dirtbike using the rail road. Or that might have been Churchill MB, same kinda deal only accessible by rail or flight. I think I heard there are some roads next to the rail lines for servicing etc, but not meant for commuting use and what not.
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