3 day Loop (Eldo content) added short video

[nick949]

So I've been doing this daft Compass Challenge from the RealClassic magazine and found Westree in northern Ontario, so I had to go there. And I hadn't been to Hornepayne in a while (there's still nothing there). In three days I rode 2527kms (1570 miles) and spent about 38 hours in the saddle with the last day from Kapuskasing to home - a 1302 km (809 mile) 14 hour slog, none of it on super-slab.

OK, so I like self abuse. The Eldo, however, couldn't care less, and apart from a bit of stuttering and briefly running on one cylinder during a couple of thunderstorms, she plugged on tirelessly. Not bad for a 44 year old bike. She's not ready to be relegated to sunny days and coffee-shop rides yet (note the subtle plug?).

So here's the route (or if you are a map geek https://goo.gl/maps/uJ86KzscDj52:


As usual, there are endless ponds and lakes, this one with a fresh beaver dam.


South Algonquin Township lies (oddly) just east of Algonquin Park


Most of these lakes have names. This one's called Quiteaniceone Lake (OK, I made that up).


Westree was my destination. As I stopped to take a picture at the sign at the edge of the village, some local folks immediately invited me in for a beer and burger. They were well into their supply of liquid by that point, so I demurred.


Westree isn't the most prepossessing place on the planet. It is little more than a run-down former stop on the Canadian National trans-continental rail line.


Property is probably quite cheap though.


That night I stayed in the worker's bunky behind the gas station at the end of the Sultan Road.


Heading down the Sultan Road at 6AM. This road cuts across north-eastern Ontario and heads for Chapleau and Wawa (that mystical place where, in the 1970s,  hitch-hikers used to get stuck and end up staying forever).


White River used to advertise it's self as the 'Coldest Place in Canada' until a few years back when people started to notice that it wasn't exactly true. To quote Wiki:

White River advertises itself as "The Coldest Spot in Canada" with recorded temperatures as low as −58 �C (−72 �F). However, this is a myth, as the coldest temperature in Canada has been recorded in Snag, Yukon, at −62.8 �C (−81.0 �F) on 3 February 1947. Even in Ontario, the coldest recorded temperature was in Iroquois Falls at −58.3 �C (−72.9 �F) (23 January 1935), which is the lowest temperature reported in Eastern Canada too.

So now the thermometer doesn't show anything.  It is, however, also famous as the original home of Winnie-the-Pooh (the real bear, that inspired the books and cartoons).


The view from my office.


Finding a motel room in Kapuskasing wasn't too difficult. I imagine it fills up in winter when GM is actively using its cold weather research station on the edge of town.


Hearst, Ontario.  You can just imagine the local municipal council: 'What we really need is a huge sculpture of a moose and some wolves - that will really bring the crowds' (although actually, this one is better than most).


From Kap, I took a short detour into Quebec to add another village sign to my compass collection. It's daft, but takes you places you might not otherwise go, and any excuse for a long ride is a good one.


Classic Canadian scene: Tim Hortons, Canadian Tire and plenty of free parking.


Next time I go on a ride like this I'm going to take a sign to leave on the bike:

It's a '72
It's Italian
Made by Moto Guzzi, like it says on the tank (you ride a bike - don't you know jack-shit?)
Yes, they still make bikes
They've been making bikes since 1921


Then I won't have to say the same things over and over every time I stop.  Although really, I'm a lot more polite than that and don't mind answering questions - much.

Nick

[Idontwantapickle]

 
Inspirational!

[oldbike54]

 Winnie the Pooh is a great Taoist philosopher , seriously . Nick , you are my hero 

 Dusty

[Markcarovilli]

great pics as always and this is a must......

Next time I go on a ride like this I'm going to take a sign to leave on the bike:

"It's a '72
It's Italian
Made by Moto Guzzi, like it says on the tank (you ride a bike - don't you know jack-shit?)
Yes, they still make bikes
They've been making bikes since 1921


Then I won't have to say the same things over and over every time I stop.  Although really, I'm a lot more polite than that and don't mind answering questions - much.

Nick"

Mark

[smdl]

Looks like it was a great ride, Nick!  Although we missed you at Havelock, I can hardly blame you for doing this instead!

See you later in the summer.

Cheers,
Shaun

[Tom H]

Looks like a fun ride! Thanks for the pic's!!

Tom

[JayDee24ca]

Kapuskasing, Moonbeam, Fauquier, Smooth Rock, and way north up to Smoky Falls. My old stomping grounds way back when, when I had my first Guzzi, a V700. Drove up and down that highway many many times. Worked at Spruce Falls Power and Paper, in woodlands. So not everyone up there is ignorant of what  Moto Guzzi is, Nick.
JD

[nick949]

Kapuskasing, Moonbeam, Fauquier, Smooth Rock, and way north up to Smoky Falls. My old stomping grounds way back when, when I had my first Guzzi, a V700. Drove up and down that highway many many times. Worked at Spruce Falls Power and Paper, in woodlands. So not everyone up there is ignorant of what  Moto Guzzi is, Nick.
JD

Hi JD,
    I wasn't really referring just to this trip. Everywhere I go, it's the same. It's one of the joys and pitfalls or riding a bike that is so distinctive - even to non-bike people - and doesn't look like a Harley or a Goldwing. To quote an email from one of my regular breakfast buddies:

BTW the funniest thing happened immediately after you pulled away from the Bravo on Sunday morn.....you recall me lamenting about the lack of interest people have for the ubiquitous Japanese inline 4 bikes and that  I get no attention, poor little Dave, ....well actually girls who know nothing about bikes actually like it!! but the funny part of the story is, as you pulled off into traffic, two bikers who'd just pulled into the Bravo got off their bike and approached asking, "hey can I ask you a question?".  Finally, I think to myself......someone wants to know something about my little ZR. Nope, he goes on to ask...."hey what bike is that , the one you were just taking a picture of?"

I wouldn't accuse northern Ontario folks as being any more, or any less ignorant than anyone else. There are some fine folks up there.

Nick

PS Canoed the Mattagami/Moose from Smooth Rock Falls to Moosonee then back on the train back in 1979. Good trip apart from the bloody dams.
 

[kidsmoke]

As always, love seeing these threads, and have mixed feelings about what they do to my productivity for the remainder of the day.

No screen!?

[nick949]

As always, love seeing these threads, and have mixed feelings about what they do to my productivity for the remainder of the day.

No screen!?

Heck, it's summer. Don't need no pussy screen .  I took it off to celebrate the end of winter and couldn't be bothered to put it back on.  It made the thunderstorms, rain and headwinds interesting and I still have a sore muscle in my right shoulder from holding the throttle open against the wind, but what's life without a bit of suffering. It's one of the things that let's you know you're alive.

Nick

[JayDee24ca]

Hi JD,
    I wasn't really referring just to this trip. Everywhere I go, it's the same. It's one of the joys and pitfalls or riding a bike that is so distinctive - even to non-bike people - and doesn't look like a Harley or a Goldwing.

My experience has been that I have seldom had folks ask me what the bike is, but rather I get expressions like " hey, wow! Guzzi! Haven't seen one of those for a while. Pretty uncommon bike!" Doesn't matter if its the Eldo, the SPII or the Quota. And its usually a double take, after they have already walked past it, they turn around and come back. as though it didn't initially register. Interesting experience. Then I often hear they remember so and so had one years ago.
JD

[John A]

Thanks, I enjoyed that!

[nick949]

Here's a little video of just a few moments of one little part of the trip.  The bike sounds............a s a motorbike should sound.

Nick

https://youtu.be/jZsMnUDCirU