North Road Northern Quebec.....No. 2 (complete)

[oldbike54]

 So no wolf or bear attacks ? Good job Nick 

 Dusty

[nick949]

So no wolf or bear attacks ? Good job Nick 

 Dusty

Only saw one bear - standing in a clear-cut looking at us pass. Nice big fella.  Where we camped there was wolf shit and fresh bear scrapes, but we weren't troubled.

Nick

[leafman60]

Great run, Nick!

Looking forward to a highlighted map, pictures and some captions.

Folks, Nick has once again illustrated that one doesn't have to have a $25,000 motorcycle bristling with electronic gadgetry and high horsepower to assault the outback country.

Nick's exploits are REAL, genuine. Though not slickly filmed with flying drones or followed by support van staff close behind, Nick experiences the true joy of getting out there alone and traversing some rarely-seen territory. His exploits are an inspiration to the true Adventure Motorcycle Riders of the world.

Cheers to The Mighty Falcon too!  (Hey, 70 ain't bad on that bike with knobby tires!)

.

[canuck750]

Nick has proven what some of us have suspected for years, a cheap, simple and basic motorcycle is the best tool for riding the way off the beaten track roads. I would not choose a bike bristling with electronics, ABS, traction control and many, many other things that break down and bring the whole plot to a quick stop.

[Lotsahorses]

Ride on,  Nick.  Ride on.   

[sign216]

Nuevo Falcone , where have you been 

 Dusty

Nick,
I salute you.  Glad to see you are doing the trek "the old way."

Years ago I went to northern Quebec on my '58 BMW R50.  This was around the mid-1980's, and I was trying to reach northernmost limits of known Quebec.  One cold, dark rainy evening I stopped too long at a roadside tavern w a wine, and wet bike wouldn't start.  I was completely stuck, but a friendly French-Canadian farmer helped me push start the bike.  It wasn't easy, but we got the engine to fire and run.

That guy was a saint.  I wish I had his name.

Joe

[nick949]

I'm saving the full story for a chapter in my next book but am happy to give you an idea of why I bother to ride those endless miles through endless tree. On some sections, you would have to get very creative. 'I spy with my little eye - a tree?" 'Yep, and there's another one.'

As the Nuovo Falcone is a bit of a slug and I didn't want to feel any pressure to ride beyond it's comfort zone, Norm and I rode up separately and met in Amos.
I stopped at a picnic place in La Verandre Park on the way up. Of course, I had the place to myself.


We camped at a municipal campground just outside Amos. $34 for the site. Quiet and pleasant, although the frogs were loud.


The James Bay Road north of Matagami crosses a number of rivers. I'm sure this one has a name, but there are so many............


This one does though. This is the Rupert River which crosses interior Quebec for hundreds of kilometres. It was a major trading route during the Fur Trade era, and a main highway for the local Cree population for countless generations. This is 'scenic' water only.  Much of the original flow is now diverted by Quebec Hydro as part of the massive James Bay Hydro-Electric project.  The picture doesn't really convey just how massive and powerful it is even now.


We camped where the North Road crosses the Rupert River (much further upstream) after diverting 10kms north of the North Road to find fuel at the Cree village of Nemaska (pop 700). This is where I was stopped by ruined tubes and tyre first time around.


These gravel roads are interesting to ride on and demand your full concentration. Think - an inch of marbles on concrete. You choose your line by looking for the hard-packed areas.
The softer areas throw the front end around and cause a certain clenching of the nether regions. Then there are the wash-outs and sand pits which come up just as you're starting to gain a bit of confidence and speed...


So it's good to stop and be gob-smacked by the sheer size of the land.


and a link to a map:  https://goo.gl/maps/AL1toQ5y57q

Nick (apologies if there are repeats)

[PJPR01]

Wonderful story and adventure!!

[oldbike54]

 W/O checking , you probably did the equivalent of the John 'O Groats to Land's End run . Might be time to visit a Cafe in England , the boys might tell you it can't be done 

 Dusty

[backfill]

Great job, Nick!  Glad to see you made it back without major issues.  I am looking forward to hearing all about it over a pint.
cheers,
Phil

[smdl]

Glad you enjoyed it, and made it home without incident!

Cheers,
Shaun