*Archives – January / February 2022 digital issue.
12,300 kilometres in 25 days
When you finished reading the first part of this story in the previous issue of Cycle Canada, you may remember that I left you on a moment of utter suspense, saying that what I had anticipated had occurred… Ha! Ha! Ha! So, here is what happened…
When I travel, I am always worried about one single thing: the terrible bedbugs! And guess what! On my very first night, I woke up at 4 in the morning with two bites of these small monsters on my thigh! So I immediately got up, packed my stuff and out the door I went… At the end of the motel parking, I realized that nights are very dark in this part of Ontario! Let me remind you that I am on Road 17 (the Trans Canada Highway), midway between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie. I hate driving at night but that perspective still seemed much better than spending the rest of the night with these damn blood suckers… Fortunately, BMW’s 40th anniversary R 1250 GS is equipped with a LED cornering headlight that makes night driving incredibly easier! With light directed to the interior of curves, your vision is much better. It took me a few kilometres to learn how to lock in the high beam, but from then on, it was smooth sailing.
This unexpected night driving experience allowed me to live a magical moment! Just before reaching Sault Ste. Marie, I was greeted by a spectacular sight in the silent Ontarian night: the moon setting on one side in soft red hues, and the scarlet-red sun rising on the other side… MAGNIFICENT! At 6 in the morning, I had already covered 150 km! The coffee break was well deserved…
I put 850 more kilometres on the trip meter that day. But that was supposed to be 815… If you get to ride Road 17 on your bike, you’ll realize that gas stations are sometimes verrrrry distant from one another! That’s what I discovered riding alongside the superb Lake Superior. Some 100 km or so past Sault Ste. Marie, I saw a sign saying that the next gas station was the last one before the next 150 km stretch of road (with the GS onboard computer showing I had gas left for only 99 km…). So, of course, I decided to fill up there. But guess what? It was CLOSED! So I had to turn around and go back to the previous station, which added 35 extra kilometres…
Riding by the shore of Lake Superior is a MAGICAL experience! You almost feel as if you were alongside the Pacific Ocean! The section of Road 17 between Sault Ste. Marie and Nipigon is particularly twisty and scenic! There are very few services but if you love wild nature and motorcycle riding, you’ll be pleased. I absolutely LOVED it! That fine road is perfect to appreciate the GS attributes. With tons of curves carved in an exceptional landscape, it allows the beemer to fully express its nimbleness and great riding qualities!
From Bruce Mines to Nipigon, I ride on the Group of Seven Touring Road. In the early 1900s, these Canadian painters were inspired by the beauty of the surrounding landscape; and for good reason, believe me! Right from my first stop at the Chippewa Falls, I am in awe. And then, all along the way, I stop to appreciate and enjoy the scenery. As for the GS, it is also very happy to dance on this Lake Superior road perfectly fit for her style.
I then stop in Wawa for a break; I am greeted by the giant Canadian Goose that’s the main attraction of the small 3000 inhabitants town. I also wanted to visit the Young’s General Store but it is closed on Sundays; I will try again on my way back. With a full stomach and gas tank, I hit the road again under blue sky and bright sun. In Terrace Bay, I take a break to see the exceptional twin waterfalls. In Nipigon, I walk up the tower to enjoy the great view of the whole region: railway, cemetery and Nipigon Bay.
My last goal for the day was to visit the Terry Fox Memorial Monument, him being such a fine example of courage and determination. I then ride to Thunder Bay where I’ll spend the night.
The next day, after a 100 km drive, I reach the Central Standard Time Zone marker in the heart of the forest, between Raith and Savanne: I’m now Back to the Future! It then starts raining and, apart from a little small talk with a spruce, a coffee shared with a birch and a few jokes with cool lichens… this was a pretty unexciting day… The road is plain regular, though the sections of 17 and 17A in the region of Kenora are very nice and twisty with many lakes and fine rock formations. At a stop, I met cool Franco-Manitobans! That 40th anniversary R 1250 GS really draws a lot of attention and many onlookers spontaneously come by and talk to me!
Welcome to Manitoba. Road 17 Becomes Road 1 and I am now entering into the Plains section of my trip. I stop at the “Centre of Canada” for a picture. I’m beginning to realize how BIG that country really is! I stop in Winnipeg for the night.
Oh boy! As soon as I wake up, I browse on the various weather sites and they all present the same, almost apocalyptic, forecast for the upcoming hours: a major thunderstorm… When I step out, the sky is pitch-black, with lightning and raging thunder. And of course, it’s raining heavily, which allowed me to test the comforting Rain mode of the GS! I then decide to take an alternative road, the Red Coat Trail. For tens of kilometres, I’m riding on a road under construction and when I stop, my BMW is wearing a big mud coat that suits her pretty well, indeed… On the way, I still have been able to enjoy a few “Road Side Attraction” such as the Glass Bottle House in Treherne, the Holland Windmill, and Sara the Camel in Glenboro… Early in the afternoon, the sky finally starts to clear and I can enjoy the beauty and the contrasting colours of the freshly harvested fields.
Later that day, I had the chance to live a fine encounter with John “The Crow” at the Crow’s General Store in Brandon, Manitoba. John is the owner of that impressive Aladdin’s cave, and with his two friends of the same ilk we laughed our hearts out! Eighty-year-old teenagers! Ha! Ha! Ha!
With temperatures ranging from 13 to 16 degrees Celsius, I put to good use the GS heated grips and I plugged in my heated vest.
I am now in Regina, Saskatchewan. Be watchful if you want to take a picture to immortalize yourself by the Regina welcome sign, it is very discreet…
Leaving Regina in the morning, I am greeted by a winter-style fog, no visibility and 5 degrees… Brrr! In Moose Jaw, a miracle happens and the sky clears up to reveal the stunning beauty of Western Saskatchewan! I am surrounded by a beautiful rolling landscape that looks like waves on the sea! Add to that decor the changing colours of the various fields, scattered pumpjacks and small salt flats surrounded with red samphire!
At this point, I would like to open a parenthesis to deny the urban myth asserting that it’s soooo loooong to go through the Prairies… Of course, if you leave with that in mind from the start it’s gonna seem twice as lengthy, but between you and me, look at a map of Canada and you’ll see that Ontario by itself will make you cover more mileage than Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta together.
And then, it’s pure ECSTASY! Crossing into Alberta, I take a few layers off my Scott jacket because it’s now nice and warm. I stop for a short break at the Medicine Hat giant teepee and then head to a gem of a road off the main path. OK, to get there you’ll have to drive 150 km, and then back, but the 10 km ride is worth the detour (not recommended for bikes with small gas tanks…). Before reaching the Saskatchewan River, Road 41 cuts through the spectacular Canadian Badlands in a moonlike landscape. Then, I am literally attacked by grasshoppers: my machine and my clothes are covered with insect juice, it’s DISGUSTING! There’s even a big one that manages to jump right into my helmet, grrr! Lodging (and other services) are scarce in this area, so I decide to sleep over in Brooks.
After a good night’s sleep, I explore one of the most beautiful natural sites I ever saw in my life, the Dinosaur Provincial Park. What a feeling! The BMW is also quite happy since I decided to take the “scenic route”, which turned out to be a small gravel road. The GS is not shod with the best tires available for that kind of surface, but in Enduro mode, it behaves very well. I then swap my riding boots for hiking shoes and go for 7 km through hoodoos and dinosaur fossils. A magical moment!
Today I took it easy: only around 300 km. I rode to the Last Chance Saloon in Wayne and settled there for two nights. This is an old haunted hotel and a fine hideout for motorcyclists. While there, I also visited the small town of Drumheller with its giant dinosaur.
The next day, I am up and going early because I want to explore the Badlands and take pictures. And since there is rain in the forecast for the afternoon, I will then come back to the hotel and work for a few hours. I’m headed to the Hoodoos Trail to admire the great natural sculptures created by water and wind over millions of years! In the Midland Provincial Park, there is a nice interpretive trail – a little over a kilometre long – that allows you to learn more about the geological history of the region. I also saw cacti, a real delight for me as I have always been in love with those spiky plants! I then take pictures of the Little Church and enjoy the stunning view over Horsethief Canyon.
When I was preparing this trip, I had noticed that there was a small ferry boat crossing the Red Deer River. The Bleriot Ferry is sailing from 8 AM to 11 PM and it’s free. My BMW R 1250 GS couldn’t believe she was travelling so slowly for 100 metres or so on a body of water, but it was great fun! Many people came to talk to me and asked questions about the superb bumblebee coloured motorcycle!
Back at the hotel, I chatted for a while with Lorne Coultman. I had seen him previously and couldn’t help but notice his original skirt, leather hat and big camera. He was taking pictures of all the happy motorcyclists. He explained that he was working on a souvenir photo album for the Last Chance Saloon. He took a picture of me and the BMW 40th anniversary R 1250 GS, which stood out in the middle of all the Harleys parked around. My stay at this hotel is now immortalized in an album!
Now it’s time to go to bed. I’m looking forward to the upcoming days that will take me to the famous Canadian Rockies. I say good night to my BMW and go up the stairs to my room in a hotel which, may I recall you, has the reputation of being haunted. I am remembering all the great things I did today and quickly fall asleep. But around midnight… I hear the door knob of my room turning…!!!
To be continued…!
