*This article was published in Vol. 52 No. 3 of Cycle Canada digital magazine.
12,300 kilometres in 25 days
Fourth and Last Part: Going home!
Click here to read the part 1.
Click here to read the part 2.
Click here to read the part 3.
After missing the noon ferry, I catch the next one, at 2:30 p.m., and head back to the continent alongside my faithful BMW R 1250 GS. On the boat, I browse the Internet for a place to spend the night, but there’s nothing, niet, nada! No room available, unless I pay an exorbitant fee for the night. I finally find a motel in Hope, 165 km further. The rain did not let go one minute since I left this morning, and I hope I will make it to Hope early this evening…
That’s how my previous text ended…
So now, I head to the front desk of the motel I booked, and the guy tells me: “I tried to reach you – we had an overbooking problem and the room is not available anymore!” But when he realized how pitiful and wet I looked, he miraculously found a room for me after receiving a cancellation notice… Phew!
The next day, I wake up early and get ready to live a SUPERB riding day on the BMW R 1250 GS. At first, I was not too sure about the weather but it turned out to be sunny and warm. It was 12 degrees and somewhat foggy when I left, but a few hours later, the thermometer reached 24.
I will spend two days in Hope to explore the region. My plan is to take Road 5 up north, then 8 to the west and then back south on Road 1. I start the day at the Othello Tunnels. There are walking paths laid out on the site of an old railway track, and the landscape all around is spectacular. I love to discover such places with panoramic roads and trails. Then back on the bike, I ride alongside a recently burnt forest… A very sad sight… I have also been terribly moved when passing by Lytton, a village that has been completely destroyed by fire… I then go for a little cardio-hiking at Hell’s Gate, a very narrow and impressive canyon on the Fraser River with an old bridge and railways.
The next morning, I head right to the Rambo wood sculpture; the famous 1982 movie has been filmed in part right here. And then Road 3! Oh boy! Some sections are absolutely exceptional! Crowsnest HWY is a vertiginous mountain road that passes very close to the American border from time to time and then takes you through a gorgeous valley. The landscape is sometimes quite surprising! The BMW 40th anniversary R 1250 GS would very much like to spend more time around here because it looks as if the roads had been designed especially for it!
I also take time to explore smaller back country roads to get a different outlook on the region. There are fruits everywhere, and dozens of stands where you can buy those delicious gifts from Mother Nature.
It’s pretty hot in the Okanogan Valley. We are in September, but the microclimate makes it possible to grow a wide variety of fruits. The radiant sun makes the scenery even more beautiful and the thermometer shows 30 degrees when I stop for lunch by Lake Osoyoos!
Back on the BMW R 1250 GS, I keep riding and stop by the beach at Lake Okanogan where I spend the night. Tomorrow, I will head back south to take Road 3 again and continue eastward…
Leaving the Okanogan Valley, the weather is still warm and nice: between 24 and 30 Celsius all day! On my way, I wave goodbye to a few Bambis and then reconnect with a particularly curvy section of the Crowsnest HWY. After innumerable hairpins, I take a break at a really impressive scenic stop! I then keep following marvellous Road 3 for the rest of the day. Believe me, this road does go up and down and changes directions continuously! Sometimes I had the feeling I was heading north or south more often than I was going east…! Let’s say that Road 3 zigzags a lot, as if it were following different cardinal points at random…! This is a very bucolic road with changing landscapes that make it particularly enjoyable. And with all these curves, I certainly won’t come back home with square tires…
On the road, you meet all kinds of people and what fascinates me is that all were in a good mood, smiling and welcoming! I love this bohemian lifestyle… On my way, I saw many fine attractions, including the world’s biggest truck in Sparwood, the Frank Slide in Bellevue and the Burmis Tree in Blairmore.
At a gas station, I chatted with a group of motorcyclists from Québec City who were on a road trip similar to mine. I also met Menza, a charming and very energetic girl who came to talk to me. The Vernon, BC, resident even invited me at her place! Travelling on a motorcycle is LIVING! … And I love it!
Once out of the mountains, I went through a sad mood for a bit… British Columbia and Vancouver Island are now behind me and I miss them… Here, the river beds are dry and the air is filled with smoke…
And the landscape is flat… I must get used to it…
The next day, I head right to the Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, which is verrrry far away from the main road. On my way, I am almost hit by a UFO. It looked like the top of a big round garbage can… It flew out of a pick-up truck in front of me! But the GS skid plate just ate it raw…
After a short gravel section, I enter the fantastic Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park. WOW and WOW again! There are countless hoodoos and the Badlands landscape is breathtaking! Sadly, I couldn’t make it to the petroglyphs because that was a fairly long walk, the thermometer showed 28 degrees and I did not have proper clothing for that kind of hike. That being said, the Badlands close to the American border are absolutely worth the detour by themselves! A magnificent scenery!
My plan was then to ride on dirt roads for a while, but on that section the next gas station was 200 km away, and the GS was telling me I had gas left for 175 km… So I decided to go back to paved roads and reach for the closest gas station, 65 km further. Surprise: that was not a gas station; it was a diesel refuelling pit for agricultural machinery! So I had to ride 85 more kilometres to reach the next station. When I got there, believe it or not, the tanks were empty! Delivery was planned for the evening, but it was only noon… Finally, what my GPS did not know was that 2 km further, there was another gas station… with gas… Phew…!
And then it’s a straight line all the way to Saskatchewan! There’s still smoke in the air and it’s VERY hot!
In Manitoba, it’s windy but the weather is OK with sunny skies. There are many stopping areas to observe fauna and flora. But since we’re not in a migratory period, there are not many birds to be seen. I do see a beautiful golden eagle, though. Impressive! And then, a detour to Montmartre to have a look at a small replica of the Eiffel Tower!
I am slowly getting closer to home (well, not that slowly: 100 km/h…!) but I still have a long way to go.
I am getting ready for the final sprint home. It has been difficult to find lodging today (Saturday) but here I am in Kenora. The weather is nice but the air is cool. I explore the city and discover beautiful surroundings by the bays of the Lake of the Woods.
The BMW R 1250 GS is enjoying the sun and a well-deserved break.
The following day, I discover that Nipigon LCBO stores are closed on Sundays…! I would have liked to enjoy a local beer, but that’s life… Luckily, the nice guy at the desk of my hotel wants to help me. He whispers (he was really not easy to understand with his face mask on and his strong Chinese accent!): I’ll check in my lefligelator, a Cools Lite is OK? So sweet! Now, my beemer is parked for the night and we’re back into the Eastern Standard Time Zone!
The next day, I am greeted by a sublime sunrise… and 3 degrees on the thermometer! The BMW R 1250 GS is generally not very talkative, but when it does want to tell you something, it does! It can communicate through a brown screen in the dashboard or a warning icon on the GPS. What it wants to tell me this morning is: Be careful, slippery surface, 3 degrees Celsius! She’s like a caring mother!…
For a few kilometres, I am riding through a thick fog and then… the light is back! It’s good to be approaching Lake Superior. Tomorrow I’ll be riding along its shores once again.
The temperature then gets gradually warmer until it reaches 20 degrees. Once more, I take the Group of Seven Touring Road. In the early 1900s, these Canadian painters were inspired by the beauty of the surrounding landscape (there is a permanent exhibition with a superb collection at the National Gallery of Canada, in Ottawa). Road 17 around Lake Superior is also superb. It’s great to rediscover those magnificent panoramas from a different point of view!
I spend the night in Blind River. There is a lot of traffic, so I put my earplugs on. It’s now the final countdown!!!
The next day, the weather forecast calls for rain all day, so I decide to leave earlier than planned. A good decision since I was able to stay ahead of the storm all day (as long as I did not stop too long…) and got no more than 15 drops in all!
Approaching Ottawa, my GPS has a nice surprise for me. I was wondering where it was trying to take me. I ended up at the Cumberland-Masson-Angers dock for a fine magical, fast, and efficient ferry cruise that took me to Québec (thanks for the discovery, GPS).
I MADE IT!!!
I am now back home after 12,300 km and 25 days of close companionship with BMW’s superb 40th anniversary R 1250 GS! I can say that my Conquest of the West went very well! What a fine country we live in! I met great people, piloted on exceptional roads, made great discoveries and enjoyed magical places that spiced up that marvellous adventure. I hope you enjoyed reading it.
Hope to see you on the road someday!
Thanks to BMW Canada for the motorcycle, to Bob Dépôt for the Scott Storm DP jacket and Scorpion EXO helmet, and to Cycle Canada and Moto-Journal for their usual fine collaboration.
