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Paul Pospisil has left the serenity of Ministikwan
Lake and hit the road on his hog.
DAY THREE: THUNDER BAY
TO SAULT STE. MARIE
We were on the road again by
7:20 a.m. after fuelling up and
collectively deciding on the
route out of town. Amazing how
five people can all be going in
different directions even with
a GPS. Once back on the Trans-
Canada we drove into the rising
sun – at times blinding you and
forcing you down to 60 kilometres
per hour.
The ride from Thunder Bay to Nipigon was perhaps the
most dramatic between the granite rock faces alongside Lake
Superior and with the elevation climbing up to 1,500 feet, the
views were incredible. With the early hour and the proximity
to the world’s largest freshwater lake, the temperature changes
are dramatic to say the least.
We were cool on the bikes as we headed east having to stop
once to thaw out and enjoy the vistas. The temperature and the
atmospheric conditions are such that Lake Superior produces
the most significant phenomenon in the world called lakeeffect
snow.
DAY FOUR: SAULT STE. MARIE TO NORTH BAY
AND INTO OTTAWA, THE NATION’S CAPITAL
North Bay was the rendezvous point to meet up with my
brother Peter. He rode up from Toronto to make the Ontario-
Quebec portion of the trip. Now we were paired up as far as
bikes go, two beamers and two hogs chasing two Yamahas
down the road. Tim Hortons once again supplied the coffee
and nourishment for some, then a little petrol and we were
good to go with Ottawa in our sights.
A little side track into Pembroke almost prevented our arrival
in Ottawa this day. The ride from North Bay took us on the
north side of Algonquin Park – again a great ride other than
a few Sunday drivers, a few pot holes, gravel sections where
the road had been washed out and the odd driver pulling out
prematurely, causing a little anxiety for the motorcyclist. On a
motorcycle there is so much happening during every moment
your wheels are moving forward, as opposed to sitting in the
comfort of your automobile.
There is the condition of the surface, your fellow riders’
front and back, the approaching corner, the proximity of cars
and trucks coming at you and around you, your speed, blind
spot, anticipating other motorists’ intentions. These are all
intensifi ed as you are out there in the elements and can reach
down and touch the road. For the rider, he is concerned with
feeling the corner or finding the sweet spot as he passes a semi
tractor and trailer or planning and executing his next move as
a passing section approaches on a two-lane highway.
The fresh air streaming past you is intoxicating to say the
least. Before we left, I had a bit of a haircut in an effort to avoid
helmet hair but still had to purchase a bandana to stop the
static. As we rolled into Ottawa, everyone was bagged and
the last stretch was on a freeway where drivers were driving
as if they were in Quebec, where rules and red lights are mere
suggestions. Danny was our leader and his Harley sniffed out
a Travel Lodge hotel and we were all good to go.
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