A Ride up North - James Bay | Page 19 | GTAMotorcycle.com

A Ride up North - James Bay

jeff96 said:
I think there's two different trips proposed in this thread. A James Bay Highway (JBH) and or the Trans Taiga. I'm looking at the Trans Taiga as my primary goal. Seems like a number of riders did it last year, although fall seems to be preferred

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I did a trip last June/July that included both the North Rd and the Trans Tiaga that was about 5300 kms in total.There were 8 riders in total and we had a new 2500 GMC as a support vehicle.I intended to go again in Late June but I have another trip booked in that time frame.
My intention is now to go in September with a smaller group and no support vehicle and probably just go to the Mirage on the TT and use it as a base to ride in the area as we did not do any exploring in the area on the last trip.If we go to the end of the road to the Caniapiscau Reservoir we will probably camp 1 night to allow more time for exploring.
 
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BMW Rider said:
I did a trip last June/July that included both the North Rd and the Trans Tiaga that was about 5300 kms in total.There were 8 riders in total and we had a new 2500 GMC as a support vehicle.I intended to go again in Late June but I have another trip booked in that time frame.
My intention is now to go in September with a smaller group and no support vehicle and probably just go to the Mirage on the TT and use it as a base to ride in the area as we did not do any exploring in the area on the last trip.If we go to the end of the road to the Caniapiscau Reservoir we will probably camp 1 night to allow more time for exploring.
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Having done that trip including another 80km past the damn to the fly-in outfitters, I'm curious to know what exploring there is to do around Mirage. I recall the TT as one gravel road with not much heading off of it - so much so we struggled to find a rough camping spot. We ended up at a FN hunt camp that wasn't being used at the time.
 
If time permits I might be interested this kind of trip again. I've ridden both the JBR and the TT. You can use the JBR to get to the TT but they are two very different rides.
Who's actually interested in which ride?
And probably most important what's your accommodation requirements.
On both the previous rides we mostly camped rough but treated ourselves to a real hotel in Raddisson. That far north in QC it's likely easier to find a rough/vagrant camping spot rather than a hotel or camp ground EXCEPT on the TT. There are simply no roads leading off of it.
 
On google maps if you zoom in on Brisay (near the end of teh trans-taiga) there is a fairly long road going south. Somebody on the advrider forums went on it and posted a few pictures.
 
danp said:
On google maps if you zoom in on Brisay (near the end of teh trans-taiga) there is a fairly long road going south. Somebody on the advrider forums went on it and posted a few pictures.
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Hydro QC maintains the road up to the damn (Brisay I think). We travelled about 80km past that on a much poorer gravel road to the outfitters at the end . Caniapiscau I believe. At the time gas was $2.50/liter - about 10$/gallon.

Expect bugs and riding in the rain:

July in Caniapiscau is cool and very rainy. The average overnight temperatures in the area are in the 40s F (single digits C). It tends to rain about two thirds of the time. But the colder weather doesn't bring low humidity, which is in the 60% to 70% range on average.
 
timtune said:
Hydro QC maintains the road up to the damn (Brisay I think). We travelled about 80km past that on a much poorer gravel road to the outfitters at the end . Caniapiscau I believe. At the time gas was $2.50/liter - about 10$/gallon.

Expect bugs and riding in the rain:

July in Caniapiscau is cool and very rainy. The average overnight temperatures in the area are in the 40s F (single digits C). It tends to rain about two thirds of the time. But the colder weather doesn't bring low humidity, which is in the 60% to 70% range on average.
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I have been up there twice in late June and we had great weather both times.Lows of 7-10c and 14-18 for highs and no rain.I guess we lucked out!
 
timtune said:
If time permits I might be interested this kind of trip again. I've ridden both the JBR and the TT. You can use the JBR to get to the TT but they are two very different rides.
Who's actually interested in which ride?
And probably most important what's your accommodation requirements.
On both the previous rides we mostly camped rough but treated ourselves to a real hotel in Raddisson. That far north in QC it's likely easier to find a rough/vagrant camping spot rather than a hotel or camp ground EXCEPT on the TT. There are simply no roads leading off of it.
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We found a few roads that looked like they needed exploring and riding to Some different Hydro Quebec installations looked interesting.Here is a video of the south rd.

 
BMW Rider said:
We found a few roads that looked like they needed exploring and riding to Some different Hydro Quebec installations looked interesting.Here is a video of the south rd.

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How far into the TT was that cut off? It looked like there was some potential rough camping spots.
 
timtune said:
How far into the TT was that cut off? It looked like there was some potential rough camping spots.
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The turnoff is at the intersection in Brisay to the right.Left is the continuation to Caniapiscau.The south road is for Hydro Quebec access to the dykes on the Caniapiscau Resivoir.
 
OK, at the end pretty much.
 
I had to book vacation so I decided on mid may. I did the north road in July some years ago and I'd rather risk cold than bugs.
Would the north road be representative of the conditions I can expect? I know it changes quickly with weather and how long since a grader has passed through.
Finding camp sites was tough on the north road, but I managed to find something when I needed to

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jeff96 said:
I had to book vacation so I decided on mid may. I did the north road in July some years ago and I'd rather risk cold than bugs.
Would the north road be representative of the conditions I can expect? I know it changes quickly with weather and how long since a grader has passed through.
Finding camp sites was tough on the north road, but I managed to find something when I needed to

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I'm also planning for mid to late May depending on work commitments, although just for the Billy Diamond Highway/North Road and not the Trans-Taiga, so maybe I'll run into you.
 
We took the Rue de Nord (North road) to get to the Trans Taiga last time up. It was a smooth gravel hiway compared to the taiga. None of us (4) had issues on the North Rd but we all had close calls on the loose gravel wadded up in the corners of the TT.
IMO the North rd was much better (easier) than the TT.
 
May is pretty chilly up there. with lows to 4...mid June better if you can swing it tho long daylight helps.
It's 903 km from Rouyn-Noranda to Radisson so doable in a day ...make sure the hydro tours are on.
Limited accommodation in Radisson and you don't want to stay in Chisabi tho the road across is much fun.
I'd book well ahead as lots with wanderlust this year.
 
MacDoc said:
May is pretty chilly up there. with lows to 4...mid June better if you can swing it tho long daylight helps.
It's 903 km from Rouyn-Noranda to Radisson so doable in a day ...make sure the hydro tours are on.
Limited accommodation in Radisson and you don't want to stay in Chisabi tho the road across is much fun.
I'd book well ahead as lots with wanderlust this year.
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Why not Chisasibi? I stayed there in a newly built hotel (see further up in thread). It actually looked like the town was going through some new redevelopement as there were a lot of newer buildings and roads.
 
I'll take cold (not icy roads though) over blackflies any day. I just hope I don't get both.
I'm not worried about accommodation. I bivvy sac and/or hammock is my go to for this type of trip

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Why not Chisasibi? I stayed there in a newly built hotel (see further up in thread)
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We were told by the police in town that we would have to lock the bikes in the school auditorium to keep them safe from light fingered youths - who were already hanging around.
Had a wild ( and fun ) gallop back to Radisson at speed wanting to beat sunset.
FWIW

You sure you want to swag in May?
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I'll take cold (not icy roads though) over blackflies any day. I just hope I don't get both
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Mid june there were loads of black flies but they were not biting...never did figure out why.
Highlight was a caribou galloping along in the low taiga bush parallel to the road...he disappeared long before I could get stopped for a photo.

I guess everyone knows about the long stretch wiihout fuel. You can see the five liter spare peeking out.
It looks and feels remote.
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make a meal from the bugs
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This guy did the TT about a week after us and did a well detailed set of videos chronicling his trip.It really shows the conditions that you will encounter at a slower pace.Well worth watching the 14 episodes.

 
The ghost town in EP3 would be a good vagrant camping spot.
 
2010 46.JPGGoing through some old photos. Here's my expensive luggage system for my first trip up the JBR
 
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