Rather than making a completely new ride report, I'll tag onto this one. Back Sunday evening from 2200km - we did do the big loop - Manitoulin, Sault Ste Marie, Wawa, Chapleau, 129 south, Sudbury, home.
Came within about 10 minutes of missing the ferry - too late of a departure time (my fault, I agreed to it with the group), too many backroads on the way up (again, my fault, I planned the route), and then an ill advised sit down lunch at a GREAT little restaurant that should have been a fast food stop instead. It all cascaded, bad. Arrived to the booth to check in and pay literally as the horn was sounding on the ferry that it was docking. By the time we paid and got in line we barely had our engines turned off for 2 minutes and we were loading. Ugh.
Spent the night on the island, stayed at the Huron Sands motel. Decent, but not fancy by any stretch. Prices high for what you get in that area.
Day 2 we only went about 350km which was welcome by all after the festivities of the day previous. Tried to check out Bridal Veil Falls but it was "closed". Well, partially - you couldn't go down the stairs to the base of the falls but the upper observation platform was open...all in the name of Covid. Seemed silly as people were just jamming on the observation platform instead where if they'd been allowed to go down to the bottom they'd surely have been more spread out.
Trucked on with a few other scenery stops. Stayed at the Clansmen motel on St. Josephs island - not my first time here but first time for the rest of the group and probably our favourite motel of the entire trip - it's a nice little place tucked away in the woods on a quiet little road. Kitchenettes in all rooms plus 1 room we had included a full kitchen. Hit about 20 minutes of heavy rain in the last 30 minutes of the ride but the sun came out as we arrived, so all good. Highly recommended - dated, but clean, and great location..a huge pool, too, which for a motel, is certainly uncommon.
Day 3, to Chapleau. Beautiful day, great scenery. Stayed at the "Chapleau Motel" in Chapleau. Nearly whacked a yearling black bear that ran across the highway in front of us - the only real wildlife sighting for the entire trip, sadly aside from all the usual small stuff. The motel was a $100 room that honestly should have been a $60 room, but options are slim up there in the north. Had pizza from a local joint as we missed the closing time for the grocery stores. Pizza barely made it as they'd rolled up the sidewalks too.
Day 4, the fabled Highway 129. Mixed feelings on that whole experience - the first 100km out of Chapleau were boring. Flat and straight. And then, suddenly, for an amazingly brief period, it became amazing. Like, better than Tail of the Dragon amazing. My friend and I on his FJR tore it up. But seemingly as fast as it happened, it was over. Stopped at the Tunnel Lake Trading Post for gas (really the only option on the 129) and a stretch, had a coffee, got photos with the dragons there (they are smartly playing up the "Ontario's Tail of the Dragon" thing), and continued on. The stretch from there down was decent, but couldn't get that amazing stretch out of my head, as could several others. Plans are already hatched to go back up there next year perhaps (or who knows, maybe this year LOL), base ourselves out of the trading post, and run that stretch of road back and forth. Stayed in Lively at a motel on the main stretch of road passing through - another "looked better on the internet than it was in real life", but the staff tried hard and were friendly, so it was was it was. They didn't charge us extra for the kitchenette room either, so all good.
Day 5, basically Sudbury home. All was going well until it wasn't - my wife wrecked...pretty bad. Ambulance ride to the hospital after laying on the road for 20-25 minutes waiting for it to arrive. Friends hung back with her bike after we left (her in the ambulance and me on my bike) and saw it off to the impound yard and then headed home themselves as I told them there wasn't any need to come sit at the hospital with me..in the the parking lot, nonetheless. Amazingly no life threatening injuries but the whole experience sucked, especially not being allowed into the hospital with her due to the Covid restrictions. She's recovering albeit on some pretty heavy paid meds and nearly crippled in pain - needless to say the rest of my vacation week is hardly turning out to be a vacation. I need to go pickup the bike from the wreckers Thursday and see if it's salvageable or a part out/scrap. I will say no more on the topic as we are pursuing the matter legally for reasons I will not discuss.
I made it home solo Sunday at around 11PM. Rode through 2 thunderstorms once I got south of Beaverton. I don't mind riding in rain but the winds and the debris blown onto the road from the heavy cells, plus being dark, well, that sucked...but I needed to get there.
Anyhow, as mentioned, I'd like to get up to 129 again - next summer for sure, but if time works out, maybe before this season is over. It's only 650km each way, easy day trip...and then spend a few full days there - the road was *that* fun, just too short.
goo.gl
