This was my first endurance rally and I’ve just got one thing to say. What a hoot!!
It all started in Monticello MN, on Friday the 13th, how appropriate, with the Liars Banquet where the rally packs were handed out. We all opened them with the intention of dashing off to our motel rooms and spending some quality time with maps and highlighters. But nooooo, no regular bonuses, just some big mile rides for no points for several folks that are vying for some special awards. It does say that we might want to bowl a lane or three and save our score sheets for a possible big points bonus the next day. Coincidentally we’re at a bowling alley! So we dutifully line up and get funny shoes and start chucking bowling balls. Team Strange started out as a bowling team, hence the bowling theme tonight. Some folks even dress up in their riding gear and toss a few balls. Personally I think this is just a twisted plan to debilitate our throttle hands so tomorrow night about 10pm we’ll all be in agony, I’m not far from wrong.
In the morning we all gather back at the bowling alley for the start. We get our second rally pack and all wait for the signal to open them. In unison they’re all ripped open and we start paging through the 40 bonuses. First I’m looking for that big meaty bonus, the one that might be too far away. Ah, there it is, 7,000 points for the “Great Lakes of Minnesota” a far flung trip to connect 7 of the states biggest lakes, about 1400 miles I guess. Too much for this rookie, not this time, the finish is 24 hours a way and NO grace period, period. Show up in 24 hrs. and 1 second and your a DNF. That would violate my second goal for the rally, to finish. My first goal is to have fun, so what else is in here? Hmmm, Angle Inlet, that’s in an area known as the Northwest Angle. If you look at a map of Minnesota you’ll see at the very top a little pointy piece, that’s the NW Angle, the farthest north in the lower 48 states, only accessible through Canada, worth almost 3,500 points. I like that one. Next is a bonus in Grand Maris on the north shore of Lake Superior worth 2,000, I like that too. A personal bonus is that these two spots are connected by Hwy 1, Minnesota’s answer to Deals Gap, not as “oh my gawd” twisty as DG but 3 or 4 time as long through the pine forests of northern Minnesota. There are a couple of bonuses to pick up on the way to Grand Marais, 3 or 4 heading west to the Angle and 5 or 6 on the way back to St. Cloud for the finish. That’s it, that’s my route and I’m off.
I’m beginning to scents something fishy about these bonuses, they all have a fishing theme, which for Minnesota is very appropriate. Big fiberglass fish of one variety or another, water towers painted like big bobbers, Willie the Worm, Mories Fish House, Paul Bunyon’s anchor and many more.
I crest the hill just south of Duluth and can see Lake Superior and it’s unusually blue, almost cobalt. The air is cool as I wind my way down into the city, out the other side and northeast along the North Shore. The farther I go up the shore the higher the Sawbill Mountains rise to my left and the farther Lake Superior stretches out to my right. Great sh*t! I arrive in Grand Marais, find the Beaver House, a bait and tackle shop and now need to describe the “unique architectural feature of this building”. Could it be the huge fiberglass fish on the roof?? That’s my answer. I also need a purchase from the shop and at the advise of the man behind the counter I choose the Loraina Bobbit Worm Whacker, fifty eight cents, including tax. As I’m heading back southwest out of town the day is so beautiful I’m tempted to just quit right here. I could get one of the $25 a night, bathroom down the hall, rooms at the East Bay Hotel. Have dinner at the Angry Trout over looking Lake Superior and top it off with a Black and Tan from the Gunflint Tavern. But instead I grab 3rd gear and twist the throttle hard to escape the temptation.
I know there’s a short cut from Grand Marais to Isabella on the forest roads of the Superior Nat. Forest and if I were a good dirt rider and was riding a GS/KTM/KLR I’d be tempted, but I’m not so I stick to the hard black stuff. Hwy 1 from Isabella to Ely is a wonderfull road, it’s one of those old roads that conforms to the land rather than cuts through it. It ducks and dodges throught he pine forests, lakes and bogs of northern Minnesota for 35 or 40 miles, sweet. That is until the moose. A big gray hulking critter off on my left down in a bog. I practice my panic braking and he ambles off into the woods, thank you God. Once in Ely I’m too late for a bonus there and just continue through town and on to Orr and Kabetogama for photo bonuses of more big fish. I brush the south edge of International Fall and stop for Willie the Worm in Pelland. While I’m getting my photo of Willie another rider, Victor Wanchena, arrives and a couple of kids come out to greet/bother us. They’ve seen other riders stop here and are begining to get the drift of what’s going on. Victor shows them some of his Polaroids (of the fish, of the fish!!) and we suggest to these young fellas that they should ask many, many questions of all the riders that follow us. Apparently it worked, even got to the point where these boys were asking for autographs, good kids. There’s another big fish statue in Baudette where I run into John Coons and Pat ??? They’re on the Great Lakes Of MN bonus and want to go to the Angle If there’s time. Once we get to Warroad they decide there’s not time and head for Ortonville. It’s about 10:30pm.
That leaves me alone to head up to the Angle. When I hooked up with John and Pat in Baudette and thought they would go to the Angle too I was looking forward to the company because I wasn’t too sure I wanted to tackle this one alone. The Angle is one of those “it’s not the end of the world but you can see it from here” kinda places. There’s supposed to be 20 or 30 miles of gravel on the way, none of my maps showed any of the roads up there, the bonus sheet gave directions, they looked like good directions but all directions, even bad ones look good before you try to follow them and what if I crash my bike and get eaten by a bear or get lost and end up in Saskatoon...... I was trying to talk myself out of going there but John’s words haunted me “it’d be a shame to come all this way and not get the points”. So, even if I do get eaten by a bear or lost and wind up in Moose Jaw at least it’ll be in the pursuit of big bonus points and what could be more noble than that.
I head north out of Warroad and the sign says Angle Inlet 53. After the border crossing the road is straight and flat with fog about 3 feet high stretching out into the fields on both sides of the road. I turn on 308 per the bonus sheet, another good road and when I look off to my right the full moon has just risen. It’s this fat orangey orb off to the east just above the horizon. I return my attention to the road in front of me and then I see it! The night sky from the horizon to what seems like 45 degrees above and my full field of view left to right is awash with dancing lights from the Northern Lights, phenomenal! So here I am cruising along at a good clip in the middle of the night in the middle of no where simultaneously trying to watch the full moon rise, the Northern Lights and the ditches for critters. We’re havn’ some fun now!
Just like the directions say near Moose Lake the road turns to gravel, good gravel, hard packed not too many marbles, long straight stretches I’m able to maintain a good 55 mph on it. I then arrive at the U.S. border. No staffed outpost up here just a plywood booth with a video phone. I answer a lot of questions that I get the feeling he all ready knows the answers to. A few more miles and I’m at the end of the road, Jerry’s Bar and Restaurant and across the parking lot is a pay phone, I need the number and I’ve bagged my points. It’s midnight, now I just need to get outa here.
Back down the gravel to the video phone, more questions, more gravel then finally back to the good old hard and black stuff. On to the border crossing and back into Warroad. I set the GPS to find the finish, 300 and some odd miles, ETA 6:45 am. I want to arrive before 7:00am so I can get my 3 hour sleep bonus (3 hours in the same place no other bonuses collected) worth 2000 points. If you add stops for gas it’ll be close, if you add stops for bonuses I’ll be late. I check and see how much the bonuses are worth hmmmm 1100 for sure easy to get to points on the way. A couple of others maybe 1850 if I wander. That’s it, no more bonuses just head for St. Cloud and the finish and collect the easy 2000.
Just north of Akley on Hwy 64 there’s a point where the road goes between two lakes. I hit this spot just before dawn, the sun isn’t up yet but the sky is getting brighter. As I pass between these twin lakes I look off to the west and see the full moon setting, shimmering off the lake. Then I gaze off to the east and see the blue and pink pre-dawn sky reflecting on the lake with the silhouetted pine forests along the shore line, oh to have time to stop and enjoy this view!! A little farther south I pick up Hwy 10 and slide into St. Cloud I gas up and use that as the start of my sleep bonus 6:38 am, cool. I ride down the road to the finish at Donahue HD, park my bike and find a comfy spot on the sidewalk for a nap.
Riders are arriving and my so called sleep is fitful so I’m up and chatting with the others there. I get my last receipt after 9:38 to finish my sleep bonus and organize my receipts, photos and bonus sheet making sure I’ve got everything and approach the scoring table. This is where everything I’ve done in the last 24 hours will be scrutinized and possibility thrown out. I sit down with John the Bike Borrower, fuel log OK, mandatory checkpoints OK, this bonus that bonus, this receipt that receipt, photos all OK. Total 10,sumthin points. Holy sh!t, that’s almost 11,000 points, WOW I did good.
We hang around some more while everyone gets scored and then there’s a great pig roast. Next is the awards, I’m thinking I don’t even know what class I’m in!! They’re handing out plaques for the top 5 places in each class. When they get to third place in the Touring class they call my name!! I’m shocked and amazed, I’ve got hardware!
My goals were to: 1) Have fun, check. 2) Finish, check. 3) Make as few mistakes as possible. I’m pretty proud of my first effort in this endurance rally thing. I put in a solid ride, about 1,100 miles, I got nearly 11,000 points, I went places and saw things I likely would have never been to or seen and may never see again. But the thing I’m most proud of is the fact that I didn’t loose any points at the scorers table. In other words, I didn’t beat myself. Goal #3, check.
“To a man of imagination, a map is a window to adventure.”
Sir Francis Chichester
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Great Lakes Almost Gold
Cooler by the Lake
The Great Lakes that is, all five of them.
Some of you may remember that last year around this time I had planned to do this Great Lakes Challenge thing with the Team Strange Wackos. Ride around all of the Great Lakes with 140 of your closest friends all according to Iron Butt regulations. Well I got sick just before the ride but still showed up for the start only intending to ride a little ways and then head for home with a DNF. So I had some unfinished business to take care of and this past weekend I finished what I started last year.
This is one of the Iron Butt certified rides see http://www.ironbutt.com/rides/gl50.htm for details. In a nut shell the requirements are to document by way of a gas receipt that you traveled through Duluth MN, Thunder Bay ON, Sudbury ON, Watertown NY, Cleveland OH and Illinois. Do this in under 100 hours and earn a Great Lakes certificate, do it in under 50 hours and earn a Great Lakes GOLD certificate. Right there on the IBA web site it says “Please note that depending on the route you take, the mileage around the Great Lakes is 2,450 miles. Attempting to earn this certification in less than 50 hours is not recommended” so of course I set my goal for under 50 hours. To give you some perspective the shortest coast to coast route is from San Diego CA to Jacksonville FL which is 2350 miles. The Great Lakes route is not only 100 miles longer but 1175 miles of it are two lane highway.
My plan was to start and finish in Duluth MN with a break for some sleep in
North Bay ON. So Thursday after work I rode to Duluth and checked into the
Motel 6 and made my final preparations. One of those preparations was to get cash so I walked over to the gas station next door and used the ATM. One of the strange things that happens to you once you start this certified ride thing is you always look at your receipts. Not at the total or how much tax you paid but is there the name of the town your in, the time of day and the date, this is the info needed on a receipt for documentation from the IBA. I notice this is a “good” receipt. I walk back to the motel and get to see the early stages of the lunar eclipse over the Duluth Harbor. I finish packing for the morning departure, check the weather channel one last time and get some rest.
I chose this spot to start from for a few reasons. A cheap motel, it’s right on the freeway and right next door is a restaurant and gas station with pay at the pump for a quick departure. So after a good breakfast I pack the last things on the bike and roll over to the gas station. I fill up and check my receipt, time, date but no town just a store number, shoot. I head into the store and ask the clerk to give me a receipt from the register still just the store number, shoot. Back out at the bike I look down the block and see another gas station. Then I remember, the ATM! Back in the store, swipe my card, enter PIN, balance inquiry and out pops a “good” receipt, 6:28 am and I’m on the clock.
I head out through Duluth and northeast on Hwy 61, of Bob Dylan fame and just enjoy the beautiful but slightly chilly morning along Lake Superior. Getting ready for this ride I had some trouble with my mental preparation. I wasn’t looking forward to this ride I was actually dreading it some. Two or more hard days on the road, 1200 miles of interstate, big cities, Cleveland, Toledo and worst of all, the city I hate to drive through most of all, Chicago. I hadn’t yet convinced myself this would be fun. So the mind set is, if the ride gets crappy for some reason and I’m not enjoying myself this ride turns into a vacation rather than an endurance test. I’ll get a room and just have some fun exploring where ever I end up and work my way home at my own pace. But for now the road is nice and the scenery is great and I’m having a good time.
The towns click by, Two Harbors, Castle Danger, Silver Bay then I remember I need a water sample. I’ve brought with me 5 vials to collect a sample from each of the Great Lakes to display with my certificate. Some folks that do the coast to coast ride will do this, get a vial of water from both oceans. So I find a spot where the road is nice and close to the lake and fill the vial marked “S”, pack it back on the bike and head for the border.
Crossing the border is a snap, a couple of easy questions and its “have a nice day, enjoy Canada”. I’ve got my passport, my bike registration, my insurance card complete with a Canadian endorsement. Do they want to see any of it? No. It’s like bringing your rain suit on a bike trip, if you bring it you don’t need it but if you forget it, you know what happens.
From the rolling hills outside of Thunder Bay you get glimpse of the Lake and some spectacular islands with tall soaring cliffs that match the cliffs inland on this side of the border. TB is a required stop so I find a convenient convenience store to gas up. Filling the PC from dry now requires 10.2 gallons! One of the additions I made to my bike before I left was the 6 gallon auxiliary gas tank. It’s an outboard motor fuel tank strapped to the passenger seat. I got the idea from former PC owner Chuck Chiodini who also did some long distance riding on his PC. Continuing northeast, in Nipigon Hwy 11 splits off to the north and with it most of the trucks and there I also locate a rest stop I found on my Lake Superior Circle tour. It over looks the Gulf of Ignace where the Islands of Nirvana reside I take a short break and have a snack at the northern most spot on the trip. Hwy 17, the Trans Canada Hwy, is a nice road real nice for a motorcycle trip but the speed limits here in Canada are let’s say somewhat stifling for a guy on a schedule like mine. As luck would have it I find a couple of “rabbits”, not the cute fuzzy ones. A guy in a pickup and another in a Cadillac and they’ve both got some where to go and need to get there in a hurry. I tuck in behind them about a quarter mile back and make some very un-Canadian like time.
I roll into Wawa ON around 4:00 pm and now the sky has turned overcast, a harbinger of things to come. Here I leave Hwy 17 and get on a secondary, hmmm maybe a thirdary road, Hwy 101. It’s good road but there’s almost no other traffic and this really heads off into the wilderness. About 40 miles down 101 I turn south on 129. This little detour was part of the Team Strange route from last year. I don’t think it’s any shorter but you miss the slow down of going through Ste. Saint Marie. As I’m soon to find out it’s more to challenge and entertain the rider. OBTW, it’s raining now, not really raining just a heavy drizzle. As I head south on 129 the road ahead look like it turns to gravel! I squint to see better. The road changes to a definite light brown color and the closer I get I can now see that it is in fact paved. Unfortunately the term paved is being very generous in the description of this road. It’s rough and coarse and cracked and generally a piece of you know what. As I head south on this poor excuse for a road ducking and dodging the big holes I remember back to the pre-ride banquet from last year. A couple of Canadian riders commenting on this road “oh, hey look their taken us down 129, eh. Yoo know da last time I was on dat road hey, I blew out my fork seals, eh”. From here it’s about 60 miles yet to hwy 17 and smooth pavement and about half way there it gets even better. I come across a curve warning sign “50 kph next 20 km”. WOW what a road, oh it’s still rough as ever but this is like a back woods roller coaster with dips and drops that put your stomach in your throat. All this and the road follows along the Mississiagi River lined with big pines and the occasional moose. Oh yeah, moose, by this time I spotted a few most are just off the road a ways in some swamp but I did come across one poised to cross the road in front of me. It wasn’t close at all but as soon as I saw him I grabbed a big handful of brakes, I wanted to stop as far away from him as possible. Once I got down to 20 mph or so I tooted the horn at him and he just looked up at me, turned around and trotted back into the bush. This was not threatening at all but it was sobering, these are LARGE creatures and I didn’t want to tangle with one.
I finally reach hwy 17 and the pavement is finally smooth again. A little farther down the road and I’m on the lookout for a spot to fill my second vial. In Blind River I spot a boat ramp and ride down to the end and pull out the vial with the letter “H” on it, scoop my sample and I’m back on the highway. Now the sun is beginning to set and the drizzle is still coming down and this combined with the headlights of oncoming traffic is blinding me. My night vision must be getting worse because there were times I couldn’t see the road at all. I tried following a couple of cars, that helped a little. Finally I hooked up with a semi truck and that worked pretty good. I followed him into Sudbury around 10:00pm and called it quits for the night. This was about an hour short of where and when I planned to stop so I hope to be able to start an hour earlier than planned in the morning.
I find a Super 8 and check in. This turns out to be a real nice place for a Super 8. I soak in a hot tub for a while and shower, I eat some trail mix, ice my knees, go over some maps for tomorrow, make some hot tea, check the weather and finally, get some sleep. I had planned for a 6 hour stop, stop at 11:00pm and leave at 5:00am. So now I had stopped at 10:00 pm I need to get on the road at 4:00am. I set the alarm for 3:30 and hope that the rain will have ended by then. Lights out.
When my alarm goes off at 3:30 am I stumble to the window and look outside only to see that it’s still raining so the same visibility troubles will plague me. I reset the alarm a return to bed, I can’t say I was looking forward to getting back on the bike at 4:00am, the bed seems like a much better idea right now. Once I’m up, pack, gassed and on the road it’s just past 6:00am. I’ve been stopped 2 hours longer than I had planned. Before I reach North Bay I spot a local cafe in Sturgeon Falls, seven pick-up trucks, hmmmm must be a good place to eat. So I do and it was. The rain has stopped and the road is drying, there’s even an occasional spot of blue sky. As I move farther East and South approaching Ottawa I find myself in an area that I believe is known as Cottage Country, lots of small towns, lakes and resorts. This is a holiday weekend for the Canadians, Victoria Day is Monday and everyone is headed to the cabin. Fortunately I’m headed away from the cabin so there’s not too much traffic the way I’m going but it make passing more challenging. There’s also more small towns to slow down for and so my mediocre Canadian pace is slowed even more. Finally I turn off of Hwy 17 heading south for the 1,000 Islands Bridge the traffic lessens but the small towns increase and my frustration with my pace is beginning to increase. It’s now noon and I still haven’t reached the bridge and the half way point of my ride I’m sure that my 50 hour goal is out the window. I cross over the bridge and the border at 1:24 pm and look around for a place to get my Ontario water sample. I find a small park to dip my vial then a gas station to remove some of my warm clothes, now the sun is out and it’s a beautiful day to ride. I grab my phone and give Tim Davies a call, “hey Tim, this is Rick, watcha doin? Wanna go for a ride? I’m in the neighborhood.” Tim agrees to meet me at a gas station near his house just off I 90 with a new cigarette lighter plug for my electric jacket. The weather was so nice at this point I considered not even asking him to help me out but this really saved my bacon later. So now I’m 30 hours in to my ride and just past the half way point and I’m trying to figure out my game plan for the rest of the ride. Then I got thinking to myself “There’s no way I could make it now, I’d need to average, hmmm, what would I need to average to make it? Let’s see 20 hours to go and 1200 miles that’s about 60 mph average. Sixty mph!! F**k’n A!! I can do that!!” So I grabbed a hand full of throttle and hit the road with a new found enthusiasm.
I meet Tim at exit 41, as I gas up Tim gets ready to fix up my jacket. We’re on our hands and knees on the side walk out in front of the gas station with tools and crimp connectors and zip ties spread out all over, quite a sight I’m sure. We chat a bit while I woof down a power bar and I hit the road. I’m just knock’n down miles until just before Erie PA and I pull off the interstate to get my Lake Erie sample. Now on to Cleveland.
I’m gassing up just outside of Cleveland and have just stuck the gas nozzle into the 6 gallon auxiliary tank when a cop pulls up. Now I’ve tried to keep my bike as stealthy as possible. I’ve got the big honk’n lights on the front but I keep the covers on them and cover those over with black tape so they don’t draw too much attention. I tried to do the same thing with my gas tank, I found a large gym bag that the tank fit in and placed the tank in that and then on the back of the bike so it just looks like a big duffel strapped to the passenger seat. I don’t need some cop seeing this big red gas tank strapped to my bike and thinking “What’s that boy up to??” So needless to say I’m a bit startled by the cop and he’s a little taken a back by the fact that I filling my duffel bag with gas. As it turn out he’s just a former PC owner and curious about the bike and how far I’ve come. Whew!
Just as I get back on the road I miss a turn on the freeway and end up several miles out of my way, but there was entertainment, a police chase! Just before I missed my turn there were a couple of squads heading some where in a big hurry, lights no siren. As I got further down the road I saw squads parked in the median between the openings in the concrete barriers. Then came the perp with a couple of squads right on his tail all followed by what seemed like 30 more squads all with lights a blaze. All very Blues Brothers like. Now I’ve got to turn around and go down that same road they were on I hope they don’t forget one of those tack strip things and leave in the road for me.
More miles. Now I’m just west of South Bend I want to be full of gas heading into the Chicago area. It’s after mid night and I don’t want to be looking for gas in the wrong neighborhood this time of night.
I’m at an oasis west of South Bend. It’s now near 1:00 am and I’m beginning to feel tired, more tired than usual at this time of night. I’ve been making great time, when I passed over the bridge my average speed to that point was 38 mph. To make 2400 miles in 50 hours you need to average 48 mph. At this point I was up to nearly 44 mph, making good progress but no time to stop for any length of time. I get some coffee to stay alert. I don’t like to do this, not because I’m a purist or anything but when I start to drink coffee to stay awake I need to keep drinking it. From this point on things begin to crumble a bit.
I forget to put in my ear plugs and need to stop, some time lost. I need to pee now that I’m drinking coffee and I choose an exit rather than an oasis to stop at so I have to pay the toll and find a gas station and then get a ticket before getting back on the highway, more time lost. I miss a turn in Chicago and wind up in O’Hara airport at 3:00am! I figure I just need to follow the road around past the arrival/departure gates and it will bring me back out to the freeway and it does but east not west! I get off at an exit and try to find a way back on going west, can’t find one. Try my GPS, but apparently it little brain is as scrambled as mine. I finally stop at a convenience store and ask directions. Directions from strangers can be hit or miss sometimes and I’m a bit concerned that this could get me in even more dodo, but the guy knew what he was talking about and the next thing you know I’m west bound again but I’ve lost a bunch of time. At my next gas stop in Rockford IL I need another cup of coffee, more time gone. Stop at a rest area somewhere in WI to pee, that coffee, more time bye bye. At some point just after dawn I’m startled by a couple of deer on the side of the road. I hadn’t seen them, not because they were hidden but I’ve become a rolling zombie, eyes wide open but the brain shut off. I’m off at the very next exit for some nap time. About a 20 or 30 minute nap and another cup of joe and I’m back out there, but more time lost.
It’s around this point I realize that the 50 hour goal won’t be met, not without some very elevated speeds and between my mental state and the Wisconsin State Troopers, that are out in force, that’s just not a good idea. So, some where just north of Eau Claire WI with just 145 miles to go the 50 hour window snaps shut. Damn!
I finally roll into Duluth and up to the same gas station I started at, go inside to the ATM, swipe my card, enter PIN, balance inquiry, out pops my finish receipt, 10:38 am CDT.
So my ride is filled with shoulda, woulda, coulda and few if onlys for good measure.
When your opponent is another human being and you make a mistake, if you’re lucky, he won’t be able to take advantage of it. Even when it looks like you’re beaten you can still hold out hope that he will falter and give you the opportunity for victory. When you compete against the clock that will never happen. The clock will never falter and every mistake you make will be taken full advantage of. A mistake free ride is the best way to meet your goal.
Here are some of the numbers;
Start and finish, Duluth MN
Total miles, 2449
Overall Average speed, 47.1
Moving Average, 65.4
Trip Time, 52 hrs. 10 min.
Trip Time Moving. 37 hrs 31 min.
Trip Time Stopped, 14 hrs 39 min.
Moose, 4 sightings of 6 moose
“Its only far if you don’t go.”
Danny Liska
Rick
The Great Lakes that is, all five of them.
Some of you may remember that last year around this time I had planned to do this Great Lakes Challenge thing with the Team Strange Wackos. Ride around all of the Great Lakes with 140 of your closest friends all according to Iron Butt regulations. Well I got sick just before the ride but still showed up for the start only intending to ride a little ways and then head for home with a DNF. So I had some unfinished business to take care of and this past weekend I finished what I started last year.
This is one of the Iron Butt certified rides see http://www.ironbutt.com/rides/gl50.htm for details. In a nut shell the requirements are to document by way of a gas receipt that you traveled through Duluth MN, Thunder Bay ON, Sudbury ON, Watertown NY, Cleveland OH and Illinois. Do this in under 100 hours and earn a Great Lakes certificate, do it in under 50 hours and earn a Great Lakes GOLD certificate. Right there on the IBA web site it says “Please note that depending on the route you take, the mileage around the Great Lakes is 2,450 miles. Attempting to earn this certification in less than 50 hours is not recommended” so of course I set my goal for under 50 hours. To give you some perspective the shortest coast to coast route is from San Diego CA to Jacksonville FL which is 2350 miles. The Great Lakes route is not only 100 miles longer but 1175 miles of it are two lane highway.
My plan was to start and finish in Duluth MN with a break for some sleep in
North Bay ON. So Thursday after work I rode to Duluth and checked into the
Motel 6 and made my final preparations. One of those preparations was to get cash so I walked over to the gas station next door and used the ATM. One of the strange things that happens to you once you start this certified ride thing is you always look at your receipts. Not at the total or how much tax you paid but is there the name of the town your in, the time of day and the date, this is the info needed on a receipt for documentation from the IBA. I notice this is a “good” receipt. I walk back to the motel and get to see the early stages of the lunar eclipse over the Duluth Harbor. I finish packing for the morning departure, check the weather channel one last time and get some rest.
I chose this spot to start from for a few reasons. A cheap motel, it’s right on the freeway and right next door is a restaurant and gas station with pay at the pump for a quick departure. So after a good breakfast I pack the last things on the bike and roll over to the gas station. I fill up and check my receipt, time, date but no town just a store number, shoot. I head into the store and ask the clerk to give me a receipt from the register still just the store number, shoot. Back out at the bike I look down the block and see another gas station. Then I remember, the ATM! Back in the store, swipe my card, enter PIN, balance inquiry and out pops a “good” receipt, 6:28 am and I’m on the clock.
I head out through Duluth and northeast on Hwy 61, of Bob Dylan fame and just enjoy the beautiful but slightly chilly morning along Lake Superior. Getting ready for this ride I had some trouble with my mental preparation. I wasn’t looking forward to this ride I was actually dreading it some. Two or more hard days on the road, 1200 miles of interstate, big cities, Cleveland, Toledo and worst of all, the city I hate to drive through most of all, Chicago. I hadn’t yet convinced myself this would be fun. So the mind set is, if the ride gets crappy for some reason and I’m not enjoying myself this ride turns into a vacation rather than an endurance test. I’ll get a room and just have some fun exploring where ever I end up and work my way home at my own pace. But for now the road is nice and the scenery is great and I’m having a good time.
The towns click by, Two Harbors, Castle Danger, Silver Bay then I remember I need a water sample. I’ve brought with me 5 vials to collect a sample from each of the Great Lakes to display with my certificate. Some folks that do the coast to coast ride will do this, get a vial of water from both oceans. So I find a spot where the road is nice and close to the lake and fill the vial marked “S”, pack it back on the bike and head for the border.
Crossing the border is a snap, a couple of easy questions and its “have a nice day, enjoy Canada”. I’ve got my passport, my bike registration, my insurance card complete with a Canadian endorsement. Do they want to see any of it? No. It’s like bringing your rain suit on a bike trip, if you bring it you don’t need it but if you forget it, you know what happens.
From the rolling hills outside of Thunder Bay you get glimpse of the Lake and some spectacular islands with tall soaring cliffs that match the cliffs inland on this side of the border. TB is a required stop so I find a convenient convenience store to gas up. Filling the PC from dry now requires 10.2 gallons! One of the additions I made to my bike before I left was the 6 gallon auxiliary gas tank. It’s an outboard motor fuel tank strapped to the passenger seat. I got the idea from former PC owner Chuck Chiodini who also did some long distance riding on his PC. Continuing northeast, in Nipigon Hwy 11 splits off to the north and with it most of the trucks and there I also locate a rest stop I found on my Lake Superior Circle tour. It over looks the Gulf of Ignace where the Islands of Nirvana reside I take a short break and have a snack at the northern most spot on the trip. Hwy 17, the Trans Canada Hwy, is a nice road real nice for a motorcycle trip but the speed limits here in Canada are let’s say somewhat stifling for a guy on a schedule like mine. As luck would have it I find a couple of “rabbits”, not the cute fuzzy ones. A guy in a pickup and another in a Cadillac and they’ve both got some where to go and need to get there in a hurry. I tuck in behind them about a quarter mile back and make some very un-Canadian like time.
I roll into Wawa ON around 4:00 pm and now the sky has turned overcast, a harbinger of things to come. Here I leave Hwy 17 and get on a secondary, hmmm maybe a thirdary road, Hwy 101. It’s good road but there’s almost no other traffic and this really heads off into the wilderness. About 40 miles down 101 I turn south on 129. This little detour was part of the Team Strange route from last year. I don’t think it’s any shorter but you miss the slow down of going through Ste. Saint Marie. As I’m soon to find out it’s more to challenge and entertain the rider. OBTW, it’s raining now, not really raining just a heavy drizzle. As I head south on 129 the road ahead look like it turns to gravel! I squint to see better. The road changes to a definite light brown color and the closer I get I can now see that it is in fact paved. Unfortunately the term paved is being very generous in the description of this road. It’s rough and coarse and cracked and generally a piece of you know what. As I head south on this poor excuse for a road ducking and dodging the big holes I remember back to the pre-ride banquet from last year. A couple of Canadian riders commenting on this road “oh, hey look their taken us down 129, eh. Yoo know da last time I was on dat road hey, I blew out my fork seals, eh”. From here it’s about 60 miles yet to hwy 17 and smooth pavement and about half way there it gets even better. I come across a curve warning sign “50 kph next 20 km”. WOW what a road, oh it’s still rough as ever but this is like a back woods roller coaster with dips and drops that put your stomach in your throat. All this and the road follows along the Mississiagi River lined with big pines and the occasional moose. Oh yeah, moose, by this time I spotted a few most are just off the road a ways in some swamp but I did come across one poised to cross the road in front of me. It wasn’t close at all but as soon as I saw him I grabbed a big handful of brakes, I wanted to stop as far away from him as possible. Once I got down to 20 mph or so I tooted the horn at him and he just looked up at me, turned around and trotted back into the bush. This was not threatening at all but it was sobering, these are LARGE creatures and I didn’t want to tangle with one.
I finally reach hwy 17 and the pavement is finally smooth again. A little farther down the road and I’m on the lookout for a spot to fill my second vial. In Blind River I spot a boat ramp and ride down to the end and pull out the vial with the letter “H” on it, scoop my sample and I’m back on the highway. Now the sun is beginning to set and the drizzle is still coming down and this combined with the headlights of oncoming traffic is blinding me. My night vision must be getting worse because there were times I couldn’t see the road at all. I tried following a couple of cars, that helped a little. Finally I hooked up with a semi truck and that worked pretty good. I followed him into Sudbury around 10:00pm and called it quits for the night. This was about an hour short of where and when I planned to stop so I hope to be able to start an hour earlier than planned in the morning.
I find a Super 8 and check in. This turns out to be a real nice place for a Super 8. I soak in a hot tub for a while and shower, I eat some trail mix, ice my knees, go over some maps for tomorrow, make some hot tea, check the weather and finally, get some sleep. I had planned for a 6 hour stop, stop at 11:00pm and leave at 5:00am. So now I had stopped at 10:00 pm I need to get on the road at 4:00am. I set the alarm for 3:30 and hope that the rain will have ended by then. Lights out.
When my alarm goes off at 3:30 am I stumble to the window and look outside only to see that it’s still raining so the same visibility troubles will plague me. I reset the alarm a return to bed, I can’t say I was looking forward to getting back on the bike at 4:00am, the bed seems like a much better idea right now. Once I’m up, pack, gassed and on the road it’s just past 6:00am. I’ve been stopped 2 hours longer than I had planned. Before I reach North Bay I spot a local cafe in Sturgeon Falls, seven pick-up trucks, hmmmm must be a good place to eat. So I do and it was. The rain has stopped and the road is drying, there’s even an occasional spot of blue sky. As I move farther East and South approaching Ottawa I find myself in an area that I believe is known as Cottage Country, lots of small towns, lakes and resorts. This is a holiday weekend for the Canadians, Victoria Day is Monday and everyone is headed to the cabin. Fortunately I’m headed away from the cabin so there’s not too much traffic the way I’m going but it make passing more challenging. There’s also more small towns to slow down for and so my mediocre Canadian pace is slowed even more. Finally I turn off of Hwy 17 heading south for the 1,000 Islands Bridge the traffic lessens but the small towns increase and my frustration with my pace is beginning to increase. It’s now noon and I still haven’t reached the bridge and the half way point of my ride I’m sure that my 50 hour goal is out the window. I cross over the bridge and the border at 1:24 pm and look around for a place to get my Ontario water sample. I find a small park to dip my vial then a gas station to remove some of my warm clothes, now the sun is out and it’s a beautiful day to ride. I grab my phone and give Tim Davies a call, “hey Tim, this is Rick, watcha doin? Wanna go for a ride? I’m in the neighborhood.” Tim agrees to meet me at a gas station near his house just off I 90 with a new cigarette lighter plug for my electric jacket. The weather was so nice at this point I considered not even asking him to help me out but this really saved my bacon later. So now I’m 30 hours in to my ride and just past the half way point and I’m trying to figure out my game plan for the rest of the ride. Then I got thinking to myself “There’s no way I could make it now, I’d need to average, hmmm, what would I need to average to make it? Let’s see 20 hours to go and 1200 miles that’s about 60 mph average. Sixty mph!! F**k’n A!! I can do that!!” So I grabbed a hand full of throttle and hit the road with a new found enthusiasm.
I meet Tim at exit 41, as I gas up Tim gets ready to fix up my jacket. We’re on our hands and knees on the side walk out in front of the gas station with tools and crimp connectors and zip ties spread out all over, quite a sight I’m sure. We chat a bit while I woof down a power bar and I hit the road. I’m just knock’n down miles until just before Erie PA and I pull off the interstate to get my Lake Erie sample. Now on to Cleveland.
I’m gassing up just outside of Cleveland and have just stuck the gas nozzle into the 6 gallon auxiliary tank when a cop pulls up. Now I’ve tried to keep my bike as stealthy as possible. I’ve got the big honk’n lights on the front but I keep the covers on them and cover those over with black tape so they don’t draw too much attention. I tried to do the same thing with my gas tank, I found a large gym bag that the tank fit in and placed the tank in that and then on the back of the bike so it just looks like a big duffel strapped to the passenger seat. I don’t need some cop seeing this big red gas tank strapped to my bike and thinking “What’s that boy up to??” So needless to say I’m a bit startled by the cop and he’s a little taken a back by the fact that I filling my duffel bag with gas. As it turn out he’s just a former PC owner and curious about the bike and how far I’ve come. Whew!
Just as I get back on the road I miss a turn on the freeway and end up several miles out of my way, but there was entertainment, a police chase! Just before I missed my turn there were a couple of squads heading some where in a big hurry, lights no siren. As I got further down the road I saw squads parked in the median between the openings in the concrete barriers. Then came the perp with a couple of squads right on his tail all followed by what seemed like 30 more squads all with lights a blaze. All very Blues Brothers like. Now I’ve got to turn around and go down that same road they were on I hope they don’t forget one of those tack strip things and leave in the road for me.
More miles. Now I’m just west of South Bend I want to be full of gas heading into the Chicago area. It’s after mid night and I don’t want to be looking for gas in the wrong neighborhood this time of night.
I’m at an oasis west of South Bend. It’s now near 1:00 am and I’m beginning to feel tired, more tired than usual at this time of night. I’ve been making great time, when I passed over the bridge my average speed to that point was 38 mph. To make 2400 miles in 50 hours you need to average 48 mph. At this point I was up to nearly 44 mph, making good progress but no time to stop for any length of time. I get some coffee to stay alert. I don’t like to do this, not because I’m a purist or anything but when I start to drink coffee to stay awake I need to keep drinking it. From this point on things begin to crumble a bit.
I forget to put in my ear plugs and need to stop, some time lost. I need to pee now that I’m drinking coffee and I choose an exit rather than an oasis to stop at so I have to pay the toll and find a gas station and then get a ticket before getting back on the highway, more time lost. I miss a turn in Chicago and wind up in O’Hara airport at 3:00am! I figure I just need to follow the road around past the arrival/departure gates and it will bring me back out to the freeway and it does but east not west! I get off at an exit and try to find a way back on going west, can’t find one. Try my GPS, but apparently it little brain is as scrambled as mine. I finally stop at a convenience store and ask directions. Directions from strangers can be hit or miss sometimes and I’m a bit concerned that this could get me in even more dodo, but the guy knew what he was talking about and the next thing you know I’m west bound again but I’ve lost a bunch of time. At my next gas stop in Rockford IL I need another cup of coffee, more time gone. Stop at a rest area somewhere in WI to pee, that coffee, more time bye bye. At some point just after dawn I’m startled by a couple of deer on the side of the road. I hadn’t seen them, not because they were hidden but I’ve become a rolling zombie, eyes wide open but the brain shut off. I’m off at the very next exit for some nap time. About a 20 or 30 minute nap and another cup of joe and I’m back out there, but more time lost.
It’s around this point I realize that the 50 hour goal won’t be met, not without some very elevated speeds and between my mental state and the Wisconsin State Troopers, that are out in force, that’s just not a good idea. So, some where just north of Eau Claire WI with just 145 miles to go the 50 hour window snaps shut. Damn!
I finally roll into Duluth and up to the same gas station I started at, go inside to the ATM, swipe my card, enter PIN, balance inquiry, out pops my finish receipt, 10:38 am CDT.
So my ride is filled with shoulda, woulda, coulda and few if onlys for good measure.
When your opponent is another human being and you make a mistake, if you’re lucky, he won’t be able to take advantage of it. Even when it looks like you’re beaten you can still hold out hope that he will falter and give you the opportunity for victory. When you compete against the clock that will never happen. The clock will never falter and every mistake you make will be taken full advantage of. A mistake free ride is the best way to meet your goal.
Here are some of the numbers;
Start and finish, Duluth MN
Total miles, 2449
Overall Average speed, 47.1
Moving Average, 65.4
Trip Time, 52 hrs. 10 min.
Trip Time Moving. 37 hrs 31 min.
Trip Time Stopped, 14 hrs 39 min.
Moose, 4 sightings of 6 moose
“Its only far if you don’t go.”
Danny Liska
Rick
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