The Making of a Cross Canada Route

[olebiker]

Originally Posted by platypus-3in1

in a perfect world ... You

+1

[Rode2Nowhere]

Originally Posted by Deadly99

I wonder who will be the first to ride the entire TCAT

Cheers

Ted

Which is estimated at what length, currently?

[Deadly99]

Originally Posted by Platypus-3in1

In a perfect world ... YOU

Originally Posted by olebiker

+1

Sadly it won't be me. Family, work, life, etc

Someday though even if it happens in different sections of the route each year

Originally Posted by Rode2Nowhere

Which is estimated at what length, currently?

About 15, 000 kilometers, give or take a bit

[misterkridered]

Originally Posted by Deadly99

It was another great trip. Sean, Scott and Step...thanks for the great company and the fun ride

Sean informed us of an old rail line trail that runs from the city of North Bay to Sudbury. Step is going to go and give it a test run. This would be a great addition to the route as it now stands the route utlizes a paved highway for this section as I couldn't find an alternate means to connect the two cities (about 100 km apart). I look forward to hearing about this trail and Sean informs me there is a trestle bridge that is 80-90 feet above water (no guard rails and the surface consists of old rail ties ).

Check the link below for photos and video of the trestle. See Post #19.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showt...=625069&page=2

[Deadly99]

Originally Posted by misterkridered

Check the link below for photos and video of the trestle. See Post #19.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showt...=625069&page=2

Thank you

Looks like a good fit for the route and will help prevent the route from taking a boring, paved road. I don't find all paved roads boring and in fact some sections of the TCAT use paved roads by design but highway 17 between North Bay and Sudbury is not a paved road that is very exciting to ride.

[Deadly99]

Originally Posted by nofate

I drove to Timmins last Tuesday and saw you guys stopped at the side of the highway and then again gassing up at the Canadian Tire. I was gassing up at the same time and was checking out the KLR with the ADV sticker as it looked like my previous bike with the ADV sticker in the same place. I never made the connection it was you. Dang.

Next time up there I'll give ya a shout

[StepOnIt]

So I was waiting to red Ted report of the trip I went on with him, is that lame?
So some side notes to the story where Ted was not in it for the one night, yes the food.
OK so after we left Timmins the first night and Ted stayed in motel 8 we rode to pole 398?? This wonderful cottage on a lake. Sean called the day before and made reservations for the four of us, this includes dinner and breakfast. We didn't want to not go because she had cooked for us and the food was waiting, so we left Ted in good hands and headed out to the cottage. The road there was amazing twisty and sandy double track that just kept you wanting to twist the throttle more and more.then it turned in to a little more rough trail for a bit.
We arrived there and dinner was almost ready so Sean and I jumped in the lake to wash off the days dirt. Dinner was nothing short of amazing...wow... so much great food. Just when you think your done another course came out and the same for breakfast. Sean has some pics of the spread and highly recommend the place. They had just put in a road and we took that on the way out, it cuts off a bit of time.
As we rode into Timmins we called Ted and hope he had his bike fixed..sadly it was not. So the decision was for the three of us to carry on with out him. I kinda felt bad about a stupid little shiftier ruined his trip but I still wanted to ride. So off we went down a mining road big wide and no traffic on the way in. Came to the way point and there seemed to be no way we were going to make to the other side. So we decided to turn around and try some of the other side roads. Just as we found one and turned around Scott looked at me and said I wave no clutch....the cable snapped. Fawk there is no fix for that out here and have to go back to Timmins and see if we can fix it there. We got to the end of the road and called around to see and anyone had a KLR cable...nope none...shit now what. He was just thinking of riding back to Sudbury but we would try CTC just up the road first. Then by some good luck Fawk that's Ted coming the other way, tell him what's going on and back we go. Everything went well found a cable and some crimps and we were back on the road as a 4 man group again.
By the way Ted did we mention the food was so so good at pole 398?

[deus216]

Hey guys!

Wow! This is really amazing... I've just spent the last little while getting acquainted with the work/fun you've all done. Anyway... I'm moving from Saskatoon to Vancouver in a couple weeks and I'm taking my Yamaha WR250R out... I was wondering if anyone had google earth files or GPS maps that I could use so that when I have time during my 5 day ride I can hop off onto some fun stuff.

Also, for those guys riding around Saskatoon, amazing videos! I was wondering if I could get some of your route information too. I'm fairly new to off-road adventure riding, but I spent the last year going to Ushuaia, Argentina... and I am totally hooked.

Cheers,
Billy

[UngaWunga]

I need to start checking out some of these routes. I have a hankering to do a section.

[GR0NK]

Post 392! Clicky.

Marie makes the best food I swear. I'll let the pics speak for themselves.

Supper.




Step expresses his approval.


Breakfast was amazing,


Especially Madame Marie's sticky buns!


Like Step said, the hydroline leading up to the Post (save for the last few kilometers) is akin to a motocross track. Wide graded sandy road with superb traction had Step and I leaning into our KTM powerbands and playing a bit of cat and mouse. I could rip up and down that road all day long!

Some nice views and lots of side trails to explore there too.



It was a few years since I had been to the Post and I'm sure glad I was able to convince you guys to come. I used to organize a few rides up there from Sudbury every year but racing started getting in the way. I think I'm going to plan one for next summer again.


All in all it was a great three days of riding and it was awesome riding with you guys. Let me know if you're ever in town and I can show you some more "tech" sections.



Sean

[Deadly99]

Thanks Sean

Next time I'll hopefully get to spend a night there instead of the motel8 I got stuck in

[lovemoto]

Beautiful journey beautiful scenery powerful locomotive

[Wesley J]

Hey Guys,

I've followed this project on and off for the last couple of years and am finally going to make my way out to the Atlantic next summer. So, without digging through a metric shitload of posts, can I get a readers digest of what has been mapped out?

I'm planning to book it through BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan (I lived in each for 10+ year) as well as Manimatoba and Western Ontario in 2 days. Then I'm planning to meander my way to Halifax. I'm looking for some off road sections along the way. Can someone point me in the right direction?

Cheers,

Wes

[StepOnIt]

Originally Posted by Wesley J

Hey Guys,

I've followed this project on and off for the last couple of years and am finally going to make my way out to the Atlantic next summer. So, without digging through a metric shitload of posts, can I get a readers digest of what has been mapped out?

I'm planning to book it through BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan (I lived in each for 10+ year) as well as Manimatoba and Western Ontario in 2 days. Then I'm planning to meander my way to Halifax. I'm looking for some off road sections along the way. Can someone point me in the right direction?

Cheers,

Wes

Well if I was going from Ontario to Halifax....East would be my idea of the right direction. But one could go the other way also
Ok try graveltravel.ca for some gps files that might help

[StepOnIt]

To add a rail trail from North Bay to Sudbury to the TCAT vs HWY 17.
I could have not picked a hotter day to decide to ride the trail from Sudbury to North Bay. I left Panache area just after 2pm and rode up to Caperol to the start of the old rail bed, filled up on gas and water just in case. I started on Caperol lake rd till I saw the rail bed on the right, now it might go all the way into Caperol but I am not sure. At first there are a few whoops but I seemed to be able to manage them quite well. This part of the trail seems like it gets a lot of use, even though I only passed 3 ATV's and two trucks the whole way. It passes quite a few small lakes or ponds along the way and of course not may turns to make lol. The track seems to narrow at time and the trees are trying to take the trail back and at others quite wide. I am guessing that single track and double track parts of the old rail line. There are a few small washouts but nothing an car could not get over. It is hard packed for most of it but some sections are very loose. There are quite a few nice bridges to cross and one that is very high up but about 12' wide, think there are a few you tube vids of it. I was on a bit of a mission so I didn't stop that much had to be home before 8. Told the GF that I left work at 5 and it is a three hour drive home, but I left work at 2 instead to scout the trail. Near the end (North Bay) there is a bridge that is closed and no way around it, but lucky there is a road Riding Stable rd back a km that goes to 17 and back on to Little Sturgeon Rd to the other side of the bridge. Now Riding stable Rd might be the beginning of the trail for some because there is one ditch to drive through and a narrow trail off Main St to get on to the rail bed. As I came into town (North Bay) there is an over pass for Main St and a small trail to the right up to the road. I went past this and over another bridge with rocks blocking the way with no way around so end of the trail and on to the pavement. I went on Main St and it come back out on Hwy 11 where I am guessing will the start will be. Over all this way only added 40 min more to the normal drive on Hwy 17, mainly due some sections I hit 135 km. You can call the cops on me if you want but it's not a public road. So good times solo riding on a hot day with very little traffic. Ted said he will post the pictures I did stop and take.