Virginia / James Bay / North Road / Quebec / Mt. Washington

[donnymoto]

[zaner32]

Originally Posted by donnymoto

RockyNH, ky2008, zaner32, BikePilot: thanks!

Zaner, that's a funny account on your friend in Amos! Also I took a gallon of extra fuel, didn't need it on the North Road at all, just as long as Relais Routier at Nemiscau is open and selling gas. I did go to reserve from Matagami to KM 381, and that was strange because I normally don't go to reserve in that range. I've got an interesting observation from another rider later on on that stretch of road and mileage.

The KLR can pretty well go 400Km (250 miles) without gas, the F800GS will go about 300Km (185 miles), maybe a bit more. I think there's gas in Matagami, so you could have filled up there. In any case, thanks for the info.

[RockyNH]

Originally Posted by donnymoto

RockyNH, ky2008, zaner32, BikePilot: thanks!

Zaner, that's a funny account on your friend in Amos! Also I took a gallon of extra fuel, didn't need it on the North Road at all, just as long as Relais Routier at Nemiscau is open and selling gas. I did go to reserve from Matagami to KM 381, and that was strange because I normally don't go to reserve in that range. I've got an interesting observation from another rider later on on that stretch of road and mileage.

That happened to me on my Labrador run this year with my F650.. I had some lower than normal fuel runs early when I was loaded and running higher speeds.. Had me concerned in the more remote stretches so I grabbed a liter bottle... I will have to look close at fuel on the James Bay trip also..

[Ridin Dirty]

donnymoto, I hadn't considered JBR as a possible destination before. Your ride, so far, now has me considering it as a possible ride for next year (time permitting).

I'm glad you explained "Camp Suds." MY Camp Suds come in a 6, 12, 18, and 30 packs.

[donnymoto]

Originally Posted by Ridin Dirty

donnymoto, I hadn't considered JBR as a possible destination before. Your ride, so far, now has me considering it as a possible ride for next year (time permitting).

I'm glad you explained "Camp Suds." MY Camp Suds come in a 6, 12, 18, and 30 packs.

[donnymoto]

I leave Amos and tank Mathew for the millionth time, then ride back to Matagami.

I stop to get gas and some food, and this fellow sitting with his buddies was waving an yelling at someone who must have been right behind me. No, it was Me he was looking for! This is the same fellow I'd met a few days prior in the rain. We exchanged greetings and he wished me luck... again. The world is getting larger spatially, but smaller socially.

I line myself up at KM 0 of the JBR. I've got a tailwind, the sun is out, the bike is running great, all things are a GO. This is the real deal, the real trip I've worked so hard to get to.



A packed bike and open road into the Great North--fantastic!

I stop at the checkin station to txt the emergency phone number to my wife, and let her know I would check in again in 2 days from Radisson. This road is out there. Was built to support Quebec extensive hydro-electric facilities that harness the power of all that water up there. On the other hand, they did put SOS call boxes and emergency shelters along the way. Fishermen, delivery drivers, hydro-electric plant workers and tourists pass by every 10 minutes or so. Visa is accepted everywhere up here. I've felt more remote in parts of West Virginia. But the vast open areas of uninhabited lands, native hunting grounds and incredible numbers of ponds, lakes, streams and rivers is just amazing. What a great landscape to power a Kawasaki thumper through.

Again at the checkin station. This time to get a better pic. I also stopped at the campground to get water, the water is so good there.





Day 1 on the JBR is warm. The miles pass by effortlessly and the views are sublime. I see that this will be a ride I'll never forget, the impact is strong. Black spruces, jack pine and glacial deposits are all over. The light from a low sun draws pleasing shadows across the road but the sun goes down much slower up here. It lasts longer this time of year.



I stop for a break and too cool off a little. Grab some water and hike to the top of a hill. The blueberries are absolutely the best I've ever eaten. Ripe, sweet and juicy. I eat a lot, actually turned out to be half my dinner. I get a nice view of the area up there, this is exactly what I came for.



Whoa, blueberries!



I made a meal out of these, they tasted as good as any I've ever tasted. Just wonderful. Top of the hill. Strong wind and lost of water cooled me off.









Large sweeping curves and strait aways where I can sneak a peek of surrounding landscapes are what his road is made of. It's got rest areas with picnic tables along the way, many free campgrounds and they've put a good amount of thought into descriptive kiosks presenting information about the lands, in Cree and French only. About glacial deposits.



Deposited.



All the rage in modern teepee design, plastics.



One of the big sights up here is the last of the untamed rivers, the Rupert. It's being diverted now and I could see it's already down a tad, but the power is still there. Wow it was a sight.







I found THE campsite of campsites with the Rupert on 3 sides of my tent. A small peninsula jetted out and barely had room for a picnic table. The open wind blew most of the bugs away, was a very pleasant campsite. Took a quick dip to cool off then enjoyed the distant sound of those big rapids and watched the sun set. Still glowing in the evening sky at 10 pm. A few small swigs of Cuban rum capped the day off well.







I could really hear the rapids in the distance, I was again lulled to sleep by water. Still a glow of the sun at 9:45.

[SRMN8R]

Subscribed!

[bumper1871]

Great ride report and very nce pics

[DNA]

Subscribed! Looks great so far - glad you had a little drama early and were able to press on.

Someday we should do a little ride about together as we live so close...

[Deadly99]

[donnymoto]

Thanks SRMN8R, bumper1871.

DNA, yes I'm up for it. The KLR is down for maintenance but hope to get it back on the road soon.

[donnymoto]

Rupert to Radisson and the "All Important Fuel Stop"



The morning routine, coffee for me and lube for the chain. I didn't know it but at 17,000 miles this chain was on it's last legs. I went through a whole can of lube on this one trip. In fact I ended up using Olive oil at the end because I ran out.



Note:

Olive oil is sort of the swiss army knife of camping supplies. You can fry with it, use it as salad dressing, start fires, I even resorted to lubing my chain with it when I ran out of chain lube. The bike smelled really nice after that. I used a drop on my helmet, the vent tabs were getting sticky, worked great. That's the end of swiss army knife analogies, promise!

Today the winds were cooler and riding couldn't have been more perfect. Slight tailwind and fair weather clouds were all over. There was rain on the way but I figured from the last weather map I saw I would be above it by day's end. For a motorcyclist, 234 miles between fuel is a stretch. I have a larger tank but for some strange reason went to reserve well before I ever had with this amount of luggage. More on that later.

I pass the 52nd parallel, can't fish or hunt most places above here without a Cree Indian guide.



I pulled into Relias Routier for some "gaz". Then I had to try some local cuisine.



This is THE fuel stop. You pay at the shack, not the love shack for sure.





Gas isn't the only thing I wanted here. I've heard the rumors of a northern delicacy, poutine. What the hell is this stuff? Fries with cheese and gravy! Had to try it. That's the petite size... he he



Kind of an understated ambiance...



The hotel. Again, I think they're playing it down, sort of a well kept secret to keep away massive crowds. BTW, surprisingly they had vacancies.



Heading north I'm on the final stretch. These miles go by so quickly I want them so slow down yet I can hardly stop. I pull into a few campgrounds along the way just to see them,. I could ride this road for weeks, such a pleasure on a motorcycle, it doesn't last nearly long enough.



I hit the Eastmain River and this is where I start riding over an ancient seabed, the Tyrrell sea. They say the oldest soil on the earth is up here.

Iron ore.





Cairns were all over. Eeyou Istchee. Land of the people.



Forget the cairn, just spell it out!



Donnymoto has landed. I stop for a break.



Looks like granite to me. You can see the pinkish color on Google satellite photos. This would make and awesome countertop in my kitchen!



Views from the slickrock.



Awesome countertops as far as the eye can see.



At this point my mind drifts to thinking about where I am on the planet. I zoom out the GPS so I see the whole James Bay and my little indicator, I've come a long way on this bike. That image is imprinted on my mind especially after reaching the 53rd parallel. (Had to back the bike up a toes length to get the exact spot)



This is one of my favorite shots of the road.





I reach the local airport which I've seen many times on my large multi-page map printout I've got taped to my office wall back home. Those memories are more frequent now as I realize that I'm here, I've done it. This feels a little more satisfying considering the bike troubles I had. Gray skies cleared and I felt a very large sense of calm as I rode into the Radisson area.



Now the JBR ends, I reached this gate, honked the horn but they wouldn't open it. Really. I went in and it's the hydro-electric facilities. They told me its the legal end of the JBR. I read the the road ends when the pavement stops. Anyway I'm here. I got a few tears. Actually because I was yawning, time to grab a tent site. I apparently rode up above the bad weather. Tonight would be quite a night.



I found a VERY interesting piece of information that changed what I did on this leg of the trip. The person manning the Radisson info center / campground office showed me a map put out by Quebec's department of transportation that shows a planned extension of the James Bay Road to the Hudson. Wow! This is big. I already know that I want to return to fish with a Cree guide, and tour the hydro-electric facilities, now I want to ride to the Hudson Bay. I'll be back.

[mrbowenz]

[RockyNH]

Originally Posted by donnymoto

Thanks SRMN8R, bumper1871.

DNA, yes I'm up for it. The KLR is down for maintenance but hope to get it back on the road soon.

Don, loved your little campsite on the river... very nice!

[donnymoto]

Originally Posted by iDave

This.....looks.....perfect!

Originally Posted by RockyNH

Don, loved your little campsite on the river... very nice!

Yes that was a jem of a site, perfect size for a motorcycle! That night I slept so sound that when I woke I wasn't sure where I was. Home? Motel? Virginia? Then it hit, was on my dream ride.