Leaving Camp, the last of clean bikes
What a typical long day in the saddle. The track today would be everything from snowmobile track that had been so over grown with vegetation. It took hours to clear the previous weekend only to a somewhat rideable path to high speed fire road. For the most part, the weather has been much better than expected, with only a few hours of rain.
The morning starts off with Bruce in the lead. Although we aren't the first group of bikes through, Bruce somehow startles a grazing juvenile moose. He goes gangly trotting next to bike, with surprisingly instantaneous speed. Soon enough, he's able to find a side road and back into the bush. Next Zedd and Bruce get into a roosting contest. Oops, that didn't end well!
The morning starts off with Bruce in the lead. Although we aren't the first group of bikes through, Bruce somehow startles a grazing juvenile moose. He goes gangly trotting next to bike, with surprisingly instantaneous speed. Soon enough, he's able to find a side road and back into the bush. Next Zedd and Bruce get into a roosting contest. Oops, that didn't end well!
As the lead rider, if you see a bit of engineers tape, you'd best slow down right quick. those a usually followed by some sort of road condition, such as the few missing culverts, which we navigate successfully.
More than one way to skin a cat
There was one section of track that was getting overgrown, rocky and steep. Since this isn't a race and it doesn't really matter how or if you get to point b, we decided to find a go around. A bit of backtracking, but only a few kms. Zedd had a bit of a get off conquering the hill, Bruce's HP2 made child's play of the same hill. However, the track was only getting more overgrown, and would have been another 5kms before the track would improve. Before we would get back to good track, the vegetation would joust off war prizes--a blinker from the KTM, and a Scala comm from Keith. It was definitely shorty pants territory.
Being a lady, I decide to duck behind a bush to take a quick engineering break. Imagine my surprise to see that an Easter Bunny (e.g has a large rack and long black fur) left these "eggs" in my prized spot!
The afternoon section was less technical and more about the scenery.
I am always amazed at the quantity and velocity of water around these parts. Every river it seems it angry with power
Lots of wooden decked bridges. This one is in good shape,
A soft rain gave way to some sketchy roads, especially since the grader had been out.
Nonetheless, our group got into basecamp in the first handful of riders. We are lucky as to find it at all since the track gpx had the wrong location. It was actually short about 15kms...which is a long way to be playing hide-and-go-seek in the Canadian wilderness. There a very few signs out here, usually clustered at an intersection.
So heed the ones you do find!
Basecamp is a hunting outfitter.
I always love the subtle paradox of bikes and things that fly!
I am excited as they always seem to have the most wonderful chefs at these places. This one is no exception. I am happy, because we are mostly foodies and this trip has been filled with 2 lbs of french fries at every meal ...until tonight.
Dinner is grand, and I am happy to have a bed. By the time we tuck in, only half the bikes have checked in. Since this is really a self guided tour, I don't know how many riders left in am, I can only guess close to the 58 that signed up. 30 have rendezvoused. It seems the track has broke a foot, claimed a clutch and whose knows what else. But what a damn good day of riding indeed, with this is only the starting day.
Dinner is grand, and I am happy to have a bed. By the time we tuck in, only half the bikes have checked in. Since this is really a self guided tour, I don't know how many riders left in am, I can only guess close to the 58 that signed up. 30 have rendezvoused. It seems the track has broke a foot, claimed a clutch and whose knows what else. But what a damn good day of riding indeed, with this is only the starting day.