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Whatever
| | Posted on Friday, June 25, 2010 - 12:30 pm: | 
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Mike,
Did you lose a misquito net at the campground?
Char |
Whatever
| | Posted on Friday, June 25, 2010 - 01:02 pm: |
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I have always wanted to do the Superior loop... I recognize the Ashland pier... actually a loading dock for when the city was an active port and they used to unload and load the taconite (iron ore) up to the big big big ships that went out to the east coast through the St. Lawrence seaway.
That entire area has a fascinating history... the Anishinabe' or indigenous americans had a prophecy that they would walk west... from the mouth of the Saint Lawrence River...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ojibwe
The prophecy said that they would go west until they found the "food that grows on water". manoomin.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_rice
They split up around the Detroit area... but met again in Northern Wisconsin... where the wild rice was found. Been here ever since. At one point the entire tribe of Ojibwa lived on Madeline Island. They were at war with the Souix constantly for the wild rice beds. These were not only survival for the Indians, but sacred as well.
On Madeline Island they could see the Souix coming in their canoes to attack. This gave them natural protection and a militarily superior strategic position. Everything was fine and dandy until...
They started eating each other.
No shit!!!
I read the 'History of the Ojibway People' by William Warren. He was a French-Indian who was educated on the east coast and used anthropological skills that were 100 years ahead of their time. He would verify a story three times before including it in his history.
After 120 years at La Pointe, they believed that the Island was haunted because it brought out the evil in them. |
Whatever
| | Posted on Friday, June 25, 2010 - 01:12 pm: |
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But if you think about it, it could have been a form of natural selection. They had poisons and witch doctors and they had a growing population and not necesarilly the resources and the room to support it. It is a small island.
So the bands split out from there all over the Great Lakes region. Up in Thunde Bay you have Anishinabe' all the way to Saint Croix. I worked for two of the bands in Wisconsin for a total of four years. Still love the pow wows. You just missed Bayfield and Madeline Island, Red Cliff and Apostle Islands... some of the most gorgeous country in the Midwest.
If it were not so damn cold I would stay there. Here is me at Red Cliff... notice how blue the water is? Superior is the most pristine and deepest of the Great Lakes... it has huge ass fish that travel all over the lake. The Red Cliff Tribe has reports of Coaster Brook Trout from Bayfield County showing up in Thunder Bay and Saint Croix. They tag the fish with the Natural Resources Department number. I managed their Environmental Department for almost a year...
Here is one at the farthest point north in mainland Wisconsin... on the Rez...
Another of one of the markers we set out when the National Park Service did a courtesy fly over of Red Cliff, included in an Apostle Islands National Seashore aerial photo shoot in 2005.
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Ulywife
| | Posted on Friday, June 25, 2010 - 01:23 pm: |
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What an adventure Mike! Love the pictures and your write-up! Can't wait to read the rest of it. |
Firebolt020283
| | Posted on Friday, June 25, 2010 - 01:33 pm: |
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looks and sounds like a Lot of fun you had there. |
Sleez
| | Posted on Friday, June 25, 2010 - 04:56 pm: |
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mike,
great write up and pics, thanks for sharing.
quite an adventure!!! |
Richardbiker
| | Posted on Friday, June 25, 2010 - 06:04 pm: |
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I am so jealous. I've been telling my wife for years that I want to go to Lake Superior and even planned a route to Homecoming around it. Haven't had the time and lack of experience limits the daily mileage. Some day !
Great reporting Mike. I met you at the banquet. I was at the next table over when you noticed me pointing at you while I told my wife about your mods to your Uly. Great to meet you! |
Mikef5000
| | Posted on Saturday, June 26, 2010 - 02:08 am: |
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Part 2
Alright, I left you in the suspense this morning. I’ll pick up from there. Remember the creepy campground with my special friend in the camper?
Well we exchanged greetings, and he said “If you happen to need anything, just let me know!”. I said thanks, and went back to setting up my tent. He seemed nice, possibly too nice.
I went vondering, and found this view just a hundred yards from my tent. Cool as heck! View at sunset:
I found a vending machine, but nothing looked interesting. Went back to the bike and busted out a snickers marathon bar. I love these things, but they’re my lunch every day out on the road, so I wasn’t looking forward to it as dinner as well. I also had a jumbo bag of trail mix, so I was munching on that too. I didn’t really care; I’ll eat again the next day, it’s closing in on crash time anyway.
Out comes my neighbor again…
“That restaurant open?”
“Naw, doesn’t look like it.”
“Well come on over here, I’ll make you a sandwich.”
Now I’m a risky kinda guy, so I went for it. That’s right, I followed the guy into his camper. Why the heck not, I could use a sandwich, and meeting people can make a whole vacation (unless molestation is involved).
In his little camper was his wife (that’s a good sign). They turned out to be, honestly, some of the nicest folks I’ve met. Absolutely blew me away. They handed me some cash, and when I asked what this was for, they said a sandwich tomorrow on the road! I couldn’t believe it! (left it on their table). I ended up enjoying a ham sandwich and conversation with them for close to an hour. Turns out they live in Cleveland OH and come up here for the summer every year. They offered me the use of their cell phone and laptop (with internet).
Eventually I went back to my tent and fell asleep. If only it lasted very long. Sometime in the middle of the night a train went by what sounded like about 4 feet from my tent. Scared the hell outa me! Then it dropped down to the forties; a bit much for my summer weight fleece sleeping bag. I ended up in fetal position in the bottom of my sleeping bag, with the top rolled up all the way to me. If some friggin bear would’ve come by he would’ve found a sack lunch! Ended up getting up early again to take a hot shower and thaw out. Here’s the river again in the early morning:
By the time I was packed up, the sun was blazing and the temperature was comfortable already! I was a bit worried I’d be riding in the rain suit just for warmth.
Heard a train again and headed back to the river, I liked the reflections.
I hit the road again heading south, but it wasn’t too long before I turned east. I had the GPS setup to avoid the whole Toronto area.
I realized shortly thereafter that I never got a good look at Lake Huron. No pictures or anything. Disappointing.
As disappointed as I was around Lake Huron, Lake Ontario was even worse, I had my choice of two main roads heading the way I wanted. A freeway with no views of the lake, or a busy state route that streams it’s way through one busy city after another, and still, no views of the lake.
I didn’t want to leave without a picture of Lake Ontario, so I headed towards a Provincial Park on the coast. Turned out they wanted $13 to go in the park! I told them I just wanted a picture and a 5 minute break, they told me to go check out the residential area near by. On an interesting side note, the beaches in the area were closed because of bacteria in the water.
Found a spot in the residential area for some pictures:
I hit the freeway to get the heck outa there. I don’t like freeways, but I don’t like traffic jams and busy city streets more.
After my GPS originally took me to a Ferry to get back to the USA, I eventually found the bridge over. This bridge was the most scenic area I’ve seen since Lake Superior.
Upstate New York brought me back to the scenery I was looking for. This area is just gorgeous.
This would be my last night before heading to New York City to meet up with the girlfriend, so I was thinking about getting a motel room and showering and getting a decent night sleep. As it turned out though, I landed in Cooperstown, which apparently is popular these days? I stopped and asked some fellow biker folk about finding a cheap hotel room, they laughed. I headed to their recommended crap-hole motel, only to find out a single night would cost me $140. Well problem solved, off to the campground.
I had camp setup early, so I went back into town to get a good dinner.
I had made it further than anticipated every single day, so I decided I’m going to try my hardest to sleep in this morning. These early mornings were starting to catch up, and I was a bit exhausted.
Well sometime in the middle of the night, I figured out I could curl up the top of the sleeping bag, and sleep with it covering my eyes. When I finally decided to get up in the morning, I checked my phone and it was NOON! DAMN! Didn’t want to sleep in that much!
Now I didn’t have time for the petting zoo! (No joke, the campground had a free petting zoo, and I was going to go get some awesome pictures. Too bad)
I hit the road at one, and took the scenic route towards NYC.
I needed to be on the east side of Manhattan, so I decided to cross the Hudson way north and follow it down. That way I didn’t have to cross Manhattan at all. It worked flawlessly.
Spent the evening with the girlfriend, had a nice dinner, and crashed once again.
I had planned a route home that would get me off the freeway about half way there. 300 miles of freeway is better than 550. Problem was, I’m leaving at 8:00 AM, and I need to head straight west. Meaning, I get to go through Manhattan during rush hour.
Going through downtown wasn’t too bad, but then I hit the tunnel under the Hudson. It was me and a tunnel full of busses and trucks. It was a 120 degree furnace of diesel exhaust, for half an hour.
I eventually made it the heck out of there, hanging on to my few remaining brain cells.
I eventually hit Route 50, which was my 2 lane road that took me the last 300 miles into Ohio.
This day was hotter than hell. Pushing 95 degrees all day long. I wouldn’t have made it without the camel-back.
Hit a forceful thunder storm in West Virginia, which luckily only lasted 15 or 20 minutes. Just enough to add humidity to the equation.
The goal from the get go was to meet friend at the local taco bell between 8:00 and 8:15. I ended up arriving at 8:10. Can’t beat that!
Things to note:
I saw 4 deer, 2 turkey, 1 red fox, and 1 black bear on this trip. All running along the side of the road as I rode by.
The tire is still holding air just fine, 2000 miles after the plug.
Longest day was from Thunder Bay to a bit past Sudbury; 670 miles. This was the same day that had the 1 hour stop at the Canyon, and 1 hour tire delay. I really wasn’t hurting either. I think a 1000 mile in 24 hour Iron Butt ride would be cake.
I rode with a Alaska Leather Sheep Skin Butt Pad almost the whole time. I had a beaded seat cover as well, but only used it once, it is NOT for me! I have two pressure points that I can feel after a long time in the saddle, and the beaded seat cover felt like those two points were now sitting ontop of a single bead, man was it painful. The sheep skin pad felt great.
The Longest stretch without a stop was 275 miles. The tank gets me closer to 325 miles before I need to stop, but I never pushed it that far without some sort of break.
My favorite part was the road over Lake Superior, no question. The second best part was upstate New York. I’d do the ride again in a heartbeat, but I’d find an alternate route over Lake Ontario and Huron.
I’m sure I’ll remember more later. I’ll keep adding tidbits to this thread. |
Americanmadexb
| | Posted on Saturday, June 26, 2010 - 02:41 am: |
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Mike AWESOME trip man..
Char...remind me to follow you EVERYWHERE next time... You always seem to find the coolest places damnit! |
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