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Steel Horse Rover

Test Run #2: No Rain; Lots of Mosquitoes!

15/05/22 at 10.32pm   /   by SteelHorseRover   /   0 Comment

Test #2 was a run up to Balsam Lake this past weekend. This time around, it was a two-night camp-out, leaving the

The forest awakens!

The forest awakens!

day in between for some hiking. At this time of year, much of the forests are emerald green with fuzzy moss against a soundtrack of warbling and tweeting birds. Then, there’s that “spring” smell–a kind-of composty-fresh-green-leaves smell that annouces the return of life. Miraculous, when you immerse yourself in it.

The thunder showers that the weather reporters had been warning of all week turned out to be little more than false bravado; and I was not able to test out my rain gear. Not to worry, though; something tells me I will have plenty of opportunities to try it our on the road to Alaska.

The hunt is on!

The hunt is on!

However, what the weekend lacked in rain, it more than made up for with mosquitoes.

‎The first indication of the tiny predators came as I passed by a massive swamp on the road in to my campsite. It looked like something from Bayou country. Never a good sign in humid conditions. Then, as I slowed down to park, having reached my campsite, I could see them — swarms of tiny black dots zipping around. Instinctively opening my helmet visor as I prepared to de-bike, I quickly snapped it shut again before they little blighters could get at me. As I sat there, formulating a strategy to deal with these keepers of my campsite, a light bulb began to glow over my head; and was subsequently extinguished by a previously-undetected swarm that had done an end run around my helmet — but not before I remembered that I had prepared for this scenario. I had read a trip report warning that the flies (and, I presumed, mosquitoes) are plentiful in Northern BC at this time of year; and my wife had suggested taking a tube of odomos Anti-Mostquito Cream that she had obtained from India by way of The Caribbean (but that’s another story). A few dabs of this stuff around the hands, face, neck and ears was all it took to keep the flying devil critters away while I got the tent set up.

As an alternative to the odomos, I am also carrying a “mosquito top” — a mesh anorak of sorts that covers the upper body and head; and had a go with this closer to dusk, when the throngs of mosquitoes increased. Great bit of gear; truly effective! I was smug as watched them land on the mesh and try, unsuccessfully, to get any closer. The only downside — and it’s a minor one given the benefit — is that it gets a bit frustrating viewing the world through a mesh veil after a while.

So. There it is — Rain gear test, 0; mosquito gear test,  1.

Let's camp!

Let’s camp!

‎Apart from the mosquito test, everything went swimmingly. Gunther behaved admirably — but then, I am growing to expect nothing less from this miracle of German engineering; and I have worked out the few, minor wrinkles from last test. If this is any indication of things to come, my grand adventure will need a bit of help — perhaps driving through some fresh grease on the road or camping outside a bear’s den, for example.

All that being said, I have to concede I had just a liiiiittle bit of help this time around, as my family was in attendance. So, for example, awful-tasting MREs cooked on a one-burner stove and eaten in solitude were replaced with chicken legs BBQ’d on a proper Coleman and a propane grill with familiar banter around the campfire afterward. Mmmmmm.

It was a good chance to show them some of the cool gear I’ve acquired for the trip — like the Gorilla Pod that can hook my BlackBerry onto a tree branch for better camera angles; and the rubber wash basin that folds up into a 4″ x 8″ x 1/2″ sheet for convenient storage when not in use.

It was also one of the last chances to spend time together as a family before I hit the road. It’s going to be tough on all of us being apart for such a long time. Sure, we can use BBM for video calls to say good night; but it’s never the same as a hug. At the same time, I think one has to be removed from one’s natural habitat in order to assess it — to look at it in the 3rd person — so as to see the forest for what it is rather than just the trees in the immediate vicinity. This is something I hope to do during my time away.

Now, the sprint to launch day begins — that last 20% that wants to consume 80% of the time. This weekend will be a final scavenger hunt arround town to pick up things that, for one reason or another, have dropped off the radar; but which, nonetheless, need to be packed — spare spark plugs; tire repair kit; clothes pegs; pipe filters…

On a final note, I have posted a new Youtube clip on the Inspiration page. In it, Les Brown points out that, once we become aware something is possible (eg running a 4-minute mile, finding the right job/path/person, riding a motorcycle solo to Alaska, etc.), a huge barrier that keeps us from moving forward is removed because “I can’t do it” becomes, “If others can do it, so can I.”‎

Gunther is “Go”

15/05/14 at 5.53am   /   by SteelHorseRover   /   0 Comment
‎Had Gunther in for his final check-up this past week at BMW Toronto. Nothing major; just some fresh oil all around and a check of the front end for a squeak I had reported. Yeah, a squeak–like a one of those dog chew toys or like those noise makers you blow into at the stoke of midnight on New Years. Seems to happen when the front end dives when in traffic — a bit embarrassing, actually. There I am, dressed for aggressive adventure astride this woolly mammoth; then I hit the brakes when the traffic stops; and it’s, “tweeet”. When it happens, I do a Mr. Bean, and look around at other drivers with an expression of earnest disgust. Damned if they could figure it out, though–they said the front end looks fine. Guess I’ll just have to monitor it for more symptoms.
‎
I would be remiss if I didn’t send a shout out to Andrew, the Motorrad Service Manager at BMW Toronto. We got our wires crossed as to when I was supposed to pick up Gunther; and Andrew left before I arrived. Normally, I would have just picked up the keys from one of the other service managers; and be on my way. However, there were a few items from my last service visit we agreed we would review when I picked up the bike. As luck would have it, they were able to reach Andrew on his way home. Realizing what we needed to discuss could not be relayed over a telephone conversation, he–get this–turned around and came back to meet with me at BMW shop; and then spent 30 minutes meeting with me and going over some of the features of my bike. Now that’s service! Good on ya, mate.
‎
Looking ahead, this weekend will  Test Run #2‎. This time it’s Balsam Lake Provincial Park, in the Kawarthas (not to far from where I almost ran out of gas on my last trip, actually). The weatherman is calling for rain, so this may be a good test of my foul weather gear (and tolerance for camping in foul weather). Once again, I will have the Spot Tracker turned on; and, for those wishing to follow my route on line, simply click on the cowboy on the Route page.

1st Test Run — Success!

15/05/06 at 1.03am   /   by SteelHorseRover   /   0 Comment

This past weekend was the first real test of Gunther’s road worthiness while loaded down and my ability to go camping using only stuff I can carry on a motorcycle.

It was just a quick run up Simcoe Road 10 to the shore of Georgian Bay and then a bit West around the shoreline to Craigleith Provincial Park, across the road from Blue Mountain. I have to smile at that name; it’s a far cry from a mountain. I think I smile more, though, at the fact that Craigleith is called a provincial park as it is little more than a glorified roadside picnic area. No matter, it served its purpose as a testing ground.

Ah, Simcoe Road 10… now that brings back memories of fast rides up to Wasaga Beach with friends in the late 80s and early 90s. Kilometers upon kilometers of straight tarmac — perfect for opening the throttle to clean out Suzi’s carbs, slowing down only for brief interludes through the small towns along the way. It’s a different road, now, though, with a massive Honda manufacturing plant smack dab in the middle of the original road making it necessary to come to a complete stop and take a bypass around the sprawling infrastructure.

Ready to camp at Craigleigh

Ready to camp at Craigleigh

Gunther handled remarkably well all the way, inspiring confidence despite one of the side bags being a bit heaver than the other (need to tweak the packing a bit still) and a soft suspension which has not yet been adjusted for the additional weight.

As far as the camping went, the tent went up relatively easily and the sleeping bag was sleepable. I did have a bit of struggle with the camp stove. After pressurizing the fuel container and connecting it to the hose that leads to the actual stove, you need to prime the stove by opening the valve at the fuel container; and letting raw fuel dribble out from the jet on the stove. Once you have a small puddle of fuel, you close the valve, ignite the raw fuel and, as the stove becomes engulfed in flames, you open the valve again, fuel begins flowing through the stove’s burner and is ignited by the flames which die down as the puddle of fuel burns off. It sounds complicated and prone to

Boots and helmet stay outside.

Boots and helmet stay outside.

3rd degree burns; but it’s not that bad, actually.

Here’s the thing, though: When I opened the valve to let the raw fuel dribble into the stove jet, it would dribble for a second or two and then stop. I tried the procedure several times with the same response (I don’t know why I expected a different response… oh wait… yes I do 🙂  ). Thinking there was not enough pressure in the tank to push the fuel out, I tried pumping up the fuel canister and trying again. Still nothing. This went on for, oh, an hour or so before I decided to have a good look at the instructions that came with the stove as a last resort. It was then that I realized the stove was upside down! Ah yes, a true Homer moment. OK, in fairness, if you have a look at the photo, you’ll note that, if you turn the thing upside down, it doesn’t

The stove works well when it's not upside down.

The stove works well when it’s not upside down.

look that much different.

Once I had the stove right-side up and opened the valve, the fuel dribbled freely; and I had the stove lit and boiling water for tea within minutes. I think the heavens opened and angels sang as well; but I was too focused on gloating over the fact that I had got the thing to work to really notice. Fire good.

***

After relaxing with a cuppa, I was beginning to feel a bit peckish; and decided it was time to try out one of the Meals Read to Eat (MREs) I had picked up the previous day at MEC. The Hot Huck’s Curry Veggie Ground

Hot Huck's Indian Veggie Ground. MMMmmmm.

Hot Huck’s Indian Veggie Ground. MMMmmmm.

looked pretty yummy based on the photo on the package; and promised to be a good source of protein, high in fibre, and free of trans and saturated fats and cholesterol. The best part was, preparing it required merely dumping the packet into a tray, and adding some of the water left over from tea. This was going to be better than the main dish at a London curry house!

Now, I had been warned that MREs take some getting used to; but nothing could have prepared me for this… this… this crap. I tried; God knows I tried; but after a few mouthfuls I could eat no more. The texture was like kibble mixed with ground particle board. The flavor was unlike anything I have ever tasted — like ancient Cheerios mixed with a half bottle of Curry powder with ground aluminum thrown in for good measure. It was awful. Just horrible! So, dinner on Saturday night consisted of some almonds I had packed and granola bars. This is not the end, though. I will not be defeated. I still have one packet of hash browns and veggies as well as a Texas beef stew to try out. I’ll be back.

Sunset over Georgian Bay

Sunset over Georgian Bay

***

The agenda for Sunday was pretty-much shower, re-pack the bike and head back down to the city. Packing took longer than planned — which is to be expected until I’ve got the routine down. The weather was sunny and warm and I was able to time a nearly perfect stop for lunch consisting of a homemade mushroom cheese burger and a pint of Flying Monkey dark ale on the deck of a 3.5-star (in my opinion) restaurant along Horseshoe Valley Road to make up for the previous evening’s meal.

I did have one small hitch on the way back: I had planned to take The Trans Canada Highway (Hwy 12) to Hwy 48. Chalk it up to exhaustion or the pint of Flying Monkey; but I didn’t clue into the fact that there is a Side Road 48 running off Hwy 12 a few kilometers before you reach Hwy 48. You guessed it — I took the side road instead of the Hwy. To make matters more interesting, Side Road 48 goes East rather than Hwy 48, which goes West; and before long, I was waaaay into the Kawarthas with little gas and no gas stations in site. When Gunther’s yellow fuel light came on, I knew things were getting serious–particularly since I have not had Gunther long enough to know how many kilometers the reserve tank will carry me. Worse yet, the sun would be down in a few minutes; and it’s no fun being out of fuel by the side of the road in the dark.

Keeping cool, I turned to that gizmo of gizmos, my BlackBerry (have I mentioned what an awesome device the BlackBerry Classic is?). The Classic has an assistant (like a BlackBerry Siri) that you can ask for advice in moments of desperation; and it’s pretty good. “Where is the nearest gas station?” I asked. Within seconds she had pulled up a gas station on Side Road 121, just passed Fenelon Falls. Trouble was, it was 21 km away. Would Gunther’s reserve carry me that far? Having nothing to lose, I began heading back up the road to SR 121, being careful to accelerate smoothly and slowly so as to conserve what remained of the precious petroleum byproduct that was left in the tank. Then, it was onto SR 121 — more throttle going downhill; less going uphill… come on old boy… you can do this. Suddenly, we came around a corner, and we were in Fenelon Falls. And what to my wondering eyes should appear, but an Ultramar Station lit up like Bourbon Street at Mardi Gras. Coasting in on fumes, I brought Gunther to a stop in front of the closest pump and filled him with fresh, clean 91 octane.

Whew. That was unexpected. It’s funny though, I wasn’t as stressed as I would have been in the old days. I think, perhaps, over the years, I have just learned to keep moving forward regardless of the circumstances. Freaking out doesn’t help. This was a good learning experience (this whole weekend was, in fact). I figure Gunther’s reserve tank is good for 20 km or so. No need to confirm this, though; been there.

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