Confederation Trail

I Must say, its been a pretty decent summer on the oiland!

After the problems we experienced last year upon our arrival, we tried to make this year, calmer and less stressful.   Ask me at year end to see how things washed out.



Back during my last living foray here, there were still train tracks and even trains.  In the ensuing years, the tracks have been pulled and the rail line altered to trail line.  I hear there are over 400km of the Confederation Trail available for hikers, bikers and in the wintertime, 'bilers.



Although I've been a throttle twister most of my life, there was a time I pedaled too.  From my place on the North side of the Bow river, it was an 18km pedal to downtown Calgary, and another 5 to the zoo.

We brought several bicycles with us.  The other day Brenda and I got a chance to use a little of our afternoon and ride just a short distance of the trail. 

I've been on other disused rail lines, most notably the Kettle Valley in the Okanagan.  One of the advantages of this type of riding is the lack of steep hills.  Unlike cars, the steam trains of the day, didn't like grades, so biking is pretty easy going.

 






Over the coming years, I hope to explore the entire system...

 

Once upon a time, long long ago... in a land far far away...

back sometime after the last ice age, as sea levels gradually rose, I used to be a motorcycle instructor with the Canada Safety Council.  In fact I was a Chief Instructor.  My "job" was to acquire a sponsor, line up motorcycles, hire and train instructors and administer the program in a safe and efficient manner... amongst a hundred other things.

I saw thousands of students, a couple of hundred instructors and many types of motorcycles pass through the course.  It was an exciting, useful, and informative experience, that I will state clearly... I loved  doing.

My goal in them early days, was to create a better road user, plain and simple.  My passion was bikes and in my position I felt that by training motorcyclists, we were providing a service to all road users.  In my opinion, everyone should be required to take a mandatory /rider/driver training program.

Lately since my return to Prince Edward Island, I find myself once again involved in the ongoing controversy about road users and particularly how that relates to motorcycle/car collision and fatalities.

There have been 4 motorcycle deaths this short season on this small Island, and from the information I have gleaned (newspaper/television/personal) none of these collisions were accidents, all were preventable and in two cases, elderly drivers were at fault.  In no case was the rider blamed.  The end result is still the same.  Four human being perished because someone else, a licensed driver of a vehicle, made a mistake. 

Period! 

End of sentence.

Not a day goes by that I myself do not face a situation whereas a driver makes a mistake that causes me to take some type of evasion action.  This afternoon, driver in a slowing right lane, jumped across in front of my bike.  I was traveling at the speed limit, in the left tire track, and this placed me perhaps 40 kph faster than the right lane, in which there were at least a dozen vehicles.  Mid way, the culprit did their thing.

Although I rarely use my horn, in this instance I held the button (which btw I had covered once I saw traffic backing up in that lane) for several seconds.  The driver then drove at barely a walking speed and as I went around them, now in the right lane, I saw a very elderly woman, barely peering over the steering wheel.  It's unlikely that she even heard my horn, certainly she didn't react to it.

Okay, most bike horns are anemic, true but you shouldn't have to use it at all.

Lately there are calls once again for mandatory retesting of elderly drivers.

I say... let's not single them out but as I have always made clear (is anyone listening!?) I feel that all road users should be re-tested routinely.  Depending on your license classification, say... every five years for a normal car validation or motorcycle and three years for professional road users.  Perhaps I could add that seniors be tested annually after age 70.

I got my motorcycle license at age 14, in downtown Edmonton, just off 109st (the High level bridge, in rush hour, after school) In those days a 14 year old could ride a motorcycle under 100cc displacement.  I failed the first go round, not stopping as I entered the street from the DMV.  He didn't wash me out immediately, after all back then, you were given the route and expected to remember it and know how to follow it.  I passed on my second try a month later.

When I turned 16, I did a car certification.  In the ensuing decades, I have never been re-tested.  Do you think things have changed since 1969?  Dam right they have.  If I received a letter tomorrow from the DMV stating that I was required to drop by in 30 days to do a written test followed by a road test... I'd be first in line.

I'd also go on to say that I am a better road user than 90% of the general public.  Period, end of sentence.  I'd also go on to state that many of my friends that drive cars and trucks and ride motorcycles, are in the 10 percent.

Where do you fall... no pun intended?

Old friends, and memories...

Ever notice that even today, in this day of instant communication, satellites, mobile phones attached to our hips/purses/ears, we often can't sit still long enough to send someone you haven't seen or talked with for awhile, a message.

Back in snail mail days, it was a really big deal to sit down at the kitchen table and write someone a letter with pen in hand.  Maybe enclosing a couple of photos you took with your Instamatic or Polaroid, wrapped in cardboard to keep the post office from mutilating them.

What a joy it was to open that letter, we'd read it over and over, look at the pics and smile.

I have friends all over the World.

Some I keep in touch with regularly, others once or twice a year.  We exchange digital photos, talk about stuff like the weather, local floods, bikes, women/men, trips, kids... or most often, about not much at all.  People seem to think that to send an email, you have to have some earth shattering news to present, when in reality, your friend only wants to hear you're alive and well and still kicking!

Technology has certainly changed everything.  It's been doing that since the chisel was laid to stone tablet.  Today, we live in increasingly hurried lives.  Rarely do we sit still long enough to tap out three lines of email, never mind sending a postcard or letter (having a great time, wish you were here) to someone that you know would certainly appreciate it.  Sure, we think about it and just as quickly we pass it up; "I'll do it tonight, I'll do it when I have my lunch, I'll get to it tomorrow..." 

I've been around long enough through many calamities, that I learned my lesson long ago... you could be dead tomorrow, or your friend you meant to write to, to send those pictures to, to connect to. 

Are we so wrapped up in our lives that we can't take a moment to share with old friends, or even old enemies...?

I don't wanna pickle... I jus wanna ride ma motosickle...

THERE are times you just have to ride.  It's almost like a drug, you need it, you crave it, nothing is going to stop you from that high, that a ride will give you.



TO say this past week has been hectic, would be somewhat of an understatement.  Of course I could say that about the past two months, the past two years and so on. 

THE weather has been great, little rain over the last couple of months, sunshine, bright night sky, brilliant stars, warm temperatures.  Guess what... been real busy.  Distresses me to see the perfect weather and each day, is another day at the apartment or picking up/dropping off people, or mowing grass that's overgrown or picking up supplies, or painting or hammering nails... time for riding, hovering around absolute "zero."



TAKE last Friday for example, we'd just gotten married a few days before, been hosting people, I'd been doing the picking up/dropping off stuff like mad, and I didn't even have time to cut grass, much less ride a bike.

AS most of you know, I have a small fleet in the garage.  Three dual purpose, two small dirt bikes, an old trials bike and several street bikes of various types.  Friday... I was itching for a ride.  It was wet, sometimes torrents, so a street bike was a no go.  Maybe I can do a few laps on a TTR but last time I did this about three weeks ago, I left in sunshine and within three laps, it was pouring rain, stinging my face and soaking my gear pronto.  I wasn't in the mood for slip sliding around the grass track.  Taking the XT 600 was a possibility but I wanted to try a few blind small trails/roads I have been passing for months, the DT50 is a great little bike but I needed a bit more highway speed today, so the 225 came out of the line-up and fuel checked, was geared up to go.



I didn't cover a lot of ground, only about 60km but it took 2 1/2 hours to do that.

WHAT did I find, other than water in my boots, and everything else...well the Long River International Airport... atop one of the highest local hills. 










ONCE out of the trail system, I found a hangar/customs post with views 360 degrees of Prince and Queens county.  Okay so not some death defying trail in the AZ desert, but interesting and scenic nevertheless.

 

COURSE, I wasn't prepared for the airport.

 AFTER my return home I peeled myself like a banana, and soaked in a nice hot shower for twenty minutes.  I was shivering, it's never fun riding in the rain, but sometimes on occasion, its essential for one's well being.  Even though I was soaked to the second layer of skin, my own... the grin was there...

Postcards from Europe 2!

Awhile back I did a little blog on this, and today, when I pulled out my journal I've

decided to add a few more quips, hope you don't mind...

It goes like this; I read something not only about a particular route, people, event, but also how I felt at the time.



Wed May 20, 2009

Left San Momme at 9:15 am.  Had no problem getting through Pistoia, then south past Empoli where I branched off thru the Tuscan countryside to the medieval city of San Gimignano (Jimmy gee ann o).  The ride was thru gentle hills and lush vineyard covered valleys, much like the interior of B.C. but I'm in Italy!  Can you believe it!!  The BEST day yet!

 













Saturday May 30, 2009

Made my way thru Carcasonne via tiny little back roads, sun taking the chill off.  Crossing the Pyrenees into Andorra was amazing.  Up to 7800', still snow by the roadside.  Opted for the over mountain route rather than the tunnel.  Big time ski-ing, lots of traffic, stunning backdrops, road like spaghetti, twisting and climbing.  Cool temps.  Feel invigorated, alive.  



Waved thru border into Spain.  Didn't even dig out my papers, he asked if I was CDN and I answered "yes" go on he said.  I passed long lines of cars dropping down, down, down. Stopped in lovely city of Oliana, still early but I'm tired.  Hotel for 36E.  Wandered around downtown, still very warm, hot even, 30C in the shade.  Can't sleep, opened hotel window, listened to the sounds going thru the city. I said in '02 I would come  back to Espana and ride a bigger bike.  I am here.


 

Sunday May 31, 2009

Burgos is in reach today, then 300km to Ponferrada, a hundred more into Portugal.



WOW!  What a day.  left Oliana and realized after 60km that I left my passport and international license on the desk of the hotel.  The elderly woman threw her hands in the air when I walked back in.  She got it for me from the safe and hugged me like a bear! 

 








 

Nearly a thousand km today, ever west.  Was pulled over just outside A Rua with several other motorcyclists.  Police came by and asked /demanded a breath test.  there is a zero alcohol policy in much of Europe.  I decide to stop for the night.  Got a room for 24E at the very nice Hotel Espada short walk from downtown on the main street.  Used the internet at the 4 Camiones bar about 10 minutes walk.  Weather excellent, rode great roads/the best in all of Europe for biking, no tolls, cheap food and drinks, MotoGP on every TV.  Man do I love riding in Espana...

Thursday June 4th, 2009

Lazy few days, needed the break.  This riding across continents can be very tiring Ha!  I stay mostly on little squiggly back roads, and away from the auto pistas as much as possible.  Chilly ride to the west coast of Europe but dipped my fingers into the Atlantic... over there is Halifax and Canada!



Left Sarria at 9 30 am, stopped within 20km to put on more clothes.  Starting to rain.  Been dry most of the trips.  At Castropal, it comes down in earnest.  Now only 60F and dropping.  While in Sarria weather was reporting a major Hurricane type system moving in from the coast of Africa.  Hi winds, cool temps and lots of rain coming in.  Balboa was busy!  Couldn't find a hotel under 195E at the Guggenheim.  No parking on the streets, chain problems, worried about my luggage.  Took a few photos and mounted up.  



Got lost, then more lost then even more lost.  Raining hard, visor foggy, traffic daunting, heavy, fast, crazy.  Chain giving me grief.  Got help in traffic and driver showed me route out of the maze.  Grateful!  Rode auto via to Peage, drenched, heavy spray, very wet and slippery road surface.  Found hotel for 75E, didn't care needed stop.  

 

Dried (mostly) out clothing around radiators in room, everything soaked.  Had carport sat down looking over chain situation.  Found that outer plate missing on newly installed chain, was only held in place by pressure, could have been disaster had chain come off and seized the drive!  Cursed loudly both Zsolti and myself.  I thought the mickey mouse link they put on would be faulty.  Good thing I'd picked up a spare master in HU.  Very, very long day.  Totally exhausted. Glad I was alive.








Friday June 5, 2009

Crossed the Pyrenees in the morning, so foggy, you could not see 10'  Back into France, stopped for cafe and croissant at St. jean Pied de Port.  Chain loose again.  Missed Pamplona the day before, but was in no mood to run away from any bulls anyway! N135 to Francia.  Temp okay but very wet and damp.  Raining so hard I pull off the road, only 310 km today...

AS you can see by these excerpts, riding a motorcycle long distance can be a drag at times.  When the weather is swell, it's fab, but when its not... well let's just say, it can be a grind from one day to the next.


 

JUST MARRIED!

THIS* may be the biggest Mis Adventure of all (or not)... today, at 2 pm Atlantic time, on the tiny Island named for Prince Edward... Brenda and I, in the presence a small group of long time friends and family, said our "I do's".

 

Me of course for the second time and for her, the first.

We met nearly 5 years ago, and the meeting went something like this;

"Hi!" ('Wow, he's boyishly handsome')


"HI!" ('I think I could marry this woman.')

Okay, wasn't quite that compressed, but something like it.  I thought she was pretty young, mid thirties, especially when she told me she had a 7 year old daughter.  While we were getting to know one another/confessing... I told her I too had daughters, then answering her question, "my girls are 25 and 28..."  It was perhaps predictable that she asked me how old I was?

Turns out we're closer in age than we thought, a mere 8 years difference.

After spending the day with her, then the next two... I had a good feeling.

Fast forward to the present.  We were married in our own home, overlooking the fabulous Spring Valley, in a short ceremony today, August 6th, 2013.

 

Chris Vessey was the officiating chaplain to make it legal of course, and in attendance were Holly and Kevin, her partner, Lisa and Rick, who just recently became engaged, Anna of course... and long time friends and surrogate parents of Brenda's, John and Helen, who in their eighties, made the trip from Calgary, and my long time Island friends, Mike and Isabelle to act as our witness'.  OH, yes... let's not forget Willy, Phoenix and Abby!  They're family too!

So, another adventure begins, so to speak.  I've been single for quite some time, not as long as Brenda has but certainly, I didn't think I would ever marry again, after all... most people just move in together these days and that's that.

For me, to place that ring and receive one in return, is the ultimate commitment to one another.

Okay... there is that whole SPecial FOrces thing, but it's altogether different.

*I'M KIDDING!!