Dual Sporting the Island II

Top of Devil's Punchbowl trail.

Trevor and I have been riding more this year.  Since buying the old KLR 650, it's been painted, tuned and had some parts replaced. He's really getting into the hang of tackling technical terrain.  Even though our Island doesn't offer anything like the Senator Highway or The Crown King Trail, there are still a few challenging spots.

Mostly what we have is pleasant back road scenery lots of water, peace and quiet.  There is really no "Crown Land" on the Island, pretty much every road, paved or otherwise, is a Provincial highway and although I see dirt bikes and atv's tearing up County Line road, that activity is not legal.  Trails generally are abandoned or seldom used tractor access trails into fields that were once farmed by families. 

Trev's about 6' 13", while I stand 5'4" and nothing.

On a recent outing we crossed country on just such roads and trails, coming to an intersection that I remembered from 25 years ago.  Of course things have grown considerably in the meanwhile, so sometimes those places are no longer accessible. 

Brings back lots of memories.

This day we came upon just such a trail.  Rough, washed out in many places roots showing but vaguely familiar.  I went ahead as this is my part of the Island and it was instantly recognizable.  Last time I was through there I was riding either a 1986 TT 225 (the very similar forerunner to my Serow) or it could have been a 1987 350 Warrior, which was a single cylinder 6 speed manual transmission sport model ATV.  I remember that ride well, Rob and I both rode identical machines from my shop. 

Hadn't crossed this creek since 1987!

When Rob and I came to the creek that was before me now, to a washed out bridge on our first attempt across, while trying to climb the rather steep opposite bank, Rob flipped over under the 400 lb quad! 

Fortunately there wasn't enough water to drown an ant at the time but we did near pee ourselves we were laughing so hard!  He looked like a turtle helplessly on his back!

Steeper than it looks.

Today we were able to ride across on a rickety bridge no doubt maintained by sledders.

The trail out was rougher than the one in but much shorter and we came out on a typical clay road among farmhouses.  

From there we wound ourselves to the bakery in Hunter River, surely one of our favorite biking stops, had some viddles and then I followed Trev to his side of the Island around Brookvale ski park. 

A couple of these holes were 2' deep.

 
Here while following a power-line we found some mud and by the time I was done with Stretch, his pant legs were soaked and mud covered and stunk like skunk! 

Making a splash!

Leaving the power-line, we took a trail I remembered that climbed up through the ski park and led us back onto some (more) obscure roads.

So, even though it's not very technical and it would be hard to get into real trouble and never anything near riding Baja or the New River canyon in Arizona... it was good exercise and a whole lot of fun. 










Good warm up, for our next ride together would prove far more challenging!

You see... these little trail rides were only a foreshadow to what was to come for what was coming just around the corner...