All things must pass

     THAT includes my week long multi route adventure V Strom ride(s) It was time to go home to the Island.

Leaving my little ferry's behind a last time.

Rick arrived early in the morning and Lisa and prince William were heading further west to Seattle for a week with sis Holly and her husband Kevin.  I already had my gear packed the previous night and the DL was pointed towards the garage door one last time.

To say I had an amazing time would not do my week justice!

By the time I'd get home, I would have covered over 2500 km.

Water, twisty road and a DL 650

I got up in the morning, had a chat with the pilot (Rick) and pulled out early.  It's about 3 hours to the Island and I was pretty certain I could get there in 10.

Yes, you read that right, this was going to be my longest day, ultimately I would cover close to 700 km and spend nearly 12 hours on the road.

Stone Quarry on the way towards Gagetown

I don't do anything the easy way... :) 

I bypassed Fredericton one more time, headed for lake country.  After crossing an amazing iron bridge high above the St John river onto the north shore and the old Trans Canada highway which I recall flooded here regularly back in the day, I pulled off and headed north from the 105 at McGowan's Corner.

     I'D often wanted to check out Grand Lake, I had heard so much about it from people over the years and during my dealer days

For sale, garage with house attached!!

was always in a hurry to get here or there for some dealer show or other.  Chipmunk, err... I mean Chipman, is well off the beaten path and certainly a ways from St John and I was determined to check it out this time around.

Not wood.  Not covered! Is this a bridge?

I turned right at Lakeville Corner on a wee little triple digit country road ( the 680) through Princess Park, Newcastle Creek, Minto, and Hardwood Ridge, before pulling into Chipman on fumes.  Well okay maybe that's a little poetic license, but I was down to the last bar on the dash panel trip-meter. 

You see the Doc was sure I was smarter then 'Candy' my GPS gal, and refused to listen to her telling me to "Turn around when possible" My map showed tiny little narrow gray lines that presumably carried me into the community of Chipmunk, I mean 'man' Chip-man!

I took a right.

Okay, I was wrong but really... if the road dead-ends after 20 km, why the frig wouldn't they put a sign that tells you such!?

The ride along the lake shore reminded me of the Okanagan Valley in southern BC during the 70's when things were sparsely populated, transplanted Hungarians grew peppers instead of grapes and life was slower paced.

Like the Okanagan in the '70's

     ANYWAY, I made it to Chipmu-an, pulled into the first fuel stop I saw and with nearly 550 km on this tank, she took almost a full load!  It was already 4 pm and I had a rendezvous planned with my pal Vinnie from Moncton area whom I met several years ago when we both rode small DP bikes on a very wet and cold August day for the Dawn to Dusk rally.  Vince on his Super Sherpa 250 and I on my trusty 225 Serow. 

If it wasn't for the new cars and trucks around, I'd swear I'd been transported back in time.

To top it off I was getting pretty road shocked, I was hungry and thirsty, plus I had to pee reeeal bad!

I'd rode back to a little town park with yet another old rail car on site, giving me a good view of the bridge, downed a sub and drank nearly a canteen of water.  I also messaged Vinnie that I would be nearer to 6 pm before I felt I could make to Moncton.

Lakeville Corner

Highway 10 was freshly paved, hmmm, interesting that I found new pavement at Utopia and now here in Chipman, both places being the site of huge Irving Paper mills.  I cranked the throttle on that awesome blacktop and leaning well into the luscious curves, rode straight (is that an oxymoron?)  to  Magnetic Hill McDonald's.

Okay I did it at a rather higher pace, (140 for nearly 90 km's) but that's because I was on the Trans Canada.

     AFTER an hours visit with Vince, we parted ways, he on his shiny FZ-09 and me on my bug splattered V Strom!  I still had nearly 2 hours to ride, and it was already getting dusk and cooling off.

Nearly out of gas in Chipman after having to backtrack 40km

After the Port Elgin rotary, I pulled over at the Petro Can at Melrose, not for fuel but to change to clear safety glasses (the sun had already set) and hauled on some extra clothes, it was getting chilly!  Dark, cold and tired on this low lying stretch of NB can be hazardous to one's health.  Signs warning me of "Moose Crossing" or at least my interpretation of a moose crossing, made me sit up straighter and cranked up my personal radar.

A very long time ago, while driving from Penticton to McMurray for my (first) wedding, my Dad  
T boned a moose on highway 63.  It was March, winter and they were about 90 miles from town.

This was 1976 and there were no cell phones, there were no ambulances, and there were no people on that desolate stretch of gravel road.  Dad drove into town and right to the hospital, Mom's face was badly lacerated (she missed my wedding), a sorry sight of blood, and to top it off, they were near frozen!  The Buick Riviera had it's roof peeled back, like a sardine can.  They were fortunate to be alive.

I did not relish the thought of doing the same on my bike.  I didn't have two tons of steel, nor a big massive V-8 in front of me. This is the time to be extra careful.

Long ass day, nearly 700 km, I gorged down a sub after filling the tank while flashing on the last bar.

 
 I shivered crossing the Confederation bridge.




WHEN I pulled into County Line Road, I finally let out my breath after 13 hours...
I was home... sweet home!