Manitoulin Random July 2015

 

The weather has been sunny with a few wispy clouds and temps hovering near 25 degrees every day…..what more could you desire. Each day I cycled ( motor ) part of the S East side of the Island, spending time each day at Little Current.

Visited  Red Lodge on Lake Manitou to see if they could accommodate a mix of campers and softer bikers in cabins…….they said they could feed smorgy board meals for a group of 200 but didn’t have the seating for a single seating nor did they have separate meeting rooms…..Too bad it was a very pretty site complete with quaint BAR…( HORIZONS UNLIMITED VENUE )

This is the 1st time in the 15 years I have been coming to the island that I have seen a cruise ship and this week I saw 2 at Little Current both from out of country. Thursday the Pearl Mist, a German owned ship pulled in and I had coffee with the SECOND OFFICER, who was from Panama.  

They are on route to Chicago.

Yesterday afternoon while driving through the harbour front ….a group of Adventure Bikes waved me over. They had noticed the STICKERED PANNIER with the Argentina Flag. Fernando Sistero was interested in my trip last year to his home country, turns out this group where all Argentinean, Canadian Citizens, on a trip along Lake Superior. Fernando was with his teenage son, during our conversation I learned he was in the midst of a divorce and would be returning to Mendoza Argentina. He had married a Canadian girl, had 2 children who he said would stay in Canada as he felt it safer here for them. His sister owns a Restaurant in Mendoza and that he would be happy to host me and show me around if I returned to Argentina. We exchanged emails and he said he would be in touch. He is shipping his GS 1200 to Argentina. I mentioned in earlier posts how friendly I have found the Argentina's to be……this WORLD would be a better place if we all had the opportunity to travel preferably not using 5 star accommodations because you rarely meet the real side of that country…..just my opinion…

   

Had to move my trailer from lot 7 to 5 as it was pre rented, no problem, I still have WAREFRONT VIEW with plenty of wild life every day….  New Site

Hockey starts next week, so I will soon pack up and head home……received a email notice that I have been drafted by TEAM LAMERIAU.Judging from where my name appeared on the list, I was not a priority pick…lol

Manitoulin July 21 2015

 

It is a sunny Tuesday morning, soaking up the rays and watching the wild life pass by. Looks like a tilt on the trailer but it is not….must be the camera guy. I have the Beach area mostly to my self. The week enders left Sunday and the odd overnighter passes through…….

Remember to click on the pictures to enlarge

Ride Manitoulin July 19 2015

 

Awoke Thursday to a beautiful sunny morning. Loaded the bike on the trailer and hooked to my 5th wheeler we pointed the truck north ( well nearly ) and headed out to Manitoulin. I was going to the 5th Annual Ride Manitoulin Event, my 3rd attendance. Now what is an Adventure without a mishap. Entering Bala, I notice lights flashing behind me with a hand seemingly frantically waving out the window….so I pull over and he stops and says your bike trailer has a flat and he has chased me from Torrance….worried the trailer might flip. He asks me if I have a spare and I assure him yes, thank him and he is off. The tire is shredded, only the sidewalls remain.

Spare on, rather than turn back, I decide I will  chance making Parry Sound 40 miles and pick up a new tire at CTC. The Spare which I put on was new but a size 80 with the flat a 75…….so I buy another 80 but they will only sell it with a rim….so 214.00 lighter, and the new rim and tire mounted (  by moi ) I am back on the road and make Green Acres at Shequinedah by 4.45pm. Park the Trailer, unload and pack the camping gear on the bike and ride over to Providence Bay where I camp until Sunday.   Friday dawns misty with a light drizzle……..I hang out at the snack bar at the Arena which is serving meals when I return to my site I spy a familiar bike.  Paul Hawgood has ridden up from Bracebridge. We ride into Manitoulin for some refreshments, returning to crack open his bottle of wine and a few beer. The band starts up around 8pm ( Blackwater is the feature Group ) and I must say they are awesome. Honda and Harley are 2 of the bike vendors this year and have ride outs all week end….the same Honda guys that attended our Hubb Event. The weather Friday has put a damper on attendance which is unfortunate for the organizers as so many more vendors are here this year.

Saturday morning is overcast when we start our adventure ride but soon turns Sunny and the rest of the day and evening is great with Blackwater  putting on an excellent show until 1am……. not before the Biker Games which started at 6 and ran until 8.30 with Paul and a loaned female rider taking a Gold Metal and some cash for bite the weenie contest. To enter you required a female companion and another biker was kind enough to lend her mate…… For you old bike enthusiast notice the bike in the second  last pic above with only the front showing to the left. This is a BARN FIND in Huntsville by a fellow from Guelph who was looking for snowmobile parts at Garage. He happened to see bike wheels under a tarp and asked what it was…. the old fellow said a bike his boss had given him in 95 but he never rode it as he didn’t have a licence…..asking if he could see it the owner pulled the tarp off and John’s jaw dropped…..it was a 95 BMW GS100 an early Adventure Series with that African Twin appearance. Though dusty, it appeared in pristine shape. Would you be interested in selling it, he inquired……sure was the reply. Will it run was the next question….well lets try….oil checked….appeared to be a gas  smell in the oil but let’s hook a battery up….with fresh gas in the tank the button is pushed and it fires right up. How much is the next question….$ 3500.00….would you take $ 3200.00 he foolishly asks….no $ 3500.00….SOLD SOLD and he rushes to get his snow mobile trailer before someone else see’s it. The bike had 4500 kilometres on it.

Biker Paul…     See the competition he was up against. notice the intensity and concentration it takes to be in this challenge. The driver is disqualified if he puts his feet down….so look what he is up against in the finals…. though I believe he won this event as well. they gave the award to the Spider….. She missed and Paul and loner won this event…..sorry Paul I missed the winning BITE.

This was the balloon water toss……Good Chance of getting wet if she misses the catch on the other side.

On my way to the trailer Sunday, notice this docked at Little Current…  A passenger ship on route to Montreal…..they were loading fresh water while the passengers where on a Bus Tour of the Island. About 8.30 pm saw it go past my beach camp site heading for open water…..