Leaking Fork

So ya…  My right fork is leaking oil.  I noticed that there was a little fluid on the stanchion the other day, so I figured the seal may be failing.  Earlier today there was oil on my boot and the right side of the bike, the seal had totally failed, so that sucks.  Luckily it should not do any damage to the fork to keep riding on it as I have only a bit less than 1500 miles to make it back to Ohio, the internal fork springs actually support the bike, it may be a bit more bouncy so I’ll have to cool it on high speed cornering 👎😢.  I was planning on servicing the suspension after this trip anyway as I will have close to 50K miles on the odometer when this trip is done.  That’s a lot of miles in just under two years of owning the bike, and that does not count the miles I have racked up on the ‘ol Honda!

The last few days though I have been getting really, really tired of the daily routine of traveling.  My right shoulder has been bugging me and I’m just worn out.  That kinda sucks as I have really been looking forward to spending some time in Maine, Vermont & New Hampshire, but now with the fork issue I’m pretty much done.  I will probably travel down the coast of Maine to Acadia NP, after that I’m probably just going to straight-line it to Buffalo to visit extended family then point the front wheel back to Cincy.

P.S. I’m on a Boat!  Ferry crossing Nova Scotia –> New Brunswick.

Some pics

I don’t think she’s sea worthy

Nova Scotia

Quickie post.  It rained most of the day today which just drained me.  I spent a few hours at Fort Lewisburg, a revolutionary era fort which is part of the Canadian National Parks system, complete with period reenactors.

I drove the Cabot Trail yesterday through northern Nova Scotia which they claim is a world famous drive.  Meh…  There were a couple of good stretches, but their claim is a bit overstated in my opinion.  I’ve driven much better roads.  If you want to compare apples to apples since it is largely a coastal drive, Hwy 1 in CA puts it to shame.

Bay of Fundy & PEI

Kayaking in the Bay of Fundy is a great way to spend an afternoon!  The Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia is known for having the highest vertical tidal range in the world.  We set off an hour or two before high tide in some very choppy waters, even with the kayak skirt, water got into the boat a bit and just made me wet. We kayaked along the coastline spying some fabulous rock formations and dramatic seaside cliffs.  I was in command with the steering and it was a constant battle to keep the vessel on track with the waves tossing my boat-mate Julie and I around in the sea.  By our break in a calmer bay the tide had started to recede and on our return journey the water was some eight feet lower in a matter of just an hour.  Luckily the sea calms down dramatically as the tide goes out so it was easy sailing on the way back.  There were still several more hours to go before the tide would be at it’s lowest, one would not have been able to kayak through the rock formations that we navigated through at low tide.  I actually discovered kayaking in the Bay of Fundy and it’s amazing tidal phenomenon shortly before I left by stumbling upon an episode of Globe Trekker on PBS, a lucky coincidence and a great experience.  One bad note though, not long after setting off, my camera ended up in the sea while I was passing it to my kayak partner.  She caught it underwater before it disappeared, but there’s a very good chance the camera is dead.  Hopefully though I’ll be able to recover the few pictures I took off of the SD card…

Kayak Fun

Kayak Fun!

Low Tide @ Advocate Harbour

Tiny Little Guy! About the size of my thumb

Cape d’Or

Off Roadin’

Yesterday was spent riding around Prince Edward Island.  It was quite beautiful and pristine but not the most exciting place for motorcycling.  Roads are mostly flat and straight and the coastlines are kind of boring in my opinion.  It seems like the kind of place my mother would have a good time vacationing at though!  Lots of craft and antique stores in the small villages, quaint cafes, a very slow paced island.  Agriculture and lobster fishing seem to be the main industry outside of tourism.  One unique thing though, the soil and sand have a rich, red color to them.  There is a high concentration of iron in both, and that apparently makes the island great for potatoe farming.

Red Dirt, lots of Iron in the soil is good for potatoes!

Yesterday’s drive:

The Warm Atlantic

I just swam in the Ocean!  I think the last time I did that was in Australia 15+ years ago.  I’ve waded in the ocean many times since then, but not actually swam.  I forgot how damn salty it was…  I prefer glacial fed lakes, but you don’t find many of those around.  It’s crazy how currents work.  The ocean on the Oregon coast is always cold, but this far north on the east coast the water is quite pleasant.  Technically speaking I actually swam in the Northumberland Strait as Prince Edward Island is east of here, but it’s the damn ocean!

Rain Delay + Quebec

I woke up yesterday around 5 am to the sound of thunder and heavy rain.  Looking at the forecast, it was going to be a down pour the whole day and traveling east, so I just decided to book another night at the AirBNB I was staying at and just had another day of rest.  In total though I have been pretty lucky when it comes to rain.  I can only remember four times I had to bust out the full rain suit,  WI/MN, WY, OR (the 1st time) and NV/CA.  I know I put just the rain jacket on a few other times, but that was just a passing shower, and I was in the PacNW in the spring.

Now on to Quebec.  Quebec feels a bit odd to me.  They are a province of Canada, but I get the feeling they do not necessarily want to be.  The first point would be that everybody speaks French in Quebec.  Throughout the rest of Canada, road signs, brochures, etc are displayed in English and French.  Once you cross into Quebec, nothing is in English other than the menus at chain places like Tim Hortons.  I stopped at a gas station that was not a nation wide chain today and the digital menu did not give an option for English.  I feel like the French speaking citizens demand everything be in French when they are traveling outside of Quebec but they do not reciprocate the favor.  

Secondly is Canadian national pride.  This is Canada’s 150th anniversary as a country.  Everywhere I have been, folks are celebrating, proudly displaying the Canadian flag, wearing Canada 150 T-Shirts, etc.  In Quebec, I really only recall seeing one Canadian flag the whole time I traveled through, and it was faded high on a farm silo.  I stopped at the Montmorency waterfall outside of Quebec City, a big touristy park, they were proudly flying the Quebec Provincial flag, but no Canadian flag.  

Third and foremost, I believe there is a movement in action to try to get a vote on the ballot for the secession of Quebec, similar to Brexit  When I took a tour of the Canadian Supreme Court, the tour guide mentioned something about it but she did not go into detail.  And when I Google’d it today, it appears there is going to be a court hearing sometime in the future to decide wether to allow a vote.  Apparently it has been a movement that has been going on for 17+ years, and they are finally getting traction.

I’m not sure of the benefit.  With all that, I decided to change my route today and just head straight to New Brunswick.  I am going to travel down the coast tomorrow to Prince Edward Island, make my way to Nova Scotia after that and eventually back to the U.S. into Maine.

Off to the Atlantic

I am hitting the road once again tomorrow morning after two days of needed rest in Canada’s capital city, Ottawa.  Yesterday was spent doing touristy stuff around Parliament Hill, then spending the evening working on the motorcycle for hopefully the last time.  I completed my 6th oil change on the road plus a filter change, luckily the oil filter only has to be changed every 3rd oil change.  Luckily I was able to find an awesome AirBNB location here in Ottawa, and performed the maintenance in the driveway, 3 nights for only $90, and I barely saw any of the other house guests.

Today I basically took the day off and did nothing, it was great.  Went to the store and resupplied, made some food, did laundry, took a nap, and looked at the maps to plan my leg to Nova Scotia.  I can start to feel the end of my trip coming near.  Just a few weeks left on the road.

A few pics from Ottawa and a nice waterfall pic I found on my camera from Glacier

The few hundred meters takes 2 hours to travel through the locks!

Hold!!!

Open!

 

Route to Ottawa:

Unique Sunrise

Leaving camp this morning at 6 am driving through Lake Superior Provincial Park in Ontario I witnessed a pretty unique sunrise.  There was thick fog along the coast and the sun diffused through the fog to what looked like the color spectrum from red to blue.  Really, really cool.  

This picture does not show that, but it was a nice view coming around a bend.

Long Hauls

Back to back 200 mile stints without stopping.  Phew.  When I started this trip 100 miles in one stretch was a long haul.  I want to cover another 50+ miles, then hopefully find a camp spot.  That will make  a 650 mile day with another 650 to cover tomorrow.  I’m getting close to upper Michigan!

Miles and Mosquitos

Two long days in the saddle.  Central Canada is not the most scenic driving to be had in my honest opinion.  I was warned by some Canadian travelers I met on the road the last few weeks, but I was truly hoping to find some scenery since I was going to a Canadian Nat’l Park, Prince Albert NP.  But nope, agriculture in the southern region, pancake flat, a bunch of lakes and forested in the north, great if you’re a fisherman though.  The mosquitos have been particularly nasty the last few days as well, that’s why I’m just hanging out in my tent tonight at a roadside campground!

I’m planning on two more long days in the saddle to make it to Ottawa, Canada’s capitol.  I don’t really like traveling to cities on the bike, but since I’m here I might as well stop.  Like DC, it looks like there are a lot of great museums and sites for history buffs.

Unexpected Sand + Heavy Bike = Holy Shit

I knew I had a section of unpaved road to ride today.  I did not expect it to be sand.  Maybe it’s from years of laying down sand on top of snow for traction, or maybe it is natural, all I know is it is not fun.  

At first the road looked like a typical hard-pack dirt road with some loose gravel.  As I accelerated to 50 mph I soon learned otherwise.  Damn near lost control at speed.  Shortly later I encountered treacherous wet spots from the rain the night before that was like quicksand, I do not know how I recovered from that near topple, pure instinct I suppose.  After that I never went above 3rd gear.  It was a long 50 miles and there is sand everywhere, including my clothes…  Not fun.

On a side note, I’m in the town of Flin Flon, Manitoba!  Crazy Canucks.