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Al Amstutz
The Northern Adventure – Or - Riding North to the Salt Water
The second annual Triple A motorcycle adventure tour was prompted by an article Alec and I each read in a motorcycle publication this past spring. We decided to make our destination the one described in the article. Thus the planning began for a visit to the eastern shore of James Bay, most of the way to Hudson Bay in the province of Quebec, Canada.
Our date for leaving was Wednesday August 11th after Alec finished work. I left shortly after noon to make the 2-hour drive from home in Beulah. I arrived at Alec’s office about 3:00 and he was able to leave work at 4:30. We headed north from Charlevoix with the intention of getting a good start on the trip before stopping for the night. By 10:30 that evening we had reached Sudbury Ontario. We had covered 419 miles in 6 hours in spite of competing with heavy traffic on hwy 17 west from the Sault. We decided it was not a bad beginning and settled into a Super 8 for the night.
We slept in on Thursday morning as we had a modest 450+ miles to travel to Matagami Quebec our destination for the day. Our chosen route from Sudbury was almost entirely north thru Canadian woods with an occasional farm, many beautiful rivers and gently rolling terrain. We arrived in Matagami at 6:30. Throughout the day as we stopped for gas were interested and amused by the fact that French is the official language of Quebec province. Alec’s speculation as to what expressions on signs meant was great entertainment. I found that as the day wore on my six years of French in High School and College began to slowly return, at least in figuring out what signs and billboards said.
Matagami is a village of about 1700 and is the end of the public highway system leading north in Quebec. From here north one travels a private highway built in the early 70’s to provide access to the Le Grande River area where the worlds largest hydro electric plant provides electricity for places as far away as New York City.
The ride to Raddison, Chisasibi, and on to James Bay, at the end of the road north requires registering and receiving instructions and information on the route before being admitted to the highway. We are told that all we will see in addition to trees on the 600 km (360 miles) between Matagami and Raddison is one stop for gas near the Eastman river. The gas stop is 243 miles from Matagami, which necessitates carrying extra gas, in cans, in order for our bikes to make it. I have a two and one half-gallon can and Alec carries a two gallon can (though he THOUGHT it was two and one half, remember this as it becomes important later). We set off in a steady rain. What we had waited for and read and re-read about during the summer is now our own experience. We rode at a steady 70 mph to conserve gas since we needed to average about 40 mpg to make it to the gas stop without running out. The rain was hard enough so that after about 40 minutes Alec’s bike began missing and loosing speed. We stopped to consider our courses of action. I speculated that he was getting water into his carburetor and he agreed. I had brought an air cleaner cover for just such an eventuality and since my bike was running fine at the time I offered it to Alec. The cover solved the problem and off we rode, north again. After 50 miles the rain stopped and only occasional sprinkles accompanied us from then on. At mile 112 Alec’s bike went on reserve and at mile 142 ran completely out of gas. It was then that we discovered that what he had thought was a 2.5 Gal can was, in fact, only a two gallon can. With a bit of simple arithmetic we concluded that Alec did not have enough gas to make it. We were already 22 miles past half way, so, no going back. We agreed that we would see how far my gas would take me and decide how much, if any extra gas I would have. My tank ran dry at 172 miles, leaving only 88 miles with 2.5 gallons in my tank. At 40 miles per gallon I should make with a little to spare. The thing we must avoid was both of us running out of gas. If I made it and Alec did not I could fill up and return with gas for him. I poured an estimated two gallons into my tank and gave Alec the remaining half-gallon. We headed up the road separately, I at 75 mph to retrieve gas and Alec at 55 mph to try to stretch what gas he had. I arrived at the Eastman gas stop and filled up my tank and can and headed back south to find Alec. About 4 miles south I met Alec, still running at reduced speed. He did make it to the gas stop without assistance from me, except for the half gallon I contributed.
After a fill up we proceeded on North the last 150 miles to Raddison. We saw an occasional car (tourists visiting the hydro plant probably) and in the first 100 miles many trucks hauling pulp wood. We arrived in Raddison without incident and reserved a room in a 1930’s style, totally French speaking motel (actually, the motel itself did not speak French). By now gas is approximately $5.00 per gallon (sold by the liter). It is now 4:30 and we have 80 miles west to Chisasibi and 10 miles south to James Bay before we reach our ultimate destination, the salt-water ocean of the north. The road to Chisasibi is fast, relatively smooth with sweeping turns. We maintain a steady 80-mph. About 10 miles from Chisasibi we are stopped and again required to register our names and license plate numbers. We ask why and receive no answer from the young man who seems to understand English and is very friendly, interested in our bikes and polite. The Cree Indian village of Chisasibi is interesting in that each home has an authentic teepee in the back yard. The purpose of the teepee is unclear to us, possibly ceremonial.
The final 10 miles to the Baye Du James is dusty loose gravel. After two wrong turns, both my fault, we arrive at the Bay and salt water. Big canoes powered by 60 to 100 hp outboard motors litter the beach. Tide is low and the rocky shoreline does not appear as remarkable as it is to us. We have made it! Now it is time to return to Raddison for dinner and a well-earned rest and phone calls home. The 90 mile trip back to Raddison is fast and easy, like a horse returning to the barn. Raddison is reached at 8:30. As we pull into the gas station to fill up for the trip south my gas can falls off the bike into the street. The bolts holding the wooden bracket I made to hold the gas can on the luggage rack have worked loose, the bottom board is gone and the can is badly bruised. Ok, How will I hold the can on the bike for the trip south??? This is a BIG CHALLENGE. Before supper we find nuts for the bracket at a nearby flea market and I ride back 4 miles to find the bottom board. GREAT. It is fixed and we can now make the trip back. Now for spaghetti supper, calls to Linda and Gretchen and to bed at 11:00 after a long day and nearly 600 miles of riding.
Saturday is our long day. We decided to be home on Sunday and are now almost 1300 miles away. We get up at 5:30 and are on the road before 6:30. The gas can now securely fastened to the rear of the bike on the home made platform. The 140 mile ride back to the Eastman gas stop is uneventful. I stop long enough, after getting gas, to get a cup of coffee and it is a very very good thing I did. As I came out of the "restaurant" I commented to Alec that I had thought I had smelled gas. As I said that I looked a little more closely at the gas can. It was then that I noticed something dripping on to the back fender of the bike. Closer inspection revealed a very small pinhole leak in the bottom of the gas can. Now What? We can’t get back to Matagami without the extra gas and no can is available here. Alec, as usual, is resourceful and suggests we secure the gas can upside down on the rack with the leak up. We refill the can and off we go, with gas spurting out of the hole at each bump. Frequent stops to add gas from the can to the tank and finally discarding the can altogether (sorry environmentalists, we left it by the side of the road) got us back to Matagami where we gassed up to head south. The days’ ride ended in the city of Timmons at a Motel 8 at 8:30 in the evening. 725 miles of riding was a good day. A nice meal next door to the hotel and we were in bed at 10:30.
Sunday morning at 7:30 we leave Timmons for home. It will be 562 miles before I roll into the driveway. We even stopped and took a hike up to a beautiful waterfall and rapids which lost an hour of riding time but was worth it.
2684 miles of riding, beautiful scenery, a visit to a place few people even know exists and a chance to spend a few days with your son all add up to an outstanding adventure and a wonderful trip. Would I go again? You bet, in a heartbeat.