Follow-up and final thoughts on our expedition

The last couple of weeks have passed by quickly as we pretty well assimilated back into our daily routine. We both worked some extra hours this last week, a small price to pay for the flexibility and time off we get as a result.

I also experienced a bit of fall-out physically from the trip. Yes, we were both tired and had enough bike driving (sore butt) to last awhile but I am talking about my neck and shoulders. They were stiff and sore and did not ease up almost a week back. A good massage helped immensely. The tenseness of driving in those early sections along with the incessant wind right up into New Brunswick did a real number on me.

While still healing from the knots, stiffness and soreness, I slept on the bed at our retreat and used a different, not as supportive pillow. Bam! It was back again! I learned of the benefits of Voltaren and hot showers (despite a heat wave here) and it only took a couple days to get back to my old self again.

Note to self - these extreme type of driving trips are no longer fun!! I love to drive my bike on pavement and I am not against gravel or dirt conditions completely. It is driving in more remote areas, uncertain weather conditions and tires that are not ideal for the gravel roads we encountered. Even Pat, who is a highly experienced biker, found it a bit nerve wracking at times. When I followed him, I would slow down and that would make the travel worse over the stones. In front, I kept up my speed better. Pat also agrees that I am better to not go on one of these again as he found he worried about me constantly. When behind him, he was forever checking me in his mirrors, when I was in front, he worried that I would lose control and wipe out.

We traveled 6300 km in 18 days on this particular journey. Nothing phenomenal but we did manage to see and experience a part of Canada that few do. The Trans Labrador Highway is 1247 km in total length. Not all of it is rough conditions. We never did get a satellite phone and thank goodness didn't need it. Not sure why they have a program like this in place if in the two places we checked (Lab City and Churchill Falls) they didn't have any available.

The challenging section is about 500 km long, between where you get on the TLH near Happy Valley/Goose Bay and ending in Red Bay. We did it over 2 days, the first one was the longest as we drove from HV/GB to Port Hope Simpson. The next day we drove to L'Anse-au-Clair. The road conditions had improved but our drive was in heavy rain and cold temps. Off the coast, we spotted many icebergs, bluish tinged blobs sitting there in the frigid water.

Not to be left out, Highway 389 in Quebec that runs from Baie-Comeau to Labrador City was a close second. Yes, it is paved up to Manic Cinq but had numerous construction sites that were plagued with mud (yes, this is where I wiped out in the ditch!) due to the ongoing rain and too many curves to mention. The section between Manic Cinq and Lab City was a mini version of the TLH and the gravel portion was about 300 km long. It was a dry day we drove it and the dust was unbelievable. Most of the trucks slowed down but many did not.

Labrador is beautifully stark, remote and in parts has brutal road, weather conditions. The people are extremely friendly, resilient and hardy. If things don't work out, they seem okay and easy going about it. Who knew there would still be snow on the roadsides in June? Pat said ideally we should have brought a spare set of tires (one for the highways, one for the gravel) but that just wasn't realistic. Instead we basically used similar tires as those we drove with to Inuvik, with one spare rear that could be used on either bike.

My bike performed excellent, good engine and used virtually no oil while Pat's burned about a total of 1.25 litres. His "doohickey" or timing chain has become very noisy and he may need to replace it soon. My new gloves worked really well, although we both preferred the rubber gloves (made from wetsuit material) in the heavy rain (with my pokeman gloves worn on the inside for extra warmth).

My boots let me down but I should have given them a good oiling before I left, like Pat did to his. My rain pants from Mountain Equipment Co-op worked great in lighter to medium rain but leaked in the heavy downpour. Our Frog Tog jackets under light to moderate conditions were fine but leaked in heavy rain. They are bulky to wear and store. Not real happy with them...

Our helmets fogged up in the rain, Pat put a piece of duct tape to keep the face shield from closing completely. Again, I had anti-fogging spray I could have used in advance but forgot.
My face shield is scratched badly after my mishap in the ditch and I broke the visor or peak (again). Pat stuck it together with duct tape but it still made a kind of vibration as drove at higher speeds or windy conditions. Thinking its time for a new one soon.

By the end of the trip, the Bluetooth headsets were easier to use, but needed daily charging. We learned to not leave the channel open all day as it drains the battery quickly. I still found it tricky to activate the intercom button wearing gloves when I wanted to say something.

We camped only 4 nights this trip due to the wet and cold conditions. The air mattresses worked out in combo with the sleeping pads. I asked Pat if he would have left behind any tools or equipment now that we are back and he said no but he would have liked to do a little fishing with the line and hook he brought in Quebec, Labrador or Nfld but the weather was too crappy.

We were on a time schedule to catch the ferry from Port Aux Basques to North Sydney so we didn't have time to doddle or relax. We spent some time looking over our route in advance and how we could break up the more demanding parts of the TLH but there just isn't anywhere to stay and camping was not an option as we thought the bugs would be terrible. If you have an RV, it would have been easy to pull off somewhere and bunk down for the night. Saving grace here, the cold and wet temps kept the bugs at bay :)

I asked Pat if he had considered living anywhere we travelled on this trip and he said no. I had to agree. When we both thought about how this trip changed us, Pat said it didn't, but then he added that when you are sleeping in a tent, you just don't get the same rest. Again, a blessing in disguise that the most challenging parts of our route had us staying in B & B's. He also said that the long days of dirt, gravel and dust are not relaxing. Surprise!!!

Time is always an important element when preparing for any kind of bike travel and Pat naturally relied on our success from last year to guide him. He also had a race the day before we left and therefore had to coordinate tools, equipment and gear very quickly while tuckered out after a long drive. It would have been beneficial to have more of a gap between these two events.

We do regret not being able to do a tour of the hydroelectric dams we passed (Manic Cinq and Churchill Falls) but they don't start up until the end of June and the weather was crap anyway!

The TLH is known as the loneliest road in the world. Maybe that is why all those truckers drive too fast on it, to get the heck off of it! I wouldn't drive it again on a bike and I am really glad I had an experienced riding partner with me to experience it with. It is remote for sure but very beautiful and full of nature! Okay, now Pat can check this one off the bucket list!

Here are some extra pics.

My Pokemon gloves that kept my hands warm under my riding and wet weather gloves

Where I landed in the ditch, my helmet bouncing off the (thankfully) wet, muddy sand on the other side

At breakfast, Motel de L'energie, just south of Manic Cinq, Hwy 389, Quebec.

Checking out Mount Wright ahead on Hwy 389, Quebec.

If you zoom in on this pic it is a great visual of our travel from Baie-Comeau to Port aux Basques, Nfld

Approaching Blanc Sablon ferry, Quebec to take us over to St Barbe, Nfld. If you zoom in, you can see the icebergs in more detail.

The rest of the pics below are from Mount Washington, New Hampshire.

My sincere apologies again for the delay in finishing up the blog and for my inability to sort out the videos!

You'll see. I'll finally get the hang of this whole blog business on my very final motorcycle trip....wonder where and when that will be?

Till next time...