Yellow Betty's Fall Circle Tour

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markwelna
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Yellow Betty's Fall Circle Tour

#1

Post by markwelna »

Day 1: Easy miles, fear, and a skunk

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Pre Trip Mileage
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Bike ready for departure

Fear is a powerful emotion. Perhaps one of our most firmly engrained and hardest to shake. In our days as hunters and gatherers there were plenty or real threats. Civilazation has eliminated most of these and now much of our fear is lying dormant and unused. Waiting for something unusual to attach itself too. I am afraid of aliens. Dark, black, vicisous, Sigourney Weaver aliens with acid for blood.

To say that the first day of the trip was characterized by fear and my first night camping alone would be to discount the day up to the point in which the sun was about a fists height above the horizon so i'll start at the beginning and get to that.

My intent was to be on the road by 8am. The need to drop something off at work Wednesday morning delays my departure untill after 9. My eager optomism remains. With only an immediate fuel stop and a brief break at a rest area the 160 miles to Duluth comes quickly and pleasantly. The bike still exhibits the grindy mechanical unusuallness at launch unless i give her a few berries and slip the clutch a bit but i'm choosing to ignore that for now. Otherwise she purrs like a kitten and rockets me to the north without complaint. Headgasket and all.

Here we are on Brighton beach just north of Duluth where i had a quick picnic lunch.
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A quick detour off of HWY 61 takes me up to Palisade Head which is one of the more spectacular stops on the North shore. I talk to some rock climbers who like my bike.

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After a few more corners and hills, a mocha in Grand Marais, and much unnecesary musing I stop at a sceneic overlook near the border. Here I meet not one but TWO gentleman both with 75 GL1000's or so they say. One blue / green and one red. Both sitting in the garage. One of the gentlemen is the original owner. The bike has sat unused for 20 years. I hope seeing mine on the road inspires something. The colors of the leaves are starting to peak.

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Sleeping Giant Provencial Park FAR on the horizon.

My border crossing is uneventful. The border guard seems amused by my inquiry about camping at the park and as to whether i will have a problem finding a campsite stating simply that, "it has been below 0 the past few nights and that it is near the end of their season".

At this point I began to feel a bit of urgency in finding my destination picturing desolate pitch dark campgrounds surrounded by caverns, caves, alien nests, and the unknown; with only me, my imagination, and a tent to protect me from whatever it is that is out there.

Miles continue to come easily and Thunder Bay comes and goes with no more than a fuel stop. The landscape in this area is rugged and intimidating. The ledges, gorges, and rock face make one feel insignificant and vulnerable. With somewhere around 50 miles left and the sun still clear of the horizon I feel secure that i can make camp before dark.

After 19 miles down a narrow winding road to the end of the Sibley Peninsula I find the Park Headquarters. Sure enough it is closed but a truck behind the building indicates that a ranger is around so i pay the 41 dollars and self register for a campsite.

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The sun setting on the sleeping giant from my camp site.

The campground is quiet. There are a few sites occupied by camper trailers. I carefully chose a nice site on the lake close, but not too close, to my fellow humans and set to getting the tent pitched and dinner made. My thoughts quickly turn to fire so i try to scavenge some wood while my water heats.

While returning to my camp with little more than a few twigs the ranger arrives enquiring as to whether i have paid my fees so i am glad that i have. He sells and hand delivers a bundle of firewood with the only drawback being that change for my 20 is given in two fists full of Canadian Quarters. What am i going to do with these?

With a fire burning and darkness having set i am feeling pretty good about the day and only slightly uneasy about the night. Not accustomed to going to bed at anywhere near 8 i open my bottle of Jameson and try to enjoy the fire. There are strange noises off in the not so distant distance. I think i hear a rabbit meet it's end. One of the only other campers is watching what sounds like a 50's sitcom or some radio show. The forrest blankets much of the midrange of the program and all i can hear is eery bits and pieces of the trebble and bass. It is surreal and somewhat unnerving.

I hear a creature. It is close. I turn on my headlamp and turn in its direction with all the courage i can muster. There is a skunk headed straight for me and about 30 feet away. It is unaffected by the light. It is uneffected by me standing up and stomping. I give it a bit of a charge. It continues in my direction. I pick up a hand full of pebbles that line the site and throw them at him. He bumbles back off into the darkness.

This happens again, and twice more, in similar fashion before i have my fill of whiskey and retire to the tent. My neighbors continue with their entertainment as does the rest of the forrest. The wind and the lake have quieted and there is plenty too hear and my first few hours of sleep are fitful.

In what feels like the dead of the night i awake suddenly. It seems as though something is in the tent and wrestling with my feet. How can that be? No.......whatever it is it's on the other side of the tent. My senses are returning. It is pawing at my feet. I give it a gentle kick and scramble for my headlamp. By the time i find it and it's switch the creature has run around under the fly to the other end of the tent and we are face to face about a foot away and staring each other in the face. He must not like my breath or sees the hatchet lying next to me because he submits and disappears into the night. I can't say i slept soundly the rest of the night but I had not a single thought of aliens.

More to come.........
Last edited by markwelna on Tue Oct 02, 2012 12:22 pm, edited 7 times in total.
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Re: Yellow Betty's Fall Circle Tour

#2

Post by Rat »

Some aliens look like skunks yaknow ....

Good stuff, great pics, waiting for more.

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Re: Yellow Betty's Fall Circle Tour

#3

Post by ericheath »

Good thing it was this weekend. I was thinking you were going last weekend and saw Duluth had measurable snow. Thanks for the photos. I have to make that trip one of these summers.
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Re: Yellow Betty's Fall Circle Tour

#4

Post by markwelna »

Day II: Self Reflection, Polarization, and Speed.

The zen like serenity of riding a motorcycle lends itself to self reflection. Much about motorcycle touring is polarizing. The trip is never long enough but you're always itching to get where you're going. The freedom, narcissim, and enormity of the act of traveling by motorcycle. The vulnerability, communal nature, and fragility of traveling by motorycle. These extremes can cause the mind to wander. Thoughts come and go. Some about things lost and some about what's to come.

Anything is possible around the next sweeping corner until it's turned. It's an introspective emotional rollercoaster.

This was the nature of my second day. The roads were predictably empty, smooth, and enticing. My thoughts were here, there, and everywhere in between.

I'll spare you the details as you've all been there and it would sound trite.

As i brush my teeth this morning i meet a friendly duck so i give him some crackers.
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It's a gorgeous morning. As i'm feeling opportunistic i decided to follow a sign to Ouimet canyon. I spend two dollars in quarters on a fee to walk on some trails that lead here.

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I ride fast and hard for much of the day. The roads are lonely and engaging. I stop only for fuel and on the side of the road here for some quiet.

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There is a friendly store in Wawa with free coffee and a goose.

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Despite roadside threats of 10,000 fines for speeding and the "night danger" of moose, i see neither moose nor OPP despite riding nearly 80 miles per hour all day.

Which brings me to my camp at Agawa bay in Lake Superior Provencial Park. It is a gorgoeus campground sandwhiched between the Trans Canadian Highway and Lake Superior. I find that the white noise of the crashing waves and the nearby freeway make for sound sleeping. After setting up camp and eating i take my bottle out to the beach for the sunset.

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Last edited by markwelna on Tue Oct 02, 2012 12:27 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Yellow Betty's Fall Circle Tour

#5

Post by CYBORG »

great stuff
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Re: Yellow Betty's Fall Circle Tour

#6

Post by Greg »

Sounds like you had an awesome time ,thanks for sharing.
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Re: Yellow Betty's Fall Circle Tour

#7

Post by Oldboy »

You write beautifully, I am envious of your adventure.... Enjoy...
Cheers...

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Re: Yellow Betty's Fall Circle Tour

#8

Post by redwood »

Wow, thank you!
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Re: Yellow Betty's Fall Circle Tour

#9

Post by Roady »

Very nice, almost felt like I was going along with you. The pics are gorgeous.

(Now, I gotta get myself out on the road before the end of the season!)
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Re: Yellow Betty's Fall Circle Tour

#10

Post by markwelna »

Thanks gents. Not done yet. two days left to go. I'll try to finish her up tomorrow.
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Re: Yellow Betty's Fall Circle Tour

#11

Post by Brant »

Thanks for sharing, wonderful so far.
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Re: Yellow Betty's Fall Circle Tour

#12

Post by Neil »

Are we there yet? Are we there yet? lolol really though I'm enjoying your ride and the awesome pictures. Waiting for the next part of the journey. :popcorn:
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Re: Yellow Betty's Fall Circle Tour

#13

Post by Greg »

markwelna wrote:Thanks gents. Not done yet. two days left to go. I'll try to finish her up tomorrow.

You gotta invite me along on the next one ,there is no two way about it. :-D
Ok.On with the show...... :popcorn:
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Re: Yellow Betty's Fall Circle Tour

#14

Post by markwelna »

Day III: Subdued Melancholy and a Numb Thumb

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Yesterday’s excess of reflection has taken its toll. Despite a beautiful sunrise and a good night’s sleep my mood is soured. I mechanically prepare my usual breakfast of an apple, oatmeal, and coffee and break camp. After completing the routine of cleaning my helmet and checking all latches and straps I fire up the bike. It fills my site with an acrid oily smoke and I ride off to the Park’s visitor’s center slightly embarrassed.

After parking in the lot I give the bike a quick once over. There are droplets of coolant hanging from the radiator cover. The bike seems to share my mood.

I enter the visitor’s center to use the bathroom. There is a very pretty lady working at the information desk. Her smile and good morning make me feel worse. The bathroom is nearby with an L shaped entrance hallway instead of a door and I feel awkward when I flush the toilet twice.

Back in the parking lot the bike is sullen and waiting for me. After a second look it doesn’t appear to be leaking much coolant. It looks to be coming from the upper radiator hose and isn’t leaking anymore now that the engine is warm. I do my best not to think about it.

The morning is brisk so I settle the bike in at a slower than usual 70 miles per hour. For many miles I fixate on the bike. The vibrations seem harsher than usual, the bike more sluggish, as though it’s pulling a plow. It could be the angle of the headwind. It could be that I forgot to put in my earplugs. It could be a bad main bearing. It could be that the timing is too advanced and I’m burning holes in my pistons.

I turn through some sweepers. The road is commanding my attention. The hills and the colors invade my thoughts. I twist the throttle and bring her up to 75. The bike feels smooth and powerful again.

The bike is nearly out of fuel as I roll into Sault Ste. Marie. As gas prices seem somewhat high in Canada i decide to fill up in Michigan. Maybe it's that i'm not entirely sure how to covert liters to Gallons. Should be about 4 per. I have plently of time to regret this decision as it takes over an hour to cross the bridge over the St Marys River to United States Customs.

I always find the US border guards to be slightly more unpleasant than their canadian counterparts and this encounter is no exception. Not that the gentleman deciding whether or not to let me back into the united states is arrogant or rude exactly. Maybe it's that he seems untrusting. Smarmy. I guess that's his job. He is very interested in the condition of my bike and what it is worth. People like to say mint these days. There is no part on my bike that is "mint" save some clutch steels that are not visible. He also is interested in the fact that i can take time off in the middle of the week and that i, "do not have an entourage". I tell him that i did my best and that i've always wanted an entourage. He would also like an entourage and after this connection he waves me through.

I don't know what time it is but the sun seems due south and high in the sky and i've gone no more than 60 miles. My goal is to eat a pastie in Ontanogan. I've got a long way to go and a short time to get there. Despite the 20 degree shift in temperature from days past the straight roads i am traveling in Michigan seem to have no end. I have locked in on an end at the expense of the journey.

Even a foul mood and straight roads can only strain the laws of physics for a time and i eventually arrive at my destination. This has been my longest day by feel and i have not eaten since breakfast. I am happy to have achieved the days goal.

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Union Bay campground in the Porcupine Mountains is a short ride from Ontanagon. I find it just as the sun disappears behind the western shore. The sunlight is waning but the campground is swarming with motorhomes. Women with road cones and glow sticks are signaling to confident old men backing these monsters into precarious slots between trees and tents.

Generators roar, dogs bark, and children cry.

I feel judgemental and i think for awhile about these people. Who are they and why are they here? Why am i here? We are all travelers enjoying the outdoors in our own ways and to our own degrees. I sit at the picnic table by the moonlight with my bottle and look off over the lake in what i feel are the directions of my last two stays, and then in the direction of home.

Someone walks by my campsite and says, "i like your rig........compared to some of these others".
"It's a bit smaller." i say.
"Yet it looks like you have everything you need."
"Yes. I do." i say.
Last edited by markwelna on Tue Oct 02, 2012 1:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Yellow Betty's Fall Circle Tour

#15

Post by redwood »

Yes you Do! Great story, thanks!
Redwood

Three amazing Grandsons and a beautiful granddaughter, four great kids, two crazy cats, a husband who is fun to have around and two great motorcycles, one is an 1200 Interstate currently apart being painted and a Harley. (hey, I believe in riding, and everyone should ride what they love. And I happen to have MBS)
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