NB Gravel Ride Part TWO, Aug 6 and 7th. DAY TWO

Wednesday 19-08-07

Day 2, 508km

packed and ready by 8:33 AM

took a break for a bit at Allbright’s Corner.

In Fredericton Junction I got stopped for a few minutes

I re-routed a bunch and drove in circles a bit taking the really long way home.

NB Gravel Ride Part TWO, Aug 6 and 7th. DAY ONE

The whole trip

2 days, 781km

Tuesday 19-08-06

Day 1, 283km

I rode quite a bit of gravel on this trip, this was in nice condition but a bit loose.

I lightened the load a bit but the bike is still loaded pretty heavy

For all those that think riding in NB means 100% tunnel-like tree lined roads.

Crossing the Saint John River on the Evandale Ferry.

It’s a great day for summertime fun on the river.

“Road Closed” signs are much cheaper than construction repairs so this road remains unpassable by all but an ATV.

The KLR is using a bit of oil so I stopped at Oak Point Park to top it up .

Dinner at the Welsford Irving – $4.35.

Heading into the bush so I bought 2l of H2O.

Found a decent boondocking spot at the northern tip of South Oromocto Lake.

Camp location

Tucked unobtrusively into the trees, barely visible from the road.

There’s a tiny dam holding back the lake with a fish ladder along the side.

video log entry

Enjoying a nice sunset from my campsite

sunset

NB Gravel Ride, July 22 to 25th. DAY FOUR

The whole trip

The whole route, 1,409 KM total

Thursday, 19-07-25

Day 4, 379KM

Crappy campground experience, McAdam, NB

Crappy campground experience, McAdam, NB

Had a great breakfast here.

a picturesque boondocking site

a picturesque boondocking site

flowing water

flowing water

flowing water

moving water Pano 1

Moving water Pano 2

A usable, compact boondock site, pretty close to the road, though.

I wasn’t sure I could make it through the bush to the next fuel so I turned back toward Utopia

NB Gravel Ride, July 22 to 25th. DAY THREE

The whole trip

The whole route, 1,409 KM total

WEDNESDAY 19-07-24

Day 3, 437KM

Bridge across the St. John River

Bridge across the St. John River

Bridge across the St. John River

Saint John River

Saint John River

The trail is fizzling out fast

How far do I take this?

I’m not going to go any further.

Dropped the bike turning around in the steamy forest, had to partially unload to get it back on it’s wheels.

back on two wheels and ready to continue on.

Camping spot tor the night

NB Gravel Ride, July 22 to 25th. DAY TWO

The whole trip

The whole route, 1,409 KM total

Tuesday 2019-07-23

Day 2, 223KM

it’s possible to work on the carb without removing the tank… just.

all done, buttoned up and ready to go.

The picnic park where I did the carb work

KLR travellers typically carry engine oil with them.

Arriving at States Lake.

Somebody out fishing on the lake, Nice Truck!

States Lake sunset

States Lake sunset 2

Almost done fishing States Lake

Fisherman’s dog, eager to see who I was.

The Marina at States Lake

video log 1

video log 2

video log 3

Day 2, Camp location

NB Gravel Ride, July 22 to 25th. DAY ONE

The whole trip

The whole route, 1,409 KM total

MONDAY 2019-07-22

Day 1, 370km

loaded and ready to leave.

My usual loadout; prepared for anything.

heading into the gravel in familiar territory.

Mount Carleton Provincial Park campground

Camp location

A ride to maine and new hampshire June 5th to 10th, 2019 – Day five & six

Sunday June 9, 2019

Day Five, 275 KM

It got cool in the night, I never reset the clock so it’s 7:58 in the White Mountains. June 9, 2019

Monday June 10, 2019

Day Six, 530 KM

Stopped in Ellsworth, ME to pick up some gloves, love their collection of old bikes.

stopped here to check out a possible boondocking spot near a lake, nearly got carried off by black flies ugh!

I lived less than 5 km from this bridge back in the 70’s and have driven past it hundreds of times over the years – never looked underneath it until today – ah, life in the slow lane.

An albert county ride 05-30

The weather was looking good for the afternoon, cloudy and a high of 20 with no rain in the forecast. Given how this year has gone I was keen to ride but skeptical this forecast would be any more accurate than all those disappointments that have come before today.

I headed out to the Adventure Lair and got there about 11:30. I suited up, made a quick stop for gas and was on my way.

134 km today.

I didn’t have a destination in mind but I wanted to at least get a photograph or two while I was out. Eventually I found myself in Albert County and exploring around the wind farm a bit.

I took a ride over New Ireland Road to the Kent Road junction. Sad to see a lot of development in the area with huge swaths of clear-cut and gigantic utility poles going in. Turns out there’s a new wind farm project going in around there so there’s trucks and heavy equipment all over the place. Too bad, that used to be a place you could quickly go to from the city and feel like you were really out in the boonies. Progress – Ugh!

A little way along NI Rd I came across this spot that seems to have been used for a boondock camping spot. I stopped for a stretch and to take some pics. Waypointing it for future reference.

It’s a nice little spot, if a little close to the road. It has water, a nice firepit and is reasonably flat. Somebody even took the trouble to erect a latrine in the woods nearby – I didn’t explore too closely but there appeared to be a wooden frame to hold the toilet seat and a blue tarp overhead. They hadn’t dug a pit, though and while there was a tipped-over bucket nearby the pile of evidence of the latrine’s use was simply standing there under the seat. Who does that?

Used the stack&blend method to smooth out the water for a faux long-exposure effect on both the following shots. Enhancement done with Luminar Flex, I really like that software BTW.

It’s bittersweet as I will only have the F800 for another month or so. I’ve decided it I can’t afford to keep it in my newly reorganized retirement plan so it has to go back to BMW – likely sometime late June or July. Rides like this are perfect for this bike and remind me how much I like it and will miss it.

I took Kent Road toward home and it wasn’t as much fun as it should have been. That road has always been one of my favourite rides but with the new development it’s getting upgraded again. There was an A-hole in a dump truck I had to get around and a dozer making a real mess I had to contend with. Also a huge pile of gravel in the road that I could just get around on one side.

Once in the wind farm it was more big trucks and they weren’t giving any f_cks at all about anybody else. One blocked me from passing me forcing me to ride in his dusty wake, another pulled out right in front of me. These guys are so used to there not being anybody else around they aren’t even looking. Pretty dangerous and I guess I’ll likely have to avoid the area this summer – shame.

It never did get to 20, in fact 15 was as high as I experienced and I did encounter a shower or two. Luckily I’d been skeptical from the start and had on full WP gear and a warm vest under my jacket. Heated grips on the whole ride.