Lake Superior 1K

[Ole]

So last September me, the boy and another guy took a trip around Lake Superior. It was 7 days and I did a report here:

http://www.cb1100forum.com/forum/showthr...p?tid=1362

Over on ADV a guy set up an Iron Butt Ride around the same lake. One had 24 hours to do it. I think it was $40 for the certification and some other crap. IBA riders are some tough dudes. I have done many 1000+ mile days in my lifetime. I thought what the heck let's do another. My Doctor talked me in to trailering the bike the first 440 miles to save my surgically repaired knee for the big ride. As soon as he released me I took off for Sault Ste. Marie MI. I camped the first night in Northern Wisconsin on Richardson Lake near Wabeno.









A car load of road drinking Native Americans stopped by at my campsite and said a HUGE bear was heading my way. I told them I am ready got my camera!

Had to eat this quick before the bear got it



I t was a very nice campsite in the National Forest and I never did see the bear.


After a very good night's sleep I left for the Soo Locks Auto Campground in Sault Ste. Marie MI. The same place we got in some trouble last fall for moving a picnic table. The owner told us to leave if we didn't put it back "right now". I moved no tables this time and we got along just fine.





The campgrounds is in town but it is right on the St. Marys River just below the Locks. Dinner was served and I just sat on the shore watching the ore boots and the tugs go by all day long. The activity never stops as 11,000 vessels go through the locks each year. 90 million tons of cargo.





Most of the big boys are self unloaders.







Oh Canada. The rock pile is the international border line.





Coming and going all day and night long






I am not sure why but I find it fascinating to watch those ships go by. They carry taconite ore, coal, limestone, wheat, corn, cement, salt for highways, and just about anything else they can make a buck on. The shipping season started late this year due to the terrible winter we just had.

Had a couple beers, crawled in to my sleeping bag set the alarm for 4AM and it was lights out. Every time I woke up I could hear the ore boats lumbering by and I thought that was cool those guys are finally making some money after the long winter lay-up.
Friday June 20 was the Iron Butt Ride. I woke up at 3AM and I was amped. I had 2 good nights sleep and was a chomping on the bit to git going. 3 cups of coffee and a light snack I was ready. We had to meet at the I 75 rest area the last one before the crossing in to Canada. We were supposed to be there between 445 and 515 to get signed in and our odometers recorded. The plan was to leave in groups from 515AM to 600AM so we were spaced out for the border crossing. I got there early and just waited not long the ride leader showed up.

I had all my gas stops planned out well in advance. The miles between stops were:
148
169
132
155
124
130
113
76 done at The Soo.
I carried one map and a GPS



You had to record your start odometer recorded, start time recorded, get gas at 4 mandatory stops (Wawa, Ont.,Thunder Bay, Ont., Ishpeming, MI., and a final gas slip at Sault Ste. Marie, MI.) Then get your final odometer recorded. 12 riders showed up. I was the only CB1100. BMW GS's, Honda ST1300's, one Harley, couple V Strom's and a Suzuki Burgman 650. The leader let me go at 530AM