Lake Superior 1K

[Ole]

Well, I made it. No time for a report right now but will tease you with a few pics. It was an eventful 21.5 hours,,,,







later

[Pterodactyl_imp]

Interesting. Great night photo. And is that the bear that made Milwaukee famous?

Cheers

[the Ferret]

Uh oh... Get pulled over for impeding traffic? Lol. J/K

Congrats Ole... How does the knee feel?

[JohnNevets_imp]

Petro, Did the Rugby/ Pub song about Yogi the bear make it down your way? It's not very PC, but most Rugby songs aren't.

And by the way if that bear started coming at me, I'm sure it would make me "Schlitz" my pants.

[Cormanus]

Congratulations Ole. Look forward to the report.

[Pterodactyl_imp]

Petro, Did the Rugby/ Pub song about Yogi the bear make it down your way? It's not very PC, but most Rugby songs aren't.

And by the way if that bear started coming at me, I'm sure it would make me "Schlitz" my pants.

Yeh, know the Yogi song. As for the bear, I would make a run for the "Busch". On second thoughts that might leave me sadder, "Budweiser".

Cheers

[ThomWill_imp]

How is the knee after all that?... I know, I know... wait for the report.

[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

[Ole]

I was off. The border crossing was easy. It took about 2 minutes and was soon in The Bush heading for Wawa. Lots of critters up there. I turned around 3 times to take pics.







I saw that bear in the road about 3/4 mile ahead of me by the time I got there he was in the trees. So I whistled and on cue he came out for the pic.





She was a little jumpy maybe the bugs were driving her crazy




I did not ride with the others. I do best solo. Besides, they had super pumper gas tanks and I did not. There were many many bridges being rebuilt in Canada and Minnesota. Lost a bunch of time in line waiting for a pilot car to take us through.



pretty boring just sitting there



Around Nipigon Ont it stated raining so I put the camera in the top case and just pounded out the miles. I did see the others at gas stops they would pass me and then I would pass them. June 21 was Grandmas Marathon in Duluth MN. The roads were packed packed I tell ya. I waited 33 minutes at the border crossing to get back in to the USA at Grand Portage. 3 lines of traffic stopped arggggg. Most were Canadian plates I assume going to run the race. Duluth was a white out fog but I made it through in good shape. One of the guys on the BMW GS passed me in Duluth so I knew I was not going to beat him back. But it's not a race with others it's a race with the 24 hour clock and that's it. It stopped raining near Ashland WI I dont mind rain I have good waterproof riding gear head to toe. I just ride it out.
It rained fogged for about 350 miles
Around the 600 mile mark my knee started to bother me. Popped a couple pills and it felt much better. The pills did not affect my riding at at all. i made very good time in the UP of Michigan. There was no traffic but the gol darned deer were everywhere. Approaching Ishpeming I did not dim my headlights fast enough for this gentleman. He turned around and pulled me over.





He let me go with a verbal warning and a sermon. He claimed "this is how I find over 50% of my drunk drivers".
I thanked him and assured him I was not drinking just burning fuel.

I lost some time going in to Newberry MI for fuel. 8 miles. The 2 gas stations out on the highway did not have 24 hour pumps and that burned my ass.
So leaving Newberry I had 2 things to do. Ride 76 miles and dodge about 70 freaking deer. Another guy on a BMW GS came up beside me and said he was going to tail me me with his brights on. He had more lighting than I. After about 15 minutes I waved him by and he just flew the remaining miles how he didn't hit a deer is beyond me. I just kept telling myself " dont screw this up you have gone 980 miles dont screw this up laying in the ditch with a bike and a deer on top of you"

I throttled down to about 50mph and had some close calls but I made it. I got my last mand gas slip and went to the rest area to meet the check-in guy at 3am. There were 3 riders all on BMW GS's ahead of me



My bike odometer said 1094 miles in 21.5 hours. My GPS said 1062 miles

[CIP57_imp]

Ole,

Well done and nice report. Glad you didn't listen to me and stay home, seems like you had a great time camping and riding.