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I thought you were a little west of its projected path. Regardless, stay dryI should be ahead/behind.
Threading the needle!
Hopefully!
Dry? That’s a laugh. I’ve been wet every day this trip. But at least so far it hasn’t been a hurricane. Just monsoons. Cheers.I thought you were a little west of its projected path. Regardless, stay dry![]()
Reminds me of "Long Way Around" with one of my favorites, Ewan MacGregor and his friend and fellow actor, Charley Boorman.Another dry day and loved the Norse settlement at Anse aux Meadows.. amazing!
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Entering Vinland like I mean it!
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Met this guy coming off the ferry.
Monty from Queensland, Australia. On his way around the world. Came into LA in the spring and is headed for Tierra del Fuego. 550 Kawasaki thumper. Super simple bike… just like my old Dakar. All the hard core riders are on the simplest machines…. Funny how that works!!
Monty has a Facebook, Instagram and YouTube blog… if you want to follow him. He is a passing right through Vermont so he has a standing invitation to sup at Schloss Nitrocellulose.
On ferry now and just 45 minutes from landing on Labrador.
Oh and Monty confirmed what I suspected…
Trans Lab is Not all paved as the Canuckistanians claim. 200 km between Labrador City and Manic 5 are not paved. Gravel and calcium carbonate… And when wet they are hell on a bike.
Hopefully dry when I get there. Because 120 miles at 30 kPH will suck! Took him 8 hours to do 120 miles.
I was sure that the manic-5 section was now paved. And had been for years. Fortunately I am riding it on a Sunday so won’t be truck traffic. I hope.
Sirhr
PS. Still outrunning Hurricane, but expect soaking rain overnight. But only 360 miles tomorrow all on paved roads to goose bay. So should be GTG if rain stops in the early am like it should. Hurricane hits Yarmouth and Halifax tomorrow And sat… winds coming in tomorrow. But that is way south now. 24 hours from now I should be well north of it… and 48 hours far east of it. Here is hoping!
Loved them both.Reminds me of "Long Way Around" with one of my favorites, Ewan MacGregor and his friend and fellow actor, Charley Boorman.
And then they made sequel called "Long Way Down."
That's one of this bikes where if you get your foot in the road sand at a stop light and fall over, nothing happens. It just leans a little more.
Funny, up on Newfoundland there are no Audis and it occurred to me today that I have not seen a single EV since leaving Maine. And like…Gonna be tough dodging every audi owner on the eastern seaboard and a hurricane.
I also have a gen 3 KLR650. Most top heavy bike I've tried or sat on so far. It's a total pig. If I get another single thumper it will be a DR650. Over 100 pounds lighter, carbed with easy performance mods, not top heavy as hell, etc but I'm considering a Tenere for better street performance.Oh no… I have had it on its side a couple
Of times.
One after a stupidly long day in Germany. Pulled into a gaste haus in Bavaria and was exhausted. First day on trip and did 8 hours after a sleepless overnight train trip from Belgium. Missed putting the stand down (didn’t have it locked forward) and down I went. Naturally right in front of everyone.
Nice Germans helped get it up again as
It was heavily loaded. I felt like a moron… and was for riding in that state of tired.
Had it happen on soft sand in Norway and had to unload to get it back upright.
They are really top heavy and some of the tricks for lifting “regular” bikes back upright don’t work without unloading! Never done any damage, but it is a PITA and embarrasing!
Sirhr
Back in the day, the AMC Eagle was the go to car up there.Funny, up on Newfoundland there are no Audis and it occurred to me today that I have not seen a single EV since leaving Maine. And like…
One Prius.
No charging stations. No EV’s.
Lots of folks using quad side By sides As Cars,
Though.
Sirhr
Was certainly ahead of its time.Back in the day, the AMC Eagle was the go to car up there.
Before it's time.
![]()
AMC Eagle - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
Back in the day, the AMC Eagle was the go to car up there.
Before it's time.
![]()
AMC Eagle - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
Not surprised about the busiest airport. That was before planes could do non stop trans Atlantic flights and was the first stop on the way to Europe for al the WWII supplies. Pop flew MATS through that airport I believe.360 miles today…. Miles and miles of nothing!
But did visit the Goose Bay base and they have a great little museum. Didn’t know that in 1945, Goose Bay was the busiest airport in the world!
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Long straight roads Cut through trees!!! Not coastal…. It’s a few miles inland so all you see are trees and tundra!
Sirhr
Dorval (Montreal) was the start of the WW2 ferry route. Then To goose bay. Then Greenland. Iceland. Ireland. Finally UK. In 1945 alone 24,000 planes passed through Goose Bay according to museum exhibit.Not surprised about the busiest airport. That was before planes could do non stop trans Atlantic flights and was the first stop on the way to Europe for al the WWII supplies. Pop flew MATS through that airport I believe.
I dont know about Montreal, but I remember him talking about Labrador, Greenland, Iceland. He also mentioned that they flew un escorted and sometimes the Luftwaffe found them and took their toll.Dorval (Montreal) was the start of the WW2 ferry route. Then To goose bay. Then Greenland. Iceland. Ireland. Finally UK. In 1945 alone 24,000 planes passed through Goose Bay according to museum exhibit.
Considering there was only 5 months of European war left in 45… that is staggering!
Sirhr
One of my wet dreams was to take a single cyl. Dual Sport bike around Alaska.
Service/marriage/kids/work took care of that dream. I've put over 300k on street legal bikes. Some of that was traveling around Germany when I was stationed there.
I have seen a lot of this country by bike (multiple trips across/through/around it), and I'm glad I did it when I could.
Keep the rubber side down, stay safe, and enjoy the ride! I'm envious of you!
Mac![]()
My bike'n days are over my friend. Broke my Rt. leg (had a '11Kawi KLR 650 layover on me and couldn't get my foot off the peg to catch myself), below the knee. Then had a bone coming thru the bottom of my Lt. foot. Had surgery, and lost 1/3 of the bones in it. Wear a brace now. So...it's either do it in a car/truck, or beat myself up in my RZR.Never too old or too late.
I am going to do Deadhorse in 2 Years.
Then maybe ship bike to New Zealand and do that and OZ.
Sirhr
Great photos, thanks , though they take a while to download with my cheap computer.A perfect riding day…. Sunny, cool, not a
Cloud in the sky. Empty roads… in fact, went
120 miles further than planned and got a different hotel.
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I didn’t get the all-important sign on the way in, so had to make sure I got it on the way out! I mean, how would anyone know if I’d been here without this?
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First major dirt of the ride. Ok… some back story here. The Canuckistanians claim that the Trans Lab was 100 percent paved as of last year. They are lying! Go figure… ball-licking Trudeau lying.
So the technicality is that 389, from Labrador City to Manic-5 is Not part of the Trans Lab.
It is a Quebec Provincial Road and so doesn’t count. No matter that you can’t complete the trans lab without crossing it. There are also almost NO detailed descriptions on the I terwebs about how much dirt… where the dirt is…
Whether it is bad or not. It’s like some big secret.
So here is the deal. I took notes! There are two sections of dirt. Coming from Labrador city, the first starts 12km outside of town (west) at the mine. Other than the area around the mine having a lot of gravel and loose sand… it is a great road. Runs 60 km ish to the next mine. Then you are on pavement again. All 60 km are
Great when dry. I maintained a steady 35-40 and could have gone faster if my dirt skills were tuned up better.
Then you are on pavement for about 120 km
To Relais Gabriel. Then dirt again until
You get to the dam at Manic-5. About 90 km. Also very good except for one mile where they were doing construction and we had to follow an escort vehicle through really loose dirt. That was bad. And the escort driver thought he as Rickey Rudd and was going about 40… I could not control the bike in loose dirt. But made it out barely. After that, it is beautiful paving to Baie comeau. And an Amazing twisty road!!
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Breakfast done right… coffee and a chocolate muffin in a gravel pit at fire lake. Followed a truck in to what I thought was a cafe. Turned out it was the truckers “bullpen” and office at the construction site. Oops. They wouldn’t let me leave without coffee, a muffin and bike stories.
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The professional truckers on the trans lab are awesome. The “Tabernaq boyz” with rams and F150’s loaded with ATV’s not so much. Dickers come by you at 90 mph on dirt with cheap trailers swinging and flailing Around. One moron passed me the other direction in some mini suv (Hyundai Santa Fe???) with two quads on a trailer, loaded Behind the axle. He was doing about 75, fishtailing like a salmon… clueless!!!!
On the subject of which…
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Moose strike. Must be a couple of days old. I could smell the decomp as I went by.
Definitely a moose, not a bear. I think it was a Ram. Couldn’t tell! Someone had already stolen the tailgate and spare tire!! But I think that was a a Ram 1500. Bah hahhaha. Thing crumpled like a Bud Light can.
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Manic-5. Amazing power dam. There is a 3 and a 2 as well. The dams up here are unreal!
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Went through a few miles of burn. Not sure if this is from 2023 or earlier. If from this year, the forest floor is rebounding fast!
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Met these two guys having a root beer and we talked bikes for a while. A great end to a perfect day. Tire still holding up. Tomorrow will be its big day to see if I make it home or need a tire. I have an extra day built into Quebec City. So can be flexible.
Trans Lab successfully completed… now
Just to get home!!!! I can handle that. I am in civilization. Well, Quebec. Almost civilization. Zut alors!
Sirhr
PS: this picture on top of the Manic-5 dam marks the “official” completion of my ride on the Trans Lab. It is the exact Spot, one mile up the highway from Manic 5, where I rode my Harley in 2011 and took a picture. Only then it was 1 mile of dirt I rode just to say I had ridden “on” The Trans Labrador. For a mile. Today at noonish, I finished the whole thing, which I said I would do 12 years ago. And should have done in 2019. Better late than never! Epic ride and I encourage you adventurous spirits with bikes or Jeeps or trucks or whatever… to do it!
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What more could you ask for, hotel (no doubt sleezy) strip club, and a subway.I think we rode the A20 west to drop into NY when we rode to visit the maritimes.
There is a strip mall along the roadway that offered a hotel, strip club, and Subway.
It was our last night stopping place with everything in one package.
Remember the big hole in Sherbrooke they mined asbestos from bigggggg hollllllle
Take it easy on us Ram drivers. We’re mostly a well meaning, but misguided bunch.View attachment 8229506
Moose strike. Must be a couple of days old. I could smell the decomp as I went by.
Definitely a moose, not a bear. I think it was a Ram. Couldn’t tell! Someone had already stolen the tailgate and spare tire!! But I think that was a a Ram 1500. Bah hahhaha. Thing crumpled like a Bud Light
Take it easy on us Ram drivers. We’re mostly a well meaning, but misguided bunch.
Thats what happens when you hit a 1000 lb +, 6.5’ tall animal. Fold the legs, take the body through the windshield!
Great ride sir! Jealous.
My Dad also flew MATS out of McGuire AFB, NJ he made CWO there. 1950's Before NJ it was BermudaNot surprised about the busiest airport. That was before planes could do non stop trans Atlantic flights and was the first stop on the way to Europe for al the WWII supplies. Pop flew MATS through that airport I believe.