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Near the halfway point along the gravel road, we knew we would not have turned around and backtracked for all the tea in China. Knew what was behind us and had hopes of a better tomorrow.

We made a commitment to ourselves to tell this tale as factually as possible. So, if this sounds a little wimpy or crybabyish, so be it. We want riders that follow us to be aware of the many different moods of this road, and they should, like the Boy Scouts... "Be Prepared". The road changed dramatically from wet, to dry, to freshly graded (Danger, Will Robinson!!), to rutted and drifted, and to dust so thick we could not see where were going.

Today, as the air got dryer, the road got dustier. This afternoon, whenever a truck approached and passed us, the dust would cover us. For a short time, we couldn't see the road ahead of us and if a car had come up behind us, they could not have seen us. Ths was not a good feeling. Without a breeze, the dust would have been even worse. Saw caribou remains along the road today, mainly heads and legs, where hunters had taken the good parts and left the rest to rot.

Had a slow, steady trip - stressful, but at least most of this stretch was semi dry.

Got to the motel in Lab City, the Two Seasons Inn, just after 3:00pm. Unpacked, and plugged in the camera battery to recharge, then drove out to the mall. (Civilization???) We went into Tim Horton's for a late lunch. Walked the length of the mall to get some exercise and to shop for souveniers. Got gas next -- filled both the bike and the extra tank. Dropped by the Visitor's Center and found Labrador headrags to take home to Jerry and Syble. Once we were back at the motel, we made a couple of calls to our families. Jim met two Frenchmen outside, local Harley riders and a guy on a Honda. Had

a long talk with them. Told him that "the road" from here to Manic Cinq sucks. All of them thought we were crazy to put a new H-D on the gravel road. Settled in early tonight.

DAY 24 -- Saturday, 13 July 2002 (Glad it's not Friday - the 13th.)

Up at six o'clock. Jim walked over to McDonald's and brought breakfast back to the room. We were packed up and on the bike between 7:00 and 7:30. Today's ride would follow a combination of paved and gravel roads... mainly gravel, taking us to Manic Cinq (Dam #5) this evening.

Took the paved road out of Lab City and several miles from town, noticed huge, flat-topped mountains, like the tablelands we'd seen in Gros Morne Park, but these were man-made and went on for miles and miles. They were made from the waste from the iron ore mines in Lab City and Wabush. Pretty amazing, really.

We crossed 5-6 wooden bridges today. The first two were long, with 6 inch raised wooden tracks, leaving the outsides and the middle low. Whoever designed them may have been a biker, but he'd never pulled a trailer. The last few bridges on the gravel stretches today were flat, wooden ones. We had more than several railroad crossings today, too. The gravel road followed and criss-crossed the railroad all along this route.

Just after we crossed a double RR track, we hit pavement again. It was a good road --two lane, black top. Saw the remains of a large forest fire which had caused quite a bit of destruction. Liz saw a wolf along the edge of the road, beside a natural rock wall where he was trapped 'til we passed. Roadkill today was the porcupine; they are very prevalent in the area.

Passed the 51st parallel before we reached the turn off to the deserted airport outside the once-upon-a-town of Gagnon. Stopped at the air strip for a break.

Stopped again at the end of this strange, abandoned, town where all the paved driveway entrances and roadside curbs and sidewalks, even the road medians and the sewer system are still in place. Everything else, the houses and all the buildings, are gone. Was kind of weird - right out of "The Twilight Zone". Everything's been bulldozed down and cleaned away. Filled up with gas again from our extra tank.

Just outside of "town", the pavement ended. We would continue for 175 klicks on bad gravel with very loose, marble-like stones and deep, dry ruts. Later we got back to pavement, but it was chip seal, "test" paving that didn't last but a few miles. When it ended the road was dirt... then wet dirt with gravel... then wet, slippery dirt. More on that later...

Stopped at a restaurant/service station along the Manicouagan Reservoir, Pourvoirie Relais Gabriel. Topped off the tanks and went inside to get a bite to eat. Ordered a BLT, listed on the menu as Tomatoes ans bacon. Asked the young , French speaking waitress if they would have lettuce. She didn't understand, so we asked if they would have fresh greens. She smiled and assured us it would have "salad" (her word for lettuce). Plugged in the camera battery under the table to recharge while we ate. (Got this idea from QBall on our trip with him up the Blue Ridge Parkway last year.) Needed the camera to have power, as there were places coming up where we would want to take more photos.

It began to rain again about 30 clicks from our planned stopping point for the day - Manic Cinq (Dam 5).

Just as we were nearing Manic Cinq, we crossed a long, metal bridge. At the end of the bridge, was a sign that warned of extreme danger. There, the road took a 90 degree turn to the right. Not a tenth of a mile down, it took a second 90 degree turn to the right where the dirt was slippery and wet and from the turn dropped steeply and went down toward the bottom of the huge dam where it curved back in a hairpin turn to the left ...

...and continued on a very steep downward slope 'til we f-i--n-a-l-l-y reached pavement.

This was the point where Liz got off the bike and kissed the asphalt. We'd made it ----- with only a little loss of chrome and no loss of skin, thankfully.

"The road" is one we will not soon forget! It was like a well written novel. Got your attention from the start, introduced interesting characters, threw in some unexpected twists and turns, and led you through to the surprise ending... What a ride it was!

We survived "the road" and Jim would do it again in a New York minute ------ but next time it will be on a dual sport bike. Liz is not interested in a return visit.

This charts the road, from Goose Bay, Labrador to Manic Cinq, Quebec:

Goose Bay to Churchill Falls

Churchill Falls to Labrador City

Labrador City to Mount Wright

Mount Wright to Fire Lake

Fire Lake to Gagnon

Gagnon to Manic Cinq

461 miles of gravel + 3 miles of construction gravel below Manic Cinq = 464 total gravel road.

The mileages listed here are approximate(close). Every chart, table, and map we looked at were a little different.

JIM: I've got to add something here that is most important to me. --- With all we went through: rain, cold, bugs and me dropping the bike on that muddy, shitty section of road, Liz never once bitched or complained. She was a source of inspiration, encouragement and help throughout our ride. I can only wish you all had as good and tough a riding buddy as she is.

Stopped at the Visitor's Center and got directions to the nearest motel, five minutes up the road.

Pulled in the dirt parking lot filled with huge, deep mud puddles and stopped at the pumps and filled the tanks again. There were 25-30 rooms at the motel and only 5-6 vehicles parked outside, plus the 6-8 huge, empty logging trucks parked there for the day. Liz went inside to get a room. The French woman behind the desk said, in her purposely poor English, "No place." -- implying that there were no rooms available. We'd been warned by a local truckdriver back at Relias Gabriel that we might be shunned, as some of the French in Quebec have a grudge, not against bikers in general, but against Harleys in particular. We knew right away why she didn't give us a room. Although the roads were wet, this would not be our stopping place, as planned. We'd have to continue toward Baie-Comeau -213 more klicks before we could rest. Jim was highly pissed, as we were totally worn out from fighting the gravel road. At least the road ahead was paved.

Just up the road, probably within twenty klicks, when everything was going good and there was a spot of blue sky ahead, and we were finally able to relax some, Liz saw a road sign that looked like the pavement was about to end. What? That couldn't be right. No one had said anything about this... but it ended. There were three miles of gravel through a heavy construction area where workers had been blasting rock and straightening the curves - making road improvements. The workers were not there today, so there were no real delays. The gravel was poor and had packed some... the heavy trucks and equipment had made large potholes and washboard humps for us to dodge. Those three miles seemed like ten.

Glad to be traveling this area on a Saturday afternoon. We'd heard about the heavy logging trucks and their speeding on this stretch to Baie-Comeau. The only one we saw on the road today had stopped on the shoulder of the road, probably yesterday, due to a blown engine,oil all over the road. We saw two places, on curves, where the loggers had lost control... the loads had shifted and were spilled on the roadside.

The pavement itself, on the first part of this road was lousy. Found a place to stop for a break, about halfway to Baie-Comeau. This stop, the only place along this route, had a restaurant, motel and campground. We both had hotdogs. The campground was not very inviting, as there was a port-a-potty at the end of the lot - the only facilities they offered, and we needed a bath in the worst way. Decided, since the roads were dry again, to bite the bullet and drive the 75 clicks or so into Baie-Comeau. Was late afternoon, but we could make it before dark.

The rest of the road into Baie-Comeau was a good, smooth one. It was scenic and we were able to enjoy the ride. As soon as we reached the edge of town, about 9:00pm, we got a nice room in a small motel, Motel Du Nord, behind the gas station at the first traffic light. Bought a few items at the convience store and had supper in the room. Nice shower and bed. Slept good.

DAY 25 -- Sunday, 14 July 2002

Checked out by 9:00. Went directly to the St. Lawrence River (Seaway) shore to the ferry office and reserved tickets for today's 5:00pm crossing. The morning skies were clear and sunny. Found Tim Horton's for coffee and a muffin. Rode into the downtown district to the Visitor's Center. From there, we went to the library to discover that they didn't open 'til noon. Young folks were already gathering - in line for the computers. Took time to just ride around and look at the town and wasted time by going back into Tim Horton's for another cup of coffee. Back for the internet connecion later with no problems, as there were several computers available. The Two Dogs MC website was censored by the local "do gooders", so we couldn't check out the news or leave a message. (Guess they didn't like Rooster's butt.) Found the local Wal-Mart out on the far side of town and stopped across the street at PFK (their KFC, with the standard Colonel Sander's logo). Inside, the music on the intercom included Shaka's "Mechand Petard". After lunch, we cleaned out the cooler and bought more ice.

All through Quebec, we found 99% of the road signs, menues, receipts, pamphlets, etc. are printed in French and the majority of the people could not, or would not, speak english. Was rare to find any thing printed in English. Don''t think they like the English, or Americans very much !!!

Went back to the station to wait for the ferry which arrived on schedule. A fog bank had moved on shore. The ferry came in on schedule. It was large, with pull in/pull out type parking and the motorcycles drove on first, right up front. There were five other bikes that boarded with us. Two couples were on Goldwings were pulling a style of small, handsome trailers. They were traveling with two other single guys. Only one of the riders in the group spoke good English. They were all planning to ride the Gaspesie Peninsula. The fifth rider, a French girl, was on a Shovelhead. Her English was poor, but she tried to communicate. She was also planning to ride the Gaspesie loop.

After boarding and going up to the main floor, we got in line to pay for our tickets. The ride, only 2 1/2 hours, started with passengers going up on deck to watch the whales playing as we left the dock area.

It had cooled off because of the fog bank and the clouds. We went inside to find seats where we could read and rest a bit. Still tired after our ride from Goose Bay.

When the ferry reached Matane, on the Gaspesie Peninsula, we drove off into a heavy fog. No reason to push ahead, so we found a nearby motel, the Matane Quality Inn. Was a bit expensive, but had a good restaurant, so we could settle there for the night and wait out the fog. Enjoyed our late, 8:30pm supper. Comfortable room; good night. Looks like rain will come in tonight and it may stick around tomorrow.

DAY 26 -- Monday, 15 July 2002

We woke up at 7:30, to find the bike cover had blown off of the bike during last night's rains. Jim found it on the ground, near the bike. Took our time packing up, then had to drive back, about five miles out of the way to find Tim Horton's. As we were driving out one side of the parking lot, the French girl on the shovelhead was pulling in on the other. So... she stayed in the area last night, too. Smart.

We headed west (Quest). Was cool to start, but clear and dry and it warmed up during the morning. Strangely, big storms were visible all day on the far side of the St. Lawrence. Made a good decision yesterday when we chose to make the crossing.

Followed Rt. 132 which had good spots and bad. Some of the coastal towns were very pretty. Looked like homes and businesses in the area pride themselves on planting beautiful flower gardens.

Finally made it down to the I-20 connection, the best road we'd seen in a while. We passed by Quebec City and stopped to camp in St-Charles de Drummond for the night at Camping des Voltigeurs, a beautiful, private campground with very good facilities and nice, shaded sites. Small supper at camp - Jim bought vacuum-packed sandwiches from the camp store. $20US for a nice site with electricity... and no flies! Had pay showers and just a bit of highway noise, but that didn't matter. Was good to be off the road.

Was a good day for Jim -- no gravel. Plan to make Kingston, Ontario tomorrow.

DAY 27 -- Tuesday, 16 July 2002

Up and on the road by 9:00. Change of plans... like horses smelling sweet feed at the barn... we were turning toward home!

Stopped at the next Tim Horton's (our last chance), then continued west on I-20 to I-30 to Montreal, hooked a big left and took I-15 south into New York state.

Hello, USA! Thank God and Greyhound we are back where people will speak English and are not so damned arrogant. I know we can find a place to visit and spend our hard earned dollars that will appreiciate it and be at least polite. We really like Canada and the Canadian people. Quebec, however, is a whole nother story.

Followed I-87 to Newburg, NY, then took I-84 across into Pennsylvania to I-81 south. Made excelllent time! Stopped south of Wilkes-Barre in Drums, PA for the night. Camped at the 81-80 RV Park (the Old Turnpike Village KOA). Set up camp at 8:45(EST), just before dark. Got showers at dark and hit the sack.

The day had started damp - had to stop to put on our rainsuits. Luckily, we hit a dry area and missed the close by rains in the am and found the sun this afternoon. Hot! We're on our way home...

DAY 28 -- Wednesday, 17 July 2002

Back on I-81 this morning and took one of the Hazelton exits to find breakfast. Was a crazy exit with a climb up to the mall and McDonald'sand a crooked route back to the Interstate. Won't take that one again. I-81 was, as usual crowded with trucks, trucks, and more trucks. We got extremely hot on the highway today. So hot it was scarey.

Decided to get out of the traffic and the heat and turned off I-81 at Waynesboro, VA to catch the start of the Blue Ridge Parkway. As soon as we got up on the Parkway, the temps dropped and the traffic was not heavy at all. Met a caravan of folks in their old MGB's just tooling along, probably on their way back to Waynesboro for a car show. Enjoyed it at first, but it didn't take long for us to realize we weren't enjoying the curves and the slowness... it would take another thrre days for us to get home if we stayed on the Parkway. Ate supper at the Otter Creek (slowest service ever, but the food was good). Turned off north of Roanoke, VA and by-passed the city on route back to I-81.

Stopped for the night at a cheap motel, the Fox Mountain Inn in Max Meadows, just north of Wyethville, VA. Okay room and shower, but the beds were pitiful, the second worst we've ever slept on... It was so bad, Jim went back to the motel office to ask if we could move to another room. No use, all of their beds were the same. The lady asked if we wanted a refund - would have taken her up on the offer, but it was late and we were trd(tired). Tried the bed again and we almost knocked each other off the edges every time we moved. Was terrible, Jim finally got up, moved all of our things off of the extra bed, and crawled into the middle of it. Glad there were two beds. Still, we both slept miserably.

DAY 29 -- Thursday, 19 July 2002

On the road as early as possible. The clouds were building and, looking ahead, the skies were dark. We stopped at a rest area north of Marion, VA to put on our rainsuits. Good timing. Just 3-4 mile down the road, the bottom fell out. Turned off at the nearest exit to find shelter at the station there. Rain was falling so hard that the water at our feet, under the roof of the station, was up to our ankles. We went inside to dry off and stayed for a cup of coffee and a biscuit while we waited out the rain. Was sprinkling when we got back on the bike, but luck was with us. We drove between the storms all the way to I-181. Stopped for gas in Erwin, TN - oh, so close to home - on our way down to Asheville, NC. From Erwin, it took about two hours to reach the house. Home again!

The ride was "a trip of a lifetime" and we both enjoyed ourselves immensly. The sights, sounds and smells will stay with us always. We pegged the meter on sensory overload many, many times.

Jim & Liz Donaldson

On our way to Manic Cinq, this couple passed us, pulled over and stopped us. Asked about our trip and wondered

if everything was alright. They'd had heard the CBC broadcast and just wanted to talk, we think. Couldn't seem to believe we were doing this. Us either.

Black flies found us in minutes.

This part of the road had some bad washboarding that'd nearly jar your teeth loose.

Just into Quebec, the pavement ended. We were back on gravel - Rt. 389. As we turned onto the gravel, a Frenchman, in a pick-up truck was stopped, waiting to turn onto the pavement. His window was rolled down and his English was poor, but he made it clear that he didn't think we were in the right place. He waved and smiled and slowly shook his head in disbelief as we waved back at him, completed our turn and started our ride out on the gravel road.

This section seemed long. The first few miles were pure hell, as the gravel was deep and loose and the bike just danced all over the road. There were lots of dump trucks on this stretch. Most of the drivers were kind enough to slow down and share the road. In a few places, where the road was very narrow, temporary red flags were posted along the crumbing edges. A big sign at one point warned of falling rock for the next 2-3 miles. There, the right-hand side of the road rose straight up about 30 feet from the road bed, up to the RR tracks.

Bill 86, as the law is known, is the French planner's response to the hegemony of English in this part of the world. It ensures that streetscapes in Quebec will be unmistakably French by restricting the presence of English on facades and billboards. Generally speaking, businesses and institutions must put up commercial signs in French and they must limit the size of English lettering to half that of French lettering. This leads to bizarre situations, such as local KFC's being called PFK's (Poulet Frit Kentucky).

TIPS FOR A SAFER, MORE ENJOYABLE TRIP

DO THE ROAD FROM BAIE COMEAU TO GOOSE BAY, THIS WILL GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF DAYS REST ON THE FERRY BEFORE THE BEAUTY OF NEWFOUNDLAND

IMPORTANT: ARRANGE TO LEAVE BAIE COMEAU ON SATURDAY TO AVOID THE LOG TRUCKS ON THIS PART OF THE ROAD.

IF IT'S POSSIBLE TRY TO SCHEDULE YOUR TRIP AFTER BLACK FLY SEASON, IF NOT, TAKE A FACE MASK AND SOME FLY DOPE.

YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER A SET OF 50/50 ON/OFF ROAD TIRES AND AN EXTRA AIR FILTER IS A MUST.

IF YOUR BIKE WON'T DO AT LEAST 200 MILES ON A TANK, THEN YOU WILL NEED AN EXTRA GAS CONTAINER.

TAKE A COUPLE OF FIBER PAINTERS MASKS TO AVOID BREATHING THE DUST ON THE DRY SECTIONS OF ROAD.

SLOW DOWN AND ENJOY !! SOAK IN THE QUIET AND SOLITUDE AND REVEL IN THE FACT THAT YOUR CELL PHONE WILL NOT WORK OUT HERE !!!!!!!!