Facing my Demons

Hi there, boys and girls.  Sorry for the lack of a blog post last night but when they say there is nothing at
Manic 5 they mean NOTHING.  This is the motel

There is also a single fuel pump and a canteen.  The Dam itself is about a mile up the road (all gravel) and that is it.  It is about 170 miles to the nearest town one way and 230 miles to the nearest town the other way.  There is no internet and no mobile signal.  The guys that bunk here have absolutely nothing to do at all.  They say there are two seasons in Labrador, August and winter.  Therefore all road works are done in August which meant we got caught in traffic

We went up last night to visit the Dam and had a great tour except for the fact it was in French as we are still in Quebec province and they just will not speak English at all.  They did give us a paper with notes in English.

The best picture I have of the Dam itself was taken by Leighton with his panoramic camera

While we were at the dam we got the first flimpse of the road we were to take this morning on the gravel.  I really didn't need to know that on top of the gravel it was hairpins as soon as we left the motel.

When we got back to the motel we had our usual briefing.  No bar so we just stood round the truck with a beer instead

Despite the beer, it was an early start this morning in the canteen and then off to face the demons of the gravel road.  I had nothing but a bit of toast for breakfast it was like that feeling you get before going to the dentist or sitting an exam.  Pretty sick really!  I have found that although my demons are ugly, they are not quite as ugly as I thought (not today anyway)

This is what we've been riding, along with HUGE trucks and speeding cars.  This is Leighton riding the road, photo taken by Paul

After the first 100 miles of gravel we came to a 50 mile stretch of tarmac and celebrated with a cup of tea.  All the practice with the stoves was worth it as I've never tasted a better cup of tea

We had only two problems.  The black fly were everywhere and we've all been bitten and where to go to the loo.  The black fly we could do nothing about and I really did not want to risk going into the bush and taking on the bears.  Then our friendly van man turned the corner and gave us the modesty we required.  With another 70 miles to go it was a welcome sight.

The Tigers are holding their own, but they are definitely not the ideal tool for the job.  It would be so much better to stand while doing the gravel riding but the bike does not lend itself to the task that easily.  We have done some standing but the pegs are too high and the bars too low, it leaves you with a bit of  back ache.  The BMW's are better styled to allow you to stand.  The tyres are doing well but the suspension could be better, there is an awful lot of shake rattle and roll.  It would be less (or at least feel less) if we stood but as I say above its not easy.  We are therefore a little slower than the others and Gary and I are riding with John and Marion who as they are riding two up are finding the going a little harder also.

The stretch after lunch was tough, the gravel was deeper and there were lots of bends and we crossed the railway line at least 8 times.  The camber of the road meant I spent most of my time worried that I was too close to the edge and would go over the side (those of you who know me, know I hate to be close to any road edge).  We had a little light relief when we had to wait for the train to pass, they are miles long these trains

About 40km before you get to Labrador city you come across what built it.  This is the Iron Ore mining plant.  Basically they are slowly taking the mountain down and using the minerals.  The lakes and rivers round here are bright red, it doesn't show that well on the photo but you get the gist of what an eye sore it really is.

Crossing the province border was another milestone and meant we have lost another hour.  We are now only 4 hours behind UK summer time. (GMT-3) and back into proper English speaking Canada.

The hotel is called Two Seasons and the rooms are very comfortable.  Our bikes and kit are covered in dust from the clouds we go through when the trucks come past.  We've all had a shower and then went out to the local Pizza place for dinner.  The picture below is of us all "colouring in" the placemats.... Yes we did ask the waiter for some crayons.

Tomorrow is a better day than we thought as it seems that they have paved the first 100km so less gravel than expeced.  Still will have to do about 100 miles of it though.  We are at Churchill Falls tomorrow night which is a town built around the Hydro Electric Plant and made out of containers.  It may mean that there is no blog tomorrow.