Survival Challenge

Today was like a Cub Scout survival challenge.  This is the scenario

You have to travel from point A to point B.  It is approximately 225 miles.  You have a vehicle available to you that averages 230 miles on a tank of fuel.  The terrain you have to cross is not best suited to your vehicle and you are likely to average 40mph and therefore take at least 5 hours without stops.  There is nothing and nobody between point A and B.  You have to decide what provisions you wish to take with you.  You have limited space and have to plan carefully.  If you decide to stop for relief you will be immediately swarmed by black fly and could possibly have to fight off the bears with your pants round your ankles.  If all goes to pot the van driver will sort you out and pick up the pieces when he catches up with you.

With all this information available to us, Gary and I left this morning with one additional 5 litre fuel can strapped to the back of Garys bike, 2 litres of water, a couple of tins of sardines, 2 apples and some special K breakfast bars.

We have had a brilliant ride, accompanied by John and Marion and we chose to take the risk and stop a couple of times.  The crash helmets did not come off at any time and it was at least some deterrent for the black fly.  Gary even got the jet boiler out and made a cup of tea

We have seen some great landscape and the wildlife today include a bear, some sort of fox thing that none of us could identify and a porcupine crossing the road.

Now, no challenge would be a challenge without changing the rules as you go along.  We had only one turn to make on this trip from point A to point B.  Our route notes stated at mile 155 turn right to Port Hope Simpson.  There was no turn at mile 155 or 165 or 175.  Now at this point I am watching the fuel guage.  We had brought with us only 5 litres of additional fuel based on the fact that we thought we could do the 225 anyway and it was just for security.  The 5 litres were already in the bikes. 
Eventually we came across the turn at mile 190, that has added 35 miles to the trip and I know we now have 70 miles left.  My fuel guage tells me I have 73 miles left in the tank.  We are very lucky the road conditions are good and we can keep a steady speed and not go up and down the gears too often.  My fuel efficiency improves and we made it to the gas station with about 25 miles left in the tank.

Pictures follow of Gary riding the gravel as promised.  We have only 70 miles of gravel left tomorrow before we are back on terra firma.  We intend to stop at Red Bay for lunch to celebrate completion of the Trans Labrador Highway.  As phase 3 has only been open less than 2 years we are a band of very few that have ridden it and as they tarmac more and more of it, it will be less of a challenge.  Looking forward to being able to say I achieved it.