By Paul Mondor
www.paulmondor.com
Dec 15h 2007 – Jan 4th 2008

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By: Paul Mondor
www.paulmondor.com
Jan 5th 2008 – Jan 11th 2008

Click Here for Part 1

Jan. 5th

Ok!
I am in a new place now in Moosamin SK. A place with Internet!!

I am waiting for Harry and we will ride together to Winnipeg where it is the end of the journey for him. It is the least i can do for him! He slept in Swift Current last night and had a really bad day getting to Creston. But once past that he was ok. He avergaed 15-20 km/h ……… W-I-L-D!!!!

Jan. 6th

What the h…..? 5:57 AM? Why am I awake at this time? Was too tired to sleep last night and now I am awake before the rooster.
I’ll shake my head! Maybe there is a n ice build up in my brain! Mind you some might wonder if I have one!

Anyway! Up I get! HMMMM! Nice dark sky! Stars and absolute nothingness! For Pete’s sake Paul! Go back to bed! ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ Done!
7:30 AM! Holy crap! Felt like 5 minutes! Now I do not want to get up!

8:00 out I go! Frosty is purring like a cat. The weather is nice and in front ahead of the front wheel I go! As the darkness recedes and the sunlight comes the vastness of the prairies comes out. I am always amazed at how big this is! I have done it so many times I don’t even want to count anymore. And yet, every time the beauty and the calm of these vast prairies soothe me. You ride, ride and ride forever and it does not seem to want to end. Little towns line the TCH and each and every one of them has a story. Whether it is a record breaking drought, which drove the farmers out of business for the year, or too much moisture and not enough heat.
I ride at a steady 90-95 km/h and the rig handles well! No pull anymore since I adjusted the camber by about one degree out!
Little towns like Piapot, Webb, Chaplin. I stop at one of my favourite places. Gull Lake! Where the truckers breakfast was calling me! But after experiencing this gargantuan mix of artery clogging, heart stopping, liver killing, kidney overloading but yet so damn good work of art, I decided to go just for a coffee. If I had succumbed to it I am sure I would still be burping it by the time I reach Goose Bay!

So on to SK I go! I am not sure where I will make it today! Winnipeg is what I have in mind, but anything past Regina I will be happy with. I left a message to Harry this morning telling where I am at but I got his answering service. Knowing him, he is soldiering on! I am hoping we will meet at the next place I sleep but I will have to wait to see how it went with him.
The prairies are clear! Cold and icy in spots but clear.

It is hard to complaint. It is green but it is also not that cold. I guess that will change in a hurry when I reach Ontario!
I cruised all day! I ended up making it to Moosamin SK after a bit over 700 kms. Not bad of a day!
By the time the sun goes down in Regina the weather dropped by the second. It went from around 0 and -1 to -14 by the time I stopped. But the Aerostich Darien is doing an incredible job. I still did not need to get my North 49 arctic suit. I am happy I have my Sorel though. My tootsies are nice and warm and as we all know! “Keep the extremities warm and the rest is warm”

I sign in at the Moosamin Motel and hunker in! No internet! It is one of these little grandmas and grandpa place that I love so much. I have a message on my cell! It is Harry! He is stopped in Swift Current for the night about 500 kms from where I am at! He is getting closer.
I give him a call and it is good to hear his voice. He is in good spirit and despite a hellish day he is upbeat!
I tell him I made up my mind and that I will wait for him in Moosamin! This is the least I can do! I mean Man! He took a chance in coming, he asked me what to do and what to get and he faitfully got together with me regularly to learn what to do and what not to do! Even though we separated as we had agreed if we needed to, I still want to be with him when he finishes! For a while he was saying that he would make it to Goose Bay but he changed his mind. I think it is a good call! His equipment was to heavy and made the bike too hard to handle. He also had to carry it because it is his sleeping bag and equipment and would need it if he was to make it there and not me!

Anyway! He is a hell of a trooper and I am happy I did this with him.

3:42pm

Harry just got here! Holy Crap! He just flew! He is safe and sound and had a hell of a hard time!
We will ride tomorrow to Winnipeg together and part!

Here he is arriving at the motel in Moosimin SK.

Jan. 7th

Ok! I got to Ron last night at 6:40 something PM. Being the host he is he knew I would get there around that time and even though I did not phone him, the steaks were waiting.
So they put on a hell of a spread for me. Damn! Am I lucky or what?
Nice medium slab of cow with baked potato and corn and some nice red wine! Yep! I hate suffering like this.

It was nice after a 705 kms day.
The ride from Moosomin to Dryden was uneventful. The only part I did not like was leaving Harry in Brandon Manitoba!
I enjoyed my time with Harry! He is a hell of a guy! I do believe nothing can bring him down.
After spending about an hour at the Tim and joking a lot with the locals! I am not sure! There is something about them not seeing bikes often at this time of the year!!

We got on our bikes and said Goodbye!

From there I rode pretty much straight to Dryden except for fuel! It was cold but dry and not much traffic.
While I was riding a few people phoned me and invited me to their place in Winnipeg! Sorry! I will make up for it on my return!
To the guys at the shop and Ena’s sister! Thank you so much!

I spent the evening chatting with the guys and Ron’s wife Sonya and we had a great time. Meanwhile outside the snow was starting to fall.
When we got up this morning this is what it looked like this.

I had coffee with Ron! (While I was sleeping he went to Tim and got us some coffee! What a guy!)
I gathered my crap and then we went for breakfast at the Central hotel restaurant. Then I took off while Ron was making some footage of me riding.

We stopped again at a little place I had stopped before and I put my Aerostich on!
It was cold but still too warm for my North 49 suit. Said goodbye to Ron and went down the road.
About an hour outside Dryden (Just like last year) snow started falling and the road got covered in a hurry!

Notice the mud flap is gone? It broke off in Winnipeg! I guess the sideways banging with the sidecar was too hard on the frozen plastic! I don’t know but I found it dangling! So just took it off and tossed it! I kept on going and just like the day before just stopped for fuel and kept on motoring.

Except to take few pictures of Frosty in the snow!
By the time I reached Thunder Bay it was snowing heavy wet snow and could hardly see a damn thing because the roads are really messy and the rigs driving by were giving me a hell of a dirty shower. I had to stop many times to wipe some snow on my shield. I learned last year not to rub the visor when it is dry!
By the time I reached TB it was about 4:00 and was thinking of stopping there! But I was still pretty energetic and wanted to make it to Nipigon or further. That was not a good idea! About 10 minutes out of TB the wind picked up and the big freaking flakes which were as heavy and wet as diapers were falling with a vengeance.
At one point I had to slow down to about 80. That is all I could muster because I could not see enough.
I would move over when I could to let the traffic go by!

Now the following is not really stuff you want the kids to read about!

About half an hour out of TB there is a truck behind me! You’ve heard me praise them and you know how much I love them trucks and truckers. Been one and loved it. I know it, I understand it and I respect it. But this one would tailgate me when I could not move over. At one point he must be 10 feet behind me and I have nowhere to go! I slowed down to about 20-30 km/h and he would not pass me. He could but would not! Meanwhile the traffic is passing him and I like we are stopped.
I accelerate, gain distance, then he catches up. Then out of nowhere he puts all his lights on as he is tailgating me. I am not scared but I am getting pretty freaking pissed.
So I decide tp lay along and just go with it. Just keeping ahead of him enough!
45 minutes go like this and he will not pass me. At one point I yelled in my helmet “Ok! I have had enough of you! You Moth….. F……!
We are going up a hill, it is snowing, it is slippery and I am pissed off! I slow down enough that I am sure we could have walked! It is one lane and we are (For now) just him and I!
I pull over hoping he will just pass, but NOOOOO! He stops right behind me on the shoulder with his hazards on! AHHHHH! Play time!
I stay on my bike and he gets out of his truck and walks toward me. A guy in his 50’s big beer gut and I could smell him even though it was windy!
He comes right by me and says! “What the F.. are you doing on the road? You don’t F.. belong here asshole! Get off the road or I will get you off the road!”
I turn and say “I am doing 90 click you moron what the hell is your problem?”
“You!” he says!
I undo my helmet, take off my balaclava and get off my bike without saying a word! I can’t he is won’t stop yacking! We are both standing on the shoulder and I am just listening!
I am thinking he will run out of breath and just move on! Plus I am too tired for this idiot!
Then he moves toward me as to grab my jacket. I have my helmet in my right hand. Well! I don’t know what happened but somehow my helmet made contact with his ugky face and he fell backward in the ditch!
Now the funny thing is that he is flat on his back. His feet up the little hill in the ditch and his head lower! Oh Yeah! And there must be 3 feet of snow! Therefore Mr Fatass could not get up. He is starting to roll and trying to get up but he is struggling and he is not dressed for snow games! His big belly is flopping all over the snow, his shirt is riding up his back and He just can’t get up? At that very moment I am thinking! This would not be the right time to leave a man in the snow alone! So I stay while he is grunting, mumbling, swearing and I think….. farting!! Yep!!!
After about 4-5 minutes of watching him Butterball do the frosty bacon dance, he finally gets on his feet! Not out of the ditch yet! But at least he on his feet! As he is just about to come up and start yelling I tell him “Man! Do not say a fucking word? Walk on and drive off! If you don’t you will not get up the next time I hit you! You got it?
Look at my bike, look at my plate and make damn sure you memorize it, because next time I will leave you in the fucking ditch to freeze unconscious! Got it? As I an standing in front of him with my helmet on the ground by now and my gloved fist against his chest!

So! Mr Arnold brothers transport! If you read this! I hope the crack of your butt thawed out in your Big Volvo rig!

There you have it! My event of the day.

Now I am going to have a shower and hit the hay! I will aim for Sault St-Marie tomorrow. Not sure though! It is snowing like crazy out right now!

Jan. 8th
Sault St Marie

The ride down here was pretty tough. From Nipigon the ride was pretty cold. I got up at 7:30 Am and left at 8:30 AM. When I got out it was -12C. Not bad! The sky was blue, frosty covered with snow and my brain still on the pillow.
Man! It was hard to get up! I was absolutely welded to the mattress. But Ron told me that some crappy stuff was coming up from the south and also some crap from the US as well. Guess where I am? Right in the middle!
I made it to Schreiber where I stopped last year after a scary freaking day. I met the owner again! Last year she took a picture of me and put it on her wall of travellers! Tis time I returned the favour. She remembered me as soon as I walk in and so did the waitress Sylvie who had served me. Had a good breakfast and went on my way!

So off I go! As I get more south toward Marathon, the road starts getting covered with snow pretty much everywhere!. One thing is good though! I like riding the hacking the snow. It is like a wide snowmobile! I am actually riding the thing and sliding it all over! I try to keep it in control when there is traffic around but take it from me “It is a whole lot of fun!”

As I climb up the higher elevations the snow level increases a lot and so is the fun!

Anyway! The scenes are like Christmas post cards and I just can’t stop taking pictures.
As I reach White River (The home of Winnie the Phoo? Pooh? Phoo! Whatever!) The wind has picked up and dammit it is not a tail wind. It is either head wind or side wind.
It is tiring! My arms are hurting and shoulders are hooped. But I am still enjoying the scenery. The great lakes can be tough in summer and let me tell you this! Holy Crap! The winds live there all year around.
At one pint I pulled over and went on a little Park road that was closed because I had to take a break from the wind.

Here is a little proof! Last year when I was going through Pancake Bay a side wind threw me in the oncoming traffic lane in pitch dark! Thank God there was no one! Oh yeah! That is because they had closed the TCH behind me in Wawa.
Here is Wawa today!

The goose is looking at the sun and thinking Hmm! “I think I am going to fly my feathery butt out of here!”
Where was I? oh yeah! Pancake Bay! The very spot where I was thrown in the oncoming traffic lane is coming down the road! I remember it like it was yesterday! It is dark, snowing like hell and I can hardly see where the hell I am going. The road is gone and I have to drag my feet to feel the road.
Ok! Today! The spot is coming and as I get though it the wind is there waiting for me! (Not paranoid!) and this time blows me on to the other lane too…………….. But……………………….this time it is light out and I can see the large chromed grill of a big whole Peterbilt. And the wind is pushing me toward it! Am I scared? Shit! I am more than scared! I am so startled I do not even have time to be scared. I was sure I was a goner! But the guy behind the wheel was looking at me and just swerved enough out of the way for me to clear him. It was easy for him to swerve that quickly because the wind was pushing him as well. But still!
I am telling you! If he had not swerved I would have hit the driver’s side trailer’s wheel.

Thank you Sir! If you are reading this I want to say “Thanks” you were/are a scholar and a gentleman and you just so happened that you saved my ass. You more than made up for Mr Butterball yesterday.

Anyways! After that I slowed down a bit, to about 70 km/h all the way to Sault St Marie.
Here are some shots of the scenery I went by.

So here goes another day down the great lakes. Cold wind, lots of snow except in Soo. A close call with a Pete and I learned to do power slides on snow at 60 mph. all in all a damn good day!

Good night! I am hitting the sack now! I am also now sick! I ordered a damn good pizza but I was too tired to eat and what had to happen happened! Out it went!

Sorry my camera lens was kind of steamed up.

Jan. 10th

Hi guys! I’m at Tim’s in Toronto and I am damn happy to be here!!! Been fighting side winds and head winds for two days. I’m aching everywhere after fighting the winds with the sidecar. At one point I was hurting so much I was crying in my helmet and I had to pull over and for a few minutes was really considering whether or not to call it quits–it was THAT bad! But a good Tim Horton’s coffee and soup changed all that. The ride from Sault to TO was uneventful except I had forgotten how traumatizing driving the 400 and 401 was. I was so tired I had difficulty dealing with the traffic but thank God Tim’s directions to his house were spot on. I shit you not, at one point as I saw TO come in to view I was thinking if I screw up going to Tim’s I’m pulling over at the first motel to hit the sack and cry myself to sleep. I will take a snowstorm and a blizzard any time over freaking side winds non-stop.

Tomorrow morning Tim here will guide my sorry ass to BMW Toronto where Frosty will get looked after and have a new TKC-80 put on the rear. Not that Frosty is not running well because she is running mighty fine. But it’s a long way to Goose Bay and back and I just want to make sure all is okay. BTW, the TKC in the rear is down to about 50% and I kid you not if it wasn’t for the studs it would have been gone a long time ago. I was almost tempted to keep it on to Goose Bay and back to Quebec but knowing I will hit snow and ice for a LONG time on the TLH I would rather have full knobbys with new studs.

After this I will hit Joliette (my home town) for a couple of days but stop in Napanee on my way down to see Woodgrain for coffee and grub (at Tim Horton’s most likely). When I leave Joliette I will make it most likely a bit past Quebec City then stop in Baie Comeau to stop at Los Tabarnacos for the night and shoot shit with Rene (he’s been so good to me). Then I will attack the TLH. Yippee! Can’t friggen wait.

Jan. 11th

Okee Dokee! I am at BMW Toronto right now and they are working on Frosty! The rear TKC 80 would have probably made it to Labrador and back but I did not want to take a chance.
The chain and sprockets are hooped. I mean! Hooped like crazy. I also detached the sidecar in order for the guys to work on her.
Talking about sidecar! I think I will leave the sidecar in Quebec on my way back from Labrador and get it shipped back to Victoria. I want to ride back on 2 wheels! We will see. The guys in here are ordering me another set of chain and sprockets for me to pick up when i get back. Plus Ron has a tire for me in Dryden.

They will change the oil too while we are here, check the swing arm bearing and all the good stuff. You should see this place it is unreal! 3 floors glass everywhere! I am sitting in a lounge with huge leather seats and free internet hook ups sitting in a chair nost people can’t afford! As nice as it is i am looking forward to be back on the road.

Frosty looks absolutely filthy like I have never seen! I do not know what time I will leave here but i will try to make some miles when i leave. But you know what? She has not missed a beat! has not sputtered once and just keeps going strong. has also not taken a bit oil.
She is working very hard and she is just hanging there! As far as I am concerned I do not know of any 650 single that could do what she is doing! I am so happy I did the trip on Frosty!

I spent the night at Tim’s and he and his wife Christina were great. we had a great time and I slept like baby! Tim escorted me to the dealer today and made sure I was ok.

I will let you know when i am back on the road.

I am going for a snooze now! Toronto is hard on me! I am a small town boy!

Click here for part 3

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By: Paul Mondor
www.paulmondor.com
Jan 13th 2008 – Jan

Click Here for Part 2

Jan. 13th

Ok! I am back in my hometown of Joliette, QC and alive!
I got here last night for diner and it was good! I slept 11 hours and I am still alive.
I got out of TO at 8 o’clock Friday and I am forever thankful for the guys at BMW for taking so much care of me and Frosty.
They did an incredible job and BMW was 100% behind me. Tim and Christina’s hospitality was awesome and Tim went also as far as fighting TO traffic for another hour on Friday morning to go home and get me his 15 teeth front sprocket because this is something that was not stock at the dealer. Thanks Tim! You da man!

By the time I left tropical TO it was almost 7 degrees and I was sweating like the Mobster at a tax man inquiry! The crack of my butt was like a river!
Then I fought traffic on 401 which is absolutely unreal. It is like a bunch of killers on day parole driving on crack cocaine!
I saw women driving at 130 kmh putting make up on and holding a cell between their shoulders and what looked like a head!

Went I got out of that zoo I phoned Woodgrain (Dave) and we met in Napanee! I wanted to stop and we have been trying to meet since we met in SK in 2004 and to be honest with you I heard he was waiting for me with a sawed off 12 gauge shot gun on the side of 401.we stopped at Tim’s where I had good coffee but the crappiest service and food I have ever seen on this side of hell!
We went to his place and stayed up till 4. last time I stayed up till 4 was in my mother’s womb.
We got up went for breakfast and I left for Joliette! I got here for diner. It was nice to see my family and lots of snow.
I will leave on Tuesday morning and I will post pictures of winter land again! It is cold here today and I love it!

Jan. 15th

It is 6:00 Am when I am getting up to leave. Bruno and I leave at 7:15 and we drive together to Trois Rivieres.
Funny how just after 2 days stopping i get out and i can feel the boys squirming in my suit with the cold ! I guess they get used to the warmth quicker than I. According to some i have big ones but they still feel the cold air surrounding them.
I spend about 20 minutes shaking. Not because I am cold but because i have lost the habit of breathing cold air and being out and i guess i am adapting.

Anyway! in Trois Riviers is where we have breakfast. I always love spending time with Bedo (Bruno’s nickname) we have a really good laugh. On our way to Trois Rivieres the roads were wet and really freaking messy! I got to breakfast and I looked like a Thanks Giving ham!
I left at I am not sure but it seems like I got to Quebec city in a hurry. But not before being pulled over AGAIN by the Surete du Quebec police. Just like the others she was not too sure what to do with me. She checked me out, we chatted for a bit and had a good laugh and I went on my merry way.
The weather went anywhere from -5 to -12 at one pint alongside the St Laurence river.
The winter scenery in Quebec St lawrence’s coast is something to behold

At one point I am going down the road and I start to smell something! It is smelling sweet. Really freaking sweet! I am going “Oh Shit! I am losing coolant!” I stop on the side of the road and nothing? Frosty’s engine is dry! Must be something in the air! An hour later it is still smelling like this! I stop again and I smell the exhaust to see if I am burning coolant! Nope!
What the hell!? I keep going an then I stop to take a picture. I open my tank bag and SMOKE is coming out! What the %$#&!
I get my cameras out! $3000 of cameras and hardware and the towel that is sitting at the bottom of my tank bag is burning and smoking. I throw it in the snow and look at my stuff to make sure nothing is damaged.

The Oxford Wrap around heated grips I am using to warm the bag so my video equipment works have heated so much that it set the bag on fire.
My ear plugs case is melted to crap. My liner keeping the cameras from direct contact with the grips is melted and and part of the wire for the digital camera battery pack has melted as well.

I am cussing I am swearing and I inventing some swears
Maudit tabarnac de soeur blindee de colisse de sincere d’appocalypse de chrisse de sinciboire d’ariat d’cochonnerie d’esti de collise de patente d’anglais de ciboire qu’est ce qui pense de faire des crisse de bebelles de meme de sincreme que j’aimerais rencontrer la casse de bain qui a fair ca c’esti de kichinerie de sacramant la!!

In English?……………………………………………Fuck!

Anyway! I cut the grip that has melted to a ptach of dry crap and toss it after cutting it off th harness. Kept the one that looks half baked half ass good and wrap it in what is left of a towel to make sure that it does not transfer sun like flame throwing heat.

Shit man! I wanted heat! Afgter all it is a pair of hand grips for motorcycles. Do not buy this? If this was to happen to your hands you would not need to go for breakfast.

Just peel your now crispy hands off the bars! SSSSSSSSSSSSHHH that hurts. Then put them in the snow to make sure that they bubble nicely! Then pour Aunt jemima syrup on it and enjoy! A quick necro modern breakfast filled with protein! HmmmhMMM good!

Anyway after bringing down al the saints with my swearing and kicking them back up (BTW I am now officially going to hell with al I have said) because it piled up with all the swears I said yesterday as I was leaving to visit my cousin and saw that the side zippers on my Arctic suit had split! I got hooked on something while I was in the garage and screwed it up. It is now sewn shut and if it breaks! Well! I am going to have to special order a book on swearing.

Anyway! I make it to the Tadoussac ferry which I have always loved and it was great. The ice was running, the wind was blowing and I was taking pictures while every one was stuck in their cars looking at me like I was crazy! I might be but I am having fun! How about you in your mini van with your diaper filling machines and the wife that wil not even look at you anymore because she wanted to stop for coffee but could not because you told “A bit later Hunny” this bit later buddy will get you on the couch with Fido!

As I am taking pictures a guy comes to me and says in French “shit man! You speak French? Yep! Then he goes on asking me where I am coming from and where I am going? I am thinking “You are parked 3 micro inch from my plate you nimrod! That is why you can’t see my plate!” but I say Victoria BC and Goose Bay Labrador!
No Way! You shitting me aren’t you?
Nope! You cannot! This bike would not haul this side buggy (That is what he said I swear) that long. Not big enough and you cannot ride this long in winter! I know I ride sidebuggy and I know I thing or two about them!
I am thinking “Really! Is that why you are driving a Sonata with Adolphine Hitler next to you?” (She made Hitler look happy!)
“You ride sidecars?” Yep! Been for years! And I can tell you that your rig is not set up properly just looking at it! I am thinking “Really!” Hmmmmmmm! Holdon Let me take off my fucking helmet here I want to show you something you moron!”

But I did not!

I just said “that is ok buddy! It works for me and has for close to 7000 kms now” and I walk away looking I have something urgent to do. Like jumping overboard???

Anyway the crossing is breath taking except that I never found out if Mr Sidebuggy knows how to swim.

I made it to Escoumains at the Pelchat Hotel complexe where I am now revelling in the warmth. I contacted Rene in Baie Comeau when I got here and he is waiting for me. It will be a short day tomorrow! I will stop at his place and leave for Labrador the day after.
I have talked to a couple of truckers in gas stations and they told me that the TLH is looking good! Lots and lots of snow and it is cold but the road is good!

I have to stop in Labrador City where a newspaper wants to interview me and there is also a magazine who wants to give me an interview in Goose Bay!
When I get to Goose Bay! If I can find a place where they rent Sleds I will rent one and go snowmobiling a bit.. Why the heck not???

At this rate I should be in Goose Bay in about 3 days max!

That is if I do not burn myself to freaking crisp! Has anyone thought that the base if this tank bag is really! I mean really close to my noognorts??

Jan. 16th
Escoumains Quebec

Got up this morning at 6, walked outside and the sky was full of stars and the air was crisp and cold. I decided to to go back to bed as I would stop at Los Tabarnacos (Rene Roy) and spend the day in Baie-Comeau. So there was no rush. I went back to bed. Got up at 8 and got ready to go.

After packing and zipping up I took off. The road in these parts is really nice. Scenery wise but the surface is like going to a mine field that blew up. Heaves and cracks and potholes and all sorts of good stuff that made me say “Thanks I put an Ohlins in the back and upgraded the front suspension and the sidecar shock.
At this time of the year everything is frozen and looks like a post card

I absolutely love it.
As I made my way to Baie-Comeau I stopped many times. That is why I got there at 12. there are so many pictures opportunities that you just can’t past by them.

When I got to baie Comeau one of Lost Tabarnacos’ friends Real Murray whom I have never met stopped by with is daughter and chatted a bit. He said he had phoned Rene to let him know I was here!
Small town folks! I LOVE IT! Then Rene got there. And as I was about to bite into my Tim’s sandwich he said that his wife Dianne had prepared lunch for me and René! I doggy bagged the thing and we scooted to his house!

Where we had a hell of a good lunch. Some beautiful stuffed chicken with beef in some sauce served on a bed of rice! (Here you go ZZRon! Now it is a post because we are talking about food!)that would bring a dead man back to life it was so damn good!
This was like an orgasm for the taste buds!!

Don’t get me wrong? I love Tim Horton’s sandwich and soup but Dianne’s food was like trying to compare Julia Roberts to the Queen when she gets up in the morning! No freaking match.

We hung around and shot shit for the rest of the afternoon. While i was out i also met a new friend! Blackie! He is 1 year old, 100 lbs and growing. Gave me a good lick! I guess it was his way to say Good luck man!

Now here is the plan! I am leaving tomorrow morning around 7:30 to attack 389 to ward Manicouagan 5 where I will turn east toward Labrador City! I am hoping to make the 580 kms tomorrow. If I cannot I can stop at the Relais Gabriel which is before that. They rent rooms and cabins for hunters and fishermen. The lady there told me to knock on the door even if I get there art midnight.
Then the following day the plane is to leave Labrador city to Goose Bay! For Friday afternoon! On the way I have to stop at Churchill Falls as well because there is a newspaper that wants to talk to me. There is also one in Labrador City and one in Goose Bay! If all goes well I will leave Goose Bay Saturday morning or Sunday morning and be back in Baie Comeau for Sunday night or Monday night.
Then head to Joliette where I will spend a few days and then head back to Victoria.
As I write this I am thinking again of something that I thing all day, every day! I would not be here today having so much fun if it was not for 2 things. First! God`s grace to give me this life, health and taste for life I have. And second! If it was not for Melanie!
I love her of course more than I can say on this screen. But make no mistake about it.
Going back to her is what makes the return home feasible. Because I know what and whom I am going back to!

I am having so much out here and I am blessed to be out here! But I am even luckier for her. It is one thing to get carried away in this and it is another to see past this.

Here’s to you Hunny! Here is to many miles, many years and many smiles like this together!

Jan. 17th
UPDATE

I got up at Rene and I was ready to go and attack the road to Goose Bay.

When we got up the weather was -24C. I wanted cold, I asked for it and dammit I got it. Also while I was sleeping Rene went to Tim’s and got us some coffee. What a way to start a day!
Anyway! We left, stopped at Shell and fuelled up.
The first part of the road going to Manic 5 dam was rough. Damn rough! But it turns out that it is not compared to what I will hit later.

Anyways! I scooted along and made it to the second fuel stop where I fuelled up and and arte the best damn Hydro Quebec type of soup and chicken strips. In other words?? Bla! But it was a $12.00 Bla! meal!
So Bla that I started drooling of boredom in my helmet afterward trying to remember what it tasted like. But I could not! That is because cardboard, I mean expensive cardboard leaves no taste..

This is obviously my breath freezing coming out of my helmet. I have to say this. If you are going to ride in cold, this helmet is the one to ride in. it makes you feel like you are in summer.

I kept on going and made it to Relais Gabriel for fuel. In that temperature which always stayed between -15 and -25 all day, the Dakar’s MPG dropped down quite a bit. I guess th hack does not help either. I averaged 45 MPG.
About half what it does normally? While I was lubing my chain the guys working on the road snow clearing equipment stopped and chatted. They work at the big shop right by Relais Gabriel and asked me to stop by on my way back in a few days. They will put the coffee on and the soup as well.
I absolutely love the way this road looks in winter. But remind me to tell you something at the end.

I kept stopping for shots and I realized that the 640 something clicks to Labrador city will be a damn long one. It is a long day in summer. Now it is horrendously long. I am not sure I will make it there. I am thinking I should have stopped at the relais. I phone them yesterday and they said to just knock on the door and I could get a room.
It is 270 clicks from the Relais Gabriel to Fermont and another 28 to Labrador city.

By the time I hit the mile marker 430 something it is dark. The wind is blowing like hell but at least it is a tail wind. The thing with this is that it drops some fresh snow on the ice road, the road becomes like a skating rink, high pucker factor about 100 times.
Before I know it I am living Sault St Marie all over again but this time X 10.

I am really scared many freaking times. At one point I took a long sharp right turn and the rig decided to keep going. I could not turn. The ice was so slick that the front tire just kept going. I kept the throttle on as I realized there was not rig coming toward me and that I was thankful for that. But I think I popped a vein in my ass as held Frosty when she hit the snow bank on the other side and got grip as I kept her from climbing up. Both wheels were suddenly in the soft stuff and the hack’s wheel on sheer ice. So it turned. I made the curve this way and eventually wrestle my way backing my lane. It is just a freaking miracle I did not crash. I stop on the side and clam down a bit. By this time it is getting dark. There is no way if the road stays this icy that I can make it like that!
I almost turned around. My back was hurting, my arms were throbbing and my nerves were being tested again!
I took about 15 minutes and while I was stopped on the side of the road I saw no one. Sorry to say this, but you hit the ditch down there and if you are hurt and have no way to reach anyone you will die of Hypothermia in a hell of a hurry!

This is when I realized that this is a lot more dangerous than the great likes in a snow storm.
What the hell am I going to do? I have another 800 clicks to Goose Bay and I have to do it all over again! I know they are forecasting snow in these parts and no accumulation but the weather forecasting system about Labrador is about as reliable as a Crack head you just sent to make your night bank deposit.
Anyway! I decide to move, but before I do I put the few studs I have left on my front tire.
Now I do not mind cold but standing by the side of the road with the wind blowing on your bare fingers while you are holding a cold drill and cold tungsten studs is something that gets you cold in a hurry! Even I!

After about 15 minutes of this I am done, but by now my fingers are hurting. I know I cannot take off like this and that my heated grips will not work fast enough. So I open my hack take a propane container out and start my little heater. It takes me all I have to strike the match to light it up, but it does the trick in about 1 minute!
Now I know why I brought that damn hack and I am happy. It is the second time in half an hour it saves my life. But the heater made me appreciate it more.

I take off again and I keep on going. I hope I will make it to Fermont for gas. Then I think! “Damn! I got an extra 8 gallons!” So I stop worrying.
The last 3 hours to Fermont/ Labrador City are really making me push my limits in a way that I am not sure about anymore.
At one point in the last 90 clicks before Fermont I saw 3 rigs in the ditch. There is so much snow everywhere I am thinking “Shit this stuff must be here till August!”
A few times I came across some rigs and even though they slowed down when they saw me the snow blinded me as they passed! This is fine if the road is straight, but believe me it is not! The last sign I saw said narrow road for 115 kms Caution.
I made it to Fermont where I put some juice in Frosty and mozie on to Labrador City for another 28 kms.
When I got there all i could was sleep! I was absolutely bagged. The combination of a very rough road, poor visibility, narrow road and the thought that if I got off in the ditch no one would find me till spring make for an exhausting ride.

January 18, 2008 – Friday morning
645 kms to here from Baie- Comeau
Labrador city

It is about -14 outside and I am ready to go! I could not take a picture of the Labrador sign! Just kidding!

I actually got a couple of nice guys from the SQ who knew I was in town and when they saw me at the sign as they were about to turn around they asked me if they could take a picture of me.

Of course I did and I also took one of them. Nice guys. We chatted a bit on the side of the road, they wished me good luck and I went on to Tim’s in Labrador city’s city limits, where I wanted to phone peter and Heather from the North 53 Magazine for the interview. They showed up about 5 minutes after I phoned. Others join in and we had a local get together. It was great! These folks were really excited to see me. They say they have never seen or heard of anyone coming through in winter on a motorcycle. Cool! As we are sitting down mike Power from CBC radio showed up and asked me if I could give him one as well! This is the least I can do! I finished with Peter and Heather.

And I went on to meet Mike at CBC.

I spent about 45 minutes with Mike in the studio and we went outside to make the interview with sounds of the bike and all! A whole bunch of people gathered as we were doing this! That was very humbling! Man! A crazy French Canadian shows up in winter and they want to meet him. Some also remembered reading about me in their paper last year when I came through in NL

After that, I had to find a way to fix my windscreen that I had taken off because the road had shaken a couple of bolts off Frosty and I was just about to lose it about 90 clicks away from Fermont, at night in the crappiest part of the day! Murphy’s freaking law!
If I ever meet this Murphy I am going to kick in so hard in the ass he will have to loosen up his tie to fart.
After farting around and cussing like a logger in the cold freezing my fingers off fiddling around with Tabarnac de colisse de petite bolts la. Could they make them smaller for F&^%#$ sake? Sincreme de sacraman de soufleux de trombone de frère bande de crises de soeur blindee de ciboire my fingers were hurting and I kept dropping the littlest little rubber washer about 100 tabarnac de fois in the colisse de snow. St- ciboire it was time I finhed otherwise calver I would have garocher le criss de windshield in the face of the next one who asked me if I was crazy to ride in this.
Souffleux de trombone de mule ensoleillee de crises!

Ok where was I? Finally after I picked up the satellite phone at the hotel

I left Labrador city at 11:45 Am. DAMN! I have another 560 kms to Goose bay! I better get ready to ride in the dark.
As I leave LC the wind picks uo like hell and the temp drops a notch or 2 to about -14 as I ride. It is great though! They say the road from LC to Churchill Falls is smooth and wide biut the shit hits the fan past Churchill Falls! We will see!!!
Within 50 clicks winter meets me down the road! As if it was not there already!
Onmy way north as I am coming down the road a pick up truck is waving me to stop. We meet and I turn around to park in front of them as they ask me. Sure enough 2 minutes later a rig goes by.
The guys onboard are freaking out at the sight of me! We chat and laugh a hell of a lot for about 20 minutes and they warn me about many fresh caribou tracks.

I do no take their advice lightly because I know this is their stomping grounds and if they are worried? SO should I Esti!!

I saw some pretty cool scenery that reminded me of where I am! IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE!!!

Where else can you ride for an hour two and not see a soul?? It is sobering! This is something I have not felt before! When I was on my trip last year and that they closed the TCH on me, I knew I was alone but I also knew there always was some people nearby! Not here! Not a soul! Something happens to you here, you can kiss your sorry frozen ass good bye!

Imade my way to Churchill and by about 4 O’clock I had eaten a nice pizza at the Churchill falls hotel and had my photo taken by a dozen of people from the Irving in town to the hotel where the restaurant was! One lady who worked at the Grocery store came running out as I left and told me “You know? Every one thinks you are crazy! And as she said that a guy coming out of his truck said “This is our way to say we are envious! You choose to do it when so many don’t” Good luck man!
As I come out of Churchill Falls it is dark, the snow is starting to fall heavily and I see this sign.

Goose Bay 285 kms!!! Damn! It is dark; they are forecasting 5 cms of snow with strong winds and down to about -20 with the wind chill factor! What the heck am I doing to myself? Very smart! Dark, alone on the remotest Highway in Canada, I can hardly see,, there are as many caribous on the road as there are men in the news stands when the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue comes out, I am on bike when and to top it off, this road is the pits in summer on a bike! So why am I here again??? I use to say I do things like this because one of my 2 brain cells is having a fight with the other. I am not even sure I have 2 anymore! I am sure most of the time if you could open up my skull/ brain all you would hear is the deafening sound of the empty vacuum like space.
Anyway! About an hour after Churchill falls (100 KMS) I stopped to rethink all this. I can hardly see, the road is so rough my bike has to be suffering somehow! (Will have a lot of bolts to retorque) and for the third time in 2 days I am contemplating the idea of calling it quit.

There is risk! And there is this! After what seem 10 minute I keep going, thinking, “Paul! You made it this far! He will take you there! Just do not do anything stupid and take your time! You get to GB when you get to GB!”

About 45 minutes after this I come across my first mistake! You know that pizza?? Well! It wants to go play in the snow! Yep! The wind is blowing, the cold is way down the scale you could freeze the balls of a brass monkey and I have to stop like——————————————————- NOW???

Yep! What was my mistake? Oh yes! Taking my coat and gloves off! Dropping my pants in th freezing snowing wind and answering the big # 2 call of nature! By the time I am done leaving something for the caribous and that I climb out of the snow bank (Cleaning station?) my fingers, ass, nuts and all other exposed parts of my lower body are frozen. Now I have to suit up again with my skin covered with snow that will cause moisture and will make me cold in my suit! Within 5 minutes my lower body is hurting with cold and my fingers are too!
Rene gave me a piece of paper mill tarp to line the ground and it is pretty heavy duty and wind proof! The first pull over I see is about 10 minutes later. I get off the bike, open the hack, put the heater together, light it up and wrap myself in the tarp as I am standing up with the heater inside at the bottom! I am sure I look like a large beige Christmas tree. But the heat from the heater stays under and I warm up in about 10 minutes!
I get back on and again thank the hack for saving my hide again!

About 10 kms passed the halfway mark I come across my first encounter with the caribous!i am coming down at about 60 klicks when Boom! Here they are right in front of me. Windy, snowy, slippery and with a hack1 YOU DO THE MATH!!!
I slowed down by about 2 inches an hour and managed to swing around most of them except one which managed to hit my left panniers!
‘Shit man! That was close! I am stopped and thinking HMMMMM! I just passed half way! Can’t stop now! I keep on going!
About 75 clicks from GB I come across my second encounter, but this time I am more prepared! I noticed a lot of tracks on the road for the last hour and a half! I quickly realize that when there are tracks there are Fuzz balls! Big freaking fuzz balls! With antlers that could hang me like underwear on a clothe line.
This time I am going slower and I ride away from the pack of about 10 of these magnificent creatures!
At one point there are about 5 running with me and THEY WILL NOT GET OFF THE ROAD! They are just running to where I am going. I try to grab my camera and the wind reminds me very quickly this is not a good idea! Let’s just say that you would have known what my last actions were when you would have found me in the spring.
He died snapping a shot of a large caribou’s ass!

Anyway off in the ditch they go and I keep going! 20 minutes later my third encounter. Except this time they came out of the ditch. I did not hit one full one but let’s just say the male running in front of me was so close that as he ran. He knocked off my spare jerry can of gas on the hack and also knocked my auxiliary light out of adjustment and knocked off the protector lid! He also kept running in front of me till I stopped!
I turned around and found the broken strap right besides the jerry can and the light cover.

Talk about close encounter of the furry kind! 45 minutes later I am entering GB. I stop at the Irving gas station to fuel where a bunch of kids cheer me on! Cool! I also notice that my rear parkinglight on my hack is not working. The reason is that the road (Bad freaking bumpy, potholey like hell road) shook the bolt holding my hack fender on the frame and it rubbed in the tire. No arm done to the fender or the tire but it rubbed the wire off the light socket! I will fix that tomorrow morning!

Now I am a the north hotel. I am 7546 kms away from home and they are forecasting 60 km/h winds tomorrow with accumulations of 5 cm of snow and temperatures of -38 in the afternoon with the wind chill! So guess what! I a hurting, I am exhausted and I have tears in my eyes that will just not stop! I am so burnt out! The last 2 days and 1146 kms have been by very far the hardest ride I have ever been on and definitely the scariest one as well in so many ways! So tomorrow I am staying here! For another day! I just can’t take off right away!
After that I am heading back to Victoria!!
Thinking about the ride here from Baie comeau maybe it was not the pizza! Maybe! Just maybe! I finally did something that made me shit my pants!

Good night!

Jan. 18th

Ok! I am in Churchill Falls and the hotel let use their PC for an update.
They are forecasting winds to 50 kph and 4-5 cm of snow and -18 tonight. tomorrow the same with more wind and colder and down to -38 with the wind chill factor.
I am heading out to Goose bay tonight! 285 clicks between here and there! I am having a good time but man are the roads rough. fixed the screen today at a Ski Doo Place.
had an interview with North 53 Magazine of Labrador this morning and also one with CBC radio right after.

I will post all the pics tomorrow or tonight if I have internet in GB. if I make it there tonight I will leave there tomorrow and com back.

I was told that a lot of caribous were spotted on the road so I will have to be careful.

Jan. 19th

It is almost 10 here and the sun is shining! I am fighting the urge to leave, but I will not! I am going to take the day to take care of Frosty!
She is been go to me.Through really bad roads, through frost, ice, rain, snow, sleeth and conditions that would have made most quit, she has been there…never complaining.

I know without a fact that without my sturdy steed I could not have made it. My God she never even blew a fuse! She lost a couple of parts and none that were essential really. Compared to the ones which loss,would have been catastrophic.
I am going to go out right now and baby her. Then i will go to Tim’s I could say that I could not have chosen a better ride but i will not!!
I will scream it! No!!!! There could not have been a better one to have pulled what she did! For Go’ds sake! The hack and gear were 2/3 of her weight! And not a problem.
I know for a fact that the Ural wouldn’t even have gotten out of BC. looking back?? I am gald my safety and my ride were in Frosty’s hand.

Oh and by the way! To those who said out loud that she could not make it?

Mangez donc tous de la marde gang de casse (casque) de bain!
Casse de bainis an expression that defines the ultimate in Dufus type of people! The ones that make “Duh” , moronic and stupid look and sound like compliments!

Jan. 20th

I am in Churchill falls right now and I just stopped shaking! I will write about it tonight, if i can! But for now all i can say is this!
For the first time in my life! Mr Cold has brought tears to my eyes this morning! That is all i will say! the last 300 kms were worse and harder on me than the whole trip down here + the whole trip last year together.
I knew i was going to hurt when i left Goose bay at -38.
Here is the last picture my camera was able to take.

I could not! I repeat I could not do this again! This shit is made to be done with a support vehicle behind you! The terrain, the cold and the isolation are unforgiving. never more than this morning did i realize this!

Talk to you tonight IF I CAN!

7:02PM

I made it to Labrador city! Got here at 7:00 Local.
too bagged for posting. They are forecasting -52 tomorrow with the wind chill. i am still going to attempt to make it to Baie Comeau! At least I have a few places to stay at and stop at if needed.

PS Los Tabarnacos! Can you turn the oven on for me? when you see me get in tomorrow night (Hopefully) just peel me off the bike and slide me in the oven for 20 minutes and then turn me over.

Click Here for part 4

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By: Paul Mondor
www.paulmondor.com
Jan 20th 2008 – Jan 21st 2008

Click Here for Part 3

Jan. 20th
Goose bay, Labrador
-38 and with Wind chill it is -48

“Paul! Habille-toi? Tu vas prendre ton coup de mort!” « Moman! J’hais avoir chaud” »
“Paul Get dressed? You will die out there like this! “But Mom! I hate being hot!”
Out I would go skiing with dad in my jeans and jeans jacket with my back showing, while Bruno and dad are dressed like Eskimos. I would take major falls and spills, scrape the snow out of my T-shirt and keep going. This was nuts. My dad was worried but at the same time knew he could not make me do what I did not want to do! Time has passed but many things haven’t changed

This is the scene playing out in my head and the words ringing in my ears as I get outside this morning.

It is 7:00 when I get up. I am glad I stayed in Goose yesterday. The ride to here was scary to say the least.
As I get out the wind and cold hit me like a freaking wall. Frosty is sitting there all alone, frozen solid and I feel bad for her. She had to spend the night out, and she is the one doing all the work! Is it actually possible to feel for a mechanical thing what I am feeling? It has to be! If she bails out on me, this could very well mean my end depending how she decides to quit. The scenarios are endless and the outcome of every single one of them really spooks me. I have always been proud to say I am not afraid of being alone. But THIS gives a new meaning to the word isolation.
I decide to change the tape playing in my head because I know what it can do to one person. Doubts set in, fears sows fear and before you know it you make a mistake that is last. Out here IT CANNOT AND WILL NOT HAPPEN!

I walk to Frosty and ask her to wake up. I sweep the snow off her and break the ice of the seat. I am still convinced she can hear me. I caress her and ask to come to life for me. One more time again! As I hit the start button, she turns but will not fire. She hesitates a few times, probably because she has low grade in her ( I am sorry Frosty that is all I could find) and it does not light up the way it does normally. After a few tries she comes to life without a funny sound or anything. She is purring quietly in the cold Labrador morning air and I can hear her wake up just like I.
I go inside and start to load her up as she warms up. This takes about 15-20 minutes.

It is a ritual I have learned from last year!
I go in, suit up real good and take off! I am on my way to Tim’s. As I make my way there I know it is freaking cold cause I can hear the squeaking of the snow under my tires. I make it to Tim’s and as I get off, I realize within one minute that even with my gloves I can feel the cold. I will not go in and turn Frosty off, nor will I leave her running all alone outside while I am sipping on some decaf! I take a picture of her proudly idling inform of the most north easterly Tim’s in Canada and I take off.

Ice and nothing but ice everywhere! As I climb the first hills coming out of Goose bay I look at my thermometer on my tank bag and it reads -43. This will be the last time it will show something. I guess one year plus this cold is all the battery could take.
Within half an hour I am starting to worry. The cold is intense and so far I am ok except for my feet that I keep moving. But I am worried about Frosty and what can go wrong. I do not want to be stranded around these parts any more than the Pope wants to be caught in whore house!

I quickly realize I will have to stop every 15 minutes in order to do my cold bacon dance and move my feet! After doing this a couple of times I also know I am in deep shit in so many other ways it is not even funny!
First I have to take a leak! My suit is frozen solid on me and it is hard to undo the zipper. I will not take the chance and than break it. So I lift my coat, undo my zip from the bottom and “Holy crap! Where is it?” oh! There it is! Then quickly reverse the process. By now, my fingers a frozen! I put my gloves on but they are too cold and I cannot do what I normally do which is to tuck my gloves under my sleeve.
I take off one glove and put it over the muffler tip so the exhaust goes in and warm it up!

Hmm! That works! Cool! now I get back on frosty and within 5 minutes I have to stop.
As good as this helmet is it has one flaw. The mask sits well over my mouth but because some air makes it in in an otherwise sealed environment that is warmer than outside, a thin layer of crystals is starting to build up! I have to scrape it with my gloves every 2-3 minutes. Otherwise I cannot see anymore. I try to compensate by riding with my visor cracked open but within 30 seconds my exposed skin is stinging like hell! Stinging means frost bite. No good!
I develop another technique. I have some towels in my hack. I put one in my tank bag. When I stop to wiggle my feet for a few minutes I wrap the towel around the exhaust canister. After a couple of minutes I take towel, bunch it up and stuff inside my helmet (With my head in) and as I stuff it in I rub it on the inside of the shield and close it. The layer of ice melts. I wipe it dry and move on!
There is something special about the fresh smell of exhaust in your helmet, every half hour in the morning! Now the next time I stop my heart almost stops. My feet need wiggling, I can’t see and there is a puddle of oil under Frosty!
Remember my engine case breather return that freezes and sends the back pressure out through a vent problem? Well! I had come up with a solution which is to run an extra line of vent from the engine to under the seat and terminate it with a small K&N filter.
The idea works but with the mild weather we had I had forgotten to plug it in. Now what! I can take a picture with my gloves on but I cannot work small tools.

I need my fingers to unscrew small screws and to work my tools.
I am literally dancing on the road as I try to figure what is next! I have no choice!
I whip the tool kit out and state while I am leaving frosty running. As I work my way in my fingers get frozen. I walk back and heat them up with the muffler. Meanwhile I am dancing to make sure my feet are ok. The rest of my body is fine but the anxiety is starting to get the best of me. I drop everything and I walk away thinking things I really cannot print. One of them is “Where is the F%$#& help button?” then I catch myself and calm down. After about a 5 minute walk I go back to Frosty! She is spewing oil and needs me to connect that other line.

I get all the right tools out and one step at the time eventually disconnects the stock line and reconnects the custom one. Normally at home this takes about 1 minute the way I got it designed. But in these conditions it takes me about half an hour.
I cannot help but think how horrible it would be to be stranded in here! I have been on the road for 2 hours by now and have not seen a soul.
I repack my tools, reheat my hands, warm up my feet and take off! There is 285 kms between Goose Bay and Churchill falls! I am trembling because I have on what I have always worn. 1 t-shirt, my long sleeve military spec under garment and my jacket. Down I have one pair of sock and my long fleece underwear and my pants.
I have more stuff but I have nowhere to stop to put some more on and if I try on the side of the road I will not be able to warm up again and then only go downhill from there. Churchill Falls is still about 130 Kms away! At 70 km/h I will be there in 2 hours at least!
The tripmeter is showing 155 kms when the reserve light comes on! I have been making less than half the 88 MPG I normally have on average!
Maudit colisse de tabarnac de niaiserie de cochonnerie de colisse! Why don’t you give me a F%^$# break for a bit. I am not saying this to Frosty! I am just whining!

I pull over and untie the 2 gallons Jerry can on the side of the hack and I come to turn Frosty off but the key will not turn. It is frozen in the lock!
AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!Tabarnac the AARRGGHHHHH!

I drop the can and walk away! “Calm down Paul! You will make stupid mistakes if you keep this up! It is all ok so far! Think! Think!” my spare key is buried in my luggage! And even if it was in my wallet I would not take my gloves off unless I absolutely have to.
Ding! Ding! An idea comes to mind. I take off the tank bag and as I lift up my jacket and reach for my zipper I say “Forgive me Frosty” as I am about to pee on her!
This will thaw out the lock! But I suddenly remember something. The guys at BMW Toronto gave me a little spray bottle of WURTH de-icer.
I reach in the left pannier and there it is! I spray it on and TaaDahhhh! Out comes the key! I was so happy I did not have to pee on Frosty! I refuel and take off again! About 10 minutes later my face is hurting!

Here is why! I have freaking popsicle growing out of my face! And they are stuck on my helmet liner as well! Every time I frown or something I pull my brows, plus the shield is freezing inside still and so is my exposed skin. How far to Churchill Falls? Still not t soul in sight!
I take this picture

And then of my face and the camera dies! The battery is fully charged from this morning and it is gone already! “Battery exhausted” reads the display!
Battery exhausted? What the F%$&# “what do you think my F%$# meter is saying you F%$@!& piece of shit! Let me show you exhausted when I shove you up some dead caribou’s ass so you warm up. I am out here trying to have fun and fighting this with al I have and you give up on me because of the little bit of fu…. Cold you feel from within the tank bag you ugly stinking piece of tabarnac de shit! $1500.00 for you?
“Calm down Paul! Calm Down! I am sure the animals who are hearing me scream from within my helmet are wondering! 2 caribous on the side of the road are having the following F5^&%$ conversation

Hey Joe! Isn’t that guy normally carrying a gun?
Yeah!
Why is he talking to himself and his camera?
Don’t know! Maybe it is a new gun!
I don’t know but if it is I do not think we are his target!
Yeah! You’re right! I think he sounds like he is his own target!

Something cool happened this time as I was talking to my camera. I realized that my temperature was going up and I felt warm! HMMMMM! I knew that!
So for the next 100 something kms I was dancing and screaming on my bike and in my helmet.
I made it to Churchill falls where I fuelled up and went to the restaurant at the Hotel.
From there I could see Churchill Falls pretty much closed on this Sunday. I wolfed down a bowl of turkey soup and a large French Fries with Gravy! I need the freaking protein!

I stopped quivering after about half an hour and I went down and got another pair of socks and a long sleeve sweater. Put my new life saving layers on and went outside. Damn! It cooled down a few degrees I am sure since I came in as the sun is slowly making his way into the Pacific.

I take off from Churchill Falls and as I ride past the Ultramar for the 4th time in 3 days the guys’ wave at me. I wave back and go back on 500 for the last 240 kms to Labrador City!
By now it has to be at least -45, -48. At least that is what the locals tell me in Churchill Falls. But I am now warmer and refreshed.
While I was having a quick light lunch,(Yeah! Yeah!) I reminded myself to not let the isolation and the thought of what if get the best of me.

Even though the thoughts were there I quickly replaced them with how lucky I am to be able to see this from my helmet’s point of view

Churchill River drained and sleeping

Sunsets that can only be seen and felt here at this time of the year. The magnitude of the TLH mixed with the isolation make for an experience that can only be lived. No words or explanation could ever come close to produce or duplicate what I felt as I was watching the sun go down on my cold world that night! I was reminded of Ian and Dad and how much they would cheer me for me if they were here to witness this.

When I stopped to take a picture of that one, which was to be the last one after my camera warmed up in Churchill, I sat on the snow bank and took a deep breath and started to cry! Yep!
There was something about the ice shining on the road, the sun disappearing slowly, the cold whipping my face so hard it hurt and the thought that all this could be taken away from me in an instant that soothed me. And suddenly? Calm came!
I am sure we all can remember a time when the rawness of a single moment carved a deep mark in us! A mark that leaves a scar! A good scar! A scar that reminds us how precious life is and how fragile it is at the same time. And that it is in this conflict of logic that we spend our lives deciding what we WILL do and WILL not do!
I looked up and I could feel my tears freeze on the layer of ice that had already welded my beard to my baklava as they fell down and I smiled!

From that mile marker on the TLH till I hit Labrador City I was in the moment and not it on top of me. I could still feel the cold but now I was lucky to be able to feel it. I still had to stop to move my feet but now I was lucky to be able to walk and to just that!
My back was killing me because the roughness of this road had beaten to a pulp, but I was happy to feel it and thinking that I would not have any trouble finding someone who is wheelchair bound who would give their life to feel what I was at that very moment.

Then it dawned on me! THIS is why I am out here! I have always answered “Why not?” when asked why I do this! This answer also included “To feel”.
As simple as that! To feel! As I rode I felt Ian and dad were riding right beside me!
And somehow I also felt like I felt last year when I said I felt “You” on the pillion seat.
Since this morning this 535 kms from Goose Bay to Labrador city was a challenge but at that moment it was more than that! It was something I had and wanted to enjoy because no matter how hard it would be, I will never go on ride like this again!
Amazing what the right perspective can do to one’s heart!

I made it to Labrador city by 7:30 where I met Wayne! Wayne is the manager of the Hewitt Caterpillar branch in Labrador City! He was driving on the road when quote” I saw these 2 lights thinking “Nooooooo This can’t be! And I turned around to come and see it myself!
As I was fuelling at the Shell on Premium ( I could hear Frosty say “Thanks”) Wayne came to me and started chatting and asked me where I was going and if I knew about the -55 tomorrow and he offered me to shelter Frosty in his shop for as long as I need and that he would give me a ride back to and from the hotel if needed!

Here she is with the Hewitt Caterpillar crew. Fine people! Typical happy going Labradorean/Newfoundlander! Thank God for them!

Here is Frosty taking a warm break standing in front of her grandfather 250 tonne dump truck 2000 HP Cat engine. I am sure she asked him all sorts of questions on how to safely use her power to take me safely home
I know she felt safe being guarded by him all night! This morning I fixed her up, lubed her up and thanked her again for carrying me through this again! I also asked her to rest the whole day because tomorrow will be the hardest day she will ever go through! The forecast calls for -50 again and I will attempt to make to Baie-Comeau.

We are going to sleep now!!

Jan. 21st
Labrador City
It is -55 degrees

Not going anywhere! How do you spell freaking cold ah yeah!

H——O——L——–Y S———H————I—————T!!!

That is how! I am sure you can freeze the balls of a brass monkey!. I decided to not go anywhere because this is too dangerous! Even people in here who are chatting with me say it would be too dangerous or insane (Same) to leave. I also have to be honest about the fact that I do not know what it would do to Frosty! Wayne the fellow who has my kept her in his caterpillar shop comes to get me and we go for breakfast! I tell him I am not leaving and he agrees 100%. I still go to the shop where I lube Frosty’s chain and check her out, then Wayne gives me a ride back to the hotel and after I take 2 sleeping pills I comatose till 5:00 PM. Mike Power the CBC radio fellow phones me and asks me to come over for diner. Great guy! He whips together a batch of Ravioli ad a Caesar salad, a bottle of wine (No I do not drink but somehow I keep being corrupted!
Great evening and great company! At 10 PM I go back to my room because I am leaving tomorrow morning. It s supposed to be warmer. -50 instead of -54C
7:00 Am comes in quickly. I look outside and it looks like frozen hell. I can hear the squeaking of the snow under the cars’ tires from my room! DAMN! I get dressed and I wait for Wayne. My little angel on my right shoulder keeps yelling at me to stay here and the other like Drift 10 keeps telling “Ah come on you Panzie!” This morning is one of these mornings where my pride is located in the wrong place. If I only wait till Thursday they forecast -24. Much better! But NooooooH I have to go.
Wayne comes and picks me up. He has trouble believing I am leaving but he still backs me up! When I get to the Cat shop they are all there waiting for me! Great bunch!

They have given me a nice Hewitt Sticker that I promptly put on Frosty! She is getting the one and only swipe of a clean rag she will get in the whole trip. Cat Sticker! That has to make her proud and feel stronger right???
As I leave the warmth of the Shop I hit outside and the cold almost take my breath away!

It is about 4 clicks to the Two Seasons inn and by the time I reach it I have frost on my brows. Holy crap! What the hell am I thinking? The receptionist had made me promise to come back to see her and take pictures when she starts her shift with Frosty and I. The least I can do is oblige!

After I leave the hotel I go to CBC radio where Mike wants to give me another interview. This time the folks at CBC Radio in St- John’s NL want me to compare the 2 highways!

I have to say that the Labrador Hwy in winter makes the NL hwy look like kindergarten stuff. The reason is the isolation. Both are incredible. Both are in Labrador/ NL which is hone to the most hospitable and friendly people in the world. We could all learn from them.
So after taking a couple of pictures I take off toward Baie-Comeau! I realize quickly what -51 feels like as for some reason a layer of ice builds up instantly on the inside of my visor! (I will come back to this later! It is 28 kms from Lab City to Fermont and it feels like 500! Oh Crap! I am not done yet! Right away I am thinking that my decision to leave might not be a good idea! But I can hear my little devil’s voice saying “Kam on! You Kan do it!!”
By the time I reach Fire Lake where the road criss crosses the railroad track for about 65 kms I know I am in for a hell of a ride. Even though my feet are not cold and neither is my body I am already shaking. It takes a while for my body to readapt after being stopped for 2 days! My wheels turn and the tires feel like they are made of metal. The Ohlins shock feels like it is a cheap one until it warms up. What amazes me the most is that the bike has not broken in half already with all the pounding and shrinking metal in that cold weather?
I stop by the mine entrance where they line the road with the big tires to protect the road (If you can call that a road!) from the wind and drifting snow.

It sure feels like -51.
As I stop and get off the bike I realize that my suit is as stiff as a board. When I left 40 minutes ago it was dry but somehow it feels like the moisture in the air freezes on contact and makes the material feel like metal.
I take off as it takes all I have to stop that long and stand this. Within another 15 minutes I cannot se anymore! The layer of ice is too thick inside my visor. I lift the visor to scrape it off and in about 3 nano freaking seconds my fingers freeze. On the tips. Oh MY GAWD! I stop and I put my hands in front of the muffler. HMMMMM! That is not too hot! I take off my glove and the exhaust is warm. So I put my hand in front of it wrapped around it as I also shoot warmish gases in my glove! Put my glove back on and I am ok! I lean over and direct the heat of the muffler on my closed visor! Dammit! Barely enough to make the ice melt. I scrape off the now almost not as freaking hard ice off the inside of my helmet with the towel that is wrapped around my camera in my tank bag and I heard my camera say ‘Es tu fou tabarnac? Prends ta proper guenille trou du cul! Je gele icitte aussi troupion!” Roughly translated? Take your own rag you asshole! I am freezing here too you moron!
This will go on every 15 minutes where I have to stop. Plus to make matters worse I have the sun straight in my face! I cannot see shit and there is hardly a piece of straight road! Scary! I scared myself silly or should I say shitless a few times. First! I am going down the twisties at about 20 km/h and I cannot see 10 feet ahead of me. I lift my shield, my face stings instantly; I line up the bike and go another 50 feet. Pretty freaking tiring! To be honest with you I should have turned around right there and then! So as I am about to reopen my shield again? I am coming to a railroad track but there is a train going by! I am about 40 feet from it. I hit the rear brakes as I have learned a long time ago that when you travel on the bike in winter you have no front brakes! But I am not going to stop on time. So I turn right and make my sidecar wheel hit the snow bank! This stopped the rig plenty of time ahead of the track. “Shit! Shit! Shit! This is what my vocabulary will dwindle down to for the next 8 to 10 hours!
I get off the bike again and perform my half ass defrosting circus again! By this time I have started my frozen bacon dance as well!
I take off again! The wind picks up, the drifting snow blinds me most of the time on a poiece of road where and when you need 100% of your vision. By this time my eyes are hurting and watering, my face is burning and I am freaked. But being the good moron I can be I keep going!
I have only about 100 kms done at this time so I could turn around! But nope! As the snow is blinding me and my senses are slowly fading away into a sea of blurred cussing and eyes balls feeling like your scraped nuts in a jar of vinegar I get into a curve and TaaDaah! Right in front of me is a rig in my lane! He has no choice! The road is narrow and he could not see me coming like if I had bee another rig! Plus I am the last thing he expects. I saw his hands turn the steering wheel to the left and I cleared the tractor. But I have another 53 feet of the 40 tons rig coming toward me and it looks like we are about to make contact. I slide my rig’s rear end away from him and then gun it! It pulls me away from the rig but in the opposite direction I am supposed to turn. I am thinking “I will be ok if I hit the snow bank!” So far so good my front end is clearing him! I think! I can see his wheels sliding as well and I am sure he is hoping as hard as I am! As the rear end of the trailer is going by me I am squinting and going “OHHHHHHH SHIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTT!” and I skimmed the tail end of it! I shit you not there was not enough room between his trailer and my handlebar to slide an ass hair. I know I can feel every strand in a puckering moment like this. Pucker factor of 9.89 out of 10 aside! This was too much! I stopped when I could on the side and walked around a bit. After about 5 minutes and talking to myself I kept on going. So far so good! 120 kms out of 270 clicks to Relais Gabriel! And another 240 to Baie Comeau and so far I have almost died 2 times. I am losing my sight, my nerves are shut, my body feels like it is carrying about 3 tons and my mind is laughing at me. Please God let me make to Relais Gabriel!
By the time I reach it I am beyond any level of exhaustion I have ever felt! I fuel my bike and than wobble my way in the restaurant in the Pourvoirie/hotel where folks remember me and are happy to see I made it. No one is freaking happier than me at this time.

Years ago I jumped out of a deuce and a half at 60 MPH while I was on an exercise with the army because I did not want to be in the field for 3 months. I preferred the idea of a broken leg than the idea of living in mud and tranches for 3 months. Well I did not break a damn thing and I stayed there! This was one of my memorable stupid moves in my life that I will always cherish as a major DUH moment. This was smarter than what I am doing and doing to myself now!
As I shiver of broken nerves and stress while I am having a bowl of life giving soup I realize my neck hurts. I touch and feel some kind of thick hard patch on my throat! I go look on the mirror and somehow I have a really bad frostbite right on my Adam’s apple!
Hmm! That will last a while! 4 days later I still have it! It is not as sensitive as it was before but now it is turning white. Healing maybe??

Anyway! I spend about an hour in Relais Gabriel and I put on one more pair of socks and one more layer on top. The guys who operate the grader between mile marker 200 and 253 take a picture of me thinking I am nuts! It is s a bit warmer in here. The temp has gone down to about -30 something. Not bad! But I am exhausted and I somehow decide to make it to Manic 5 Motel de l’Energie where I will fuel and have some food!
By the time I reach Manic 5 I can hardly see, my face is burnt and I am so tense I cannot stop shivering. At the cafeteria there is a bunch of truckers who tell me that they were all following me and that they knew at all times where I was! They took pictures of me as I went by. Hydro Quebec, Telus, and other workers are there! There must be 40 people in there ands we are all sitting close to each other where we laugh and have a hell of a good time! This was the medicine I needed. I handed out about 40 of my business cards and address and info to all and after a good bowl of soup. A serving of road camaraderie and a plate of laughter topped with a thick layer of care, I made my way out to Frosty ready for the last stretch.
By the time I am back on the road I am starting to talk to myself all the time. Pep talk I guess! The road is dark and lonely. The sun has gone down and I know I got another 3 hours to Baie-Comeau where a bed in Los Tabarnacos’s house is waiting for me! At times I am thinking that it is if I make it there!

The road is rough beyond anything I have ever done. Every bump sends a radiating pain down my back. My back is in so much pain I know that I cannot get off my bike anymore. All I can do is wiggle a bit; suck in my abdominal muscles for a few seconds to alleviate the pressure off my spine.
Rene (Los Tabarnacos) has asked me to send a “I am OK” signal when I reach manic 2 so he can meet me at the Labrador road entrance and escort me home. I sure hope he will be there.
1 kilometre at the time I am coming up and down that road. By the time I have about 100 kms left to do, it is a battle of the mind over the body! Anyone who knows me will tell you! I can take pain! And I can heal from anything very quickly! But now at 6 PM in the middle of this I am not sure anymore!

I have started crying a while ago! At time si have to stop, walk around and wipe my eyes because I cannot see because of the ice! I suddenly realized when I took my helmet off in the middle of nowhere to shock me and wake me up that I forgot to put my paper filter in my breathing mask. And that as I breathe new air in, the moisture/water that is sitting in my mask, comes backing my mask and crystallizes causing it to stick to the warm plastic inside my shield and build up.
After standing on the road with no helmet for about 5 minutes I have enough. I have stopped crying and I have to put it back on!
I am shocked enough to last abut 10 minutes then I start balling and shaking again!

I HAVE REACHED MY LIMITS AND ANYYHING MORE THAN THIS FOR ME IS UNKNOWN TERRITORY.
My body is slowly shutting down! I can feel my guts cooling off! This is not good because in times of cold and stress the body redirects all blood flow to the core for the organs to function. My feet and fingers are not frozen but they are numb and I KNOW I AM SHUTTING DOWN! The exhaustion finally got to me. By the time I realize this I have about an hour to go and it is hard to keep telling myself “Come on Paul! You can make it! “Don’t you dare give up on my you piece of shit! Not now! Wait! Hold on! You did not make it this fucking far to be found an hour away from your goal!
I know it sounds foolish and some (Macho) guys would not say this but I could not stop crying. If someone had heard me as they went by they would have forced me to stop.
I finally made it to the intersection of 389 where Rene was! He saw quickly as I was crying and barely hanging on that we had to go home now! He said “Hold on a bit longer buddy! We are almost there! (Shit I am crying as I write this!)
When I got to Rene’s driveway there was police cruiser with his siren on behind me! I turned off Frosty. Collapsed on the tank bag and sobbed like a baby. I was shaking, shivering out of control. This lasted about 5- 10 minutes while Rene was talking to the police officers who where 2 young officers. Nice guys! They were just wondering about this nut out here in the cold at night.
When I got off Frosty I could not climb the stairs I was in such pain! I made it in and Rene took my boots off. I sat in the stairs and fell on my back in the entrance way with my back in the snow and THAT IS ALL SHE WROTE!

I stayed up for an hour having nice hot coffee and out in the coma I went.
I will write about my trip to Joliette later.

One word of advice! You want to do this trip in winter?? Don’t!

Click Here for the final chapter…

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