Headed north

With family obligations checked off., and a few days of nice weather to start off I decided to head north. I do usually do a solo trip in Oct. but it's only for a nite or two as it often in the mid 30's when I leave my house, topping out at maybe 50 during the afternoon.  This year is different as it way warmer.

Left the house at 7 am and headed up rt. 52 to Belfast, jumped on rt 1 on the outskirts of Bangor, and jumped on rt 95. Yes, that rt 95, the rt I refuse to use south of Bangor. Just above Bangor traffic does not thin out, it disappears. Speed limit is a respectful 75 mph, and well you are on your own to Houlton. I got off before that at the Millinocket exit and turned onto rt. 11, one of my favorite roads. Not white knuckle twisties, but a curvy, quiet road along a river for about 30 miles. Just outside of Patten I took a photo of the bike with Mount Katahdin in the background. Katahdin is in Baxter State Park. The benefactor of the park, Mr Baxter stipulated that motorcycles were to be prohibited. This was in the 1920's. Sheesh.

Stopped in Patten to gas up. Thete is no reliable gas for about the next 80 miles to Ashland. From there it's up to Fort Kent. From Patten to Fort Kent is about 114 miles of single lane, no breakdown lane, and more logging trucks than you will ever see again, so no stopping for beauty pics. Shame as the colors on the trees are peak.

Got to Madawaska to find my motel was deserted. Had a message on my phone that they had staffing issues, but I could have a room 2 miles out of town at another place. I was a bit disappointed as I usually like to park the bike and walk to dinner. Turned out 2 of the places I would usually go to were out of business, the other 2 are no longer open on Monday's. 

Madawaska was going through hard times when the timber industry moved on, but Edmunston across the river in Canada is about 20 times larger and was a huge user of goods and services here as everything was cheaper,gas groceries, whatever, and that kept a lot of people going on this side. Not now, as I stopped at the "new" border crossing to see where I needed to go tomorrow am. and did not see a single car in either direction for about 10 minutes. There used to be a line of cars each way waiting to cross. Shame, as I do like This area, hate to see it suffer. 

Have a room booked in Perce, on the Gaspe tomor  row. Weather, like today supposed to be nice. Rain on Wenesday and the temps might fall off the cliff. Will see if I can make it around the Gaspe  one more time (#7)

See if I get the order right.

1. 80 ish miles north of Bangor. 

2. Mount Katahdin in the distance. Never to be defiled by a motorcycle.

3. Fort Kent, the end of rt 11.

4. Full moon over St. Agatha Maine. Next door to my motel.

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Hope you get the weather we are getting on the 6th and today, almost 80F yesterday, mid 70F today, but be prepared this is crazy temps up here for this time of year and when this warm front is done so is the warm weather, big time

This was the full moon at the farm in Nova Scotia an hour after sunset on the 6th and still 70F 

You are correct, crazy weather for this time of year, so when I finished family obligations on Sunday, i chatted with my wife, i headed out early Monday, 

I'll post a proper next report later as I'm pretty used up at the moment. But will leave you with this.

And thanks, we think alike.

View from my room in Perce, Quebec

FromMaine, 10/7/2025 at 4:28 AM

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 I like the UK tax disc!

Sounds like a great ride, another country I'd like to ride a bike in!

Enjoy the miles!!

8 hours ago, Skids

 I like the UK tax disc!

Sounds like a great ride, another country I'd like to ride a bike in!

The tax disc came off my 91 VFR I had in Falmouth in 2015. The 8 spoke seen was on the same bike, so they're like siblings. 🙂 I took both when I sold the bike on. The new owner understood the tax disc as I think it was discontinued the year I sold the bike. Still don't think he understands why I had to have the rim....... 

Tuesday I was up a 6am, but waited a bit for the temps to rise. Finally around 8 ish I got on the bike and headed the mile to the border crossing. The old border crossing was replaced by a new very flashy one last year and I had not used it yet. It took me a full 10 minutes to figure out where I needed to be to get on the bridge to cross the river to Edmundston, there was no traffic, just me. I finally arrived about 0830 and formalities finished, chatted with the Customs guy for about 8-9 minutes as there was still no traffic. Madawaska isn't exactly the most happening place, but I had never seen the border crossing with zero traffic in both direction like today.

I headed out along rt. 144 instead of rt. 2 to rt. 17.  It's a one lane each way with a rather low speed limit, and no breakdown lane whatsoever. The few locals out on the road were clocking 1.5 times the limit, so I did also. Finally got to the head of the Baie des Chaleur and entered Quebec. Rt 132 is the only option. but its nice enough, and the drivers as everywhere in Atlantic Canada, are courteous.

Around Carleton I ran into construction. One lane each way. This was to happen about 10-11 times again before I reached Perce. It slowed things down considerably, but to be honest they did a good enough job to keep it to maybe a 8-10  min. delay at each stop.

Finally pulled into Perce and found my hotel was on the other side. I knew it was on a hill, but was not prepared for how big the hill was nor the final driveway. I stopped at the bottom and had a look. Finally I just walked up to the hotel as the gravel did not look promising. As I was speaking to the girl at check in, the owner came over. He mentioned they had just had the driveway covered in new gravel, and he was a bit miffed as it was not pea gravel, but more marshmallow size, and it was laid on to thick. 

I had confirmed this on my walk up, so I left the bike at the bottom and in the end just carried my saddlebags up.

I have to say this is one of the nicest motels I have ever stayed in. The owner, staff, view, and room were all top notch. The driveway was just a minor inconvenience.

Took a walk into town, about a mile. Lots of places closed, but managed to find a meal, and bought a few beers for the room. I was out by about 9ish.

1. Just inside Quebec at the head of the Baie des Chaleur.

2. Rt 132. Baie des Chaler.

3. Ditto

4 Perce Rock.

5. Le driveway. The spot at the bottom on the left is my bike.

6. View from the room.

7. Halfway back to the motel after walking into town.

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Great ride report so far!  Thanks.

Well got side tracked. Will try to finish this up.

It had rained the night before and was a steady drizzle at 38F as I pulled pulled out onto rt 132. Almost immediately i saw the construction sign and stop sign. Not sure how to describe it, but I was at the crest of a blind hill, no tarmac just gravel and could not see more than maybe 100-150 ft before, well nothing. Found out later this hill is a 17% grade, yikes.

One of the workers walked up towards me. Monsiuer, Attention, Frais! then kicked into the gravel to show it was indeed fresh, unpacked gravel, then waved me on. It was steep enough I used a bit of throttle to start out, then just kinda coasted and just used my clutch to slow when needed. It was just about a kilometer like this and I was painfully slow. The car behind me was far enough behind to clearly show its not "if" this guy dumps it, but "when". As I came up to the end of the gravel, all I saw was mud, about 1" on the road. Of course rain, fresh gravel, 17% grade will do that. No gas, bumped onto the tarmac and was fine for a second or 2, then the rear started to come around to the right, so a little gas, and kinda got straight for a second or two, then repeat until clear. To be perfectly honest, I am that guy who on a nice sunny day, in a perfectly level and maintained parking lot has dumped his bike. I really have no idea how I did not that morning. A whole 2 kms after turning onto 132, I wanted a break.🙂

No where to pull off so keep going. Ran into more constructionup near the town of Gaspe and stopped to chat briefly with a Mountie. Who confirmed, yes there is more on 132. So looking g at my map, I decided to cut the corner of the peninsula and take 198, a long lonely road I was last on maybe 20 years ago. Things hadn't changed much as I saw the signs, no services next 85 km, in fact there is only one town, Murdochville before you reach 132 again.

About 50 kms in I still the only person on the road when I saw the construction sign. There was a car in front of me, he had been there a while. I was obvious the were improving the sightlines on the road by cutting back abot 50 ft either side. This involve cutting about half a billion trees it seems. Eventually just shy of 50 minutes later we were on our way, behind an escort vehicle, it took a while. 

I stopped for gas at Cap-Chat. The road between the junction of 132/198 and there is beautiful. My hands were so numb by then, I stepped in side this 2 pump station to warm them up and dry my hands so I could put a different pair of gloves on. I came out to see a school bus oariently parked behind my bike waiting to get to the sole diesel pump. I made a quick apology the thr driver and headed off.

There was more rain, construction, cold, a bit of highway, occasional nice views, then I finally made it to my destination, Riviere du Loup, which my schoolboy French says is Wolf River. My motel was old school one story, but I could not find where to check in, in the dark. The was a St.Hubert restaurant directly attached to it so I parked outside and walked in to enquire. The restaurant was paced at a bit after 7:00, they were a sit down with a bar and was about to go ask a hostess where to check in when I looked straight in front of me, the register to my right said take out orders, to the left said motel reception. Well thar was a first.

Finally in front of my room, I put the kickstand down over 10 hours after leaving Perce, and the door next to mine opened. He was Tom, an older guy from Nova Scotia, started asking questions and telling me about his Harley and FJR. He eventually noticed my CAF look and said, you must be ready for a hot shower. He was right.

After getting cleaned up and warm I walked across the road to a Normandin restaurant. I ordered a bowl of soup, Burger and a beer as big as my head. Finished with the food and nursing my beer, I reach fir my phone. It wasn't there. I tried to remember when I would have lost it till it dawned on me, it was still in my tank bag in a plastic bag where I put it this am. It was one of those days. The old saying is, "pics or it didn't happen" Guess i have to say this time, "It happened, therefore no pics"

😁

Wow, that sounds like a real day m8. We've probably all had something similar but it's still riveting to read it. I was thinking you were going to say you had dropped her, thank goodness I didn't read that. 

You know it happened, pictures or not. Keep it coming.  :beer: