mehaffydr
Well-known member
Trip Report Great Lakes 100
This all got started because I am running in the 2010 IBR5K I recently did the Your not Superman and decided I needed a better longer warm up before the IBR. I needed some kind of goal so I checked out the IBA website and decided on the Great Lakes 100 because I thought I would have cooler temps. I have never ridden in Canada and Thought the scenery would be nice.. So on Tuesday I started the plan mapped it out on Map source and decided a route. I decided to start at home near St.Louis Mo. Most people would go up to the lake area first and then start but I mapped it and came up with about 3100 miles. So very doable in 100 hours.
First Day Saturday morning set alarm for 05:00 get together and pull out about 05:45. I head to starting Gas station and get receipt showing 05:50 My official start time. I head through St. Louis and get on I-55 North. I take this to I-39 North into Wisconsin. I then take I-94 to Eau Clair WI. Where I had to abandon the Interstate for smaller Highway. I had made really good time so far with minimal stops. I get onto 53 North to Superior Wisconsin Which is a Mandatory stop to get receipt City for this ride. I roll in at 17:48 at this point having over 700 miles behind me. For the first day I had decided to stop in Thunder bay Ontario Canada. I wanted to get to Thunder bay thinking it would be good to do the border crossing late so there would be minimal waiting. This plan worked Great I was the only one there and it took all of about 5 min. to get through. I was off the Comfort Inn in Thunder bay After stopping at a little roadside shack for fresh Walley. Yum Yum
Day 2 Get up at 05:00 and get loaded So Before the boarder crossing I had to stash the Radar Detector as they are not permitted in Canada and they have some LOWWWW speed limits. So I new I would have to work hard to make good miles today. No Interstates on the north side off Lake Superior. I head to the gas station because I need a receipt from Thunder bay this is also a Mandatory stop. On this day the plan is to go East along Lake Superior on Canada 17 to Sudbury Ontario which is also a Mandatory stop area. As I was approaching Sudbury I noticed a FJR along the road and politely waved and continued on. At the next light along came the FJR. The rider introduced himself and knew who I was . What a surprise. I was asking how do you know me and he explained he had been watching me on the spot Walla page. He offered an escort to a convenient Gas station he was familiar with. So I gladly followed. He lead me to gas and then I followed him for a few miles until he needed to turn off and head for home. I headed south on Hwy 69 to Hwy 400 into Toronto Ca. I went this way in attempt to meet up with a business acquaintance . Well as I got close to Toronto I stopped to call and discovered my cell phone was dead. That is the only way I could get his number. So I decide to just get a room get some sleep and head out in the morning. It is now 22:00 So I check GPS for hotels and see a Holiday Inn Express and a Comfort Inn so I think this might work so I head there its only about 3 miles away. I go to the Holiday Inn and they have a room great time to sleep. I turn on computer to check email and end up on the Forum looking at the post about my ride and see that I am in the Nastiest badest *** neighborhood in all of Canada. OH ****. At first I consider loading up and moving and just forfeiting my money but that’s to extreme so I move my bike under the front awning, and hope for the best, I had pizza delivered I was not going out that’s for sure.
Day 3 didn’t sleep good and get up at 04:30 get packed and go down to find my FJR is still there. Load up and get on the road. This was kind of a difficult day I felt tired all day and had to stop a lot to keep awake. I headed East from Toronto to the 1000 Lakes area to cross back into the US. This crossing was much slower than the first one. I had to wait in line awhile and then the boarder guards were a little more interested in my Tanji Fuel Cell and my many electronics. But they were nice and let me on through. My next stop was to be Watertown NY. another mandatory stop city. Got my receipt and headed West toward Buffalo NY. on I-90
As I was passing Buffalo it was difficult not to go see Niagara falls but I was on the backstretch and didnt want to deal with Buffalo so I motored on. I then stopped just outside of Cleveland OH. another Mandatory stop. My last one. It was then south on I-71 To Columbus and then onto I-70 west toward St. Louis. At this point it is about 22:00 and I am tired. My GPS says home at 02:00. I checked my hours and had plenty of time to complete ride in the 100 hours so I stop in Springfield OH. for the night. Get a good dinner at Bob Evens and get some sleep.
Day 4 get up at 05:00 and get on the road around 06:00 heading west on I-70. This is just a morning of slabbin through Indiana and Illinois flat land. I stop just outside of St. Louis for lunch and then deal with some nasty traffic getting into St. Louis. I head for my original start gas station for my ending receipt at 18:03. That’s 84 hrs 13 min. Total time well under the 100 allowed and being I started and ended in St. Louis I think it all went well.
Afterthoughts. The Canada area north of Lake Superior is some premium riding other than the low speed limits. The weather was great the whole ride actually even a little cool at night in Canada. The boarder crossing went well I think the time of day was important. Toll transponder saves much time. I might have to do this again with a fishing rod. I would suggest this ride to anyone looking for a nice ride with an IBA cert.
This is a link to the spotwalla map Sotwalla
This all got started because I am running in the 2010 IBR5K I recently did the Your not Superman and decided I needed a better longer warm up before the IBR. I needed some kind of goal so I checked out the IBA website and decided on the Great Lakes 100 because I thought I would have cooler temps. I have never ridden in Canada and Thought the scenery would be nice.. So on Tuesday I started the plan mapped it out on Map source and decided a route. I decided to start at home near St.Louis Mo. Most people would go up to the lake area first and then start but I mapped it and came up with about 3100 miles. So very doable in 100 hours.
First Day Saturday morning set alarm for 05:00 get together and pull out about 05:45. I head to starting Gas station and get receipt showing 05:50 My official start time. I head through St. Louis and get on I-55 North. I take this to I-39 North into Wisconsin. I then take I-94 to Eau Clair WI. Where I had to abandon the Interstate for smaller Highway. I had made really good time so far with minimal stops. I get onto 53 North to Superior Wisconsin Which is a Mandatory stop to get receipt City for this ride. I roll in at 17:48 at this point having over 700 miles behind me. For the first day I had decided to stop in Thunder bay Ontario Canada. I wanted to get to Thunder bay thinking it would be good to do the border crossing late so there would be minimal waiting. This plan worked Great I was the only one there and it took all of about 5 min. to get through. I was off the Comfort Inn in Thunder bay After stopping at a little roadside shack for fresh Walley. Yum Yum
Day 2 Get up at 05:00 and get loaded So Before the boarder crossing I had to stash the Radar Detector as they are not permitted in Canada and they have some LOWWWW speed limits. So I new I would have to work hard to make good miles today. No Interstates on the north side off Lake Superior. I head to the gas station because I need a receipt from Thunder bay this is also a Mandatory stop. On this day the plan is to go East along Lake Superior on Canada 17 to Sudbury Ontario which is also a Mandatory stop area. As I was approaching Sudbury I noticed a FJR along the road and politely waved and continued on. At the next light along came the FJR. The rider introduced himself and knew who I was . What a surprise. I was asking how do you know me and he explained he had been watching me on the spot Walla page. He offered an escort to a convenient Gas station he was familiar with. So I gladly followed. He lead me to gas and then I followed him for a few miles until he needed to turn off and head for home. I headed south on Hwy 69 to Hwy 400 into Toronto Ca. I went this way in attempt to meet up with a business acquaintance . Well as I got close to Toronto I stopped to call and discovered my cell phone was dead. That is the only way I could get his number. So I decide to just get a room get some sleep and head out in the morning. It is now 22:00 So I check GPS for hotels and see a Holiday Inn Express and a Comfort Inn so I think this might work so I head there its only about 3 miles away. I go to the Holiday Inn and they have a room great time to sleep. I turn on computer to check email and end up on the Forum looking at the post about my ride and see that I am in the Nastiest badest *** neighborhood in all of Canada. OH ****. At first I consider loading up and moving and just forfeiting my money but that’s to extreme so I move my bike under the front awning, and hope for the best, I had pizza delivered I was not going out that’s for sure.
Day 3 didn’t sleep good and get up at 04:30 get packed and go down to find my FJR is still there. Load up and get on the road. This was kind of a difficult day I felt tired all day and had to stop a lot to keep awake. I headed East from Toronto to the 1000 Lakes area to cross back into the US. This crossing was much slower than the first one. I had to wait in line awhile and then the boarder guards were a little more interested in my Tanji Fuel Cell and my many electronics. But they were nice and let me on through. My next stop was to be Watertown NY. another mandatory stop city. Got my receipt and headed West toward Buffalo NY. on I-90
As I was passing Buffalo it was difficult not to go see Niagara falls but I was on the backstretch and didnt want to deal with Buffalo so I motored on. I then stopped just outside of Cleveland OH. another Mandatory stop. My last one. It was then south on I-71 To Columbus and then onto I-70 west toward St. Louis. At this point it is about 22:00 and I am tired. My GPS says home at 02:00. I checked my hours and had plenty of time to complete ride in the 100 hours so I stop in Springfield OH. for the night. Get a good dinner at Bob Evens and get some sleep.
Day 4 get up at 05:00 and get on the road around 06:00 heading west on I-70. This is just a morning of slabbin through Indiana and Illinois flat land. I stop just outside of St. Louis for lunch and then deal with some nasty traffic getting into St. Louis. I head for my original start gas station for my ending receipt at 18:03. That’s 84 hrs 13 min. Total time well under the 100 allowed and being I started and ended in St. Louis I think it all went well.
Afterthoughts. The Canada area north of Lake Superior is some premium riding other than the low speed limits. The weather was great the whole ride actually even a little cool at night in Canada. The boarder crossing went well I think the time of day was important. Toll transponder saves much time. I might have to do this again with a fishing rod. I would suggest this ride to anyone looking for a nice ride with an IBA cert.
This is a link to the spotwalla map Sotwalla
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