Hermit
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2020 Rides

Caution!Next oil change: 84,700 miles.

Tip!2020 Cumulative mileage: 3,350 miles

Tip!November cumulative mileage: 148 miles.

November 12, 2020

Start: 85,022 Trip: 12 miles 4pm, 5C

Short ride down to Amy and back. Stopped to watch tail end of a spectacular sunset from Charlotte Chamitof's driveway: Brilliant reddish-orange sky and horizion, with sun going down behind Owl's Head.

November 11, 2020

Start: 84,996 Trip: 26 miles

Under Bunker to Amy, Amy to ch Boynton, Boynton to Dustin, Dustin to Brown's Hill, Brown's Hill to Amy, Amy to Under Bunker. This is a great scenic route! Lake Massawippi at one end and Lake Memphremagog (Fitch Bay) at the other end, with twists, curves, corners, and stupendous hills in between

Made an oil change upon return.

November 10, 2020

Start: 84,958 Trip: 38 miles

Under Bunker to Amy. Amy to ch Boynton and then criscrossing the Tomifobia escarpment.

November 9, 2020

Start: 84,920 Trip: 38 miles

Criscrossing the Tomifobia escarpment down to the border and back.

November 8, 2020

Start: 84,886 Trip: 34 miles

Amy to Boynton, Boynton to Curtis and then criscrossing the Tomifobia escarpment down to the border and back.

October , 2020

Start: 84,824 Trip: 61.3 miles

Unsure of the date. This was some variation of Orford, Eastman, Mansonville, Vale Perkins, Knowlton Landing, Austin, Magog.

Tip!October cumulative mileage: 714 miles.

Friday, October 23, 2020

Start: 84,668.6 Trip: 156.1 Time: 1:30 - 6:30 4 hours 20C

Orford, Bonsecoeurs, Waterloo, Sutton, Knowlton, Mansonville, Magog.

Great afternoon - sunny and warm (20c at departure). Windy, but not as much as past two rides. Perhaps the last day of the season quite this warm, as the forecast is for colder with wintry mix and snow. No! No! Please! Not the salt trucks!

With the second-quarter moon rising above Lake Memphremagog, I pulled over on the big hill above Vale Perkins with it's commanding view of the Lake. I took it all in as I pulled on a balaclava and warmer gloves from my backpack.

Main drawback - Friday afternoon and way too much traffic. Need to make this ride on a weekday.

Extra mileage - over half-way to Georgeville on the way home I decided to peek in the gas tank and realized there was like a litre or so left. Thought of trying for Fitch Bay, but opted for returning to Magog and nearest gas station. From there Katevale and ch de la Montange, where, in the dark, I encountered five other motorcyclists, 3 in a group, all going west.

October 15, 2020

Start: 84,542 Trip: 126 miles just under 4 hours. Gas stops: Orford, Knowlton.

Eastman, Sutton, Mansonville, Magog

Terrific wind! Head down and heads up!

October 15, 2020

Start: 84,478 Trip: 64 miles

St. Dennis de Brompton.

October 14, 2020

Start: 84,340 Trip: 137.7 miles

1:15 - 6 PM

With dark threatening clouds (and a few sprinkles) alternating with bursts of sun, Bonnie and I had a great ramble around Foster, Brome, and Knowlton down to Mansonville! Mostly good ashplalt, but also a fabulous ride on the gravel behind Mansonville -

October 10, 2020

Start: 84,279 Trip: 61.4

Ayer's Cliff, Burrough's Falls, Stanstead, Rock Island, Beebe, Beebe Junction, Glines Corner, Granitville, Cedarville, Applegrove, Fitch Bay, Georgeville, Oliver Corner, Magog, Katevale, Butternut Flats.

Balmy with dark clouds gradually rolling in. Returned to the Hermitage minutes before thunderstorms began.

October 6, 2020

Start: 84,171.4 Trip: 107.6

Depart: 3:30 Return: 6:35

Magog, Mt Orford, Eastman, Bolton, Mansonville, Fullerton Corner, (Leadville), Perkins Landing, Vale Perkins, Knowlton Landing, Austin, Bryant's Landing, Magog, Katevale, Butternut Flats, Ayer's Cliff. Terrific ride! Comfy with long underwear.

Tip!September cumulative mileage: 396.3 miles.

September ?, 2020

Start: 84,145 Trip: 26.4

Around the block (Katevale)

September 26, 2020

Start: 84,114 Trip: 31

Magog, Georgeville, Fitch Bay, Under Bunker.

Fabulous cloud show after sunset at the Georgeville wharf. Two layers of clouds - high and low - the dark gray low clouds very wispy and the upper layer puffy white with wisps: lizards, birds, dinosaurs, and a sailfish.

Returned via Under Bunker in total darkness at 25-30 miles an hour. Plenty of time to watch for deer and also to reflect on the fact that it's been 51 years since I first rode a Triumph up this road. In '69 three of the five-mile stretch was nothing more than a cart track - wide enough for one car and with tree roots crossing the road.

Bonnie continues to run magnificently!

September 25, 2020

Start: 84,089.9 Trip: 24.1

Woo-woo! Trip to dentist!

September 20, 2020

Start: 84,051 Trip: 38.9 miles

Depart: 10C Return: 7C

Rte 141, Magog, Georgeville Road, Georgeville, Fitch Bay, Fitch Bay road, Rte 141, home.

Got quite cold in spite of winter liner plus long-sleeved shirt, winter gloves, neck warmer.

September 15, 2020

Start: 83,994.7 Trip: 56.3 miles

Rte 141, ch Fitch Bay, Fitch Bay, Beebe, Stanstead, 143, Burrough's Falls, Ayer's Cliff, ch Ayer's Cliff, ch de la Montagne, Katevale, ch Ayer's Cliff.

Spectacular red ball sunset - courtesy of smoke from fires in the West.

September 13, 2020

Start: 83,949.7 Trip: 45 miles

Ch Ayer's Cliff, ch de la Montaigne, ch de North Hatley, North Hatley, ch de Capleton, rue Dunnant, Fenton, ch de North Hatley, rue Lotbiniere, Rte 216, Rte 108, ch de North Hatley, Ste Catherine de Hatley, ch Ayer's Cliff.

Make way for ducklings (ducks) on rue Lotbiniere.

September 9, 2020

Start: 83,899.1 Trip: 50.6 miles

Orford, Mt Orford, Magog, Georgeville, Fitch Bay, ch Fitch Bay, home.

4:30 - 6:30. Warm, humid (20c). Refueled with 94 in Orford. Bike's running great, but kinda loud. When I was aligning the rear tire last week I noticed daylight between DS header and muffler - the muffler's 'slit' isn't getting covered by the clamp.

Ch Georgeville's ground down, but no repaving yet.

September 6, 2020

Start: 83,775 Trip: 124 miles

Magog, Mt. Orford, Eastman, St Etienne de Bolton, Knowlton, Brome, Sutton Center, Sutton, Knowlton, Bolton Pass, Mansonville, Vale Perkins, Knowlton Landing, Magog.

Partly cloudy, partly sunny, slightly cool. Labor Day weekend crowds in Magog and Knowlton, but very little traffic on back roads. Four hours. One gas stop, one 15-minute break.

roadmap

Tip!August cumulative mileage: 402 miles.

August 31, 2020

Start: 83,719. Trip: 38. miles

After working all day on sauna, took a late ride. Same route as on the 29th except this time I wore gloves and a long-sleeved shirt under riding jacket - much more comfortable.

August 29, 2020

Start: 83,681. Trip: 37.2 miles

Quick evening ride after replacing wheel w. new back tire. Fitch Bay, Georgeville, Magog, and home before dark. Planned on finishing up with Katevale, but I was frozen without gloves and winter jacket liner!

August 22, 2020

Start: 83,618.2 Trip: 63.3

Coaticook, St. Hermenegilde, Ste Edwidge, Martinville, Moe's River, Compton, Hatley, Massawippi, Ayer's Cliff, home.

Sunday, 16 August 2020

Start: 83528.8 Trip: 89.3 miles

Left around 2:30. Gorgeous day - sunny with a few clouds. Very hot in Coaticook, very cool in East Hereford - glad to have riding jacket after all!

map of route between Ayer

Tuesday, 11 August 2020 2020

Start: 83,83,480 Trip: 48.8 miles

Butternut Flats, Katevale, N. Hatley, Dunat, Sherbrooke (Jacques Cartier/ritzy section of town!), Katevale.

Monday, 10 August 2020

Start: 83,425 Trip: 55 miles

Ayers Cliff, Burroughs Falls, Stanstead, Beebe, Fitch Bay, Georgeville, Magog, home.

Good ride but I was dehydrated and had no mask and no water so it was cut short.

Monday, 3 Auguts 2020

Start: 83,390 Trip: 35 miles

Under Bunker, Fitch Bay, Georgeville, Magog, Katevale, home.

So the sunset/moonrise ride thing only works on the full moon when they are simultaneous - unless the ride is prolonged enough to capture the moonrise.

Sunday, 2 August 2020

Start: 83,352.5 Trip: 37.5 miles

Over Bunker/ch Fitch Bay, Fitch Bay, Georgeville, Magog, Katevale, home.

Sunset/Moonrise ride. Watched the sunset half-way around and the moon rise on the way back. The yellow rising moon appeared exceptionally large and was truly a beautiful thing lifting over Katevale and la Montagne.

July

Tip!July cumulative mileage: 571.

Friday, 31 July 2020

Start: 83,304 Trip: 48.5 miles

Georgeville Road via Fitch Bay Road & Lake Lovering, Georgeville, Fitch Bay, Beebe, Stanstead, Burroughs Falls, Ayer's Cliff, home.

Very long and colorful sunset - starting before I reached Georgeville and finishing up as I got to Ayer's Cliff.

Tuesday, 28 July 2020

Start: 83,282.5 Trip: 21,5

Magog, Katevale, Butternut Flats. Magog rue Principal looks like Montreal!

Sunday, 26 July 2020

Start: 83,262 Trip: 20.5

Katevale and back.

Saturday, 25 July 2020

Start: 83,198.1 Evening. Trip: 64 miles

Ways Mills, Coaticook, Dixville, Stanhope, Baldwin Mills, Barnston, Ways Mills, Ayers Cliff, home.

Map and Photos

Fabulous views all the way, but over half of the mileage was on really crappy roads - both asphalt and gravel. Smaller roads were empty but the bigger roads were crowded with vacationers. The nicest gravel roads and best views were up behind Ways Mills on ch Jordan and Madore.

Orange barrels placed all the way from 141 to Ways Mills so it looks like that terrible section of road is due to be re-paved. Looking forward to that!

1,600 miles to date this season. Pretty pathetic.

Friday, 24 July 2020

Start: 83,161.2 Evening. Trip: 37 miles

Katevale, N Hatley, Donat.

Tuesday, 21 July 2020

Start: 83,114 Evening. Trip: 47 miles

Monday, 20 July 2020

Start: 83,075 Evening. Trip: 39 miles

Magog, Georgeville, Fitch Bay, FB Road/141. Boring ride. Too much traffic. Wet pavement in G'ville, puddles in FB, so I bailed and headed for home.

Thursday, 16 July 2020

Start: 82,995, Evening. Trip: 79,9

Magog (141), Orford, Mt Orford, Magog, Georgeville, Fitch Bay, Beebe, Stanstead, Burrought's Falls, Ayer's Cliff, Katevale.

Mileage to date, 2020: 1412.4

Wednesday, 15 July 2020

Start: 82,953 Evening. Trip: 42 miles

Katevale, N Hatley, Dunant, Felton, 216, Katevale, ch de la Montagne

Tuesday, 7 July 2020

Start: 82,897 Trip: 56 miles

Departure: 7:10 pm More traffic than last night

Exact same ride as last night.

Monday 6 July 2020, 2020

Start: 82,840 Trip: 57.5 miles

Departure: 7:45 pm Roads deserted.

Fitch Bay Road, Fitch Bay, Beebe, Stanstead, Burroughs Falls, Ayers Cliff, Katevale, home

Friday 3 July, 2020

Start: 82,821 Evening. Trip: 19 miles

Up to Kateval and back.

July 1, 2020

Start: 82,782 Evening. Trip: 39 miles
Katevale, North Hatley, Massawippi, Ayer's Cliff.

June

Tip!June cumulative mileage: 665.9.

June 28, 2020 , 2020

Start: 82,721.9 Trip: 61

June 25, 2020

Start: 82,703 Evening. Trip: 18.9
Quick buzz up Ch de la Montagne.

June 22, 2020

Start: 82,571 Trip: 132 miles
Scorching hot day, but oh so cool in East Hereford!

June 21, 2020

Start: 82,541 Trip: 30 miles

Quick ride up to Katevale in the evening.

June 19, 2020

Start: 82,485 Trip: 42 miles

Ayer's Cliff, Massawippi, Brian's, Hatley, Compton, Ch Cochran, Coaticook, Barnston, Burrough's Falls, Ayer's Cliff.

June 18, 2020

Start: 82,423 Trip: 62 miles

Rode to Coaticook for new mower blades and took the long way home through St Edgewidge,

June 17, 2020

Start: 82,371. Trip: 52 miles

Evening cruise down to Beebe & Stanstead and back. Fitch Bay Road and 108 south and return north by 143). Then a quick blast up to Katevale to watch the glorious orange afterglow of the sunset.

Quite a pleasant ride in the evening - no traffic whatsoever and views of setting sun and mountains both ways.

June 14, 2020

Start: 82,317. Evening. Trip: 54 miles

Katevale, N Hatley, Katevale, Magog, Georgeville, Fitch Bay, RB-Road, 141, home.

June 10, 2020

Start: 82,258. Evening. Trip: 59 miles

Strong, constant south wind. Katevale, North Hatley, 143 to Stanstead, 55 home.

June 8, 2020

Start: 82,162.6 Trip: 96 miles, 3-1/4 hours

Gorgeous sunny, cool, breezy day and Bonnie was in a good mood after a valve check (ok) and touch-up to carb cable syc.

Very pleasant trip apart from insects!

Was struck by a bumblebee on ch Stagecoach. Got to wondering if it was stuck on my jacket so I decided to stop and check. As I slowed down I felt a stinging behind my left shoulder. Put the Bonnie on the side stand and tore off my riding jacket, only to realize that the bee was beneath my tee-shirt where it was still stinging me. Started taking off the tee but realized it wouldn't go over my helmet. Trouble getting off the helmet because the strap was twisted in the buckle. A pickup truck went by just as I removed the tee. Must have been a funny sight - the bike, the jacket, the helmet, and me, all lined up along the shoulder with me flagellating my back with the Tee. The Bonnie sat idling away during the whole scenario. If I sat at a red light that long she's be sure to stall! Guess she was enjoying the show.

Later when I arrived home and took a shower I found a tick dug in on my left side. Pretty sure I picked that up during my only road-break when I went into some brush to have a leak.

An interesting ride because there are many possible alternative routes inside the loop and many interesting destinations just outside of it. I'll be going this way again - but keeping my eyes open for stingers and biters!

Route:

June 5, 2020

Start: 82,143 Trip: 19 miles

Katevale (to see Gingras, wood man), and back home.

June 4, 2020

Start: 82,118 Trip: 25 miles

Katevale, Magog, home. First trip with new mufflers from Walridge, which arrived today (see Maintenance Log).

May

Tip!May cumulative mileage: 416.

May 29, 2020

Eleven sunny warm days since I had a ride and I'm still waiting for new mufflers and brackets from Walridge. I have always liked dealing with Mike Partridge, but Canada Poste just couldn't get any more lame than it already is!

Even if I get a parcel notice in my "community mailbox" today I still won't be able to get the mufflers until Monday at the earliest because the package doesn't get to my post office until the day after the notice and our post office hasn't been open on Saturdays for years.

Consider that parts orders from Colorado, Michigan, or Iowa invariably arrive at my Vermont post office address between 2-1/2 and 3-1/2 days from the time I place an order.

Contrast "Canada Poste" with "United States Postal Service". See what's missing?

Right... Service! Americans who complain about the USPS should have their heads examined.

Grumble, grumble, gripe, gripe. Hermit's feeling ugly!

May 18, 2020

Start: 82,040. Trip: 78 miles

Orford/Bonsecours/Eastman/Gravel to St Etienne de Bolton/Back home with a roar!

Muffler clamp broke just outside Saint Etienne de Bolton and TS muffler came off. All scratched and dented so I abandoned it roadside and rode home.

May 14, 2020

Start: 81,999.0. Trip: 41 miles

After five by the time I shoved off. Gray clouds and cool. 12C but felt much colder.

Katevele / N Hatley / Felton / Katevale / home

Saw Deborah at the mail boxes and stopped to chat for 10 minutes. That woman sure loves the Bonnie, made me promise to take her for a ride one day.

More local traffic on the roads now, including about a dozen motor bikes. Downtown N Hatley deserted, as one would expect on such a day during the supper hour.

May 13 ,2020

Start: 81,903. Trip: 96 miles 5:00pm 10C depart, 5C return 7:45pm

Orford / Eastman / Austin Cemetery (via gravel- Lac Nick) / Austin / Vale Perkins / (gravel to ) Mansonville / Austin / Bolton Center / Magog / Orford / home.

I thought I was vastly over-dressed when I left (3-layers, riding jacket w liner, balaclava around my neck, gloves - the works! By the time I got to Mt Orford I was thankful for every stitch of clothing I had on!

I was accompanied by a fierce, gusty wind all the way. The trails on Mt Orford, Owls Head and Jay Peak are all still snow covered and it was bone-chilling in the shadows of Orford and Owls Head.

Side trip on Ch de la Mine and 'Lac Long Lake'. Never saw the mine, never saw the lake. Maybe more investigation on another trip.

Gravel road past Lac Nic brought me out on ch Patch! So I stopped to visit Dave. The white carpentry pencil I left when Meg and I visited last Fall was still there, as well as a piece of white quartz on the headstone. There were two geese walking across the field next door; one of them seemed to be having a running conversation with a crow in the woods beyond.

On the way back I was pleasantly surprised by the road from Mansonville to Bolton Center (245). Much nicer road than I expected - nice hills and curves and, thankfully, some stretches bathed by the warm setting sun.

I ended up back at Orford where I gassed up at my favorite gas station - 94-proof high test! The ride traced a mis-shapen figure eight and I will definitely do some more exploring in this direction as there are loops to be made and the roads are for the most part pretty decent. This should take some of the sting out of not being able to ride in Vermont.

May 12, 2020

Start: 81,871. Trip: 32 miles, 4pm 6C

Katevale, North Hatley, Massawippi, A-C

May 7, 2020

Start: 81,815. 4:40 pm. Trip: 56.

Fitch Bay/Georgeville/Magog/Katevale/NHatly/Massawippi/995/home.

Gray, mostly cloudy but some bright moments. 11C

Well bundled for a nice relaxed ride on empty roads. Not a ride I take often, but pleasant and very scenic. Lake views are of course extra-ordinary this time of the year.

May 6, 2020

Start: 81,755. 3 pm. Trip: 60.

Oford/Eastman/Bolton Est/Austin/Magog/Katevale/home the back way

Gorgeous sunny and warm day, 22C. Not many cars, but lots of walkers and bicyclists. Would like to have stopped at the Pickel farm but, lock-down. Just occurred to me that I could have stopped to see Dave; cemeteries are still open as far as I know. Sorry Davie, next time.

May 2nd, 2020

Start: 81,699. Trip: 56.

Katevale/Magog/Georgeville/Fitch Bay/home on asphalt.

Sunny with a few cloudy periods.

April

April 29, 2020

Start: 81,664. 3:15 pm. Trip: 35.

First ride of the 2020 season. Bonnie kicked back the first time and started on the second. Idled, no snorting, no stalling - all around well-behaved!

This is the first time in memory that I started in April! Usually too much salt and sand on the roads and I wait until June to save a month's registration. But salt and sand not bad at all this year.

Thirty-five miles in a long sleeve shirt - kinda cool by the time I returned. Katevale/Magog/Georgeville/Fitch Bay/home on the gravel.