Next oil change: 84,700 miles.
2020 Cumulative mileage: 3,350 miles
November cumulative mileage: 148 miles.
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.
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.
Start: 84,958 Trip: 38 miles
Under Bunker to Amy. Amy to ch Boynton and then criscrossing the Tomifobia escarpment.
Start: 84,920 Trip: 38 miles
Criscrossing the Tomifobia escarpment down to the border and back.
Start: 84,886 Trip: 34 miles
Amy to Boynton, Boynton to Curtis and then criscrossing the Tomifobia escarpment down to the border and back.
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.
October cumulative mileage: 714 miles.
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.
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!
Start: 84,478 Trip: 64 miles
St. Dennis de Brompton.
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 -
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.
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.
September cumulative mileage: 396.3 miles.
Start: 84,145 Trip: 26.4
Around the block (Katevale)
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!
Start: 84,089.9 Trip: 24.1
Woo-woo! Trip to dentist!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
August cumulative mileage: 402 miles.
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.
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!
Start: 83,618.2 Trip: 63.3
Coaticook, St. Hermenegilde, Ste Edwidge, Martinville, Moe's River, Compton, Hatley, Massawippi, Ayer's Cliff, home.
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!
Start: 83,83,480 Trip: 48.8 miles
Butternut Flats, Katevale, N. Hatley, Dunat, Sherbrooke (Jacques Cartier/ritzy section of town!), Katevale.
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.
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.
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 cumulative mileage: 571.
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.
Start: 83,282.5 Trip: 21,5
Magog, Katevale, Butternut Flats. Magog rue Principal looks like Montreal!
Start: 83,262 Trip: 20.5
Katevale and back.
Start: 83,198.1 Evening. Trip: 64 miles
Ways Mills, Coaticook, Dixville, Stanhope, Baldwin Mills, Barnston, Ways Mills, Ayers Cliff, home.
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.
Start: 83,161.2 Evening. Trip: 37 miles
Katevale, N Hatley, Donat.
Start: 83,114 Evening. Trip: 47 miles
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.
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
Start: 82,953 Evening. Trip: 42 miles
Katevale, N Hatley, Dunant, Felton, 216, Katevale, ch de la Montagne
Start: 82,897 Trip: 56 miles
Departure: 7:10 pm More traffic than last night
Exact same ride as last night.
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
Start: 82,821 Evening. Trip: 19 miles
Up to Kateval and back.
Start: 82,782 Evening. Trip: 39 miles
Katevale, North Hatley, Massawippi, Ayer's Cliff.
June cumulative mileage: 665.9.
Start: 82,721.9 Trip: 61
Start: 82,703 Evening. Trip: 18.9
Quick buzz up Ch de la Montagne.
Start: 82,571 Trip: 132 miles
Scorching hot day, but oh so cool in East Hereford!
Start: 82,541 Trip: 30 miles
Quick ride up to Katevale in the evening.
Start: 82,485 Trip: 42 miles
Ayer's Cliff, Massawippi, Brian's, Hatley, Compton, Ch Cochran, Coaticook, Barnston, Burrough's Falls, Ayer's Cliff.
Start: 82,423 Trip: 62 miles
Rode to Coaticook for new mower blades and took the long way home through St Edgewidge,
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.
Start: 82,317. Evening. Trip: 54 miles
Katevale, N Hatley, Katevale, Magog, Georgeville, Fitch Bay, RB-Road, 141, home.
Start: 82,258. Evening. Trip: 59 miles
Strong, constant south wind. Katevale, North Hatley, 143 to Stanstead, 55 home.
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:
Start: 82,143 Trip: 19 miles
Katevale (to see Gingras, wood man), and back home.
Start: 82,118 Trip: 25 miles
Katevale, Magog, home. First trip with new mufflers from Walridge, which arrived today (see Maintenance Log).
May cumulative mileage: 416.
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!
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.
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.
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.
Start: 81,871. Trip: 32 miles, 4pm 6C
Katevale, North Hatley, Massawippi, A-C
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.
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.
Start: 81,699. Trip: 56.
Katevale/Magog/Georgeville/Fitch Bay/home on asphalt.
Sunny with a few cloudy periods.
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.