The Viking Run, Day 26 - Manic 5

 

This morning I left Labrador City and Labrador. I crossed in to Quebec within twenty minutes or so. and very shortly after that, rain and gravel roads. Where to begin about gravel roads? Firstly, they suck! The road from Labrador City is 50% dirt, gravel, silt or mud. Split in to multiple segments. Segment one was about seventy miles long and the rain had made it incredibly slick. It was at best 2nd or 3rd gear, 20 to 30 miles per hour. Multiple times the rear wheel would slightly break free or the front wheel would push a bit off track. It was slow going and tense the whole way. As I settled in to the horrible routine of minute left and right handlebar movements in an attempt to keep the bike upright, the sun would begin coming out. The rain would eventually stop but the road had already been saturated. At least I could open my visor and better see the road without the water spots in my view. And then...out of the blue, the tarmac just appeared. 

Once on the pavement the sun appropriately broke through the clouds and the remainder of the day would be gorgeous, at least weather wise. I got off the bike and removed my rain gear and down jacket I had put on. It was 54 degrees when I left Labrador City and had warmed up to 74 degrees as I meandered south and out of the rain. The bike however looked the part of a serious off road warrior. Poor bike. 

Continuing southward I would come across two separate construction zones, five to ten miles long each. The gravel in each was dry and very passable. 35 to 40 MPH was easy enough. Once through the last construction zone I thought I was home free and would only have to deal with the uneven and bouncing blacktop. As I rode through huge elevation changes and wonderfully curves, at the crest of a large hilltop I came across the only fuel stop I had seen all day. I was just over sixty miles from my final destination and knew there was fuel available there, but thought I should stop anyway. It just doesn't seem wise to pass up fuel out here. 

After leaving the fuel stop I had traveled maybe two miles when low and behold the tarmac would fade back to dirt again. And this rode of gravel would last all the way to my final destination of Manic 5, the large hydroelectric dam on the Manacouagan River. Sixty miles of gravel and silt. Slow going and the silt would change the direction of the bike and there would be no control of the steering. When there was compacted gravel it would be so washboard like and rough it would jar and rattle every bone in your body. It was a long and arduous task and thirty miles in I was not enjoying it. At fifty miles it was just keep pushing and get off this damn road. And then, 1.5 miles from from the dam, the pavement came back. I was so happy. 

Immediately once on the pavement, the road aggressively twists and turns and drops down in elevation until you come around a curve to find yourself staring straight up at Manic 5. The worlds largest multiple arch and buttress dam. The size is remarkable and it is a sight to behold that pictures can not justify. 

Tomorrow the road is to be perfect and with no gravel. And tomorrow I will start finding my way back to civilization for a time. So my visit to the "Big Land" of Newfoundland and Labrador has ended. Onward to Quebec City.