Day 2 - Friday - Jun 12 - Orillia (ON) / Maniwaki (PQ)

Day 2 (448 km)
Friday – 2015-06-12
Orillia (ON) – Maniwaki (PQ)

This day is going to be a real challenge, I depart Orillia (at 8:20) in a light rain and as I progress Eastward the rain becomes heavy and steady through to Bancroft.  After a Gas stop in Bancroft I am on my second pair of gloves and the leather dye is coming off on my hands, but I push on into the flat gray sky.  The rain becomes light as I approach Renfrew at around 1pm, which is the meeting and lunch point for Ben, who is coming in from North Bay, other than the odd iMessage I know he is on his way in the rain as well.

Kinmount Station, Kinmount, ON

Ben and I have not done a motorcycle trip since last year’s September trip to Lexington, KY so there is a lot to catch-up on but in under 45 minutes we need to push on to Maniwaki, our overnight stop.  The light rain continues all the way to Maniwaki, so we do not make the photo stop at the hydroelectric day on the Ottawa River.

Because we used this route last year in June to attend the SCRC Quebec Bash we recognize familiar landmarks, but, the old CN Line from Montreal to North Bays which was still in use to Portage de Fort (in 2014), is being ripped up, I guess the sawmill in Portage has closed or switched over to trucks.

We reach our overnight stop of Maniwaki at 16:30, not bad time for all the rain, and comparing our times from 2015, no difference, so the rain didn’t slow us down after all. 

We are staying at Auberge de Draveur, excellent place with an indoor swimming pool and a Spa and an elevator serving the second floor.  Of note I went through 3 pair of gloves – now total soaked, and I know I have waterproof ones somewhere (I bet at home). 

Hang up all the wet stuff and head for dinner around 7pm in the hotels dining room, nice to be dry and warm.

Then on Friday I will continue on to Quebec via Bancroft and Renfrew.  I will meet up with Ben in Renfrew for lunch as we do now each year, we have the timing down so that the longest wait is 15minutes for whoever arrives first.

Weather RAIN all day +22c