Day 4 (385 km)
Sunday – 2015-06-14
Senneterre (PQ) – Timmins (ON)
Today is the “big day”, having ridden 1,100km to reach
Senneterre in rain and etc. We were not
going to miss the departure of VIA Train #606 (The Abitibi) one of the few
remaining VIA services designated for Northern and Remote Canada. This trains runs three times a week from
Montreal to Senneterre and return, the key is that on Sunday it departs at
08:45 vs 05:45 which is much better light for video and pictures. That was the whole purpose of being in
Senneterre for the Sunday morning, in fact the entire trip was designed for
this one event.
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| VIA#606 Senneterre, Quebec |
Use this link to view the 2:35 minute video of train #606 departing Senneterre.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYSX_a12tDo
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| Ken on the Bridge getting ready to Film train #606 |
Ben and I took up a strategic position on the road bridge
over the tracks which is about 100m to the East of the station, and the light
was excellent for the shots we wanted.
We arrived about 8:15am in time to see the train proceed from the yard
and take position at the station. There
are a fair number of passengers for the Sunday trip South, there are two
coaches and one baggage car. For some
not familiar with this service, it exists to supply access (passenger and
freight) to remote lodges along the line, and is designed to come North on
Friday and return on Sunday, the later time allows for tourists to have an
extra 3 hours at the lodge.
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| Ken at the Senneterre Station (PQ) |
Right on time (08:45) VIA Train #606 departs with a standard
two blasts from the horn it is off, our video is rolling and the Nikon D200 is
set to high speed shutter and it is clicking away, Ben is covering this as well
on his iPhone, so as I say “we got this covered” . We also had coffee and muffins from the local
(and maybe the only palace open) Shell Gas station, served and consumed on the
bridge.
After all this excitement it was time to resume some serious
riding, we have to be in Timmins before night fall, you never ride in the North
after dusk, too much wildlife on the roads.
We are going to follow the CN Taschereau Sub Division to the
end at La Sarre, that is now the end point on a proud line that built this
country and went on to Cochrane, Ontario. We are going to be looking for old
station and find two still on the line one a Amos, still with a VIA Rail sign
and Macamic (not to be confused with MicMac).
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| Amos Station (PQ) |
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| Macamic Station (PQ) |
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| Hwy #111 |
After leaving Amos on Hwy#111 about 500m down the road a large (probably
about 800lbs) Black Bear cross the road, running so he/she is aware of traffic,
good just another issue we don’t have to deal with this morning. Ben has a luggage strap malfunction a little
past Amos but this is resolved quickly with one of my “emergency” bungee cords
and we resume of travels.
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| Straight and Long Hwy#111 |
There are some straight and long roads on this section of
#111, as you will see in the photo.
After lunch at La Sarre we are now going to head South on
#393 and then West on #388 (to Ontario #101), there will be no services, no
towns for the next 100km until we reach Matheson, Ontario. We will find another Black Bear this time
sitting on his rump on the side of the 101 just watching the traffic pass on a
cloudy afternoon, one can’t help but wonder what he/she is thinking of the few
cars and the odd motorcycle passing through this wonderful dense forest of
pine, streams, rivers and the occasional dirt road leading into a Gold
mine. There are lots of Gold mines on
the Ontario side of the border, can’t help but wonder if these are producing or
just some grand speculation scheme.
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| Ken at ONR Matheson, ON - Log Cars in Background |
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| ONR Station - Matheson, ON |
We reach Matheson at around 3:30pm, just in time to suit-up
in rain gear, but this time I am determined to keep my gloves dry, outcome the
MEC Gore-Tex palm over mitts, but the rain stops in 5 minutes. Get a few shots of the ONR Matheson train
station, now closed, even the ONR bus doesn’t stop at the station, goes to an “agency”
in town, another blow to the North.
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| Hwy #101 Ontario / Quebec Border |
Arrive in Timmins at just a little after 4:30pm and glad to
see the Super 8 Motel which we were upgraded to a “superior” room, this place
was total renovated about 4 months ago, it is clean and a comfortable place to
stay, if you need confirmation that you are North of Bloor St, the sign on the
door going to the parking lots reads “Waring Bear”, so there is a bear in the
parking lot, so.
Thus ending probably one of the most fantastic motorcycle
rides so far this year.
Weather: Sunny to start (19c), cloudy and rain at the end at
20c
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