A Canadian Adventure
With Florian Grenier
Which one of you
would not be happy to be on a railbike for a week
to ride two hundred miles of main line, exploring sidings and spurs with a chance to visit an abandoned mine?
It's up to you to come aboard.
Let's go for an adventure!
Photos by Florian Grenier and Nelson Bleney
One the Superior Junction Iine near Conmee
Our first morning on the rails was a delivery from heaven, after all the planning, packing and traveling to get to the set-on point. With the flare gun in hand, ready to scare the bears, we were on our way.
All the gear, grub and the tent for our next eight days was packed on the railbikes and outriggers with special care for correct balance. Schedules, maps and information were easily accessible in the bag hanging on the handlebar in front of me.
The railroad dispatcher at Thunder Bay, (we were in northern Ontario), told us that sometimes a ballast train runs up to Watcom Pit. No trains operated past this point.
The first night we camped at Alcona, our set-on point. The next morning on our way to Watcom
Ready for bear, litteraly, Florian raises the flare
gun in the wilds between Zarn and Yoade
Pit we had to pay attention to our rear-view mirrors for any train comng up behind us. The second night we camped at Umfreville with a view of Jarvis Lake.
We were awake early on the second day. After breakfast we broke down the tent, packed up our gear and were ready for another 25 or more miles. Around ten o'clock we reached Watcomb Pit, leaving the shiny rail behind us as we rolled ahead on the rusted rail, the love of every railbiker. The weather was warm, the scent coming from the undergrowth changed with every mile. It was warm, very warm on that day in June and we had to stop and find shade under a tree at Valora. A little bit farther I had to stop to draw some water from a well hiding behind a small house among the trees. Returning to the railbike I saw a dog standing quietly at the edge of the forest. I called to him "Eh Jack, come on, come on Jack." The dog didn't move. After a quarter of a mile of rail I looked in my mirror and I saw the dog following me. That dog Jack stayed with us for three days in a row!
We slept one night at the wye at Mattabi Junction. Jack, the dog was still with us and he liked to play. He was a funny dog with one white eye and the other blue. The sky clouded up and it quickly started to rain. We stopped, slipped on our rain suits, set the canvas over our gear and settled in to wait out the storm.
A half hour later we were off
to explore the mine, which we
reached by noon just in time for lunch.
Under the rain on the Mattabi Mines line.
The mine was closed and the employees were working to dismantle the equipment. No more trains will come to load cars from the bin. On our way back (it was a 27-mile round trip) the rain started again but this time we didn't stop. We arrived at the junction soaking wet. We found a little pail in a nearby shack that we used for a stove. After one hour we started to dry our clothes and equipment. Jack was still with us. I think he went hunting because he disappeared for long
Mattabi Mines
periods of time and then when we put food out for him he wasn't very hungry. In revenge we fed the field mice cheese. They had their nest in the attic of the little shack.
The next day we didn't leave until after lunch when the rain ceased. The rails stretched out in front of us in a straight line for many miles. The ballast was clean and the rails were welded and it was like riding on a carpet. I talked to
my partner about Jack the dog. We couldn't take him any farther with us. There was a small farm house and we saw the owner with a dog. I said to my partner, "If Jack goes to the farmhouse that will be the time for us to leave." And that's what happened. Jack disappeared and we took the advantage and rode away. After a half a mile I looked back, but no Jack.
We stopped at Sowden and camped for the night. Many small houses were built around the station but were now empty. Families had lived here when the men worked for the railroad.
The trees have grown to hide many of them and we had a pleasant time discovering many things that were left behind. The next morning the temperature was below zero and we found our tents and railbikes covered in white. We started a fire to warm ourselves up and made some toast.
Mile after mile we went around lakes, up and down a small grades, discovering new sights at every turn. We saw bears and moose and were able to get them on video. At Oscar, where we camped for the night, we met Etienne Douglas, who was also staying for a few days in a comfortable camp and offered us his hospitality. We caught a fish and he fried it for us. Delicious! The next morning we left after a good breakfast that Etienne fixed for us.
The best moment of the day is the campsite. You hear lots of small noises,
Our camp at Kelly
wind in the branches, frogs in the water, the yap of a fox. You watch the bears, all of which we did at Kelly.
Waiting for a Canadian Pacific train on the double tracks below.
At one point, near Horne, we passed close by and above the double rails of the Canadian Pacific which runs between Thunder Bay and Winnipeg. We waited a time to see a train but nothing passed by. But the scene was nice and it was worth the waiting.
The end of the trip was embellished by passing through a charming little tunnel surrounded by the lush green foliage of a new summer
(See photo on home page).
