July 7 - Day 33 - The Fog Has Lifted

It was an interesting night in the parking lot of the Drifter Motel in Terrace Bay, where Billy had joined all of our extension cords together to reach the only available outside plug on the motel wall, so we could have power in the trailer.  There was really no place for us to go other than to drive back to the camp we left the night before, so we made the best of it on the asphalt.  The good news was that The Drifter had a strong open wifi signal, a comfy little lounge with free billiards on Sundays, and a great restaurant with fresh pickerel on the menu.  So here’s the thing, is it pickerel or walleye, or are they both the same thing?  Best I can figure out is that if you are Canadian, it’s pickerel, and from the U.S., it’s walleye, but regardless both are outstanding fish.  Last night we had the pickerel, and it was outstanding.  They sure know how to prepare their local catch up here N. Superior.

 We were lucky that the motel/gas station opened up early, giving us access to the washrooms, some fresh hot coffee, and those amazing muffins.  Sid and I were ready to hit the road in good time, and even though it was overcast and chilly, the ground fog had lifted and we could see where we were going, but more important, everyone else could see us.  It was a great day to be on the bike.  Everything just felt right, and the terrain was great.  The climbs ranged in severity with many in excess of 7%, and more than a few that were 8% plus, so you can imagine we had some pretty exciting downhill sections also.  Traffic was light and courteous, the whole day.

It was unfortunate we missed so much scenery because of the low ceiling and overcast skies, but there were a few interesting things along the way.  Marathon is a town of about 3,500 people, unlike so many other towns up here where 1,500 seems to be the magic number.  Could be because their local economy has changed since the mines opened close-by, and some of the other industries that used to prevail, have now taken a back seat, or closed down completely.  We know the pulp and paper industry is alive and well up here, because we are passed regularly by trucks carrying the pulp.  We can’t see it because it is enclosed, but you can’t miss the smell as the trucks whip past you.

The mine signs........cute name for the road in

We covered 139km for the day, and made it to our destination, White Lake Provincial Park, about 60km east of Marathon.  The provincial parks are really well equipped (except no wifi), and we noticed many families with permanent spots staked out for the summer.  A less expensive way to go to the cottage I guess, and looked like they were having a gas.  Laundry done, dinner made, and eaten…….sorry can’t post until tomorrow……all the best……

Steel River train bridge

LYJ