Issue #274 Show Me the Dirt
Now in its third year, the Eastern Ontario Adventure Rally is fast gaining momentum with a particular crowd of dualsport riders. The steak dinner is lights-out too.
When I was invited to the Eastern Ontario Adventure Rally in late May, I simply said, “Yes.” The weekend-long event included a stay in a resort, consequently it would be a bit pricey, but that didn’t matter. The month of May can be dicey, so a shared cottage with heat and other amenities sounded wonderful for the first dirt ride of the season. What I didn’t know was that this event was one for Casper, my 1980s BMW Enduro, and not the KTM 450 EXC I call “Orange Crush.”
EOAR is a three-year-old annual group event organized by enthusiasts. A whole lot of people riding KTM 950s, BMW adventure bikes, Kawasaki KLRs, Suzuki 650s and more, come together to socialize and ride their chosen dualsport machines on one of five organized rides led by people who have chosen and recently pre-run the ride—this year, in some nasty spring weather I might add.
After many years of not finding a regular riding partner to hit the off-highway trails with, it was the kind of event I never dreamt might happen. Finally, here was a wide range of like-minded riders, all in one place. Unfortunately I picked the wrong time to bring the KTM—which was trucked-in—when I should have arrived on my “ride-in” bike, good ol’ Casper. What do you mean, a 400 kilometre day trip? My KTM prefers 40 kilometres, often traveling at half that speed! I blame Ray Sticklend for that, because he didn’t know what he was inviting me to. But that said, we had a wonderful time!
My bags were packed Thursday night so that I could leave right after work. I made my way to Ray’s place where my KTM was already tied down inside the box of his pickup truck, alongside his 450 BMW. We drove backroads to the Elmhirst Resort on Rice Lake, south and east of Peterborough. We shared our cottage with one person I never met, and another whom I met on the last day. And I decided I’m definitely going back there for the gourmet Sunday brunch, if not a whole lot more. But that’s another story.
At the Friday meet ‘n’ greet, rides were presented and people could sign up so that there would be organization, not chaos, in the morning. Groups were made of 10 or less. One could choose a relaxed or spirited version, or go one’s own way with GPS provided routes. Rides all had planned lunch stops, and each sounded like fun. The one I got excited about was “extreme.” Normally I wouldn’t dream of going extreme, especially not after having seen the World Enduro championship in Parry Sound a few years back. But in this particular case, the extreme ride was the only one that actually hit trails. The other rides were all on pavement or a mix of pavement and gravel roads. Let me reiterate, these were wonderful routes, 400 plus K, and we had good weather to boot. The problem was Ray and I just didn’t have the right bikes for the rides, though everyone else seemed to.
So we went dirt riding. We trucked our bikes to the Ganaraska Forest, after resolving a “minor glitch” that nearly cancelled my first dirt ride of the year. Nothing like having your float bowl needle stuck in place. I’ve had all sorts of fuel problems this year: first with Casper, then when I was riding my friend Cheryl Stewart’s bike in New York, and then on my KTM. Fuel seems to be a real stumbling block for me this season. I hope three’s the charm. Ray finally got my bike going when I’d given up.
I was afraid when we started, for a number of reasons. Because the bike had been stalling, then not starting, I expected more of the same. I was also afraid because I had a bad experience on an organized ride that undermined my confidence, and confidence is a necessary thing when riding in the dirt. Then there was the part where I hadn’t ridden in dirt longer than I care to mention. So when I found myself following my new dirt bike buddy down a very sandy path I was terrified. Then I realized that my bike could do it, and so could I. Everything was fine. With the amount of rain we’ve had all spring, the sand was wet and well-packed. My confidence, previously eroded in sand, began to return.
I did something I’ve never done before, and never wanted to do. I rode with a “communicator” in my helmet. It turned out to be a real asset on the trails. I followed Ray, an instructor with Trail Tours, who knows the forest well. He told me of upcoming obstacles or situations. And he wasn’t able to see how poorly I was riding. By the end of the day, I was doing much better.
After a half hour flopped on a hillside in the sun, the bikes were loaded and we drove back to our cabin—with enough time for tea and a jacuzzi before the 7 p.m. dinner bell.
Dinner was amazing! Locally raised and well-fed Angus steaks were grilled, along with onions and peppers, baked potatoes ... and a tray of sautéed mushrooms with such spice and flavour that I knew something was up. I talked with third generation owner Peter Elmhirst, rider of a 950 KTM, who told me they have five papered chefs on the premises. Think Five-Star restaurant and know that this was no ordinary meal.
I hate to advertise because they’re going to have to restrict numbers next year, but this event is unlike anything I’ve ever attended. First mentioned on an adventure site back in 2009, it attracted 35 riders. This year it went out on Facebook and 80 people came, some from Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, and the Sault. This non-commercial event was organized by Ron McIntyre and Elmhirst, along with route riding volunteers. It cost about $200 per person for two nights in a hotel-like cabin, or less to camp. That included a private buffet breakfast and dinner in an airplane hangar, with pleasant talk around a fire. What a collection of people. Average age, 50s. Education and income level, definitely above average—evidenced by the number of high-end motorcycles, including the most KTM 950s that I’ve seen in one place.
The last weekend in May was a great season opener. The second day of dirt riding was the added bonus.
