The Ultimate 2300 Mile 12 Day Big Duelie Ride Thru VT, NH, ME & NB Canada In The Fall

To be honest, I thought this years trip was going to be a compromise. We figured it was a good year to scale back the cost of shipping bikes and flying somewhere out west. We'd keep it close this year. Close means the east coast and the east coast, to me, means a compromise at best.
Wrong.
This trip proved to be really awesome. Way, way better than I ever thought it would be. However is was the most difficult trip to plan. We wanted to stay off pavement. You just cannot trust Gazetteers when it comes to logging roads in Maine and Canada. I needed local help in routing and got it big time. More on that later though.
The trip was 12 days and 2,350 miles. Surprisingly, most of it off the tar. In fact once we hit the shores of Vermont, it was just about all off pavement until we hit the Northumberland Strait in New Brunswick Ca. We mangaed to thread together some of the most scenic, remote, big woods, dirt road, logging road and 2 track. Northern Maine and New Brunswick was really slick. I met guys from the New Brunswick Dual Sport Club or "NBDSC" as they call themselves, during the trip and as you will soon see, better men, I have not met. We went in late Sept and we nailed it. The foliage that is. The colors were bursting at 100% in the northern sections of the route.
The trip proved to be one of my most memorable and enjoyable and was in no way, "a compromise".
We called the trip "The 2009 Turf & Surf Adventure"

Let me take you ladies along:

Here's the Cliff Notes version
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And here's the detailed version with more photos and intel, the GPS file location is posted over in Tracks:


We didn't want to get up at o'dark-thirty and ride up the New York State Thruway from NJ for 180 miles so we opted to trailer the bikes to Albany NY to a secure place I know and start from there.
Bruce and I loaded the bikes ready to head north in the am.


The staging area. We met Tim here in Albany. But no Duane. Where's Duane ?


Duane calls, he just woke up :huh
He'll ride like hell and catch up to us tonight in Vermont some 360 miles away.

My plan was to ride north through the Adirondacks in NY for 150 miles, then take the ferry across Lake Champlain and into Vermont. When we pulled into the Essex ferry dock, it was on the hour and the boat was loading. Our timing could not have been better.



The trip across the lake was just beautiful and a great way to kick off this years adventure.
Bruce topside taking my picture. A side note about Bruce. I call him Redcorn. I don't know why. He is also a 2 time ECEA (East Coast Enduro Association) Grand Champion & multi time ISDE USA rider. Was, now he's an old goat.
Bruce is riding the Super Enduro.





We landed on the Vermont side soon enough

and picked up the Vermont PDR route (north) and rode dirt road to the Stowe area and grabbed a motel. A dam expensive one too I might add. $150 to sleep ! :eek1 It was pretty cool out and it was getting dark and besides Bruce was paying

I'll be back asap to continue when we shove off and head north through Vermont.

Alright Frank! I'm in on this one too

Nice!

Another DockingPilot Report.

I knew you were planning a trip... Now I get to see the Ride Report.


Q~

I've been waiting for this - Sorry I missed you guys when you were here in NB.

DK showed around 10pm. A bit cold but he made it on his 950A.

The next morning we head out.


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Very, ..well very Vermont !


We are already starting to see some color changes in the trees. But this was nothing compared to what was to come.



DK


We are in northern Vermont now, very close to the Canadien border. We stay south of the border but head east towrds New Hampshire where we plan to meet up with another friend from Ct. Dennis. He plans to rendoivous with us in Pittsburg NH our evenings destination.
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Would like to see the northeast in the fall some day. Looks good.

I've been waiting for this one!!

Hey JP !
Ill be continuing asap. Im on call this weekend and running in and out.

So wer're in Vermont riding north on the Vermont PDR route. It's really nice fall weather, cool & dry. We left the Stowe area around 10am and plan to stay in Pittsburgh New Hampshire which is in "The Great North Woods". Dennis DeMarco is riding north from his home in Ct. and will join us there.

The Super Enduro needs fuel and we need coffee right about now. So we stop here. Vermont is very true to form. Everyone drives a Subaru and your not allowed in a cafe with a laptop. I was almost thrown out for not having a Mac



I'm telling, the dirt roads in Vermont are in better shape than the paved ones in Jersey. I'm not joking, smooth as silk. And the landscapes are just beautiful. But in a few days this would seem like NYC.


Always have to throw in a post office shot.


The great thing about my trips is we have one rule. Everyone must have a GPS witht he route loaded and working. This allows us to be independent of each other and we can spread out. Ride alone if you choose. Here I am alone while the other fellas are miles ahead. No worries and stopping at every turn.

Sometime in the afternoon we cross into northern New Hamphire.


45' Latitude. halfway between the equator and the north pole.


This is big moose country. Big in numbers.


We grab these cabins on Lake Francis and shut em down. Dennis is already there.


We take a walk to the lake. Very quite up here. The lake is void of any development.


It's a wonderful evening, about 50 degrees and still. I take a walk.



If this shot don't crack the lens.......


DK looking east. That is a 60 mile swath of wilderness. It's whats between us and the Maine border. Mallagoway Mountain they call it. And that's the way we will go in the am.

Quote: "Everyone must have a GPS witht he route loaded and working. This allows us to be independent of each other and we can spread out. Ride alone if you choose. Here I am alone while the other fellas are miles ahead."

I never asked, but I was wondering to myself why you were jumbling around with everyone's GPS units. Good show, and good planning!

Next morning we wake up to some lake effect fog. We begin to saddle up. Our goal for today is to get somewhere into Maine.


Bruce is still looking at that Comfort Inn bill in disbelief Hey, it's Vermont and it's leaf peeping season !


Tims 625 is having a hard time waking up and the battery drains dead in trying to do so. So, we give her a push.


And eventually, we get her started


Now breakfast. We head back down into Pittsburg (extremely small, nice little hamlet).



After breakfast I show the boys on a local forest map the way we are going to cross into Maine. We will take Mallowgy Mountain Road.


And we shove off.


Dennis


Look at the load on that poor bike !




A 1 piece Stitch and a 950S. When was the last time you saw that combo together eh ?





Bruce
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Kinda' strange seeing you boys with clean gear!

Oh you pirates took care of that eh Paul ?

I lived in Vermont for many years and loved it.
I was constantly sneaking out for rides.
The PDT is nice, but some of the "Not maintained in Winter" roads that cross the mountain Gaps are awesome.

Mr. Pilot, the Mallowgy Mountain Road looks awesome.
I can't belive I've never heard of it.

Moar.
Q~

Hey Frank 'ol boy. It's about time you started this. I was beginning to think your computer crashed.......like you did on your 800 that afternoon .

Look forward to reading more man. I know we all had a great time riding with you guys. Was sad to say g'bye........for now.

My stich' is a two piece and I ride a 950S!

The man has impeccable taste.

What can I say.

Was good to meet all of you and even better to see your bikes all land where we were having lunch. Had to have been 15 adventure bikes all converging on one little unsuspecting store in NH. I won't soon forget that sight.

A see a new standard for ride reports being set here. And I can't imagine what it took to keep that sorry bunch in line.

after meeting your group I was riding past that same VT covered bridge on Mon. on a little solo tour from Barre Vt up thu north Vt and back thru Me
Good to see you all in action...