I'm heading north from KW for a few days of Twisties. Was thinking of doing the 17 heading west with a run up the 129 to 556 back to the 17. Google is telling me a chunk of the 556 is shitty gravel but the last article was from 2011. I'm alright with a few kms of gravel but am running street tires on my 1190s and my tolerance is low! Anyone run it lately? Any other must do's in the area are welcome too!
The 556 from SSMarie out to Searchmont Resort is all paved. After that and for the next 84km over to the 129 @ Aubrey Falls, it is twisty, hilly gravel. When I rode it, it was pretty packed down, but if it's been recently graded, it can be softer. Some fun roads for you to check out include: Hwy 6 south of Espanola to Little Current - there's a super cool swing bridge in Little Current if you get a chance to see it in operation. Hwy 129 between Thessalon & Aubrey Falls - north of Aubrey Falls is pretty sedate Hwy 638 which loops around the back of Sault Ste Marie Hwy 556 between Sault Ste. Marie and Searchmont Resort Loop around Elliot Lake Trans Canada up to Wawa and the various stops with amazing views of Superior Something like: https://goo.gl/maps/Sx7S5ahQRCGb3Zxy8
If you do the Eliiot Lake loop northwards on 108/639, grab 546 Southbound to Iron Bridge, or grab the 554 over to 129. 546 Goes through some amazing elevation changes and follows the river for many KM's, it's a VERY cool road.
Ranger Lake road isn't paved, but I could run it on a road bike, just wouldn't be as fun. Took it last fall on the sooperten, and the grader had done his thing on part of it, but it wouldn't be horrible on my RT. Nick would do it on The Couch.
I've taken my Triumph through the Ranger Lake Road a couple of times. 80 km of well maintained gravel with lots of twisties. Fun road.
Thanks guys, I worked most of your recommendations into my 2 night/3 day ride at just under 2600kms). I had planned on another night but the mornings up north were unpleasant and took a bit of wind out of my sails (heading east from Wawa on 101 yesterday was -1 and foggy at 9am - a miserable morning all in all!). The southern half of 129 is quite good, perhaps the best Twisties I've found in Ontario so far. And the west half of the Elliot lake loop was great fun too. I'll post up the route when I get to a computer.
Not sure if this myMaps link will work - https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=193Bl2Gcgw_vl6fOQktmAw4-5WFUhdhhy&usp=sharing And a few random photos
Looks interesting but that 400/69 stretch is a huge, mind numbing, price to get to the interesting stuff.
Central and Southern Ontario has a million lakes - Quebec too. Lot's of fish and really clean water, so the camping and portaging here is very popular. But I'd rather be riding
Not something that even crosses my mind. I grew up on Vancouver island and I could count on one hand the number of times I've been fishing!
Ya it was brutal! But unless I load up the van and drive part way there's not much option from down here to get to good roads.
That wasn't you I saw headed north (west) on 17 near Massey yesterday was it? I was stopped in the paving traffic line on a loaded down F800GS heading home.
Negative. I was blasting to / from and around the Muskoka / Kawartha area yesterday, but no 17. Surprisingly few bikes out in cottage country for such a nice day.
I did the Elliot lake up and around route this summer and it was all dug up with pretty significant gravel. I did the same trip you did, up to Wawa and back, just for somewhere to go. I took the slow pokey way up though, meandered up to orillia, then around, south wood road, lake Joseph road, any road I could get on that wasn’t the trans Canada. I was out on Thursday this week as well, I rode up to Algonquin park. Back roads up including deep bay road. The park was fairly busy, close to being head explody,but managable. I have a throttle and not afraid to use it. I consider myself very lucky I live on the east side of the 115 and have all of the roads of eastern Ontario to play on without having to travel far to get to them.
The 546 (after go you go north from Elliott Lake, is the road that goes sw) is now finished construction. Fresh chip seal, which I've found to be good traction. After this winter, it'll be a primo run along the river. Living nw of Kingston, there's lots of great riding for me, it's awesome.
