3 rd ride of the year or how to get lost in your own back yard.

[Arthur Robinson]

Hi Jim:

Thanks for the up-date. My GPZ has been in the hands of my Friend/Kawi
mechanic (who lives in Apsley) for a couple of weeks. Parts on back
order etc. I hope to pick it up on Sunday and finally come out of
withdrawal.

I have friends who teach kayaking on the Madawaska River... It doesn't
sound too good for business.

Talking about business... my ex-company Honeywell had announced the
closing of the manufacturing plant (after 80 years) with the jobs going
to US, Mexico and Hungary. The place had full order books, was turning
good profits and recently won an award for performance. Now they reap
their rewards!

I trust you and Marilyn are both well,

Art 

-----Original Message-----
From: gpzlist-bounces at micapeak.com [mailto:gpzlist-bounces at micapeak.com]
On Behalf Of Marilyn Mason
Sent: 15 April 2010 10:58
To: GPZ List
Subject: 3 rd ride of the year or how to get lost in your own back yard.

About a week ago my wife and I were returning home from spending Easter
at 
my daughter's place in Penetanguishene.  We crossed the Madawaska River
in 
the Hamlet of Madawaska and I noticed the normally 150 yard wide river
was 
down to a trickle.
I decided Monday I wanted a close look at this so I jumped on the bike
and 
using back roads I managed to turn the 120 km trip to Madawaska into 200
km. 
The river is extremely low.  I stopped and took several pictures of both
it 
and the Opeongo river which was at a similar level.  I walked out on
what 
was a dock that was about 20 feet long and there was a 10 foot drop to
the 
sand dune below.  There were dirt bike and ATV tracks all over the sand
that 
is normally the river bed.  The water was 75 yards away.  The river was 
about 10 feet wide.  The Opeongo was no better.  What had been 2 islands

were treed hills on a sandy waste land with the odd tree stump sticking
up 
from the river bed.  The Madawaska is about 200 miles long, has a dozen
or 
so control dams and 2 hydro electric power dams about 150 miles from
where I 
was standing.
I headed south to Maynooth to get fuel.  I was going to take the
Peterson 
Road and return home through Bancroft but it was getting late so I
headed 
north on HWy 62 to Maple Leaf.  I decided to take a short cut through
New 
Carlow, and Craigmont to come out at Combermere.  I have always come out

from New Carlow on this road and missed taking the turn onto the Boulter

Road.  I kept twisting and turning staying on paved roads trying to
figure 
out WTF I was other than being on the Greenview-Musclow road.  I wasn't
too 
worried as I had 400 km of fuel and a paved road that had to meet
something 
I recognized.
I finally came out at Hwy 62 at Birds Creek about 20 km he other side of

Maynooth and 3 km north of Bancroft.  I rode into Bancroft left on Hwy
28 at 
a very brisk pace through Hardwood Lake, then the back roads through
Schutt, 
Jewelville, Latchford Bridge, Quadeville, Wolfe, Cormac Eganville and
home 
in an hour and 20 minutes 122 km.
It sure beats riding that Stihl 280 brush wacker or my Stihl 290 chain
saw.
Sorry I can't give you a status report on the Peterson/Elephant Lake
road 
Art maybe next time.

Jim