| Day 4
part 4a As
I ride off, Lake Michigan adds strong
lateral winds to the fun. Not as vicious
as the winds during the segment from Wawa
to Thunder Bay, just merely strong,
requiring frequent, mildly annoying,
steering inputs.
The rain is the strongest
it’s been all night, creating many
large water puddles. I’m
concentrating on avoiding water-filled
tracks created by truck-tires and it
becomes a bit of a chore. Each time I hit
one, the bike slows noticeably. Also,
when I cross oncoming traffic, I’m
often plastered by a monstrous tidal wave
splash (you know, the kind that really
hammers your windshield when in a car). I
learn to brace for that and duck as much
as I can.
On the plus side, the road
eventually becomes straighter and faster,
and it gradually clears of excess water.
In addition, I can feel the temperature
rise somewhat, probably to 6C (43F). With
traction worries from the cold behind me,
I pick up the pace. My tires are fully up
to the task and perform wonderfully.
I now focus on making
time. There are long straight stretches
of road with decent visibility and I take
full advantage. Without getting into
specific details, I am fairly certain
that water is not collecting on my chain!
:)
As I press on towards the
Mackinac Bridge, winds become more
blustery, requiring a constant lean-in
and steering correction against the wind.
The Mackinac Bridge is
quite impressive. Up until 1998, it was
the longest suspension bridge in the
world. It is now the 3rd
longest in the world, but still the
longest in western hemisphere. As I ride
by it, I’m surprised to see how many
motels and campgrounds have sprung at its
foot; a real tourist colony.
I’ve never crossed it
but have read the experience of many that
have. I’m wondering if they would
even allow a motorcycle to cross tonight.
Do they have wind limits? As you ride
across on the slippery (even when dry)
metal grating, you’re subjected to
the full, unshielded fury coming from the
Great Lakes.
As I move past the area
and begin my straight blitz up hwy 75, I
think back to the attendant at the
service station in Manistique. She had
mentioned the forecast called for
probable snow in the Upper Peninsula
region for today. At this point, there is
no question that I have the stamina to
make Sault-Ste-Marie (the Soo). As soon
as I reach this milepost, I will see if I
have the stamina to gain distance from
it.
Bruno
Montreal, Canada
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