Rider #687

Rider: #687
Location: N46 42.891 W83 25.112, Ontario, Canada

Lisa, mission accomplished, and I do believe Eddie would approve.

BLAME IT ON CANADA

I really don't know the entire story behind all this, but that was one of Eddie's mantras. So it is only appropriate that he has ashes in Canada.

I believe the story is, that Eddie was not allowed in Canada, but I smuggled him in. Not only is Eddie in Canada, he is on a special road for many Strangers and one that caused Eddie some problems.

The location of Eddie's ashes is: N46 42.891 W83 25.112

This is Canada Hwy 129 (Chapleau Highway). Here is the long story. My first ever Long Distance event was the TeamStrange Great Lakes Challenge in 2002. Ride all the way around the Great Lakes in either direction under 100 hours or 50 hours (Gold Version). Eddie laid out the route with prescribed gas stops and receipt collections along the way, along with footnotes on closing times for gas stations in the Canada phase of the ride. The ride started and finished in Eau Claire, WI. At the Liar's Banquet, my first exposure to Eddie in his element...Master of Ceremonies and Ride Master, I could see this was a great bunch of people, and Eddie was someone I wanted to listen to and laugh with. I truly was a stranger, as I knew nobody there...but the warmth and the affection for their leader could be felt.

In Eddie's scouting trip for the ride he received a speeding ticket somewhere on the Chapleau Hwy. He not only received a ticket, the officer knew he was running a radar detector, and in Ontario POSSESSION of a device is illegal, so the radar detector was confiscated, never to be seen again by Eddie.

The ride was over Memorial Day weekend in 2002...info on the ride is still on the TeamStrange discussion board. It never got above 42 degrees and for much of the ride it was a light rain. I had really hoped to spread the ashes somewhere else near where the attached photo was taken. We hit this section of the road about 10:30 PM and it was pitch black. I did not have any auxiliary lights, and I had not upgraded the main headlight on the LT that I owned at the time, so I really could not see as well as I would like to have. All I could see were those black and yellow signs, and a dark void on the right side of the road (right next to where I was riding!)...for all I knew it was a 100' drop off. The pavement was not very good either. All I could think of, is if I go off there, nobody (maybe a bear) will ever find me. ( I did see bear and moose on this ride)

Now comes the, Oh, shit moment many who did this ride had. Even though not planned by Eddie, I can still imagine he was back at rally HQ some how or rather getting the vibes from this moment, and doing his chuckle. The "Oh, Shit" moment came when one was riding along at a brisk pace, after 15 or so hours in the saddle, in a light drizzle...and then a slight jog in the road with an, "Oh, shit" wooden bridge right at the jog. No time for brakes (or no place to use brakes)...just hold on and hope the rear tire doesn't slide too far. I tried to find the bridge last week when we were up there, but it was just replaced (in fact it is still a construction zone with site work going on) and the road straightened out. But I will always have memories of that bridge and of my first Long Distance ride...thanks to Eddie and TeamStrange.

So it was only appropriate that some of Eddie be in Canada, and especially on this segment of road that has a TeamStrange moment, and an Eddie Story attached to it.

As a sidebar...when I went up to Cheryl's (my longtime SO) cottage later that summer of 2002...I just had to go up that road and see what was on the other side of those black and yellow signs ( the Mississagi River). We also went all the way up to Kathy's Diner, near Chapleau, that was one of the possible gas stops, but with an announced closing time of ( I think ) 8 PM. We had supper there, and they said they stayed open until midnight because of the rider's coming through. Also, I got a speeding ticket on the way up (we were in our van)!!!!! Who knows, maybe it was the same OPP that tagged Mr. James. The road just begs to go fast on, but, alas the very slow Ontario Speed limits restrict one's speed.

Lisa...I still feel the loss of Eddie, so I can't imagine what you are going through. Eddie may have shared moments of the prep for this ride with you, and they may differ from my perspective, but hey I'm getting old enough that I am happy to remember anything.