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Handover …

  • arreterlaspcaroule
  • Jul 8
  • 3 min read

After a hot and stormy night, I left the Auberge de l'Orpailleur to head towards the km381 relay station.


The day began under the watchful eye of the sun. It was neither too hot nor too cold, a gentle 20-21 degrees. Perfect for riding! I reached Amos in no time, as it was only 54 km away. I then stopped at a small rest area to put some oil on my chain. With all the rain it had been through, it was no luxury! With the forecast predicting a possibility of thunderstorms as we advanced towards Matagami and beyond, it was now or never.



Once I'd done that, I took the 109 back north. It's a nice road, with long straight stretches that sometimes give the impression of losing yourself in the distance. Everything that makes a guy like me happy, you might say. Well, yes! Even though it has many straight stretches, it's not boring. It's just peaceful and conducive to reflection... or the void of space, depending on your point of view!


This road leads us to Matagami and Billy Diamond Road. The two are separated by a gate. And, a bit like the gate of a large hotel, you have to announce yourself to the concierge! Well, it's not a concierge, but a nice lady. You then have two choices, either you know how it works and you simply stop in front of the intercom that sits in the middle of the road and announce yourself, or you're a little curious like me and you go see the lady! So I introduced myself to her and asked her "what do I have to do?" Okay, that was better phrased. But anyway, I wanted to know why people gave their name before passing, so mine obviously, and if there was anything special to know about the road (condition, roadworks, etc.). Basically, the person at the reception desk takes the name of everyone who is going to take the Billy Diamond road and crosses it out when the same name is given at the exit of this road. In short, at all times, they know who the tourists are who are hanging around on this road and in this area so they can evacuate them in case of fire. It is a road without assistance of any kind and they warn us at the entrance rather than once. Oh yes, the lady also asked me if I had filled up my tank because the next station is 381 km away! Well, it's not my first road like this, let's just say that the Labrador trained me to the routine "watch your gas and fill up asap ... we'll see about water and food later!"



So it was with real pleasure that I took this "Highway" which is limited to 100 km/h even though it is two-way. It must be said that yes, there are people who use it, but no, it is not the Champlain Bridge at rush hour! I did not encounter a single motorcycle in any direction. On the other hand, a bit like the road between Manic 5 and Fermont, we are in the kingdom of trucks. They easily represent 80% of the traffic and they do not travel at 100! Let's say that the 10% margin of error on speed is quite consumed.


In short, I enjoyed the scenery, the more or less new asphalt and the bends! And yes, unlike the 109, and even if it's the only road that goes north, it looks a lot like the 389 between Manic 2 and Manic 5 before it was straightened. It could have been a long straight stretch, but no, there are more and more bends as we move towards the km381 relay, a real treat. I say treat, when there's beautiful sunshine on a dry road, otherwise if you get hit by a few storms like me, it requires a little more concentration and dexterity. But we love it all the same, we're not going to hide it!

Because of course, I got washed 3 times today! The big difference with my laundry yesterday, and that whoever manages this had put the "cold water wash" program! Seriously, the temperature suddenly went from 23 or 24 to 15 degrees! In addition to pinching through the jacket, it ended up being cold. But anyway, I got to my destination safely and I was still able to rinse my eyes during all the other sunny periods.



After a busy day with 7 hours and 15 minutes of driving and 638 km covered, tomorrow will be shorter since I am 240 km from Radisson. I will visit the Robert-Bourassa development, also known as La Grande 2.


Relais km381
Relais km381

Merci à toutes et tous de me suivre.

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