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Salty Fog Riders Rally 2013: The Report

A ride to the edge of the earth...

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Did I mention that we had rain? The road in was in fair condition and much better than some other times I have experienced (ie ruts or freshly graded). Since the Big Flood three years ago, which totally isolated Meat Cove, the road has been in decent condition and tends to drain better. Still, a pucker moment can be had for some.

Our hopes for less rain were dampened as the afternoon wore on. A challenging encounter with the site 'manager' made our placement and setup less than ideal. (nuff said...:nono) This will not happen again. So subsequently, we set up along a 'lower ledge' but still in the face of an abundance of the ocean's nasty side. Although we had no campfire, the Edge of the Earth Gathering found an unlocked cabin and sat therein for quite a while chatting away.

In spite of the challenges, Meat Cove is a magnificent locale and the changes in weather gives you the opportunity to see and experience its many faces. Additionally, as hosts of this tour, we are continually impressed with the riders who join us. They always seem to help make the best of any situation and support each other like 'old friends'.

Some Meat Cove pictures:


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Early Friday morning we pack up and get ready to roll on the last day of the ride. This day is a special day in that the ride down the west coast through Pleasant Bay, Cheticamp and Mabou is full of twisties and cascading vistas. However, right now we all have breakfast on our mind and the Mountain View Motel and Restaurant in Pleasant Bay is waiting for us.

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Glorious breakfast! The Mountain View Motel and Restaurant in Pleasant Bay has, in the past, become our 'shelter from the storm' refuge as well as a fine breakfast stop over. For some reason I have few pictures of the food. But it really was good!

At this point I want to submit a little sub-story drama to this report.....it was all about this:

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:type When we left Larry's River our gas stop was 45 minutes away in a place called Monastery. One rider searched for his wallet and ..... nothing....gone. Searching through luggage and pockets rendered nothing positive. Only place left was back in Larry's River. Maybe in the bedclothes? (they had a bed in the house), maybe on the way to the wharf it fell out? Maybe on the boat? John's Store? He had to return and see. Quinn, our excellent resident astronomer, offered to ride back as well and help. It was agreed that the rest of us would venture on and meet them at Rita's Tea Room at noon.

RITA'S TEA ROOM AND THE REST OF THE STORY[/SIZE]


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Concluding lunch we prepared for the short-leg run down to Louisbourg when Quinn rolled in with Paul and Shorti. They found Paul's wallet. After walking just about every inch of Larry's River and searching the house, they could not find the wallet. Shorti took a walk up by the barn and something caught her eye. Something lying in the shadow of the hosta plant. A wallet.

It seems that Paul, at Bob's request, ventured up the hill to check that the door was locked before we left and somehow his wallet escaped forthwith. All was now good and this year the missing wallet assumes the role of symbolic 'side note' for our rally... right up there with Three Bowl John and the Coffee Cup Repatriation Episode (past reports for explanations).


Back to breakfast:

Cabot Trail Achievement stickers provided by Daniel Ross (of Ross Printing, our t-shirt provider, in Antigonish).

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Time to order:

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At this point some members decided to make the run to the causeway and onward home. Paul and Shorti stayed with us for a slow ride down the trail, stop at the Red Shoe Pub in Mabou and meander to the causeway.


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So, in conclusion...

... Paul and Shorti depart for home and we roll on back to Larry's River. However, our rally has one more parting episode. Tom and Mary, a couple from NJ, rode independently while meeting up with the group periodically (also contributed some great road shots and video). They are staying at the Seawind Landing Country Inn in Carlos Cove...just three miles from Larry's River (an EXCELLENT place to stay and eat!) http://www.seawindlanding.ca/ and have invited us over for supper. What a treat and a welcome way to conclude the Salty Fog Riders Rally 2013.


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...and a parting salute to another year

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Thank you to all participants who again made this rally special. This is now year seven and we look forward to welcoming riders to our part of the country. If you are interested in attending our 2014 rally then please contact us. In the next couple of months we will be able to send out the registration forms and information. Please feel free to ask us any questions regarding our rally. saltyfogriders@gmail.com

Thanks for your interest in this report!
 
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