Andrzej
Sightings

My Sympathies...(Autumn Leaves)

Spectacular!

My sympathies to the bikers down south for I hear the heat continues unrelenting and the weather unchanging. But let me explain...for why a Canadian facing the prospect of a long winter without riding might feel sorry for those in the land of perpetual summer requires some explanation.....

Today was one of those blue-sky, warm autumn riding days that seem like a gift from the motorycycle gods. The mercury was hovering in the low 70's, at least 10 degrees warmer that is seasonal and the light breezes and blue skies beckoned irresistably. Saddle up and ride!

Dana and I revelled in the sun's rays beating on the leathers as we fired up and warmed up the Dyna's for an afternoon of fall colours riding. Though jackets were needed at speed, the breezes felt warm on our cheeks as we rode up Big Bay Point road, past massive maples frosted with red, orange and burgundy hues, past flaming orange sumac bushes and contrasting green pines. Fortified by a huge brunch at a local pub (their Belgian Waffles are to die for!) we continued through Barrie, tending to the gas tanks, riding past the sailboats trying to capture the last days of summer on the sparkling waterfront, dropping in at Ink Fetish to see if Derek was in (alas he had gone down to the Tat Convention in Toronto today...we had hoped to see him there yesterday), then continued on a favoured route.

Having circled the bay, we branched off on Shanty Bay road. The fall foliage was marvelous, a riotous splash of colour offset by the royal blue of a cloudless sky. Some sections looked like giants had played with buckets of neon paint, strewing it randomly, highlighting the picturesque farms and split rail fences that adorned the winding pavement. Passing through tiny towns were the residents were raking up the first few kamakazee leaves from their lawns, we rode through cool tunnels of overhanging branches.

Fiery hills everywhere

Since the leaves seemed at their peak further north, we elected to ride up #11 almost to Huntsville. Some segments along the highway were almost blinding in their display of reds, oranges and yellows, glowing and almost unreal-looking in the brilliance of the afternoon sun. Cutting west on 141 towards Rosseau, the mottled sections of colour became more solid, with less evergreens to cool the assault on the eyes. Past tight s-turns flanked by the lake on one side and granite cliffs strewn with banners of colour, we followed the road from Rosseau through the heart of Muskoka cottage country on tight twisties, swivelling our heads to and fro to capture every flash of colour, every brilliant tree and it seemed, almost every dancing leaf.

Some hot chocolate in Port Carling and a shared dish of Apple Crumble was all it took to get us ready for the rest of the ride. We zoomed through the sweeping turns on Muskoka Road 38, leaving a trail of coloured leaves dancing behind the Harleys. Picking a good line through the turns became secondary to absorbing nature's finest artistry in amongst the copses of richly hued trees. Picking up Hwy 69 (yup...there is a route #69 up here!) we upped the pace, keeping up with the cottage traffic streaming back to the city. The setting sun gave a richer and deeper appearance to the trees. Some of the sumacs along the sides of the slab were so bright as to defy belief.

Back down Big Bay Point home, I noticed the maple in our front yard is only just starting to turn yellow with hints of red at the tips, and the monster oak has barely begun. Soon the house will be surrounded with a spectacular pallette of autumn leaves.

Autumn Panorama en route to Ottawa

Today was one of those rare, perfect riding days. The Black Hills of South Dakota, the Grand Canyon and the desert views of Arizona and Utah, the plains of Wyoming, waterfalls, geysers and vistas of Yellowstone, the ocean-side highways of the west coast are all stunning, yet still I think that a fall colours ride in Ontario cottage country is one of the most beatiful manifestations of nature on this globe.

Maybe it is that autumn presages the coming of winter, when the scoots will be put away for many a cold, harsh, snowy month before spring rescues us from our imprisonment again. Maybe it is the thoughts of the major projects that are planned for the bikes over the down months. A feeling that transience somehow makes the experience more sublime and avoids the ambivalence that can come from constant familiarity. Somehow the fleeting, colourful days of fall make riding through the rampant colours on a perfect day more intense, more precious and more exquisitely beautiful in their splendour.

And so, despite their constant summer and year round riding, I feel some sorrow that my friends and riding companions down in the southern climes never experience the bittersweet beauty of riding through the autumn leaves on a perfect fall day.

....Andrzej

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Last modified on November 20, 2002

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