We’ve had a few updates from the Big Land expedition across Labrador, and we’re happy to report they’ve returned home safely. Here’s an update from their last leg of the trip.
Remember, they’re working with Hemmings House on a web video series about their trip (teaser clip at the end of the story). You can check out Terry and Peter’s full blog posts here.
Peter says:
“After bidding our riding buddy Oliver, adieu. Terry and I loaded the machines on the Baie Comeau-Matane ferry and settled in for the 2 hour crossing. When we finally grabbed a seat and an 8 dollar beer in the lounge we looked up and saw a couple familiar faces. Dan and Cathy from Maine whom we had first met at the Churchill Falls ( the falls not the town) and kept seeing on our travels … Over the duration of the crossing these two adventure travel veterans beguiled us with tales of building rafts in South America and travelling down a tributary of the amazon, too flying a small Cessna up to Sagalek (former DEW line sight north of Nain on the Labrador coast) all the while not being sure the runway they intended to land on still existed.
… I did discover their collective kryptonite however. When Dan asked me what I did I explained the medical sales I do and how much I enjoy being in the O.R and watching surgeries. Well as I was regaling them with tales of small bowel perforations and carotid endarterectomies I failed to notice the two Amazonian whirl pool survivors turing green. Quickly Dan and Cathy stood up and stated they were going outside for some fresh air- it was 5 degrees, pissing rain and pitching on deck. I didn’t know I had that effect on people.
… The next morning Terry was a little uneasy about the clutch issue he was having so we popped into a bike dealership 1 km from the hotel. In our best English with a French accent we explained the problem. The mechanic quickly and efficiently dispatched the faulty part, cleaned it up and reinstalled for less than 35 bucks. I was amazed.
In a few hours we would be on roads I drove all the time. The journey was essentially over. I felt that once we were in New Brunswick we were not on an adventure, we were on a commute.”
Terry says:
“We put the hammer down in race to get home. Well as much as a KLR can put the hammer down. Pete was mustering up a solid 100km/hr as the overloaded KLR shook it’s way down the highway.
I can just imagine how Pete was feeling on the KLR, because I was starting to get sore on the Vstrom, which is comfortable. 10 days of solid riding was starting to take it’s toll. The good news is we were passing underneath the exit signs for Rothesay and would be home in minutes. I couldn’t believe we had done it. We had planned and dreamed of this for a year and now it was over.
Our families thought we were coming home on Friday, so to show up unannounced on Tuesday was quite a surprise. Boy was it ever nice to be home and be able to hug my family again.”
