CMC SSM Christmas party

Friday, December 5 2014

Hi Everyone

Friday night was our chapter's potluck Christmas Party and it was outstanding.

It was too bad so many had to work or weren't feeling well; you would have really enjoyed the company - good friends and excellent food.

Those who attended were: EchoBay & MrsEchoBay, Needles & DD, Dusty, Drifter & Kee, Hooleo & BP, baseman55 & Karen, Brewster & Kido, Kranky & Rosey and Wolverine.

Thank you everyone for bringing all the great food. From the hors d'oeuvres to desserts, it was delicious.

It was nice to see everyone in the holiday spirit, laughing and joking while songs of the season played in the background.

Special thanks to Kido for being Santa's helper in seeing that everyone received a gift bag and ensuring there were lots of door prizes to be given out. You made the evening special for everyone; thank you.

Thanks also to Needles, DD and Kido for setting up everything at the hall for us.  I don't know what we'd do without such great people.

"We had an awesome time last night." KS
"We had a great time . . . a memorable evening." BN
"Good food, good company, good time." WV
"Great food . . . " TA

To everyone in the chapter, "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year".

EchoBay

1st Officer and Road Captain

CMC Chapter 032

Sault Ste. Marie ON

PS . . . next chapter get together Sunday, January 25 at the Canadian Motor Inn.

(r to l) EchoBay, MrsEchoBay, Wolverine, bassman55,

Karen, BP, Hooleo, (DD taking photo), Dusty, Brewster, Kido,

(Rosey obscured), Kranky, Needles, Kee, Drifter

SSM032's first winter social

Sunday, November 16 2014

Hi everyone,

Wow! What a great turnout for our first winter meet and greet upstairs at the Canadian Motor Hotel.

There was Mongo, Drifter, Karen S, Smitty, Hooleo, BP, DD, Kranky, Rosey, Pinky, MrsEchoBay and EchoBay.

We all had some good food and conversation and a few laughs as well. It was nice to see everyone that showed up for this, our first winter social .

If you haven't already contacted her, please email DD and let her know if you are going to attend our CMC Chapter Christmas Party on December 5th 2014. 

Hope to see you there.

EchoBay

1st Officer and Road Captain

CMC Chapter 032

 

(l to r) DD, Kranky, Rosey, Pinky,

MrsEchoBay, EchoBay, Mongo, (Drifter),

Karen, Smitty, BP and Hooleo

Mark the date - December 5th

Be sure to mark the date - December 5th - 7:00 pm
 
CMC SSM's Christmas Party
 Mother of God Church Hall
Goulais River

First winter meet and greet

Sunday, November 16 2014

1st CMC SSM 032 Winter M & G

  

 CMC SSM 032 Meet and Greet

Sunday, November 16 - 11:00 am

Canadian Motor Hotel

Pim Street south of Bruce Street

    

Catch up on chapter happenings, plans for next year

and chat with other members over coffee.

Pizza night ends riding season while kicking off winter social season

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Sixteen members of the CMC Sault Ste. Marie chapter attended last Tuesday's  Pizza Night and meeting.

Everyone socialized while they enjoyed plenty of delicious pizza, muffins, cookies, brownies and beverages.  It was good to see Mongo, Bassman55, Karen and Dusty out as well as many others who were regulars on this season's rides.

As everyone enjoyed dessert or an extra piece of pizza, first officer, EchoBay called the meeting to order welcoming those in attendance. 

Treasurer, MrsEchoBay reported on the chapter's finances or lack of which precipitated a lively discussion on how the group could raise funds for patches and proposed social events.  Those around the table quickly donated $260 in direct donations, gift basket draw and sale of patches that evening.  It's hoped that those absent will also contribute.

As a riding and social club, chapter members will be able to stay in touch over the winter with Coffee and Chat get togethers Sunday, November 16 and the last Sundays in January, February and March at 11:00 am.  A number of locations are being scouted out.  Members are also invited to the chapter's pot luck Christmas Party which will be held Friday, December 5 in Goulais River north of the Sault.  The success of last year's summer barbecue was also discussed and it was agreed another would be held in 2015.

Second officer, Needles once again offered to draw up the 2015 ride schedule.  Armed with a number of suggestions including new routes, overnight rides, group rides with other CMC chapters and his extensive knowledge of local routes in Algoma, 2015 looks to be another great year to ride . . . as long as Mother Nature plays along.

Participation in charity rides beyond individual riders was discussed. Members were reminded that CMC bylaws do not allow chapter participation as a sponsor in any manner.  Those present pledged to support other rides organized by groups whose bylaws support such activity and carry liability insurance for the event.

Drifter was thanked for his upkeep of the group's blog.  He noted that in addition to page views from Canada and the United State, the site has also been viewed by others around the world in Poland, Sweden, France and Indonesia.

To view meeting minutes, CLICK HERE.

CMC SSM 032 members discuss chapter business

at Pizza Night get together

(r - l) Kranky, Rosey, Mongo, bassman55, Karen,

MrsEchoBay, EchoBay, Needles, DD, Twister,

Dusty, Pinky, Hooleo, BP, Kee

Last ride of the season

Sunday, October 19 2014

Well today's ride was fantastic! I can't believe how many bikes showed up for our last ride. I didn't think there would be that many.

Today, we went out the back way to Stobies Restaurant in Desbarats.  The scenery was great and even though it was a little cool, everyone said it was a great ride.

At Stobies, we all had something to warm us up and some good chit chat before heading back towards the Sault.

I'm glad everyone had a good, safe, last ride for the 2014 CMC riding season.

And for those of you that couldn't make it; well, there's always next year.

Hoping to see everybody Tuesday for our Pizza Night at 7 pm upstairs at Great Lakes Honda on Pim Street.

Thanks

EchoBay

1st Officer and Road Captain

CMC Chapter 032

Sault Ste. Marie ON

August sunset on ride home from Tequamenon Falls

Riders thankful for fabulous fall weather

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Hi everyone,

Today was such a beautiful fall day I was surprised that we didn't have more members out for today's ride.  I'm sure a lot of you were celebrating Thanksgiving today instead of tomorrow.

On today's ride there was Drifter, Needles, DD, MrsEchoBay and EchoBay, Rosey & Kranky also showed up at McDonalds to chat and see us off.  Kranky informed us that he finally sold his bike and going to wait until he finds exactly what he's looking for before buying another one.

EchoBay led the ride north on Hwy 17 then north east on Hwy. 556 heading towards Island Lake. Turning onto Hwy 552, we followed it back to Hwy 17 which we crossed and continued on to the Chi-we-kwe-Don Fish & Chips Hut for something to eat. When we got there, we found it was closed for the season so we proceeded down Goulais Mission Road to the old Mission Church and the Goulais Mission fishing pier were we met a fisherman who had just come off the lake with a load of fish.

We chatted with him and he was very forthcoming about the amount of fish he'd caught, what kinds, how big his nets were, how deep he was fishing, and how often he fished. Holy man, we were sure getting an education about that fisherman's day.  As he separated his catch, he started throwing a few small fish in the water and the seagulls went nuts. DD got some photos of the gulls swallowing those fish whole, one of which was almost as large as the gull that consumed it.

The scenery today on our ride was very explosive - the colours so bright and so many . . . oranges, reds, golds, yellows, purples, light and dark greens. The mountains on the shore across from the fishermen's pier were really beautiful as was the rest of the scenery throughout the time we were riding.

After we left the pier, we headed to the Zone at the corner of Pineshores Drive and Hwy 17N to have something to eat.  After some chat and good food, we all headed home.

Another Great Fall Ride!

EchoBay

1st Officer and Road Captain

CMC Chapter 032

Sault Ste. Marie ON

Seagull's thanksgiving dinner

Weather cooperates for ride to Tunnel Lake Trading Post

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Good morning everyone. Sunday, Pinky, Rick, Wolverine, Kranky, Rosey, Brewster, Kido, MrsEchoBay and EchoBay met at the Husky.  Our ride today took us first east from the Sault on Hwy 17E to the Thessalon Pizza & Family Restaurant where we had lunch and some good old fashion chit chat.

By the time we were done, however, Kido didn't think she'd be able to make the rest of the ride and still get home in time to go to work so she and Brewster headed back and the rest of us headed north on Hwy 129 to the Tunnel Lake Trading Post. It took us thirty minutes to get there from Thessalon.

Once there, some of us went in to check it out while others sat outside and chatted. Wolverine decided he was going to go further up the highway and the rest of us headed home. Rosey and Kranky stopped at Stobbie's Restaurant in Desbarats for coffee while Pinky and Rick continued to head to the Sault.

What a beautiful day for a ride with great people from our chapter.

Thank you for sharing your day with us.

"EchoBay"

 Tunnel Lake Trading Post

6274 Hwy 129, Thessalon ON

Early darkness and shop closure leave riders with short but enjoyable evening outing

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Wow!!  What a beautiful day for a ride.

On tonight's outing there was Brewster, Pinky, Professore, Mrs. EchoBay and EchoBay.  

Once again, we did the Heads Up Ride which takes in most of Sault Ste. Marie.  It was so nice out, it's too bad it gets dark so early now.

But we had a nice ride and that's all that matters.  We all went up to the Trading Post at 4th Line at the end for a coffee but the only the Ice Cream Shop was open.  With coffee or hot chocolate on folk's mind rather than ice cream, we called it a night and parted ways. Pinky, Mrs. EchoBay and I went for coffee at McDonalds while the Professore and Brewster headed home.  Again, it was a nice night but an unwelcome reminder that our riding season will soon be coming to an end.

Hopefully Sunday will be this nice.

"Echo Bay"

Cancelled, ??? and Pizza Party reminder

2014's rainy weather continued into fall with Sunday rides on September 21 and October 5 having to be cancelled.  Mother Nature sure hasn't been kind to riders this year.

CAUTIONARY TALE

September 21

I just got a email saying one of our members tried to catch up to the group this morning but couldn't find them. For those of you who checked your emails you will know why.  Because the weather was heavy overcast, dark and windy, I decided to play it safe and cancel the ride.

I strongly advise all members to please check your emails before you leave  home to meet everyone for our rides ( just in case ).

"EchoBay"

Then again on September 30th's ride, DD and Needles were apparently left wondering where everyone was when they were the only two to show up for the season's final Tuesday night ride. 

 

If you haven't already marked you calendar for CMC SSM 032's Pizza Night at Great Lake Honda, please do so.

We will be asking for your point of view on a number of questions that will be put forward at that time to our chapter members.

Also, we will be touching on riding safety, hand signals and other safety related topics.

Your  opinion matters and we  need everyone’s.  

Our chapter is only as much fun as we make it to be.

Hope to see everyone out on the 21st at 7:00 pm.

"EchoBay"

1st Officer and Road Captain

CMC Chapter 032

Sault Ste. Marie ON

Mark you calendar - **October 21 2014**

 Pizza Night

Mark Tuesday, October 21 2014 on your calendar 

for CMC SSM 032's Pizza Night.

Get - together will be upstairs 
at Great Lakes Honda 415 Pim Street at 7:00 pm.

This non - riding, social evening brings to an end the 2014 riding season. 

We hope to see all Sault Ste. Marie CMC members there.

Quick ride under blackening skies

Tuesday, September 16 2014

Hi everyone ,

Tonight's ride was one of the quickest rides we have ever had.

Riding were Drifter, Brewster, Hooleo, Kranky, MrsEchoBay and EchoBay.

We waited till 6:15 pm at McDonalds then headed to Pointe Des Chenes. It was nice weather all day even coming into town until we got to McDonalds then the clouds started rolling in from the north and west. We hesitated at first but then we decided to to try it. 

We got down to Peoples Road where Kranky turned off and headed home.  The rest of us proceeded out Second Line but as we passed Korah Road light rain began to fall and by Leigh's Bay Road the decision was made to turn south to Baseline and back into town which was still under blue sky. 

We stopped at Tim Horton's on Second Line, where we had time for a quick coffee and then raced for home as the sky continued to darken.  Brewster faced the worst ride home with reports that it was already raining north of the city.  Heard later though that he made it home okay.

Nice to see all you CMC riders out tonight .

EchoBay

1st Officer and Road Captain
Sault Ste Marie ON

West bound on Second Line 
(f to r) Hooleo, Brewster, Drifter, Kranky

Cool, overcast ride to Chippewa Falls

Sunday, September 14 2014

Hi everybody.  Today's ride was a little cool - about 10C - but it was better than sitting on the couch.

This morning, Hooleo, BP, Kranky, Vic, MrsEchoBay, and I met at McDonalds on Great Northern Road for today's ride. Drifter stopped by to let us know he had bike troubles and wouldn't be able to join us and to picked up a patch, pin and his new membership card. Thanks for coming out Drifter to see us off.

After we chatted for a bit, we headed north of the Sault to Chippewa Falls.  It was cloudy but NO RAIN as we rode up the highway. We stopped at the falls for a bit then went over to the Chippewa Restaurant for something to eat. Vic, Hooleo, BP, MrsEchoBay and I ordered whitefish fingers and fries which we were unable to finish.  There was SO MUCH and it was so good.

When we were ready to leave, Hooleo asked if we could take Hwy 552 back which we did except for Vic who turned off early to head home. We got into some light rain when we turned towards Dunn's Valley and up to the trestle turn off but it wasn't bad. Then we headed back to the Sault, with Hooleo and BP branching off at 6th Line, Kranky at 4th Line and MrsEchoBay and I proceeded to move onward to our place.

All and all it was a pretty good ride considering the weather.

Hopefully, Tuesday will be warmer and we will see everyone then if it's not raining or snowing.

EchoBay

1st Officer and Road Captain

CMC Chapter 032

Sault Ste. Marie ON

General meeting being called - Time and date to be announced

Keeping a lookout on your email and this site for upcoming announcement - date, time and location - of a general meeting being called for CMC SSM 032 members.

"When 2nd officer, Needles and DD get back from their trip, I'm going to be calling a general - no ride - meeting so everyone in our chapter can voice their ideas and opinions on (a number of) different situations", says CMC SSM 032 first officer, Terry Aikens aka EchoBay.

Please make every effort to attend this meeting.  

This is your chapter and we have some issues that everyone in the 032 chapter need to discuss.  Your opinion matters and is what makes the chapter fun and easy going.

"I will send out an email to let everyone know what the date, time and place will be."

Tuesday night ride to Gros Cap

Tuesday, September 9 2014

Another good turn out. Everyone met at McDonalds for 6 pm. Tonight, we had a special guest tonight when Ruth showed up for the ride. What a surprise to see her on her bike as it's been awhile since she's been on a ride with us. Also Mongo showed up although he wasn't coming on the ride he did come to say hi to everyone and pick up his Children's Wish Patch and the new Support Our Troops pin. Nice seeing you, Mongo.

On tonight's ride, there was Brewster, Chrissy, Needles, DD, Hooleo, BP, Professore, Kranky, Ruth, MrsEchoBay and EchoBay. MrsEchoBay and DD had a draw and Needles was the winner. Good for you Needles.

MrsEchoBay also gave out the new 032 member ID cards and Children's Wish patches to the members that had bought one. She also had some new Support Our Troops pins that some of the members bought to show their support for our troops.

When we were ready, we headed out to Gros Cap for a simple and easy ride. Once we all got there, we took some pictures and chatted for a bit.  Just when we were ready to head back, Theresa, another chapter member showed up. We haven't seen Theresa for awhile either as she'd been really busy working but was going to try to get out for a ride with us.

We then headed over to the Boots & Saddles Roadhouse for something to eat. Kranky & Ruth didn't stop but kept riding straight home. After having some good food, dessert and a few laughs, we all headed home.

Tonight's ride wasn't long but with darkness coming earlier each day, it was just long enough.

I was  glad to see everyone that showed up tonight.  We're just one big happy CMC family when we're all together. Good friends having good times doing what everyone likes to do - ride motorcycles and meet great people.

EchoBay

1st officer and Road Captain

CMC Chapter 032

Sault Ste. Marie ON

Lake Superior off Gros Cap

Sunday's Ride Weather Permitting

We'll be heading to Chippawa Falls to take some cool pictures so we can put them on the blog and then we'll head over to the Chippawa Restaurant for something to eat. Maybe we can convince Dave to show us where the new trailer park is going to be or tell us where to catch that BIG fish behind the restaurant.

A nice simple ride

Sunday, September 7 2014

Hi Everyone

Well today was one of those days where everything was okay. No one had any problems with their bikes or fell down or ran out of gas. We  just had a nice simple ride. Today's riders were Brewster, Kranky, FBI, Hooleo, BP, Vic, Josie, MrsEchoBay and EchoBay.

We left the Husky and headed towards Hwy 638 behind EchoBay and rode in the back of Bruce Mines and Gordon Lake.  The weather was fine - not too hot; not too cold - and with a nice breeze that kept the flies away.

When we finally got to Bruce Mines, we headed over to Bobber's Restaurant  where we all had something to eat and chatted for awhile. Twister, who was visiting friends in Bruce Mines, met us there and picked up his Children's Wish patch. We were all full when we left Bobber's. Vic, Josie and Shane decided to head back to the Sault so we parted ways with them at the St. Joseph Island turn off.

Brewster, Hooleo, BP, FBI and MrsEchoBay and I turned at Hwy 548 and headed towards Twin Lakes. About 3/4 of the way there, FBI also decided to head back to the Sault, so he turned around and left while the rest of us proceeded on to Twin Lakes. When we arrived at  the public beach, Brewster went to see about a camp that was for sale on the other side of the lake. While he was away, the rest of the group dropped in on MrsEchoBay's family reunion. I'd forgotten how many there are in my wife's family.

After Brewster got back from his little adventure, we headed back to the Sault, parting ways at the Husky. 

It was nice to see everyone that was able to come out today and I hope everyone enjoyed their ride.

As you all know, our riding time is getting shorter and shorter so hopefully we'll get a few more good rides in before we start putting on our Skidoo suits.

EchoBay

1st Officer & Road Captain

CMC Chapter 032

Sault Ste Marie ON

Tuesday evening Searchmont ride

Tuesday, September 2

Wow!! What a ride.

We thought it was going to storm but we rode around it; Brewster, Chrissy, Hooleo, BP, Needles, DD, Wolverine, MrsEchoBay and myself, EchoBay. 

We rode up Hwy 17N and then Hwy 556 for approximately 30 kms to Searchmont and discovered there's no longer a store or gas station there.

While we were there, Needles showed us the old church on the other side of the tracks across from where the lumber mill used to be. We ventured inside the church to see what surprises we could find but it was empty, however, you could kind of get a feeling of what it might of been like a long time ago in a small town where the mill was the main source of income. We also visited a small graveyard but there were no names or dates on the crosses.

For some reason, my bike didn't want to leave but with the mighty strength of the Men of CMC we were able to persuade this mean machine of mine to start and take me were I had to go. I think the spirits of the old church had something to do with this little mishap though.

After we left, we headed to the Timberland General Store in Goulais River where Chrissy treated the group to ice cream. Thank you. After chatting for a bit, we all said goodbye and went our own way home.

Lucky for MrsEchoBay and I, we missed hitting a large black bear that I'd say probably was around a 5- 600 lbs. You know the training you've given yourself as a motorcyclist over the years has paid off when you are able to manoeuvre just enough to get yourself out of a dangerous situation like this. It pays to always keep your eyes on the road, believe me.

Thank you to everyone that showed up tonight. Once again, it's the chapter members that make these rides so much fun and memorable later. 

EchoBay

1st Officer & Road Captain

CMC Chapter 032

Sault Ste. Marie ON

Old church at Searchmont - (l to r) DD, EchoBay, 

MrsEchoBay,Chrissy, Brewster, Wolverine, BP, Hooleo

CMC SSM 032 riders tour Historic Fort St. Joseph

Sunday, August 31 2014

Wow! What a great ride today.  

MrsEchoBay and I met Professore, Drifter, Brewster, Kranky, Rosey, Hooleo, BP, Twister and friend and Pinky at the Husky at 11:00 am and we were gone by 11:20.

We all had an easy ride out to St Joseph Island on the four lane portion of Hwy17E to Hwy 548, the island turn off.  We went around through Hilton so Drifter could check up on a friend's home. After he finished, we proceeded to historic Fort St. Joseph where I'm pretty sure everyone enjoyed their time there wandering the grounds and checking out the exhibits in the visitors' centre.  Enroute, Twister and his friend had to cut the day short and return to the Sault as he was experiencing a clutch problem.

After taking some pictures and a few laughs, we left the fort and headed to Richards Landing for something to eat at Camille's Island Café. Mmm good food!  As we broached the hill at Sailors' Encampment, the 1000 foot freighter, previously seen up bound off Fort St. Joseph, was making the turn heading towards the Sault Ste. Marie locks and Lake Superior.

After we were finished our meal, we headed back to the Sault where we all went our separate ways.

What a day . . . nice weather, great friends, cool bikes and a good turn out with 8 bikes and 12 riders.  What more could you ask for?

EchoBay

1st Officer & Road Captain

CMC Chapter 032

Sault Ste. Marie ON

Group in front of life - size diorama

at the visitors' centre - Fort St. Joseph

BRO Toy Ride for Women in Crisis

The Tradition Continues...

The 21st Annual BRO Toy Run will be held Saturday, September 6, 2014.

BRO, Region 22, invites all riders to join us in supporting the Women in Crisis (Algoma).

All proceeds and toys will be donated.

SIGN IN: 10:00 AM
LOCATION: Tim Horton’s @ 2nd Line & Great Northern Road
LEAVES: 11:00 AM (Sharp - Rain or Shine)

Tuesday mystery ride around SSM

Tuesday, August 26 2014

It was a good turn out for Tuesday's "mystery ride".

Drifter, Needles, DD, Hooleo, BP, Brewster, Chrissy, newcomer Rick and his wife Sharon, MrsEchoBay and EchoBay met at the back of McDonalds on GNR at 6:00pm and drew the route from the suggestions put forward by members. A repeat of the "Heads Up Ride" around Sault Ste. Marie was chosen.

The route followed GNR to 4th Line to Peoples Road to 2nd Line to Carmen's Way to Bay Street past the Casino along the waterfront and past the Bondar Tent back to Bay Street to Queen Street north on Church Street east on Wellington Street to Trunk Road left onto Black Road and then left again onto 2nd Line to GNR and back to McDonalds.

After we returned back to McDonalds, some left to go home while others went down to the OLG Casino parking lot to see the Soo Rebel Cruisers.  There was music, car show and of course motorcycles.

All in all, it was a good Tuesday night ride.

Hope to see everyone this coming Sunday for our ride to Fort St. Joseph on St. Joseph Island.

EchoBay

1st Officer & Road Captain

CMC Chapter 032

Sault Ste. Marie ON

 

Brewster's wife, Chrissy, draws

route suggestion.

Great turnout for Upper Pennisula Michigan ride

What an amazing start to the day to have a great ride. Good weather and a great turnout of riders!

We met at the border entry point. Drifter was there to greet us all before we left without him. That was nice of him to drop by.  MrsEchoBay, EchoBay, Kranky, Rosey, Luc, Aline, Brewster, Chrissy, Professore, Hooleo, BP, DD, Needles and a welcome additional new rider of a Goldwing known to some in the group, as "Rick St. Pierre" participated. We were ready to go and took a while to get through the border. We gassed up in the USA where Hooleo and BP joined the group then we were on our way to tour the coast road along the shores of Whitefish Bay.  We stopped at Point Iroquois Lighthouse where the site caretaker told us of its history and some of the group climbed the tower for the view.

We continued on towards Tahquamenon Falls along winding roads through the Hiawatha Forest which begged for all of us to vote this as one of the best riding areas in the UP of Michigan. What a great ride for us to experience. Should be beautiful in a different way in another 5 to 6 weeks!

We observed the Lower Tahquamenon Falls and then headed up the road to the Upper Tahquamenon Falls where we had a great social event at the Tahquamenon Falls Brew House and Pub. Chrissy and Brewster and Hooleo and BP generously ordered some appetizers for us to sample. Very nice and many thanks from all.

After our lunch, we headed down through Newberry and Engadine to Route Two along the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan. The sand beaches and windswept coast is always something that stirs my emotions.

We arrived in St.  Ignace where we dropped in at the Gangplank for a break and something to drink, warm up and have a chat. It was now time to put on our jackets if they were not already on as the sun had disappeared and 18C felt cold. The last several times we have done this, it seems usual around St. Ignace for the weather to turn cooler, more humid and damp.  While we travelled up the Mackinac Trail back to SSM, we rode into a little better weather.

It was a long day but very enjoyable.  We did about 400 km and most of us got home about 9 o'clock to Sault Ste. Marie.

Thanks everyone for making this a special event. We had a new rider, the weather was terrific and many got to see new things that they had never seen before.

We hope to see Rick out again with the ever expanding group of riders!  It was fun to share the time with all today.

Remember to ride responsibly and always have fun!

Best Regards

Needles
2nd Officer
CMC SSM 032

 Lower Tahquamenon Falls

Good weather, good turnout, good food, good time . . . CMCSSM BBQ a great success

Sunday, August 17 2014

Hi everyone:

I'd like to say "thank you" to everyone who came out and spent the afternoon with us on such a beautiful day.  I'm glad that you enjoyed yourselves on the ride and at the barbecue.

It was really nice to see some of our members who haven't had a chance to ride with the chapter for a while.  Nice to have you back on board.

I'd also like to thank our 2nd officer Needles for taking us on such a nice relaxing ride along the back roads of Goulais and Batchawana past the historic mission church that made one think how it must have been a century or more ago.

 

From the old church, Brewster led the group to his waterfront home where we had some group photos taken.  Thanks to Brewster's wife, Chrissy, for taking  the pictures and Brewster for sharing the great view from his backyard with the breeze blowing in off the lake. Thank you both.

The ride ended at the home of Needles and DD who had offered to host the club barbecue.  In addition to those who went on the ride, others came by car to enjoy this special club event.  It was a great time to take photos with the motorcycles lined up side - by - side and so many members and guests present.

Needles and DD's sprawling lawn and Ladder Toss game provided everyone an opportunity to try their hand at a new "sport".  It's a game where two teams of two had to shoot two golf balls joined by a rope and wrap them around one of three horizontal bars. Whichever team got 10 points first, won the game.  It wasn't as easy as we all thought but after a few minutes we started to catch on.  Everyone had a good time and a few laughs throwing our balls around.

DD and MrsEchoBay had prepared all the food which was brought outside for everyone to enjoy. And that they did!  Needles fired up his barbecue and cooked up burgers, sausages, hot dogs and toasted buns for everyone to enjoy.

Everyone was having a great time which had been our goal from the start.

Thank you Needles & DD for having the barbecue at your home, your company, your beautiful yard, great hospitiality and all that great food.

Hopefully, we can do this again in the future.

EchoBay

1st Officer

CMC SSM 032 

Sunday riders (l to r)  Brewster, Kranky, DD, Needles,
Hooleo, BP, Luc, Aline, Pinky, EchoBay, MrsEchoBay,
Drifter, Vic and Josie

CMC SSM members share memories of ride to Sturgis SD

CMC SSM second officer, Needles and wife DD, spent the early part of August on a 10 - day, 4000 km + trip to the Black Hills of South Dakota, Sturgis Bike Week, touring and return.

  74th Annual Sturgis Bike Week

Needles and DD were just two of the hundreds of thousands that attend 
the annual event.





 August 4th

"Eight hours of riding today and a total of 1993 kms to date. Tomorrow we hit Sturgis!!"

August 6th

"We rode from Devil's Tower, Wyoming to Custer, South Dakota today. A relatively short ride of only 310 kms. So far to date, we have clocked 2645 km. The temperature dropped dramatically but it was a great riding day. Once again some awesome scenery along the way. We arrived early to the KOA cabins to find bunnies scurrying around, and not the least bit afraid of us. We were able to squeeze in a short ride down to Hot Springs despite another drop in the temperature down to 19 degrees and darkening clouds. We will venture up to Mt. Rushmore tomorrow weather permitting."

August 9th

"We're back."

 
CMC SSM members can check out 5 galleries with over 125 photos showing many of the highlights of their trip which have been uploaded to the chapter's Dropbox account.

Bikes, buffalo, buttes and beavers . . . they're all there.

 

Devil's Tower, Wyoming

A Ghostly Tale by EchoBay

Sunday, August 10 2014

Today's ride was really interesting; I mean really, really interesting.  Needles, DD, Hooleo, BP, Drifter, Professore, Pinky, Buck, MrsEchoBay and I pulled out of the Husky around 11:30 for a ride out of the Sault east to Hwy. 638 then cross country to Bruce Mines and return.

But something out of the ordinary happened.  What I'm about to tell you may scare you a bit, but I have to get this off my chest.  Today, we had a ghost riding with the group. Yes, that's right a ghost.  I mean everyone on the ride couldn't believe it. One minute, a biker at the back of the pack all the way from the Husky to 15 or 20 minutes up Hwy 638 disappeared.  Like a ghost, he just disappeared.

Everyone on the ride was concerned because no one knew where this ghost disappeared to.  Needles and DD noticed him missing first and turned around to look for him.  Professore left the others and joined the search of the road and ditches further back but returned empty - handed.  The ghost was nowhere to be found.

There was no way to get hold of the ghost and he hadn't told anyone in the group that he was going to leave early.  We all hoped that he made it safe and sound to wherever he was going.

I can't believe I’m actually talking about this ghost but it was chilling to think about what might have happened.  After checking to see if we could find him, we continued on with our ride. 

It was a reminder, however, to all riders that should they have to leave a ride prematurely to always let one of the road captains know they are departing the group.   We don't want to have to go chasing after ghosts again.

Just before we reached Bruce Mines, we met up with Brewster.  He had left home late but managed to find us enroute. We stopped at Bobber's Restaurant in Bruce Mines for something to eat on the deck then all headed home.

Today was one of those rides that highlighted why we have ride rules and every ride may not go without incident.

EchoBay

CMC supports Children's Wish Foundation

The Canadian Motorcycle Cruisers are supporting the Children's Wish Foundation through a fundraising patch campaign.

Patches are $5.00 each with all profits going to Children's Wish.

To keep costs down for shipping and handling, CMC SSM 032 is putting together a group order.  Payment can be made by PayPal or by sending a cheque to Terry "EchoBay" Aikens.

If paying by PayPal, CMC will send a PayPal invoice.  Please send Terry "EchoBay" Aikens your email address for CMC to send invoice to.

Children's Wish Foundation - Our Mission

The Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada works with communities across the country to provide children with life threatening illnesses the opportunity to realize their most heartfelt wish. By creating unique, meaningful experiences, Children's Wish enhances quality of life for these courageous children and their families.

Wishes work wonders

There's big power in a small child's wish. With each wish you support, you touch more than one child; you transform an entire community.

CMC Sault Ste. Marie BBQ - AUGUST 17

Needles and DD have once again invited local CMC chapter members to a BBQ at their home following our Sunday, August 17th ride.  So far 21 have signed up but we're looking to meet as many chapter members as we can that day.

Riders will be returning from the ride around 2 pm and the barbecue will be fired up at 4:00.  Even if you're not taking part in the Sunday ride, plan to join the group any time after 2:00.  Directions will be emailed once you have confirmed your attendance.

Bike not running . . . come by car.  Got grandchildren for the weekend . . . bring them along.  Have a soccer game to watch . . . record it on your PVR.

Cost is only $10 per adult.  Children under 10 years old $5.00.

Please contact Terry "EchoBay" Aikens by email before Friday, August 15 to confirm attendance.

 Hope to see you there.

Perfect weather (finally) and a late night return

Tuesday, August 5 2014

Boy did we have beautiful weather for an evening ride.

We arrived at McDonalds at 6 pm where MrsEchoBay and I met up with

Professore, Drifter, Pinky and her grandson, Hooleo and girlfriend, Bonnie. 

We left at 6:15 pm with Brewster & wife Christine joining us at Pine Shores Drive on our way to The Carver at Pancake Bay. There, we met up with members and guests of the Sault Chapter of the Goldwing Road Riders Association. Nice bunch of people with one offering to take a group photo for us.  We stayed at the Carver for about an hour before heading back to the Chippawa Restaurant for something to eat.

Once we arrived at the restaurant, we introduced our new members to former riders, Dave & Linda, the owners of the restaurant. With the place to ourselves, we proceeded to have some good food with some great company until after closing time. Dave showed us out the back of the restaurant where he is working on a small trailer park but it's going to be awhile yet before it's finished.

After our meal, we said thanks to Dave and Linda then headed home. Time just flew by and it was dark when we were ready to leave the restaurant.  Isn't it funny how time flies when you're having a good time.  I'm pretty sure it had some to do with the company and the weather that had no one rushing to get home.  It seems to make people smile when it's nice out.

Anyway, everyone made home safe and we all had a great ride.

For all of you that didn't make it, maybe we'll see you on the next ride.

EchoBay

1st Officer and Road Captain

CMC Chapter 032

Sault Ste.Marie ON

(l to r) Drifter, Professore, Hooleo, Bonnie, 

Pinky's grandson, Pinky, Christine, Brewster, 

EchoBay and MrsEchoBay

Sunday ride around St. Joe Island

Sunday, August 3 2014

Hi everyone.

Well it looked like it was going to rain again but it didn't.  Paul and Ron showed up at the Husky and had something to eat/coffee with the group before we left for our ride. Great having you there with us fellows.

 

Brewster, Hooleo and his girlfriend, Bonnie, Professore, MrsEchoBay and I did the St. Joe Island ride. 

 

Turned out to be a beautiful ride.  Stopped at the Lighthouse Restaurant for a coffee then headed out.  At the end, we stopped for ice cream at the Sugar Shack in Richards Landing and Brewster went across the street and got some muffins for us to share. Thanks Brewster.

 

After we all finished, we all headed back home.

 

What a great day for a ride with great people.  For all reports, everyone enjoyed themselves and that 's all that matters.

 

For those of you that couldn't make it, maybe next time.

 

EchoBay

1st Officer and Road Captain

CMC Chapter 032

Sault Ste.Marie ON

 

Sugar Shack - Richards Landing

Light turnout for cool Tuesday night ride

Tuesday, July 29 2014

Our mystery ride tonight was undecided until we were ready to ride.  After initially deciding to go to St. Joe Island, we changed our minds at the last minute turning left instead of right as we left the Husky. We decided to go to Gros Cap instead of the Island and I'm glad we did.

Drifter, Professore, MrsEchoBay, Dusty and myself showed up at the Husky around 6:00 pm. Dusty didn't come on the ride because his bike is still down but he came out to chat and see us off. Thanks Dusty.

We headed out under blue sky and cool temperatures, riding out Black Road to 4th Line then down Goulais Avenue to 2nd Line and out to Gros Cap. As we approached Gros Cap the sky became increasingly cloudy and dark looking once again like it was going to rain.  Arriving at Gros Cap, fog was moving in off the water with visibility offshore limited to about 50'.  The temperature had also dropped from "cool" to where it now felt "cold".

We didn't stay long before we headed back to MacDonalds at Great Northern Road for a hot coffee and chat.  8:45 we wrapped it up and headed home.

That's one more ride under our belts. LOL

Cool ride today.

EchoBay

(l to r) MrsEchoBay, Professore, Dusty, EchoBay and Drifter

Good turnout to Sunday "meet and greet"

Sunday, July 27 2014

Here we go again.

I seriously think the weatherman's been into the juice. lol.  It's just hard to figure out what we are going to get these days as far as the weather goes.  We need someone to actually monitor just the weather.  Today it called for thunderstorms and rain, rain, rain. It was overcast when MrsEchoBay & I left for the Sault but  all it did was spit for a minute.  That's it; then just overcast.

Anyway, today’s "meet & greet" at the Husky East was great.  We had 11 members and a couple of guests show up for coffee & breakfast.  They were: Twister, DD, Wolverine, Drifter, Hooleo, Kranky, Rosey, Professore, Pinky, MrsEchoBay, EchoBay and guests Michael and BP.  We had a good time eating breakfast, catching up, chit chatting, consuming numerous cups of coffee and sharing photos.

After everyone was done, we retired to the parking lot where there was more talk of bikes, rides and cross - border cell service.  We took a couple more pictures of the group, unfortunately Twister, Kranky, Rosey and guest Michael had already left.

All in all, we had a good time together. Good turn out and nice to see everyone who was able to make it.

Thanks

EchoBay

1st Officer and Road Captain

CMC Chapter 032

Sault Ste. Marie, ON

(l to r) Michael, BP, DD, Wolverine, Twister, Drifter, 
EchoBay, MrsEchoBay, Pinky, Hooleo, Rosey, 
Kranky, Professore

Another Sunday ride cancelled due to weather

Sand River, this Sunday cancelled!

Another Sunday and another rainy weather forecast . . .

Mainly cloudy with 60% chance of showers. Risk of thunderstorm in the morning and early afternoon. Fog patches dissipating in the morning. High 19 UV index 5 or moderate.

After a depressingly long winter, the summer is turning out to be cool and wet.  Let's hope that August and September bring blue skies and warmer temps so we can get together and enjoy our weekly outings.

CMC National Rally August 1 - 4

Next weekend (August 1 - 4) is the Canadian Motorcycle Cruisers' National Rally in Ottawa.  They have scenic group rides, bike rodeo, BBQs, live music and lots more planned.

Registration is $50.00 including unserviced tent camping.

To learn more or register, go to http://cmcottawa.com.

Tunnel of Trees, Michigan

Sunday, July 20 2014

Hi everyone:

Well we had a great day for a ride. We started out with 5 bikes but by the time we actually got to the meeting place we only had 3. Drifter showed up and explained he wasn't feeling good and that he wouldn't be joining us on the ride. Thanks for coming down and letting us know. Also Seventy showed up just to see us off which was really cool. Thanks for showing up Seventy, you made our day.

Then for the BAD news.  Pinky was suppose to come also but on her way to meet us a CAT JUMPED OUT IN FRONT OF HER, she turn to miss it and hit the curb bending her front rim on her bike. Luckily, Pinky's okay but her bike is down for awhile. She'll let us know what and when she'll be riding again. Take care.

(Later she emailed, "I only have a badly bruised baby toe and a sore upper butt/hip.  I'll find out in the next day or two what the damages (to the bike) are and if it is repairable.")

So that left Needles, Brad,and MrsEchoBay & I .

We all filled up in Michigan before we left and had a good safe ride. The weather was GREAT and there was a LOT Of BIKES when we were doing the Tunnel of Trees.  In addition to our three bikes, we also had DD and her granddaughter again riding behind the group in her vehicle as a backup . At Harbor Springs, we met Kranky and Rosey and they joined us for the Tunnel of Trees ride.  This was their first time and they really enjoyed it.

After we did the Tunnel of Trees ride, we stopped for some lunch at Legs Inn in Harbor Springs.  The food was great and DD's granddaughter found herself a pet snake (not a real one) lol but something the Inn had in their garden. She had much fun with it while we all watched.

After lunch, we headed back home.  Once we got back on our side, Needles went ahead because he had to go to work for 6pm and it was 4pm when we got to the border.  Kranky and Rosey also left to go home as Kranky also had to go to work.  So DD, her GD, Brad, MrsEchoBay and I went for ice cream at Dairy Queen then we all went home from there.

So as you can see our day turn out pretty good. Hope you're feeling better Drifter and glad you didn't get seriously hurt this morning, Pinky.

Hopefully, those of you that couldn't come today will be able to make the next one.

Until then, safe riding.

EchoBay

1st officer and Road Captain

CMC Chapter 032

SaultSte.Marie,Ont.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

From Needles . . .

I forgot to ask the group when we are at the restaurant if anyone saw the deer run across the road in front of me along the tunnel of trees road. I had slowed the group down and put my arm up but not sure if anybody noticed what was happening as we were in a dark and narrow band of the road at that point.

What an amazing day for a ride and what an amazing route that is. I love these forays into the United States!

If we had had more time, going the more scenic route of the Mackinaw Trail instead of I75 would've been nice but unfortunately for me, I had to get to work for 6 PM and we had to push a little harder. 

Ponder this thought, there are only 70 potentially good days for riding our motorcycles left in this year.  Let's make the best of it on our group rides and personal adventures. Remember to ride safely and gather lots of memories to think about this coming winter. 

Don't regret this winter what you didn't do this summer. Health and life is all unknown. Live it up on a motorcycle ride and share those good times with others.

The End (of motorcycle philosophy) for today

Needles

Tunnel of Trees, Michigan

SPECIAL NOTICE RE: SUNDAY'S RIDE TO USA

SPECIAL NOTICE 
RE: SUNDAY, JULY 20 2014 RIDE TO USA

Calculating the timing for the Tunnel of Trees ride Sunday, we will meet at the Nicolet parking lot at 9:00 am and leave at 9:15 am.  The round trip will be approximately 310 kms ridden over 4 hours.  The Polish Kitchen in Petosky is closed Sundays so we will go to Leggs Inn in Cross Village for lunch.

Bridge toll at the Mackinac Bridge is $4.00 US or $8.00 US both ways in addition to our SSM bridge tolls.

Be prepared for any weather conditions.  Sunscreen will be needed since the high is forecast to be 25C and only a 10% chance of rain.

We should be back to SSM about 3-3:30 pm.

Lunch will be in USA so don't forget your credit cards or USD cash.

Hope to see as many members as possible out for this mid - summer ride.

Regards

Needles

PS DON'T FORGET YOUR PASSPORT TOO

Tunnel of Trees, Michigan

Tuesday night ride to The Carver under cloudy skies

Tuesday, July 15 2014

Yippee for getting a group ride in despite the threatening weather west of the Sault tonight.

EchoBay and MrsEchoBay got a chance to use their Frogg Toggs coming to the ride from Echo Bay but fortunately the ride to Pancake was dry all the way.  

There were five bikes out tonight EchoBay, MrsEchoBay, Wolverine, and a friend of his, Andy riding a CB500 and getting an introductory ride with the group, Drifter with his demo bike a VTX Honda 1300 and me, Needles.  We also had a tag along support car carrying DD and our grandchild who is 5. A biker in the making, she asked EchoBay if she could become a member.

The weather was cool with blustery winds but after not having group rides due to the rain lately I am sure everyone enjoyed getting out. Once at the Canadian Carver, some of us had to get ice cream and while some just stayed warm. After some good chat and fun conversations, we decided it was looking close to raining again so we left the Carver and returned. The group reached SSM around 9 pm while I turned off at Goulais.

Thanks to all who came out. It was truly a family ride tonight for us with granddaughter in tow. Just goes to show, we truly are a family motorcycle club, accepting all ages. 

It was another ride which may not have been the best weather but in the depth of the coming winter I am sure it will be remembered as better than anything we will see in the winter in SSM. LOL

It was a good safe ride and the highway was not congested.

Let us hope for good riding weather next Sunday as we're planing to do the Tunnel of Trees in Michigan.

Regards

Needles

2nd Officer

Road Captain

(l to r) MrsEchoBay, DD and Needles' granddaughter, EchoBay, DD, Needles, Wolverine and his friend, Andy

Inclement weather turns another Sunday ride into a "no go"

Sunday, July 13 2014

Well here we go again!  I think the weather man has it out for us guys on bikes.

Sunday just before MrsEchoBay and I came into town, we got a call informing us it was dark and starting to rain in the Sault. We took our car instead of the bike so we could still have coffee with whoever showed up at McDonald's on Great Northern Rd. 

It was raining from Laird  to the golf course in Garden River then it started to clear up. At McD's, we met up with Professore, DD, Needles, Smitty, Wolverine and MrsEchoBay & myself.

B and B H showed up at Staples but missed the email saying to meet at McDonald's so when they drove in the parking lot and not seeing anyone left.

Here's hoping Tuesday will be a better day .

Thanks 

EchoBay

1st officer and Road Captain

CMC Chapter 032

Sault Ste.Marie, ON

Wet Sunday ride exchanged for 2 hour brunch

Sunday, July 6, 2014

Hi everyone:

Well today's Meet & Greet at the Husky East turned out great! There was a really good turnout, even though we didn't go for a ride to Tunnel Lake.  There was Drifter, Needles, DD, Kranky, Pinky, Mongo, Joe, Wolverine, MrsEchoBay and myself, EchoBay for a grand total of 10 members. 

Everyone had something to drink and some of us also had something to eat. We all had a good time and it was nice to see everyone.  It was nice that three of our newer members got to meet other members who were there. 

Don't forget, for those of you that aren't riding right now, you can still come for coffee and catch up on what's going on with everyone. It would be nice to see some of you that we haven't seen for a while. You're still part of this chapter and without our members, there is no chapter.

So pick a day - Tuesday or Sunday - then watch your email or check our new website to see where we're going and the time and location of where we'll be leaving from. Tuesdays our rides are at 6:00 pm and Sundays 11:00 am.  Needles or myself will let you know what the ride is about in an email along with whether we're heading state side or not. 

Great turn out this morning.  Hope to see the rest of our members soon .

Thanks 

EchoBay

1st officer and Road Captain

CMC Chapter 032

Sault Ste.Marie, ON

At the Meet and Greet, Drifter introduced those in attendance to our new Canadian Motorcycle Cruisers - Sault Ste. Marie 032 website.  The cmcssm032.blogspot.ca site will be available for local members, other CMC chapters and the public to keep up - to - date on what our club is doing.

CMC SSM 032 members only will also have access to a Dropbox site through their computer or smartphone where they can post photos and videos of rides, events and personal trips and view photos uploaded by other members.  Photos from Dropbox will also be taken, edited and posted to the website in each events' photo gallery.

 

 Left (f to b) Joe, Wolverine, Mongo, Pinky, Kranky

Right (f to b) Drifter, Needles, EchoBay, MrsEchoBay, DD