An historic part of Ontario that features some of the best riding roads in the province.

After each annual motorcycle adventure, my friends and I discuss next year’s ride route. Together we have explored the back roads of Alaska, James Bay, the St. Lawrence River, the Adirondacks and Northern Ontario. After our trip to Manitoulin Island and looping north of Lake Superior, we decided the next trip would be south, to the area on and around the Blue Ridge Parkway. 

However, things got strange south of the border, health insurance was becoming problematic, and it was the consensus that we stay closer to home. I suggested that this would be a chance to show my friends a few of my favourite roads (apologies to the late Max Burns), showcasing rides that have thrilled me for decades. 

My “Highlands” ride always begins in the Frontenac Arch, an ancient ridge of granite and gneiss that forms a geological bridge between the Canadian Shield and the Adirondack Mountains in New York. The region has been designated by UNESCO as one of Canada’s important Biosphere Regions. From there, I typically head north, trying to stay within the Precambrian wilderness of the Canadian Shield south of the Ottawa River. 

The area encompasses adjoining highlands of Frontenac, Renfrew, Lanark, Hastings and Haliburton counties and includes the Madawaska, Mississippi and Opeongo River valleys. The ride traverses historic pioneer roads running through stark granite outcroppings and worn-down ancient mountains covered with thick forest while skirting hundreds of sparkling blue lakes. It was a land populated by homesteaders and countless small villages built on forestry, mining and farming. But the lumber has been cut; the mines, played out; and the farms were, at best, subsistence, leaving the remaining inhabitants turning to a new industry for support. It is now a land calling to adventurers of all stripes — campers, fishermen, hunters, ATV/RTVers, and snowmobilers — while its roads and trails seem to have been built for motorcyclists. 

These Highlands have become well-known as a mecca for two-wheeled adventurers. During the decades I have ridden these roads, I have met up with hundreds of fellow riders exploring this part of Canada. For those who have never experienced the Highlands, it is something to consider; for those who have been there (some I suspect many times), it might be time to go back. Maybe try riding a few of my favourite roads.

The plan was for five riders to meet at my Lake Cabin. However, Bobbie had to bail out because of serious health issues. Jim’s creaky hips and knees made him turn in his high riding Versys 1000 for a new Suzuki 400 Burgman, while John and I, both currently undergoing cancer therapy, arrived on our almost matching 2015 Suzuki 650 V…