Wednesday, June 5
     Manic Cinq, QC to Labrador City, NL
     222 miles; cloudy with occasional light rain and snow showers; temps low 30’s to mid-40s

Manic-Cinq to Labrador City

Manic 5 dam

Just a mile up the road from out motel we passed the Manic 5 dam that creates the huge Manicouagan Reservoir that generates power. Hydro is one of the major industries in northern Quebec and Labrador.

Route 389 north of Manic-Cinq

Immediately north of Manic-Cinq the road turned to gravel. Most of the road to Labrador City today was paved, but a good part of it was gravel, from hard pack to loose rocks and sand from the grader. It was good practice for the rest of the Trans-lab Highway which is mostly gravel.

Route 389 north to Labrador City

When we left Manic-Cinq it was in the mid-40s and sunny. As we rode north the temperature dropped steadily, dipping below freezing for a few miles just south of Labrador City. We even had some snow showers in several places.

Entering Labrador

Near the end of our ride today we entered Labrador, and the official beginning of the Trans Labrador Highway.

The bikes

The bikes are parked right outside our window at the Two Seasons Motel in Labrador City. My GS is performing very well on the trip — smooth, strong and sure-footed. One little wrinkle today — the speedo began making a high-pitched whine intermittently. A little research on the Internet this evening suggests it may be related to the cold temperatures. The forecast for tomorrow is for highs in the lower 40s, so the problem is likely to continue.