"Eldorado to the Klondike" Book Review
Eldorado to the Klondike: Riding Inappropriate Motorcycles to Out-of-the-Way Places
What started as just a 'shakedown' ride from his home in Ontario, Canada quickly turns into an epic 9000-mile, cross-continent journey for author Nick Adams. What's more epic is Adams takes this journey on a 47-year-old Moto Guzzi Eldorado. No electronics, no fuel injection, no ABS and no fear.
Through torrential downpours, bone chilling temperatures and less than ideal roads, Adams regales the reader with accounts of this bucket list solo journey across Canada. He provides colourful descriptions of the Canadian landscapes intertwined with vignettes of wildlife, mishaps and new friendships. The author paints vivid pictures with words, keeping the reader engaged along the path to Gold Rush country and the Arctic Circle. As a bonus, the former archaeologist describes the geomorphology and ancient history of the landscape in a colloquial, easy-to-digest fashion.
The highways and backroads between Ontario and the Yukon range from pristine asphalt to rutted muddy resource roads. Most wouldn’t tackle these routes with even the most ‘appropriate’ of machines, never mind a classic as old as our parents.
For those who ride motorcycles long distance, Adams accounts of breakdowns, roadside repairs and on-the-fly improvisation will surely resonate. He problem solves and improvises his way out of predicaments that would make others call it quits. A tool roll, some spare parts and an intimate knowledge of his machine are often all that separate Adams from being stranded thousands of miles from home. Never leave home without the WD40, says Nick.
Some of the most entertaining parts of this book are accounts of the interesting people Adams meets along the way. The old Moto Guzzi Eldorado piled high with gear and caked in dirt is a magnet for the inquisitive - a perfect icebreaker for conversation. This book is written with eloquence and a sharp wit that is truly entertaining. It will have you anxious to know what’s around the next corner and whether he’ll get home in one piece.
For those who enjoy listening to audio books on their adventures, you will no doubt enjoy Adams self-narration, delivered with sophistication and a timeless British diction reminiscent of Ted Simon's classic moto journal Jupiter's Travels.
To sum up, Adams inspires readers in two distinct ways - firstly, he reminds us that it matters not what we ride, but that we do. He also gives us encouragement to 'Do it While You Still Can' - aptly the title of another book in his library of offerings.
Eldorado to the Klondike: Riding Inappropriate Motorcycles to Out-of-the-Way Places
by Nick Adams, 2019 ISBN 1O-1088721168
Eldorado to the Klondike and Adams’ other fine motorcycle titles are available on Amazon and Audible.
Where to Buy:
Canadian writer/photographer Thomas Porter lives and rides in some of North America's most storied landscapes. Out his front door, the Badlands of southern Alberta stretch to the eastern horizon. Off the back porch, the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia and Montana rise above the semi-arid desert.
Porter spent more than two decades in daily newspaper and magazine before attaining a science degree Physical Geography. In addition to being a riding writer, Porter also enjoys flyfishing and documentary film making.
