I feel the need to get travelling when I see a group of riders fly by on the path outside the office on the last day of May. I wish I were with them. Just a few more days, eh?
Many thanks to "The Cyclery" bicycle shop in Ottawa. They supplied a used bicycle box for shipping my bicycle to Vancouver.
The bicycle is almost ready to go? The frame is circa 1983 Miyata touring frame. I need a sponsor to give me one of the new lighter touring frames? The bike knows something big is about to happen since it just got new IRC Dura Ace Tires with Kevlar Belts and new Grab On Maxi Foam Touring Grips. The latter are dense foam pads that go on the handle bars. Pads like these are almost essential for long distance touring. They lessen the vibration that the hands, arms, and body need to absorb as the bike makes its way down the road. I got these handlebar pads since my right hand was feeling numb on some rides this spring, and my old set of handle bar pads had lost so much springiness that the hand was often banging on the handlebar - not a comfortable feeling! I found the new handlebar pads at the Mountain Equipment Co-op store in Ottawa.
I also got new deluxe cycling gloves to lessen the impact of riding on my hands. I found these at the Fresh Air Experience store in Ottawa. The gloves are Ergo Air X-Gel cycling gloves made by Louis Garneau. They contain gel padding at critical points to keep the hands from getting numb. The package says "Padding to eliminate pressure on the ulnar nerve" and "Vents to prevent fatigue of the ulnar and median nerves." I've had gel gloves before and they normally live up to such claims. The Louis Garneau Ergo Air X-Gel's are deluxe gel gloves. I'm sure they will make this ride much more enjoyable.
The rider (me? the author? :-) ) can't wait. He's dying to get started. He's feeling little surges when he's out riding. He's feeling fit again.
The little toe on the rider's right foot is complaining.
I think the rider is probably having problems with his new mountain-bike shoes. The rider found it awkward to walk in his old bike-racing flats so I got him this pair of mountain bike shoes that I found ON SALE at 30% OFF. The rider likes the new shoes for walking and liked them for cycling for the first 300 miles. After that, his right toe started feeling sore. My current fix is to move the cleats further forward on the shoes. The rider's toe likes it better now on short rides. Will the toe last through the long days of TourDuCanada 2005? Will the new location of the cleats cause other pains?
One reaction of one person at THE OFFICE to this tour is "Too Much Exercise!" I need to remember this in my plans.
I've ridden 4,000 km this spring to get ready for this ride. I do feel much more fit at cycling that when I began on March 18. I now need to take a week of rest since TourDuCanada does start next Sunday. The next opportunity for a full week of rest is 10 weeks later - the week after Labour Day!
The plan was to sleep tonight, but it's getting to look more and more like a sleepless night. I now need to stay up so I don't miss my flight to Vancouver. It is at 7 am so I'll need to get a taxi by 5 am. That's in three hours.
The bicycle is packed in the box that I picked up at "The Cyclery" and everything else is in this huge black bag. The bag didn't want to shut at first. I've used the bag on previous bicycle trips so knew that if I just kept at it I could stuff everything into it? It finally shut after considerable effort.
The bicycle would only fit in the bike box after I removed the front wheel, carrier, and fender, and the seat. Now all these parts are just rolling around loose in the bike box, along with a small box containing the pedals. There's a FRAGILE label on the bike box so I do not expect any problems.
I'll need to re-assemble the bike in Vancouver, at the airport
where I plan to ride off into the sunset.
"No, Pat, you plan
to ride to UBC."
"Oh, yah, this trip leaves the sunset
behind and goes east."
I guess packing took about 6 hours for this trip as I started at 7 pm and took a note across the commons to my landlord's mailbox at 1 am. I decided to tell him about my extended absence from the apartment. There are plans to renovate the exterior of the building this summer. Just think what I'm missing!
I'm taking almost everything that is on my list plus a pair of running shorts. I'm not sure why I'm taking them along. This sure is going to be an adventure, eh?
Got here yesterday via WestJet from Ottawa with a 1 hour stop over in Calgary. OK flight - a few bumpy sections, lots of clouds so did not see much of the country we're going to cycle. It took a couple of hours to assemble the bike at the airport. After that, I rode the 15 km to UBC (University of British Columbia) where we're staying in the Vanier residence which is a Youth Hostel in the summer.
At one time, many years ago, I attended UBC as a student for a year. My, my much has changed and there's more going up. I remember the Student Union and the pools beside it - there's an indoor pool and a 50 metre outdoor pool. The outdoor pool has water in it and I saw a group training in it. I must figure out when it is open and try it again. And, of course, the business school is still in the same building with the overhang at the front for protecting bicycles in the rain.
It does rain a lot in Vancouver. Yesterday there were a few attempts at rain. The natives just ignored it. There were showers that lasted about a minute in the afternoon. At that point, I was walking around Queen Elizabeth Park. There are lots of gardens. It's a MUST SEE when you visit Vancouver. There were people there trying to shoot a film. They didn't like the rain! If you take photos or video in the rain, the rain drops get in the way. The temperature felt like the higher teens Centigrade (about 65 Fahrenheit) at the time, so I was OK with a cotton t-shirt and bicycle shorts.
Before Queen Elizabeth Park, I went looking for my old neighbourhood and apartment building. The building is still there. There are no vacancies. It still looks in great shape. I guess it doesn't want me to stay in Vancouver and skip TourDuCanada?
After Queen Elizabeth Park, I went looking for the Mountain Equipment Coop MEC store. I first found the old store. It is for rent. I wandered around streets nearby looking for a telephone book at a pay telephone. I look and I looked. I went by the main police station. I bet some of them thought I was casing the area? And, of course, all this is on a hill. Well, up the hill the Broadway to look yet again for a telephone booth - as you may know Broadway is almost continuous stores so that's where I'd expect to find a telephone booth. The old MEC store was 2 blocks north of Broadway on a side street. Well, I was coming up this rather steep hill to Broadway, looked left and right for a telephone booth, and, there kitty corner to where I was standing with the bike was THE STORE I was looking for, the new MEC store at southeast corner of Broadway and Columbia.
I went inside MEC store and looked around. 1st I looked for Goretex jackets - to protect me in the rain. My current rain jacket is in it's last stages - the underarms leak in heavy rain! But, it will do until MEC gets there $155 dollar Goretex jackets in stock. None today. I talk to a female sales clerk who is very helpful. She first takes me over to another corner of the store where the $155 jackets are stashed for sale. There are none my size. The female sales person then looks up on their computer to check for any jackets of my size. There are none. Great service from this sales person! I'd already checked at the Ottawa store and didn't expect to find any jackets here, but it's always good to check on these things. Supposedly, there are some new ones on order ... They do have there $260 variety of Gore Tex jackets in stock. I'm tempted, but my old one will do for now.
I walk around MEC some more. I do find some MEC Chain Cleaner machines for $4.50. What a price! What a good deal! I buy one of those and some cleaner to use in it. It will help me keep my chain clean on TourDuCanada. I left my old one home.
I finally got to sleep last evening at 9 pm Pacific Time, after being continuously awake for 36 hours. You see, I worked all through the evening and night of June 23 and 24 getting my equipment packed and my personal belongings in order. 1st I packed the bike in a box, as required by West Jet. For other carriers, I've ridden to the airport and stuffed the bike in a bag, but for West Jet a box is required. The bike appears to have survived the ordeal with just a few new scratches.
My packing took about 6 hours. By that time, I didn't want to go to sleep for fear of not waking up. Instead, I cleaned up around the apartment so it will be in order when I return. After all that was over, I called Blue Line taxi. The taxi arrived about 10 minutes later after I had talked to a local brewer who, too, was up at 4:30 am going in to do his weekly brew. He was waiting for his buddy who lives in the same apartment building as I do in Ottawa.
Back to Vancouver... now I have re-logged in on the UBC Student Union Computer -- I got logged out for TOO MUCH TIME.
After spending less than $15 at MEC - a personal record? - I rode along the trail to skip the seaside of Burrard(?) inlet. There were lots of commuters on the trail by this time - about 5 pm. My Vancouver is well set up for commuting by bicycle and using bicycles to get around. There are so many trails that you don't know which one to choose. I decided to head back toward UBC and find more TourDuCanada participants and see what they are up to. The cars in Vancouver are very courteous for cyclists when you're on a designated cycling route or a bicycle path. However, when you're on a non-designated street, watch out, the cars cut you off, the buses are monsters. I bet once one figures exactly how to get around on the bicycle, that Vancouver is an even better place that Ottawa for bicycling. I'd live here again.
My path from MEC back to UBC follows the skip seaside trail until Burrard Street bridge. After that I do follow the seaside. There a maximum speed signs for bicycles of 15 kilometres per hour. I do slow down. This all looks somewhat familiar. I used to run here many years ago. I can see across the bay to Stanley Park, smell the ocean, see dogs playing on a beach, feel wonderful ... The Kitsilano beach house is undergoing massive renovation. Just amazing. There are these massive logs on the beach, the likes of which you don't find at home. They must be at least a metre in diameter.
Now, I just left one beach and am on Point Grey Road - not a bike path, the cars do not like me, but I need to see it! This is the road along the edge of the ocean! I'm a tourist. Ah, there's yet another beach and the same blond haired woman running. She must 'a passed me when I stopped to take in the scenery? We passed each other numerous times as I followed the trail along the seashore. What a great place to run! There's just beach after beach after beach with this stone chip trail following the coast line. And, there's not just one beach or one short trail, the trail goes forever, all around Point Grey? There are numerous beaches and trails and houses. There are actually people LIVE here.
I keep trying to figure out the best picture of all the ships that are lined up just off shore. It looks like they are waiting for the tide to go out. The tide is currently coming in. Maybe some other ships are waiting to get loaded. Some of them are riding high in the water indicating that they are empty, waiting to take Canadian exports to distant shores?
Ah, the seaside. Half way up the big hill to the University, I decide to go down this trail and look at it once again. At this point there's a small park with grass, a hill going down, a grassy area to a small 2 metre bluff down to a rocky beach. There are small trees along the bluff by the beach. The markings on the beach indicate that the tide is almost in ... just a little bit of inshore yet to be filled.
After checking in at the UBC residence, I decide to go looking for FOOD. I get lost in the married students residence complex. It's huge - must be a couple of square miles of apartments and town houses. After that, I ride around West Point Grey some more looking for the ultimate FOOD. I'm looking for fast-food - a hamburger. Eventually, i settle on going into a medium sized grocery store. I get 2 bananas, half a litre of milk, and 6 English muffins (on sale at 79 cents!). I add this to my 1 am EDT breakfast of scrambled eggs and 4 pieces of toast, 2 snacks on West Jet, 1 sandwich on West Jet for $5. The latter did taste better than the free sandwiches on Air Canada.
I've met most of the group. They seem OK. We have meetings all day today - June 25 - and, finally, get to start TourDuCanada tomorrow, Sunday June 26.
Wander over the Student Union building where I write this from. On the way I take a picture of memorial to 1989 massacre of students in China.
That's it for now that I've been logged off twice on this computer. The BIG feature of June 24 was seeing the ocean, smelling the salt, seeing the ships, and experiencing the seaside. Before that, competing feature, is seeing all the gardens in Queen Elizabeth Park. There's not just one garden, there are four, and they are constructing some other new feature. Competing with all this is the lush vegetation of Vancouver, the streets of houses, every one of which has a garden , or, at least some trees, and all this is VERY green in multiple colours of green, and yellow and red and orange, and ... Somehow, I rode 82 km on Friday!
Back here at the UBC Student centre before I charge off along with other TourDuCanada riders. I tried to get in student centre at 5:30 but it was locked. Since then, I walked back to residence where we're staying and then arranged to transport my luggage to the TourDuCanada truck which is about a kilometre away. 1st I walked toward truck looking for a cart to carry my luggage. There had been one at the residence, but someone said that someone else was using it. I acquired a cart part way to the truck, walked back to residence, loaded my stuff.
Yesterday was interesting day. A big meeting all day with other participants. There was description of trip, assignment to food cooking groups, handing out of TourDuCanada shirts, and watching a video on bicycling safety. I almost fell asleep during some of this, especially after I found a comfortable bench that was much more comfortable than the stacking chair that I originally used.
Bud reminisced throughout the meeting and obviously was enjoying himself. Somehow he quickly gets to know everyone by name. He is a former Journalist for various weeklies and Globe and mail at one time. Sees end of print media coming, got into doing bike trips in early 90s, expanded venture to include other people in groups like TourDuCanada. He told stories of previous participants and their foibles. There was a moment of sadness when I think we saw tears when recalling one individual who was killed while e riding north of Calgary on the tour last year. this is on the road to Drumheller. We may have a memorial session there this year? That is yet to be decided.
some notes on other participants:
Rich, a doctor who has ridden lots, is cool about the tour.
a woman who describes herself as a bitch and proceeds to tell me how she fed her boyfriend food that he didn't like to get rid of him. I thought there were easier ways ... potential trouble spot here? At least someone to be wary of?
Jeff, from south of the border who has ridden lots of other tours, likes Vancouver, and visits here often.
Jim who also works for government, likes to enjoy the land he's travelling through rather than blast through as quickly as possible, likes to stop to take pictures -- perhaps someone to tour with?
A number of tourer's spouses here to see them off -- some male, some female.
Evelyn who will only be with us awhile as she did TourDuCanada previously and is only going through the mountains.
Bob from Newfoundland
Bob the retired doctor who has a minor ankle injury. I wish him well at recovering quickly. I think they fell when in a pace line and he cut his ankle?
Stephane who is in my cooking group
Tristan who is in my cooking group, speaks with an Aussie accent, and lives in Vancouver.
Debbie who is in my cooking group
Carol who is a nurse RN.
Tom
a number of tax collectors, consultants, medical personnel.
many others
There is a crow parked beside me right now as I write this inside the Student Union. The crow is pecking at the keyboard. Sending messages? Now typing with it's feet.
I do not see any real big problem individuals in the group. We'll see how everyone reacts to actually cycling. What is everyone's mood after a long, physically stressful day. The range of cycling skills is huge from racers, to occasional riders.
After the MEETING, the team leaders cooked supper. You see, the team leaders are the leaders of the cooking teams. Each "volunteer" team has 4 members. The team picked the leader. Ours is a manager in real life in government ... interesting how transferable some skills are? Supper was spaghetti and salad and crusty bread. I ate lots. There were then a few cookies and I had a cup of watery coffee.
After supper I somehow rode 24 km. I rode over to the Museum of Anthropology and took a pictures of totem poles and of a wooden archway. They all looked good in the light coming from Northwest. They'll be in shadow when we go there today to get our group picture taken in the TourDuCanada t-shirts. Mine fits tightly as it should - to cut down wind resistance you know and allow me to go faster.
The totem poles at the Museum are styled in the way that the natives had totem poles at their encampments in historic times on the west coast. There are other totem poles inside the Museum. The totem poles are carved in the shapes of various figures. One looks like an eagle. There are many faces carved on the totem poles.
After visiting the museum, I rode on various roads around the University, remembering what was here when I was a student. I found one road overlooking the log booms. I remembered this from times past. I almost took another picture since the light was better. My route after this took me down 16th and through the research park. My there are lots of buildings here. Lots less forest from when I was a student. I did find one place where cars were parked beside a trail entrance through the forest so I guess there is some left. Even though there are many buildings there are also trees throughout the university. It is well landscaped with trees, shrubs and flowers.
Today, after I find some breakfast, the tour starts after we have a group picture at Museum of Anthropology. I plan to see some of Vancouver on the way to the ultimate destination of Mission. I plan to ride the sea wall in Stanley Park. The planned route for today is only 80 km, rather short, a 3 hour jaunt. I plan to add a few more kilometres to this.
Must be quick, this is a pay computer, not free!
The rain started last evening at our campsite at a trout farm in Mission BC. The rain started about 9 pm when I was learning to play poker and bet... with chips, no money yet. It's still raining and has been all day. At times there's less rain, but it never stops.
We had delicious trout for dinner. The trip from Vancouver to Mission had lots of traffic. After all, it was Sunday. The trip was flat, but rather hilly by eastern standards. I took a picture of all the bikes lined up by the truck, waiting to be securely tied for the night.
The scenery is wonderful as we make our way up the Fraser River. There are signs informing us that this is part of the Stolo first nation. More later...
First off, thank Merritt Public Library for allowing me to use one of their computers.
The trip is getting better at this point. The thirty hours of rain ended at 4 am yesterday morning. It was still chilly yesterday morning. By the afternoon, everyone had on t-shirts and shorts, no SWEATERS! The weather today was sunny with a few clouds, warm but not hot when I rode from Spence's Bridge to Merritt between 8 thirty am and 12 thirty pm. There is even a light, cool head wind today to cool us off. A few cyclists complained of the head wind, but I liked the cooling effect. Yesterday, there was a tail wind and I felt very warm since I was travelling at the same speed as the wind.
I hear that there's a heat wave at home.
Today is the first day on this trip that I used sun-tan lotion. My arms did get a bit pink from yesterday, but no real problems.
The road from Spence's Bridge to Merritt is road 8. It follows the Nicola River. The road surface of road 8 varies from wonderfully flat to very chippy - either old pavement or a chipped, oil surface. The traffic on this road is much lighter than on the main highway of the last few days. It's nice to not have the constant drone of semi's in the background ...
The vegetation during the second part of yesterday on the Thompson River and today on the Nicola River is semi-desert. There is sage brush and tumble weed in the natural areas. Some of the land is irrigated and is very green. I took one photo of a bend of the Nicola River to show the contrast between the irrigated and natural areas. There is a ranch with some irrigated fields around it which contrast with the semi-desert.
In Spence's Bridge I stopped and saw a Bald Eagle's nest. I pointed it out to other cyclists who also stopped. They, too, were amazed and appreciative of nature. The nest is on top of the hydro towers on the south side of the Thompson River. The Bald Eagles have white heads and black bodies. They have a HUGE nest. I took out my monocle to have a closer look at these critters in the wild. What I saw is a male sitting on a post 2 metres from the nest, A female chipping away at something in the nest - probably eating, eh? - and, little eaglets popping up all over the place in the nest. There were at least 3 young eaglets. The nest was above my line of sight so I was unable to accurately count the number of young.
The trip along the Nicola River was very hilly with some steep, short climbs. Back roads like this often have steeper grades than the main highways that we've travelled these last few days. At one point, I stopped in the river bottom and chatted with 2 other cyclists, Melissa and Keith, and have some lunch. At that point there was much natural greenery in a meadow like area with willow trees. You could hear the birds chirping. This little area of greenery was rather anomalous in a semi-desert, but a very pleasant place to stop. I bet it is a marshland.
My bicycle computer got too wet in the rain in Mission and has not worked since. I think it needs a new battery. I should have put a baggy over it when I started in Mission a couple of days ago. Tomorrow we have a rest day here in Merritt. I must go looking for a new battery for the computer. I looked when in Boston Bar and Lytton. In Boston Bar the store clerk told me to go to Hope or Lytton. There was none to be found in the hardware store in Lytton.
One result of looking for the battery is talking to 2 fish & wildlife officers in Boston Bar. They told me to look inside the store, but unfortunately I didn't find the battery there. The clerk was cheery and personable so I bought some pop. She told me that she didn't like living in Boston Bar since there is nothing there. As I was drinking some pop outside the store, I saw the two fish & wildlife officers talking to a local about local fishing issues and exchanging important gossip. They were quite chatty tty. Interesting local colour to add to my trip listening to their conversation.
More local colour when getting milk and bananas at the grocery store in Lytton. For such a small town, the grocery store had a steady stream of customers. A man outside the store told me that the hardware store was in the next block. I went there looking for a battery for the bicycle computer, and did not find one. The hardware store had mostly supplies for doing home building and decorating. The store is sparsely decorated and had just a few basic items for sale.
Yesterday's trip was 124 km. The day started with breakfast at 6 to 7 am, rather than the usual 7 to 8 am, to give everyone more time.
For about a third of the group the 124 km trip was very challenging. Another third sped through the 124 km and wanted to bicycle more in the evening.
Supper was very late for some reason.
Hopefully those with more ability at riding will do more volunteer tasks to help the group keep going on this adventure across Canada. There is only one staff person, Mark. His main job is to drive the truck. People ARE assigned in groups of 4 for cooking. There are many other tasks to be done such as loading and unloading the truck, filling water containers so that Mark can help stranded cyclists during the day, keeping TourDuCanada gear in order, making coffee on the coffee machine on the back of the t ruck, ... I think those who find it easier to ride need to volunteer more to fill in on these tasks. Many are volunteering without being asked. Others are more reluctant since the tasks are not assigned.
My 1 hour of alloted time on this computer is now over. I may return tomorrow to fill in the gaps in this story.
Back at the Merritt Library computer. Again, my thanks to the Merritt Library.
Today is a rest day. I started off by washing the few clothes that I have with me. Some participants in TourDuCanada have twice as many clothes with them. The laundromat is 1 km from campground and has lots of washers. I decide to return to the laundromat with my sleeping bag since the laundromat does have large washers for washing sleeping bags and the last time the sleeping bag was washed is over 2 years ago. It has more loft now that it is washed.
Before doing the laundry thing, I had breakfast using provisions from the TourDuCanada truck. After doing the wash I ate some more from TourDuCanada truck for lunch.
Last night was another night of spotty sleep. The campground is across a small stream from a large wood chip mill to the south and there's another mill located to the east. The mill operates 24-7 so there is no let up in the noise. There was a strong wind from the south trying to blow down the tents. All stayed up.
A ways back in this BLOG are problems with the small toe on my right foot and pains in my calves. The pain in the toe has disappeared even though I am using the same shoes. I think something other than the shoes caused the injury to the small toe and it was just aggravated by the new shoes. Anyways, the toe no longer hurts and I now have GEL inserts in my shoes. If I was running, I'd get 40% return on each bounce? What am I getting with each pedal stroke when cycling?
I had a small injury from running in one of my calves before starting this trip. There was a small area on the inside of the calf that turned green when I ran more than 5 km and got bigger when I ran further. The green spot has disappeared, but I am only cycling, not running. Maybe on next rest day I'll try running again?
I mention the weather since it is in sharp contrast to the weather at home in Ontario where there is a heat wave and they are all sweating and getting heat stroke. The weather in Merritt today is very pleasant: about 20 C, sun and clouds, low humidity. The clouds get thicker at times. I do not expect any rain as this is semi-desert. The vegetation in the natural areas is somewhat green for the desert indicating that the area has received at least normal rainfall this year?
Day 1 of trip was cloudy, humid, and a bit cool in upper teens Centigrade. Day 2 was continuous rain and cool at about 12 C. Day 3 was cool in morning with some warming up in afternoon. Day 4 was pleasantly warm, but not hot. By then TourDuCanada was in the desert so there was low humidity. A marked contrast to Ottawa, eh?
I need to rest today since this is a long trip and I do not want to burn out. Hence, washing in the morning, writing up paper diary, reading a book The Tipping Point from Ottawa Public Library, trip to Post Office to get mail held at home, and here in air-cooled Library typing away.
The Tipping Point reminds us that there a critical points in diffusion of information. There are joiners who know lots of people a little, but few very well.
The female postal clerk at the Post Office was personable. She told me, "You need to work on your tan." You see, I'm wearing running shorts today and there's a tan line from the bicycling shorts. The legs feel cooler when wearing running shorts than when I'm wearing bicycling shorts. It feels like I've found freedom all over again.
TourDuCanada passed a few cattle yesterday. I expect to see more cattle tomorrow. We saw more horses than cattle yesterday. There is a rodeo grounds marked on the Merritt map, like you'd see a Fair Grounds marked on maps of small cities in The East.
The TourDuCanada campsite was just invaded by CycleCanada riders who are on Tour Pacific which is a ride from Vancouver to Calgary via Jasper. We're all in the same campground/RV Park this evening. They, too, get to listen to the chip mill. They stayed yesterday in Spences Bridge where we stayed 2 nights ago. They only pause here one night and move on to Kamloops for their rest day. TourDuCanada goes further tomorrow - some spot 137 km away, beyond Kamloops.
Merritt is a pleasant spot to have a rest day.
They have this library with it's 9 personal computers for working on Internet, writing, etc. The library also has some interesting books, newspapers, and magazines. It's a sizable library for a city of this size.
There is a store that has batteries for watches and bicycle computers.
There is a Canadian Tire store the other end of town.
There are a few bicycle paths. I used one to get to the campground from the highway.
There is a golf course.
There is a huge laundromat. BTW, the laundromat is for sale. It looks like a booming business. The owners just want to move on to other things after 15 years.
I almost know everyone's name by now. There's Carol, Clem, Bob, Bob, Mark, Tristan, Debbie, Maggy, Stephane, Nicole, Cynthia, Evelyn, and many more. There are teachers, former teachers, consultants, an engineer, tax collectors, a entrepreneurial store owner, doctors, a nurse, a dental hygienist, a car tire specialist who fixes garbage trucks, and many more.
TourDuCanada went by Hope, BC on June 27. I went into town in spite of the rain. This lengthened the climb up to the campsite which was 5 km north of town on the Trans-Canada Highway.
Hope, BC is an interesting place. It is the chain-saw-carving capital of Canada. There is an annual festival of chain saw carving. The sculptures look like they were carved with more gentle tools. The signs say they are carved with chain saws. ( I did use the internet cafe in Hope. Maybe I'm being repetitious in the BLOG at this point? ) I took a picture of a sculpture of an eagle in the town park. I'd like to take more pictures of Hope, but it's always raining when I'm there! It is a quaint place and the last city of any size along our route before Merritt. Tomorrow we pass through Kamloops. What is the next large town?
Internet access is hard to find at times. 1st I tried the town library in Revelstoke. It is closed on Sunday and Monday.
The Library is in a new community Centre. This community does things right -- the Community Centre is right on the Illecillewat River. There is a pool, library, land many other facilities. City hall is near by. The whole area around community centre is currently being renovated. There will be a sidewalk along the River. I stopped there for lunch and took a picture of the old one-lane bridge and the newer suspension bridge of the Trans Canada.
When exploring around Revelstoke, I found a trail that goes out into the River flats. I followed the trail and eventually overlooked the Illecillewat Green Belt Park. There are lots of wild flowers in bloom, birds flying around, and I saw a (female?) deer. A peaceful place after riding the Trans Canada highway from Sicamous this morning. Tonight we stay at a resort with a hot springs that is 20 or 30 km east of Revelstoke in the National Park.
Yesterday I experienced hail falling on me at the beginning of a rain storm. There were a number of rain storms flowing through the mountains yesterday. My hail storm was somewhere on hwy 97B. You see, from Salmon Arm the TourDuCanada left the trans Canada that it had taken since Kamloops. The TourDuCanada took highway 97a and 97b to our campsite on the outskirts of Sicamous last night.
Last evening was my first turn at cooking food. We had beef stew and potatoes made from some real beef and real potatoes. Part way through preparation, we discovered that somehow we had no potatoes. The recipe did not list potatoes as an ingredient. It just says at the bottom "serve over potatoes" so the person buying supplies did not notice the potatoes when buying supplies. Luckily, I had already gone ahead a few kilometres and toured Sicamous, a tourist town of many resorts. In Sicamous, I'd already b been in a moderate sized grocery store Askews Foods. Somehow, I cycled 3 km to Askews foods, purchased 20 pounds of potatoes, returned 3 km to camp with the potatoes in bicycle bags on my bicycle, proceeded to cut up all the potatoes into small pieces after Tristan had peeled them, and, finally cooked the potatoes. Debbie insisted that the potatoes be mashed so that happened too. What excitement... during all this the gas stove went out and the propane tank had to be replaced. I was also stirring 2 pots of stew w at the time -- one of beef stew and the other for vegetarians.
A couple of days ago in Kamloops, I walked through a rose garden devoted to Princess Diana and their Canada Day celebrations. Next I spotted other TourDuCanada participants at Dairy Queen. I stopped and also had an ice cream cone. After chatting a bit, I returned to downtown to look for City Hall but did not ... I did find the war memorial which has an electric clock on each side and is in a park with many flowers and other landscaping. After all, Kamloops is the champion of Communities in Bloom om.
That's all for now, my half hour is up on this cash machine ...
Arrived in golden yesterday afternoon after coming through Rogers Pass. It was a bit chilly in the pass and has yet to be hot on this tour. Most tourers put on extra clothing for coming down from the Pass. I put on bicycling tights, an extra long-sleeved warm t-shirt, a jacket, and extra mitts. >
At the top of the Pass, a fellow TourDuCanada participant took my picture under the golden arches. They commemorate this section of the Trans Canada highway which was build in 1962. Some sections still feel like they are originals, but most are upgraded.
I started today by going for a run (or jog?) on the walking trails in Golden. I took the trail along the Kicking Horse River to where it intersects the Columbia River. Along the way there is the longest wooden walking bridge of its kind. I took a picture of it and of the intersection of the Rivers.
After the run, I had breakfast and washed clothes before coming to the Library. The sun had come out during the morning so I went back to the wooden bridge and re-took the picture.
The weather yesterday was excellent for bicycling with cloud cover and temperatures in the upper teens centigrade. However, it was not excellent weather for taking pictures of mountains since they were either in the clouds or hazy. Mountain pictures will have to wait for another day.
Early on Sunday's ride most cyclists stopped to look at waterfall that said it was free on Sunday, but $6 the rest of the time. It looked just like any other waterfall ... no picture on my camera!
while washing clothes this morning, I chatted with a knowledgeable local man. He told me that the current owners of the ski hill have owned it for 5 years. They are changing it from being just an excellent local facility to being an international tourist destination. The local man told me "It's all a story of real estate." The promoters have sold many chalets and condos near the hill.
The bicycling conditions along the Trans Canada highway are mostly good - a paved shoulder that is ridable. There is a constant stream of cars so you can rarely ride on the driven part of the road. AT times both the road and shoulder are bumpy, at times the shoulders are too narrow. One must keep an eye on the rear-view mirror to survive!
TourDuCanada stays at the Municipal Campground in Golden. There are 2 showers for men.
TourDuCanada encountered bugs for the first time at Municipal Campground in Golden. By bugs, I mean mosquitoes that actually bight. This is our first time. I put on my jeans and DEET. Before that I got a few too many bights on my legs...
Time to go before automatic log off...
The weather cleared up today and got better as the day progressed. There was some rain yesterday that got worse as day went on and there was lots of pouring rain last night. Somehow, I made a campfire in the rain before supper yesterday. Some other riders on TourDuCanada appreciated the warmth. I had some trouble starting the fire that was not related to the dampness. First I tried using a bulleting from Parks Canada as starter paper. Either it was wet or made from paper that would not burn. Next, I took the last 2 pages from the notebook where I keep my diary. Success at last. There was lots of usable firewood in the pile for use by campers at Kicking Horse Campground where we stayed in Yoho Park yesterday. I must compliment Parks Canada for having usable wood in their pile. When split, you could see that the wood was well aged (not green) and dry - somehow not soaked by the recent wet weather that has occurred...
Yesterday's route was mostly uphill, today the route was mostly down. Yesterday we cycled from Golden to Kicking Horse Campsite which is quite near to Kicking Horse Pass. Today we cycled from there to Banff via Lake Louise. I even did side trips yesterday that involved more cycling AND MORE HILLS! Somehow I cycled 111 km even though the route map was for 74. MY side trips:
Emerald Lake - a Lake that looks just as wonderful as Lake Louise; well worth the side trip of a few rolling hills (mountains by Ontario standards!); there are notes on information signs about the Burgess Shale which was an important fossil discovery about a Century ago. It filled in links in the evolutionary chain.
Takakaw Falls - a little side trip further into Yoho Park from Kicking Horse Campground. This ride is almost ALL uphill and the hills are quite steep with switch backs. One nice thing about this ride is there are NO tour buses and NO camper trailers since they are not permitted on this road. The falls are markedly different from other Falls and higher than most. The ride was well worth it. The falls looked wonderful even through the pouring rain which was cold at the time I was at the base of the Falls.
Field - the place of my only picture yesterday - train yards with mountains n background - since there was a short break in weather and trains are part of this trip. They follow us everywhere (or we follow them?). Field is a very small town in Yoho park of 100 houses and a couple of small tourist establishments.
The highlight of today's ride is the weather - sunshine at last, no rain, and warm rather than cool. It's been so cool that everyone started out this morning wearing some covering on their legs and we were going uphill. One does get hot going uphill so often people wear bike shorts and t-shirt no matter what the temperature. IT was cool enough this morning to do otherwise. The weather got better, cleared up, and warmed up during the day.
My second highlight of today is seeing the Bow River valley almost from above. I had this view after climbing the trail to the old fire tower on Castle Mountain. The view was of the Bow Valley and of the main range of the Rocky Mountains. I read somewhere that I Castle Mountain is in the sub range, east of Bow River and I was looking at main range west of Bow River. The sub range is made of softer rock and is younger.
Oops, times almost up, just got 5 minute bell, and lost this all before ... I compliment the Banff Public Library for letting me write this BLOG a second time for FREE - 1st time was $1 for 30 minutes.
Look for upcoming documentary on "The Golden Bridge" talked to person who wrote most of sound track in Golden... another story
2 nights have passed since the last entry. One night at Bow River's Edge Campground in Cochrane, Alberta, and the second night in Dinosaur Trail RV Resort near Drumheller, Alberta.
I always feel sad when I leave the mountains - the Rocky Mountains this time for the Great Plains or Prairies in Canada. I took a few pictures looking back at the Mountains on both July 8 and 9. These included some of the flat lands, the Bow River, and the Mountains on the horizon. We cannot see the Rocky Mountains from Drumheller. Instead, we are in Canada's Badlands. I plan on going to dinosaur museum later today. I took three pictures of the Badlands (i.e.,. bank of River) and deleted 3, when on a side trip that took the ferry. Only 2 other riders took this side trip for the last 25 km to camp yesterday. It is a more adventurous route and includes 2 major climbs out of the River basin up to the farmers fields. These climbs were at least 8 % climbs if not steeper for a kilometre - the River basin is that deep.
There are a variety of personalities on this trip. There is at least one ski bum or toque head. There are at least to hard-core partiers. They get drunk at every possible opportunity - left Banff 4 hours after most other people since they had been at a local bar most of the night before getting plastered. There are a few retired people, some older people still working, and a few just out of school. Plus, at least one middle-aged 30-something female. There are 8 females and 25 males in the core group of the Tour Du Canada in 2005 that plan to do the distance from Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic.
That's all for now.... until find cheaper computer... this 1 is $2 for 15 minutes. BTW, weather is wonderful for bike riding, a bit cool at night.
Using this computer courtesy of our hosts in Youngstown. There's just one dial up connection and computer for all 33 TourDuCanada riders. I'll be brief though this is free.
The first part of today's ride was through the troughs an furrows of a large field ploughed by a giant. We were constantly going up and down over these furrows. A bit later on the giant started using no-till agriculture and the land levelled out. There was a strong head wind in the morning that shifted to being a side wind by the afternoon. We tried a double pace-line to counter some of the head-wind problems.
Breakfast was TourDuCanada's version of Egg-McMuffins. I managed to get 2 with bacon and egg and one with just egg, plus a bowl of dried cereal. Most people enjoyed the breakfast. Last evening's dinner was pirogies and small sausages. The pirogies were filled with cheese. Some riders felt they were rather bland so poured chili powder on them. I tried it too. Um , Yum.
We're now out of Canada's badlands and cannot see the mountains. There were a number of working oil pumps north of Drumheller. Today we saw gas production and some new oil or gas holes being drilled.
All fields are green this year. One local here in Youngstown told me that last year it was dry and they had grasshoppers to add to their problems. About this year he commented "Not over yet."
I'm amazed at the continuous flat, treeless landscape. There are fields filled with some crop or other all the way to the horizon in all directions. Other fields have cattle in them. When I wave at the cows, they seem to stake longer. Am I communicating? There are few trees. I could see Youngstown 15 km before I got here. It was frustrating! Many fields are the yellow flowers of Canola this time of year.
I find that bicycling through this landscape is somewhat boring. It's all pretty much the same. We have 2 more weeks of this stuff. Who will break down first? Maybe there will be some breaks in the continuous fields.
Yesterday, on the day off, I took pictures of dinosaurs in the city park in Drumheller and walked the nature trail near the dinosaur museum. The landscape is quite stark. You can see the layers of previous sediments. The black ones are coal. The orange ones are some form of iron. There were many important fossil finds in the local landscape.
The campsites were OK in both Cochrane and Drumheller. Cochrane is a new site for the RV company... they had a different site before. Thus, there are no shade trees, yet. They have planted some trees. The campground is separated fro from downtown by a quarry (or 2 or used quarries) and a lumber mill.
The RV campground in Drumheller was 10 km from downtown Drumheller. This is somewhat inconvenient. I had to actually bicycle to get around yesterday and I bicycled 48 km by end of day as a result. However, the campground does have lots of shade trees, a good laundromat, and HOT showers -- the latter are sometimes rare as in other places the showers quickly become cold with 33 people using them. I did increase kilometres ridden yesterday by going to look at yet another view of a badlands canyon. Not places that I want to live. That's for sure!
Sorry for spelling in this, I'm not wearing any glasses as someone said "You can use this laptop for internet access" and jumped at the opportunity even though I had my sunglasses on and the room is somewhat dark. So, I took the sunglasses off ... and can just sort of see.
Not much new today. Just travelling through more prairie landscape.
The group got a problem last night -- somehow about a third of the group got food poisoning from the meal served for supper. Three could not bicycle today. I got it, and somehow made it all the way to Kinder sly where we are staying this evening. Some in the group think it was some venison stew?
The TourDuCanada route was 150 km today. The campsite is somewhere on west side of town. I came into Business District to mail my overdue books back to Ottawa Public Library. Now, I need to find something else to read as I charge over the prairie provinces? And, then I asked 2 teenage girls for directions to the library... they tried to be helpful. Luckily, they also told me that the Library is right beside the Hospital ...
I'm writing this from the Craik branch of a regional library in Saskatchewan. Many thanks to them. There are other people using the Library. There are only 2 computers. I waited for the other Tour Du Canada members to do their thing so I would have more time...
Most cyclists are over the food poisoning episode of Monday evening. What an experience to go through! An experience that I do not wish on anyone else! The diarrhoea caused me and others to make some emergency stops at the side of the highway. There are no trees in Saskatchewan so we just did it in the ditch ...
Most took some Imodium to stop the diarrhoea caused by the food poisoning. Dr Bob (retired) gave me some late on Tuesday afternoon. That allowed me to eat supper and continue riding yesterday and today. I felt a bit weakened both days and slept a lot last night. I fell asleep as I was writing my paper diary in Outlook Regional Park. There are two doctors on this trip - Dr Bob (retired) and Dr Rich who still works as a GP.
The planned food was changed to have something easier to eat by those overcoming diarrhoea. On Tuesday evening we had some yummy pasta dish rather than Mexican beans. I guess the beans are coming sometime much later?
Last night, TourDuCanada stayed at Outlook Regional Park. This Regional Park is rated the best of the Regional Parks in Saskatchewan. We were in a large tenting area where are truck had an electrical hook up. There was also a pool and an area for recreational vehicles. There were showers that actually felt warm for a bit.
The big feature of Outlook Regional Park is "The World's Longest Walking Bridge." This bridge is an old railway bridge that spans the South Saskatchewan River. It was made into a walking bridge by engineers of the Canadian Militia and opened in 2003. I walked across it with two other cyclists: Fulton and Cynthia. The view is fantastic. You're about 100 metres above the South Saskatchewan River. There are river flats and islands. There are lots of trees and other wild vegetation. You can see both the new and old bridges of the highway. They are down in the valley whereas the walking bridge spans the valley.
As we were standing on the Bridge, a Pelican flew over head. Yes, that's right, a Pelican - you know, a large white bird with a large yellow bill. This is their summer habitat. Fulton, Cynthia, and I viewed 4 of them on a sandbar through my monocle. This is nature appreciation at it's fullest - finding something that looks beautiful in a place that you do not expect it.
Yesterday's ride was painful to many riders in Tour Du Canada. The distance was 100 miles and the temperature was 27 C with a Humidex of 40. There was only a moderate tail wind to help us.
Part way through yesterday's ride, I took a side trip in Rosetown. There is a large high school with a tiled roof, an outdoor pool, a new Co-op store, about 20 stores in the business district, banners on Main Street for today's homecoming. The major industry is in support of agriculture - grain handing, huge elevators, farm equipment dealers. This town contrasts with many that have empty buildings or no buildings. Was Rosetown in a movie many years ago? I stopped at the Co-op grocery store and got some milk and fruit. BTW, our trip coordinator, Mark, likes the prices in the Co-op grocery stores.
Today's ride is much better. The temperature is 21 C and no Humidex is listed on Environment Canada's web page. Today's distance is shorter at 120 km. Today there is a brisk wind from the west north west at 40 km per hour. This was a tail wind most of the time. A few sections of the road pointed in a direction that made this a side wind that hindered progress on the bike.
A big difference between cycling in Alberta and Saskatchewan is the farm fences. Almost all fields are fenced in Alberta. Few fields have fences in Saskatchewan. In both provinces there are trees around almost all farmsteads or ranch buildings. There are also trees where there used to be buildings for farms and ranches. There are lots of these. Sometimes there are still grain bins amongst the trees, but no houses. There are lots of abandoned homesteads in Saskatchewan. For some unknown reason there e were more clusters of trees today in the 20 km before Davidson.
Tonight we stay at the Craik Regional Park. I have yet to go there. I saw it from The Buffalo Hunter statue at one end of the road through Craik. I took a picture of the TourDuCanada truck going one way and The Buffalo Hunter looking the other way. This was the second picture of the day. The first was of a large snow person in Kenaston, Saskatchewan. Kenaston is The Blizzard Capital.
Craik Regional Park is wind blown today. It is just a field with a few trees, not a dramatic location to stay like last evening. I hope there are some trees in our campsite to hide our tents behind. Maybe there are also mosquitoes. One nice thing about wind is that it blows mosquitoes away. There were a few mosquitoes in the non-windy areas last evening, but they were not much problem as there was wind in most of our campsite. We have yet to visit Canada's mosquito capital ... Manitoba? I read in the newspaper that there was some flooding and they are spraying for mosquitoes. Something to look forward to, eh?
Craik is smaller than Rosetown and Outlook. There are 3 stores in its business district. There is one grain elevator. There is a larger town about 20 km back - Davidson. I stopped there and went into Co-op grocery store for milk and fruit. One woman told me that the fields used to all be green with one crop of grain, but she likes it better now that there are other crops and other colours in the fields. Canola is yellow and flax is purple. I also suggested that there was beauty in the prairies. She said that some people may think so, but she's lived here too long to see it.
Here I am sitting at a computer terminal on the ground floor of the Regina Public Library. Sure is a lot bigger than the other libraries that I was in this week. There's a big main floor with 6 internet terminals and a second floor in a u-shaped loft. Lots of people to help you.
Last evening's campsite turned out better than expected. The Craik Regional Park is in a small valley with a stream. There are trees. There is a small reservoir due to a dam across the country road. Right beside the reservoir is the Craik and District Golf Course. It's club house is one of the most environmentally sensitive buildings in Canada. So they say, and, yes, it is true. The main frame is made from timbers salvaged from old grain elevators, there are hay bails for insulation in the walls, the building faces south with triple pane windows on east and west sides, double pain windows on south side, overhanging eaves that allow light in in the winter for heat and do not in the summer for coolness. There are air intakes that pass the air through the ground so it has a constant temperature of 11 C. The club house has many other environmental features that are found in other buildings like solar panels for heating. What a wonderful project! The project is supported by many local and national concerns .
The ride today was flat, again. For some reason there are more bull rushes in the flooded areas near Regina than there were on yesterday's ride. I stopped at the Co-op store for "co-op" brand orange pop, in Bethune. This was a very small co-op food store with just one cash register. There were 2 young girls ahead of me spending their small savings on some candy. It was almost like yer old-fashioned country store. There were a couple of other TourDuCanada cyclists stopped there as it was half way through today's planned ride. I expanded the ride to include a visit to downtown Regina and hopefully, the legislative buildings. There are many historic government buildings that have their original usage way, way up top and their current usage in a modern sign. For example, the old Revenue Building is now part of Department of Justice. It is right beside the Supreme Court of Saskatchewan.
One big difference between Saskatchewan and the other provinces that we have visited is Co-Op. You see the sign everywhere. Every town and almost every village has a least one co-op food store. There are Co-op gas stations, drug stores, hardware stores, etc.
I took a diversion from the TourDuCanada route in Lumsden since I was getting tired of travel on Highway 11. It is a divided highway with paved shoulders. For some reason, traffic increased after Lumsden. Before that, traffic was light. My diversion in Lumsden was: go through town, turn left after railway tracks (or, was it a small bridge over a stream?). Anyways, there's a t-junction where I turned left on Qu'Appelle Street. I followed this up a hill on a very rough road out the back of Lumsden. This road when on, and on, and on for 15 km. After 10 km I was stuck on following the road to its end, wherever that was. Luckily, the road eventually got back to Highway 11 so I was not lost. The road surface was old, rough pavement. Very ridable, but shaky ... my new bicycle gloves were put to good use.
Both Saskatchewan and Alberta celebrate 100 years as Provinces of Canada in 2005. There are signs everywhere. In Craik, school children had drawn and put up posters all over town.
A librarian tells me that the Canada Summer Games are in Regina in 2005. They are part of the 100th anniversary celebrations of the Province of Saskatchewan.
There's a sign outside Lumsden indicating that it is part of the bicycle course for this year's Canada Summer Games. A good route would be up Qu'Appelle Ave where I travelled. It is a nasty hill - steep and long for Saskatchewan and has bumpy pavement. A good hill to separate the riders!
As you may know, there is one couple on this year's TourDuCanada who are on their Honeymoon. They just became married in June 2005. The tour is testing their marriage?
One test occurred on Thursday morning at Outlook Regional Park. We were just about to pack the truck and "he" announced that "he" could not find his wallet.
The couple stood there with all their belongings in front of them. Like many people at TourDuCanada in 2005 they have lots of stuff. They searched through it all.
Many people searched all over the campground and in the truck. I searched the ground where people were tented and found one stake left in the ground. I, and others, search some more.
"He" remembered last seeing the wallet in The Subway in Rosetown the day before - that is about 50 km back. TourDuCanada rules state that the truck does not go back to look for things. Riders must somehow get themselves back to places where they left important stuff and pick the stuff up by their own power. "He" did not want to ride back that far though, he is a very good rider - one of the best on the TourDuCanada.
She is a good rider, but, yes, he can go faster. They were riding together the first few days. I've seen them riding with other people lately... Are their hidden problems?
Suddenly, we all heard this call from somewhere in the TourDuCanada truck. "She" found the wallet in "her" day pack. How did it get there? Someone suggested that an inquisition is needed to find out?
Ah back at Regina Public Library this morning. After leaving here yesterday, I toured the central park across the street and then moved on the Wascana Lake. The central park has a war memorial in the centre. All the grass is green, the flowers and grounds are well landscaped. There is private security present if you look hard enough in the shadows. There are groups of people gathered in the park that I avoided. One never knows their motives. There were other people moving confidently through the park enjoying its beauty and calm.
Wascana Lake is one of the beauty spots of the Prairies. There was a boating club on it in 1907 promoting canoing and rowing. That was before the Saskatchewan legislature was built in its present location on the south shore of Wascana Lake. In front the the legislature is the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Gardens which were dedicated on May 18 of this year 2005 by the Queen herself. There used to be some gardens in the same place with a walkway between the Wascana Lake and the Legislature. It all looked quit e grand. Now the walkway is replaced y flower gardens and the other gardens are removed and a statue of the Queen on a horse is added and it's all called Queen Elizabeth II Memorial in celebration of Saskatchewan's 100th anniversary in 2005.
On the north shore of Wascana Lake is a canoing and rowing club. The lake is currently marked off for this club and the upcoming Canada Summer Games to be held later this summer. There is still some construction of facilities in progress for the Summer Games.
The campsite for last night, our rest day today, and tonight is King's Acres Campground one kilometre east of the built up area of Regina on the Trans Canada Highway. It has a problem. The problem is noise. There is constant traffic on the Trans Canada Highway. It is endless. Some vehicles make more noise than others so other noise is not at a constant level, but at a level that annoys some people when they try to sleep. It annoyed me last night. I got up after a couple of hours of rest, not sleep, and used the small laundromat to wash my clothes. After that, I somehow slept for 5 hours before the morning traffic started.
As an aside... there is BIG security in this library. Again today, I see a security person looking over the first floor from the overhanging second floor -- there is a big hole in the middle of the second floor. Is big brother watching?
Back to other campground... one plus is that there is actual grass to put our tents on. The campground is well run. Our TourDuCanada truck is near the tents so we only have to carry our stuff a short distance. Even our food last night was OK: some sort of mixture of small chunks of real chicken with pasta PLUS salad. However, I give this campground less than 5 out of 10 since it is very noisy. It's noise level compares in many ways to our stay at Thompson River RV Camp on June
There are roads, walking trails, and biking trails around Wascana Lake. In spots there are all three. There were very few cars on the road this morning and yesterday morning. It is a pleasant spot to ride after time on the highway. Yesterday I walked some of the walking trail and rode other bits slowly. There were just a few people out walking and others jogging and running. A great place to train. I showed this route to Fulton, another TourDuCanada rider, this morning. He loved it compared to rid on Victoria Avenue.
The last section of the TourDuCanada trip from the rest day in Cochrane to here is Regina is on relatively quiet roads since these are roads north of the Trans Canada. Before that, when the route is on the Trans Canada through the rockies there is a constant drone of semi-trucks in the background. It is rather annoying. One cannot hear the wildlife, one cannot here the ripples of the river or the wind in the trees when riding. In contrast, from Cochrane to Regina, the route is on roads which just have the occasional truck and car. I find it much more pleasant to ride roads like this.
One camper from US is trying to teach a camper from Australia how to speak with all the different accents in US.
This year on TourDuCanada there is a resident mechanic, Jeff. He helps everyone with their bicycle problems and shows everyone else how to fix the most difficult problems. Jeff is a wonderful addition to TourDuCanada 2005. I think he told me he is retired from some well paying job and likes to cycle. He has been on and has led many other long trips. Wow, something to look forward to when we retire?
Discussion of THE BADS: the big one on this trip is the food poisoning. All present could see something good in everything else... like the morning I just needed to stop for coffee and a donut at 10 am... I normally just drink water, but, eh, it was fun to stop at an exclusive shop in Lake Louise .... after all, this IS a vacation!
Thanks to from the Mennedosa Public Library for letting me use the Internet and check my email. I just arrived in town. TourDuCanada 2005 are staying at Minnedosa Campground which is on Beach Road. Sounds like its on a lake. I stopped here first since once the rest of the group finds out that they can get unlimited time on these 3 computers, I bet it will be hard to get any time since internet access is sparse on Sunday and Monday when many libraries are closed. I found a few closed ones ye yesterday.
Minnedosa looks like a tourist town as well as a regional centre. The main street is wide. There is diagonal (or angle) parking like there is in many of the rural prairie towns. So far, no one has been clobbered on their bike by someone backing out. In case you have never seen it, diagonal parking is where car's headlights are pointed toward the sidewalk. It can only be done on wide streets. It is similar to parking in many parking lots.
The last few days were through more, basically flat, prairie landscape. As we travel east from Regina, there are an increasing number of fields with fences, more clusters of trees, and more small lakes, ponds, coulées and swamps. The latter are homes of many birds. These last couple of days the birds have squawked at, and almost attacked, myself and other cyclists who enter their territory, or even pass it on the road!
I also saw many hawks in the last couple of days. One was over a swamp and a number of other birds were chasing it. I think cyclists make hawks get excited as they screech a bit when we pass and start flying about. Maybe we wake them up?
The weather was bad on the day when we left Regina. There were showers and wind throughout the day and it was chilly. There was lots of rain on Sunday night. Luckily we were in the arena in Neudorf Community Centre. The weather yesterday and today was improved with sunny skies and warm temperatures - just the right temperature for bicycling.
After writing the last BLOG at Regina Public Library on last Saturday Morning (July 16), I saw a couple of tourist sites with Fulton. We left the Library and headed to the RCMP Museum. Along the way Fulton saw Government House and we decided to go in. Admission is free.
Government House is the original home of the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan. Now she works in the old servants' quarters and lives elsewhere. She also uses other parts of the house to entertain and hold New Years Levee. Most of the old house is a Museum that is set up to be like it was in 1900. There is a new wing added just this year in honour of Queen Elizabeth II and Saskatchewan's Centennial. Fulton and myself had a guided tour of the Museum. The Lieutenant Governor in 1900 had a pet monkey y which had the run of the house. There is a children's rocking horse for the pet monkey to play on. Quite eccentric?
After Government House we visited RCMP Museum after asking a man for directions on the RCMP college campus. Then, the man at the gate house told us to use the sidewalk and not to walk on the parade square. The story goes that, traditionally, a parade square was used to lay out the dead returning from war so a parade square is seen as sacred? There was some rain when we were in the Museum. The RCMP Museum is also free. There were lots of people with RCMP connections visiting th e Museum. You could tell by what they were talking about. There were also people visiting some recruits at the RCMP training school. The RCMP Museum does have lots of memorabilia of the RCMP. The artifacts and displays are arranged in a chronological order starting with the founding of the RCMP in 1873.
After RCMP Museum, we went to the "Dutch Bicycle Shop" to get a new tube for Fulton. The shop has anything and everything that you need to keep your bicycle going. There is a huge repair area and a variety of kinds of bicycles for sale in many price ranges. I talked to a few customers. I gather that bicycling is only participated in by a few people in Regina. The shop reminds me of ones in Ontario 20 years ago. I asked one local female cyclist of the boring landscape that some Tour Du Canada cyclists are finding hard to appreciate. She said, "Well, I was born here!"
When I returned to Kings Acres Campground just east of Regina, I decided that my bicycle chain needs cleaning. The prairies are awfully dusty. After cleaning the chain, I decided that the chain stays also needed cleaning since the sandy dirt on them would fall onto the chain. This is a BIG decision for me since I normally just clean the chain. Many other TourDuCanada members are obsessed with cleaning their bicycles every day. I feel the chain is the drive train and only it needs to be kept nd, I did get out the cleaning pan and clean the chain stays, but I left dirt on the front fender ...
Tour Du Canada 2005 has now travelled through 3 provinces and is in a fourth. Our last stop in Saskatchewan was in Neudorf. It is a railway town without a station, a train stop, or even a grain elevator. At one time Neudorf was an important change point in the railroad system. Now, all it has is a small golf course, elementary school, one or 2 stores, some houses, and a few boarded up buildings.
On the way to Neudorf, I had an interesting stop at the Motherwell Homestead which is a national historic site. Mr. Motherwell was a Minister of Agriculture in the early 20th century, 1st in Saskatchewan, later in Ottawa. The restoration of this estate gives the tourist an idea of how the better-off lived in the early 20th century in the prairies. It is in marked contrast to the Diefenbaker cabin (near Saskatoon?). The Motherwell Homestead has central heating and many of the conveniences of modern life.
Mr. Motherwell was Minister of Agriculture up to 1934. Succeeding him was his neighbour, JD "Jimmy" Gardiner who was Minister of Agriculture from 1935 to 1957. At least that's what the plaque says a bit further down the highway. The sign directing tourists to "Jimmy" Gardiner's plaque has faded. I just noticed the plaque out of the corner of my eye and went back and looked at it. Both men were promoters of improved methods of farming. This area of Saskatchewan was the first in the prairies to have trees a s wind breaks.
In Neudorf we stayed in the arena. One problem was where to sleep in the area. Some people set up tents on the sand where the ice is made in the winter. Other tents popped up on the floor outside the ice surface. Sleeping bags appeared in the small stands ... When the lights were dimmed, I put my sleeping bag on my ground sheet in a dark corner of the rink. At that time, the lights over the ice surface were turned off and those over the stands were left on. I put my stuff at the opposite side of the ice surface. There is just natural ice at this arena in the winter. None of the artificial stuff. We made dinner in the kitchen area that overlooked the rink at one end of the rink. This area is heated in the winter as are the change rooms underneath it?
In the early prairies there were travelling salesmen. A salesman's chair was constructed to make waiting uncomfortable for a salesman. The idea was to have a servant greet the salesman and tell him to wait -- maybe 5 hours? The chairs on the Motherwell Estate have unequal legs so they rock and are sloped forward so that the user tends to slide off. The chairs in Government House were more devastating. They had:
Slanted forward seat so a person slides out
Uncomfortable back that feels knobby
Crack across the seat from side to side with movable front and rear parts to seat. You see, the chair is made so that a person tends to slide forwards and fall out. When the person tries to sit up, the person's bum is pinched by the crack in the seat. How many pinches could a salesman take?
From Neudorf to Binscarth, I took the longer route of TourDuCanada 2005 which was 170 km. There is a shorter route of 140 km. The longer route goes through the Qu'Appelle River Valley. This valley is beautiful in contrast to the flat prairie.
Shortly after I enter the valley, Fulton catches up. Very soon I notice some white birds on the western beach of Crooked Lake. What are these? I get out my monocular and study them. I notice the beak of a Pelican. This valley is also habitat of Pelicans! Fulton looks through the monocular and confirms my sighting. Wow! When we are looking at the Pelicans, the TourDuCanada Truck shows up. IT is a rented "Ryder" truck. Our driver Mark also looks at the Pelicans. He, too, is amazed as is today's pass
Further along the road to Binscarth is Esterhazy. I go into this town. Located near Esterhazy is the largest Potash mine in the world. I take a picture of the huge potash pile that is beside the mine outside of Esterhazy. West of Esterhazy is the town of Stockholm. Much of this area was originally farmed by immigrants from Sweden near the beginning of the 20th century.
At this point I meet up with Nicole, Cynthia, and John. They spent some time in Esterhazy and received samples of Potash from the tourist information. As we're riding along, Nicole points out that she and Cynthia have exactly the same clothes on -- the same size, make, and colour! This just happened. It was not planned! I took their picture on Cynthia's camera. BTW, they also have the same size of shoes. Clones?
The road today is much as the previous days on the prairies. There are sections with just field crops and no fences, other parts with ranches, cattle and fences, and a few mixed farms with fences. The towns are very small. Those with elevators and train tracks look like they will survive a few more years.
I stopped today in Shoal Lake - about half way through today's 140 km ride. The Lake was restored through aeration. The town of Shoal Lake does look like a survivor. There are many stores on the main street. There are railroad tracks and at least one large grain processing facility.
The park beside Shoal Lake is peaceful after travelling on a very rough road from Binscarth. I think the road has "big chip" oil seal on top of ancient pavement, not the best surface for happy cycling. The bicycle was continually vibrating and being bounced about. Often, on this kind of surface you can find a track where cars have made it smooth. There were long segments today where there were no smooth tracks in the road surface. You know, first you try the track of the right tire, then the left, then th e space between them, then the middle of the road ... None were smooth today between Binscarth and Shoal Lake. The last part of yesterday's route, from Esterhazy to Binscarth, was much the same.
Some breakfasts are more popular than others. This group likes "Egg McMuffins" made by TourDuCanada chefs. We had these yesterday at Neudorf. Most like "French Toast" - bread dipped in scrambled egg mixture and fried. Today we had oatmeal porridge. Only a few people from this group like porridge. There's always lots left over... particularly when the server, like today's server, gives out minuscule portions of about 5 mouthfuls.
There are other options for filling up at breakfast. There is dried cereal. The current selection is bran flakes and rice krispies. You can put yogurt on this, powdered milk, and brown sugar? And, there's always jam on bread, or peanut butter on bread, or peanut butter sandwiches ... available anytime! We even have a deluxe jar of tastier peanut butter today!
Here I am just down the road 30 km from Minnedosa where TourDuCanada stayed last night. I washed clothes in Minnedosa this morning and visited Neepawa. Today's route goes all the way to Portage La Prairie - another 110 km!
Neepawa is the childhood home of the Canadian author Margaret Lawrence. You may remember her books like The Stone Angle, A Jest of God and The Diviners. I toured the home where she lived with mother and grandfather from 1935 to 1944, and went to the local cemetery Riverside Cemetery where her ashes are interred and the stone Angel is found.
The Guest Book at the Margaret Lawrence home shows that at least 3 other members of TourDuCanada 2005 did visit - Debbie, Stephane, and Jim. They signed the guest book. That is important so the home can keep track of number of guests, and where they are from, when reporting to its grant heritage foundation.
I also need to go back and comment further on the excellent campground where TourDuCanada stayed last night. This is the best place we have stayed since Outlook, Saskatchewan. There is a big lake and reservoir created by a dam. One side of the lake a large public park. The other side of the lake has cabins that are owned by people from Brandon, Manitoba. The locals call it Brandosa according to one person that I spoke with in the laundromat. I also asked her about the boring nature of the prairie landscape. She likes the prairies - actually moved back after spending several years in British Columbia. She says, "I call it Big Sky Country."
At the interpretive site by the dam there a tubes to look through that point to relevant objects and locations. The dam was originally built for local hydro electricity, but was no longer used once Minnedossa got on the electricity grid. There are a number of flag poles on the dam. I took a picture of these this morning.
The only sounds at the campground are the sounds of nature and other campers. At least that is most of the time. There is an occasional train whistle from across the lake and the deep rustling sound of a train. They can't leave us. They are following us everywhere! At least, somehow, we got rid of the sound of trucks last night.
Just arrived in Kenora. Thanks to Kenora Public Library for legging me use internet for half an hour for free, $2 per every 15 minutes after that. I'm at computer station 14. There are ten computers in this part of Library.
The big news: wow, another Canadian land form passed. Another province done on this tour! Tour Du Canada 2005 is now in the Canadian Shield in Ontario. We've now covered 4 provinces, the western mountains, and the prairies.
Today started with our group making breakfast. I was up at 5 am to get the water on to boil for cleaning and for making oatmeal porridge, what else! Our team was quickly up and working on getting stuff ready: peanut butter and jam and bread so people can make lunch, bananas and apples to take for lunch, 3 wash basins for washing dishes, and syrup for people to put on the pancakes. I also turned on the coffee maker on the back of the TourDuCanada truck. I eventually made 4 pots of coffee. They drank all 4.
Breakfast was at 6 am and ended about 45 minutes later when everyone was fed. It says in TourDuCanada handbook that breakfasts are supposed to last 1 hour, but all the riders are up and at it and want breakfast even before it is cooked. I eventually left camp just east of Beuasejour at 10 minutes after 8. By that time our group had cleaned all the cooking equipment used for breakfast and loaded the Tour Du Canada truck.
Ah, work-crew duties are over for another round. let's see, this time I spent 5 hours yesterday and 3 or more today for a total of about 8 hours. I'm on work crew again in 8 days so that works out to about an hour a day -- not bad?
Today's ride started through "Winnipeg cottage country" as one TourDuCanada rider from these parts calls it. She remembers having many weekend adventures in this area when she was a teenager. She often camped or went to cottages here. Most of the fields have fences and there are horses, cows, and cattle in some fields. There's lots of hay bales for their winter care.
After cottage country the tour goes through Whiteshell Provincial Forest and Park. This is our introduction to the Canadian shield. There are mixed forests, swamps, and small lakes. I took a few pictures of this landscape that is new to our tour. There are lily pads and bull rushes in the lakes, and granite rocks, trees, and scrub on the land. Some of it is beautiful. Other parts are just a good break from the prairies. You can no longer see for miles and miles and miles. You're lucky if you can see a kilometre in any direction.
One of our work crew members, Debbie, has many relatives in Winnipeg. Last night was our turn to do dinner. We had just settled into dinner and her mother, sister and a few other relatives showed up. Her sister brought this large cake with the message "Tour Du Manitoba 2005" written on it. They also brought ice cream. Most people had at least one piece of cake and at least one scoop of ice cream. It was all very good and well thought out.
Two participants in from trips of Tour Du Canada in former years have joined the 2005 trip for the tour through Northern Ontario. They are Catherine and Jamie.
Unfortunately, Tour Du Canada 2005 is losing Jeff. He has important family matters to attend to so returned home via Winnipeg today. This is a big loss to the trip since Jeff is an expert on bicycles. He has helped everyone with their repairs and helped many riders to get their bicycles working better. Many thanks to Jeff for his assistance!
Yesterday, the tour was through Winnipeg. The farms approaching and leaving Winnipeg are mostly into growing grain. There are very few fences on the fields. It is VERY flat whereas today was somewhat hilly. The weather both days, yesterday and today, was excellent -- warm, but not hot, sunny with a few clouds.
In Winnipeg I took a Bike Route, stopped at the Legislature, and took a picture of Portage and Main. The latter is a famous intersection. It is very windy. BTW, Portage is pronounced port-age, unlike the portage activity of a canoe trip which is por-tage.
There are currently many painted bears in front of the legislature. Each bear statue is about the same shape. They all have different colours. They are also in the large park across the street from the legislature and along the median of Broadway street, the street in front of the legislature.
The Bike Route was interesting. It was a series of streets with paths between. one of the paths was wiped out by the recent flooding.
Looks like time to go again ... just spend at least 15 minutes over 30
This is a rest day for TourDuCanada 2005. I'm writing this from the laundromat at the campground. Another cyclist paid a flat rate for 5 hours of time... I'm using up some of it.
This is a wonderful campground. There are lots of trees, lots of room, beach in park, Canadian Tire store 1 km away for all our emergency needs. They are a primary supplier of stuff for camping and fixing bicycles, other than a bicycle store that always costs lots. The big plus of this campsite for Tour Du Canada is that we can hear the trees, hear the birds, hear natural sounds, rather than semi-trucks and trains. We listened to enough of them yesterday on the way in to Kenora. The weather r today is wonderful - temperatures in low 20s C and some clouds.
It's a good thing there were clouds yesterday. I was reviewing some of my pictures. One was of a small lake in Canadian shield. There are rocks, small lilies, AND reflections of clouds in the lake. The latter make it look much better.
I'm trying to have a big rest today. My last real rest was in Drumheller, 12 days ago. There was a rest day in Regina, but I rode 50 km seeing all the sites and museums there. As it is, I spent lots of the day working on my bicycle along with others working on theres. I started just cleaning the chain and other parts of the chain set. The cleaning progressed to checking all the bolts on the bike to make sure that they are still tight. All those rough roads sure did a number on the bicycle. Many bolts needed a quarter turn to make them tight. One bolt on the front fender was very loose. Further exploration indicated that the headset was loose -- you know, the place where the handlebars and front forks are attached to the bicycle. More exploration of the headset indicated that it needs more grease. On the toe bike stand it went, out came the big tools, soon the bike was in parts and re-assembled with more new grease on the headset. I had the bicycle out for a short spin to Canadian Tire. The bicycle sure feels a lot better. I bet those bumps on the road felt even worse with a loose head set. As usual, the bicycle sure goes further with each push of the crank when the chain set is clean!
A couple of years ago I toured with Cycle Canada and our truck driver new how to make this yummy, creamy oatmeal. I made some on Friday morning when our team was on work crew in Beausejour. How I did it:
DO NOT follow directions on oatmeal package!
Boil water
When water is boiling, add one half to one third of water volume of oatmeal -- that is, there is 2 to 3 times as much water as oatmeal.
Bring back to boil and simmer for 0 to 25 minutes. This creates the cream of the oatmeal
Inspect oatmeal every 5 to 10 minutes as well as stirring constantly. Add a bit more oatmeal in 5 or 10 minutes if oatmeal is not the right consistency -- you have to try this a few times to get it just right!
Add a bit more oatmeal - add up to one quarter of oatmeal added before - 2 to 5 minutes before serving. This gives the oatmeal an oat - y taste.
I fought back many comments as I did this. "You're not doing it right." You're not following directions." "Can't you read the directions." "Our group had trouble making oatmeal. Here's how to do it." I persisted. Those who ate my oatmeal complimented me.
This oatmeal contrasts with the "camp paste" that some people make. The way to make "paste" is add one-minute oatmeal and water in equal parts as it says in the package directions, bring to a boil, set aside for a few minutes when boiling starts. This stuff tastes like paste, for sure! Someone else made this a last week on Tour Du Canada 2005. I remember. They threw out lots of cooked oatmeal. My oatmeal was all eaten!
Now at the Public Library in Fort Francis. I'm actually in the children's library downstairs as all the computers were in use upstairs and they told me to come here! There are little children reading and being inquisitive, and an adult helping some with the alphabet.
The rest day in Kenora did not go quite as expected. After chomping down some breakfast of jam on bread and dried cereal, I decided to check out my bicycle. Some of the other Tour Du Canada participants are checking out their bicycles near our cart that has bicycle tools on it. I take my bicycle near the TourDuCanada tool kit and look at it. My bicycle had lots of dust from the Prairies on it. This needs to come off? My plan is to clean the chain since a clean chain is primary for bicycling OK, so, I do that with the chain cleaner machine in about 10 minutes including cleaning my chain-cleaning-machine so I can return it to its spot in the large bag where I have my clothes.
Next, I looked at the bicycle around the chain set to see if there was any grunge there which would quickly get into the chain. Keeping the chain and related moving parts clean is a good step toward having a bicycle which operates well. Now, let's see, the gears at the back and front need cleaning, and the chain stay needs cleaning. I removed the rear wheel and removed the gear cluster from it so I could give it a thorough cleaning. Luckily, there was some orange de-greaser spray that someone had purchased at Canadian Tire lying around. One spray of it on everything sure helped clean the gears quickly. I also wiped the chain stays and other parts of the bicycle near the chain so that they were clean.
OK, OK, enough, ENOUGH! The chain set is now clean and looks like it will be OK. There are lots of other things to do besides clean the bicycle, aren't there. Now, remember all those rough roads on the bicycle that shook you up along with the bicycle? It's time to check all the bolts on the bicycle to make sure that they are tight. I check every bolt. Almost all bolts need at least an extra quarter turn to make them tight! Amazing what those rough prairie roads do to a bicycle, eh? One bolt on the front fender is about to come off! In the middle of all this, I find that I only have a set of metric wrenches and one of my bolts needs a British allen key -- a six sided key in a size like 11/32 inch. Luckily, Tomo, one of the other TourDuCanada cyclists, has a set of British allen keys in his tool kit. He lends it to me and I can even check this bolt on the rear carrier.
As I check over the loose bolts, another problem emerges. The headset is loose. Further investigation shows that it needs to be re-greased. Luckily, I can find wrenches of the right size for this task on the tool-kit-car that comes with the TourDuCanada truck. I can proceed without going to the local bicycle store and paying an arm and a leg. I wait my turn to use the bicycle stand that is attached to the tool kit cart and proceed to fix the head set. A loose head set has probably made the bicycle feel uncomfortable when riding bumpy roads these last few days in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. As it is, the bicycle does feel more like one whole unit now a few days after I fixed the head set. It takes the bumps better. With a loose head set, each bump had a double effect. First the front wheel took the bump, then the back. Now the whole bike just takes the bump once. It is much easier to ride.
Further examination of the bicycle indicates that the pedals need my attention. The bolt on their outside is loose. When it is loosened the pedals rock back and forth. For now, all I do is remove the outside screw on the pedals, pump in lots of grease, and screw them back together. Now, a few days later, I'd say the pedals do work a bit better. I may need new pedals soon. I have an extra set at home in Ottawa which I plan on picking up when I'm there in three weeks.
Fixing my bicycle took forever - all morning and half the afternoon. After that I cleaned myself and my clothes. The clothes were cleaned in the gatehouse of the campground where I also accessed the internet.
In the evening I rode around Kenora a bit, somehow putting in 15 km. I took pictures of some murals. I also noted these same two rough looking characters wandering around the waterfront. I avoided them. It seems that it's safe enough in Kenora as long as you leave 10 metres between yourself and trouble?
Last evening we had wonderful, lakeside campsites at Caliper Lake Provincial Park. I enjoyed falling to sleep listening to the waves lap on the shore. The only drawback is that the strong winds during the afternoon broke 3 more sections of tent pole. I've now used all my replacement sections. I guess I can get some more replacement sections somewhere in Thunder Bay?
Camping last evening was even better than in Kenora since last night we were right on a Lake. I both Kenora and Caliper Lake, we were well off the highway and far from the railroad track so could sleep soundly. I did, both nights. There were amazingly no bighting bugs of any kind in Kenora. This made the campsite very enjoyable. In Caliper Lake there were a few mosquitoes this morning when it was calm. I sprayed some bug repellent on and most of them did their biting somewhere else. Last evening there was s a light breeze. The mosquitoes and other bighters stayed away. I sat outside and wrote my written diary.
Behind me came some rustling in the forest, pounding on the ground, and the sound, "Pat, did I scare you?" The speaker was our truck driver Mark. At that moment I was meandering along this nature trail in Caliper Lake Park. The sign at the beginning of the trail was innocent enough: "Nature Trail." The first few hundred metres was relatively flat and well tromped out. After that, the trail took off across Canadian Shield landscape of small hills covered with small rocks and roots and trees and brush. The trail is marked by a red paint spot on a tree about every half kilometre. Between the red spots, the trail is sort-of perceptible by grass being occasionally walked on and the brush looking like it was cut back sometime in the last 5 years. If you're an experience trail walker you can almost follow this trail. As it is I did. Even Mark made a wrong turn once. He passed me again.
I got onto the "Nature Trail" since Caliper Lake Park is such a pleasant spot that I decided to go for a little jog and walk and run late yesterday afternoon. First I ran through the campground, then the trail. About 500 metres into the trail is a sign explaining the BIG outer loop. I decided to take it. That's where Mark passed me. Just after I had finished this loop, Mark passed again. He'd turned left at the last t-junction where I did the right thing and turned right. Just amazing that I did not get t lost. I did go up a rocky slope once and then retreat to find that, yes, indeed, I had missed the trail and wandered off into the bush.
I have been in the bush before and do know basic rules... but .... About 2 kilometres into this trail, I realized my mistakes: back in my bicycle pack is my compass, my insect repellent, and my water bottle. I need them all RIGHT NOW. I kept calm and persisted. I survived once again!
By for now, my hour for $2 is up. Many thanks again to the Fort Frances Public Library for allowing me to use the computer to access the internet.
"HI." TourDuCanada 2005 is at Lakehead University tonight, tomorrow, and tomorrow night. The use of this computer is FREE.
The residences are OK. They are a bit stuffy. Otherwise the accommodation would be excellent! Maybe the stale air will clear by tomorrow? The forecast is for rain this evening, and, maybe letting up tomorrow? The temperature is cool - maybe 18 C.
We're two to a room. I'm sharing with James who is with us the Tour through some of Ontario. We have our bikes in the room, too. Mine is in a closet. His is leaning on his desk. So far, no problems. I really just got here, put my huge, black, MEC bag and bicycle in the room and went to supper. I still need to wash myself and my clothes. This Internet BLOG IS more important?
Supper was in a student-residence townhouse that TourDuCanada is renting for the 2 nights. We all crammed in and gorged ourselves with frozen lasagna that was heated up in the oven. The meal also included salad and garlic bread. I liked the honey and cheese sandwiches better that I had when I first arrived in Thunder Bay. You see, the TourDuCanada truck was parked in front of the residence where most of us are staying. Sitting in the truck eating honey sandwiches was Tristan. He got out some have to say about honey and cheese sandwiches.
Even so, I did have two servings of lasagna. At first I was given one serving. After eating this I wanted to come here to write the BLOG, but there was heavy rain. Instead, I went upstairs in the townhouse, sat on the floor, and wrote my written diary. A bit later, I went downstairs planning to leave and come here. At that point I was told there was extra lasagna. I just couldn't turn it down. It only tasted OK, but I need to eat SO MUCH just to survive on this tour ... The lasagna just barely beats more peanut butter and jam sandwiches. I heard that we're out of bread, too. I guess frozen lasagna is todays fill-her-up food?
TourDuCanada left Kenora and went south on Highway 71. At it's end the route was on Highways 11, 17, and 102 for me, anyways. The official route continues on Highway 17 past Highway 102 and the official guide -- i.e., a photocopied piece of paper -- says to skip Highway 102. The official route continues on Highway 17 and some side roads into Thunder Bay. As it turned out, Highway 102 was a good choice. Those who took the official route found the side road (Oliver Road?) to be very rough. Highway 102 has a wide, pave shoulder along its 38 km length from Highway 17 to Thunder Bay. The shoulder is paved for one half of a driving lane - about a metre and a half! There is even a BIG hill down into a valley of the Kaministiquia River in the middle. I got up to 61kilometres per hour on this hill by coasting! After going down, there is a big climb up. After this one big climb the road is a roller coaster all the way to Thunder Bay.
Anyways, getting back to the trucks? There were few trucks on Highway 71. There was little traffic on that road. All The Tour riders had a great ride. There was a tail wind most of the time.
There was just a bit more traffic when we turned onto Highway 11, but not enough to call the road crowded. The drivers of logging trucks and semi-transports on this road were very polite. They almost always moved all the way into the other lane to pass. There was so little traffic that they could move into the other lane without causing an accident.
The trucking scene changed dramatically when the TourDuCanada route moved to Highway 17. That road is VERY crowded. There are MORE logging trucks and semi transports, more dump trucks, and a few more cars. The logging trucks do not have room to pass. They cannot more into the other lane due to the amount of oncoming traffic. The shoulders on this road are mostly less than 10 cm. I had to go off into the dirt a few times to avoid being injured or killed by a logging truck. The dump trucks are even worse. They drive like they own the road. They leave very little room for cyclists.
Much of the last few days was on bush roads through the Canadian shield. From left to right, or from right to left, the scene is forest, ditch, road, ditch, and forest. There are occasional rocky outcrops. Some of these are due to blasting of small hills to make the road smoother. There are some small lakes and small hills to break the monotony. It's all pretty much the same. To participants in Tour Du Canada 2005 however this scenery is WONDERFUL. It sure beats looking across prairie fields!
One of my diversions yesterday (Tuesday) was to get a good picture of one of the road monsters -- a logging truck on a bush road, eh? The moment that I started to think of getting a picture, the trucks all disappeared. On my first attempt, the camera failed. I must 'a pushed the wrong buttons. On a second attempt, I was too slow. The truck came around a corner, I tried to draw the camera from the holster, and missed -- by that time I could just see the truck's behind. Finally, I saw a truck, quickly flip flipped out the camera, and shot a picture. This truck had the logs going lengthwise. I still need a picture of a truck with the logs going cross-ways, don't I?
I'm happy to report that the newly weds are still together and the other couple are still together - they're at the pre-wed stage. The wedding is planned for next May?
There also are some participants getting amorous thoughts about each other. N asked C to "go out" in Kenora. N has since been tagging along with C and N during the day even though N is a much better rider. It appears that K and T have fond thoughts for each other. They normally ride together and were talking in volumes the other night at the back of the TourDuCanada truck. Now, I'm not sure, and may have some initials mixed up, but there just may be some romances develop on this trip?
TourDuCanada had two wonderful campsites between Kenora and Thunder Bay and one that was OK. The camps at Caliper Lake and Dawson Trail were wonderful. In Caliper Lake we were beside a Lake and had adequate facilities for cooking and washing. Some riders even had a swim in the lake at the sandy beach.
The Dawson Trail campsite is in Quetico Provincial Park. There are no motorized boats allowed on the lakes. Our campsite was on such a lake. One can hear the birds across the lake. One can enjoy the sunset without being interrupted by the high pitched scream of motor boats. One can dream of returning there to canoe in peace.
At Dawson Trail, I went down to the swimming beach. A mother and her 2 children were swimming in spite of the chill in the air. They loved it. There were also ducks a couple of meters away on the swimming beach and in the shallows. They looked on approvingly. The ducks felt safe. They did not run away when I came on the beach. They just looked at me as another participant in nature.
I also went to a small beach by a swamp at Dawson Trail. A man was fishing off the beach. He was catching snappers until I showed up? I saw him return one of them to the water. He goes to Quetico Park often because of the peace and solitude. He said, "There are no motorized boats. I come here often, all the way from Winnipeg. It's a bit far, but the peace is worth it."
The third camp between Kenora and Thunder Bay was at Taylors Cove. It was just OK compared to Caliper Lake and Dawson Trail. I've stayed at worse campsites ...
I'm now on my third trip run by Cycle Canada. I've learned to only how up at Brand X campsites in time for food, at 5 or 6 pm unless I'm on food or work crew. The site at Taylors Cove the other night was typical. There were 2 toilets, 2 sinks, and 2 showers for 35 people. The water was not potable -- i.e. could not drink it.
The showers at Brand X campsites, as Taylor's Cove, usually are cold after 2 people use them. Yes, that was true at Taylor's Cove. We've been lucky lately. The showers were warm or hot in Kenora and Caliper Lake. Cold showers are often a way of life on CycleCanada trips. May this is a good idea? No one loses their temper? The cold water helps them keep their cool?
As it is, Taylors Cove had pluses that some other Brand X places don't. Taylors had only a few mosquitoes and those responded to insect repellent. Taylors had a nice view on a nice, pleasant little lake. I liked the view so much that I took a picture of our brood having breakfast. I take few pictures.
Unplanned at Taylors Cove was the attempt to sing karaoke by someone across the lake. It was annoying, but the man did stop at 10:30 or 11 pm. When I camp alone, I normally stay at Provincial Parks -- at least in Ontario -- as they almost always have lots of hot water and lots of washroom facilities. They are also bigger and there is more legal enforcement so you rarely need to put up with someone making annoying noise of any kind. It's nice to be in a peaceful place after a rough day on the road, isn't' it?
Please note I'm not being critical of Cycle Canada. I'm just telling it all like it is so y'all will know what y're getting into when yah sign up for one of these adventures.
Yesterday, I took a side-trip into Atikokan. Atikokan is 3 km from the official TourDuCanada route, but the comments in the guide encourage riders to take this side trip. Somehow my side trip took 17 km and two hours.
I first went to Little Falls. They are cute, quaint and beautiful though small. I talked to some locals taking in their beauty once again. They explained to me about the new trail to the top of the falls. The old trail has a "No Trespassing" sign since it has eroded and is unsafe.
Along my tour of Atikokan I noticed some mining relics displayed at numerous places in town. I particularly remember one compression drill. I bet holding it felt worse that hitting continuous bumps on the road on bicycle trips? And, holding the drill was something that someone did all day, not just for short stretches of road. What hard work! Further exploration and inquiry indicated that Atikokan had iron ore mining in the first half of the 20th century up to at least 1964. There is no longer mining of iron ore in Atikokan. Now there is tourism, fishing, hunting, and forestry.
There is a statue to remember those killed when on the job. I was surprised to find such a memorial rare in such a small town of 3,500 people. There were at least 20 names on the plaque.
Most homes in Atikokan look like they were built in the 1930's 40's and 50's. Most streets have old pavement that is very bumpy and has had many frost heaves. There still is an Atikokan Police Department with at least one officer who was talking to an OPP officer (Ontario Provincial Police) on main street. Many small towns just have OPP.
My first thought in Thunder Bay was of the Sleeping Giant. Can I disturb him or her? First, I must meet her if I can or see him if I cannot? When on a hill just before Thunder Bay. I thought I could see the giant through the trees. Today is hazy. What am I really seeing through the smog?
When I arrived in Thunder Bay, my first stop was at the waterfront park just off the downtown area in the old city of Port Arthur. The wind was very strong along the beach. I was chilly. A mother told her child that it was cold and they had to go home. I just stood there in awe. There IS the giant. The giant is sleeping. I, reluctantly, just took a picture of the giant. I still want to meet him, or her?
I spoke of our breakfasts before. Just before leaving Kenora, TourDuCanada was treated to a new breakfast option. This is poached eggs. The instructions, I gather, are to boil water with lots of salt in it and drop unshelled, chickens' eggs into this salty water for a period of time -- the eggs last Sunday in Kenora felt like 10 minute eggs since the yokes were hard? The menu has each person getting 2 eggs and only 1 piece of toasted bread. At least, that's what happened last Sunday. One of the co cooks claimed that TourDuCanada was quickly running out of bread. How can this be? I thought peanut butter and jam sandwiches were a mainstay? Is there to be a substitute? Are we saved from having peanut butter and jam dreams that end in night mares?
Three other breakfast options are still used: TourDuCanada's Egg-McMuffins, pasty oatmeal, and pancakes. Will poached eggs become a fourth option for the cooks to choose from?
After last night's session writing this BLOG at 11:30 pm, I returned to the residence. On the stairwell I met Tess. She asked, "Where is everyone? I can hear them outside (through the window), looked in the common room and can't find them." I replied, "I remember something about Room xxx." We went there, knocked on the door, and, yes, a small party was in progress amongst a number of members of TourDuCanada 2005. It's amazing how many people can sometimes fit into a room! There was a case of 24 be beers in the middle of the room. Someone offered me one and I decided to stay for awhile.
The conversation turned to lollipops. Some people eat lots of candy as a supplement on this TourDuCanada trip so all seems very innocent. "Do you still like lollipops?" "Are you still doing those?" Followed by lots of laughter.
Somehow the conversation turned to another meaning of lollipops. There are people on-the-road who hold up stop signs at the beginning of construction zones? In some areas of the world these are called lollipops. I think we were referring to Australia or Ireland? At least that's where some Tour members come from.
Someone pointed out all the good looking women that he'd seen in the last construction zone. There was concurrence amongst all present, a mixed group of male and female participants on TourDuCanada 2005. The construction was due to re-paving of a section of the highway. "There was a good looking woman holding the lollipop wasn't there? Did you see her?" Such is true if you define good looks as blond, skinny, and wrinkle free. "Now, did you see the one driving the pace car? She was something else? " In this construction zone there was a pace car controlling the speed of traffic. It drove at the front of every line of cars. I followed the pace car at about 30 kilometres per hour. "Did you see the woman with the shovel?" "Wasn't she gorgeous?"
Around about midnight plus 30 minutes, some members of Tour Du Canada 2005 discussed going-out on-the-town. "We'd make last call?" The plan became to go for breakfast at 11 am in the morning. And, "Where's the bike store?" "That bike store was good. Did you like it?"
Soon after, I left the after-hours meeting as I'd told Fulton that I'd go with him to Fort William Historical Park in the morning.
Oh yah, somewhere in the conversation the type of bread purchased came up. I did not say a thing ... Remember, way back when I requested that the Tour get some white bread since it is easier to digest and the pro cyclists do use this in the musettes (crushed sandwiches). The white bread was unpopular. It was explained at this after-hours meeting that TourDuCanada now gets 60% bread as well as 100%, bakery store, whole wheat. The 60% reference is to 60% whole wheat bread. I guess I'll survive? So me fibre is nice. Is TOO MUCH fibre good for one? Those who eat only Bakery brand, 100% whole wheat must think so since it is made with genuine whole wheat flour.
Today was a rest day in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Somehow I rode 40 km on a trip to see Fort William Historical Park. The Park contains a re-built fort like Fort William in 1815. The original Fort was 14 km closer to Lake Superior on land that is now part of the railroad. Somehow, I spent over 4 hours exploring Fort William with Fulton, another participant in TourDuCanada 2005. He took scads of pictures to send home to his wife and children. At one point, I put on a beaver hat so he'd ha have a picture of it on a real person.
On the way to Fort William Historical Park we passed Bowater's large wood processing plant. It is massive. There is a huge pile of wood chips out back and a giant conveyor crossing the road. I was so impressed that I took a picture.
Historic Fort William contains at least 10 buildings. At one point it was the largest fur trading fort in the world and the centre of operations of The Northwest Company until they merged with The Hudson's Bay Company in 1821. The historic fort is rated highly by many tourists since it has many re-enactments as well as authentic construction. For example, today, an important official arrived at the fort, a line dance occurred at noon that involved fort staff and tourists, and the cob cobbler was put in jail for insubordination and drunkenness. I thought drunkenness was a way of life, a way of surviving the conditions and isolation of the early fur trade? Dancing was legitimate. I participated. I also ate some food from the kitchen.
Our visit to Fort William Historical Park started with an opportunity to see some videos at the interpretation centre. We declined, but did view one of these just before leaving the Park. Next we visited the Indian encampment and tents of voyageurs that are outside the fort. The voyageurs would rather play lacrosse than work.
Upon entering the fort, we became part of a group on a guided tour. The tour was given by a member of Park staff. He showed us a number of exhibits. Some of these are only accessible in guided tours. For example, we saw the Fur stores where furs are classified and packaged for shipment. After being shown about 5 buildings we were left to explore the rest of the fort on our own.
The visit to Fort William Historical Park was interesting and a good addition to this cross-country trip. It makes me appreciate our forefathers. They had a much rougher life when they camped. We have DEET to repel insects; they had bacon grease. The voyageurs found that insects tend to ignore dirty people so they rarely washed. In contrast, the riders in Tour Du Canada 2005 have a shower every day and many are fussy about showering immediately after arriving at camp.
Another interesting facet of life at Fort William Historical Park is the class system. In the highest class are the directors and partners of The Northwest Company. They are almost all Scottish and often wear kilts. In the lowest class are natives and voyageurs. The latter are French. They trapped furs here before the British conquered this part of the world. The class system was used, at times, in a totalitarian fashion by those in the highest class, the owners of The Northwest Company. Today we dread totalitarian systems. Could this class system exist today in Thunder Bay?
After visiting Fort William Historical Park, Fulton and myself bicycled along the waterfront of Thunder Bay. First we stopped at City Hall. I noted that the old city of Fort William was named after William McGill's in 1807. He was a principal director of The Northwest Company starting in 1804.
Our cycling continued across Thunder Bay from south to north. Eventually we turned inland at Bay street and climbed the hill to Hillcrest Park on High Street. Actually Bay Street is interrupted by Hillcrest Park and stops again on the other side of the Park. Bay Street is interrupted since Hillcrest Park is on a very steep hill. I climbed the hill on foot and pushed the bike. Rather than flattening the hill, the planners made a park. From Hillcrest Park one can see the waterfront and dock areas of Thunder Bay and the islands off shore. I had a good view The Sleeping Giant and the grain elevators. Let's be honest. This view was one of the highlights of my stay in Thunder Bay.
My primary rest day chore today was washing all my clothes. I did this in the laundromat at the residence. It only has 2 washers and 2 dryers. These were over-booked last evening. I did my clothes this evening after visiting Fort William Historical Park and Hillcrest Park.
T was overjoyed when she found me walking around the residence with only my bathing suit on ... eh, all my clothes were in the wash.
Another chore of rest day is getting fed. This morning I had 3 peanut butter and jam sandwiches from the TourDuCanada truck. Sometimes it is easy to get some dry cereal from the TourDuCanada truck on rest days, but this was not easily accomplished today as the truck was situated at least half a kilometre from the townhouse where TourDuCanada 2005 was doing its kitchen activities. You see, the mixed-up powdered-milk was in the refrigerator at the townhouse and the dry cereal was in
For lunch today, I got a few things at the snack shop at Fort William Historical Park. Many rest days I just eat more peanut butter sandwiches ...
I went to TourDuCanada's townhouse in search of supper at about 8 o'clock this evening. I found left-over lasagna from yesterday in the refrigerator. There was also some salad. I ate all the remaining salad and a third of a platter of lasagna. There was another platter of left-over lasagna. Somehow, I'd had enough. My preference for re-heated frozen-lasagna rates about even with my rating of McDonald's hamburgers.
Just decided to drop in here to this free internet connection before going off into the Northern Ontario. Today we're destined to stop at a small RV park in Nipigon. Another Brand-X campsite? I do not expect to find easy access to the internet when there.
I started today's writing by going back and adding a section on "The After-Hours Meeting" to the beginning of yesterday's BLOG.
Not much has happened since writing the BLOG last evening other than packing up and eating outside the TourDuCanada townhouse. Yes, for some reason, the TourDuCanada gas 3-burner stove was set up outside rather than using the indoor facilities. It's cold this morning ... ah, some breakfast crews? There was some oatmeal paste and a few pancakes. I stomached a bit of oatmeal paste, tried several times to get A pancake and was not successful. I settled for several pieces of bread covered with pancake syrup. Luckily, I made my sandwiches before TourDuCanada ran out of jam. I spread some pancake syrup on bread after that to make it tasty.
Plain peanut butter sandwiches are hard to swallow. Some people were a bit peeved at the absence of jam in their sandwiches, to say the least. Others are just focused on getting to the Atlantic Ocean at any cost. Me? I'm a survivor. I settled for a few peanut butter and jam sandwiches along with a dash of pasty oatmeal. Pancakes will just have to wait. There were two frying pans on the stove, but for some reason the cook was only using one.
As for packing up: I balanced my bag of junk on the front rack on my bicycle - a useful addition to the basic bike even when you're not touring with panniers? First, I left the bag in front of the residence to hopefully be picked up by the TourDuCanada truck. After breakfast, I moved the bag to the truck which was a kilometre away at the TourDuCanada townhouse. I then put the bag on my rack in the TourDuCanada truck. I know where it is now, for sure. I know that my tent poles are lying flat. At times mes personal survival takes precedence on these tours?
The weather forecast for the next few days is wonderful - sunny today and tomorrow with temperature highs of 20 C - that's just cool in the morning and warm in the afternoon. Sunday and Monday may be HOT with temperatures at 30 C - that's the forecast for Thunder Bay, but Wawa is forecast to only be 25 C. 30 C is not nice for riding. The chance of precipitation is at most 30% over next few days.
In four days TourDuCanada 2005 should be in Wawa, home of the statue of the Canada Goose.
Now it's almost 10 am and I'm still at Lakehead University typing away and searching for stuff on www.google.ca. Some of my buds here are looking approvingly at this BLOG ... There are 4 of us here. Will we ever get to Nipigon?
We did get to Nipigon and beyond. The campground was before Nipigon. Some riders in TourDuCanada 2005 passed the campsite and rode three more kilometres into Nipigon. Their only problem was coming back. That was into the wind.
The campground in Nipigon pointed to one further feature of Brand X campsites. There were no latches on some of the cubicles for toilets in the washroom. However Stillwater Tent and Trailer Park does pass many other requirements of a satisfactory campground - the showers have hot water, there are enough toilets and sinks in washroom, the campsites are set back from highway so the sounds of huge semi-trucks are deadened, and the water is potable.
The road conditions from Thunder Bay to Wawa vary in quality. Much of this road is essentially a bush road - the view from left to right or right to left is trees, ditch, road, ditch, and trees. This is occasionally broken by a small lake, a bog, or the remains of a forest fire.
The section from Thunder Bay to Nipigon is bad to horrible even for cars and trucks. There are many sections of broken pavement, the paved shoulders are very thin or do not exist, and there is a steady stream of traffic in both directions. Bicycling on this road is difficult to impossible. I had to go off on the unpaved shoulder many times. I had to stop occasionally because my mind was tired of paying attention to the traffic. It's like driving on a very busy road - you need to pay attention to traffic ahead and behind all the time and the composition of this traffic changes constantly.
I'm pressed for time here so I'll put in a few interesting incidents ...
I noted before that jam disappears rather quickly on TourDuCanada 2005. One reason that jam disappears so fast is the huge amount that some people put in their sandwiches. I saw one person put a quarter cup of jam in one sandwich. The sandwich was almost like a jelly donut. At that point there was little jam left and her sandwich used up all the jam. When I questioned her action, all she said was "Gotta get through this some how."
An almost tragic side trip occurred at Auguasabon Falls. The Falls are just west of Terrace Bay. A short road of about a kilometre and a short climb up a big hill takes one to a parking lot. From the parking lot, the path to the falls is a wood-planked trail going down so one can coast on a bicycle. There are 2 switch backs so one needs to use the brakes. The trail looks new. It is heavily built with steel sides and wooden hand rails along both sides. It's almost impossible to leave this path accidentally y. The path leads to a viewing area. The view is of a very deep canyon straight ahead that is 30 metres deep and the falls coming in from the left hand side - the river makes a sharp left turn just after these falls. Over to the left is a sign of "Nature Trail" and there are stairs down and a trail disappearing into the brush.
I was standing there taking in the Falls and the gorge and another member of TourDuCanada rode up. I was somewhat surprised since this rider normally just sticks to the TourDuCanada route with no side trips. He quickly looked at the Falls and instantaneously snapped a picture. He then went on the "Nature Trail" and was gone awhile. When he returned I asked, "How is it." He says, "I had to get on my hands and knees. I'm afraid of heights. It's an open cliff. You do get a better view of the fa " He leaves. I take the Nature Trail and see the falls. I stand back from the cliff edge as there are no barriers to this 10 metre plunge.
The ride from Nipigon to Neys Provincial Park is done in one day on TourDuCanada 2005. It is the longest and hardest day of the Tour thus far. It is 170 km and there are many hills. Cor's altimeter indicates that we bicycled 1,700 metres up-hill today. That's the largest up-hill distance of TourDuCanada 2005 so far.
People have varying reactions to stress. It seems that one had to agree that today was hard to be "cool"? In a conversation about "life on the Tour" after supper, the consensus was to complain about today's ride as too long: "Couldn't we have stopped somewhere along the way?" "Too windy and too difficult." Many blamed the Tour organizers for setting up such a horrible ride. I said nothing. Someone turned to me and said, "And you Pat, what do you think of today's ride?" I said, "I enjoyed the scenery." When pressed further I repeated my reply. The other person then said, "I'll Kill You."
Another person's reaction to stress was to tell me, "You're and arsehole." This occurred shortly after this person had arrived at camp. I had arrived at least an hour previously ... we were talking about the plight of those still on the road and he came out with his remarkable comment as the second thing he said! As it is, some people spent 15 hours on the road that day!
The crowds are gathering to use this machine ...
I was just passing on the road and noticed this internet cafe. TourDuCanada stays this evening just down the road at Thesallon. We started this morning at Pancake Bay Provincial Park. It was raining. NO it was pouring. At one point we were loading the TourDuCanada truck and gave up, it was pouring so much. The rain started last evening with thunderstorms and continued on-and-off until noon today. The locals love it. Right now the risk of forest fire is HIGH in Northern Ontario along e are no open fires allowed. As one local said outside Zellers today, hiding under the awning to stay out of another episode of pouring rain, "Maybe now we can have a campfire?"
I arrived at Katherine Cove in Lake Superior Provincial Park at about noon and found Katherine and Jamie standing in the water and Fulton taking pictures. I decided to swim with them. This is a break from my regular routine. Though I'm a good swimmer, I tend to focus on bicycling on TourDuCanada 2005.
I immediately stripped down to black underwear pants, walk into the water, and take the plunge after 10 steps. The water was cool, no cold. I'd estimate 19 degrees C or high 60's Fahrenheit? The temperature of the water was probably moderated since the beach was shallow and conditions were calm and sunny. Usually, Lake superior is COLD.
Katherine swam to the other side of the cove. I just swam a bit since my shoulder hurts a bit with each stroke - I had a fall on the bike coming out of Terrace Bay when the bike was stationary. Somehow I lost my balance in some dirt and ended up in it?
Overall, I'd say that swimming mid-day is the best thing that I've done this far on this trip!
today marks the end of the North-Of-Superior part of TourDuCanada and that means the end of endless hills, for awhile, anyways? Whoops, hills ended at Pancake Bay and it was flat for awhile, but, don't forget, there's one BIG hill 10 km from Saulte Ste Marie.
The ride today was wind aided much of the time. This contrasts with yesterday's ride when the wind always seemed to be gusting in your face again after coming from the back for a couple of minutes.
Whoops! Have to go. The cafe is closing for today. The proprietor was nice enough to stay 10 minutes overtime so that John and myself could access the Internet.
I'm now adding a few more things from computer at Tourist Information in Massey Ontario ... on Friday August 5.
I visited the pictographs at Agawa Rock in Lake Superior Provincial Park. Pictographs are drawings on rock faces by native First Nation people. Many were made centuries ago. Some are made recently.
I saw the sign for pictographs at Agawa Rock, wanted to see them, so headed off the highway on a paved park road going mostly downhill - a first gear climb on the way back!
At the parking lot, I parked my bicycle and headed down a rocky trail. Another TourDuCanada person comes up behind me. We continue on the trail. He tries a side trail to the beach, but this is fenced off. The trail we are on is rocky and hard to walk on. We find another TourDuCanada member at the end of the trail talking to a young park interpreter (male).
The park interpreter is just starting his explanation all three of us become the interpreter's current set of clients. The pictographs are located on cliff walls on Lake Superior. At the bottom of the cliff is a small rock surface about 2 metres wide that slopes toward the Lake. This rocky surface is almost impossible to walk on without tumbling into Lake Superior. One other TourDuCanada member takes his bike shoes off to get better footing when attempting this nature hike. He still carries his e ! The other two of us take the hike with our shoes on. I find footholds in crack and can walk on the heels of my Vibram soled biking shoes. The natural movement is to put one's toes into grab holds on rocks, but heel walking, in this current case seems necessary as sometimes when I tried toe holds, I land on the cleat that is submerged in the middle of the shoe, and slip a bit ... heel walking is definitely a better alternative.
The nature hike continues. The Park Interpreter gives a good explanation of 2 pictographs. We ask a few questions and get a better idea of the significance of the pictographs. I actually am a bit slow at walking on my heels and get to view the pictograph after the initial explanation. The Park Interpreter is very good. He fills in all that I have missed.
After seeing 2 pictographs, the other TourDuCanada member with shoes on decides to turn back since the footing gets even more treacherous. I, somehow, continue to the end of the Nature Walk. We see 6 more pictographs. All are very interesting. The hike is worthwhile.
None of us fell in!. Somehow our electronic cameras survived this encounter with danger... we all carried our own to this potential doom! I took one picture.
The trail from the pictographs back to the parking lot is on stone stairs in a small canyon. It was very cool on an otherwise hot, hazy, and humid day...
Just got here without being tipped over or run over by a transport truck, and found Fulton sitting at one computer in the Tourist Information typing away on the internet. Luckily, there is a second computer.
Something happened about 25 km ago. Either the road got narrower or the semi-transports got more frequent. Perhaps they are all headed somewhere - like Toronto - and being on-the-road in Spanish and Massey at 3 in the afternoon fits into their schedule? Anyways, I had to get off the road into the dirt too many times to accommodate them in these last few kilometres.
No more of highway 17 today for me! TourDuCanada 2005 stays up a side road at Chutes Provincial Park. I have yet to go there, but do remember the falls as noteworthy. I cycled here once on a trip around Lake Huron. I remember more traffic, but the last trip had a weekend in July in these parts.
I keep trying to go into towns, both big and small, to see what's up. Today, I was in Thesallon, Sowerby, Iron Bridge, Blind River, Algoma Mills, Spanish, Walford, and now Massey.
I took Walford Road into Walford since it seemed to parallel the highway. I was lucky and at the "Dead End" sign there is a small side road for returning to the highway. There are currently no stores or government services in Walford. The remains of the last store are still evident. The closed sign looks at least 10 years old. There are no transport trucks travelling on this road any more. There are quite a few well kept houses and farming fields. Everything does look prosperous for these people who live there are get their services elsewhere. So, if you're riding this route and want a break from playing tag with transport trucks, you can take Walford Road.
I spent over an hour in Blind River ostensibly looking for the Library to use the Internet, but missed it in my first pass at the town and had to go back after consulting Tourist Information at the east end of town. When I got to the Library, I found 4 other members of TourDuCanada waiting outside. One of them tried the door, found it locked, read the sign, and said "IT opens in 17 minutes." I decided to continue my journey along Highway 17.
Blind River is an interesting town. I somehow rode 14 kilometres of its streets. There is a small park on the waterfront in memory of one original purpose of Blind River -- immigration. At one time there was a big dock, passenger ships landed, and brought new immigrants to Blind River as settlers. The dock is no more.
A bit later, Blind River was a fishing port when fishing on the Great Lakes was strong - before the opening of the St. Lawrence Sea Way and the immigration of the Lamprey Eel.
A highlight in Blind River's history is the discovery of Uranium in 1953. The local mines were depleted over the next few years. There are still working mines in Elliott Lake on the same fault line where Uranium was found in Blind River. The mineral processing plant is still used in Blind River.
Blind River has many services. It has at least a high school, a municipal office, many stores, 2 elementary schools. There is actually a main street with over 10 stores as well as the stores along the highway. Lots of members of TourDuCanada 2005 will remember Blind River for its Tim Hortons shop. They stopped there. I saw at least 10 familiar bicycles parked outside.
Thessalon is a quaint, beautiful town on the North Channel of Lake Huron. It has flourished a bit since I last visited. I liked it so much that I took a few pictures and could have taken many more.
There are a few new, large homes on the waterfront.
There were more trailers in the campground where I stayed on my previous visit.
The dock is repaired and renovated. There are more boats in the harbour as a result.
The TourDuCanada truck is hereby renamed Bud-jet. At least that's what happened a couple of weeks ago. The name was then written on the back of the side panel so everyone could pick out this Ryder truck from all others. The Bud-Jet logo is now faint. We need to re-stamp it?
I almost missed the campground in Thessalon. I just looked over to the side of the highway and saw all these familiar faces crowded around a telephone booth beside this house which is either made of logs or is painted that way. Next, I noticed this somewhat obscure campground sign. I stopped, and asked, and, yes, this IS the campground. The truck was nowhere to be seen. It was buried in some trees down by the beach.
The campsites of TourDuCanada were practically on-the-beach. Sand got over everything. Those who were not careful got sand on their chains and in their wheels and all over all their other moving parts. A couple of members of TourDuCanada 2005 rolled in the sand on the way to our campsites. The sand on the road was mushy and caught their wheel and they tumbled and sand got all over them and their bikes. Yikes!
The campsite was a bit lacking in number of toilets - 2 for men to sit on - and share with all others in the campground. However, we had a campfire and some sat around it for awhile and any other bad thoughts dissipated. I went into my tent and slept at that point. The campground had other amenities - hot showers, campsites far enough from the highway that trucks were just in the background, 3 sinks in the washroom, 3 showers for each sex.
Somehow my bicycle survived the perils of the sand. Upon arriving at camp, I immediately buried in under the TourDuCanada truck. The truck was no on sand.
The weather last night and today was wonderful and helpful. The temperature is warm, but not hot or cool. The humidity is low to moderate. There are a few clouds in the sky
The weather is helpful today as there is a strong tail wind of 35 to 40 kilometres per hour.
Last night the temperature was cool enough the sleep and there was no rain. Most of our stuff was dry when we left camp this morning.
I just added another section "Visit to Pictographs" to yesterday's BLOG.
Somehow I missed writing the diary late yesterday and then this morning everyone was in such a rush to get going. Today's destination is Alliston, Last night TourDuCanada 2005 stayed in KOA just east of Owen Sound.
Many are taking extra diversions to Toronto and other parts of the Golden Horseshoe at the west end of Lake Ontario. One plans on taking in Toronto, Burlington, Niagara Falls and Canada's Wonderland north of Toronto.
The person who made the porridge - oatmeal - had none. He said on leaving camp to his buddies, "We'll stop in Chattsworth for breakfast, OK? The oatmeal was not glue, but cement. Well, sure, I guess this guy is running a brick yard on the sly (side?). or did they throw out most of the oatmeal. With cooks like this no wonder oatmeal is so popular, eh?? Most is thrown out!
I tried discussing porridge (oatmeal) once with the person who made today's batch. He was very direct and self righteous and opinionated. He said "I like it that way referring to very thick oatmeal. If he likes it so much why is he stopping for breakfast.
It is becoming increasingly difficult to eat enough to keep going on TourDuCanada. Almost everyone else is either:
on some sort of supplements, or
not eating enough
The latter causes them to slow down later in the day. The supplements range from candy to power bars to eating at every and all coffee shops along the way. Supper conversation is often about how some waiter treated one at some restaurant.
Start with going to Dorcas Bay "Singing Sands" part of National Park. Get picture of beach in three parts after trying a few times.
Talk to interesting person from Switzerland while looking further at Dorcas Bay. She is travelling with an older woman (mother? aunt?) and there are British Columbia licence plates on their rental car. They just woke up after sleeping in the car in the parking lot at Dorcas Bay. What a wonderful sight to awake to, eh?
Their route in Canada is Vancouver to Toronto. She loves Canadian landscape - the Rockies are the best. She is a student at art school and likes Canada for its vast size compared to tiny Switzerland. "It is so small" and brings hands together whereas, Canada "Is so vast" and spreads hands apart. "Everything is so big" "There is so much room" I tell her the web address of this BLOG as we part.
I follow the Dorcas Bay Road to its end and then the dirt Road back to Highway 6. I could see Lake Huron at a few points along this road. It is very flat and paved. The shoreline of Lake Huron at this point is mostly sandy beach. I took a picture of some pleasure craft in a small harbour.
After Dorcas Bay, I proceed south along Highway 6 which is somewhat busy. A tourism person told me that peak time for area is now - last week in July and first week in August. There are lots of old cars (antiques) going north. There must be some celebration of antique cars going on?
I soon get tired of the level of traffic on highway 6. I pass lots of roads that I know lead to dirt roads and blah scenery. I've visited this area over 10 times before, many of them on bicycle tours, and have walked the Bruce Trail a few times as well as visiting Lions Head with parents as a child ...
I finally come to the first major road before the road to Lions Head - township road 5. It is paved so I take it. Finally, a t-junction appears which is paved to the left to take one to Muir Point?. The road is not paved to the right, the direction to go to get to Lions Head. The sign says "40 Hills Road" and a sign 100 metres down the road indicates a winding road - i.e., a orange-yellow sign with a twisted black line on it. I take "40 Hills Road" It twists left and right, AND up and down for 4 kilometres where I turn left and am soon on pavement. The pavement leads to the big outer bay at Lion's Head.
I stopped and take a picture of the rocky promontory at the north end of this Bay. Maybe this is the lion in Lion's Head? Supposedly rocks at one end of the bay or the other look like a lion? or, as one person said, "Don't look like any more due to erosion." My route proceeds around Lion's Head bay to the town of Lion's Head. There I go to the grocery store and the beach where I take a picture of the rocky promontory at the southern end of the large outer bay when I am on the break wall that creates a small harbour. It's so windy that I rest the camera on a metal pipe to get a steady picture at 3-power lens.
While on the beach at Lion's Head, I talked to a couple - an older son and mother? They are on a short vacation from Owen Sound. She says, "I like this better than Kawarthas." I note that this older woman looks very fit and active though has many wrinkles. She rides bicycles with a club, sometimes, and does power walk regularly.
The time to leave Lion's Head comes to soon as it is a beautiful beach. I proceed on County Road 9 toward Wiarton where I have ice cream cone at "Tasty Freeze" at the far end of main street. A search of Wiarton soon finds the library. Unfortunately it is closed. However, right in front of the Library is the actual Wiarton Woolly in a large penned off area with wire on all sides and top. You know, Wiarton Woolly is one of the indicators of how far spring is. February 4 is the day each year when Woolly is pulled from his den to see if he sees his shadow. Whether or not he sees his shadow indicates the timing of spring? After the Library, further rooting around finds the statue of Wiarton Woolly on the waterfront beside Tourist Information. Quite the sight - Wiarton Woolly is the size of a mammoth at 3 metres and is cement. I take a picture.
Too soon it is time to leave the pleasant park beside Tourist Information in Wiarton. I proceed around the cape on the shoreline of Georgian Bay to Owen Sound. The Road is wonderful. One can often see Georgian Bay, and at times, have access. At other times, cottages are along the bay, but lower than the road. Many trees have grown up since my last trip here so I see less of Georgian Bay this time. The Bay's influence moderates the otherwise HOT temperature. I feel cool breezes. This stretch of road is a also cool as their are shade trees along it. Since this is only a secondary road, the trees are much closer than on Highway 6. Pavement of the road is mostly smooth with occasional bad stretch of broken pavement. This situation is typical of Ontario roads that are updated in sections. The result is always a few bad sections as well as very good sections to ride on.
As enter Own Sound see three TourDuCanada'rs stranded at side of road. One has a flat tire that is result of cut through tire by a sharp piece of metal or glass -- one goes into road and finds a small knife and picks it up in spite of traffic. Good thing I stop as I have an old piece of tire - a boot - to repaired damage so can get to campground 10 kilometres away under own power. None of the three of them has a "boot." One does have duct tape.
I help install the boot on the tire, she blows it up to about 60pounds per square inch. All is fine and they get to camp after talking to local cycling club along the way.
I ride around downtown Owen Sound and find "Old Courthouse Arts Centre" in old court house which is still attached to working Own Sound jail -- you can see fresh razor wire! It's a real jail!
More of this day to be added! "The Library is Closing in 10 Minutes!"
My, it's sometimes difficult to get user of Internet in this prosperous province of Ontario. Since I last logged in from Massey, TourDuCanada 2005 has visited Manitoulin Island, the Bruce Peninsula, and the Dufferin Highlands in Southern Ontario. Most roads have good surfaces, a few have paved shoulders, and some roads have too many cars, particularly on the weekend - Sunday drivers? Holidayer's? Someone told me that the peak season for tourism in the Bruce Peninsula is NOW - last week of July and first week of August. I guess that ended last week, but the heavy tourism may not let up with continued hot, hazy, and humid weather in eastern Canada. It's not just hot, it's VERY hot. Yesterday, a sign in Alliston said 95 degrees -- hopefully that is Fahrenheit?
I just finished washing almost all my clothes at the laundromat here in Alliston. This is our rest day before a slow moving trip to Ottawa. The tour goes to Darlington, Campbellford, Canoe Lake (north of Frontenac Park), and, then, finally, Ottawa where there is another rest day. There's lots to see in Ottawa. I bet lots will like it. Today, many riders from TourDuCanada 2005 are in Toronto. Some arranged to go for a few days... and, not ride a few days! Others, just went to Toronto last evening or this morning. Still others have friends visiting us at our campsite at Nicolston Dam 5 kilometres east of Alliston.
The grist mill at the dam is renovated and works. The campground is OK though yet another Brand X site. It lives up to Brand X with just one sink and one shower in the men's washroom. There is hot water in the showers and real grass under the tents and trees to hide the tents from the sun when it shines.
Today there was an unplanned thunderstorm at 1 pm. The gusty wind rolled my tent which I had not staked down. I just got the tent staked to the grass when heavy rain started. After that, I sat in the tent for awhile writing in my diary, and, somehow got laying down, and soon it was 2 pm. I had a nap? While I was taming my tent, at least two other riders from TourDuCanada 2005, Tristan and Stephane, ran around and secured everything else. Tristan helped me put the fly on my tent. That wind sure was strong, all of a sudden.
I spent most of this morning cleaning the bicycle's chain set. The lack of rain has made many areas dusty. This dust gets all over the chain. I created more dust by riding on a few dirt roads in Bruce Peninsula. The bike works better when the chain set is clean. I even took apart the pulleys on the rear derailleur. I packed fresh grease into their sealed bearings. My little trip into town was a bit easier with a clean chain.
First off, where's Alliston? South West of Barrie on highway 89.
Why a stop in Alliston? Alliston is the physical home of CycleCanada which operates TourDuCanada.
Tuesday's tour was wonderful. There were scenic valleys, farms, ski hills, and two long downhill runs that have killer twists in them. The latter make the ride exciting. The weather was so hot, hazy, and humid that I couldn't think on the uphills so ignored them? Most up hill climbs came in small bits other than the climb out of Beaver Valley. I stopped at the "Beaver Valley Lookout" is halfway up this climb. I remember when one could see something from this lookout. Now the planted trees have all grown. I got one good view by standing on a picnic table.
Yesterday's tour went through many small hamlets: Bagnor, Walter's Falls, Goring, Hutchisons Corners, Bowles Hill, Eugenia, Maxwell, Badjeros, Maple Balley, Dunedin, Creemore, Glencairn, Lisle, Everett, and Alliston on roads 18 29 40 22A 12 30 13 4 2 9 124 9 3 12 13 15. I stopped for some chocolate milk at Dixie's General Store in Maxwell. The clerk said the tap water is potable. The clerk filled my water bottles! Wonderful! I sure was hot and I needed to drink lots of water. I drank all that and more.
Somehow I lagged behind many riders on yesterday's route. Well, I started by stopping at 10 km and writing my diary for an hour. I was stopped at such a wonderful, green place beside a small stream. A woman came along walking her small white dog. She's semi-retired or starting a new career after 25 years at one. I wrote some more ...
Many riders in TourDuCanada 2005 did not take the prescribed route yesterday. Instead, they decided that a route along major roads was preferred. "It's shorter." They all survived their travel on Highways 6, 11, and 89. They had lots of traffic. They do not know what the missed! There was lots. Yesterday's route was wonderful with:
Almost no cars.
Paved back roads where the trees grow up to the edge and sometimes arch over the middle.
Exciting hills that careen down on twisting routes through river valleys.
World renown ski areas including the Beaver Valley?
Scenic vistas.
Farms with cows that look at you as you ride by. These look like milk cows?
Log houses that people live in
Stone houses with multi-coloured stones.
My next major stop was at the Mad River in the valley before Creemore. I took a couple of pictures. After that I stopped in Creemore. I finally caught up to someone! Debbie told me of our team's plans for dinner last night. The plan was for pirogies and salad. We ended up adding to this. Added in was a fruit salad of blueberries and peaches, AND cheesecake that the TourDuCanada owner, Bud, brought with him to our supper. After 3 large servings of pirogies and some salad, I somehow had lots of blueberries s, and cheesecake. It amazes some people how much I can eat... and, so far, get skinnier.
I tried to add to this BLOG in Creemore, but all computers at the library were booked up. I could not wait an hour since I had to get to camp to help make supper. It's that time again... WORK CREW. As it happened, work crew was not as difficult this time. There were fewer people to cook for and pirogies are easier to prepared when you buy them ready to cook than beef stew is to make from basic ingredients. The big draw back of yesterday's supper is that it lacked potatoes, and I do like potatoes. Our pirogies did taste better than some of a few weeks ago cooked by a different work crew, eh?
Persistence is a necessary characteristic to complete TourDuCanada. This rubs in other ways. It can sometimes result in outright harassment or interrogation. TourDuCanada 2005 has been together for almost seven weeks. My repetitive response to questions of occupation and employer is "computer programmer for federal government of Canada." Even so, the question in the washroom last evening was once again, "What department do you work for in the federal government?"
There are lots of other things in my written diary. I'll add these later.
It is getting even harder to get enough food on TourDuCanada 2005. Yesterday was a rest day. I normally eat left overs or seconds from the second refrigerator in the TourDuCanada truck. Anything there is classified as OK for anyone to eat when they are hungry. Tristan and myself are great eaters of seconds, particularly on rest days. Seconds get thrown out if not eaten within a few days.
Yesterday we had some left overs at noon including left over cheese cake and pasta salad from Tuesday. I went to the town of Alliston shortly after that to use the laundromat and go to the Library. At library, I worked on internet and read the paper. On internet I read recent news and email and wrote this BLOG.
Tristan showed up at the Library and also used internet until we heard the gong "The library is closing in 10 minutes."
On the way back to camp I visited the home of Frederick Banting, the discoverer of insulin. It is in disrepair on a side road in the country north east of Alliston.
Upon arriving at camp, I found the TourDuCanada truck to be locked. There was some confusion earlier in the day about the key to the truck. Normally it is hidden in a secret location. People claimed the key was not there and could not be found. The information when I arrived at camp shortly after 8 pm last evening was that one member of TourDuCanada 2005 had the key in his pocket and had ordered the truck to be locked. He had gone to town d\for dinner Left overs / seconds are not good enough
We waited and waited. Luckily there was some raising bread outside the truck. It satisfied our immediate needs. About 9:15 pm this person showed up back at truck and took his time unlocking the truck.
Now, you'd think this incident is over. It has just begun.
Tristan and I proceed to eat the rest of the cheesecake as there is not much left. I expected to not find any left. Someone else could have eaten it, but we preceded as seconds are available to all who find them and feel hungry.
As I am finishing eating the cheesecake, the pompous person who had locked the truck before and walked away with the key says to me, "There are others. think of them" in criticism of my eating the rest of the cheesecake. Heh, if you don't like seconds, that leaves all the more fore those who do, but please don't be critical of their behaviour. It is disrespectful.
This person then criticized me again this morning for not locking the truck before I went to bed last evening. Not allowing me, too, to get caught up in this scandal of the truck's key, eh? Somehow he wasn't there by the time I went to sleep - either he'd gone to his tend or gone out-on-the-town. Anyways. those sitting around later in the evening decided that we would just shut the truck up when going to bed since the campground at Nicolston is relatively isolated and there was such confusion about who h ad a key for opening the locks and the exact location of this person. Some people sure want control - hogging keys, criticizing others for their choice of nutrients, and deciding on when be locked tight so only they can decide when it will be opened.
Me? When confronted this morning, I just said, "I'm making breakfast" and ignored him.
Found the library quickly in Port Hope. It is across from Tourist Information which is beside a large park with an amphitheatre.
TourDuCanada ride today follows much of the Waterfront Trail along Lake Ontario. The road condition varies between pavement and oiled big chip stones. The latter shake your bones until you want to stop. Some how or other the big chip oiled parts go slower. It's hard to get a fast speed on them.
The big question these last few days is who is following the TourDuCanada route, anyways? I made substantial additions to my trip yesterday. Today, I'm just moving east along north shore of Lake Ontario... probably to Brighton where I'll take a road to Campbellford where we are staying this evening.
Yesterday I started out on the 130 km TourDuCanada route from Alliston to Darlington Provincial Park. I soon got side tracked. My first choice was to go directly toward Lake Ontario and then follow it to Darlington. This was ruled out when I realized how far east Alliston I already was and how I would need to go through Toronto. The direct path through Toronto was to be just east of Toronto airport on Highway 27. I've ridden there before. My choice yesterday was for a less travelled route. I decide it the south shore of Lake Simcoe.
The first part of my route was along the canal through the Holland Marsh. This is a highly productive agricultural area due to the rich soil. There are many vegetables grown here. After Holland Marsh, I crossed the Holland River and turned north to the south shore of Lake Simcoe. Along Lake Simcoe I sped through Jackson's Point, Roches Point, Sibbald Point, and many other popular tourist locations. I could see the lake on much of this route as the roadway is only separated from the lake by the beach. Sometimes the beach is private; other beaches are part of the many public parks along the road. I stopped at one park to have lunch and an\t another public pier to take pictures. Unfortunately there was water and sewer construction for a few kilometres at Jacksons Point. I persisted past the "road closed" sign only to find that, yes, indeed, the road is closed. Sometimes in situations like this, one can walk by with one's bicycle. In this case, such was not possible and I had to re-trace my steps on a very bump y road that had new sewers and water service, but had yet to be worked on for paving.
From Lake Simcoe, my route went south toward Lake Ontario. There were surprises along the way. The first occurred in Leaksdale. That is the location of the house where Lucy Maud Montgomery lived when she wrote most of her novels. Her husband was a church minister in the town.
When I checked the map in Uxbridge I realized that a diversion to Port Perry enabled me to see Lake Scugog. It, too, is a heavy area for recreational boating and tourism. I paused for a moment in Uxbridge and took a picture of 2 sets of 3 bird houses in a park by Lake Scugog.
Simcoe Street is the road between Port Perry and Oshawa - Darlington is just east of Oshawa. Simcoe Street is an interesting street to take into Oshawa. I think it is one of the original roads in the area. Along Simcoe Street in Oshawa is Oshawa City Hall, public library, and other civic buildings. The City Hall has a unique shape. It looks like a lopsided box with one corner much higher than the others. I just had to take a picture.
A surprise before Oshawa was Winfield Farms. It Farms is on Simcoe Street a few kilometres north of Oshawa. Winfield Farms is the breeder of top thoroughbred race horses. There were many fine thoroughbreds in the field along the road. What a grand sight to see.
Yesterday's trip... 178 km in total
leave Nicolston to Beeton where take first line going east that is south of main road going east
after cross highway 400 take road going south to canal in Holland Marsh where go east to its end
Take road toward Holland Landing and make a double left just after crossing Holland River
follow roads along south short of Lake Simcoe: 38, 12, 78
south on local road to 79, then 81 and 1 to Uxbridge, 8 to Port Perry, 2(Simcoe Street) to Oshawa
take road that goes by GM headquarters to the end and follow Waterfront Trail into Darlington Provincial Park
I feel great about yesterday's ride. Going along the shore of Lake Simcoe is exhilarating (and cool on a hot day). I just flew along Lake Simcoe with the wind at my back. Seeing Lake Scugog later in the day was an added bonus. The ride included lots of Ontario hills which are so small that you hardly notice them. Just stand up and grunt a bit at each one and it is over. Many hills came in pairs. The supper discussion concluded that "going down one hill gets you up the next" or "going down one side gets you up the other."
Just saw the sign here and stopped on the way to a campground on Canoe Lake. Awful Hot, Hazy, and Humid today on this little ride from Ferris Park to Canoe Lake, just north of Frontenac Park. I used to spend lots of time there when I lived closer, particularly in the winter, as it is a great place to cross country ski.
A few small and medium sized hills today. Luckily they come close together so a rider can do the roller coaster - zoom down one to gain speed to go up the next. It always seemed today that Stephane and Keith passed me just as I saw roller coaster opportunities. Hop to it, eh... off I went blasting up the hills. Stephane and Keith can ride fast. Stephane used to bike race; Keith likes to do well at triathlons.
That's all for now. This is an awful slow connection at 26.4 mega bytes per sec.
My trip started today by going to the picnic area in Ferris Provincial Park to see the Ranney Falls and the suspension bridge over the Ranney Gorge. The Trent Canal takes boaters around the Falls. The Falls are used to generate hydro-electric power. There is no swimming at the Falls as Ontario Power Generation does not give warnings when the water levels are changed - they can increase suddenly due to the opening of a dam upstream.
Both the falls and suspension bridge are magnificent. What a great way to start the day.
I exit Ferris Provincial Park on the suspension bridge. This leads me to a Campbellford set of locks on the Trent Severn Waterway. I watch one boat going through the locks. These locks are automated unlike many of the locks on the Rideau Canal system near my home in Ottawa which are operated manually.
A bit north of Campbellford, I stopped at yet another lock on the Trent-Severn Waterway. What a pleasant place to stop -- and, use the washroom! While there, I tried to start my bicycle computer again. It started, at last. It stopped yesterday in the rain so I had removed the battery. When I put the battery back in at this lock north of Campbellford, the computer came to life. I now know how fast I am going and how far I have travelled.
Today I stopped in Tweed, Enterprise, Verona, and Godfrey. In Tweed, I first went to a grocery store for 500 ml of milk and a nectarine. After this I rode across a bridge to the Community Centre since I was curious where all the traffic was coming from... It looks like there were softball games this morning. I returned across the River on an old bridge which is now just used as a walkway. You can see signs of how the traffic patterns changed in Tweed when the new bridge was built and later when the old bridge was closed to cars.
In Enterprise, I purchased a can of pop for 90 cents at a variety store. A can of pop is at least one dollar almost everywhere else. I've seen it as high as two dollars.
In Verona, I went in a variety store for 1 litre of cold water. I mixed powdered Gatorade in this water. What a necessary refreshment on this HOT day!
Lots of ants here. A real Brand X'r this campsite - cold showers; only 1 shower, 1 toilet, and 1 urinal for males in entire campground; and, now they throw in the ants. They get all over everything.
AND, the owners let campers have camp fires when there is a fire ban.
I awoke at 1:30 am. As I stood outside peeing, I noticed a large campfire burning about 5 metres away. There was no one attending this campfire. I knew that I needed to take care of this situation.
The sign as we entered Frontenac County said that a fire ban is in effect. The people who started this campfire did not obey this fire ban. Worse than that, they left their fire burning when they went to sleep. Such actions can easily lead to forest fires.
The fire ban also doubly motivated me to make sure this fire is put out. After all, if the light breeze I felt on my face suddenly turned into wind gusts, the logs and embers from this campfire could easily be dispersed. They would then set the grass on fire. The grass is very brown and dry. You can feel it under your feet. A grass fire could quickly escalate to burning the campers, exploding gas tanks, and a forest fire in the conditions of HIGH fire danger which we have today.
The TourDuCanada truck comes equipped with large water bottles. Normally, these 3 bottles are just used to make water conveniently available at our campsites. One of these water bottles was on a table just beside the truck last night at 1:30 am. It was full with water. I crept over to the truck and found it not wanting to disturb other campers who were sleeping. I found it in the dark, carried it to the blazing campfire, and promptly poured the contents onto the fire. The fire was out. Am I Smokey the Bear? Remember, Smokey says "Don't play with fire."
Just weighed myself at 10 pounds less than my minimum weight before starting TourDuCanada 2005 - now at 125 pounds! This is too small! I need to eat more. My ribs stick out like the emaciated people you sometimes see in ads on television.
Today's trip into Ottawa brought back memories of days before TourDuCanada 2005. I remember the hill in Westport. It is steep, but not impossible. The little hills on Llewellyn Road now seem like little bumps. I stopped at a familiar store at Black's Corners to get some pop. Other riders in TourDuCanada 2005 were also stopped there. One was fretting since he has fallen a couple of times and now has to speak with the owner/manager of CycleCanada about his follies.
The proposed route for today from Canoe Lake to Ottawa was too lengthy for me as I have lots to do here before proceeding toward Montreal on Tuesday. Somehow I arrived at Carleton University in 125 km and home in 127. Let's see, I guess I skipped seeing the western Parkway and beaches along the Ottawa River. These are beautiful places and a must for those unfamiliar with Ottawa. I've seen them many times before ... I took Llewellyn, West Hunt Club, Prince of Wales, and joining Roads to get me to the Rideau Canal and Carleton University.
Today's rain increased to pouring before Perth but soon stopped. TourDuCanada 2005 has survived lots of rain. We bring rain and cool weather with us, don't we? Well, there were too many hot days after Wawa. That was just the eastern weather makers trying to scare us. They let off a bit today. The weather was warm, but not hot.
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© Pat Buckley, 2005.