Day 74 - Supernova Scotia

I was up early only to be approached by the fellow tending to the grounds around walmart and told the owner doesn't like people camping on the property. I was leaving anyways so boo to the walmart manager in  Charlottetown. Your damn store doesn't even carry milk, whats up with that?! Anyways, I got back onto the TCH and promptly left town. I collected a bit of the famous red soil found everywhere in P.E.I. and enjoyed the nice view of the ocean and distant Nova Scotia to the south. I spotted a few large birds which I believe were Great Blue Heron's and some of the goofy little suicide caterpillars I've seen all across Canada that love to cross roads.

I arrived at the ferry terminal at 1:20 just missing the 1:00 ferry so I had to wait around until 2:45. It was a nice time to relax and dry my tent as well as have the usual "where are you going, where did you start" conversation I've become accustomed to. Peoples reactions have always been funny. Back west when I told them I started in Tofino it wasn't too shocking but when they fond out I was going to Cape Spear their reactions were the same as it is now when I told them I started in Tofino. It feels like it was 5 years ago since I was in BC... time is funny like that on the road.

The ferry was $20 which included the transport I had to take across the bridge. They are clever in that you only pay to leave the island. I spotted a few seals along the way but no whales despite the captain announcing a few had been spotted somewhere ahead. On the other side I walked off my 4th ferry ride and set foot on Nova Scotia! I headed south on the 106 to get to 104 to continue east, but took a wrong turn on a giant roundabout and ended up in Pictou where they had an awesome fighter jet on display.

I eventually made it down to 104 and continued on east over the beautiful hilly countryside, snagging a small bit of metal in my front tire for a quick flat that was easy enough to fix. Those small little metal slivers have been the only things slowing me down this entire tour. A bit of scattered construction and some hills were my only obstacles as night came and I covered the remaining 60 km to my friends moms house in Antigonish where I would be staying for the night. Upon arrival I was treated to beer and lasagna and a nice soft bed for the night. What more can a wandering hobo adventurer ask for?

Day 73 - Happy Cycling

For some reason I couldn't get to sleep last night. I think the excitement of reaching P.E.I. today is really making me realize how far I've come. I'll be in Newfoundland in a matter of days and its starting to set in. Anyhow, I was up at 6 am and after a big breakfast I set off with Charles down 134. He showed me the various sights along the way including the J.K. Irving Centre in Bouctouche. We made great time doing 60 km with ease at which point Marthe caught up to us in the car and picked up Charles to return home. I bid the two farewell and set off towards P.E.I.

The tailwinds continued, pushing me along at a nice speed down to Shediac where I checked out the giant crazy lobster statue in town then continued along east onto 133 and turning left on 955 to ride along the coast and get a good view of the massive bridge to P.E.I. I eventually reached the visitor center near the bridge and had a gander through the museum before contacting the bridge transport and arranging a ride across (you cannot ride or walk it outside of a few yearly fundraisers).

The driver told me all about the bridge as we drove its considerable length. Apparently earlier that day it had been closed to large vehicles due to the high winds, likely from the passing storm Leslie. On the other side and after I was unloaded the driver bid me "Happy Cycling" as he drove off. I was tickled pink at this, its pretty much my mantra for this entire tour (and the title of a song I adore). I had covered 140 km at this point but the day was still young and weather great so I decided to push on another 55 km to Charlottetown.

Not far from the bridge and to my amusement I passed by a McCain factory. P.E.I. is famous for potatoes and the whole area smelled like french fries. Delicious! I pressed on down the TCH arriving into Charlottetown after sundown where, for the first time, I fell off the bike hard due to the crumbling shoulders but somehow came out without a scratch. I found ol' reliable walmart and set up camp for the night. Tomorrow its on to Nova Scotia!

Day 72 - Relaxing At 220 kph

It ended up raining in the early morning, probably from the passing tropical storm Leslie. Fortunately its passing was too far south to have much of an impact here, but I decided I'd take the day off anyhow. Charles dropped by around lunch with a giant lasagna then took off for his daily ride. Turns out he covers 7,000 km or more a year between running a pharmacy with his wife and generally kicking ass. After seeing Charles work this many kilometers into his schedule I feel I need to step up my game back home. When I finish this tour I'm going to have to hop on the road bike and put in some serious kilometers to keep in this new good shape.

I spent a while updating things using their computer until Charles got off work and took me for a tour around town in his truck. We checked out what I believe Charles said was the largest Acadian Flag and took a quick drive through Kouchibouguac National Park which is usually full of moose (not today, I am moose kryptonite). Hopefully Newfoundland will produce a few moose for me to gawk at.

After our little jaunt around town Charles then took me out in his Porsche Boxster and we drove incredibly fast. It was pretty amazing to ride in such a precision machine, she felt like she was glued to the road and accelerated at a frightening speed. I'm pretty sure this is the fanciest car I've been in and the fastest I've ever moved on ground. It was pretty frigging awesome. We checked out his pharmacy then returned home for some steaks. I met one of his sons when he stopped by then relaxed to some netflix before bed. Tomorrow I'll be hitting the road again and gunning for P.E.I.

Day 71 - Blinded By The Lights

It poured out while I was in my tent all night but fortunately stopped shortly after I wanted to leave. I ended up getting a reply from the couple in St. Ignace and despite the short notice they were happy to grant me a place to stay. The only downside was I had to sit around waiting for my phone to charge before I could check the email so I didn't leave until close to 2 pm. It was about 130 km to their house so I would be getting in late, but they didn't mind. The people you find on warmshowers are so accommodating!

The wind today was much more cooperative and I made great time traveling down 8 and 134. I passed through a few towns and usual wooded highways and the Centennial Bridge in Miramichi. The sun slowly sank down and painted the east a nice gold color until it was gone fully and I was left to deal with the constantly growing and shrinking shoulders. At times they were crumbled apart and it made for extremely unsafe riding. The night traffic wasn't too busy but the long straight stretches of road would have me blinded by high beams for a minute or more until the cars passed.

At one point a truck grazed by me coming way to far past the white line. There was no oncoming traffic so I had to wonder why he veered to the right so much, only to see him go off into the opposite lane as he went on up the road. Most likely a drunk driver, and it was a Sunday night too... After seeing this I got pretty shook up about passing traffic so I ended up getting off the shoulder every time I saw the lights of a car approaching behind me. It made for slow travel but it felt safer.

My little on/off shoulder routine almost got me thrown off the bike at one point when I hopped off the shoulder onto the dirt to get away from an approaching car only to hit a chuck of shoulder again and go flying back on. I bounced on and off the steep and cracked shoulder a couple more times but the bike held true and despite the busted pieces of shoulder everywhere I managed to stay on. I'm pretty sure the speed and weight of the bike were the only things that kept it from getting knocked over.

Despite the crappy roads I made it to the couples house by 10pm. I was greeted by Charles and Marthe at their giant house and fed a ton of food. It was late so we only chatted briefly and I was shown to the basement where I had an entire living room, bedroom, and bathroom to use! Charles welcomed me to take tomorrow off if I liked and set off to bed. My warmshowers hosts always make it hard to say no! I watched a bit of netflix and will have a great sleep tonite in my own little paradise.

Day 70 - Diesel Power

Woke up to cold and fog. Welcome to the maritimes I guess. A trucker walking by my tent asked me about my trip and commented he hadn't seen my tent there earlier when he drove by. He gave me a receipt for $700 worth of diesel he purchased in Dalhousie which should be good for a few free showers at the truck stop gas stations, as long as nobody wonders why a guy on a bicycle purchased that much diesel...

I was hit with a mild but steady headwind all day as I made my way down a mostly wooded highway 11. Chaleur Bay lurked in the east but hid behind the forest for most of the way. As evening turned to night the wind got nasty and I could barely push past 10 kph. Fortunately within an hour I arrived in Bathurst and set up camp by the walmart in town. I purchased all sorts of junk food including a box of cinnamon toast crunch. I think the smell from that first town I passed through here in New Brunswick implanted the idea.

I checked Deb and Carlin blog to see how they'd been doing and found they had stayed at a great place in St. Ignace, which was a days ride from my location, so I sent out a few emails through warmshowers to available places in the area including the one they stayed at. Here's hoping I can hook up with a place to stay for tomorrow!

Day 69 - Guy Smiley

Today should be my last day in lovely Quebec. I woke up to road construction and a noisy line of cars slowly taking turns passing through. I snaked my way through the road works for a ways and along a river that seemed to be favored by the local fly fishermen. Rolling hills and trees were the majority of the scenery as I made my way closer to the New Brunswick border. The sun set as I rolled up and down the lazy hills, enjoying the peaceful country atmosphere.

Shortly after the sun made its retreat I spotted a curious set of blinking lights on the other side of the road just  down a hill. As I got closer my suspicions were confirmed and it was another cyclist. He was wearing a colorful sweater and had a funny little head on the front of his bike. Out here in the middle of nowhere and in the dark he was quite the sight.

It turned out he was a gentle french fellow name Guy who was doing a tour around Quebec. When I commented jokingly that his spare tires looked like hula-hoops it turned out they were. He told me he usually carries around a unicycle and juggling pins as well. He claimed to be an artist of some sort but he looked more like he was from Cirque du Soleil. We parted ways and I couldn't help but feel happy that there were strange creatures like Guy wandering the earth.

I cycled on, reaching Matapédia and eventually the long bridge that crosses the border into New Brunswick. I found a nice "Welcome to Quebec" sign and stopped to take a picture of myself as a fox casually hopped out of the bushes by the sign and trotted off with a rabbit in its mouth. My week long journey through Quebec ended when I crossed the bridge and entered my first Atlantic province... New Brunswick! The ride through Quebec has been amazing and I really do love this province, please don't ever leave Canada!

Across the bridge and fresh into New Brunswick I was surprised to see that french was still the primary language on signs. The stretch after the bridge was a dark one with a grand total of one street light that I could see coming for half a kilometer. When I reached it the damn thing shut off leaving me in pitch black and turned back on when I was well out of reach. My kind of street light. A giant factory and little town eventually showed up and the smell was something like cinnamon toast crunch. I went on a little further into Campbellton and found a walmart to pitch my tent up next to and call it a night.

Day 68 - Fantastique Aventures de Vélos

After the half day yesterday I wanted to make good time today but the cold weather didn't lift and I was riding in 10° for the first little while. The fog had lifted but the wind was still chilly but as long as I kept moving I was able to stay comfortable. The route directed me off the highway and onto paths that cut along the coast through farms and along tractor roads. It was extremely hilly and made for slow difficult riding. Once I was back on 132 I decided I'd stay on the highway for today and ignore any diversions the green route took so I could make good time.

I arrived in Rimouski and traveled along the boardwalk through town while watching the fog roll over Saint Barnabe Island just off the coast. Northeast of town in Pointe-au-Père I was surprised to find a submarine pulled up on shore and setup for viewing. Unfortunately by the time I got there the place was closing but it was still pretty awesome to see from the outside. I had to laugh as two guys in full body snow suits on dirt bikes gawked at me in my shorts and t-shirt and jovially asked if I was cold. Next to the submarine was the first lighthouse I've seen since leaving Manitoulin Island in Ontario. With the weather and scenery this was feeling like the familiar Atlantic surroundings I had been away from all summer.

I carried along 132 as the evening approached and into Mont-Joli where I found a Petro-Canada gas station that had a shower and rest area for truckers. I tried asking the lady working the station if it would be ok if I got a shower but she spoke no english. After some hand gestures and, to my own amusement, repeating "Douche" the lady understood I wanted to use the shower. She insisted I store my bike inside and refused to accept any money for using the shower. After a much needed shower she once again refused to charge me for a coffee I poured up and even gave me a chunky soup and some bread to eat before shuffling me into the rest area to relax and watch tv for a bit. After that great meal I bid the lady farewell with a hug and peck on the cheek and set off into the night clean and hopped up on coffee.

In an hilly area out of town I encountered a pair of eyes I recognized as a cats but they sat unmoved in the middle of the road until I came within a few feet then just vanished. It was a bit unsettling as cats usually don't hold their ground that bravely. Lightning also flashed in the horizon and a few times I saw a glowing light just off the shoulder that would stop when I approached. I guess they were fireflies but it was all very unsettling. The darkness let my imagination run wild and my coffee powered legs pushed me on at a good speed away from the unseen monsters that surely lurked in the woods.

A few small towns passed by as I kept watch for a place to camp. A few areas I investigated turned out to be peoples yards. The houses in these areas sat on massive plots of land and I didn't want to find myself waking up in someones yard and unable to explain what I was doing there (in their language). Eventually I found a trusty rest area in Sayabec and set up my tent next to Lake Matapedia. After 9 hours of riding and 155 km I'm more then satisfied I've made up for yesterday.

Day 67 - The Grey

I was able to get a new wall charger for my USB corded devices at walmart. Its a good thing too as I was on my last battery for the phone which acts as my contact, navigation, and music device. I found a laundromat in town and got everything cleaned and charged which left me in town until 4pm. No worries, I figured I'd just do some really late night riding today.

Not an hour out of town everything turned to fog and cold drizzle. For the first time in my tour (not counting an hour I wore my rain pants in Sooke) I had to wear something other than shorts! I tossed on my long johns under the shorts (which looked pretty silly) and tolerated the cold wetness for another hour or so until the fog started rolling in really thick and I came across a rest area. The lure of a warm sleeping bag and some time to read was too much as well as the dangers of night riding in thick fog, so I set up camp over a small hill behind a tree and got out of the cold. I've made pretty good time the past few days so I don't feel too bad about taking a half day. I hope this fog goes away...

Day 66 - An Interesting Character

Today was more of yesterday. The weather and road conditions were great and I enjoyed the ride. Not far from the start I was stopped enjoying a drink and reading my book when a talkative young fellow chatted me up for a bit. He invited me back to his place for a few drink where we listened to absurdly loud death metal while yelling at one another in what was probably the most futile attempt at a conversation in history. His english was decent from what I could pick out between the music. He told me I could crash on the couch and avoid some bad weather heading our way but I decided I'd keep going and bid him farewell. Crazy diamond.

Bad weather never did hit and I had more stretches of dark road to enjoy after the sun went down. I made it to Rivière-du-Loup where the TCH cuts down south into New Brunswick (I'll still be going east tho). They have a walmart here so I camped in a busy area nearby. Tomorrow I can hopefully replace my stolen charger and pick up some supplies.

Day 65 - A Bridge Too Far

I slept undisturbed last night and left with no issues or anyone caring about my defiance of the no camping signs all around the area. I went on following 138 where many cyclists began to show up going both ways. I guess this was the QC crowd going for a nice ride out of the city. I crossed by two guys that were stopped to fix a busted chain, offering them tools and assistance but they actually had everything they needed so we parted ways. A fellow on a road bike offered to let me draft behind him by sort of pointing at his ass. Had I not been aware of drafting, this could have been a very odd misunderstanding. I waved him on and tried to explain that it would be a bit taxing for me to keep up with him on my much heavier bike.

The 138 detoured at one point and I saw two other cyclists ignore it so I decided I'd do the same only to come to an impassible half built bridge. We all sort of laughed about it when we ran into each other at the end and I decided I would find my own way around this mess. I wandered back and around to the side of the bridge and pushed across a muddy stream and over some train tracks and eventually onto the other side for some traffic free riding for a short time.

Eventually the farms ceased and Quebec City rolled up over the horizon. I didn't really plan ahead on what route I'd take through the city so I sort of just wandered along the least busy streets I could find and eventually looped around towards the bridge to cross the St. Lawrence.

I found myself on the road that crosses the bridge and had to wait for a break in traffic to hoist my bike over a guard rail to get on the pedestrian path. You typically don't want to ride out on the road across any decent sized bridge. The path was maybe 4 feet wide and used by people going both ways so I had to stop to let other cyclists and the occasional pedestrian by which gave me a lot of time to enjoy the fantastic view.

On the south side of the St. Lawrence  I was treated to a great bike path that ran right along the shore line and granted an amazing view of the city across the river. There were tons of people out enjoying the beautiful evening as the sun slowly set over the city painting the sky in orange and blue. I pushed on as evening turned into night at the 90 km mark and the city gave way to quiet roads and farm lands. Long stretches of road winded between massive farms and the darkness was pierced only by the light of the moon. Perfect.

At 130 km I found a paid camping area but after a little loop through the area I decided to pass and keep going into the night. I eventually found myself closing in on Montmagny where the St. Lawrence started to show off its growing width in the moon light. Before I hit the main strip of town I found a nice little area off the road inhabited by a few trees and a lonely sign advertising something in french I would never understand. I guess it may be a plot of land for sale for commercial use, but for tonight it will be my secret little home. 

Day 64 - Dark Times

I slept in a bit and woke up to the groundskeeper mowing the grass around my tent. He didn't seem to care I was there so I wasn't too concerned about it. When I went to retrieve my light in the little building it was gone! Someone had taken both the plug to USB charging piece and light! This has left me with no way to charge any of my gear on outlets until I buy another USB plug and likely no way at all to charge my back light. Fortunately I picked up two extra back lights in Toronto that run on batteries and attach to each pannier so my ass is quite literally covered.

I tried asking the groundskeeper about the light with little luck. I showed him my back light and he didn't seem to react so I guess my front light is gone. For someone to rob that out of a little religious building painted in pictures of missing people seems a bit ironic but what can ya do? I should be able to continue riding at night by using my headlamp for the time being.

The ride today was as great as yesterday with fantastic shoulders for safe travel along with sparse traffic and beautiful weather across the peaceful farm lands. In no time I had rode into evening and hunger crept up on me so I took a chance at another poutine with a side of coffee which turned out to be great (no post poutine issues this time haha). I also discovered you can get french girls to say anything! Just say parlez vous francais and pick something at random. Parlez vous francais "Lonely cyclist?" haha... I had a nice discussion with the store owner about my trip and set off to put in a few more kilometers while the coffee was working.

The night sky was free from clouds and the moon shone through so well that I could often turn my headlamp off entirely and ride by the light of the moon without much worry. A good 30 km or so of riding in the dark put me by a public rest stop / picnic area which make for great camping spots (if you don't mind ignoring the no camping signs) with washrooms that have running water and tables to eat at. It is here I'll set down for the night in a quiet corner out of sight.

Day 63 - Nuit Vélo

The skating rink ended up being a great place to camp. I got a good sleep and followed 148/158 all day and had to deal with very little traffic. At one point I stopped into a grocery store to find they have a system of returning recyclable cans to giant machines that crush them and tally up the value for people to spend in the store. Pretty neat little machines, I wish we had them at home! The small towns along the way were full of nice brick houses and very fancy churches, I'm not sure I can get away with camping in church yards here.

Around 9pm I stopped into a diner for coffee and decided to get a mini pizza to fuel my ride into the quiet night. The roads were great and the weather nice and cool under a full moon as I rode on another 30 km through sparse farm lands until I found a strange little religious display with a nice hidden grassy area behind it to camp called "Sanctuaire Notre-Dame-de-la-paix". The little building contained many lit candles that gave off a lot of heat and there were many pictures of what I assume to be missing people hanging on the walls. Turns out this was a little temple for Saint Thomas.

There was also an outlet hidden away in a corner which I used to plug my front light in to keep it charged for more night riding. The way today went I think I will be doing most of my travel through Quebec in the evenings to enjoy the change of scenery and get a break from the heat. If the roads and weather stay like this I'll make some great time in the next few days. Loving Quebec so far :)

Day 62 - Au Revoir Ontario

I woke up to rain dripping it's way through the tree cover onto my tent. It was heavy enough to warrant waiting a few hours before I left the comfort of my tent and ventured towards Quebec. On the way to the bridge I stopped into the war museum and gawked at the tanks on display from the windows outside. I also visited Parliament Hill where it struck me (as it has on various points of my tour) how incredible it is that I have made it this far by bicycle.

After a few wrong turns I found my way to the bridge to Quebec and bid my home province of Ontario farewell and thanks for a month of travel and experience I'll never forget. It was bittersweet but the subtle changes I expect to find in Quebec were something I've been looking forward to for a long while. I also can't wait to ride the famous La Route Verte across Quebec. It should be a relaxing change from the sometimes hectic and shoulder-less roads I've had to ride on occasion in Ontario.

Immediately across the bridge I was greeted with a bike path that curved along between the road and river east of the bridge where many geese and a few gophers hung out. The path at times went onto quiet side streets where cars were of little concern and through all sorts of well marked turns. It may not have been the most direct route but certainly a pleasure to ride.

I felt it was mandatory to eat a poutine or two in Quebec so I stopped for one on the corner of Georges and 148. A few hours later my stomach decided that was a critical mistake and well... lets just hope the owner of certain garage near Papineauville didn't go venturing out back the next day. I also dealt with a small bit of rain but nothing serious which left an aftermath of thick and extremely amazing looking fog that cut across the farm lands and along with the full moon made for some incredible looking landscapes.

I did a bit of night riding as La Route Verte had brought me onto 148 which had some very wide and clear shoulders to safely ride on. The night atmosphere was fantastic and a welcome change from the sun I have come to be very familiar with since BC. It carried me on safely for as long as I felt like riding until I decided to camp alongside an outdoor hockey ring in Pointe-au-Chêne for my first night in lovely Quebec!

Day 61 - Mud Lake

Last night I was the victim of some serious squirrel harassment. They are by far the loudest creatures I've encountered in the wild. They make crazy chirping at each other over territory disputes and have no qualms about climbing over my tent and scaring me awake with their little claws raking across my tent. I've heard much larger creatures lumbering around but squirrels take the cake for most nosy and fearless bunch.

Before I could leave this morning I discovered another flat on rear again. Once again it was a small sliver of metal similar to a staple that I most likely picked up through some of the construction that was being done on the roads yesterday. It was easily fixed either way and I set off on a beautiful day along the reliable TCH. A couple of fellows must have seen me fixing the tire at a gas station a ways up the road as they asked me if everything was ok after and about my tour.

As the sun went down I hopped onto the Trans Canada Trail near Carleton Place. The trail was nice to ride on with very little loose stone and quiet surroundings with trees leaning in on both sides. By dark I was guided by my small bike light and at times when the trees cleared off I shut the lights off and followed the light of the moon. I never caught sight of any animals but I heard a few scurry off as I approached. Startling a bear or running into a deer were my only concerns.

The trail shot straight into Ottawa where I found an interesting area of sand and tall trees to put up my tent. For such a big city this was a nice little area to find and camp in with no old fires or beer bottles laying around to indicate it could be a hangout spot for teenagers or anyone else to be bothered by. It was incredibly dark and very quiet and only the occasional squirrel disrupted the silence. I was far enough off the path to not notice anyone that may be passing by late in the night. If ever you find yourself stranded in Ottawa, check this little spot out.

Day 60 - Squirrel Town

Leaving Peterborough finally put me out of the big cities and back to highway riding through wooded lands. This type of travel is what I've grown accustomed to and allows me to saunter along and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of sparse wooded lands and the occasional cluster of country houses and farms. The roads are acceptable, not spectacular but safe enough that I don't need to look behind me often for any heavy traffic.

As the sun creeps behind the trees I've set up camp just a few meters from the highway in a strange little wooded area alongside a lake. There are squirrels everywhere in the trees and bouncing around in their squirrelish ways. This should be a nice place to camp with only a bit of noise from the highway to worry about in the night.

Day 59 - Peterborough

I left Oshawa on a familiar route for a short time but soon entered part of the city I wasn't familiar with. Going on further east I entered farm lands about 20 km out of town. The land was very hilly with great views at the tops and fast times going down and large trees lining the roads. My route was cut short by a bridge under construction but I pushed the bike around the side and went on to have a completely empty road to myself for a ways.

In Peterborough I found my friend Teri Lynn's house and was treated to a great meal and some relaxing times. We watched a movie and some Invader Zim, which is a pretty twisted and hilarious cartoon. Check it out!

Day 58 - Oshawa Break

Decided to spend a day in Oshawa relaxing. Went to the library and after 10 years still had an active account! I saw The Campaign with my step/half sisters, it was pretty silly but decent none the less. Tomorrow I'll leave and head to Peterborough to stay with a friend there.

Day 57 - Oshawa

Short day to head north up 2 to Oshawa where I'll visit some more estranged family and probably take one more day off there. I lived in Oshawa for a year about 10 years ago and the city hasn't changed much. It's a decent enough place but I'm starting to itch to get out of these cities and onto some quiet country roads again.

I considered cutting through Scarborough along the way to visit the area where I grew up but decided against it. Nostalgia is great and taking a stroll down memory lane is nice but sometimes its more of a distraction. I've spent so much time looking forward in this tour that I didn't want to look back. I had already pondered doing a second tour across Canada in the future so perhaps I could visit then. Returning to the giant green and grey cradle when I've got a solid education and job under me will be much more rewarding.

The drivers on the way to Oshawa were plenty and the bad ones made themselves known with honks and cursing out their car windows. Must be Rob Ford supporters. Once I got into Pickering on 2 the area started to get more and more familiar from my bike rides 10 years ago. My step families house was easy enough to find and I pulled to see for the first time my little nephew Damien. I'm an uncle! Jesus I'm old haha...

Day 51-56 T-Dot

I didn't want to blog about each day here in Toronto but I did get to do a lot of random stuff. My aunt that lives here spoiled me with takeout the entire time. I've enjoyed a few rides around town and oddly have to say that riding the streets of Toronto feels pretty safe. I discovered you can't walk up the CN Tower anymore. Its now a charity event hosted 2 or 3 times a year. Bummer.

I picked up a new tire for the bike and put it on the back, rotating the rear one back up to the front and putting the old back one on a curb for someone to take along with my fender that doesn't fit the new back tire.

One of my other aunts and her husband were also coming to town to see Bruce Springsteen so I spent a bit of time with them as well dining and taking a bus tour around town as well as visiting Toronto island.

It turned out that Fan Expo was happening from Fri-Sun as well so I checked that out. I ended up meeting Stan Lee (creator of Spider-Man), LeVar Burton (Reading Rainbow, Startrek), and got a picture with Christopher Lloyd and the Delorian! Gillian Anderson was to be there but only Sat and Sun, she is an absolute babe but I have to get back on the road again... C'est la vie.

I also hung out with my step sister whom I haven't seen in 10 years. We checked out the busker fest which was ongoing and a bit dull. My last day there I also wen't to Niagra Falls and got right down in under it which is pretty impressive to behold.

It's been a great week off and my legs feel rested for the first time in a month but I've got to get moving again, still 3500 km or so to go before I'm done!

Day 50 - The Big T.O.

I ended up staying up late and having a few drinks as well as getting rained on so I wasn't up very early. The couple that had let me stay in their yard saw me off and I didn't leave town until about 12pm. I knew I'd be taking some time off in Toronto and staying with my aunt so I set out to make it there today.

Things started out as farm lands with giant wind turbines and progressed into bigger and bigger towns. It wasn't long before I was going through places with more then 100k people. Eventually I was in the full blown city and it was close after 12pm so the traffic was decent. I rode a bit on the 410 which is both illegal and somewhat dangerous, but man is it flat with wide shoulders. The off and on ramps are a disaster for a cyclist tho and if it were daytime I would have avoided it entirely.

I passed through quiet business districts and down main streets that would probably be packed with cars in the day. At one point a train crossing had a train coming my way but going slow as hell. I figured I'd play it safe and just wait (I could have made it across the tracks easily, the gate was up for a bit). The damn thing took 15 minutes to pass by...

Anyhow I did eventually make it to my aunts in Toronto and will stay here for a while for my first and most likely only long break of the tour. I'm hoping to walk up the CN tower and explore the city a bit in the next few days.

Day 49 - An Eventful Day

I slept in. My frigging alarm didn't go off. I've been thinking lately I've just been turning it off in my sleep but after a test it did not go off at all. Last night there was a lot of rustling in the bushes around my tent and something big pushed its way through the wooded area a few feet away at one point. Made sleeping a bit difficult at times. By the time I was up and gone it was 9:30am and my plans of making the 9am ferry were long ruined. The next ferry would be at 1:30pm and was about 65 km away so I had to hope the wind and hills wouldn't slow me too much today.

The road snaked around through flat lands, hills, and along rivers for many nice views I could only appreciate briefly. The winds weren't great but they didn't hinder me as badly as yesterday. I spotted a kids bike in a ditch that appeared to be in good condition so I dragged it onto the side of the road to be better seen by whoever may have lost it. Turned out a truck that had passed me a few moments prior was slowly cruising down the highway looking for that very bike. Not long after that I found $20 stuck in a bush, free ferry ride!

For the third time I ran into Henry at the top of a long hill having a break. I stopped with him for a bit before realizing I only had 1hr left and 20 km to get to the ferry so I bolted and pushed on and caught the ferry just as they were beginning to load cars on and ended up being the first one let on. Harry had made it on just before we left as well. For 2 hours I relaxed on the ferry while it sailed south on the massive lake. A few gulls lazily drifted along with the ferry and were fed cheezies by a few passengers. We passed a scenic lighthouse and it turns out yesterday was national lighthouse day (or something similar).

After arriving in Tobermory and riding another 30 km I sat at a corner store for a break and some food where Henry eventually stopped as well and we met for the last time today. I'm pretty sure he ended up camping in a visitor center I saw up the road but I pressed on in hopes of cutting down on the distance to Toronto. After 3 coffees and another 50 km or so I found myself in Weirton where it was quickly getting dark. I found a nice big field by the town hospital but as I was setting up my tent I noticed a couple sitting by a fire in their backyard not far off so I figured I'd better explain myself to ease any worries they'd have.

When I told them about my trip and what I was doing they invited me to pitch my tent in their backyard and join them around the fire for a few drinks. It turns out the couple was hosting a small party for a friends birthday. Eventually a few more people showed up and I had a great time talking with everyone and enjoying a few drinks and some cake. I was up later than I had planned but the price was certainly worth it. What a great time and awesome day!

Day 48 - Wind Giveth and Taketh

After yesterday I had to get some km put in so I was up and gone at 7am and happy to find the weather was nice with a strong wind blowing my way. I put 50 km behind me in little time and turned off onto Lee Valley road for a slightly shorter route to Manitoulin Island. The road was very bumpy and in somewhat poor conditions but had hardly any cars using it. It cuts through quiet farm lands for a very peaceful ride. I found something very nice on the side of the road, but until I get home and figure out who owns it I won't go into too much detail.

Lee Valley road lead me into the town of Espanola where I stopped for groceries and ran into Henry again. At this point I had gone 85 km with only 450m of climbing so the land was fairly flat up until this point. Leaving town I had to turn south onto 6 to get down to Manitoulin where the hills suddenly begin and the terrain gets very similar to that of Newfoundland.

The road snakes its way down into the Island which unfortunately for me turned the wind that had been at my back all day into a brutal headwind that made progress difficult. I ended up taking a long break at a wide part of the road they use for the snow plows to turn around in the winter. The wind didn't let up by the time I started again so I trudged along at times getting slowed down to 10 kph on flat ground from the brutal winds. I spotted quite a few massive birds that I believe were Turkey Vultures soaring in place in the wind.

After 15k of wind in my face I arrived in Little Current and found an abandoned field that looked like it was used by horses on occasion with a viewing area off to its side that had a roof. The clouds looked like they would be bringing rain so I set up under the little shack and stayed the night. Tomorrow I'm hoping to make it to the early ferry that will take me across Lake Huron to Tobermory.

Day 47 - Just Rain

I was up early to the sound of rain battering my tent, so I went back to sleep. I ended up lazing around until 1pm until the rain died down. As soon as I got everything out of the tent and half packed it started pouring again.

I left town and dealt with more rain than not for the short distance I went today. Luckily the shoulders on the highway were generous so I wasn't too bothered by the traffic. In Blind River I was able to dry my tent and some clothes at a laundromat and further up the road I met another cyclist named Henry who was going from Thunder Bay to Toronto.

Twenty more kilometers out of Blind River the weather stayed wet so I decided to call it a day with only 45 km traveled and found an abandoned baseball field with a nice shelter built behind it to put my tent under. Tomorrow will be drier hopefully and I'll make it to Manitoulin Island.

Day 46 - Mennonite Country

I said goodbye to the Cuddy's this morning after a big breakfast and grabbed two spare tubes in the old downtown district of town. I checked out the bridge that connects Canada to the USA and talked with a strange guy who had actually ran into the other cyclist I met a while back (guy with the trailer). Small world.

Coming out of town I ran into two other cyclists going from Calgary to Toronto. I would run into them a few times today. Saw lots of giant things. A giant table, giant loonie, and giant Newfie chair (that's what I call them at least).

The roads were flat for most of the trip with a few farms and the occasional Mennonite driving a horse and carriage. I came across a closed camp ground and was poking around for a spot out of view when the two other cyclists passed by on the road.

I caught up to them only to find they were staying at a camp grounds and paying $15 each. When I told them I had spent about $65 total in camping fees the last month and a half they were floored. They had been staying on paid camp grounds every night and it was costing them a small fortune.

I left them to find a spot somewhere further up the road. A church looked good but the nearby graveyard spooked me, so after tangling a bungee chord in my spokes and nearly wrecking everything I found a school with a massive yard and camped there for the night.

Day 45 - Break Day

Decided to take a rest day and get some random things done. Ran down to bulk barn and got carried away spending $30 on 4.5 pounds of nuts, dried berries, and m&m's to make a sort of chaos mix. Doug has some nice digital scales and I weighed myself for the first time since Summerland, BC to find I was now 137 lbs. When I started this tour I was 150 lbs! If I can ride for just one more year I should change from a solid to a gas!

I also picked up a pen and notebook and from here on out will be writing my daily journals in that rather then the arduous task of swyping them into my phone and dealing with its insane and sometimes hilarious word prediction (whole grain dumpster bread?!). I'll try to update this blog as the cell service allows me.

I looked into getting another kobo but the hassle of downloading books back onto it topped with the likely chance it'll break made me stick with paperback. The extra weight kinda sucks but I can always ditch the books I've read once the time comes, tho I'd much rather get the old battered things back to sit on a book shelf back home. I've picked up the first book in the Dark Tower series by Stephen King.

It did occur to me how funny it is that I've gone from eBook and phone blogging to paperback and pen/paper. Seems I'm going backwards technologically. Anyhow, I'll be heading out tomorrow once due east towards Blind River, ON. Happy cycling!

Day 44 - Salut Sault

Today was a fairly lazy day. I didn't have much distance to cover so I did it slowly, stopping to read my book and relax as often as I liked. The ride itself wasn't anything out of the ordinary from the last few days. About 20 km from town I finally got cell service for the first time since Thunder Bay and after a barrage of emails and texts I was delighted to find my warmshowers contact had emailed me back and said whenever I show up to town is fine and that they had plenty of food so I should plan to be hungry. What good fortune I have to get such emails!

Sharon and Doug are a retired couple that live in the heavily wooded area of northern Sault Ste. Marie. I had no trouble finding the great house they built and was quickly shuffled in and showed to a cool room to call my own for the night. Doug cooked enough chicken and pesto to feed 8 people and we enjoyed quite a few of his you-brew-it beers before calling it a night. I had to smile at the irony that eating a big meal and having a few drinks then sleeping in a bed would be nothing out of the normal a few months ago but now it was the royal treatment. Makes you appreciate things.

Tomorrow I will get some stuff around town and possibly take a rest day and stay a second night as the hospitality Doug and Sharon have shown me will make it difficult to do otherwise (Doug mentioned about taking a break while pouring me up a beer, impossible to say no!). What is a cycle-hobo to do?

Day 43 - Beach Please...

A few noises woke me up last night but it was most likely squirrels. For such tiny creatures they are obnoxiously loud at times. Today I was hoping to push the 175 km to Sault St. Marie but the hills combined with the amazing beaches along lake Superior all slowed my progress. I was more then happy to stop a few times at various sand beaches throughout the day for a quick break and splash from the water.

At one point I was stopped along the shore eating an apple and the remainder of my trail mix and just lazily staring at the water. I ended up sitting there for some time enjoying the scenery before I headed off again up the road to discover a truck flipped over and surrounded by police and fire trucks. I didn't stop to ask but it looked like the truck had been in the northbound lane before it lost control and flipped over eventually skidding to a stop on the shoulder of the southbound lane.

It was a bit shocking to see such a thing and I wondered if my sitting at the shore had set me off the path of being crushed by that truck. That got me thinking about Quinn's tour to raise awareness for organ donation. His only message to me was to make people aware of my desire to be an organ donor. My license states I am an organ donor and I think here and now is a great place to say that when I do die you can give my body over to be carved up and used as the medical community sees best. Don't burn or bury me, I've got some healthy bits to use! It would be pretty cool if you could recycle the metal rod in my left tibia into something useful as well.

Back to the day, I had wanted to cover 175 km to Sault St. Marie but at the 110 km mark I came across a spectacular beach with fine warm sand and ended up staying there for the night rather than cover the remaining 65 km and getting into town 11pm or later. I figured it would be too late to see if my warmshowers contact had got back to me and hunting for a church or walmart to camp on couldn't stand to the appeal of a warm quiet beach, so under the stars and on the soft sand I camp tonight.

Day 42 - Dream Walker

I left the pooh town and spotted a fellow I had seen yesterday pushing what I had initially thought was a baby carriage. Today I stopped to chat with him to find that he is walking across Canada! The carriage he is pushing is a trailer designed for carrying gear and a quick look at it and him was all I needed to know this man had been walking for some time.

His name is Pierre and he is from Quebec and living in Vancouver. He is making his way to St. John's Newfoundland covering about 45km a day. At 65 hes happily retired and is walking the world and plans to write a book about his experiences. It is to be called "Dream Walker" at the suggestion of a lovely girl he met in Ecuador. He told me of a few treks hes been on but after he mentioned Vancouver to Ecuador I was too baffled to remember the rest. I'm hoping I can run into him again in Newfoundland when he nears the completion of his trip. Meeting characters like Pierre has been one of the best parts of my trip as they burn with such a spark of life that you tend to catch a bit of it yourself.

After I bid Pierre farewell I started on my way down the TCH which would take a bend and lead me south until I reach Sault St. Marie in a couple days. The terrain was hilly as it had been the last while. With the thickness of the woods and the lumpy hills all around I sometimes feel like I'm riding across a massive chia pet. The wind wasn't too much of a bother today fortunately.

I met another cyclist pulling a trailer and heading west and we chatted for a bit. He was going from Ottawa to Vancouver on an old bike and trailer he had bought for next to nothing. His seat had come loose and he had wired it back into place and showed me its new fancy swivel feature which I thought was hilarious. He had also strapped a windscreen from a ski-do and a rear view mirror from a car onto the handle bars. He was like the hobo MacGyver of bicycle touring.

After a long stretch of desolate hills I arrived in Wawa and was startled to hear the roaring of car engines just over a hill in town. It turns out they were having a drag race show for the weekend but the fee to enter was $25 so I didn't bother to go in. I was however finally able to get on the internet again at a Tim Horton's and send an email to a WarmShowers host in Sault St. Marie. Hopefully I can hear back from them at some point and have a place indoors to relax for a day.

I was 200 km from Salut St. Marie at this point so I figured I'd push on and try to make it there by tomorrow night. I ended up doing another 40 km south from Wawa until it started getting late and I found a quiet area off the highway to camp. I saw a few bear tracks in a sandy area and gave the bear mace a test to see what kind of range it had. I didn't spray myself but I tasted it and its actually pretty good! Bear mace sandwiches anyone? My tongue is pleasantly tingling and I will be sleeping lightly listening for nosy bears tonight.

Day 41 - Relentless Winds

Despite the amount of sleep I got in the day yesterday I still didn't get up until 8am. The wind was still gusting but I would have to face it eventually it seemed. I packed up and after searching the town a bit had to leave on the same road that brought me in from the highway. This meant a long uphill before I was to continue east. When I did make it back to the TCH I had 10 km already on my odometer and one pain in the ass hill behind me to wake me up. Turning east on the TCH rewarded me with a blast of wind in the face that would continue all day.

I took more breaks then usual hoping the winds would change but every time I'd start again they'd be gusting the same as before. I was making terrible time and growing weary of the constant harassment the gusts caused me. They stole the air from my lungs, deafened my ears, pushed me back forcing me to constantly change gears, and robbed me of my speedy rewards on the downhills. They also blew the rotten stench of roadkill carcasses at me when given the opportunity.

This put me in a dark mood and I wondered what the hell I was doing here in windy tree hell Ontario. I had long decided I wasn't riding any considerable distance today so I stopped into a diner and had a coffee while reading my book for a while. Three cups later I decided to get the last 40 km over with and get to White River.

The coffee lightened my mood a bit and I cleared the last 40 km as the winds eased up their assault. The waitress at the diner had seen three other cyclists up the road which had me hoping I'd find some familiar faces in White River but a lap around town left me alone still. I did learn that this is the town that "Winnie" the bear was purchased from who would later go on to inspire the Winnie the Pooh character. It would be hard not to know this if you passed through as it it plastered everywhere.

Anyhow I'm camping next to an old train car that is out for display by the towns information center. A lot of RVs and the like are here as well so it seems to be the best place. It's actually pretty chilly at night the past few days... So I'm going to hop in the oll sleeping bag and hope tomorrow the winds aren't such assholes.

Day 40 - Lazy Day Off

I woke up this morning to overcast skies and a lot of wind from the northeast. This was excuse enough for me to delay my start but I eventually decided I'd just take the whole day off.

I ran to the grocery store and got some junk to eat and randomly read, ate, and napped all day while the wind sent sporadic gusts into the side of my tent.

Tomorrow I'll make a really early start of it and if the hills give way and the wind lets up I'll try and put in a good few km to make up for today.

Day 39 - Coffee Marathon

I was up at 8am to have a coffee in the church and was given some muffins from the priest before he left to give a sermon. Before leaving town I located the laundromat and cleaned all my clothes. It was located in the basement of a gas station with a restaurant.

One of the ladies had seen me biking around town and told me to come upstairs to the restaurant to cook me breakfast. I was treated to pancakes, eggs, bacon, hash browns, and more coffee. She said I reminded me of one of her sons. I guess despite my gruff appearance I'm still fairly charming. Just another victim of youthful good looks.

With everything clean and a little too much eaten I went to leave town but got a flat in my front tire. Somehow the valve had partly ripped loose from the tube which made for a massive hole. There was no patching this and I was lucky to find the hardware store had one tube of the right size left.

With no more delays I was able to leave town and ride more of the same from yesterday. Hills and views of lake superior were the majority of the trip. I stopped for a break at a lookout and while eating some sausages, spotted a large bear crossing the train tracks in a valley below.

Later I settled in Marathon at the local campgrounds where a french cyclist approached me and despite the language barrier managed to communicate that he was cycling from Vancouver to Montreal. I'll settle here for the evening reading my book and listening to the amusingly loud geese and ravens on the lake near by.

Day 38 - Lake Superior

Quinn was up and gone before I woke up. The Pastor of the church showed up a little later with a coffee for me and left the church open so I could use the washroom. He gave me a little pamphlet about the baptist church and said if it's not for me then leave it somewhere for someone to find. Seems a fair deal for the generosity. (I'll put up a link here when I can)

I laid around a bit and read my book before leaving. The terrain today was as hilly as some days in BC. The hills themselves are covered from top to bottom in mostly pine trees. With the rising and falling of the land I was able to look out and see the massive Lake Superior. It's odd to see a body of water that isn't an ocean yet spanning over the horizon.

At Rossport I had climbed a 150m hill and was treated to a nice little beach at the top along the highway. I picked a spot with long smooth rocks slanting into the water and crawled into Lake Superior for a refreshing wash and swim. Afterwards I laid back on the sun warmed rocks and watched the clouds lazily crash into one another for some great relaxation.

A few more lumpy hills and I arrived in Schreiber where I casually rolled around the streets for a bit until I decided I'd stay at a roman catholic church. I was able to ring the ministers door and inquire about camping. He seemed to be a bit reluctant but decided it would be fine. He came out a bit later and we chatted about how my tour was and what I did each day. He seemed pretty amazed with the concept, and I've grown to see it's not all that hard but just takes time and dedication.

The Pastor invited me for coffee in the morning and bid me farewell and I shall camp in the safety of the church yard on this slightly chilly night in Ontario.

Day 37 - Terry Fox

I was up and feeling good to go so I bid my hosts farewell and first headed to chapters to pick up a copy of "Fools Fate" so I could finally get back to reading since the kobo crapped out. I headed northeast out of town and back onto the TCH and had a whole separate three lanes to myself due to construction.

I stopped to visit the Terry Fox memorial and ran into Quinn on the way up to the lookout. He was heading to Nipigon or further so I let him go on and figured we would meet up the road somewhere. The Terry Fox memorial was pretty great. The guy truly is a hero and inspiration to me.

I got back onto the TCH briefly then turned off on Lakeshore drive for a nice view of lake Superior. Quinn ended up getting a flat and we met up again back on the TCH not long after. A dark sky up ahead around 80 km in ended up pouring on us for a quick but hard shower. The last 30 km into town was enough to dry off.

I had scouted a few places to camp on the way through town and noticed a Baptist Church looked decent. We rode a few more km down the road to a convenience store and cooked some food on a picnic table across the street. By some strange coincidence the pastor for that church pulled up and asked us if we were camping and if so we were welcome to use the back yard of the church.

After a day that went from cool to hot to wet we ended it with our bellies full of warm food and a welcome spot behind a quiet church. Content is a word most fitting for how I feel tonight.

Day 36 - Rest Day

I lingered around the walmart area most of today and got some random things done. Deb invited me to a BBQ that I ended up being late for because I fell asleep when I was packing my gear up.

I met some of their friends and had a few beers and BBQ and played a game called "Things" which was pretty funny. I was invited to crash on their friends couch which I gladly accepted, and here I shall stay the night. No idea what I'm doing tomorrow.

Day 35 - Dawn Until Dusk

Unfortunately the ride data for the first 185 km was lost during the trip.

I was up at 4am but it was pouring out so I ended up sleeping in until 9am, long after the others had left. The skies were muggy and the ground damp from the nights rain. It was chilly but tolerable in a t shirt. The roads weren't as hilly today with a lot of flat stretches.

The first 100 km went by and it was close to 5pm at this point. I had taken two breaks to eat and dry out my tent. I hadn't seen any sign of the others but a fellow at the gas station who had come from the east said he had seen cyclists a ways up the road, not very specific.

I decided to ride on to the next town which I thought was another 60 km but it was closer to 80 km. The roads really flattened out and I was cruising along when I noticed the entire sky behind me was covered in very dark clouds. They eventually caught up and overtook me while pushing me with a nice tailwind.

Unfortunately with dark clouds comes rain. First it was little bitty stingin' rain, then big ol' fat rain. I finally got some use out of my rain jacket. I didn't bother to put on the rain pants so I ended up a soggy bottom boy. The rain got so heavy that cars pulled into the rest areas and I had the road to myself!

Eventually the rain ran it's course and a double rainbow came out! Woahhhh! Anyways my waist down was pretty wet by the time I reached town with 185 km behind me so I hung out at a closed store, had a snack, and put on less wet socks. The pop machine had lured me there but was all sold out but gave me a free toonie. At this point it was 9:30pm and I was still feeling fine and Thunder Bay was around 70 km further so I decided to do a little night riding again.

The moon was up in full soon after I left the small town and the traffic was sparse. At one point I was climbing a hill and I had the low beam on my headlamp on to watch for any bumps when I came across what I think is some kind of a wolf laying dead on the side of the road. It startled me at first seeing an animal of that size but I quickly realized it was dead. It had a compound fracture on one of it's front paws and had probably died not too long ago.

After getting a picture I realized I better have my bear mace out in case one if these gets brave and tries to attack me. Of course it's in my back bag under my bag of food, so the whole street smells like delicious bologna and I've got a good look at the size of the wildlife now so I'm a bit excited. I put the mace in my drink holder on the handlebar bag and moved along.

About 4 km up the road I noticed my solar panel is missing when I was patting around to check all my gear. One of my bungee cords was gone as well. Great, came off when I was getting the mace I figure. So I head back to the corpse and find the panel sitting there. No sign of the bungee but no big deal.

When I leave again about 2 km up the road my headlamp catches a pair of eyes 10 feet off the side of the road. I could feel the hair on me shoot right out in a pathetic but funny primitive reaction to danger and after an instinctive "Holy fuck!" I made a silly "AHHRAARAARA" type barking sound and it ran off with a glimpse back before it vanished. A little later I caught sight of a small fox across the road as well looking like it bobbed along with something in it's mouth. He ran off into a bush and I watched his little fox eyes follow me as I passed by.

The moon was out in full for a good while and I was able to ride by it's light alone but the clouds came again and covered it over and dropping a light rain. The glow of Thunder Bay's lights had been creeping closer and closer as I went on.

Eventually the woods left the sides of the roads and farms started showing up with a few street lights popping up here and there. I came across the Thunder Bay city sign but had to go on another 15 km down the TCH (which is 17 in Ontario) which at this point had tiny shoulders and only one lane each way. Bikes are actually not allowed on this road but since it was past 1am and the traffic was sparse I went on. In the day I wouldn't dare ride this road.

The big city finally showed up but was mostly a ghost town. The wind had been pushing me a good ways and now I rode alongside city trash that kept up with me surprisingly well. I found a walmart and set up behind it for a well deserved rest after my new longest ride on record.

Day 34 - +2

Must have rained a bit last night. I left the door open on my fly tarp for some dumb reason and my shoes got soggy. That made for an uncomfortable 40 km until I took a break to change socks and dry shoes.

I left Dryden before the couple did and just outside town saw a deer crossing the road get hit by a car. It flew a good ways but got up and ran away afterwards. Still a bit sad to see.

The wind was in my face and roads their usual Ontario hilliness  It was surprisingly chilly the morning and grey skies threatened with rain or worse. It was mostly woods and the odd house here and there. I see a lot of dreary marshes that remind me of Newfoundland.

The couple met me at a break area on side the highway at 40 km and we debated waiting or going as a lot of people were warning us of storms to the east. After a bit of lingering we decided to set off and the clouds parted to let the sun in. We met another cyclists not far from our stop who's name is Jenny. She has been biking a winding route from Victoria BC to various places all around for the past 3 months and plans to finish in Newfoundland.

The 4 of us went on and stopped in Ingace to eat a nice communal dinner of steak and salad. We eventually set up camp behind the community center (which forbids camping).

We actually had another cyclist stop in named Quinn which the couple had met in Dryden so he'll be camping here as well and tomorrow we will all make our way towards Thunder Bay, tho I'm not sure I'll make it there until Sunday.

Day 33 - I Dream of Crazy Trains

I decided to sleep in since I've been making such great time the last few days. The rain died down during the night but kept activating the lights in the pavilion. The train tracks were only 20m from the shelter I slept under so when a train would approach their horn wake me. I'd be confused and groggy then the ground would start trembling as they rolled by. This would usually trigger the lights and I could never make sense of what was going on but I figured I was going to be ran over every time it happened.

Despite my sleepy logic I survived the night and headed out of town. I saw the guy that suggested I use the pavilion and thanked him (a little more honestly) again. I was treated to comfortable overcast skies and cool 20° temperatures. Deb and Carlin said they'd be in Dryden tonight hopefully so after an easy 40 km I arrived in town and had a nap under a tree by the welcome sign.

When I awoke my back tire had gone flat. Once again I must have had a slow leak and I'll wager its one of those tiny metal bits I always seem to get stuck in my tire. I pumped it back up as a temporary fix and headed into town to get something to eat.

I decided I'd leave town and head further east on the TCH for the day but the sky started to darken and a walmart reared it's head so I figured I'd take a half day today. I need to get caught up on this blog anyways and my legs could use a rest and the bike needs some love. I've set up on the nice grassy side of walmart hidden by a small hill and a line of truckers staying here as well.

I tightened up the bolts on the bike and rotated the tires as the back one is showing a lot more wear than the front. Most likely this is due to the weight distribution and my tendency to use the rear breaks more. I did find a hole in the back tube but no apparent cause so all I can do is patch it and hope all is well.

Deb and Carlin showed up around 9pm and we will set out early tomorrow. The idea is to make Thunder Bay by Saturday which means two days of 175 km. Here's hoping!

Day 32 - Entering the Giant

I left Falcon Lake early but not as early as I'd of liked. Got back on the TCH and in a little more then 10 km I was greeted with the big welcome to Ontario sign. My 2300 km ride through this massive province begins today! I'm looking forward to it as it is my home province and there are a few people here I'll get to visit.

Right away the terrain was hilly and the roads were lined in thick forests. Its almost like they drew the boundary for Manitoba as soon as they hit the hills. The roads themselves were in good condition and had nice shoulders for most of the day.

I arrived in Kenora after 60 km with only a brief stop for a silly photo at the border. Here I picked up cell service again and found Deb and Carlin had gone kayaking somewhere near by. I ended up falling asleep on a bench by the big lake in town. The cool breeze and lack of sleep the night before due to obnoxious loud talkers were a good combination for an afternoon nap.

I wasn't sure if the couple would push on but they keep a good pace so I decided to leave town and just ride on until I grew tired. I rode through a few construction areas but nothing too hazardous. The TCH here does a lot of cutting through hills so you get a lot of sections with blasted rock walls on both sides. These really remind me of the highway in Newfoundland. They also make good high ground for camping if need be.

The TCH went winding along and I kept at it despite the day growing long. Soon enough it was 8pm and I was told by a motel clerk that there was nothing between us and Vermilion Bay but 50 km of bushes, moose, and bears.

I rode well past the time the sun was up and eventually had the moon overhead for my first bit of night riding. To the north the sky lit up more and more as a storm approached. It was fully dark and past 11pm when I arrived at the small town of Vermilion Bay.

I found a church to setup camp but a local saw my headlight and seemed to think it was a bad idea to camp there. After I asked about a better spot he suggested a bungalow not far down the road. A bit annoyed, I set off and found it quickly and just finished deciding I'd set my tent up under it when the sky opened up and it poured as heavily as I've seen so far. The oll first night in a new province rain trick I've seen a few times now.

Anyhow, the rain was really heavy for a short period and a tree even blew over near by. It's subsided since I've set the tent up and I've heard from Deb that they are in Kenora so I may take some shorter days and let them catch up. Until then, I'm friggin tired, good night!

Day 31 - Jetting Winnipeg

I slept till 10am, long after Deb and Carlin left our guests house. I did wake to find they were headed to Falcon Lake so I could follow and possibly meet up again, tho the poor cell service may make that difficult like last time.

Our hosts offered me a few breakfast options and I settled with a descent cereal. I packed all my clean clothes and bid them farewell and set off to head east down 15 but before I left Deb messaged me that the road was bad so we would all go down the TCH. I was happy to hop back on oll reliable again.

Before I left town I dropped the wallet I had found in the guys mailbox as nobody was home. I wasn't too keen on the idea of handing a guy a wallet with no money in it. Save him having to get a license reissued at least.

So I left town and took a lot of wind in every direction but the back which became frustrating as I had ran out of water 40 km from the start and didn't find a place to refill until 60 km at some cheesy camp resort place. I pushed on to 100 km and stopped again at a motel to refill. Not a lot of places to stop for comforts in this stretch.

The TCH here wasn't the greatest. Most of the time I had a tiny shoulder and sometimes had to give most of that up to the rumble strips. I rode on the left of them mostly as the road had two lanes for traffic and people were great about changing to go around me.

I got a couple waves and honks of approval as usual and at one point a tough looking biker passed me and flashed the peace sign without looking back. Pretty cool I thought (also took a double take to be sure the pointer finger was out too, otherwise much different sign). People are pretty cool about the biking on the highway.

Anyhow I arrived in Falcon Lake with the sun still due up for a couple of hours. There are tons of people on bicycles here but its mostly to commute from the two campsites. No cell service as per usual in this province and I didn't see Deb and Carlin anywhere in my small lap around town. We'll meet again I'm sure.

For the night I settled down in a quiet corner of a much too busy campsite (car alarms, rap music, drunken babbling). Tomorrow I should be entering Ontario!

Day 30 - Warmshowers in Winnipeg

I was up and out of Holland good and early. Farm lands yada yada yada. There was however a line of 600 train carts to the right of me that sported some fantastic graffiti with gems like "Your all fucking slaves". Slaves to proper grammar apparently. One train in particular had an amazing picture of a watching eye with two other separate tags of "JOBS" and "SLOW" (My nickname is my initials, JOB). Where did this mystic train car come from!?

I also saw an actual live snake on the road. Up until then they had all been flat sticks of leather or fresh bloody tubes. This guy apparently was going to take revenge on the cars by standing in the road and looking mean. Well I stopped to watch this disaster unfold while yelling at the snake for his foolishness as a car drove over him without making contact. The gust of wind must have frightened him because he did his little snake wobble back towards me and right under my pedals to go live another day.

I stopped in (somewhere, ill figure it out later) for a delicious burger at a local diner. A lot of people in this town were French. I'll have to read up about it when I have cell service again. I stopped again later in the day in Starbuck and got directions from Deb who was in Winnipeg at a warmshowers host's house.

I worked my way up 2 riding the small bumpy shoulder until signs of Winnipeg popped up and the shoulders tripled in size for more comfortable riding. The outskirts of town started showing up and soon enough there were cars and businesses everywhere. I rode on through the flat streets and into downtown where some tall buildings sprang up for the first time since Calgary. I started hitting a lot of red lights and felt both annoyed and amused about how I hadn't encountered them in so long. JOBS SLOW.

North I went and the town got a little ugly with pawn shops, sleazy motels, ghetto cash cheque shops, and run down lots with no apparent business left. A few hobos and raggedy looking types on top of this reminded me of the charm a small town holds over any city.

After crawling up main street through more traffic lights that fulfilled the prophecy of the eyeball train car I came to our hosts street which was blanketed in trees and quite nice. Shortly after I arrived everybody showed up from a walk with the dogs and we all went inside for a good time.

I met the kind family, their two dogs and squad of cats. It turns out the father Darcy runs an animal shelter. I really wished I could have gotten Coal here but on top of refusing to sit still in my handlebar bag like E.T. a part of me would never know if someone else actually did own him back in his home town. I hope he is still OK...

I was served a warm dinner of potatoes, peas, chicken, and gravy which has been the best meal of the year so far. We all chatted for a while as we took turns getting much needed showers and cleaning all our clothes. Myself, the mother and her two daughters played monopoly junior (I got destroyed) and we all called it a night afterwards.

Before turning in I discovered my kobo was broken and I'm really bummed out that I can't read "Fools Fate" to finish off the trilogy. I'll have to get a  hard copy in town somewhere to keep me sane during those quiet nights in the tent. Tomorrow I should get pretty close to Ontario!

Day 29 - To Holland!... MB.

We all got up early and Coal was running around and climbing the picnic shelter and just generally being silly. I didn't get a great sleep last night mostly because he kept poking me in the face with his head I guess trying to find something to nurse from.

I let the others go on ahead of me and played with Coal for a short time before I decided I'd better leave. I lead him back to the yard I had found him in and opened a can of cat food I had bought at the store the day before, leaving it on the ground as a distraction for him while I snuck off with a heavy heart. I went back and retrieved my bike and did a quick run past the yard I left him in to see him sitting atop the fence looking at me. So sad but I couldn't do any more. I hope someone in that town cares for him.

I rode on into the afternoon against headwinds and hot dry weather. I was hoping to meet the couple in (look up town name later) but I wasn't making good time because of the wind and I was still very tired from Coal's pokes for attention all night. On top of that I got a slow leak in my back tube so I was not in the best mood at this point.

I did eventually come to the turnoff for (have to find town name) where I met another cyclist named Paul who was heading to Vancouver. He had been across Canada 9 times! We both went into the town and went for a swim while the sun was blazing and fixed my flat. It was a small metal bit again...

I found $20 on the road as we left the pool so I bought us some slushies to enjoy until a crazy wind picked up coming from the west. We picked up and left then parted ways, me into a nice tailwind and Paul with a terrible headwind.

I was blown a ways up the road and made it to Holland by nightfall. A short lap around town didn't find me the couple so I camped behind the "Friendship Center" rather then pay a $15 charge at the local camp grounds.

Day 28 - All I Got Was Coal

Crossed into Manitoba today where the shoulders and cellphone service immediately ended. Everything is flat and hot and the winds are being a pain. We crossed a timezone as well so we lose another hour.

We stopped and stayed in a small town called Pipestone. While outside their convenience store I heard a cat yelping and it sounded distressed. What I found was a small white kitten about 4 feet up in a bush looking for a way out. When I set him down he immediately glued himself to me and followed us down the road to the ballpark where we stayed the night.

Deb fed him some tuna and Carlin was reminded of an old Presidents of the United States song. I decided Charcoal was a good name but settled with Coal. When we turned in for the night I left a part of my door open but of course Coal kept trying to walk through the mesh. He is sleeping soundly in a corner now, and I shall do the same.

Day 27 - Frankly I Can't Remember

I've left this too long and forgotten the day. Once I get home I'll look at the ride data and figure out where I was.

I guess I could use this space to note that I will be adding pictures and fixing up mistakes as well as adding some afterthoughts to everything when I complete the trip. For now it's too costly and time consuming to do it on this annoying ducking phone.... See?

Day 26 - Corner Gas

I'll make this brief because its late and the day was fast. We left our campsite and finished our errands around town. The group is now myself and Deb & Carlin. We left Moose Jaw and the TCH to take 39 southeast to Weyburn.

I got a flat after 20 km and let the couple go on to meet them in Rouleau, home of the famous show "Corner Gas". I visited the station where the show was filmed, met up with the couple again, then left taking two beaks before making it to Weyburn. My patched tube didn't hold and I was left to put a new tube on only 5 km from town.

We are now camping by a walmart for the night and eastward bound in the morning.

Day 25 - Breaking Good

BREAK DAY! We all needed a rest after the big day yesterday. Everyone relaxed and did random errands around town. We all went for a swim in the indoor pool on the campgrounds and they had a giant kickass waterside! We are all grown adults so ofcourse we went down it 20 times or more and broke most of the posted rules.

Keegan departed to stay at a place he found on warmshowers. The other three saw a band consisting of a couple that bike from town to town and play music and I decided to have a relaxed night to finish off my book "Golden Fool". All in all a nice day well deserved.

Day 24 - Long Haul Truckers

So the crew I met are all doing various cross Canada tours. Kegan, from New Zealand, started in Vancouver and is heading to Toronto. He is doing it for a vacation as he is an avid cyclist and enjoys the exercise. He also has a brand new Surly just like mine.


The couple just married under a year are Deb and Carlin. They began in Vancouver as well and will be going to Halifax. They are two teachers doing it for the challenge and to raise money to promote fitness and well being. Visit their website. Remember the woman at the top of Allison submit that gave me a banana and was looking for two cyclists? Well these were the two! They had rode past the campsite that day. Turns out we've been riding almost the same route since Vancouver and probably haven't been too far apart all along.

The older gentleman I never did see this morning (he started after we left), but I understand he was to do a tour with his son who was then accepted into university and had to postpone so his father went on to do a smaller tour alone.

Anyhow we all set out at 6:30am, far earlier than I have yet to do, to a nice tailwind. I hadn't rode with anyone on this tour yet let alone anyone back home on a regular basis. Riding with group is a whole new set of challenges. These three were familiar with the concept of drafting where cyclists ride in a tight line and take turns switching to the front. This allows the leader to break any headwinds but put the most effort in while the followers try to stay close in a line relative to the direction of the oncoming wind. If you watch bike racers you'll see them do it. Geese follow the same concept with their flying v.

These three kept an amazing pace. I was certainly humbled and had to push myself to keep up but I welcomed the challenge. We had great tailwinds for most of the ride and I spent most of the time watching the rear wheel of the rider in front of me while trying my best to stay close and take advantage of the draft. The times I did glance about I saw lazy hills everywhere and farms. Nothing I hadn't become familiar with.

We stopped in Swift Current for a break and shopping. By this time we had covered 50 km and it was barely 9am. There were a lot of Amish folks shopping at the mall. The younger ones, while still donning the proper attire, had sunglasses and baseball hats on. I found that mildly amusing as I ate a luxurious bowel of cheerios with cold milk on the sidewalk outside a Bulkbarn. One Amish youth jokingly asked me if he could have some cheerios. I hope I get a chance to camp near some in Ontario (Amish, not cheerios), they are an interesting people.

We set out from here and the day is mostly a blur for me. We stopped into Herbert and visited the train museum. I believe it was here we decided to push to Moose Jaw which was another 120 km. These people are machines! Keegan stayed behind in town and later caught up with us. He had been eating relish sandwiches in the train museum. They must give him super powers or something for him to catch up to us as he did.

I remember hitting the 200 km mark and my knee started complaining but I cycled along at a slower pace and made it into Moose Jaw, riding an incredible 233 km. Everyone had set a new daily record. I couldn't have done it without the motivation of being in a pack and the excellent drafting done by the three. I must admit I mostly played caboose and didn't contribute much but I did get to lead for a short way before Moose Jaw.

We found a campsite and as a group only had to pay $6.75 each. The kind lady even gave us free swim passes so tomorrow we would check out the giant water slide they have at their indoor pool. We got Subway and the lovely cashiers gave us free drinks and cookies. Myself and Keegan then saw Batman while the couple watched something else (i forget). Oh did I mention it was cheap Tuesdays so the tickets were $5. Moose Jaw rocks! What a kickass day!

Day 23 - Rider on the Storm

I retrieved my newly flattened coins from the tracks, tho I couldn't find them all, I now have some wacky looking currency I'm quite happy with. I stopped into the store before leaving Walsh and in the 5 minutes I was in there it had rained and stopped. About to cross another border and the weather rears its soggy head. Go figure.

Saskatchewan, unlike Alberta, had a welcoming sign only a few minutes from town. I had crossed my second province! Time to lay claim to the flat lands ahead of me. So very wrong that thought was...

Not far past the sign is a big stinking hill. I'd actually encounter a few steep ones today. I had to use gears lower then I did in all of Alberta. What the hell, I thought this place was flat! Around me the sky looked like it was plotting something. I could see tendrils of cloud poking down towards the ground in far off spots. It was likely raining in those places.

So I trudged on at a decent pace over rolling lands with the now very familiar suspicious grazing cattle and rolls of hay dotting the land like some giant slob in the sky had spilled his shreddies everywhere. The winds weren't too bad and I'd only been hit with a few fat drops of rain so far.

Around 40 km in I spotted a campsite that had a washer and dryer so I stopped for a bit and got myself and my clothes clean again. By the time that was done it was getting close to 5pm and I'd still have another 60 km to cover to hit my goal. The fellow at the campsite told me they were calling for thunderstorms in the area.

So fresh and so clean I left the site and got a wicked tailwind that pushed me to speeds of 30-50 kph for the next 60 km. The storm was right behind me and I was riding it's front. I stopped a few times to take pictures but the fat raindrops would start landing so I'd have to set off again and stay ahead. On occasion I saw lightning strike in the east from another storm.

Eventually the winds died down and the sun came out for a look. I was 20 km from a nice town called Gull Lake so I pressed on and found a comfy $10 campsite for the evening. I've met 4 other cyclists here that have all gradually grouped up on the way from Vancouver and after sharing some ice cream invited me to ride with them tomorrow morning.

This will be the first time I've ridden with anybody since I can remember and I'm quite excited and happy to rise up early and learn about everybody. On that note I best get to sleep at a reasonable time for a change. Happy cycling!

Day 22 - Wandering to the Border

I'm not really sure what to say about today. I felt a bit aloof and my mind wandered mostly while my legs were on autopilot as I kept the trusty white line steady at my left. After 45 km I stumbled into Medicine Hat. This place had some decently steep hills I haven't seen since BC.

A sign on the highway made promises of a park with swimming and other activities with an ominous arrow pointing south off the TCH. Well who should greet me but the oll' Crowsnest highway. I'll never forget our first day together. Hills. Two giant endless hills. Still the hardest day I've encountered.

With the idea of being submerged in cool water stuck in my head I figured what the hell and rolled down that crazy road for 5 km or so until it dawned on me that the damn place could be way too far and my map showed no obvious bodies of water down that way at all. Swim aborted. I'd have to stay filthy for another day.

Before leaving Medicine Hat I found a bike shop and picked up a sweet handlebar bag for $75. Its great for easy access to my camera and can hold fruit and snacks at a cooler temperature then the panniers. Its even got a holder for your beer! I filled it up with goodies at the grocery store and set off out of town.

From here you get to go through gentle rolling lands of nothing. A scarce farm here and there, some animals grazing on occasion, but mostly lumpy hills of dried out grass and a mild headwind that cut my speed under 20 km. The train was the only thing of interest I'd really see. I counted the cars it was pulling to keep my mind occupied. The most was 135.

Anyhow, the headwinds were tiring me out and at the 100 km mark a tiny town called Walsh popped up so I stuck my tent up behind their community center with a nice view of the hills and the train only 200m away.

I'm going to do something I've wanted to do for ages. Venture down to the tracks with some coins then relax and see what surprises I get in the morning. Saskatchewan awaits me tomorrow!

Day 21 - Wind at My Back

That storm last night was apparently a hurricane near by. Tree branches were strewn all over the church yard. I'm fortunate any of the larger ones didn't crush my poor tent. Praise Xenu. It was still very windy tho so I used that as an excuse to read my book a little more before I headed off. When I did leave and get back to the TCH the wind was at my back. I felt pretty stupid for not leaving earlier to take full advantage.

I was able to maintain a nice 30 to 40 km speed for quite a while. At one point I came close to 70 kph, breaking my previous personal best. The land was rarely anything but flat and everything once again was farms. I spotted the trains in the distance a few times. Seems we are never too far apart since Vancouver.

My 100 km goal came easily and it was only about 6 pm. I pushed on as the sun got closer to the horizon. I was getting a lot of bugs in the face and stuck on my arms. I've swallowed countless flies at this point. I remember the first one that went in my mouth, I stopped immediately and tried to puke him up. Eventually I got sick of stopping or even trying to spit them out. Now I just drink a bit of water to get them down and thank 'em for the free calorie or two.

I was getting tired by 130 km but there was nothing but farms around and big rolls of hay along the roads. I considered pushing some together for a wall of privacy against the highway but a sign popped up saying a town was not far off. Suffield was the name and it was a tiny little town. No churches to camp on that I could find, and a dingy little RV yard wanted $15 (no thanks).

I found their community center and poked in to inquire about camping on their premise. The place was decently furnished, had a wide screen TV,  pool table, big kitchen, dining hall, and some computers to use. I couldn't find anyone. I figured they just left it open and eventually somebody came by to lock it. I went back outside to eat a sub I bought, but decided I'd rather heat it up. I went back and the door was locked! I'm pretty sure whoever had locked up hadn't shut the door properly...

Anyhow, I set my tent up in the most bushy covered corner of the property and will rest for the night if the trains don't toot their crazy horns too much. Tomorrow is Medicine Hat where I hope to buy a handlebar bag. I should be able to enter Saskatchewan as well!