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Showing posts from July, 2017

Day 39 - 30 July - Sault Ste. Marie

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Day 39 - 30 July - Sault Ste. Marie - 89kms    Short day today! Always nice before a rest day! I'm on galley duty today. A short day takes the pressure off the galley duty team to get the dinner ready. Jambalaya tonight, Yum!    We had one final big climb today. The locals call it the "mile high hill" and can't believe anyone would want to climb it.  It's marks the end of crazy big hills in the north. I want to believe that. I really do.

Day 38 - 29 July - Pancake Bay

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Day 38 - 29 July - Pancake Bay - 121kms    Another beautiful day here in Northern Ontario! Riding early in the day with the mist on the water was so lovely. Sure there was lots of hills but, that's a given now. Lake Superior Provincial Park has so many small lakes.    I encountered a man running in front of a van with the Lion's service club logo on the back. I talked to the runner as I approached. He told me he was raising money for the Lion's club by running around Lake Superior! He's from Minnesota. I saw him about 10k from Rabbit Blanket so he's come along way!    I've got a new respect for Terry Fox after I've encountered the Montreal River Hill at 73! It's a 3km hill straight up! Terry Fox wore a t-shirt which read, "Montreal River here I come" and "I've got you beat" on the back.     Pancake Bay Provincial Park campsite is right on the water. There is a sandy beach that stretches for miles. I'd like to come bac

Day 37 - 28 July - Rabbit Blanket

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Day 37 - 28 July - Rabbit Blanket - 163kms       Trying to make friends with all the hills but, it's not working! There are too many to count! It seems like I get up and over one 6% grade and there's another one around the corner!        Anyway, I got to see Winnie the Pooh. His birthplace is White River. There was a cute statue of him in a tree just off the highway. I got to read the history of Winnie before I moved on.    I saw the big goose in Wawa. Wawa means wild goose in Ojibway. The had a goose there in 1960 but, it couldn't take the winters. The current goose was built in 1963 and needs to be replaced.    The weather was perfect but the day was long. As I rounded the corner at Old Women Bay I was unprepared for how beautiful it was! I couldn't stop to take a picture because I was too tired. It was a relief to get to Rabbit Blanket Park and relax. The lake view was beautiful!

Day 36 - 27 July - White LakeDay

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Day 36 - 27 July - White Lake - 139kms    Hills, hills, and more hills! At least I didn't walk up any of them! I think the hills will be with us until Sault St. Marie. I thought you would like to see some of the hills I climbed today so I took pictures.    Today is the half way point! Whoo hoo! The tradition is that the driver makes lunch for us on that day. We met him at the visitor centre in Marathon for a much appreciated lunch. It's hard to believe it's almost the end of July!    I came upon an RV with the front end smashed in and a policeman on the other side of the road. It didn't register with me what happened but, when I got to camp I was told that RV hit s moose!   It's that kind of thing that reminds you where you are!

Day 35 - 26 July - Terrace Bay

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Day 35 - 26 July - Terrace Bay    Lots of stunning views of Lake Superior today! I could see all these views because we had to climb four huge hills! They were 6% grades. Some of them were two or three kms long! It took me forever to get up them! Even the trucks were having a tough time getting up the hills!    The weather was great again today. I'm liking the no wind days! It would have been a tough day indeed if there was a headwind to go with those hills!    We happened upon some road construction were they were dynamiting the rock to make a lane wider. We were stopped when the siren went off. It blew for three times and then the dynamite blasted the rock. The excavator dropped  the rock to the road. That was exciting!

Day 34 - 25 July - Nipigon

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Day 34 - 25 July - Nipigon -107kms    It was a vey pleasent ride today. The temperature was perfect and there was no wind.    I was on galley duty today so I couldn't spend too much time getting to camp. I need'nt have worried. We arrived with lots of time to spare. We made my favourite, burritos!    I stopped at a lookout in Thunder Bay to take a picture of the Sleeping Giant. It is impressive. On our way out of town, we took a picture of the signs at the Thunder Bay International Hostel. There were signs from everywhere!    Just outside Thunder Bay is the monument for Terry Fox. This is where he stopped his journey. We were not allowed to take our bikes on highway 11/17 so I did not see it. I did take a photo of  the Terry Fox Courage Highway sign. When you see these roads and hills and you know how difficult they are on a bike you can't believe he ran them every day! Amazing!

Day 33 - 24 July - Thunder Bay - Rest Day

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Day 33 - 24 July - Thunder Bay - Rest Day    Another productive rest day in Thunder Bay. Sleeping in the dorm room was fantastic! I actually got a full night's sleep. After doing our laundry, cleaning the bike and oiling the chain, we took the bus and kicked around town. We could see the sleeping giant from where we were. It looks like the escarpment.     We get to sleep in the dorm another night! Next dorm room stay is in Ottawa!

Day 32 - 23 July - Thunder Bay

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Day 32 - 23 July - Thunder Bay - 166kms    It rained all night! We've been lucky so far with the weather. Still, it makes me question what the attraction is with camping! I was miserable. Everything was wet, including my breakfast! I had to put on a wet coat and shoes. I've tried to keep an open mind but, the slugs all over the tent grossed me out!    The day turned out to be beautiful but, there was another substantial headwind. It's beginning to look normal to us now! There were more hills than yesterday, if you can believe that! It was pretty hard slogging for the first 100k.    We stopped at the Artic/Atlantic Water Shed. It's the the high point of land at 506 metres above sea level. West and North from here, water flows to the Artic Ocean. East is to the Atlantic Ocean.    We get to stay indoors tonight at Lakehead University. Yippee! Rest day tomorrow!

Day 31 - 22 July - Quetico

Day 31 - 22 July - Quetico - 154kms    A day of hills, headwind, and thunderstorms!     There were  no places to get water for 110kms. We had to bring all the water and food we would need with us. It was a little nerve wracking knowing you had only so much. You tend to be a little conservative with what you're bringing for fear of running out!    As it turned out, the 110kms was doable with what I brought. We stopped at a small bait shop that to get more water and have lunch.    Tomorrow is 166kms with no stops for 137kms. We'll have to take it all with us again.    After stopping at 110kms, the weather started to look threatening.  At 40k to go, the sky opened up! It rained on us for about two hours. It was scary riding like that but, it was the only way to get to camp.     Quetico Provincial Park is beautiful by the way. It's one to come back to.

Day 30 - 21 July - Taylor's Cove

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Day 30 - 21 July - Taylor's Cove - 128kms    What a difference a day makes! Early this morning we had a thunderstorm! Luckily, it didn't last long but, the head wind did! Between that and the never ending hills, made it a challenging day!    The causeway over the lake in Fort Frances was spectacular! There are so many lakes, large and small, in this area.     The border to Minnesota is in Fort Frances as well.     Taylor's Cove is a small Cove on a private lake. There are many cottages  on the shoreline and on the little islands. Or as nice to sit on the large rock on the shore. We don't appreciate the Mosquitos!

Day 29 - 20 July - Caliper Lake

Day 29 - 20 July - Caliper Lake - 126kms    If there could be a perfect riding day in this tour, this would have been it! Today was cool and there was no wind!     The road was great to ride on and the traffic was light. That's always a good thing.     There are so many beautiful lakes here. I had no idea the scenery was so beautiful! The road cut through the rock is impressive!     I had time to stop at a good bakery in Soux Narrows to eat a great almond poppyseed cornmeal muffin!    I arrived at Caliper Provincial Park in plenty of time to help with dinner. The mosquitos were very bad. The nearly drove us crazy but we managed to get dinner ready!    The lake at the is park is large, picturesque, and peaceful! There is a dock at the beach where you can watch the sunset! Such a great summer thing to do!

Day 28 - 19 July - Kenora - Rest Day

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Day 28 - 19 July - Kenora - Rest Day    Kenora has a huge lake surrounding it! It is a very pretty town. The centre of town was not far. We walked to the harbour because they have a market every Wednesday at the pavilion. It was a good mix of produce, bakery items, and crafts. We shared a pizza from a wood burning food truck at the water front.  There was also an art display of local artists work going on. Some of the pieces were very good.    Back at the truck I cleaned my chain, washed my bike, put away laundry, and made my hard boiled eggs for the next segments lunch.

Day 27 - 18 July - Kenora

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Day 27 - 18 July - Kenora - 171kms    Today a perfect cycling day! The weather and wind were with us. We had a tailwind for most of the way! Highway 44 was a very winding road with few cars. We were on it for 115kms. My new thinner tires made a big difference pedalling the bike! Toward the end of highway 44 the rolling hills started to appear. The tires didn't help me much there! It's still a chore getting up and over hills! We've got lots of those kinds of hills in this next segment.    This was the day we crossed into Ontario. It's hard to believe we are half way already!     We rolled into Kenora and into another rest day! These long rides are tiring.

Day 26 - 17 July - Beausejour

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Day 26 - 17 July - Beausejour     This day started out a little confusing and scary. The map to Beausejour took us through Winnipeg but,   there were so many directions that an alternative route was planned. This route was shorter and straighter. Half of us were doing it and half took the original route. I was so torn between the two because I am always the last person into camp I felt that I would get lost riding the original route or I would miss a turn on the alternative route. I decided to start out and when I got to the turn into Winnipeg, I would decide which way I would go. I happened upon two riders in our group who were taking the alternative route so I joined them. It turned out to be hot, busy, and windy! I should have stuck to the original route. I also got my third flat rear tire! The staples on the shoulders are everywhere! You can't see them to avoid them!    I didn't get to see the Principal Meridan marker which is the original reference point for sur

Day 25 - 16 July - Portage la Praire

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Day 25 - 16 July - Portage la Praire - 132kms    The day started out beautifully but quickly went wrong! On my way to visit the hometown of author Margaret Lawerence, I got a flat tire! Luckily, I had just repaired the slow leak on the rear tire the other day and now I can change it by myself. We doubled back to the Co Op gas station to fill the tire. I have a shrader valve on the tire so I was able to fill it. I still have not replaced my small pump. I will definitely do that in Kenora!    Because it was very early Sunday when we arrived in Neepawa, the Margaret Lawerence homestead was not open. We took a few pictures and rode on.    Once we got 30k a south wind came out of nowhere! It dogged us for the rest of the ride! They were very strong gusts and it made it very difficult to ride. So far we haven't have much tailwind. The wind report is to first thing we check for the next day's ride.

Day 24 - 15 July - Minnedosa

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Day 24 - 15 July - Minnedosa -134kms    It was a lovely day today, not to hot or windy! The landscape is similar to Saskatchewan but, there are marshes everywhere. Ducks Unlimited is big here. They protect the habitat in these marshes by convincing the farmers to not fill them in.  They even provide frames for the ducks to build their nests.    At 71kms there is a little town called Shoal Lake. It is very picturesque. We stopped there for lunch by the Lake.    The campsite for today, Minnedosa Campground, also has a lake. It is a busy beach. It looks like a popular hangout for the locals.

Day 22 - 13 July - Crooked Lake

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Day 22 - 13 July -  Crooked Lake  - 164km    Another tough day in the wind! Riding through construction on highway It was stressful. There was no relief until turning North at Grenfell at kilometre 149. Besides having the wind at our backs, the scenery was beautiful and calming!     The Indian head statue in Indian Head was cool. The sign said that the TV show 'Litttle Mosque on the Praire' was filmed there.    Turning onto the rolling hills of Route 247 towards the Crooked Lake Provincial Park was a little difficult as this was a long mileage day but the park  campground was lovely! I would have loved to spend time at the beach, but I was on galley duty. Our team had to make dinner and clean up. It makes for a long day.    I also had to deal with a slow leak in my back tire. I had been putting air into it all day! As it turns out, there was a staple in the tire. I had some help taking care of that and then I went right to bed because our team is breakfast duty!

Day 23 - 14 July - Binscarth

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Day 23 - 14 July - Binscarth - 128km    We started our day with a thunderstorm! First one! Thankfully, it lasted for twenty minutes. The first 34kms was a beautiful ride around the Crooked Lake Provincial Park but, we had another headwind. The climb out of Qu'Appelle and the Assiniboine valleys was quite steep. I was glad to turn onto highway 22 to get the tailwind!     The weather was hot but not unbearable. It seemed much hotter on the climbs.      We had a decision to make at kilogram 70. We could take the maintained highly, or go back on the busy highway which was 40 kms longer. The shorter route had a long stretch of gravel! Most of us took the shorter route, but the going was slow! Sometimes the bumps were teeth-chattering. Sometimes  you got bogged down in it. Amazingly, no one had a flat tire.    At kilometre 109 is the  Saskatchewan/Manitoba border. Now we're on Central time! Now we're in province four!    The descent into Assiniboine Ri