Felix Across Canada 2007

Some of you might have heard about, Félix Gauthier (Cycle Devinci’s president) will cross Canada on his bike this summer 2007. This event will create favourable visibility but also, Mister Gauthier will test many parts of Devinci’s bikes. If you want to follow his trip with us, daily information will be given upon our website. Here is the English link where you can find all details…and some lovely pictures of course!

Follow his trip HERE

London's riders trip across Canada.

Karin Lawrence, Dave Charles and John Fontaine trip across Canada June 28- September 3, 2000. Distance 7,200 km.

Link to info on Tour du Canada®.
Link to info from privies Tour participant. Spin, Spin, Spin. 

Day: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69.

Commentary by Karin's husband John.

Day 1: Karin called when she reached UBC and told me she had a good flight
out. As it turned out, Margo Jorgensen was on the same flight and they
managed to sit together and shoot the breeze for the entire trip.
Apparently the weather in Vancouver has been excellent for the last couple
of weeks, sunny and warm. She hadn't caught up with her bike yet and John
Fontaine was at that point, out for a ride. Karin may have called again
last night as there was a long distance call on the phone display, but I
was out getting a couple of things for the puppy and missed the call.
Hopefully Karin will call in the next few days and give an update on the
ride, group, and weather. Several people have asked me to keep them posted
on her progress. You may wish to try and correspond with Karin via email.
One of the last things we did before she left was set up a hotmail account.
The address is bikerchickti@hotmail.com. I have no idea how often she may
be able to access her mail but it's worth a try and I know she would love
to hear from you.

Day 2: Just got off the phone with Karin a short while ago. All is well in
Mission. Her group seems to be somewhat more social than the first group.
The philosophy seems to be a relaxed attitude, with everyone sharing the
load, and nobody sweating the small stuff. The obligatory photo op with the
totem pole went well, all twenty times. The weather is still quite good and
bodes well for the first camp setup. Karin has started on the trail of
shaping the group into a harmonious troop and, unless I miss my guess, will
have them all trained in no time flat. Already, several have expressed
interest in learning to ride a pace line.

Day3: I got another call from Karin tonight. They're in Hope for the night.
The weather is still pretty good. Some of the novice tour riders aren't
eating enough throughout the day yet so Karin is mother henning them and
cautioning about proper nutrional intake and hydration. One of the riders
is diabetic and needs to really pay attention to her intake. Karin told me
that she is taking lots of pictures and writing general impressions about
each day. I know how much I enjoyed reading your journal and really look
forward to reading Karin's once she has massaged it into coherent thoughts.

Day 4: Spoke to Karin a short while ago and wanted to send off an email
while everything was still fresh in my mind. Riding through the tunnels was
exciting and a novelty, with no mishaps. Today was a long distance day with
several long grades. Both granny and her granny gear got quite a workout.
They wound up at Thompson River Park just short of Spences Bridge. It was
windy with a brief light rain but no headwinds. Several motorists stopped
and asked what the group was doing and were amazed to learn that they were
riding across Canada.........for fun. Some of the truckers blew their horns
and waved, presumably utilizing all of their digits. Karin managed to get
her picture taken with a Mountie. I'm hoping it's not photo radar. As you
know the downhill bits can get quite zippy. Karin said she found an
abandoned baby by the side of the road. She named it Flitter (the
butterfly) and strapped it onto her bike bag where it is doomed to a
receding view of everywhere Karin has been. It seems it has become her
personal mascot and now everyone wants one. I'd hoped we had seen the last
of those stupid Beanie Babies, and Barney, and pet rocks. The group
continues to function well and Karin has mentioned several times how
pleased she is that the subgroup that she rides with is so in sync with her
concept of how she would like to do this tour. She also raved about the
awesome scenery and how her two biking/training buddies back here should at
least do the Rockies part of the tour.

Day 5: I asked Karin all of the questions in your last email when I was
talking to her on the phone so that I wouldn't forget any. There are
usually 3 or 4 core members in her subgroup, with that number swelling to
as many as 12. There doesn't seem to be any particular effort or pressure
for the group to ride together. Pretty much a 'how do you want to ride
today' kind of thing. No budding romances so far but some likely
candidates. There are at present 2 veterans from I believe the 92 Tour
riding for a couple of weeks with the group and Karin was pretty sure they
would be gone by the time she reaches you and Lynn. So that leaves 23 paid
and proud members in good standing in Karin's intrepid group. Everyone that
was supposed to be on the ride made it with no further additions or deletions.
Karin's cooking group (3 people, no other Londoners) got to provide supper
last night. Her biggest complaint was the lack of sufficient protein in the
suggested meals. Karin spoke about the vast number of vegetables this group
seems to be going through with salads being the chief component. I
cautioned her about eating just carbs from the pasta and that apart from a
few vitamins and minerals she likely was already getting from her
supplements, the salads were just filler. They tend to go for the quick and
easy stuff as the setup and breakdown of camp is time consuming and heavy
work.  I made her promise to eat a good lunch and supper today with at
least some beef, or chicken or fish in it. We talked before she left of the
unlikelihood of eating enough calories per day to match those burnt and how
easy it would be to accumulate a caloric deficit. I really hope she pays
attention to this aspect of the trip as it will definitely impact on her
health and thereby enjoyment of the trip. The difference between a good
hard ride, and just plain damn hard work. I can't help it, I worry a little
bit. It's the lot of those left behind to wish for the best possible trip
for those on it. Karin says their driver, Brooke is an awesome young lady
and overall the logistics are not bad. The cooking gear is designed for
toughness and longevity, not petite, bone tired, middle aged women.

Day 6. Today was more of the same weather wise. The main part of the ride saw the
group go through a beautiful valley with rolling hills and soothing vistas.
In the afternoon came a gonster-mucker of a grade involving a 15 minute
climb in Karin's smallest granny gear. It was a very steep switchback. At
one point, she considered walking her bike up the slope, but the grade was
so severe she was afraid she would fall over before she could unclip from
her pedals. The glide down the back slope lasted for over an hour and took
them most of the way to Kamloops. The campground for tonight is about 20 K
on the far side of Kamloops. Today's ride was 140 K. Karin said she didn't
know if her arms hurt from pulling up the mountain or feathering the brakes
on the down slope. Tomorrow they do another jaunt and then a rest day.
Hallelujah!!!

Oh yes, I did ask Karin about the maps and she said that in addition, a
written description of the route is included and seems to be working fine.

Day 7. Karin said they had a soggy day today and were glad to get into camp.
Everyone is still smiling despite the turn in the weather. All are looking
forward to tomorrow's rest day. Karin had to replace a derailleur cable as
she wasn't able to shift into granny gear. A local bike shop (sorry, I
didn't get the name) only charged her $16.00 including installing the new
one. Tomorrow they'll kick around Sicamous and see the sights. Someone
mentioned that the hills ( if you can call the Rockies hills ) they have
done so far are nothing compared to what they have to climb getting to
Rogers Pass. That should put their minds at ease and make for pleasant
dreams. John Fontaine and Dave Charles are both doing fine and are riding
well, with no complaints.

Day 8. Karin called today and sounded pretty upbeat about the trip so far, and
relaxed due to the rest day today. I read her the email you sent about the
size of the upcoming hills. She was very glad to get that information,
that's for sure. Karin said that there was a 15cm snowfall in Merriot the
day after they left. Apparently, there is still very good snowmobiling
around Rogers Pass as well. I checked the local forecast for their area and
the next few days are going to be wet, cool and going down to freezing at
night. Last night was one of the American rider's birthday as well as the
fourth of July, so a celebration was had on the beach, complete with a
cake, and fireworks generously provided by Dave Charles.
I got to speak to John Fontaine for a while and he confirmed what Karin
had related previously  about the tour. The food is quite sufficient. The
organizational and logistical aspects are excellent, and the group dynamics
are very good. The mileage relative to terrain isn't too bad. John is
contemplating replacing his cog set with a three ring cog, as he feels he
is not spinning fast enough on the grades. Once they get on the East side
of the Rockies, he'll make that decision. John made the comment that there
is no way for someone in southern Ontario to train or prepare for the
Rockies, so you just have to go out every day and keep at it until you get
to Alberta. The working part of the days are full, starting at 5:30 AM with
breakfast and break camp, and finishing around 5:30 PM after
cooking/cleanup duties are complete. Insomnia doesn't seem to be a problem.
Unfortunately, Dave Charles was elsewhere when Karin called and I didn't
get to speak to him. Perhaps next time. Sicamous is in the Shuswap Lakes
District and is the undisputed houseboat capitol of British Columbia. Karin
read an excerpt from a book about Canada she bought that says in the
glacier region they will be passing through shortly it only rains twice a
week; once for three days, and again for four days. This certainly will be
a test for all that gear they bought at Mountain Equipment Co-op in Toronto.

Day 9. This just in from Canyon Hot Springs.
Our fearless group had a rainy start to their day, riding along over
rolling hills through the most scenic countryside to date. On the approach
to Rogers Pass the mountains are the tallest yet with a perpetual snowcap.
The view from the Hot Springs is breathtaking, and all the pictures taken
today will never compare to the memory of this place. Karin spoke of riding
past a ghost town, and a lake with water so black that although she could
see reflections on the water, she could not actually see into it. She spoke
of the differing types of mountains they have ridden through on the trip,
from jagged peaks to near desert-like landscapes with their more rounded
mountains. Riding today toward Revelstoke, they experienced an interesting
phenomenom. All of a sudden, the temperature would drop rapidly about ten
degrees. Shortly after, the sound of rushing water would be heard. A little
while later a cascade of white frothed teal green water would be bounding
down the mountainside from high above at the snowline. This occurred
several times throughout the day. A cup or two of "decent" coffee in
Revelstoke, and then off to soak in the Hot Springs hot tub!
It was a day for signs. Warning signs. 'Watch for wildlife'  'Watch for
falling rocks' 'Don't leave food or toiletries in your tent overnight'.
Some of the group went for a hike on a cedar boardwalk located about five
Kms out of the Hot Springs. Some distance into the trail were more signs.
The most memorable by far was 'Watch for Grizzlies'. The hikers then agreed
to curtail the hike in favour of a trip to view the famous historical site
of the "Last Spike". Unfortunately they couldn't get close enough to take a
picture due to all those damn tourists.
Karin spoke to a fellow traveller who had come down from the Pass today
and complained of the poor visibility from the snowfall. This prompted
Karin to attempt to decide whether to ride with the lightest load possible
because of the long, long climb, or opt to take along extra warm clothes
should the weather prove less than ideal. On a high note, the sun burst
through when they reached the Springs, so maybe the ride up the Pass won't
be too grueling. It should prove to be an interesting phone call tomorrow
night! Guy Drivel reporting for the Golden Nugget.

Day 10. The group are a bunch of tired bunnies today. The distance was set at 118
Ks and Rogers Pass was reached in the first 30. After a cafe latte or two,
off they went for another 88 K. of large, rolling hills. Riding through the
snow sheds was a unique experience. Feathering the brakes and listening for
the approach of very big transport trucks allowed for no lapse of
concentration. And motorists passed each other with the carefree abandon of
European racecar drivers, preferring to pick the least likely sections of
road to do so. More signs today, with the 'no stopping - avalanche area'
getting everyone's attention. In some areas the road was narrow enough to
require riding on the shoulder for extended periods of time. Here the
shoulder was in bad shape, with large cracks and upheavals or "moguls", as
Karin called them. With the downhill speed they gained, traversing these
spots called for a light touch on the handlebars. During one particular
down slope, they dropped over 300 meters in just 10 minutes.
The group rode through overcast skies for most of the day, and finally
neared their destination. To get to their campsite, they rode into Golden
and then went straight up. There were groans from everyone at this last
insult to their aching muscles. More signs. Good signs! 'Spa', 'Hot tub',
'Motel'. Today's update was called in from the Golden Rim Motel, which
someone had thoughtfully located right across from the campground. Tomorrow
they are off to Field, BC. There are no phones there and the cell phone is
iffy in the mountains, so it may be a couple of days before I hear from
them again. Except for the parts that embrace their saddles, most of the
riders are in good shape, and are glad to have this portion of the trip
behind them. Until next time.

Day 11. Another tiresome ride today with lots of rolling hills. More wear and tear
on the brake pads on the down hills. Not too much detail on the ride today
because Karin was so overwhelmed by the view from Field. She called from a
restaurant that had a large deck and unobstructed view. Try to imagine
being surrounded by towering mountains that, in the clear air and bright
sunshine, seem to go on forever, and you will get a mere inkling of what
being there is like. Words simply do not suffice.
The first riders in were sitting on the deck with a hard earned beverage
of choice, basking in the sunlight after the past few soggy, overcast days.
The psychological barrier of Rogers Pass had been surmounted and the
physical effort of reaching this place was momentarily forgotten as its
sheer grandeur overwhelmed them. The camp was a trifling 2 KMS away and
little effort indeed was required to coax riders to sit down and relax with
a cold one. It's off toward Kicking Horse Pass and the glacier fields and
on to Banff, Alberta. Hopefully the weather will hold and remain sunny. Don
Peddie, the author of the 1996 Tour du Canada trip journal 'Spin, Spin,
Spin' is meeting the group in Cochrane shortly. Karin had been
corresponding with him, picking his brain for insights into the trip. Many
tips have proved useful, such as earplugs for sleeping. Actually meeting
each other will be a high point for Karin, I'm sure. That's it for now.

Day 12. July 10. Left for Beiseker under fair skies and with a strong tailwind to
push the group along the rolling hills to Cochrane. Met Don Peddie and his
wife Lynn here and spent the next 30 Ks traveling over much larger rolling
hills. It was nice to have another strong rider up front, pulling up the
hills. Total distance today was 190K, with a mad sprint into camp the last
5K of it to beat a storm front that was rapidly approaching. Stood in the
SAG truck until it passed. Some riders were caught in it and reported
torrential rains with occasional hail, and were forced to seek shelter
where ever they could find it. Later that evening, the town put on a BBQ
for the group, as they had for the previous group and the 74 day tour.
Gotta love them small towns. The entire town council was present at the BBQ
and some of the tour members attended the council meeting that evening and
made a presentation to council, on behalf of the tour groups, in
appreciation of their efforts.

Day 13. July 11. The 76 Ks to Drumheller again included tailwinds and sunshine.
There were easy rolling hills and it was a pleasant ride. The mood in the
camp was bouyant compared to a few short days ago. No doubt the sunshine,
the warmth and the significant lack of mountains added to the atmosphere.
The only complaint seems to be the clouds of tiny flies inhabiting the
campsite. They don't seem to bite, they are just annoying. I asked Karin
how the London riders are fairing after the Rockies and she said that  Dave
and John and herself were feeling a few aches and pains, but nothing
serious, and on the whole they felt pretty good. John has decided against a
triple ring set, and Dave is the undisputed champion for flats. He has had
12 so far. Bought new tires and hasn't had any flats since. Tomorrow is a
rest day, and is supposed to stay warm. A good chance to recharge energy
levels.

Day14. Today's ride was perhaps the most challenging so far. It was 145 Km from
Drumheller to Youngstown, with the first half consisting of little valleys
and long climbs out of them. Temp in the morning was 34 degrees C, and
seemed to suck the energy from the riders. The afternoon ride was flatter
but the temp rose to 37 degrees C and a quartering headwind came up. Adding
to the mix was the fact that the road had recently been repaved and all
that fresh, black asphalt made a perfect heat sink. Surface temperature most
likely was somewhat higher than 37 degrees. There was a dearth of places to
stop and rest, or replenish water bottles. Karin was most grateful that she
had her razerback with her today. (Thanks to Ron McCrady for strongly
suggesting she invest in one) It was like the fella said 'I once watched my
dog run away for three days.' The easterner's eye for judging distance is a
cruel trick out west. Karin said that they could see Youngstown quite
clearly and were nearly tempted to up the pace to reach it. They kept
riding, and riding, and riding before finally making the outskirts. John
Fontaine thought that he had developed tire problems before he realized
what had happened. After turning a corner to get to the community center,
he looked down and saw that his tires were sinking into the asphalt! This
forced them onto the sidewalk until they were hailed by some others from
the group.  It seemed that the SAG truck had had some mechanical problems
and was delayed for a few hours, so they were forced to find shelter in an
air conditioned commercial establishment and drink some cold beer. Karin
said that her feet were so hot at the end of the ride she thought she had
baked them. Once again the townspeople showed their generosity and provided
a pot luck supper. Thunderstorms are forecasted for this evening, clearing
in the morning with even higher temps to come. An early start is planned
and hopefully a larger group will help to pull the riders to their next
destination.

Day 15. July14. Another scorcher today but not quite as bad as yesterday. Most of
the riders were out of camp by 6:30 this morning to try and beat the
hottest part of the day. The road started out flat, then became hilly, with
more of the small valleys they  had seen previously. Best of all, they
caught a quartering tailwind in the morning and a straight tailwind in the
afternoon. Fairly flew down the road and up the hills. Karin said she was
getting much better at spinning and was using her drop bars quite a bit in
this terrain. It was their first experience with locusts and the roadsides
were covered with them. They crossed into Saskatchewan and ended up in
Kindersly at a campground that was parched and cracked. From the noise in
the background, everyone was in good spirits.
I spoke with Dave Charles and learned that he is still the champ. He is
now up to 15 flats. He told me he bought a $95.00 Kevlar rear tire and
since then has only flatted 4 times. It seems that due to the extreme road
temperature, the patches on his tubes keep blowing. At least he still has a
sense of humor about it. On the phone, anyway.

Day 16. July 15.   It was a true century ride today, 160 kms over tarred gravel
road. The terrain varied between rolling hills and dead flat spots. Side
trip to Rosetown to visit a bakery they had heard about, but it was
closed....A month ago. There was however a celebration going on. The 90th
homecoming of Rosetown, resplendant in its banners and parade, in which
they were invited to particpate. They respectfully declined. Leaving
Rosetown, Karin said the crosswind was strong enough to require her to
actually lean into it. Five kms down the road, they turned and the
crosswind became a tailwind!!! The 160 kms were completed in 4 hrs. 23
mins. The average speed was 36.4 kmh, with spikes over 50kmh. Karin
lamented that she was in her biggest gears and still ran out, causing her
to occasionally overspin. Most of the riders seriously considered bypassing
Outlook and continuing on to Nokomis. By the time camp was reached, the
elation of riding that far that fast, that effortlessly started to kick in.
They had swept over the route like avenging angels, eating up the distance
like the cycling gods they are. Then reality showed up in the form of wind
gusts up to 50kmh while everyone was in the midst of erecting tents. Karin
managed to break one of the long tent poles during her setup. Luckily, a
quick fix was found courtesy of Brooke the driver and all was well. The
group pulled together and developed a 5 person tent team. Two to put in the
pegs and three to hold the damn thing down. Weather for tomorrow is
supposed to be similar and please God let the wind direction stay the same!
Tonight's dinner menu included chicken cacciatore followed by a lovely
lentil soup lightly seasoned with summer herbs. Seems we've put the Rockies
behind us in more ways than one. Good!

Day 17. July 16. Today was the technical section of the Tour. The first 25 Kms out
of Outlook were OK, but the rest of the road was in terrible shape. There
were craters, moguls, loose gravel, pitted asphalt, and weeds growing out
of te road to contend with. Keeping the bikes upright was a challenge. The
good thing was that they only saw about a dozen cars or so all day. They
passed by many of Saskatchewan's "potholes", water filled depressions that
are critical rest stops for many migratory birds. Several abandoned homes
and farmsteads lent a melancholy atmosphere to the ride. That plus no towns
of any description after Kenasten, 38 Kms from Outlook. Everyone came into
town pretty tired and it should be an early visit by the Sandman for most.
The group is staying at the local hockey arena, and a quick survey of the
town revealed a number of houses, 1 hotel, 2 restaurants, a pharmacy/liquor
store, 2 huge grain elevators, and lots and lots of trains. Another true
century ride to Fort Qu'appelle tomorrow, followed by a rest day there.

Day 18. July 17. Our intrepid travellers reached Fort Qu'Appelle, covering the 160
Kms in seven and a half hours, a wee bit of a change from the ride from
Outlook. For most of the day they fought a headwind of 25-30 Kmh, which
eventually became a crosswind. Their average speed was 20-22 Kmh, this with
a five person pace line. The last 40 Kms or so, three riders broke away
from the peloton ( I've been watching the Tour de France ), and sustained
at least 24 Kmh all the way to camp. During the day they passed through
Earl Grey, Sask., followed by of course Lipton, Sask. No, really. Just
before Lipton was a huge hill that was much tougher to climb thanks to the
headwind. And there were the "same crappy roads as yesterday" said Karin.
Some of the group was just setting up their tents in the very gusty wind
conditions when Karin called and from her description of things, it vaguely
resembles a rodeo event, with four or five souls trying to wrestle each
tent into submission. Tomorrow, a 'rest' day is also a "major laundry day"
due to the complete lack of facilities over the last three days. Perhaps a
bit of wind isn't all that bad, given the circumstances. As an aside, Karin
said the temperature in Nokomis last night went down to 1 degree. Prairie
life, bake by the sun, freeze by the moon.

Day 19. July 18. I wonder if the sign in a Laundromat window after hours says' Clothesed'? Good thing it was open today as EVERYBODY needed to use it. Its popularity was followed closely by the female Registered Massage Therapist to whom many availed themselves, including my lovely bride. Knowing Karin, she probably did her best to try and recruit the massage therapist to join the tour as 'team masseuse'. Bud Jorgenson arrived in the wee hours from Vancouver, dropping off a rider from the Pacific Tour. Bud left just after breakfast, headed for Toronto, but not before Karin chatted with him for a short time. Karin was able to have a missing cap on a tooth replaced by "the most polite dentist I've ever met". The dental visit was expedited by Dave Charles via his office staff in London. Many thanks, Dave. How did Karin lose the cap? It seems that one morning, her Thermarest was being recalcitrant in the extreme and would not, despite repeated threats, return to that nice, compact bundle shown on the packaging. So Karin decided to kneel on it, get it in a death grip, and pull the retaining straps as tight as possible, with her teeth. It worked fairly well, but she broke her smiler in the process. Karin mentioned in passing the coulees surrounding the area. She said they were neat and had little oases of greenery and trees. For a more complete description, please visit Karl's website. Oh yes, and pelicans too. Although this is a 'rest' day, there was little chance of being otiose. (That one's for Alan) After laundry, a massage, the dentist, and bike maintenance, it was time for a quick call to me, then get ready to go out to a local bistro that the proprietor agreed to open tonight for them. Now that they can stand to be down wind from each other, the social aspects of the trip are enhanced considerably. Tomorrow they ride to Spy Hill, Sask., and then into Manitoba to Minnedosa. Until next time....

Day 20. July 19. Karin's group narrowly missed the rain today, but everyone felt the cold, damp weather. She said that it has been like early spring weather for the last while. Her leg warmers, arm warmers, vest, and spiffy Gortex socks have all been welcome additions to her cycling ensemble. While in Abernathy at the coffee shop, John Fontaine was kind enough to grant an interview with the local reporter regarding some factoids about the tour. As the first group of riders had passed this way yesterday, this seasoned newshound pounced on her captive quarry before they too could make good their escape. Karin and John left wondering why a town that small (pop. 300) would even bother to have a paper. All you had to do was get the town gossip on the party line and you'd be set. They stopped for lunch in beautiful downtown Grayson. At a hotel that was half boarded up. Seems a local patron took quite a shine to them and invited them over to his place in an attempt to sell them some antiques he had been saving for discerning collectors such as themselves. He gave directions to his place a few doors away, which they had to pass to get out of town, and told them he would wait outside so they wouldn't miss him. HARDLY! He was dressed like a hillbilly, had stringy long hair, and a green cross tattooed on his forehead. I swear to God that is what Karin said. They went over to his house briefly, as they couldn't think of any other way of getting out of it, and were offered the chance to see the really good stuff down in the basement. They respectfully declined, and got under way as soon as was socially acceptable, under the circumstances. Apparently, it hadn't dawned on the fellow that they were riding bicycles, and couldn't possibly carry an armoire or a '35 Ford pickup back to camp. A steady crosswind blew most of the day, and at the end of the 172 Kms they arrived at an unnamed golfcourse/campground. I could tell you, but... There was a side trip to Esterhazy to see the potash mine. Uh Huh. And a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Karl Augenstein.

Day21. July 20. Three down, seven to go. Made it to Minnedosa, Manitoba. What was supposed to be 159 Km trip turned out to be 166 Km. Certain persons were gabbing when they should have been watching, and if not for the efforts of another rider, they would have been well on the way to Hudson Bay. It was a sunny, warm day with no wind for a change. All in all a pleasant day for biking. Through the day, two huge valleys were crossed with long climbs required for both. Karin said most emphatically that if anyone thinks the prairies are flat then a) They have never been there, or b) They saw them from 30,000 feet, on their way to somewhere else. Karin didn't complain about the quality of the roads and actually was quite happy with the part of the Trans Canada Highway they rode because the shoulder (runoff lane) was wider than the lanes themselves. Karin opined that all roads should be built like this, and wouldn't it be great if they were? The group is staying in a resort area at a campground/golf course. They were about to have a group meeting to discuss some issues that inevitably arise on the tour, and they lose an hour of sleep due to the time change, so Karin cut the call a little shorter than usual. Only twelve more sleeps till Wawa!

Day 22.July 21. Sunny skies, no wind, and decent , if at times busy, roads today. It got a little exciting riding on the TCH, but only for 10 Km or so, then it was back to the secondary roads. The tour is staying at a park in Portage la Prairie tonight. The local paper did a short article on the tour today, after talking to members of the first tour group who stayed in the park last night. Normally this location is fairly quiet, but an unusually high traffic flow, most likely due to the newpaper article, has everyone feeling slightly like some kind of zoo exhibit. And if the car races at the track across the river don't run too late, they'll all get a good night's rest. The ride today was finally truly flat and made for an enjoyable day. No complaints except for John Fontaine's hound dog expression over not having been able to get a cafe latte for four entire days. In a row. Anywhere. Nada. Craig, the Kiwi, is smugly telling everyone that this is exactly like he was told; there is no summer in Canada. He has been on the constant lookout for sled dog teams and igloos. So far I'd have to agrrree with him. It has been excessively cold, wet, and windy. He should have been here in May. Two more days and out intrepid travellers are in Ontario, and headed for a rest day in Kenora. I am looking forward to their impressions of the Canadian Shield and Northern Ontario's legendary mosquitoes.

Day 23. July 22. 162 kms. further down the road by days end. Went through Winnipeg proper looking for a cycle shop that sold tubes for road bikes. It took three tries to find a shop that had them. John Fontaine managed a number of cafe lattes to make up for the lack of them previously. Group of five riders today. Karl, Jules, Alan, Karin, and John F. They were feeling pretty darn good and partook of several sign sprints. Karin made me promise to mention that she beat Karl in a sign sprint. A 50 foot sign sprint, but a legitimate sprint none the less. Downright caught him napping, and there just wasn't enough time to catch her. And these guys aren't even watching the Tour de France! It was an ideal day weather wise, sunny, warm, with a light breeze. More adventures on the TCH with the nonexistent shoulder, then back to the secondary road again. Road surfaces are still less than ideal, with some sections making it feel like riding a Jackhammer. Made it safely to Beausajour after being mildly harassed by the local mosquito population every time they stopped. They seem to prefer all of the white parts, and using the washrooms/showers is an adventure unto itself. A portent of things to come. Everyone is in good spirits and is looking forward to their rest day in Kenora.

Day 24.  July 23. 168 kms to Kenora, the first 100 kms of which were through a corridor of trees. A perfect ambush for a type of large fly that was unknown to the group until today. Several opinions as to the species' genus were offered but no consensus was reached. The road was bumpy and hot and lived up to its reputation for hill after hill after hill. Tomorrow's rest day is welcome indeed. It sounds like Karin is starting to run on reserve energy and will appreciate the chance to recharge herself. Karin was on breakfast cook detail this morning and didn't get out of camp till last. This meant that she and John Fontaine, not an early riser if at all possible, road the entire 168 kms by themselves and couldn't take advantage of a pace line. She said she got a little wimpy in the afternoon, but felt better once they got into camp. Two separate thunderstorms dumped rain on them since they arrived in camp, and more threaten before the night is over. Karin said that trying to pack up a wet tent in the middle of a mosquito festival is an experience she could well do without. Craig the Kiwi said, of course, that there are no mosquitoes in New Zealand. None of the other riders having been there, they took him at his word.

Day 25. July 24 Rest Day. Laundry day. Cycle maintenance day. Not much new to report.

Day 26. July 25. Caliper Lake Provincial Park. NO CELL PHONE SERVICE. TWO HOUR WAIT
FOR PAYPHONE.

Day 27. July 26. Taylor's Cove. Karin in a phone booth with several hundred
mosquitoes. Brief conversation. Thin on detail. Here goes. Caliper Lake
Park was a very forgettable spot with rocky slopes that defy tent pegs and a
full quota of mosquitoes. Dressing habits have by necessity been altered to
suit the conditions. One exits one's tent fully garbed and proceeds to
daily chores with alacrity. When the tent is packed up and the ride is
about to commence, outer clothing is quickly stripped off and stowed away,
leaving only the necessary riding garb and a quick exit. The last few days
have been warm and sunny with rain occasionally at night. The tempo of the
ride had relaxed somewhat and includes having lots of fun. Internal
batteries have been once again recharged and the more rounded and slightly
less daunting hills are helping to lighten the mood. Taylor's Cove is on
Rainy Lake and at the present time has been descended upon by bass
fishermen in two person teams, each with their own shiny new boat and
advanced technology (big kids toys with big price tags). The tour will be
long gone before the peace and quiet of the lake is shattered by 200
horsepower motors all firing up at once. Tomorrow they ride to Quetico
Provincial Park and then Thunder Bay. Hopefully Karin can find a
mosquito-free phone then and give me more detail on how the trip is going.
Until then.

Day 28. July 27. NO PHONE SERVICE. 8 km round trip to the payphone over loose
gravel with a mosquito gauntlet to run. Ergo, no phone call.

Day 29. July 28. Lakehead University, Thunder Bay. Yesterday's ride from Quetico
Provincial Park was 157 kms of boring, hot, roller coaster hills. There were
moderate headwinds and absolutely no place to stop for water or a meal for
the first 100 kms on both days. The scenery varied little with a continuous
vista of rock, rock cuts, and trees with only the occasional glimpse of an
unnamed lake to break the monotony. These last 2 days have been harder
mentally than they were physically due to the knowledge that nothing was
available to them in the way of rest stops or nourishment for at least the
first 100 kms. The kilometers in this stretch are hard earned and painfully
slow. Each hill must be put behind you at great physical effort, and
typically, there is just enough of a gap between hills that any momentum
gained from the down hills is lost before reaching the next uphill climb. A
demoralizing effect for certain. Yesterday found Karin's group arriving at
the 2 largest hills of the day to find that they had been recently
graveled, and the water truck had just finished soaking them down for dust
suppression. So they were forced to ride through loose, soggy muck up the
steepest grades of the day. They were far too muddy to go into any of the
restaurants they finally did get to, and spent a long time cleaning their
bikes for the next day's ride.
Today's ride to Thunder Bay, 168 kms, started out similarly to yesterday,
with the first 100 kms barren of stopping places. The turn to Kakabeka
Falls saw a small improvement with lots of long descents. After lunch,
however, they rode on a very busy roadway with a 1 foot shoulder. Funnily
enough, the big rigs give as much room as possible while passing and the
people in pickups don't budge. The last stretch into Thunder Bay was on an
even busier road with no shoulder at all. Karin described this section as
"nerve-wracking." They reached the 'height of land' today, where the
watershed for the Canadian Shield is defined. According to Al's pocket
gizmo and altimeter, they have climbed over 600 meters in the last 2 days
to reach the 1600+ meters above sea level mark. Karin guesstimated the ride
today as "100 kms of seriously large hills and 40 kms of seriously steep
hills." I assured her that the closer they get to civilization and the Big
Smoke, the flatter the landscape will be. Speaking of flat, Karin got her
first yesterday. She was thrilled, I'll bet, not wanting to be left out.
Tomorrow is a rest day and everyone will take full advantage of it I am
sure. The rides to Wawa are scheduled to be shorter and Karin surmised that
it is probably because the hills are so damned steep. She'll find out soon
enough.

Day 30. July 29. Rest day in Thunder Bay. Karin sounded relaxed and happy tonight
after a pleasant M.E. day (minimum effort). She, Dave Charles, and John
Fontaine walked into the town proper, chiefly because Dave needed to attend
to some bike service work at a local shop. Next they strolled over to a
restaurant and had a leisurely lunch, followed by more walking as they went
sightseeing on their circuitous route back to campus. And you won't believe
this but my darling little "type A" actually had a nap. I'm so proud of
her. After twenty seven years of marriage, she is learning to relax.
Everyone in the group seemed mellow and a little lazy today as if readying
their bodies and minds for the topography ahead. There are some high
mileage days scheduled before the next rest day in Wawa. Karin told me that
she likes the slimmer version of herself and is already starting to think
of what to do next year so she might keep that way. I guess one nap doesn't
entitle you to be labeled as 'laid back'. Only three more sleeps until we
meet the tour in Wawa. Cell phone coverage is sketchy at best in the area
they will be traveling through for the next while, so this may be the last
update until I get back. Until next time.

Day 31. July 30. Stillwater Trailer Park, Nipigon. Today was a great day for
cycling. No wet tent to pack up, a warm, sunny day. Reasonable pavement to
ride on and only 113 kms to camp. There was once again lots of traffic,
with a one foot shoulder to ride on, unlike the reports of the route for
the next few days. Karin described the ride as "an easy ride on a pleasant
day." They spent some time at the Terry Fox memorial, and Brooke, their
driver set up a lunch for everyone a short way from there. This is part of
the Tour du Canada tradition.
Once in camp, Karin did some necessary maintenance on the headset of her
bike. Dust and grit were making it stiff to turn and a thorough cleaning
was done, completed with some lubrication. Jules' rear wheel, a Rolf
specialty wheel with fewer than average spokes, is starting to exhibit hub
problems. This will have to be dealt with at a cycle shop having the proper
equipment and experience to fix it.  Hopefully he can manage to cycle on it
until he can locate a shop. Everyone is feeling good and hoping the fair
weather continues to hold.

Day 32. July 31. Paid all the outstanding bills today. Renewed the CAA membership.
Started packing the RV. Harvested the front and back lawns. Almost ready to
join the Tour in Wawa. Will be incommunicado for a time, and I'll try to
take notes for the updates when we return. It was a short distance day,
with 113 more kms on the computer. The first half of the ride was hilly
with three or four serious climbs. A small detour to Rossport for a
delicious meal at the Serendipity restaurant recommended by web author and
gourmand Don Peddie. Much appreciation for that tip, Don. Then on to the
second half of shorter climbs but more hills. The weather remains
favorable for cycling. The camp in Terrace Bay is a nice one, although
located in a cellular black hole. A quick call on the payphone resembling a
mosquito speakeasy, and off to bed. The group cycles to Marathon tomorrow
and will camp in the parking lot of a working gold mine. I look forward to
the tales of that particular adventure. Karin could probably sell some used
earplugs for a considerable amount after an hour or so of listening to the
mining machinery. Well, I've stretched this yarn about as far as possible,
so I'll say so long 'til next time.

Days 33-50. John's report from visiting Karin and the rest of the group.

Made it safely to Wawa on Aug. 2nd. Got in around 6:30 pm. We found that
we had underestimated the driving time from Sault Ste. Marie by about two
hours. This was due to the humungous hills and the 26 foot, 24 year old RV
we drove over them with. It did however provide Ron McCrady and Corinne
Roos an excellent preview of the geography they were about to ride through.
Ron's expletives had a recurring religious theme every time we went down a
particularly long and severe grade. My perception was that we must have
been several hundred feet below Lake Superior as we definitely went down
far more hills than up them. I commiserated with both riders, secure in the
knowledge that I did not have to push body and bike up a single hill. We
had a campsite close by the Rider truck of the Tour, and after setting up
we were introduced to the members of the group. With the notable exceptions
of Pancake Bay Provincial Park and Canoe Lake Park, we were fortunate to be
located close to the Tour group, either by request or friendly coercion of
the front gate staff. This made it more practical for Karin and John
Fontaine to retrieve gear from the truck prior to each day's ride. Everyone
looked terribly healthy, fit and in good spirits and were happy to meet us.
Karin was quite happy and amused about having the same waist size as when
she was 16. She has absolutely no extraneous body fat.
 
The rest day in Wawa was pleasant and unhurried. Ron and Corinne went for
a short ride to warm up and stretch their muscles in anticipation of the
upcoming ride. Afterward we took the RV into town for groceries, gas and a
meal. We met up with John Fontaine and his wife Lynne, their daughter and
son, and had a very nice supper at a local restaurant. The group for the
first ride of the vacation, consisted of Karin, John, Ron, and Corinne and
had a pretty good ride down to Pancake Bay. Ron had a brief yet thrilling
encounter with a Rottweiller at the very end of his first day's ride. He
was hot, tired, sore and almost within sight of the park entrance when the
dog came out of a ditch looking to turn his tires into chew toys.
Unfortunately for the dog, Ron was in the exact frame of mind to ride right
over it and possibly bite its ear off should the possibility present
itself. Luckily for the Rotty, it left the scene after some verbal
encouragement from Ron. We were invited to join the Tour group for supper
that evening and were able to find out just how far away we were from them.
We actually had to ride the length of the park, and then go outside it for
two laneways before re-entering the park and finding the group. A small
gift of wine was presented at supper in appreciation for the meal. This
Tour group has some stellar cooks in it considering the limited menu
choices available. We made it back to our campsite before dark and avoided
riding on the TCH under that condition. I was once again amazed at just how
fast Karin could fall into a deep, sound sleep. Somewhere between good and
night. Corinne was starting to get a cold that would eventually develop
into a cold with a cough. She would do her best to suppress the cough, but
succeeded only in sounding like an act at Sea World requesting another
herring. Night time and early mornings are the worst for everyone with a
cough. With all due credit, she managed to hang tough and not allow her
cold to sideline her from even a small portion of the ride. We knew she was
getting better when she started firing shots at Ron and I first thing in
the morning and blessed us with her 'professional smile' in response to our
kidding her.

The ride to Thessalon was a little windy, but under sunny skies. In my
travels, I managed to pick up two mascots for Ron and Corinne. Ron chose
Sylvester and Corinne chose Bugs Bunny. Ron mounted Sylvester onto his aero
bars in such a way that it looked like the cat had expired due to some
devastating shock. Ron thought that he probably wore the same expression
yesterday after going down and up the hills at the Montreal River, where
the highway was undergoing the process of milling and resurfacing. The ride
down was disappointing to all the riders as they were forced to apply the
brakes all the way down for fear of wiping out on the milled road surface.
This was followed by one of the longest and steepest hills during the time
we were with the Tour.  Clouds were forming and reforming in the late
evening at such a rate that surely foretold of a change in the weather. The
ride to Chutes Provincial Park would be under battleship gray skies with a
mix of drizzle and downpour. It was a Gore-Tex kind of day. The weather let
up in time for our arrival in Massey and our campsite was a good one
located close to the truck. The town laundry was a disappointment as it
only had one functioning washer and dryer. After supper we went for a walk
to see the Chutes Falls from the observation lookout. The kiosk located
there was quite interesting and contained several pictures of the logging
industry during the early part of the 19th century. I was able to see in my
mind's eye the tremendous force of the river cascading down over the
tortured rock face in full flood of a spring runoff. The telltale high
water marks on the rocks upstream showed just how much of the water fall
would come into play under such conditions. Looking at the carved and folded
rock formations gave the impression of great pressure being brought to bear
in creating this landform. Even at its most placid, as when we viewed it,
it was still a treacherous piece of water, with undercuts and picnic table
sized rocks waiting just below the surface to destroy anything so
unfortunate as to experience its embrace.

The next day's ride from Massey to Manitowaning would include a segment
from Espanola to Little Current that would take the riders over the Great
La Cloche mountains and provide many short to medium length climbs up steep
ascents. The road is narrow with almost no shoulder and has particularly
poor sightlines for approaching or overtaking traffic. Luckily the group
made it through this portion of the ride between outgoing ferry departures
to Tobermory and most of the traffic encountered was going in the opposite
direction. I spent the drive to Manitowaning with one eye on the road and
one eye on the hay fields, hoping to spot more of the Sand Hill cranes I
spied on the trip up. No such luck.

The short ride from Manitowaning to South Bay Mouth, followed by a four
hour wait for the Chi Cheemaun to return had many riders a little bit
miffed at the poor schedule planning, and Bud's name was taken in vain once
again. It was a sunny day and South Bay Mouth is a pretty little port town
with a fascinating historical museum and preserved school house, as well as
a newly constructed shoreline boardwalk, resplendent with gazebo and
benches suited to catching up on lapsed book reading. The ferry crossing
was uneventful and several riders took the opportunity to catch forty
winks. One lucky sole (Brooke, the driver) even got to go up to the bridge
and meet the captain. Personally, I would rather meet the Chief Engineer
and get a close-up view of the engines that power the Cheech across the Main
and Fitzwilliam Channels. With the introduction of auto pilots, and GPS
driven course plotters, nobody actually steers the boat until they are
almost into port. Light rain followed us off the boat and down the road a
scant 6 kms to Harmony Acres. The bright spot of the day was joining up
with Dawn, who brings a unique and infectious cheerfulness and wonderment
to everything she does. It was Dawn that first pointed out the humming
birds frequenting the many feeders and how they studiously ignored we
humans standing a mere few paces away. That night we were the benefactors of
the trailing edge of a storm system that brought tornadoes once again to
Chatham and east London. The torrential rain and booming thunder made me
very glad not to be spending the night protected by a millimeter or two of
nylon.

The ride to Craigleith Provincial Park passed through Wiarton, one of my
favorite Bruce Peninsula towns. While waiting for the others to arrive,
Dawn and I had tea and toast at the Top Notch Restaurant at the top of the
southern hill. The restaurant used to be owned by Freddy Richardson, a very
colourful local character and an original member of the Irish Rovers. I
have had the opportunity to hear him sing on several occasions and believe
it to be a pity that he did not continue to perform with them. From here we
followed directions to Howell's Fish Market, and were able to select two
fillets of splake; a hybrid of speckled and lake trouts introduced some
years ago that failed to reproduce naturally in sufficient enough numbers
to sustain a fishery and the stocking program was thus abandoned. My
entreaties for Dawn to try some of this fish were for nought, as she avowed
that she was a salmon-only eater of fish. I pointed out to her that trout
are indeed true salmonoids from the same genus but failed to sway her. The
splake, provided by John Fontaine in answer to the great steaks Dawn
presented for supper the previous night, was prepared on our trusty
portable BBQ and turned out remarkably well. There wasn't a hint of a
leftover and I gathered that it was a welcome and overdue change from pasta
and ground beef variations, no matter how creatively prepared. It also
helps that splake is a mild flavored fish and a very good choice for
people who don't like a lot of fish in their diet. I bumped into a retired
Fire Captain I knew in the parking lot of the grocery store in Wiarton. We
chatted for some time and caught up on a few other retired Fire Department
members who live near him in Barrow Bay, Dires Bay and elsewhere. Dawn
followed the RV in her van and we proceeded to Owen Sound via Hepworth and
Shallow Lake. I have traveled to Owen Sound many times along this route,
but haven't for a few years and was surprised to find that the Canadian
Tire store had been replaced by a Staples store. Dawn and I were supposed
to meet up with our group of riders at the north entrance to town and my
conversation with my friend had delayed us somewhat. We went to the
designated spot and waited, with Dawn scouting ahead to find any sign of
their approach. With the aid of her cell phone, Dawn was able to confirm
that we had indeed missed our group and would meet them at a popular chain
restaurant at the top of the hill. Owen Sound is a city surrounded by
hills, so this guidance was not particularly helpful. We went back to the
city center and headed for #6 highway up Tenth Street. East of Seventh
Ave., the hill goes up at about a sixty degree angle, and is even worse to
ascend if, like me, you catch the light red at the bottom of it. I labored
up the hill in first gear and seemed to be having a much tougher time than
the elderly female hiker who passed me. Finally reaching the top, I once
again rejoined Dawn and after a brief foray up highway 6, failed to find
the appointed spot. Dawn called and asked for more specific directions and
from what I was able to gather held a Burns and Allen comedy routine. I
gave up on lunching with the cycle crowd and headed off in pursuit of a gas
fill up and the Canadian Tire store. As I was finishing the tank fill up, who
should cycle past but John, Karin, Corinne and Ron. Ron gave me shouted
instructions as to where they were going and said to follow them. I was
able to keep him in sight and arrived a short distance down the road at a
different popular chain restaurant than the originally specified one. As a
bonus, the Canadian Tire store was in view on the same side of the road
about a block down. The meal was so so and the service so slow. The
conversation centered around how exhilarating and fun it had been to race
up the Tenth Street hill. And Corinne was still suffering from the effects
of her cold! I said that if they enjoyed that hill so much, they were going
to be delirious at least a couple of times before reaching that gloriously
long downhill into and through Meaford. I talked to John and Karl after
they got to Craigleith and both admitted to exceeding the speed limit more
than once in and around Meaford. Hills like that are the playtime after all
the work done to get there.

Between Bud's page and a half of instructions sans map, and the lack of
any signage in several spots, the route to Glen Rouge was an orienteering
adventure extraordinaire, with numerous side trips and backtracking for me.
Reading the instructions by bike at 25-30 kmh is one thing. Doing that at
80-90 kmh in a pitching RV is suicidal, and I took every opportunity to
study them at stop signs and red lights. I eventually did find the Glen
Rouge Park and as I entered the main gate, a fawn still arrayed in spots
gamboled out from the bush onto the freshly cut grass and wobbled, skipped,
hopped and ran for about 100 feet before returning to the safety of the
trees. Brooke had already arrived and was in the process of setting up the
truck. Some of her family were there and I got to meet them. Brooke needed
to write an exam that night and would return after that. As it turned out,
only about a half dozen people camped that night. Many others were met by
family or friends and spent the night and following rest day with them. Our
group of riders arrived tired yet content, and Corinne seemed to be
somewhat on the mend. The rest day was scheduled as bike repair day and
Mountain Equipment Co-op day. Several bikes were delivered to shops the
night before to ensure sufficient time for repairs to be carried out. Late
in the afternoon, our son Chris, daughter-in-law Sarah and grand child
Talia, along with our daughter Kim and our puppy Sasha arrived at the park.
There were hugs all around and a tour of the truck plus introductions to
those Tour members present. I couldn't tell if Kim was more surprised by
how much thinner her mother was, or how little space she managed to live
out of compared to at home. After visiting for a while, we went to a nearby
restaurant and had a very good meal. Goodbyes, well wishes, and hugs were
exchanged and Karin and I were dropped off at the park.

Next morning I took my time packing up and left the park later than usual.
I was very surprised to see Karin, Ron, Corinne, John, and Karl a short
time later after turning onto Taunton road. Karl was having chain and gear
problems that would prove to require immediate attention and replacement.
It also meant a very long day for he and John, who stayed with him to help
pull on the very hilly ride to Campbellford. For more complete details,
visit Karl's website at:  http://home.att.net/~k.augenstein/home.htm
There was the obligatory stop at Betty's bakery at the east end of
Elizabethville. While waiting there for Dawn, Alan and Jules rode in and
availed themselves of a selection of pastry tarts. After sampling the
butter tart, Jules proclaimed it the best one he had eaten on the trip, and
quite possibly ever. He immediately bemoaned the fact that he had chosen
two different tarts instead of three butter tarts and wondered aloud if he
might be able to exchange them for butter tarts. He didn't.  The road from
Tweed to Marlbank is a rally driver's dream and I sure wished I was driving
an MG or Austin Healy instead of the RV. It has the wind profile of a
highway billboard and is rather like driving your garage. And one important
tip. When they put out those orange warning signs with the black arrows on
them indicating a sharp turn, they really mean it. I managed to launch my
recently purchased coffee right off the engine cowling during one of these
man oeuvres. Fortunately, the lid was securely in place and only a small
amount leaked onto Ron's dark blue tee-shirt, strategically placed as a
landing spot for my wayward coffee cup.
Ferris Provincial Park is located high above the town of Campbellford, on
the east side of the Trent canal and features minimalist facilities for the
avid RV camper. (Translate this to mean no hydro--microwave/air
conditioner, no water connection---a water tap was available a couple of
campsites over, and one and one only shower that kept timing out and
shutting off every 45 seconds.) But it had a million dollar vista for the
sunset that night. It was one of those pinky-orange numbers with a feather
boa of fluffy clouds guilefully concealing its departure. Karin. Corinne,
and Ron got into camp a good deal later than usual and I think all those
hills finally did in Corinne's cold. John and Karl arrived much later and
for the first time John appeared spent. He ate supper, showered and went
straight to bed, exhaustion the driving force at that point. Karl had to
shower in record time and grab the last shuttle to a supper function
arranged by one of the Tour members, as no supper had been prepared due to
the limited facilities.

Canoe Lake Park is situated on a very pretty lake at the end of a mile and
a half of hard packed, washboard gravel road. There are two entrances to
the lake, the first is the original entrance and has degenerated somewhat
from its former majesty. The second, newer entrance is marginally better
than its predecessor in quality, but considerably wider. Our little group
of riders was foiled into taking the first road and one of Ron's tires paid
the price. A classic rock pinch flat. Ron was not terribly amused when he
reached camp but his outlook did improve markedly after a swim and a
generous portion of back medication. Appleby Rum for him, Captain Morgan
Spiced Rum pour moi. The distance between the two campsites and a late
evening group meeting for the Tour members cancelled the popcorn night we
had planned, now that we were able to use the microwave again. Oh well.

I followed the big ol' Rider truck out in the morning along the road to
Westport. It hugs the shoreline tightly and meanders here and there until
reaching the town. Here we turned left and went by the mill. Then we went
up. Boy did we go up. At one point, Brooke had to stop the truck and shift
into first gear to be able to climb the final portion of the hill. Of
course the driver behind her was most understanding and considerate towards
this momentary delay in her busy day. The driver behind me rode my bumper
for about seven kilometers without passing, even though there were a number
of safe places to do so. I accidentally and without malicious aforethought
dropped a wheel into the gravel and sprayed dust and stone bits on his
shiny car and guess what, he passed me right after that?! On County road 10
down the road from Perth is one of the more interesting sights of the trip.
It is a mailbox constructed from the frame of a ten speed road bike. It was
really neat, and wouldn't you know it, none, not one of our riding group
got a picture of it. Karl of course did, as well as many other riders, but
none of our group did. Amazing. If you wish to see a picture of it, I'd
love to show it to you, but those with the cameras didn't take even one
measly shot of it. Please go to Karl's website to view it. The town of
Perth seemed to be a big hit with the riders and they took the opportunity
to walk about it and take in the scenery and local flavor. Oh yes, and
something about taste testing cappuccinos in a couple of spots. The ride
into Carlton University was a fast paced affair as all our riders felt the
approach of the end of this cycling vacation for Corinne and Ron. The
sharing of the adventure was fast winding down. We had a campsite for the
RV at the Rideau Heights Campground, about 5 kms from the University. Just
down the street from there was a very well maintained motel, and Karin and
I booked a room for that night. It was the first time in a long while that
Karin was able to soak in a hot tub and she made the most of it. We dropped
off her Merlin at Peccos bike shop near the market district. It needed
attention to the headset again and new handle bar wraps. We then went to
dinner with Dawn, Corinne, and Ron at a nearby restaurant and ate a
wonderful supper there. In the morning, Karin's sister Cindy picked us up
and took us to Peccos to retrieve Karin's bike. There was a delay, as the
wraps had not been replaced. Karin had also asked them to install a new
computer, which they had. After leaving the bike shop, we went to Cindy's
house and spent the remainder of the day there, where Karin and Cindy
caught up on events since last talking to each other. After supper, Cindy
dropped Karin at Carlton and me at the campground where I met up with Ron.
In the morning, Ron and I had a final breakfast with Dawn and Corinne
before parting ways for the trip back to London. Toronto at 3:00 in the
afternoon wasn't as bad as we thought it would be. It only took 45-50
minutes to get past the airport. Nothing further happened out of the
ordinary until we reached London and refueled. When I tried to start the
RV, nothing happened. Many attempts later yielded the same result. I was in
the process of phoning a mechanic I know who also has a tow truck when Ron
said let's go, it decided to start. He had tried one more time to start it
and it worked. All that clean livin' Ronnie! Back home at last and the dog
remembered me enough not to growl at me. There's no place like home.
There's no place like home, Toto.

Day 51. August 16. Departed Ottawa for Hudson, Quebec under sunny skies and with a
brisk tailwind. A relatively short ride today time wise as the group Karin
rode with averaged 35-38 kmh over the entire 177 kms with some peaks near
the 50+ kmh. Karin said that it was a bit of a shame that Corinne and Ron
couldn't have been along for this ride, as it was quite an enjoyable day.
Back to setting up the tent tonight and rolling out the Thermarest. I'm
sure Karin will slide back into the routine easily enough.

Day 52. August 17. Another exercise in map interpretation again as Bud provided a
two page description of the route. An entire page was devoted to navigating
through Montreal. The ride was supposed to be 111 kms but turned out to be
135 kms due to some detours, both intended and otherwise. Karin, Al, Jules
(the interpreter), Karl, and John rode together again today as they seem to
be strong riders and a good match socially. Their route took them by the
Lachine Rapids and Karin was quite surprised at the power of them because
the river is so wide there. Karin said there were very good bike paths in
Montreal and that they were well maintained. They travelled past the old
Expo site and several of the structures remain. The streets are narrow in
old Montreal and occupied with aggressive drivers. The buggies are drawn by
horses adorned with fresh flowers on their backs. Karin said that Montreal
rises in stages, but none of them are much of an obstacle to cyclists. Karl
attempted to get some cash but had his bank card eaten by the ATM machine
instead. It was a cold, overcast day requiring GoreTex coats, and arm and
leg warmers. A light tail wind followed them to the campsite in Mont Ste.
Hilaire.

Day 53. August 18. It was a scenic ride along the St. Lawrence on both sides, as
the group took a ferry across to ride on the southern shore for a while.
The area has traditional stone architecture tending to smaller houses and
duplexes with iron exterior staircases. Each village has a grey stone
church with a tall spire: an excellent indicator of the size of the town.
The more spires on the horizon, the larger the town. The day started cold
but warmed up by afternoon and a light tailwind was again in evidence. The
tailwind combined with a flat route made for a fun ride along the 135kms to
Pointe Du Lac. The campsite for tonight is rumoured to have been a convent,
but Karin said that it looked more like a neglected summer camp. The dorm
was stuffy and barracks-like and many people opted for sleeping outside.
Karin thought that the nuns must have been pretty tough ladies if they
actually had to live there.

Day 54.  August 21. Another gorgeous day for cycling. Sunny and warm. The only rain
occurred during the hour they spent for lunch in a beautiful cafe. Took the
ferry from Quebec city to the south shore and played peek-a-boo with the
St. Lawrence all day.  They rode through many smaller villages and passed
into an area of quite talented artisans. Often their work was displayed on
front lawns or in shop windows and proved to be innovative, creative and
beautiful. Karin felt that this was a place she would like to revisit and
spend much more time exploring. Several times now she has said that Quebec
is the most scenic and beautiful province they have ridden through. We'll
see how the Maritimes stack up. They went down to the river when they
reached Riviere Ouelle and looked out over it when the tide was out. Rock
and what appeared to be some type of slag were everywhere. Not terribly
appealing and no artist would paint this scene. They found out later that
the 'slag' piles were eelier nets and seaweed and were baited with whatever
the butcher shops couldn't use or sell. After supper a group of Tour
members went down to the river to watch as the sun set. The tide was now in
and transformed the view into a serene, romantic spot. There were benches
for watching the river and several metal free-standing fireplaces to ward
off the damp while sunset viewing. It was another relaxing, fun day to be
on a bike. Soon enough they will leave behind La Belle Province for New
Brunswick. I wonder what will be missed most, the beautiful scenery or the
amazing cuisine?

Day 55.  August 19. Gorgeous weather today as they travel along the St. Lawrence.
Karin changed seats and needed to make a minor adjustment so Jules
continued on as he was in a groove and didn't want to break his pace. A
short time later they crossed an iron bridge and decided to try to catch
Jules. A few kms down the road and John flatted from a pinched tube, most
likely from riding across the bridge. Al decided to go on his own  so Karin
and John decided to stop at a cafe. Here they met up with Neri and Bruce
the chef. They had an excellent lunch from a great menu including of course
a cappuccino for John. They spoke with a cyclist from Japan who had ridden
from Banff. While stopped in Ottawa, his bike was stolen even though it was
secured. He had to replace it with a less expensive model to complete his
trip. When they reached Quebec City, they came to a very steep hill with a
traffic light in the middle of it. Karin missed the opportunity to shift
into the granny gear and had to pedal standing up for the rest of the way
up the hill. A female cyclist going down the hill shouted encouragement to
her and urged her on to the top. The section of bike path they rode on was
sketchy at best and they were happy to reach Laval University. It was a
good day and the 145kms passed pleasantly enough. Karin was doing laundry
when she phoned and she said she might go exploring the city a bit tomorrow
during the rest day. I hope she remembers the camera.

Day 56. August 22. Short ride today, only 117 kms. on highway 132 most of the way.
The course followed the river for most of its length. Karin says that the
drivers here are some of the most discourteous and have absolutely no
respect for cyclists at all. There was an extremely steep hill just before
the campsite that was heavily patched and no fun to ride on. The good thing
was that the campground was located right at the beach. Karin said that her
tent was about 20 feet from the water's edge. The tide was out when they
arrived and gill nets and various flotsam and jetsam could be seen
everywhere. A number of sea kayakers were spotted a good distance from
shore. The cell service was raspy and broken up so a lengthy conversation
was out of the question. Tomorrow they head inland and need to put 193 kms
behind them before they can relax. Tailwinds.

Day 57. August 23. Most of the riders were out of camp early which served to
expedite Karin's departure after breakfast cook chores were completed. Two
of the worst hills of the entire trip were back to back about 10 kms out
from camp. Karin said that she was afraid she would sprain or tear
something if she pushed too hard and wound up walking part way up the first
hill only to discover the second equally severe hill just over the crest.
This was followed by 40 kms of rolling hills as they cycled along a
ridgeline. Next they went down by the St. Lawrence and could smell the
ocean air. It was a warm sunny day, yet a cool ocean breeze could be felt.
After passing the resort area of Rimouski, they headed south and the area
was reminiscent of the hills of Northern Ontario. This route lead them back
onto 132 highway sometime aroun 2:00 pm and the traffic was continuous and
aggressive. Sometimes there were shoulders and sometimes not and the two
factors combined to make it a mentally challenging and exhausting day. They
passed through a village called Anqui and found that mostly the road was
downhill from there. And a light tailwind to boot. With about 8 kms to go,
John Fontaine's tire flatted and stubbornly refused to come off to effect a
repair. He was hot, tired, and really looking forward to getting into camp
so of course that is when the black flies showed up. Perfect. After
eventually finishing checking the tire for foreign matter and replacing a
tube they completed the ride around 5:00 pm. Every one was into camp by
7:00 pm and from the chatter, they were deservedly proud of this day's
accomplishment. No insomnia tonight, and 170+ kms tomorrow...... and miles
to go before I sleep.

Day 58. August 24. It rained last night, this morning, and for the first two hours
of the ride. After packing up a wet tent, and still being tired from
yesterday's ride, most of the riders would much rather have ridden the
truck today. It was a real mental challenge, as the weather, hills and
tired muscles all conspired against the desire to remount the bike and get
another 178 kms down the road. They crossed the Restigouche River and
entered New Brunswick, following the coastline. John Fontaine got another
flat and decided to leave the tire behind as a souvenir and gesture of
appreciation to all the curteous sphincters driving trucks along this
section of highway, delighting in spraying as much water as possible on the
cyclists who dared to use their road. Karin said that there was one long
curved hill and one steep hill today. Hills that on another day they would
have powered up they now, after the last two days, spun up instead. The
last twenty kms were a fairly easy ride with a slight tailwind, and camp
was a welcome sight. New Brunswick was decidedly warmer than Quebec had
been the last few days but was offset by more rain. Robert is from this
area and arranged to have lobster available for the evening meal tonight.
Supper was a little delayed, mainly due to the fatigue the cook crew was
experiencing. Robert also had a cycle shop friend come out to the camp and
inspect and repair a few bikes. He offered to thoroughly clean Karin's bike
and return it by 7:00 am tomorrow morning for ten dollars. It was gungy
from today's ride and it was still raining so she jumped at his offer. It's
another 150 kms or so for tomorrow, a late supper, and the loss of an
hour's sleep due to a time change, so we didn't chat too long. Another rest
day in a couple of days and it sounds as if it will be especially
appreciated this time round.

Day59. August 25. A great weather day. Sunny, warm, with a light breeze. Missed a
turn early on and did 4 kms of rolling hills before realizing the error.
Then 4 kms of rolling hills back the other way. Turned onto highway 11 and
did the next 50 kms over long, rolling hills with a moderate grade. Crossed
the Mirimichi River over an iron bridge with expansion joints in need of
attention. One in particular had separated badly and Karl managed to warn
Karin in time for her take appropriate action to get over it. Once on the
other side, they had an excellent lunch with a view of the river. John and
Karl were feeling pretty zippy, and blessed with a tailwind, flew the
remainder of the distance into camp. Karin said she tucked in behind them
and just hung on. Tomorrow is a rest day and a chance to explore the town
of St. Louis de Kent, perhaps for a souvenir or two.

Day 60. August 27. Another beautiful day for riding. The route was along the
shoreline for quite a ways. Place of note: Treasure Island. A small island
with several summer homes on it and reached by a causeway. Most of the
boats in the area are moored a good distance from shore due to the
variances of the tidal changes and can only be reached by tender when the
tide is in. Highway 134 eventually became more of a country road. Jules and
young Jon got lost, traveling 10 kms down a paved road before hitting
gravel and realizing their mistake. No map today, just instructions. Bud's
instructions. Not for the navigationally challenged. The 7,357 km Tour du
Canada distance is at best a guesstimate, on the conservative side, as
virtually all of the riders have experienced. Shediac. Home of the giant
lobster. Tacky photo op #6 by Jules's count. Had to wait for a busload of
Japanese tourists to move off before pictures could be taken. Honest. Met
more of the riders in a local restaurant and had coffee, cappuccino (2) for
John Fontaine. Were joined at the monument to crustaceans' sacrifice to
tourism by Brooke and the Rider truck. She too joined the group at the
restaurant.
After Shediac the highway seemed busier until they made the turn to Murray
Beach. This is a pretty campsite at the end of a 14 km roughly paved road.
Karin got a major adrenalin rush as a Rotty came into her peripheral vision
and John F. yelled to pedal like hell. As it turned out, the Rotty was just
playing with some kids and was called back by them. Be still my wildly
beating heart! Most of the approach to Murray Beach is desolate, with tall
trees on one side and dense bush on the other. This means that little in
the way of a breeze manages to make even a brief appearance and the
temperature is higher, the air close. In five or six places, Karin spotted
bees in the tops of spruce trees preparing to swarm in search of a new hive
location. After arriving in camp a few of the riders went down to the sea.
I can think of a limerick here but perhaps another time. They waded in and
cooled down some tired leg muscles. Later, when setting up the tents, hosts
of flying ants came out of nowhere to harass their efforts. Dave Charles
noticed that he had located his tent on two ant hills and quickly relocated
it. And then the rain came. Karin said that each time they came into a camp
with a picnic shelter, they got rain of some sort. It did come in handy for
the cooking setup, and after supper, Brooke was lured into a tent to play
some cards. This gave the others an opportunity to decorate the shelter
with balloons, candles, and some donated wine from yours truly. When all
was in readiness, Brooke was called out front and center. She had noticed
the balloons earlier, but had thought them for Craig, the New Zealander.
They even made her pick up her own cake! She admitted to peeking, but the
cake had been sturdily wrapped in tin foil and then placed in a banana box.
Big Bruce the chef presented Brooke a bear one of the riders had made and
it was wearing a hat that all of the riders had signed. He then presented
her with an envelope containing a sum of money as a gratuity for her
excellent service to the group. Each rider was afforded an opportunity to
make a short speech and the common thread of each was the huge difference
Brooke had made in making this not just a trip, but THE trip for that year.
High praise was rightfully heaped upon this amazing, outgoing, cheerful
and industrious young woman.
Shuttle service to PEI tomorrow. Later start but not a long distance day.
Sunny skies. Tailwinds.

Day 61. August 28. Welcome to PEI. Took the shuttle bus across the big span after
the shuttle service was an hour late for the first pickup. The same company
that leases the bridge also owns the shuttle service. While Karin's group
was waiting for their turn, she noticed a mission statement that said that
no one would have to wait in excess of two hours. She asked the attendant
what happens if someone waits more than two hours and he replied 'nothing.'
Ya gotta love those monopolies the Feds hand out. Once on the island they
encountered some pretty good hills and mainly a headwind on the way to
Charlottetown. The Tour was supposed to go more directly to the Provincial
Park, but Karin's group and a few others decided that it would be wiser to
do all of that neat touristy stuff today and make a quick stop tomorrow on
the way to the ferry. This added a few extra clicks to the trip but still
came in at 100 kms or so. Brackley Beach is a lovely park, with red soil,
sand dunes and a pretty beach. (Ignore the warnings about riptides at your
peril.) Karin said that she could easily see why a couple we know liked to
spend a part of their summers on PEI. Brooke is very excited about riding
with the group tomorrow but didn't want to look out of place, so Karin
dressed her up like a true cycle chick. Except for her mountain bike, she
could easily pass as a veteran rider. Back to the mainland tomorrow, and
soon the long ferry ride to the new found land. Then it's on that big
silver bird and yeeehaa! my little brown cycle mama is back in town!

Day 62. August 29. Had a relaxed start to the day and left camp a little later than
usual. Got to Charlottetown and checked around for a decent cappuccino (I
finally found out how to spell it ) for John F. Dawdled a bit and Karin
checked her watch to ensure enough time to make the 11:30 ferry. Sometime
later she realized that she hadn't bothered to reset it to Eastern time and
that it was still an hour slow. She and John were both on cook duty tonight
and had been reminded of this by Alan and cautioned against missing the
ferry. They hurried out of town and crossed an iron bridge with a road sign
indicating 58 km to the ferry. According to Bud's map there was a shortcut
that was hillier than the proscribed route. They decided to risk the
shortcut and went on an hour and three quarter time trial, getting
increasingly more nervous as they approached the right distance travelled
without any sign of a sign for the ferry until the last minute, and
sprinted into the ferry dock just as they were loading the passengers.
There were still another 60 km left to camp after leaving the ferry and
Karin admitted to dogging it just a bit. Bud's map was something less than
enlightening so they took directions from selected locals. This led to a
few more shortcuts, with the final one into camp over a road in great need
of resurfacing. It was a hot day with most of the road sheltered by trees
on both sides, thus limiting the available breeze. Karin said that they
almost missed the sign for the camp because it was almost completely
obscured by a huge bush. It would have been easy to miss if they had been
walking. The cook crew had supper ready for 6:00 pm and the majority of
folks rode in at about 6:30. It was a long day timewise and there were many
tired faces at supper. The high note was how well Brooke did riding today.
Karin said that she was impressed with how she had done. 144 kms today to
get to Lower Barney's River. 160 kms tomorrow to get to St. Peters, Cape
Breton.

Day 63. August 30. Brief update due to horrible cell phone connection. 
It continues to be gorgeous weather and today was a pleasant ride. Rode
the highway instead of the suggested scenic route and found long, easy 
grades that made the kms pass by. In St. Peters, Cape Breton Island tonight.
Not much here. Nice big showers and washroom. Meet up with the other 
groups tomorrow night and have to figure out how to get all that stuff on 
just one truck for the ferry ride. It is a day crossing, as no night schedule 
is offered. Should be interesting. I think I have stretched this about as 
much as I can so goodnight to ya

Day 64. August 31. Shadowed Al this morning under a light rain. Kept him 
in sight but felt like riding the hills at her own pace. After logging 25kms, 
caught up with Al and decided that it would be safer to ride together due 
to the inordinant number of redneck drivers blasting their horns at them for 
no justifiable reason. Bypassed Rita MacNeil's Tea House for wont of coffee. 
The rain stopped and Karin said she actually enjoyed riding the hills. Al 
thought counselling might help that. The groups are en masse tonight and 
in close quarters. Many have mixed feelings about sharing the last part of 
their adventure with 'strangers'. All feel the nearness of the end of this ordeal; 
this challenge; this triumph. A 6km ride to the ferry by 7:00 AM. It leaves 
port at 8:00. It will dock in Newfoundland between 10:00 and 10:30 PM, 
their time. No chance for a phone call so I will have to wait until Saturday 
after the ride for an update. Karin said the arrangements seemed disorganized 
and last-minute and have them disembarking with the clothes on their backs 
and whatever they can carry, and sleeping in some sort of warehouse 
tomorrow night. A very long, tiring day before the final ride to St. John's.

Day 65. A few overanxious riders awoke at 4:30 AM, and with their attempts 
to not wake up the rest of the camp, managed to do just that. After the 
short ride to the ferry, Bud served a cold breakfast and all embarked for 
the trip to Argentia. The Tour du Canada riders, 70 strong, took over an 
entire area of the boat. The interior was quite nice with spacious seating, 
TV screens for the movies, and generally comfortable surroundings. There 
was a large open deck where Karin spent a good deal of her time. She and 
John Fontaine got a personal tour of the bridge, given by the ship's First Officer. 
Unfortunately for John, the ship's stabilizers where not deployed until after 
lunch and he spent the morning feeling very queasy. The stabilizers and a 
troublesome enigine combined to delay the cruise an additional 2 hours 
and the Tour arrived 16 hours after it departed, at midnight. Most of the 
riders camped in the ferry terminal wherever they could roll out a Thermarest. 
Dave Charles had made reservations at a nearby hotel and Karin as well 
as several other riders managed to get about 5 hours sleep before returning 
to the terminal in the morning.

Day 66. 7:00 AM pancake breakfast at the ferry terminal before Karl, Al, Jules, 
John, and Karin rode off to St. John's. They climbed some steep hills and got an
awesome view of the ocean before someone, probably Al, noticed that the sun 

was on the wrong side of the road for the direction they were supposed to be 
travelling in. A mere 8 km detour. The route followed the Trans Canada 
Highway and there were lots of long climbs but smooth pavement and wide 
shoulders. A ways down the road, and Karin and John decided to take Bud's 
suggested route, the so-called "scenic" route. The rest of the group opted for 
smooth asphalt and wide shoulders. The "scenic' route took them over a high 
ridge and along narrow, busy roads with small villages interspersed along 
the way. The scenery was described by Karin as 'sparse and rugged coastline' 
with not much of interest to attract the eye. When they arrived in St. John's, 
all the riders were to assemble at a particular Tim Horton coffee shop. Karin 
and John searched in vain to find it and since they were rapidly getting cold 
from the wind and cool temperature, abandoned the effort. They attempted 
to dip their wheels into the ocean but couldn't reach it from the dock access, 
so they set off to ascend Signal Hill. Signal Hill has about 6 switchbacks with 
the approach reminiscent of the southern hill in Wiarton. The grade eased off 
a bit, but later sections were very steep as well. The final slope was a bit of a 
heartbreaker, long and intimidating after the previous climbs. Karin said she 
rode most of the hill in granny gear and occassionally had to stand to get to 
the next stage. After cresting the summit, they were rewarded by a panoramic 
view of St. John's and the harbour. Perhaps this one final hill is a fitting metaphor 
for the Tour du Canada and epitomizes the struggle and achievement felt by 
each rider as they make their way to the top. The elation and feeling of 
personal triumph at that moment was overpowering, and after a hand slap 
or two, pictures by the cannon taken by fellow tourists form Toronto, it was 
time to cheer on Karl and Jon, followed soon after by Al, Jules and Robert. 
Al was not aware that his wife Celia had made the trip to St. John's and was 
in fact standing with Karin, Karl, Jon, and John when he made the top. She 
was one of the people who slapped his hand as he rode by, and he was so 
totally focused on the effort and the moment, that he never saw her. She 
went up to him when he came to a stop and the surprise, shock, happiness 
and emotional whirlwind he was experiencing boiled over into hugs and tears. 
A fitting end to an amazing journey by someone contemplating not being able 
to walk unaided a few short years ago. Karin went halfway back down the hill 
to the hotel and began the task of packing up her bike and gear for the trip 
back home next morning. That evening about a dozen people went to The 
Cellar restaurant and had an excellent dinner, with anecdotes of the ride 
being the chief dessert. Called it an early night and rested up for the flight 
back to reality. Well that's it folks. A special thanks to Ursula and Edward 
for posting these updates on their website. I hope you had as much 
enjoyment reading them as I did writing them. Some Tour du Canada 
factoids: Oldest rider this year --- 73. Youngest rider to complete the 
Tour --- 14. Alan Medcalf has titanium hips. Robert Dugas spent nearly 
a year bedridden after a serious car accident. Neri Losier celebrated his 
70th birthday on the Tour this year. Thanks for reading this parallel journal 
and feel free to pass on the links, especially to anyone considering such a trip. 
Drop in and talk to Ursula and Edward. Bye for now, John

Final days. I am home again and still smiling. As John told you the trip was 
great! It is hard to say what was the most memorable - the many types of 
mountains that make up the rockies, the fact that the prairies for the most 
part aren't flat, the tailwind into Nakomis where I ran out of gears on the flat, 
fighting the same wind as a headwind the next day, the big bowl valleys of 
Manitoba with the long descents and the equally long climbs out, rugged 
northern Ontario with its buzzing horse flies and cicadias, riding along the 
St. Lawrence in Quebec - probably the most scenic area of all, the hills in 
New Brunswick off the main drag - closest thing to climbing a wall I have 
ever done (14% grade), the eel nets when the tide was out along the 
St. Lawrence, breathtaking sunsets, the red beaches of the maritime, the 
58km race to catch the PEI ferry and the 14 hr ferry ride to St Johns or climbing 
Signal Hill to the finish. We had coffee on a patio surrounded by snowcapped 
Rockies, lunch in wonderful french cafes and also in some dingy hotels in 
the middle of nowhere on the prairies. Our perspective of what was a 
long ride changed as we successfully completed longer and longer days 
including a 193km ride followed by 178km ride and 160km ride - all with 
there share of hills. It got to the point where 140 or less was short, every 
hill no matter how big or long it looked was manageable - the key to how 
hard it would be was the grade. Some days it became a study in pain 
management as my saddle sores became acute and muscles talked to 
me that I never knew I had but other days I felt extremely strong. 
The scenery ranged from absolutely awesome to a whole lot of nothing. 
Some of things that hit you in the face was the fact that Ontario definitely 
is the richest province and there are some very poor provinces such as 
Saskatchewan and New Brunswick. People we met were always interesting 
to talk to and offered useful insight about life elsewhere in Canada. 
Truckers out west were extremely courteous whereas those out east 
made it quite clear that they felt we should not be on the road. 
My bike served me well over roads in Saskatchewan that had craters, 
cracks, gravel and moguls every 50 feet (and this was the highway!), 
through wet gravel and milled road construction, wet rainy days and 
over all the mountain ranges etc.

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