Leg 9 - Kanata, ON to Riviere-du-Loup, Quebec, Tuesday August 14th to Monday, August 20th ....

Leg 9 Total: 810.3 km
Grand Total to date: 5787.3 km
 

Leg 9 - Kanata to Riviere-du-Loup

Monday, August 20th (Happy Birthday Makayla!)

Distance and Time: 103 km at 4:45
Route: Saint-Roch-des-Aulnaies to Rievere-du-Loup via bike path, a few side streets and hwy 132

It was an even better day today for getting a good distance in, but that idea went to hell in a hand-basket for me (wait, did I just spout one of my Mom's offbeat sayings... surfacing through years of memory? I'll have to ask my sisters about this one). I spent a while this morning on the internet updating the blog for yesterday, starting Leg 10 of the journey. It all went normally but the new leg kept posting below Leg 9 and I killed some good cycling time trying to figure it out to no avail. Sam has since fixed it with her magic touch but I don't know exactly what she did.

I finally got on the road with my road bike around noon. Within a few km I was on a long stretch of gravel path (La Rote des Deux Pays) which was on the map and fully anticipated. I figured it would be similar to the trans-Canada trail near Ottawa, fairly hard packed and suitable for the narrow tires. This was not the case, however, and I was inching along at a nervous 12 km/hr while all the touring bikes were passing me. Within a couple of km I was wondering why I hadn't just hopped on the touring bike. Wayne called from 32km ahead to say he was getting on his bike to cycle back, and I voiced my concern (and frustration). He graciously drove back, the good soul that he is, and delivered the touring bike to me. It was definitely the right decision and rescued the day for me. So although I only had 11km in by 1:30, it was still a dream day of scenery, sunshine, and a very strong tailwind. I am SO glad I brought the touring bike. It was comfy and solid on the gravel, the gears shifted like slicing through butter and I practically sailed up some steep hills along the way. Needless to say, I used it for the rest of the day.

I've wanted to cycle this stretch of gravel pathway for many years since it parallels the four lane hwy 20 for the entire 15km and every time I have driven to or from the east coast I've drooled while eyeing the cyclists along it, green with envy. The St. Lawrence stretched out on my left and it was difficult to keep my eyes on the path.

Scenery along La Route des Deux Pays

When the path ended, the Route Verte continued on hwy 132, passing through the villages of Saint-Denis, Saint-Andre and Notre-Dame-du-Portage. The scenery was awesome, some of it near Kamouraska rivaling the views along the shores of Superior.

I had a staring match with this rangy fox and he won!

My handsome buddy with a beautiful back-drop

The village of Saint-Denis was dominated by its church for sure

Statue and inscription placed amongst the crops

 

I couldn't resist taking a picture of this rather striking horse

We cycled about 10km south of Riviere-du-Loup along a back road to join the hwy to NB just after the four-lanes of the 85 narrow to two and become the 185 (with paved shoulders!). The helpful woman at the info centre in R-du-L recommended the hwy rather than the gravel Route Verte because of loose gravel due to the dry conditions and she assured me the shoulders were paved the entire route and construction wouldn't affect me too much. I'm hopeful she is right but in the event she's not, I can always join the Route Verte pathway at several intersections or close-by-points along the way.

We are cold camping again tonight at an Irving truck stop, one RV amongst numerous tractor trailers. If they give us a hard time I'll mention all the business the CG has sent the Irving way with the building of the MSPV's (that one is for you, Joe).

Sunday, August 19^th

Distance and Time: 109.7 at 4:37

Route: Levis to St.-Roch-des-Aulnaies via Montmagny on bike path and hwy 132

I am wearing my elbow brace again these days, just in case.  Funny thing this intuition; a couple of hours before my fall I was wondering if I had packed it and thinking perhaps I should wear it.  It's was a gem of a day today with sunshine, temps in the low twenties, a good tail wind and gorgeous scenery - the kind of day one could cycle a record distance.  It's wasn't in the cards for me though, due to some stiffness from the fall yesterday and being generally out of steam from a poor nights sleep.  The river has widened and the north shore mountains are so picturesque.

views of the north shore

I came across this interesting cross and inscription at L'Islet and am waiting to hear back from my historian brother on its significance.
 

The inscription mentions to 'Le Premiere Retraite de Paroissiale - August 1842'

I experienced rural Quebec lifted from the tourist brochures today - with roadside stalls of produce, flowers and one devoted to garlic; antiques (including a live auction), and garage sales.  The corn fields looked healthy and lush compared to the Ottawa Valley. 

Interesting arrangement of corn stalks and another crop

There was lots of cycle traffic today but I didn’t see the big groups I noticed yesterday.  The roads were busy with traffic too, including many good-looking camper vans and not many big motorhomes as on the larger highways.  At the end of the day I cycled through what I would term Artisan Alley in and around Saint-Jean-Port-Joli.  It was pretty cool with many boutiques featuring carvings (wood and stone), a shop of miniature ships (lots of large handcrafted sailing vessels), a motor museum, and many galleries.  The huge churches that dominated these villages don’t seem to be so prominent anymore.

It’s obvious there is an impending election in the province with the number of campaign signs and radio coverage.  I wanted to see the leaders debate tonight but we couldn’t get an English station (which was not such a bad thing) then lost TV reception all together. Oh well, we are staying at a huge but tidy and quiet campground tonight.  The outdoor pool was so refreshing….still nothing like a swim at the end of a long sweaty cycle….and we have electricity and internet (a ten minute walk away near the front office….).  I must take back my comment from yesterday on the camping facilities in the province.

We will make a final decision tomorrow to turn southeast at Rivière-du-Loup towards NB and the TCH instead of heading up past Rimouski and then southeast to the NB border at Matapedia. I definitely want to cycle on the TCH in NB because of my recollection, Wayne’s more accurate recollection and Adrienne’s recent confirmation that the shoulders are fully paved the entire route.  From what I hear the remaining roads in NB are not in super shape.  The only uncertainty is whether to follow hwy 185 in Quebec to the border or the gravel path in the Route Verte book.  At least I have options with my touring bike handy!

Saturday, August 18th

Distance and Time: 107.3km at 4:31
Route: Batiscan to Levi (across the river from Quebec City) via hwy 138 and bike paths.

Good things about today:
Weather - mix of sun and cloud and temp in the low twenties
Awesome scenery and bike paths along the water in Quebec City
Paved shoulders on hwy 138
Lots of other cyclists out
Wayne lost his odometer but found it with some backtracking and an eagle eye
We met up with Adrienne and Matt in Levi for a few hours. They're on vacation traveling from Sydney back to Ottawa
Back into some hills
Good signage once in Quebec City and easy access from bike path to ferry

Not so good things about today:
Wayne lost his mirror
I fell on my elbow again - boy did that hurt (I cried a lot) but it is OK now
I walked up two hills although I really should have tried cycling, but think I was paranoid of not being able to un-clip from the fall
Overnighting in a Walmart parking lot
Still no internet
Camping facilities suck compared to other provinces

Scenes from today:

Bike path heading downtown into Quebec

Scenery along the way

View of CG base from the ferry

Adrienne and Matt

Friday, August 17th

Distance and Time: 135.3km at 6:09
Route: Berthierville to Batiscan via Route Verte (hwy 138, back roads and streets and lots of wrong turns and extra km)

Tonight we had a toast (with a nice bottle of organic Malbec - Cabernet) to leaving this day behind us. Some days are best not re-lived and this was one of them. The first 40km to Yamachiche (strange name - doesn't sound French or First Nations) ended up being 65 for me. I guess I didn't see a turn and ended up going NW instead of East. It was cloudy so I couldn't use the sun for reference and my little compass was buried somewhere in my fanny pack (although it would have been wise to dig it out). The poor fellow who I asked for assistance told me I was at least 10km the wrong way! By the time I turned around and followed another sign which took me down a road which ended abruptly with only a dirt road leading into farmland, I could laugh along with two ladies my age who I asked for help. They were coming out of the only house around in sight and I got up my nerve to converse in French. At first I was close to tears but they understood me and helped set me on the right track. They also probably had a good belly laugh afterward. Anyway, I finally met Wayne after explaining the situation (thank goodness for cell phones). He had gone quite far and was wondering why he hadn't seen me. By that time I had cycled enough bad back roads for the rest of the trip, and was ready to chuck the Route Verte book and stay on the secondary hwy. Unfortunately there were a few more missing signs and inconsistencies later in the day. All good things come to an end, as the saying goes, and my praise of the Route Verte infrastructure and signage fits the saying. There is a silver lining in almost anything though, and today's came in a house I saw while way off my route.

I love these sloped roof Quebec houses

I've always loved these little sloped-roof houses which seem to be only in Quebec. This one was particularly pretty and had a large deck and hot-tub out back. If I had something like this looking out on a body of water I would be one happy camper!

OK, back to the first leg of the route. As Wayne and I were cycling to Yamachiche, he had a rather nasty spill on some railroad tracks. It had been spitting rain most of the morning and they were slick. He turned to talk to me and his wheels didn't approach the tracks as perpendicular as they should have. His head bounced on the pavement and his helmet cracked. He has experienced a dull headahce since and neck stiffness. So I'm watching for concussion and suspect whiplash for sure.

We enjoyed a lunch break in a church parking lot and then headed separately down the road to Pointe-du-Lac. It was a nice cycle for me along 138 beside the river watching this fabulous sail-surfer.

I think I need to zoom and crop for you to see the sail surfer!

I expected to see Wayne on his bike but met up with him and the RV at a picnic area. He was not in a good frame of mind and it had nothing to do with his fall. He had back up the RV close to a tree and when he pulled ahead to get straightened up the tree branch got caught in the bumper and damaged the fender and rear signal light.

Our second leg of the day was spent trying to navigate through Trois Riviere with the Route Verte detoured because of construction. Again we ended up way off track but were lucky to be near a bike shop to ask for directions and get a new helmet. It cost Wayne a pretty penny but the old one was toast. Besides, he had been looking at helmets at home anyway and thankfully he didn't get around to buying one.

So Wayne accompanied me all the way over the bridge at Trois Riviere then turned around for the long haul back to the RV. I'm thankful he was with me since even with two sets of eyes we couldn't quite follow the route. What looked like a clear sign and route continuing after the bridge boosted my confidence enough to continue on my own. The sign led me into a parking lot with no clear indication afterward so I got hopelessly turned around again. This time, however, the sun was out and I knew I was heading in the wrong direction. I somehow managed to get back on track after about half an hour of wandering and the remainder of the ride was the finest kind along the river with a tail wind and marvelous views.

Still cycling at sunset

 We are cold camping again tonight at the info centre in Batiscan. It is a picturesque village right on the water and our spot provides a peaceful, gentle end to a rather trying day. The dinette window looks upriver at the shipping traffic and blinking beacons and buoys, the berth windows face the shore and down river, and the big dipper is in full view out the front of the cab! The water's edge is mere feet away and I'll be lulled to sleep by the sound of waves lapping the shore and ship engines rumbling in the distance. Hopefully the locals coming down to fish or use the boat ramp won't be too early!

Batiscan location the next morning

P.S.  A special thanks to Samantha who has been updating my blog and posting pictures since we left.

Thursday, August 16th

Distance and Time: 109.8km at 5:12
Route: Lachine to Bouthierville, Quebec via the Lachine Canal bike path, Route Verte through Montreal (paths and streets and bridges) to Repentigny then on Route Verte 5 through paths and back streets, south on hwy 343 and east on hwy 138

Getting through Montreal was time consuming and a bit of a pain because of bike and pedestrian traffic, lots of twists and turns and stop signs and such. But at the end of the day, the signage and road markings still impress me and it's wonderful to see so many people out on their bikes - I just wish they would pay better attention. I cycled through everything from tourists in Old Montreal, industrial docks and fuel tanks, low income neighbourhoods, regular suburbia and affluent waterfront homes. The bike path network is extensive, very similar to Ottawa's but on a larger scale. It was nice to go through the city but give me quiet country roads or even the TCH with paved shoulders any day.

Montreal skyline from the bike path

Can you see the bicycle icon in the stoplight?

Look at the size of that roller coaster on Ile Ste Helene

Late in the afternoon I came across Frank and Steve from North Carolina. They drove up to Drummondville and are on a five day loop through Montreal and along the north shore, crossing again at Sorel. Their recumbent bikes were really well equipped and loaded and I was tempted to ask if I could take one for a test drive. These guys were going in my direction but had cycled north instead of south on 343 in Repentigny and gotten turned around heading back - quite an easy mistake to make I soon saw when we got them on the right track and I noticed there was no sign to head south. At the same time we were discussing the route, another cyclist stopped by to confirm our direction and he cycled with the guys for a bit too. Then Wayne showed up and in the ensuing conversation I forgot to get the young fellow's name. He had a new Trek touring bike (drool) and was cycling from Oakville to the east coast. I thought it was kind of cool meeting three other Anglophones on long distance trips in the space of a few minutes when I hadn't really met or chatted with anyone else all day (except for the guy who pointed out my location on the map to me when I was quite lost down by the docks).

Wayne and I met up with Frank and Steve again at a Tim Hortons in Saint Sulpice. We exchanged contact info and we now have an invitation to cycle down near Frank's place on the Outer Banks near Wilmington, NC :). Although it's hard to believe, he told us he is 70! Sure hope I'm in that kind of shape and as active when I get there.

Steve, Frank and the fellow from Oakville

As I cycled the last 30km in the early evening I realized I was overtaking a ship headed down the St. Lawrence Seaway. Wow, who would have thought about doing that on a cycle. I was going about 26km/hr which translates roughly to 13 knots (I'm sure my nautical buddies will correct me if I'm wrong) so figure he (or she) was going about 6-8 knots. I must ask Adrienne what the speed limit is on the Seaway.

 
We are "cold camping" again tonight at the visitor's info centre in Berthierville. It's pretty and peaceful, tucked back from the road in an old church on lush grounds.

Quaint info centre in Berthierville

Hooray to Quebec for being the only province so far to allow this. All the others have posted signs prohibiting overnight parking and many have barricades. So far we have arrived after they've closed so we haven't actually asked.

Wayne down for the count

Wednesday, August 15th

Date and Time: 110.8km at 4:58
Route: Grenville to Montreal (Lachine) via the Route Verte (hwy 344 and bike paths) to Oka, the ferry across the Ottawa River and then Chemin de L'Anse, rue Charles to join another segment of the Route Verte on hwy 20, back streets and bike paths to Ile Perrot, Pointe Claire, Laval, and Lachine along the south shore of the island of Montreal.

I continue to be impressed with the Route Verte cycling infrastructure in this part of the province

Yes, impressed, but with the exception of the map book showing paved roads in red and unpaved in dark pink. Guess who didn't look at the map closely enough and ended up hitting a nasty stretch of wet loose gravel? I called Wayne who had already traversed the bridge to the Ontario side to make his way down to my destination at the ferry on the other side of Oka. He came back to meet me, we consulted the map and re-directed my route along hwy 344 which had a paved shoulder and was very scenic along the river. After the ferry crossing we stayed together winging it down to the 20 on a busy road and then interpreting the map through Ile Perrot and onto the Island of Montreal. From there I was on my own while he went back for the RV and made his way to our rendezvous spot at the info centre at the Lachine Canal historic site park. My cycle along the water with stately homes and yatch clubs was quite nice whereas Wayne's trip in the RV on major hwys was a bit of a pain.

Surprisingly enough we did rendezvous at the same spot and did a quick turn-around to get to "Pasta Andrea" (albeit a bit late) for a lovely dinner with my brother and his wife. Thanks you guys for dinner and for coming out to meet us. It was great to get caught up with your news although it feels like we did most of the talking (I even went on about the prairie cows I enjoyed so much).

We are staying parked at the info centre tonight since it's right on the bike path, closed at 5:00 and there are no signs prohibiting overnight parking. We'll see what the night brings!


Tuesday, August 14th

Distance and Time: 134.1km at 5:32
Route: Kanata (home) to Grenville, Quebec (across the Ottawa River from Hawkesbury, ON) via the Ottawa River bike path and the Route Verte cycle route in Quebec (bike paths and hwy 148)

I made a last minute decision this morning to take my touring bike as well as the road bike. It is probably superfluous as we have already come 5000km with only a couple of instances in Manitoba where I really could have used it, but we have the room and it gives me an extra sense of confidence in case of gravel stretches or a bike break-down.

Yesterday flew by in a flurry of activity packing and getting ready to go. I left home at 9:45 this morning and Wayne pulled out a few minutes later. He took the main hwy and bridge over to Quebec to park at Masson-Angers. I cycled towards downtown on the bike path and it was rather pleasant with little traffic on a cloudy weekday morning. Mike (Manore) joined me on the Ottawa side of the Champlain Bridge and we cycled along the Quebec shore of the Ottawa River and onto the Route Verte until we met Wayne at the very edge of Gatineau on hwy 148. Mike and I were both pleasantly surprised with the clear signage of the Route Verte as it meandered along bike paths, side streets and the 148 (with paved shoulders - hooray!).

View of the Parliament Buildings and Chateau Laurier from the Quebec side

Mike joined me from the ON side of the Champlain Bridge to the eastern edge of Gatineau where we met Wayne

Wayne and I had lunch in the RV at Masson-Angers and as I poured over the maps I noticed there were a couple of short sections of unpaved paths on the route. I decided to switch to the touring bike (probably simply because I could), but I really didn't need it as the paved shoulder continued where the path veered off for a while. So after 40km on the heavier and clunkier bike I was happy to get back on the other and make up some speed. You are right, Mike (Glew). I wouldn't have wanted to lug the touring bike up those hills in Northern Ontario!

It feels good to be back on the road, with a full larder and stocked pantry. I've added figs and dates rolled in almonds to my daytime diet, thanks to Lynn's advice gleaned from her cycling magazines. They are easy to carry on the bike, scarf down quickly and I was getting pretty tired of power bars anyway. We also have brought some garlic-chocolate fudge (I went to the Carp Garlic Festival on the weekend) and it is awesome stuff.

We are stopped for the night in a campground just west of Grenville (across the river from Hawkesbury). It poured just as I was about to head for a swim, so a beer filled the bill as a refresher and I had a late night swim after supper. It was so dark by the time I went for the swim, and I saw what looked like bats swooping around my head. Can't quite figure out why the Ottawa River is so cold after all the hot summer weather. It feels just as chilly as Lake Superior!

Ottawa Break - July 27 to August 13

Monday, August 13th
We planned on heading out today to resume the trip, but have dragged our feet a little getting ready (or more likely prioritized our local recreational cycling and seeing friends rather than getting down to the boring business of packing up).  We had a great cycle with Mike and Lynn out to Bass Lake yesterday followed up by a swim, beer and food - all the important stuff they are so good at providing (but we forgot to take a photo, drat).  During the week there were more appointments, a look at a smaller camper/van (on hold for now since there have been no bites on our RV sale), community clubhouse stuff, meeting with friends from work (thanks to Pascale and Maria for coming out to Kanata and to Miriam for a very long coffee break out of her busy schedule), touching base with Tracy and John, and a lot of usual household stuff (which will be nice to get a break from again).

This is kind of personal, but I find it kind of amusing so will share it despite the fact that my kids will think it is TMI.  I learned this week that my testosterone levels are high.  The doctor asked me if I was working out a lot.  Hmmmmm....I was feeling a little boyish with the short haircut and my newly developed core muscles but didn't consider there was actually a biological component to it!

I've logged 550 km during our break here.  It sounds good until I think that it has been over an 18 day period and I've been doing that amount in 4 or 5 days.  Anyway, leg 9 will start tomorrow as we head out to somewhere near Lachute on the Quebec side of the Ottawa River, and then to Montreal on Wednesday.  Once I get through that city I'll be a happy camper - no more metropolitan areas to navigate - it's so much simpler and less stressful to meander along country roads and even the trans-Canada if there is a shoulder.

Monday, August 6th
We've put in a decent bit of cycling this week, managing to log in 330 km since we got home. Last week we slogged up to Champlain Lookout in the Gatineau Hills in heat and humidity.  I've never been good in heat but this summer has improved my tolerance so I was pleased to see I could do it (albeit with a dip at Westboro Beach on the way back).

The heat broke overnight and we got out again to Champlain Lookout today with our good friend Mike Manore in much cooler temps, although it was warm when we finished up.  We were treated to drinks and snacks and the pool back at Mike and Lynn's place - wonderful hosts as always! 

We were visited by a curious little guy at the top of Champlain Lookout

During the week we managed a couple of cycles in the countryside near Kanata.  I made a bathroom break on the roadside along Thomas Dolan Drive and couldn't resist take a photo of this beaver dam.

Patriotic beavers, no less

Sunday, August 5th
It has been a busy week to say the least.  The biggest thing I got off my plate was finding a car for Sam to do her while in teacher's college in Thunder Bay this coming year.  Thanks to referrals from friends to check out mycar.ca in Richmond, and to the great sales guy Matt Spezza (yep, Jason's brother), Sam now has a 2008 Mazda 3 hatchback!

I drove the car to Toronto on Friday with two objectives - to deliver it to Sam and to take in my sister Nancy's SURPRISE birthday party in Niagara Falls on Saturday.  Despite the horrible snarl in Toronto because of Caribana weekend and the traffic volume on the way down to Niagara, I would drive it all again in a heartbeatIt just to see the look on Nancy's face when we showed up.  It was a wonderful treat as well, for me and Sam to spend time with my other sisters, extended family and Nancy's good friends.  Thanks to Jackie and Dan for hosting and managing to keep the whole thing a secret.

A good imitation of too much to drink

After many years of playing practical "water" jokes on others, Nancy finally gets one!

Aren't we cute?

Nancy and Doug

Out hosts Jackie and Dan

Bobbie and Tom

Sunday, July 29th
My bike has received a cool make-over, thanks to Mike Glew.  Mike stripped the old shifters off my original handlebars, and fitted the new ones on from Michael Elliot of Ecoadventures in Nipigon.  Then he put my original handlebar configuration back on the bike, complete with new tape, plus brake and de-railer cables.  Check out the cool tape design!

Now I can spot my bike in a crowd

Saturday, July 28th

We had a wonderful surprise last night when Chris and Kelly and kids "dropped by" on their way from Charlotte to Halifax via Detroit.  Bad weather in Detroit delayed their flight arrival and despite a three-hour layover, they missed the connection to Halifax.  Rather than spend a night in Detroit with a subsequent late day flight today to Halifax, they arranged a late night connection to Ottawa and an afternoon flight today to Halifax.  It was such a treat to have them here and see the kids!

Piper

Caleb

Later in the afternoon I cycled with my touring bike into Ottawa to do a few errands.  It was hot, and quiet on the bike paths (I think all the wise people are sitting by a lake somewhere this weekend). I have never seen the Ottawa River so low, with large mud flats leading out from the shore along the path near Britannia. It was a trip down memory lane on the paths which I cycled for many years while commuting.  The picture below was taken along a section of the path between Crystal Beach and Kanata, a favourite walk with Tessa when she was young.

bike path between Moodie Rd. and Teron Dr.

I've come to realize how good this cycling trip is for me - mind, body and soul.  I like to think that the exercise and fresh air have contributed to the absence of occasional "brain fog", even though that might have something to do with being retired and more relaxed, as well as having a fairly simple set of responsibilities every day (figure out destination, ride bike, pay attention to traffic, stop to eat and drink, ride bike, eat and drink again, ride bike, stop for the night and eat and drink again).  My body feels great - I like my tan even though my arms look and feel like brown leather, and I love how my legs and core feel.  As for the soul, with a clear mind and fit body, it kind of shines through a little better.  I'm beginning to realize the real me is OK, introverted, crowd adverse, bohemian and all.  I'm learning to trust my gut feelings a little more and that it is all right to go against the grain and to forget about striving to be accepted and liked by everybody.

I'm also thinking that sitting in a closed up house in suburbia with the A/C on, on a beautiful summer night is not my cup of tea.  Time to find a nice little four season cottage slightly off the beaten track.  We're going to try and skirt the few remaining large cities on the cycle, and if I could do this all again I would avoid them completely.


Friday, July 27th

One day home and I'm ready to be on the road again.....

Leg 8 - Echo Bay to Kanata, ON (home) - July 21st to 26th

Leg 8 Total: 756.8 km
Grand Total: 4977.1 km

Leg 8 - Echo Bay to Kanata (Sault Ste Marie to Ottawa)

Thursday, July 26th

Distance and Time: 78.6 km at 3:46
Route:  Storyland theme park to home (Kanata) on county road 1, Kinburn Side Rd., Donald B. Munro Dr., Old Carp Rd., Huntmar Rd, Richardson Side Rd., Terry Fox Dr. and Kanata Ave.

Launching on cycling day 45 towards home

The day started out wet and drizzling, kind of matching my feelings about this phase being over.  I am glad to be home and take a rest for awhile, and there are many things to do....appointments, a book club meeting, choir practices, seeing friends and family, helping Sam buy a car....but I will certainly miss the days of simply cycling and discovering new territory, new vistas and new people.

It became dry as the morning progressed and although the sun never did peek through the clouds, the temps were warm and it was a very relaxing ride through familiar territory with little traffic.  Actually it was almost boring compared to the high adrenalin roads and views and traffic we've experienced, but I'm not complaining.  It's hard to believe that I've put in over 2000 km just in Ontario, and that the remainder of the trip to Sydney (Main-a-Dieu) is only about 1600 km from here.  It doesn't feel like I've been in Ontario forever, and realizing I have less distance to go now is sobering.  I kind of don't want it to end, and the idea of Newfoundland is playing at the edges of our minds.  It would only entail eight or nine extra days of cycling, but guess it will depend on what we are driving on the next leg.  If we stick with the RV it will be a little too pricey to take the ferry there and back. 

Coming home and getting used to the house was a bit odd.  It's been eleven weeks since we left; enough time for a middle aged brain to forget where things belong in one's own house! And of course there is a gaping emptiness here without Tessa's presence.

Adrienne is so artistic!!

Wednesday, July 25th

Distance and Time: 131.9km at 6:09
Route: Driftwood Provincial Park to "Storyland" theme park (near Renfrew), ON on hwy 17, 55, 51, 148 and county roads 40, 21 and 4

The day started out with a refreshing swim in the Ottawa River instead of a shower. Considering the beach was a three minute walk and the showers a twenty minute hike, it was an easy decision.

I was happy to leave hwy 17 (it's been a long haul from the Manitoba border other than the loop through Thunder Bay) and the traffic to cycle through Petawawa and Pembroke according to our eastern Ontario cycle map. Traffic was heavy in both spots but much slower so still way better than hwy 17. Petawawa actually had a cycle lane through town! Pembroke was a different story though. It took a long time to meander through town, albeit with an internet pit stop at McD's. I turned off on county road 21 once through town and it was much quieter as it wound it's way through Beachburg and lots of smelly farmland. Everything is extremely dry and yellow here. The corn crops look decimated and we heard wells are going dry in Renfrew. I cycled by lots of cows this afternoon but somehow they are not the same as those wonderful prairie bovine!

We are parked in an abandoned lot near the theme park of "Storyland" for the night. Shortly after pulling in we were visited by Betty, the former owner of Storyland, just curious about our intentions and concerned that we were aware of the extreme fire risk and ban. She told me that Storyland is closed this year and up for sale. Her son has been running it for the past five years but he is now too ill to keep it going. Hopefully they will find new owners and this Ottawa valley icon will re-open again next year. And thanks to Betty for giving us the green light to stay overnight and wishing us luck on the rest of the cycle.

I have been in touch with my CG buddy Mike Glew who is an amateur expert bike builder, about restoring my original handlebars with new shifters. This new set has worked very well but I'm reaching a little further and a little lower which is hard on the lower back. Anyway, Mike has graciously agreed to go at the re-building this weekend despite a busy schedule of two ball games, car repairs, cycling commitments and a flight to Halifax on Sunday. Wow! Mike has some cool ideas for the handlebars... stay tuned for the new look!




Tuesday, July 24


Distance and time: 135.1km at 6:18
Route: North Bay to Driftwood Provincial Park (near Stonecliffe), ON on hwy 17

Did I say yesterday that I missed the hills?  We had a fair share of them today, and they rivaled anything we had on the route around Superior.  Wayne again had the steepest climb on his way to meet me near Bissett Creek.  The roads were good in some parts and very poor in others.  The shoulders are generally paved on hills so there is some disadvantage on the flat sections.  I hit a long stretch of construction outside of Mattawa which included a very steep hill and cycling alongside brand new hot asphalt.  Even though the temps were quite a bit cooler today and it was breezy, the hill and new asphalt created some heat.  I swear my eyeballs were sweating!

Speaking of Mattawa, I spent a very enjoyable long weekend there when I was fifteen, with the Lahaie family (I was living in Falconbridge near Sudbury and dating Dan Lahaie).  It was the first time anyone had asked me how I liked my eggs and I had to ask Mr. Lahaie what he meant. Mattawa now looks a little run-down along the main drag with many closed businesses, as do so many other small Ontario towns along the route since entering the province.  We have seen countless motels, gas stations and restaurants closed and abandoned in the last couple of weeks, yet don’t recall the same in other provinces.

Shortly after Mattawa I glimpsed the Ottawa River for the first time.  That and a sign saying we had entered the District of Renfrew were sure indications of home.  Unfortunately the mileage signs disappeared after the Soo, so I won’t be able to gauge the 2000 km mark from Manitoba the border, although I think it must be somewhere close to Ottawa.

First glimpse of the Ottawa River!

I’ve been meaning to write more philosophically about the thoughts in my head as I spend many hours alone on the bike, instead of the usual stuff about road conditions, weather, wind and things I see. But you know, I’ve been getting quite caught up in the sights and sounds around me, such as boring stuff like the various types of cargo being carried on the tractor-trailers and how it is all secured, as well as classifying drivers according to their vehicles. I’ve also been using a fair amount of mental energy calculating Wayne's turnaround time and when I should meet up with him in terms of distance and time.  My other favourite activity is pulling tunes from the old memory and singing my lungs out when no one can hear me.  I

We are at Driftwood Provincial Park on the Ottawa River tonight – and have spotted a couple of loaded bikes beside a tent.  Hopefully we’ll meet the folks before they leave tomorrow or on the road later on.  It’s a clear cool night and the stars are simply out of this world!

Oh, I checked the audience stats on the blog the other night.  They are listed according to country, and now I'm curious about who is following me in Russia.  Maybe you can send me a comment!

Monday, July 23

Distance and Time: 134.6km at 6:13
Route: Sudbury to North Bay, ON on hwy 17


Today started out on a poor note, but ended on a very positive one.  We spent a very quiet night in the RV maze despite the number of trailers crammed in together around us.  Discovered a flat tire on my bike in morning, but the delay only meant I could dawdle longer while Wayne took care of it.

I finished cycling the bypass with fully paved shoulders and then my heart sank coming onto the regular hwy 17. The shoulders were gone, completely.  After a few km I had a crisis of confidence and fell to pieces for a bit because of the state of the road and traffic. I stopped to call Travel Ontario for info on road shoulders on other possible routes south on 69 and east on 522 to get to North Bay in lieu of 17.  The call was forwarded to the Ministry of Transportation, I got put on hold for a long while there, only to be disconnected and sent back to Travel Ontario who gave me the number for MOT again.  I called a second time and the person told me she had no idea of the state of the shoulders.  What a total waste of time and cell phone battery power!

Needless to say, I sucked it up and decided to carry on with Wayne behind me for awhile.  I calmed down and he returned to the RV.  Traffic eased up a bit and I continued on through the edges of a thunderstorm.  At our first stop of the day Wayne informed me that he had locked his keys in the RV.  Luckily I started carrying my own set of keys a few weeks ago, being almost anal that they were with me every morning, “just in case”.  They were kind of buried in the little fanny pack behind my seat, so there were a couple of moments of panic before we found them.

I made it to a little town named Verner through some thunder and lightning before a deluge of rain hit hard.  A very nice woman at Cambrian Insurance opened her door and called me in from the rain, bike and all.  Apparently this was their second storm of the day and the first had spawned a couple of small tornadoes which touched down near Sturgeon Falls to the east.  It was wild for a little while, and when the rain eased up and the sun came out I carried on again after calling Wayne to see if he was on his cycle and let him know the squall was coming.  He could see it, so ducked into a motel close by.

We continued on together to Sturgeon Falls where we parked for a couple of hours to ride out some more rain, cruise a grocery store, hit Tim Horton’s and log on briefly to the McDonald’s wifi. This area is populated mostly by Franco-Ontarians, and what a friendly bunch! While we were parked, a local couple stopped by to ask about the RV.  They want to buy one of a similar size next spring so we invited them in to have a look around and chat.  We now have potential buyers!  And just as I was getting ready to launch again, a truck pulled up to wave hello.  It was the lady from Cambrian Insurance!

Even though it was past 6:30 by that time, we decided to make a dash for North Bay.  It was a wise decision – the traffic had died down, the temperature was cooler, and my 12 to 18 inches of shoulder was smooth without big ruts and holes as experienced previously today.  I sailed along quickly on totally flat terrain with a tail wind, and caught up to Wayne and the RV before he had a chance to turn around on his bike.

On the way out of Sturgeon Falls, I took this picture for my old friend Bill (Dutrizac) just to see if he is following the blog :)

As I came into North Bay there were highway signs indicating bicycles are not allowed on the road, but this time I was able to quietly ignore them and continue on into town.  It helped that in Canada by Bicycle he mentioned the signs and that locals told him not to pay attention to them (but why didn’t he include that in the Sudbury section?).  An OPP cruiser passed me without notice so I guess the local advice is sound.  We parked for the night at the Visitor’s Centre, poised for a quick trip to LCBO in the morning and 500 m from the hwy 17 exit to Ottawa.  Wayne cooked up a terrific (albeit late) meal and I partook with gusto even though I don’t feel I worked too hard today (I honestly miss the hills). Home Depot is courteously providing free public wifi.
Here are a couple of photos from the Visitor’s Centre.

The original home of the Dionne quintuplets just south of North Bay

Nibiising - the Trail of the Whispering Giants (a tribute to the Ojibway Nation)

Sunday, July 22

Distance and Time: 138.9km at 6:10
Route: Serpent River to Sudbury, ON on hwy 17, 55 and 17 by-pass

It has been a challenging day in terms of traffic volume and the road condition. The morning was OK but traffic increased dramatically as we approached the junction to Espanola and Manitoulin Island. It didn't let up from there to Sudbury and it was kind of freaky with long lines of traffic whizzing by in both directions and very often without any shoulder or only a few inches of rough pavement on the edge. I know I said I would stop whining about ON highways but this was the worst we've seen on the entire trip. Needless to say, I spent a lot of time stopped over in the gravel. At one point on a ramp coming back onto the 17 from hwy 55, I came across a "no bicycles" sign and continued anyway on foot for over a km before meeting up with a good shoulder and Rob, a Sudbury cyclist who explained the sign was misleading and only referred to the four lane section which ended shortly after the sign.

It will be interesting to see what tomorrow brings on 17 enroute to North Bay! If it is anything like today I may head south and then east to Ottawa on back roads. My original intention was to head over to the Manitoulin ferry and south on the Bruce Peninsula before I realized how much extra distance that entailed and how eager I was to get home and rest.

On a positive note today, I made a few micro-adjustments to my seat and handlebars and things feel better, most certainly my lower back. Because of the heat I tried the outdoor shower head on the RV at the rendezvous points, still fully clothed in cycling gear. Instant relief, easy to use and a totally cool feature! I don't know why I didn't try it before, but wish I had.

I must share the story of how Espanola got its name. The legend is that an Ojibwa tribe raided a village far to the south and returned with a white woman who spoke Spanish. She married a chief and taught her children to speak her language. When French Voyageurs came to the area they heard people speaking Spanish and remarked, "Espagnole". I like this story of a strong woman who adapted to make the most of her circumstances, and find it entirely believable after reading "The Heretic's Daughter" of the Salem witch trials. Many isolated farms were raided by nearby tribes and woman and children were often taken.

We are at an RV park tonight near the junction of hwys 17 and 69, sandwiched in amongst 135 other trailers with the sounds of hwy traffic in the bankground. Really feel like RV riff-raff now! At least there is a little beach and I'm off to rinse out my sweaty cycle clothes which I've been wearing for several days. Internet was part of the appeal to stay here but we can't get connected so I'm relying again on my daughters as I have for weeks now. Thanks Sam and Adrienne.

Saturday July 21

Distance and time: 137.7km at 5:50

Route: Echo Bay to Serpent River, ON on 17B, Government Rd, and hwy 17

I got off to a late start this morning due to some laziness on my part thinking for some reason that a weekend morning should be more relaxed. The campsite last night was originally well built but it looked like it hadn't been kept up over the years. There were lots of cigarette butts on the grounds of the site, garbage in the fire pits and the washrooms were not well cleaned. We thought with the number of campers and the fireworks at dusk that it might be a bit of a party place, so we were surprised that it was the most quiet site we've had for the entire trip! There were virtually no sounds all night and well into mid-morning when we left.

We followed the country road route out of town as suggested by the Velorution folks. It wasn't all paved and jogged around here and there but it was likely better than the four lane TCH out of town without any shoulder. When we joined the 17 we were 50km out of the city and it was back to a two lane hwy with a wee bit of paved shoulder. I know we should stop whining about this aspect of the road - it's just that I had expected better in ON, especially coming farther south. Anyway, today's route varied from virtually nothing to occasional full pavement going through some of the towns. I am getting used to managing my small part of the road, though. The weather was hotter than forecast (about 30 degrees) and winds were generally from behind. All in all a pretty good cycle day.

The following picture was taken from my phone while I was cycling. This is either Mennonite or Amish or Hudderite country and there were signs on the back roads and TCH indicating the horse and buggies could be on the road. It was strange to hear the clip, clop of the horses' hooves mixed with the truck traffic noise, and quite a surprise that they were going slower than I. A girl and a woman were in the buggy, both wearing the full black bonnet and long black clothing. The girl looked at me with mild curiosity and I'm not sure if she answered my hello. We also saw a few of their farms on the back road we took out of the city, with no power lines running from the road and guys plowing the fields with a horse. One house had a huge clothesline which used a bicycle wheel for a pulley. I started wondering about how folks like this are treated by Revenue Canada and municipalities in terms of paying taxes.

We came across the welcoming sound of centreline rumble strips for a couple hours this afternoon. Rumble strips on the side shoulders were on almost all the roads we took in BC, Alberta and Sask. along with centreline strips on a few of the major roads. So I've been surprised at the lack of any in ON so far other than only a few km west of Thunder Bay. I like the centreline strips since they give me an accurate indication of how far the approaching traffic is moving over for me.

Wayne made a casual remark at lunch today which planted a seed and is already sprouting roots in my imagination. He has been a little disappointed in his cycling mileage and envious of mine, so he said "I'll get my distance in next summer when you drive support for me". Yes!! Sounds like a great idea if we can find a smaller camper van I would be comfortable driving.

We are over-nighting on a road just off the hwy with a closed bridge and no connection to an adjoining road, so virtually a little dead-end.

just off the hwy for the night

So far two sets of visitors have come and gone (both of whom I thought were coming to boot us out). The first were several extended family members from the Soo, looking for an abandoned grave site of a two year old niece who drowned in the creek behind us in the spring of 1957. It was a poignant pilgrimage with flowers and plans to maintain the site in the future. We're not sure who the next visitors were as they arrived in separate vehicles, saw us here and quickly turned around!