Day 28 - Monday June 28 - Tobermory to Craigleith (162 km)

"3 Girls and a Truck Camper"
We were pretty snappy this morning, with the alarm going off at 5 and hitting the road by 7, having had breakfast, broken camp, and driven back to the ferry to resume riding where we'd left off. It was quite foggy again, and we could hear the fog horn for quite a distance from the ferry! Cathy started out riding today, and rode for most of the day. It was FABULOUS having company on the road, and we buzzed along, making it to Owen Sound for lunch before noon. The day really heated up, and it was great to be able to stop to snack without getting cold. There was lots of rough pavement again today, and with our road tires (pumped up to 100-120 psi) the shock reverberates through our entire bodies - quite uncomfortable! Cathy calls this kind of riding the "pum-pums" because as we ride there is a continual pum-pum, pum-pum, pum-pum... At 126 km Cathy decided to hop in the truck with Aunt Trish so as not to overdue it on day 1, and since she'll be in an 8 hour mountain bike relay race this coming weekend. I tell you, these women are pretty darn incredible! My Aunt Trish has been a role model for me for as long as I can remember. A retired phys ed teacher, she is a vibrant example of what it means to live a healthy, active, balanced lifestyle: she's active all year round, partaking in everything from canoe-tripping and skiing (downhill and cross-country), to biking, hockey, snowshoeing, and swimming; she plays flute, guitar, and piano, and sings in the local choir; she paints and knits; she knows how to chop wood, and use a cross-cut saw, and do a whole lotta other useful things, some of which she taught my sisters and I, like how to make bannock over a campfire, and marshmallow toffee; at weddings, she starts the party on the dance floor (or really, anywhere else that dancing is permitted!), and can get the attention of a crowd instantly with her piercing whistle; she decided she wanted to learn more about photography, so she bought a camera and joined a club! She takes life by storm, and has always included us, her nieces, in it. In fact, my first experience with what could be categorized as "bicycle touring" was with my Aunt Trish. As a high school phys ed teacher, Aunt Trish organized a field trip called the "Bike 'n Hike" and invited my older sister and I (then in grades 4 and 7) along. I remember it was a Great time! Anyway, I could go on, and on, and on, but the point is: you can imagine how excited I am to be on the road with my Aunt Trish! Back to today... We were making good time, and debating how far to go for the day, when some storm clouds blew in... fast. I was riding along, blissfully unaware as the thunder just sounded like trucks on the bumpy road. But when I pulled up to the truck alongside the highway, Aunt Trish said, "Look behind you!" - black clouds and thunder, moving in FAST. We were not even 1/2 a km away from Craigleith Provincial Park, so the decision to stop there was easy. We didn't quite make it before the downpour started, and boy, did it POUR! We waited out the worst of it, and then set up camp in the drizzle. About 45 minutes after the storm hit, it stopped, just as abruptly as it'd started, and the sun came out again! Nonetheless, it's been nice to have stopped here, and hitting camp by 3pm is a definite recors for this trip. While Cathy and I took nice hot showers and I threw some laundry on, Aunt Trish set out on her mountain bike to explore the Georgian Trail, which runs all the way from Meaford to Collingwood (she says it's awesome!). We dug out some nachos, salsa, and cheese, and brought our lawn chairs down to the beach on Notawasaga Bay, just a stones throw from our campsite. What a life! The girls left me on the beach to catch up on the blog while they started supper. The 'ole Achilles is still bothering me today, but at least it doesn't seem to be getting any worse... fingers crossed! After dinner (which was completed with a piece of homemade cherry cheesecake SENT BY MY MOM - Mom, you're the best!) we had a campfire, and Aunt Trish and I went for a walk on the beach to enjoy the sunset. Now we're all cozy in the camper, listening to the surf... it's like we're by the ocean.
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