Day 22 - Tuesday June 22 - Nipigon to west of Marathon (166 km)

"Wildlife and the Wild Life"
Today was a high-on-life kind of day. We slept in until 7 since we didn't get to bed until around 12:30, and the rain had stopped so we enjoyed breakfast by the stream. We put some laundry on, and I hit the road ahead of Dad around 9am. There was construction, and about 7km of graded pavement (which makes for rough riding), but after that the roads improved markedly. I got chatting with one of the construction workers, and she told me that she was 60 years old. I'd have sworn she was 40, and she told me that the secret was "keeping active... and eating well, of course" - amen sista! I caught up with Debbie (the fellow rider from our campsite) and we rode together for an hour and shared our stories - so fun. By this point it had started to rain again and it was quite foggy, but it was relatively warm (compared to how it's been when it's rained), and as long as I kept moving I didn't need extra layers or rain pants. The fog sort of obscured the view of Lake Superior, but this served to bring the immediate roadside details into sharper focus: the rusty red rock faces (cut away to make room for the road), wild strawberry plants, and sprinklings of wildflowers in vibrant yellow, orange, purple, and white. I met another cyclist, Brett, on the road around 11:00. Brett is my age, is from the US, and is doing a large bicycle tour including parts of both countries. His love of travel, cycling, and family were immediately apparent, and his excitement and enthusiasm were so contagious. Parting ways (he was heading west) he dinged his bell and whooped as he rode down the hill. It's so exciting and inspiring to meet others on the road! Shortly thereafter I met my Dad for lunch. He'd had quite the morning - the battery in the car was dead (from leaving the cooler plugged in and having plugged in the computer last night to update the blog - whoops!). Luckily, the owner of the campsite had a charger, and he was soon on the road again (after folding the laundry and putting away the tents that is!). After lunch we rode together for a while, and then Dad backtracked to get the car while I continued on. At times, visibility was less than 100 feet with the fog, but it seemed to change a lot throughout the day (this may have been due to us going up and down into and out of it rather than it actually clearing or thickening). We saw lots of wildlife today too - a deer, a bunny, a heron, and... I was about 20 km from camp (Dad had gone ahead to check in) when I came around the bend at the top of a particularly twisty hill and came face to face with a bear! Ok, well, maybe not face to face with it - it was about 20 feet away across the ditch - but it was most definitely too close for comfort. I hesitated for a moment and almost reached for my camera, but survival instinct won and I booked it, hoping that it was more interested in the plant it was eating and/or didn't see me. Safely away... that was SO COOL to see! We arrived at our campsite around 7, got cleaned up and made dinner. Now we're just relaxing in the restaurant/general store at this campsite to use the internet, and are looking forward to going to bed at a decent hour!

Day 21 - Monday June 21 - Kakabeka Falls to Nipigon (146 km)

"Fixing Foxy"
Today had a rough start - I woke up feeling woozy, but felt better after eating breakfast (I actually don't think the approx 6,000 calories I consumed yesterday were enough - unreal!). Dad and I went down to check out the falls again and to walk around and enjoy the park a bit - beautiful. I left ahead of Dad around 9:00 to ride to the cyclepath (bike store) in Thunder Bay. It was a beautiful morning for a ride, and I stopped to take some pictures en route. At the bike shop, Foxy had quite the make-over. ("Foxy" is my bike, aptly named by my older sister Amanda, because: 1. foxes are fast, 2. "foxy" is sexy, and my bike is pretty good lookin', and 3. Terry Fox ran across Canada - Amanda is the queen of naming things!). Anyway, almost $400 later, I walked out with new pedals, a new tire, new derailleur components, straightened handlebars, and with the rack removed! It is Fabulous to have functional pedals again and to not have to worry about that back tire! We stopped at the Terry Fox memorial and lookout just outside of Thunder Bay - so inspirational...wow. Dad rode with me for about 15 km after that, and it sure is nice to have company on the road. Got chatting with some guys riding motorcycles from Quebec to Vancouver (super friendly) and Dad surprised me with a Big Mac meal (third time having McDonalds on this trip, and a nice change from the usual lunch of bagel with pb). We arrived at our campsite (Stillwater Valley) at around 6:30, and chatted with another touring cyclist camping here (she retired last year and is fulfilling a life-long dream). It's so neat to talk to people who are doing similar trips and to hear their stories. After showering, we hopped in the car to head back to Thunder Bay for dinner. My Dad went to this restaurant called "The Prospector" last summer when he was driving through and has been talking about it ever since, so he really wanted for us to be able to go there. The drive was nice, and we saw a bear cub by the side of the highway! The Prospector definitely lived up to its reputation (prime rib never tasted so good, and they sent us home with a bag of 18 homemade buns on the house!). The casino is just down the street, so we went in to check it out (I got ID'd.. but Dad was good). It was raining by this point, and we drove back to our campsite around 11. There's a creek running right behind our tents and it's very picturesque and a nice sound change from train tracks. Just taking advantage of the internet at this campground, and then bed!

Day 20 - Sunday June 20 - Wabigoon to Kakabeka Falls (309 km)

"Going for the Goal"
One of my goals for this trip was to have one day where I rode 300 km. We'd (J and I) hoped to take advantage of the flatness of the prairies for this, but the opportunity never arose, and I was starting to think I'd missed my chance. But last night we checked the weather from our campsite, and the forecast looked promising: winds coming from the west (5 km/hr), high of 24 degrees, and sunny with cloudy periods. I thought it might be a good day to try for 300 km, and decided to play it by ear. We got up at 4:30 am to jump-start the day, and I was on the road by 5:45 while Dad took down the tents and washed our oatmeal dishes (talk about spoiled right!). The first 20 kms were absolutely beautiful - last remaining wisps of a pink sunrise, mist rising off of the lakes disappearing as the sun peeked through, and cool but comfortable. By 20 kms, I was committed: today was going to be the 300 km day. The style of riding in bicycle touring is much different from biking at home. For example, at home when there is a hill, I usually like to attack it: pick up speed, out of the saddle, riding aggressively and downshifting only as necessary. Breathless at the top? Good - keep going through it - it's a great training stimulus! It's different on trip though, because you have to ride all day - avoiding that breathless lactate threshold is key to being able to maintain a steady pace all day. Today however, I knew I'd need to ride like I was at home (slow and steady probably wouldn't do the trick). So, I set small goals as I went: 100 km before 10am, 150 km before noon, and then smaller goals as the day wore on (15 km before next snack). The day was beautiful, and though the tailwind was slight I was grateful for it. Dad rode for 50 km today on his mountain bike and we road together for part of that which was nice. I had one flat tire (not TOO bad for a Canadian Tire tire I suppose!), but the two of us changed it and we were on the road again in no time. A girl on the back of a motorcycle gave me a "WOO-OOO!" and a fist-pump; Dad brought me an ice-cream bar mid-day; and we sat on actual lawn chairs at lunch (a most definite improvement over the gravel shoulder!). The last 80 km of the day were very hilly, and I must admit I was tiring, but I was buoyed by the thought that I was going to reach the goal. Dad drove ahead of me to Kakabeka Falls and met me in the parking lot with a high five and a grin when I rode in around 7pm (or I guess, technically, 8pm as we crossed the time zone line today!). What an awesome feeling - glowing satisfaction. [By special request (Mom) the trip stats were: 309.06 km, 10 hrs 41 mins, 28.92 km/hr]. We got cleaned up and then walked around the falls (pretty spectacular). We went to town to get groceries for dinner (by car) and are heading to bed around 11. Where do the days go?! I'm feeling very content, and glad I can check that one off the list!

Day 19 - Saturday June 19 - Kenora to Wabigoon (162 km)

"Hills, Flat Tires, and... Dad?!?!"
It took an enormous amount of willpower to drag myself from the cozy bedcovers and mountains of pillows when the alarm went off this morning at 5:30am, but as usual I wanted to start out at a decent hour and I needed to re-pack all of the gear that I'd hung up to dry. I had breakfast at the hotel (complimentary), and then typed out last night's blog entry with the free WiFi (although I later found out that it didn't send!). Checking out of the hotel I got chatting with a man who'd done a bike trip across Western Canada years ago, although he did it the "hard way" from east to west (I had a private chuckle and managed to refrain from mentioning the fact that we'd had one decent tailwind in 18 days). The roads out of Kenora were pretty brutal - lots of potholes and gravel places where I had to get off and walk, so the going was slow. Around 10:00, something felt off, so I got off to check my tires. The back was a little too soft, but the front seemed low too, so I thought/hoped that maybe they both just needed air and I pumped them up with the hand pump. Unfortunately, this was not the case, and about 5 km down the road the back tire was back to the same degree of softness, and I grimly accepted the fact that I had my first flat. I unloaded the tent and poles, paniers, handlebar bag and watter bottles, and turned my bike upside down, when a car pulled up ... it was my Dad!!! I knew he was coming, but I wasn't expecting him until late in the evening or early the next day (he left home on Friday around 11:30am, and it's a >20 hour drive!). SO EXCITING!!!! He'd driven pretty much straight through, with only two short naps - crazy! After a rib-creaking hug, and a few minutes of excited-interrupting talking, we loaded all of my stuff in the car and changed the tire together (talk about timing!). We got back on the road shortly thereafter, and my Dad rode his mountain bike as well to stretch out from the drive. We met a few other touring cyclists from Quebec, and played leapfrog with them a bit today. My Dad (henceforth "Dad" as opposed to "my Dad") brought a 12 V cooler to plug in to the car, stocked with deliciousness (Ivanhoe cheese, chocolate milk, cherries, yogurt etc), and my little sister Abbie sent delicious baking (lemon poppyseed muffins and oatmeal chocolate cranberry cookies..mmm - thanks Abbie!), so we ate well today! I had a second flat tire mid-day; the back tire was completely worn down to the threads on the side where the rack has been rubbing, so it doesn't take much. This time, Dad went ahead to Dryden to buy a tube and tire (no bike shop, so $15 Canadian Tire tire it is!). If I'd been on my own... it probably would've been another hitchhike day as that was my last tube! Eeeps! While he was gone, I walked on with my bike, and a middle-aged man with twinkly blue eyes stopped to see if I was ok ("I saw you walkin' and thought you might be tired o' ridin'"). So kind. We arrived at our campsite around 6:30, set up, showered, and made hamburgers for dinner (delish!). Went for a short walk to explore the area, and checked the weather for tomorrow (lookin' good!). Getting ready for bed now, and I'm feeling very pampered as Dad brought me a pillow and my full-length Thermarest (no more of this sleeping-pad-that-reaches-from-shoulders-to-knees-nonsense). Can't get enough hugs. Isn't family awesome!??!?!

Day 18 - Friday June 18 - Winnipeg to Kenora (224 km)

"Crossroads"
Despite not making it to bed until past midnight, I opted for a 4:30am wake-up in the hopes of beating the traffic on the way out of town. J got up around 5 to help me with the last-minute stuff (bless her heart), and helped me bring the gear to the parking garage and to load up my bike. I was on the road by 5:45, but hadn't gone 2 km when it started to mist, so I stopped to put on my rain jacket. A few kilometers later it started to rain harder, so I stopped to put on my booties. A few kilometers later it started to POUR; I pulled off the main road under the overhang for a drive-through bank machine and dug out the trusty old rain pants. Back on the road again, I found I couldn't clip in with my left foot. Another quick stop and inspection revealed that the spring mechanism inside the pedal had come apart, rendering the ability to clip in impossible. It looked like it was going to be a looong ride. I made it out of the city, and the rain virtually stopped, turning it into a perfect day for riding... IF one were to be riding northwest. Of course, I was riding east/southeast, and the ferocious crosswind/headwind can only be described as: "I'd never ride in this at home." There was one small blessing: I got into what we have termed a "butt groove." This highly technical term denotes an almost euphoric state in which the bike seat inexplicably feels comfortable, eliminating the need to shift one's weight or stand every few pedal revolutions. Bliss! This groove continued almost until I stopped for a second breakfast break around 9:30am. As I was leaving, the rain started again, and it didn't let up for the rest of the day. The road leading out of Winnipeg was absolutely pin straight and flat for a solid 50-60km (just as J's Dad told us it would be), and at ~80 km in the surrounding terrain changed abruptly from open fields to tree lines and forests which helped to dampen the wind considerably. I stopped for lunch at a gas station so I could sit under another overhang out of the wind and rain, and then again at the Ontario border to get info on the usual 3 things: bike shops, grocery stores, and accommodations. Getting close to Ontario the roads became hilly again, and crossing the border felt like coming home! As I rode into Ontario, a guy getting out of his car shouted "Bienvenue a l'Ontario!" and gave a fist-pump - woo! The scenery very much reminds me of the Perth/Westport area (rolling hills, outcropping of rocks, mosaic forests, and deep blue lakes), although it's strange to think I'm still so far from home - I'll be in Ontario for 1/3 to 1/2 of this trip! I couldn't stop grinning, and made it to the outskirts of Kenora by around 5:45, and to the bike store by...6:30. Closed! Guess I'll have to ride with the broken pedal for another day - I'm hoping Dryden has a bike shop! I made my way to the grocery store to pick up the usual supper fare, and then to the main strip of motels. I'd planned to stay in a motel tonight since I'm without a bike lock (it was J's) and since I'm alone, and I was very glad of this decision given the rain (by this point I was completely soaked through - I guess GoreTex can only shed water for so long). Long story short: I ended up passing over 2 places before finding one that had a room available and for ~$100. By this point it was 7:00, and in truth after riding for over 10 hours I would've paid a great deal of money to be able to get out of my wet clothes and shoes. After paying for the room I went back out to get my bike, and an older gentleman held the doors for me, saying, "we saw you come in and thought, 'oh, I hope she gets a room!'". Very kind. I'm all cozy now, with gear strewn about everywhere to dry (I actually had to pour water out of the paniers!) and my bike taken care of (cleaned and lubed up). It was quite a day, and so strange to be on the road without J (I missed your improvised songs about the rain!). Bed is calling...

Day 17 - Thursday June 17 - Rest Day in Winnipeg!

"A Rest for the Weary"
After being blissfully unconscious for 8-9 hours we woke up to a breakfast of eggs, toast, bacon and fruit - a nice change from our normal regime. J had gotten gung-ho in the night, continuing the laundry we'd started so that everything was clean for today (wowza!). We use the term "rest day" pretty liberally with respect to this trip as these days are so packed - they'd be better termed "days not biking". After breakfast we cleaned up a little, and ran some errands (pharmacy and grocery store) while J's grandparents were out. Came back and had a nice lunch, after which we went out for a tour of Winnipeg (a beautiful city!) And to explore the route out of the city for V tomorrow. When we came home, we all had a nap, grandparents included, for about 1.5 hours (ok, so there fortunately is SOME rest on a rest day). We both have headaches today, and figure it's probably a combination of sleep-deprivation, dehydration, and not being used to sleeping with pillows (assimilating back into normal life is gonna be tough!). Post-nap we had a delicious dinner, and V re-organized and packed for tomorrow. Now we're enjoying the view of the city, from the 9th floor panorama, munching on some popcorn, and are feeling very reminiscent as we write our last blog entry together. It's amazing how fast 17 days can go by. With all of the comical set-backs along the way (some of them not so comical at the time), we're arrived at the end of the road for J, one day ahead of schedule. At this 1/3 mark for V, we'd like to just say Thanks Again so much to all of the friendly, generous strangers who opened their hearts to us along the way. It's been an amazing experience and we're not looking forward to parting ways tomorrow. Next planned extended duo bike trip: Freedom 55!
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Day 16 - Wednesday June 16 - Douglas to Winnipeg (191 km)

"The Last Ride Together... Of This Trip"
We woke up early, had the tent down by 6, and wrote a note to our friendly host, Ted, as we didn't want to wake him up. He heard our cleats on the sidewalk and poked his head out as we were leaving, and invited us in to use his facilities one last time. (Thanks again for everything Ted, it was a memorable last night!). We biked off, but about 2 km later our tummies stopped us for breakfast (which was unbelievable considering how late we'd eaten dinner!). For the first little while it was smooth sailing. There was some construction, but we were able to ride on the new smooth pavement, away from traffic. The day heated up fast (we started in our tank tops) adding a new and foreign challenge to our day. At 27 degrees celsius, and in the direct sunlight with a headwind, it was like being in a convection oven. It's amazing how much the heat saps our energy, and the contrast between this and 5 degrees with pelting rain, within such a short period of time, was enormous. At the western entrance to Portage-la-Prairie, we spotted a lone tree and hobbled 10 m across the ditch to sit in its shade (V passed out instantly for a 5 minute nap). After this brief break, we made our way to the Dairy Queen where we loitered out of the sun for an hour, and put our feet up... J, a little too far up, forgetting she was in civilization (V: "put your feet down!" J: "oops! Thank you.."). J called her grandparents to tell them where we were at, as we're staying with them tonight, and warned them that we "might" smell a little - a gross under-exaggeration. When we started out again, it was thankfully a little bit cooler. At the 66 km to Winnipeg sign we gave a cheer and did a victory dance (destination in sight... And we've been needing a rest day for days!). It was the funniest but slowest leg of the trip... "We'll be there in 2 hours... Well, maybe 3 hours... Well... Tonight". The headwinds picked up (as we'd been warned they often do in the prairies), slowing our progress, and our bodies entered into malfunction mode. We can handle a sore ankle, or a sore knee, or a sore wrist, or a sore bum... But when they all hurt at once, the comparatively short remaining kilometers seem like an eternity. Nonetheless, we enjoyed the last leg of our ride, laughing at the ridiculousness of the whole situation. Once we hit the city limits our spirits and speed picked up, and we enjoyed the flat terrain very much. We arrived at J's grandparents' around 9:15 and drove right into the parking garage, where J's Grandpa (who'd been watching from the window) greeted us with a hug and a smile, despite our layers of sunscreen, sweat and grime). We took much-anticipated showers ans enjoyed delicious vegetable soup that J's Grandma made. It's now around 11:30 and we're getting ready to pass out... For longer than 5 to 6 hours!
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