July 19; 122 km 519m vertical, hot and sunny at last

Sault Ste. Marie to Iron Bridge
A busy day today. We had to tear ourselves away from the TV live coverage of Le Tour and go down to the mall to get the laundry done and do some shopping. You should have seen the laundry. A Soo city map went into the washer with the clothes. When I got back from Big Mac TimB was just unloading our kit from the washing machine. It was all covered in about 2 quadrillion pieces of soggy paper and the machine had the another 2 quadrillion pieces inside so it took a little longer to get the laundry done than we had anticipated. After we had stowed everything away we creamed up for a day in the sun and I had to scoff a couple of cheeseburgers to work up enough energy to get my leg over and then we were off. After leaving town we moved onto the dual carriageway that took us 55km before we set eyes on anywhere to have a rest. We stopped at the first little restaurant that we saw and ordered the biggest pot of tea they could find. It did six mugs and then we had a refill. It all helped to wash down the lemon-cranberry muffins and at the end the owner would not let us pay a cent because she was so impressed with us riding across Canada. I should have had a steak and a beer. After we had sufficiently re-hydrated we set off and did the 62km that got us to here in Iron Bridge. We are in a nice little motel owned by a Spaniard and the attached restaurant is leagues ahead of the run of the mill places. It will be a shame to leave after only one night. Now it is time to get the telly on and catch up on Le Tour. Night night.

July 18; 125 km 791m vertical, cool & foggy

Montreal River to Sault Ste Marie
We managed an earlier start today. TimB was up before 6:30, I got tea in bed while he cooked breakfast (am I glad that I’m the mechanic) and were on our way by 9. The fog was still down to the tree roots so there was not a lot to see. We climbed the hill that we had come back down last night and nearly got above the fog to see a pale sun and then it was back down the other side of the hill into the gloom. Things were going well until after about 19km I told TimB that his back tyre was getting wider and wider. Sure enough, another puncture for me to fix and while doing it we found that the tyre was so worn the rubber was loose exposing the casing in several places. The chances for food and drinks were more frequent on this stage, the hills were fewer and less steep so we made good time to the Soo where we headed, via the Tourist Centre, to the nearest bike shop for an urgently required tyre. After fitting it we settled in a town centre motel so that we would be able to take full advantage of the street festival that is on this weekend.

PS Thanks to all those who posted comments and for their kind wishes. My back is much better today. TimB

July 17; 114 km 1019m vertical, warm and humid

Wawa to Montreal River
We are back in the saddle again. After 3 days of lying in bed with my knees higher than my hips, we decided to throw caution to the winds and head for Sault Ste Marie. As a test I loaded up my bike and road once around the parking lot to see if everything worked. It did. Riding my bike is not hard on my back, but getting on and off my bike is a little more complicated than usual.
We left Wawa at 11 and headed south for Montreal River. I road slowly for the first 10 km and then I tucked in behind TimG and let him do all the work. The winds were not strong, but they were from the south so I biked in TimG’s slipstream most of the way. We stopped every 25km for a rest and granola bars. The road had major hills and we hit 3 uphills that climbed more than 4km and along the way we got some nice views of Lake Superior and it’s precipitous shoreline. The road went through Lake Superior Provincial Park for 89km and there were no motels, hotels or restaurants so we had to do 111km without our usual 1 hour tea and lunch break. When we hit Montreal River we headed for the restaurant we had seen advertised at the exit from the park. Unfortunately, it was no longer a restaurant, just a food store, but we did get a tea and some bad news - there were no motels open for another 50km down the road. While I was asking other customers about a campsite, the lady told me there was a resort with chalets just 3km away back down the steep hill we had just climbed. We now have a lovely (wooden) chalet on the shores of Lake Superior with a large patio window where we are watching the rain fall gently into the largest freshwater lake in the world.

PS from TG. Just in case you don’t already know: Lake Superior surface area 31700 sq. miles (that’s about one third the size of GB); East-West 382 miles N-S 160 miles; max. depth 1279ft; avg. depth 489ft; volume 3 quadrillion gallons; avg. temp. 40F (yep you don’t see anybody swimming in it); water turnover 191-199 years; tour around the lake 1300 miles.

July 14, 15, and 16

We are holed up in Wawa, Ontario due to injury. TimB had a back spasm on Sunday night (Hexenschuss uff Deutsch) and is resting in bed for 3 days. During this time he has been waited on hand and foot by TimG who is proving to be an excellent nurse. Thanks goodness for the Tour de France on television.

Many thanks to everybody for the birthday wishes. I had expected to spend the day on a bike saddle not nursing a cripple but at least I get to rest between fetching tea and meals and doing the laundry and ……….

Day 44 July 13 97km 705M vertical 12°C Cold rain SW wind

White River to Wawa
We had a cold, wet and miserable day, but not all at the same time. It was raining heavily this morning so we had a leisurely breakfast and departed White River at11:15. The rain was lighter but the wind was in our face as we headed straight south so we had a wet journey for the first third of our day. Suddenly the rain stopped, the road dried up, and the wind shifted to our back. We made the most of the tail wind and cruised along at 29 kph for the next third of our day. The sun peaked out briefly, just to tease us, and then the temperature dropped to 12°C , the wind turned to face us and the sun disappeared. Our cruising speed dropped to 19kph. The last third of the day was drudgery fighting the cold south winds. We pedalled into Wawa and immediately found the Tim Horton’s for hot tea and cinnamon buns.

Day 43 July 12 96km 759m vertical, 11°C thick fog cold S wind

Marathon to White River
This morning I felt it was necessary to check the calendar. I shook it and checked again and it still said July. Well you could have fooled me looking at the weather. Visibility was about 100m and the damp fog felt a lot colder than 11°C. I promise not to say anything bad about Scottish weather again. It was a tough start with a 4km climb out of downtown Marathon up to the TransCanada Hwy and then east through 20km of roadworks where the asphalt had been ground off leaving grooves that don’t bother cars but cause narrow bike tyres to constantly shift left and right. It was a relief to finally get onto a normal road surface. The day brightened slowly and by mid afternoon was warm and sunny while the wind freshened to a point where when we left the shelter of the forest to pass a lake it nearly blew us both to a standstill before we could lean on the pedals harder. Scenery continues to be impressive including many square kilometres that a few years ago were destroyed by fire and though green again lacks any trees. Guess what? We are in a motel again. Anybody want to buy a three man tent?

Day 42 July 11 101km 1000M Vertical

Schreiber to Marathon
We started the day with a visit to the Internet Café and then the railway Museum at Schreiber. The Museum was small but informative, just right for a 1 hour tour. We left Schreiber at noon and headed for Marathon. The theme of the day was hills, hills and more hills. We had a mild headwind so we were not fast and the constant uphills kept the average speed down. For every uphill there is a downhill, but sometimes it’s hard to find. Today we followed the shore of Lake Superior and had glimpses of the beautiful scenery along the lake. But, by the end of the day we counting the meters climbed and looking for a new daily record for Ontario. (It didn’t happen)

Day 41 July 10 95km 1013m vertical, 15°C cool SE wind

Nipigon to Schreiber
We left Nipigon at 10:45 and headed east on Highway 17. Our hopes of the NW wind to push us along were dashed when we saw a SE wind blowing during breakfast. The day did not start well for TimG because the pancakes that he had looked forward to were served cold so he sent them back and made do with a cup of coffee. We set off against a strong head wind and the road featured many climbs several of which were long and steep. Because of the conditions our average speed was only 19kph. The road ran close to the shores of Lake Superior and we often had good views of the scenery. Shortly after starting we came across another group of cyclists on a cross Canada ride. We had camped at the same campsite in Assiniboia Sask June 19. We leapfrogged each other all day long and ended up eating lunch together in Rossport, a pretty little town right on the edge of the lake.

Day 40 July 9th 115km 686m vertical, 18°C cool NW wind

Thunder Bay to Nipigon
I think if we had stayed any longer living the good life with TimB”s relatives we would not have got back on the bikes. It was 11:30 before we got going. We had to ride along the north east shore road to Nipigon with a strong NW wind blowing across or against us. Together with stretches of road that were in an appalling state (and we are talking about the Trans Canada Highway here) it was a fairly tough day. After about 70km we took a loop road to Ouimet/Eagle Canyon to see Canada’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge over Eagle Canyon. I thought it was daylight robbery charging us $18 apiece to walk over the bridge but we did have a good laugh getting it to sway about and trying to bounce it up and down (actually that was me while TimB was trying to take pictures). After that little excursion we had to crack on for the last 40km as it was getting a bit late. We finished tired but with high hopes of being able to benefit from the NW wind in the morning when we turned the corner to start heading E along the north side of the lake.

Day 39 July 8

Rest day in Thunder Bay
We toured Thunder Bay with Frank our host and spent more money in bike shops. We worked on our bikes and we ate and drank more food and beer. We raised the issue of staying here until our trip is over but Frank pointed out that his children have moved out and he doesn't want two more. Tomorrow we hit the road again.

Day 38 July 7 55km Warm and sunny

Oliver Lake to Thunder Bay
We left Oliver Lake and headed to the big city of Thunder Bay. At 110,000 inhabitants, Thunder Bay has doubled since I lived here. However all the distances seemed so short. On the way to my other cousin (Sharon) we rode past my old house, my old elementary school, my old ski club, old swimming pool. The house was smaller, the school was gone, the ski club was closed and the pool was still there. For the first time since leaving Lethbridge we found some very good bike shops where I bought a new tire and TimG bought a new helmet. We arrived at cousin Sharon’s at 3 PM to find the Wal-Mart greeters out on the street waving us into the right driveway. We enjoyed a very warm welcome, a very good meal and then met all my family in Port Arthur. To say my family contains a few live wires is not an understatement - Melissa.

Day 37 July 6 hot and sunny

Rest Day at Oliver lake

Day 36 July 5 60km Hot and sunny Wind SW moderate

We rode the Trans-Canada from Shabaqua to Kakabeka Falls and then stopped at the Niagara of the north. The falls were awesome, - the sheer volume of water and the roar of the water leave a lasting impression. One lady I talked to is a local who said she has never seen so much water going over the falls in her life. She was a lot older than me.
We turned south at Stanley and took gravel roads for 15km to Oliver Lake. We arrived at 3pm and the party was in full swing. My cousin Danny lives year round on Oliver lake. Over the years, he has mastered the art of enjoying the lake at it’s best and Saturday was hot and sunny. We ate, drank, swam and watched the fireworks he had saved for the fourth of July (my anniversary). It was a good start to our 4 day layover in Thunder Bay.

Day 35 July 4 144km 897m vertical. Warm and sunny, wind W. to SW moderate.

Atikokan to Shabaqua
We spent the night in the Atikokan Hotel - our best hotel so far on this trip. The hotel is old, but very well maintained. Our room had beautiful wood floors and the nicest bathroom to date. All rooms had different comforter and pillow combinations - it was more like a museum than a hotel. The food was quite good and pricey. After a hearty breakfast we hit the road at 11:00 and planned to do 120km to Shebandowan. The winds were favourable, the road went up and down all day and the scenery was interesting. Only the bugs were bad. At one stop, TimG road around in circles to avoid the mossies, while I took a picture - I’m still scratching. We tried to always stop where the wind was strong. The up and down roads today meant we had our largest vertical climb since BC and the fifth highest climbing day of the trip. We passed the Artic/Atlantic watershed today - you could be forgiven for thinking it would all be downhill after the watershed but it wasn’t. However, we managed to averaged 25.0 kph (good for us and our luggage). As our contribution to the environment today we rescued Stanley the turtle from the middle of the road and put him in a ditch. He’s not a flat Stanley yet!
Our planned destination was to have been Shebandowan Lake but the Hotel was no longer in business as such so we carried on to Shabaqua, an extra 20 km. But what’s another 20 km when you’ve already done 124.

Day 34, July3 156km; 875m vertical, 22°C W. wind, nice & warm.

Fort Frances to Atikokan
It would have been a reasonably early start at 9:30 but when we pumped the tyres up a bit TimB’s valve tore out of the tube (the third one since he landed in Vancouver) so we were delayed until 10 o’clock. The new tube now has a piece of the old tube around the neck of the valve to cushion it against the edge of the hole in the rim. If this doesn’t work I’m out of ideas other than getting new rims!!!!! We are well and truly out of the prairies now. The terrain is heavily wooded, hilly and there are loads of lakes and rivers. Have a look at a map (or Google earth) of the region west of Thunder Bay and you will see what I mean. The terrain is such that there is no farming but plenty of fishing and hunting on offer at lodges well away from the road. There are hardly any private residences and we saw only one business (a gas station) where we could get a coffee in the whole 155km. The prairies were like market day compared to this part of the country.

Day 33, July2 88km; 215m vertical, 16°C N. wind and cold

Rainy River to Fort Frances
Just getting used to hotter weather and then this. Today was a gentle ride to preserve some energy for the next two stages. This is our first day in Ontario, 4 provinces done and 6 to go. We met another couple from Vancouver at the motel who are also riding to St John’s. They saw us way back at the laundromat in Creston (2200km ago) but since then we have been on slightly different routes. This morning they set off a little before us but we met again at Emo for a lunch break. There aren’t many places to stop at on the 440km to Thunder Bay (hence the long stages for the next couple of days) so we will probably be seeing them again soon. That makes eight groups or individuals to date either doing the same as us or on long rides to other destinations. I guess we will not get lonely.

Day 32, July1 67km; 76m vertical, 32°C nice and hot.

Warroad to Rainy River, Ontario
We left the campsite at Warroad at 9:30 and immediately stopped for a leisurely breakfast in Warroad. It is a pretty little town on Lake of the Woods, situated on a river that the Indians used to raid each other. Hence the name Warroad. We only planned on doing 70km, so it was a slow day. The highway to Baudette and Rainy River is labelled the flower road and had wildflowers in abundance. We lunched in Baudette and then crossed into Canada at Rainy River. I had wanted to find a Canada Day picnic with hamburgers and drinks but the only party that day was for children. However, there was a fireworks display at 10:00 (sunset). We had a hamburger at the hotel, a beer at the Legion and went to the fireworks. Happy Canada Day

Day 31 June 30 117km 175m vertical. SSW wind. Pretty hot 32°C.

Vita to Warroad, Minnesota.
As the motel restaurant was still closed we decided to set off on half a tub of yogurt, no tea or coffee and have a late breakfast break at Piney. Piney, situated near a crossroads, had been signposted for around 90km so we expected to see some services. On the 45km to the crossroads only 3 cars passed us in our direction. It sure is quiet around here. We turned right at the crossroads to go the 1km to Piney only to find the hotel closed and for sale, the garage had been derelict for years and the only business open was the financial services office. So there was nothing for it but to tighten our lycra and head back to the crossroads and carry on east . We had covered 70km and were running on fumes when we found a small restaurant at South Junction. Copious amounts of tea and toasted sandwiches did not restore us to our full former glory but at least got us back on our bikes. A drink break at Sprague and a favourable wind helped us zip along to the US border where we crossed into Minnesota for the last 10km to Warroad where we set up camp. After 3 dry nights some restorative action was necessary so it was not long before we found our way into town where we visited the Legion (bar & restaurant). I wasn’t half way down the first happy hour beer before I was chatting away and being interrogated by John Lofton and Erik Bloomqist. TimB was busy chatting to Barb (all 103.5lbs of her. Apparently they were talking about weight and cycling over mountains. That’s his version anyway. It’s up to you whether you believe him). John and Erik were generously treating us to drinks and we were soon needing a cushion for the intake. Sue, behind the bar, said the kitchen was closed but recommended a place round the corner so that was where we ate before returning to the legion to pick up where we left off. We were further treated to more beers by John and Sue and an hour of ready wit and repartee between Sue’s mother and John. You can’t wish for finer hospitality than we received today.

Day 30 June 29 108km 106m vertical. North wind

Winkler to Vita
We were on the road by 10:00 heading due east. The wind was from the north at times gusting to 40kph. The first 40km were slow, but then we flew due south for 6km on a newly paved shoulder. We had a health food lunch of waffles and pancakes at Letellier and then headed due east again. Shortly after lunch we passed the Red River, the source of so many floods. Since we got to Winkler the land has been extremely flat and you can see why a 10 foot rise in the river can flood 40km wide. We arrived in Vita at 5pm to find everything closed - Motel, restaurants, and bars. At the only convenience store that was open we got canned turkey and rice for supper. We did get a motel room when we found the owner, but the liquor store was closed and we had another dry night. For the last half day it has been easy to tell we are in a Ukrainian district of Manitoba.

Day 29 June 28 Rest day in Winkler.

Library, Laundry and Tim Horton’s.
Winkler is a dry town. As a result we have spent the last two nights at Tim Horton’s drinking Tea. We have had some very nice teas: Orange Pekoe, English breakfast, Earl Grey and Chai. What a delightful change from beer.

Day 28 June 27, 125km, 276m Vertical, 19°C overcast, strong NW wind

Cartwright to Winkler.
A cool start around 9am with zilch for breakfast. The possibility of 10mm of rain was forecast but fortunately we only had a few drops and the bad weather stayed about 50km north of us. It was an uneventful start and we targeted Crystal City (a grand name for a farming village) for a breakfast stop.

Now I must digress to provide some background info. A few days ago TimB noticed that the left hand lowrider frame was rattling and he found that the metal around the bottom screw holding the frame onto the bottom of the fork had broken. We needed somebody who could weld aluminium.

We hadn’t spotted anywhere open to get it fixed until entering Crystal City. The guy at the first auto repair shop sent us round the corner to a workshop where there was somebody who it appeared was able to repair a wide variety of machines. John Pride is the man. His inspection of the problem on TimB’s bike elicited the comment “who made this piece of crap?” but he didn’t pursue this line of enquiry seriously and proceeded to remove the frame and retire into the workshop. In the meantime 3 other local men have turned up and suddenly six chairs are set up in the workshop and we all sit down and chat away. Before too long John has welded a new end piece onto the lowrider frame, drilled a new whole, sprayed it black and fitted it back on the bike. What service, what a hero, and for a miserly 10$ (6.60 Euros) for all his effort. My guess is that John’s repair will easily outlast the other mountings.. After this marvellous experience we stayed in the village for lunch (being in the meantime too late for breakfast) and then set off for La Riviere where we dropped into the river valley hitting 68kph for the first time since the Rockies and had a short tea break before starting the climb out of the valley. Lariviere is the home of the wild turkey. The next 10km were a dream. A brand new asphalt surface as close to being as smooth as a billiard table as a road can be. In the meantime the prairie wind had strengthened to 40+kph and we tore along the last 50km to Winkler at 40-45kph. It was great. Let’s have more. We have now settled in a motel here for our rest day.

Day 27 June 26, 92km, 25°C heavy showers followed by sun. S. wind

International Peace Gardens to Cartwright.
We had a record slow start to our day as we left the campsite at 1:55 pm. We awoke at 6:30 to light rain so we stayed in bed. At 9:00 we had wind and heavy rain so we stayed in bed. At 10:30 the sun came out so we left everything to dry and rushed over to the park café for breakfast (breakfast ends at 11:00). We had a nice breakfast and a good chat with the lady who manages the café. We returned to our tent to dry things out, pack up and depart. We immediately hit the US border which took another half hour to process TimG (an alien). We finally hit the open road at 2:30 and rode about 40 km east through North Dakota and then returned to Canada. The guard in Canada spent more time chatting with us than usual because he was curious about our trip (and appeared to have a very quiet border post). We carried on to Cartwright where we are spending the night in a motel because thunder showers are forecast.