Hi Strangers

Hi again strangers. Part of this trip is a learning process. It has been almost two weeks since our last log update, partly because of the lack of internet in the remote areas we have been riding through, but in all honesty probably more due to our own laziness. At the end of a long day it has been hard to find the motivation to find an internet source and let you all know what is new, when sleep and food are heavily squeezing the mind. So we have learned to give a quick blog update every couple of days from now on. It might not be in too much detail, a few sentences or so, but it should let you know where we are and any exciting relevant news.


Unfortunately for you, this will not be one of those quick updates. This will be more like a novel, so find a comfortable chair, put on a pot of tea, or whatever your beverage of choice is, and get comfy, because we have a lot of news to share! (This is Lucas writing, but Justin is going to work on some of this post later, so it will be a collaboration of sorts! Justin is writing in Italics, and again, apologies about the timing of this blog)

Well, last time we checked in we were in Thessalon. To me, it seems like both a short time and a long time. Those in the group know that i have a particular fascination with time perception and I am amused that for this trip, recalling a day in the past is a little different than other places in that our sense of time is dictated by distance. Not to jump off too far on a philosophical tangent, but Thessalon for me, didn’t occur on July 18, 2010. Rather it is remembered as the day before Sault St. Marie, and the day after Boom Camp. Numbers for days have little meaning, and though I have trouble articulating it, each day is a place in space, not a place in time. A cool concept to me.

Anyways, back to Thessalon and the adventures we have been on.

On my way out of Thessalon with Kristi and Garrett, I noticed Marcia Maguire (our friend Woody’s mom whom we had planned on staying with) was home. She was happy to see us and tried to feed us food, which we kindly declined. Her front yard has been turned into an informal garden of herbs, edible and medicinal plants scattered and placed as she acquires new species. Compost and scrap organic matter was spread through the garden too. The garden had a natural beauty, probably due to the health and well-being of the plants.

After the rest day in Thessalon we left for Sault St. Marie. It was hot in the morning, but would later develop into showers that night. We had a slight headwind, which was a godsend I believe; we had been fighting the wind for days and days, and it had been sucking the life out of us. Suddenly we were using gears that were normally reserved for going down steep hills. As I was split up from the group I ended up riding on a safer rode separate from the highway that took me through a native reserve and vegetable fields, also stopping to see if others would catch up. I started to read the book War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, which I received from Tome in Thessalon. It is one of those books that is hard to put down. The ride into the Sault felt longer because it had been such a long day and I was riding alone wondering how the others were faring. It ended up being a long ride that day as I recall, arriving at a place called Velorutions in the late evening. Velorutions was a great bike shop in the Sault, offering free camping and showers to cyclists from out of town. It was like a little cyclist hobo village. Riders from Europe, the States, Quebec, B.C., and the Maritimes all swapping stories, all going different directions and each offering tips and advice, on places to camp, attractions and the right gear. There is definitely a real sense of comradery and community among cyclists. We usually meet at least a few a day (the majority heading west to east, to utilize the great power of the wind, which really makes a huge difference). We have met people all over the world already, and they always seem to be friendly and talkative. Justin, Viera and I, spent the first night in Sault St. Marie at a couch surfers named Emily. We talked into the late hours and sampled some of her homemade wine. We also shared Tortilla vegetable wraps and roasted sweet potatoes. Kristi and Garrett got in late and camped at Velorutions, while our Quebecois tag along Phillipe stayed at a motel to get some much needed work done. The next day we all had a rest day. We all went our separate ways, Phillipe and I went for a great ride, exploring the city on our bikes, in particular the waterfront of the river, which on the other side is the United States. It was a cool feeling to see our neighbours to the south so close. Before heading out of the city, Garrett and I found the camping supply store, called Joes, where we were able to find a multi-fuelled camping stove for times where a fire or indoor stove are hard to come by.

The next day we woke up and tried to get our gear as dry as possible as huge thunder storms had soaked most everything. In the morning however it was sunny, and we made our way happily up the east side of superior, enjoying the beautiful day and the lack of headwind. It was an absolutely spectacular ride; steep hills and around corners flaunting breathtaking views of rocky hills and blue waters colliding. In the afternoon we dropped down to the coastline, following amazing beaches of white sand. The lake is scattered with islands of differing sizes, most of which have steep, rocky edges and amazing green vegetation. That evening we found a beautiful cove to camp out in. The cove was called Batchewana Bay near Pancake Bay. We found a nice beach to stay on which felt like a place that one could stay for a good length of time. Some of us enjoyed smoked fish at the nearby store, also where we found dinner supplies, like for making chilli. The next day we rode on, and for me personally, it proved to be probably the best ride of the trip so far. Phillipe and I rode ahead, and the wind seemed to be idle all day. We rode along beaches. Some were rocky, some sandy, but all shared the fact that they were breathtaking. We stopped at a beach filled with perfect skipping rocks, a fun pastime of mine. Where the beach curled, it became rocky, with jagged rocks looking like castle walls jutting out into the lake. I walked out onto them, and they made a perfectly crafted staircase out into the water. I couldn’t help but sit there and marvel in the serenity of the waves crashing, the immense detail of the rock around me, and the blue sky shining overhead. Later we proceeded along the most spectacular coastline I have ever seen. We endured steep climbs, but at every one, we looked forward to the magnificent view from the top, and the glimse of more water on the other side. That day we conquered Montreal River Hill, which was apparently the toughest hill before the rockies. Apparently it gave Terry Fox his toughest climb. Phillipe and I put our heads down and climbed and worked as hard as we could. When we got to the top we were ecstatic, high fiving each other and whooping with joy. We learned about an hour later that it was indeed not Montreal River Hill, when we got to the real Montreal River Hill. It was tough, but in the end you always remember the accomplishment, not the sweat you put into the climb. The view was fantastic, and the ride down the other side exhilarating. As a group we rode into Lake Superior Provincial park, where we stayed at Agawa campground. We wanted to avoid paying for camping the entire trip, but that night we had no choice but to fork over the cash. I personally think it was worth it. We all sat together on the sandy beach, and enjoyed one of the most memorable and beautiful sunsets in our memories.

On the way through Lake Superior P.P. Kristi, Garrett and I made a stop to see pictographs which were left by people hundreds of years ago, drawn in a mixture of crushed red stone and animal fat. It was amazing to see that it has lasted so long, although it has apparently been fading ever so slowly from the weather. The landscape around them was quite stunning, large crevasses in the rock, boulder lined walk ways, large natural stone staircases and clear blue water.

Later I caught up with Viera on the rode and we both took a break at Old Woman Bay, another stunning view. In the bay was a cliff with the face of an old woman looking upwards. The stone looked ancient and covered in green. Like an image of an old civilization overgrown by vegetation.

The next morning we were up early, which is a rarity for us because we generally take a while to get ready in the mornings. We rode hard through the park, and once again there was no shortage of beautiful scenery. Phillipe and I rode ahead to get to the town of Wawa (he had work to do, and since he was experiencing bike troubles wanted a partner to ride with). We finally made it there when it was getting dark, and in a binge of unsustainability we bought a motel, a meatlovers pizza, and a case of beer. We were surprised to see Vierra and Justin ride into town a couple hours later. Viera and I were happy and exhausted as we arrived in Wawa, unsure of where to stay the night. We knew that Philipe and Lucas were somewhere about the town. The one motel that we walked into to use the internet, was miraculously the one that our friends were staying in. After a failed attempt to contact them in the room, Viera and I went exploring to find Philipe and Lucas. We were happily greeted by them in the downtown. That night we went to listen to some amazing local music, with a mandolin and base duo. Kristi and Garrett stayed in the park and enjoyed an incredible night camping in the serenity of nature.

We planned to meet Kristi and Garrett at the big goose at the info centre.

The next day Garrett and I went to the local newspaper and everyone else went to a local market, then we rode west. We made it to a little lake, where an extremely hospitable francophone family let us camp in their yard, and even provided firewood.

To get into a more interpersonal aspect of the trip, I will let you know that we try and have group meetings every night, though we do tend to skip them when the mosquitoes are too bad. That night we had an incredible meeting around the fire, where we started to really talk about the purpose of the trip, and why we are all doing this. It seemed like the constitution of our little community was written that night, and it was encouraging to listen to all of us talk about our goals. Of course we don’t always get along on the trip, but of course that is to be expected. We are in fairly good practice about talking about our issues and needs though, and I think that is one of the most important factors in healthy group dynamics.

At the meeting we discussed a decision making model to use to have healthy communication. From the start of the trip a few decisions were unequal or unfair in terms of compromises made. The model is a form of consensus and consultation. Which involves a go around of ideas and concerns and then a vote of thumbs up or down.

The next day we rode our last full day with Phillipe who seemed just like a member of the team by this point. It rained off and on during the day, but we got fairly close to White River that night. The unfortunate cost of our choice of camping spots was it was right next to a train track, and we were awoken repeatedly through the night.

The next morning we rode to White River early in the morning (though my definition of early and yours may be a whole lot different). I have found I love to ride early. The traffic is lighter, the weather usually temperate and the breeze usually seems to be more calm. We arrived in White River and somehow managed to putter around most of the day, getting things ready for Phillipe to take the bus to Winnipeg. It was an interesting town, and the random fact of the day is that it was the home of Winnie the Pooh. We finally said our goodbyes to Phillipe and were sad to see a member of our team off. He rode ahead of us on the greyhound so I am sure he never had to battle the winds that evening, because for us they were awful. Kristi, Garrett and Vierra talked to a man who told them of a beautiful lake to stay at. When Justin and I arrived after them we were happy to set up our camp along the lakeside. We had an unexpected guest for dinner that night: a sly little fox, who would do anything to get our food. We managed to find an old rowboat so we put our food in it and anchored it out in the water, however the fox still managed to get a few pieces of our fruit.

The next morning Kristi was feeling sick, so Garrett and her stayed at the camp while Justin, Vierra and I rode for Marathon. We stayed with sisters Sarah and Katie, who were so good to us, letting us stay and eating there great food. When we got there a pot of Chilli was on, and it seemed like about the greatest thing on the planet. Kristi and Garrett ended up making it there that night as well, the good news being Kristi felt much better.

The next day we had a much needed rest day. We all got lots of work done I think, though still somehow managed to miss updating this blog. Justin made us some great pancakes which was a real treat from the usual oatmeal we had for breakfast (no offence to the oatmeal people out there). Garrett, Kristi and I went to a beach named Pebble Beach in Marathon. It had a beautiful, huge, ocean like surf, which apparently has been surfed on occasion. Garrett and I hiked a mountain and had the most beautiful view of Marathon, the lake, islands and the mountains, though we had to do a lot of bushwaking to climb up and down it. In the end it was totally worth it. Yet another amazing day on this trip. Viera and I enjoyed a concert in the Parking lot of a very talented guitar playing with a unique style of playing. He would play with the neck of the guitar and use the body as a drum and had unusual hand placements.

The next day we all rode out of Marathon at lunch. It was another treat of amazing scenery, the highlight for me being following a winding creek down from the top of a mountain on the trans Canada. We stopped at a waterfall for lunch (Mink Falls) which to use a word I have been tossing out a lot: beautiful. We also made a brief stop in Neys Provincial Park, where some gentleman suggested we go see Aquasabon, also another spectacular site near Terrace Bay. That night we really pushed ourselves and finished the night climbing a mountain and sleeping on the shore of a little lake on top. It completely refreshed us I think, and we woke up the next day energized, and ready to go.

We are also having trouble with the camping stove, probably due to using dirty diesel and sand scratching up a rubber seal.

The advantage of climbing a mountain is always the ride back down, and we started the morning with a great descent. Justin and I pretended to be pilots and it fulfilled a small portion of our daily tom –foolery. We rode through Terrace Bay, and through Schreiber. In Schreiber, Costas food, donated $10 to us for food. We are grateful for such generosity. We got ingredients for fajitas. We camped in a town called Rossport, which was fantastic, but once again we were awoken by something loud. This time a couple of drunk men blasting music from a car stereo at 4:30am. They ended up bothering us a lot that morning, so we were a tad sleepy the next day.

The next day Kristi’s parents were showing up to spend some time with her and Garrett. Justin, Viera and I had the lofty goal to try and make it to Thunder Bay in two days (about 185 kms, which for us is a huge ride). We rode hard that day and enjoyed great, hot weather and the occasional tail wind – which always seems to refresh me. We went through Nipigon that evening, stopping for some groceries and saying goodbye to Garrett and Kristi, and her parents for a few days. Kristi’s parents left us with some great baking and some other good treats, and we are so grateful for their generosity and kindness. It was also nice to have a motherly figure around again fussing over us, it really felt good knowing we are cared for. That night we pushed on about 15kms, and got to a campsite that let us stay for free and fed us some great pie.

My parents sent a better seat with the Mahy’s which made my bike feel like a whole new vehicle. Very comfortable and reassuring that it will take me the rest of the way without discomfort. Viera got a new seat too which she said felt like riding on heaven. Also my mom sent some homebaking which was a good reminder of home.

I had stopped to ask a man outside of his home about camping around the area, really hoping that he would offer his front lawn, instead he suggested a place further up the road. On our way we found a different place that advertised homemade meals, health food and camping. Viera talked our way into free camping without electricity and without showers. We did support them by purchasing 3 slices of pie. I was also able to e-mail couchsurfers for Thunderbay. In the morning I looked at the health food, and it was nice to see items that are uncommon in regular roadside stores like organic cider vinegar or organic spelt pasta.

We arose early the next morning, Viera, Justin and I knowing we had a large ride ahead of us. We kept a fairly steady pace, stopping every once in a while. Near Mirror Lake, Lucas stopped to talk to a Japanese man walking from Vancouver to New York with a shopping cart and hand cart. We was following a dream he had and he was 62 years old with very big legs. I now can think of him when I feel tired or exhausted. At the end of the day it really started pouring on us, but we made it to Thunder Bay, to the Terry Fox memorial Lookout. We were soaked, but inspired: we had been following the Path of Terry Fox, and this was where he finally stopped. It really puts it in perspective for me, and it was quite emotional to look at his sculpture overlooking the bay and hear his humble words. I think it is a good reminder every time I feel like I am struggling: that he endured so much more than I have, and he went through it all positive and with a vision.

It was only Viera and I at the memorial. We kept waiting for Justin, yet he still didn’t show up. We started to get worried so I dropped most of my gear and rode about 10kms back for him. I couldn’t find him and the rain was torrential. I turned around and came back after flagging down a car that said they hadn’t seen any cyclists for hours. I biked back to the memorial and it was starting to get dark. When I got back there was Justin’s straw hat, sitting next to my flagging vest I had left out to show him where we were. It turns out Justin saw a sign saying no cyclists on the road, and being the gentleman of high moral standards that he is, went onto a sideroad that led into Thunder Bay. What a guy! Now that I am dry and warm I have to laugh about it. We ended up finding a great couch surfer for the night, so here I am, sitting on her couch late into the morning finishing this post, which I will put up as soon as there is internet.

We are now staying with a couchsurfer; when she showed up at the door, she looked quite familiar. I had met her at the University of Guelph and once had a conversation at a water awareness event, we also have several mutual friends. What a small world.

I hope I didn’t bore you too much with my stories, and sorry that they are long.

I have started thinking of many cycling related proverbs while on the road, so I will leave you with one to think about:

- Mountains can only conquer or be conquered. The choice is ours.

brief update

Appologies for taking a while to post. We have had little oppurtunity in Northern Ontario, between Sault Saint Marie and Nipigon (where we are currently) to update our blog. Tomorrow we plan to be in Thunder Bay to have a day of rest. We will write a full update of our experience over the past while.


Also to note, this is our month anniversary of being on the road. YEY!

Until Thunder Bay, love from PEDAL!

Heading on from Thessalon

A lot has happened since we left The Natural Building Institute on Manitoulin Island.

Cycling the rest of Manitoulin was lovely and the north east end of the island was incredibly scenic. We were met with views of lakes and forested hills all day. In the afternoon we crossed the bridge at Little Current. We cycled through the La Cloche mountains, went on a blueberry picking adventure and by nightfall were in Espanola.

We spent the night at Milton's place. A very genrous and interesting older gentleman, he told us stories of his travels in Mexico. He also gave us maps and dried beans to help us on our jouney.

In the morning we set off for Spanish. We stopped for lunch in Massey and were donated bread and fixings by Shanks Freshmart. We met Marcel, a man from France, who was riding across Canada to raise funds for disabled children. We also met a Spanish man who was in the process of cycling around the world. Everyone left town feeling well fed and encouraged for the afternoon of riding.

When we arrived in Spanish, we were offered a place to stay: a tipi at the Trading Post in Serpent River First Nation. They were very friendly and let us use their small cafe to make dinner. In the morning they gave us all hats.

Then we were on our way to Blind River - a bit of a windy ride. An afternoon stop at Wilson's Market Garden in Algoma Mills refreshed us and we had our first taste of Ontario peaches. They also had a great bulk section! We camped at the Boom Camp Trails in Blind River. There was a gorgeous little harbour, beach and a place to make a fire. We entertained the idea of stopping here permenantly.

Last night we stayed at Auld Kirk in Thesselon, after a very windy ride. The buiding, a church constructed in 1900, is run as a community music centre and informal movie theatre. We had the fortune to meet the owner and were treated to a screening of Paul Simon live in South Africa, just before apartheid nded and Mandela was released.

Today we are hoping to make it to Sault Sainte Marie to stay at Velorution, an awesome bike centre where they offer free camping to cycle tourers. We hope the wind will be at our backs today!

Kristi

What Have We Been Up To?

Hi everyone,  Lucas here!

We apologize that our website and blog have been down for almost a week; on the other hand we are happy and excited that it is back and running again.  Sorry for any inconvenience.

Back to the real news though.  We have been having a terrific time lately, meeting new people, seeing amazing sights and learning new things.   We have been making our way up the Bruce Peninsula for the past 5 days or so, and yesterday we crossed via ferry onto Manitoulin  Island.

We have been very busy through the last week so I will give a quick update on what we have been up to.

View Directions to Manitowaning, Ontario in a larger map

When we last checked in we were staying near Orangeville in a community named Whole Village.

The next day we made our way northwest towards the Beaver Valley.  It was a long hot day of riding but enjoyable nonetheless.  One of the highlights of the day was riding through the fields north of Shelburne and seeing the giant wind turbines soaring majestically among the nature surrounding them.  By the end of the day we were tired and sweaty when we landed in Markdale.  We lucked out and ended up staying at the farm of a lady named Riley who showed us some amazing things about sustainability and the quest to achieve sustainability.  We stayed up late into the night talking and sharing stories which came back to haunt us the next morning when she woke us at 5:30 to teach us how to milk the sheep. Let me tell you it was not easy, though Riley made it look natural.  For breakfast I had some of the milk with fresh eggs we had collected that morning.  Living sustainably has never tasted so delicious.  After loading us down with jars of delicious honey and other preserves, Riley's family sent us on our way.  We were so lucky to stay with them and are so thankful to have been allowed to share their home and their knowledge. 

We proceeded to make our way to Kimberly, down through the beautiful Beaver Valley.  We seemed to soar down and I even found myself applying the brakes quite hard due to the nature of the hills (I am from mountainous BC - so for me to concede that those hills were steep is quite a testimony to the slopes).  When we got to the Kimberley General Store (a local food store recently opened offering healthy, delicious, sustainable options) we were in for another surprise:  Riley and her friend Meagan had joined us on horseback to ride with us for a little while.  It would have made a good photo opportunity I am sure.  We had some frozen treats at the General store, then said farewell to Riley and Meagan and made our way towards Meaford.

We were riding along when suddenly I saw the mailbox of someone I recognized from Katimavik, (a program I was in before this where I lived three months in Collingwood).  We decided to stop in and say hi - and ended up learning a few interesting things about sustainability options in the Beaver Valley area.

We proceeded closer to Meaford where we met up with a friend named Carelyn  (man I hope I have the correct spelling of her name).  She escorted us down to Meaford - one a scorcher of a day.  We stopped frequently it seemed, swimming when we needed to, or picking cherries when we were hungry.  We arrived at sunset at her house - where a large pot of chili was waiting for us.  We couldn't have been happier.  That night Justin, Carelyn and I went down to the waters of Georgian Bay, where we brought her telescope to gaze into the heavens - and talked about that wonderful philosophy that always seems to come up when you stargaze.  Later that night we enjoyed some late night children's books.  The next morning Carelyn took us for a swim in Georgian Bay, a trip to the local market, and some berry picking.  We got rained on a little and slowly but surely our plan to take off to Owen Sound got put off another day.  We once again shared a great night of stories with Carelyn and made a delicious cherry pie with the cherries we picked.

The next morning we rode with Carelyn and said goodbye on the outskirts of town; once again we were left with many delicious preserves.  We all wished she could come along with us, however her pottery business and teaching career is keeping her busy.  So we were finally off west.  We rode on back roads all the way to Owen Sound and stopped at a beautiful waterfall just outside of Owen Sound.

When we got into Owen Sound we stopped at a bike stop to get some repairs and supplies.  We met a man named Carlo who had taken a bike trip across Canada about 6 years ago.  He kindly invited us over to his house for dinner and to stay the night - and we happily accepted.  He shared stories and we ate delicious pickles.  That night Kristi, Justin, Garrett and I enjoyed a walk along the pier.  The next day we were off, saying goodbye to Carlo and his wonderful family.  We made our way north out of town, finally up the peninsula we had been working towards.  Once again, it was a scorching hot day - but we were all happy and other than a few bike problems made great time on a big day.  We made our way up towards Lions Head.  Viera met a couple who offered to let us camp at their cabin up in Hope's Bay.  When we arrived their neighbours were having a family reunion and graciously invited us over for dinner, with the agreement that we would play some music afterwards.  We kindly obliged, though I think we got the much better end of that deal. 

The next morning we worked hard to get to Tobermory.  We stopped for lunch outside of Ferndale at a fabulous bakery.  We were just back on the road when a van pulled up and a man named David offered to let us stay the night in Tobermory at his house.  He toted, some of our gear up there for us and we were left with the open road and a lighter load.  We stopped at an amazing place called the Grotto, where the beach looked like a tropical paradise.  The highlight is walking along the rocky cliffs.  Suddenly Garrett stopped and jumped through a small hole between gigantic rocks.  I overcame my phobia of being underground and followed quickly after.  We came upon a cave with a beautiful clear pool of water in it.  It was the most clear water I had ever seen and under the water you could see light shining through from Georgian Bay.  Apparently you can swim through the hole in the rocks out into the bay but it requires a good amount of breath in the freezing water.  It sounded like the coolest thing ever to me.  And yet, like everyone else I chickened out.  Garrett got some footage of the descent through the rocks so look for it to be posted soon.  That night we arrived at David and Kathy's house and set up the tents.  We talked into the wee hours and listened to music.  I especially admired their lovely guitar collection.

The next morning we woke to rain and piled on the rain gear to make a mad break for the Tobermory Ferry.  We made it with plenty of time to spare and upon arrival met a man named Phillippe, from Montreal, who is on a trip to Regina.  We took the scenic ferry over to Manitoulin Island and ended up riding with Phillippe for the day, until we came to a town named Manitowaning.  Looking for a place to stay we came upon a spot Justin had been researching called the Natural Building Institute.  It is an amazing place where we are currently staying.  It is about as close to a purist sustainability model as one could strive to be, and yet Gino (the organizer) is quick to tell us that purist is not what we are striving for, but to be as sustainable as you can with the local resources you have.  It is an amazing model for what we can achieve - right here in the backyard of Ontario.  The Community is off the grid - so no power.  They pump their own water from a pond they made with natural purifiers of the earth itself, and they grow their own food.  You could put up a fence around this place where nothing outside comes in and I bet it could carry on sustaining itself for a long time.  Garrett will have much more on this lovely place.

Well, my apologies for the novel but I hope you enjoyed it.  We will get back into the habit of updating this every couple days or so, and sorry about all the website problems. 
Please keep reading,  please post replies,  and take care out there wherever you are!

Lucas and the PEDAL Team