Day 60 - July 28th Grand Falls to Woodstock
The time change kicked us in the butt. We had the alarm set for 4:30 but, we hit the snooze button till 5:30. Adam received a phone call in the night so we wasn’t going anywhere too early which was no worries for us. We broke camp and hit the road by 7am. After biking about 40km we came across the Trans-Canada trail that followed the North side of the Grand River. The trail wasn’t as smooth as the Quebec trails because they were used by the 4 wheelers. It was still enjoyable to be off the hot pavement even though we weren’t traveling as fast. We met up with Adam in Hartland (the home of the longest covered bridge in the world) for lunch, and continued on the path ‘til Woodstock. After grocery shopping we made our way to the Cozy Cabins and campsite where we met up with a local reporter Angela for a few pics and an interview. She mentioned that a group was doing a gig at the local pub that night and the singer also happened to be cycling across Canada while here partner drove support vehicle with all the music instruments. We watched them perform ‘til 10:30 and Jordie could hardly keep her eyes open so we called it a night.
Day 61 - July 29th Woodstock to Fredericton
We woke up pretty foggy headed from the night before and we were on the road by 7am. Biking was sluggish for the first part but we picked up the pace as the day went on. We stayed on the main 4-lane highway for the first 70km. Then we took some secondary roads that proved to be a really good shortcut. Thanks to Adam, we shaved 30km between Woodstock and St. John. We biked 100km to Tracy and called it a day. We packed up and headed to see Michelle (a friend of Jordie’s) in Fredericton. We showered up and headed out to watch Michelle’s soccer game. Her girls’ team ended up tying the guys team with quite and exciting finish. After the game, we treated her to a home cooked pork chop dinner (Dan’s specialty), and we went to a house that she was house sitting to spend the night.
Day 62 July 30th Fredericton to St. John
We crawled out of bed around 6:30, and Dan started cooking breakfast while Jordie was busy making a Ferry reservation. We drove south to Tracy and were on the bikes by 10. We peddled 40km where Adam met us for a snack. We finished the last 40km in St. John and had lunch close to the fairy terminal. There was some time before our departure so we went to check out the market square. Dan and Adam weren’t too keen on shopping so they went to the Loose Moose patio for a frosty while Jordie checked out the local venders. We boarded the Princess Acadia around 5pm and to arrived in Digby Nova Scotia around 8.
Day 63 - July 31st Digby to Kentville
We were all a bit sluggish to roll out of bed. We started riding at 9:30 and the first 20km of riding was steady climbing from sea level to the valley. We met Adam for a snack at km 40. He stopped at the grocery store and picked up some cinnamon buns which were super tasty. The terrain wasn’t much different from what we’ve experienced, rolling hills and farming. We will be following the highway 101 for all of Nova Scotia since it is the main road. The hills are much less steeper and less windy than the secondary roads. We reached Kentville at 4pm and found a campground not far from the highway. We ate tacos for dinner and reminisced about the trip. It’s hard to get our heads around the fact that we will be done our journey tomorrow in Halifax, but there is a certain feeling of accomplishment that can’t be overlooked.
Day 64 - August 1st Kentville to Halifax
After tossing and turning all night in anticipation of the arrival, we pack up our camping gear and headed on the road. The weather couldn’t have been any better. We had smiles on or faces from ear to ear the entire day. We arrived in downtown Halifax at 1pm, after peddling 100km. We stuck our feet in the ocean as we congratulated one another. We took lots of pics before sitting down for lunch at a waterfront pub. We enjoyed some lobster rolls and some beers on the patio. We checked into the Hostel and made our way to the Alexander Keith’s Brewery for a tour and some sampling of their finest Ales. We went to the room and showered up, and made our way down to the waterfront to treat ourselves to a lobster and seafood feast… And a fine feast it was. After dinner we had some celebratory drinks and checked out the night in downtown Halifax.
Seeing how this will be our final journal entry in our blog, we would like to thank everyone that followed our trip and we really enjoyed all the comments that we’ve received throughout the trip. We would also like to thank everyone that donated to the Rick Hansen Foundation as well as all of the personal contributions that went towards offsetting the costs of our trip. We couldn’t have done this journey without the support that we received from friends, family, and the RHF. In case we aren’t able to thank you personally, we would like to thank everyone for their tremendous support.
Oh and in case anyone is wondering, we aren’t biking home, we are piling in Adam’s truck and heading back to Waltham to spend some more time with Jordan’s family. We hope to see you at our arrival party Aug. 10. Just let us know if you want tickets. It’s going to be a good one…
Friday, August 3, 2007
Sunday, July 29, 2007
July 20th to July 27th
July 20, 2007 - Waltham to Luskville
After having a few days off and getting got up on sleep and fed some delicious home made meals at the Evans’ farm, we finally hit the road again. It was a late start this morning because it poured rained, and thundered all night and morning. It was tough to leave the warmth of the house and the good meals. We stopped for lunch in Shawville and enjoyed Judy’s sandwiches that she had made for us. It was a short lunch today and back on the road for us. The weather was somewhat holding up for us, with it drizzling for most of the way (instead of pouring). We called it quits after a 100km, and loaded our bikes onto our brand new bike racks and drove into Ottawa to stay at Jordan’s granny’s house. Later that evening Blayne, a friend of the Evans family took us, the Morphy girls, Carlene, Eric and Mark, out for dinner to a place called The Works. We enjoyed some really good hamburgers and a few drinks. Thanks Blayne!
July 21, 2007 – Luskville to Papineauville
Waking up was easy for Dan and Jordan, but Adam was a little behind. We said our goodbyes and thanks to Jordan’s granny and finally got biking at around 10am. It was hot out today and a little bit of a tailwind made it an easy ride for us. We rode a 100km today, then packed up and headed to Jordan’s cousins’ (Scott and Juliann) cottage out on Lac Orignal. Here, we also got to visit with Jordan’s other cousin Chris and Edna as they were also spending the night at the cottage. Dan and Jordan enjoyed a nice swim in the lake while Adam had to sit on the dock and wish that he could have been swimming. Later that evening Scott and Juliann cooked steak and shrimp for dinner. It was a late night visit for us getting to bed at around 11pm but a good visit it was.
July 22, 2007 – Papineauville to Montreal
Waking up to Juliann making us bacon, hash browns, and waffles for an early breakfast was wonderful and delicious. But being so far from our end point from the day before still got us off to a late start. Arriving in Montreal at 5pm didn’t give us much time to spend with Dan’s cousins. Dan’s cousin Julien (whom we had never met) treated us to a nice dinner at an Italian place which was sooo good. It was a really nice visit with Julien, Claudette, Silvia, and Matt. Learning about some of Dan’s background and heritage was an interesting topic. We then spent the night at Dan’s other cousin (Kevin), and later that night Dan’s cousin (Cory) came over for a visit. All this visiting resulted in another late night.
July 23, 2007 - Montreal to just past St-Hyacinthe
Having eggs and toast in the morning prepared by Dan’s cousin (Kevin) was a good start to our journey through the big city of Montreal. With the help of Kevin’s planning with us the night before we were able to take a bike path right through the city keeping us away from the traffic of the road. With it taking 3.5 hours to make it through the city of Montreal and only doing 45km was making it a long day for Dan and Jordan. We only made it another 50km down the road with the sun beating down on us. We learned that we are not allowed to ride on the TransCanada and that they are pretty strict about it in Quebec, so, we decided to call it quits for the day and come up with a new game plan.
July 24, 2007 - St-Hyacinthe to Saint-Agapit
After our first night camping since Jordan’s farm, we got off to an early start. Dan and Jordan decided to stick with Hwy 20 and see how far they could make it before getting kicked off. They made if approx. 30km when they got into a little bit of trouble with the police. But don’t worry, no arrests were made and they didn’t even seize our bikes. The worst part is that the shoulder on the highway was sweet. Like seriously, pretty much the nicest highway we’ve been on yet (that’s why we decided to push our luck). The best part is that we made it as far as they had hoped. If they had avoided the 20, they would have added an extra 60km onto their trip. It was a long morning and yet again very hot out. We stopped for lunch in Victoriaville (where Adam had detoured to) and got onto a bike path that leads to Riviere-du-loup. We ended our day in Saint-Agapit and completed 155km today. We found a campsite only with a little trouble getting directions in French. It was Smokies, rice, and mushroom soup for dinner. Adam prepared boiled eggs for lunches and potatoes for breakfast.
July 25, 2007 - Saint-Agapit to Ste-Louise
Dan made some greasy bacon, potatoes, and eggs for breakfast, turning Jordan off the bacon and eggs to her original breakfast consisting of granola, nuts, and apple juice. On the road early today got us to Levis for a snack at 8am. We continued to Montmagny for lunch. It was a long day for us, biking 160km. Dan and Jordan are sure enjoying the bike route with it having no vehicle traffic, and many other cyclists. After such a hot and sunny day we relaxed with few beers to end our quiet and beautiful night.
July 26, 2007 - Ste-Louise to Cabano
We had such a good sleep and plenty of rest. We hit the trail at 6am and headed for Riviere-du-loup for lunch. We took an hour break from biking so that Dan and Jordan could pick up some food for lunches and dinners. We found out there is still a bike trail that takes us right to Edmunston, NB. After leaving Riviere-du-loup, it was a long 4 hours to Cabano where we met up with Adam and finished the day off. Dan and Jordan looking so tired, they didn’t have much left in them. We got a campsite right on lake (Temiscouta). Jordan and Dan enjoyed a swim to cool them off. For dinner we went to the pub down on the lake and enjoyed some Nachos and Pizza for dinner. With it being such a hot day once again and a time change coming up, it was an early bed time for us.
July 27, 2007 - Cabano, to Grand Falls, NB
An early and quick start this morning got us riding at about 5:45am. We stopped in Edmundston for lunch. Adam was busy with phone calls and organizing an interview with the local newspaper in Grand Falls, NB. We arrived in Grand Falls at 2pm and then had an interview. Heidi Cyr the interviewer was very nice and gave her opinion on some local places to eat and a very nice camp site right beside the gorge in Grand Falls. We went out for dinner at a local restaurant that over looked the Dam and Falls. Dan and Adam had some pasta and Jordan had Steak for the evening. Back to the camp site we go to relax till bedtime then back at it tomorrow.
After having a few days off and getting got up on sleep and fed some delicious home made meals at the Evans’ farm, we finally hit the road again. It was a late start this morning because it poured rained, and thundered all night and morning. It was tough to leave the warmth of the house and the good meals. We stopped for lunch in Shawville and enjoyed Judy’s sandwiches that she had made for us. It was a short lunch today and back on the road for us. The weather was somewhat holding up for us, with it drizzling for most of the way (instead of pouring). We called it quits after a 100km, and loaded our bikes onto our brand new bike racks and drove into Ottawa to stay at Jordan’s granny’s house. Later that evening Blayne, a friend of the Evans family took us, the Morphy girls, Carlene, Eric and Mark, out for dinner to a place called The Works. We enjoyed some really good hamburgers and a few drinks. Thanks Blayne!
July 21, 2007 – Luskville to Papineauville
Waking up was easy for Dan and Jordan, but Adam was a little behind. We said our goodbyes and thanks to Jordan’s granny and finally got biking at around 10am. It was hot out today and a little bit of a tailwind made it an easy ride for us. We rode a 100km today, then packed up and headed to Jordan’s cousins’ (Scott and Juliann) cottage out on Lac Orignal. Here, we also got to visit with Jordan’s other cousin Chris and Edna as they were also spending the night at the cottage. Dan and Jordan enjoyed a nice swim in the lake while Adam had to sit on the dock and wish that he could have been swimming. Later that evening Scott and Juliann cooked steak and shrimp for dinner. It was a late night visit for us getting to bed at around 11pm but a good visit it was.
July 22, 2007 – Papineauville to Montreal
Waking up to Juliann making us bacon, hash browns, and waffles for an early breakfast was wonderful and delicious. But being so far from our end point from the day before still got us off to a late start. Arriving in Montreal at 5pm didn’t give us much time to spend with Dan’s cousins. Dan’s cousin Julien (whom we had never met) treated us to a nice dinner at an Italian place which was sooo good. It was a really nice visit with Julien, Claudette, Silvia, and Matt. Learning about some of Dan’s background and heritage was an interesting topic. We then spent the night at Dan’s other cousin (Kevin), and later that night Dan’s cousin (Cory) came over for a visit. All this visiting resulted in another late night.
July 23, 2007 - Montreal to just past St-Hyacinthe
Having eggs and toast in the morning prepared by Dan’s cousin (Kevin) was a good start to our journey through the big city of Montreal. With the help of Kevin’s planning with us the night before we were able to take a bike path right through the city keeping us away from the traffic of the road. With it taking 3.5 hours to make it through the city of Montreal and only doing 45km was making it a long day for Dan and Jordan. We only made it another 50km down the road with the sun beating down on us. We learned that we are not allowed to ride on the TransCanada and that they are pretty strict about it in Quebec, so, we decided to call it quits for the day and come up with a new game plan.
July 24, 2007 - St-Hyacinthe to Saint-Agapit
After our first night camping since Jordan’s farm, we got off to an early start. Dan and Jordan decided to stick with Hwy 20 and see how far they could make it before getting kicked off. They made if approx. 30km when they got into a little bit of trouble with the police. But don’t worry, no arrests were made and they didn’t even seize our bikes. The worst part is that the shoulder on the highway was sweet. Like seriously, pretty much the nicest highway we’ve been on yet (that’s why we decided to push our luck). The best part is that we made it as far as they had hoped. If they had avoided the 20, they would have added an extra 60km onto their trip. It was a long morning and yet again very hot out. We stopped for lunch in Victoriaville (where Adam had detoured to) and got onto a bike path that leads to Riviere-du-loup. We ended our day in Saint-Agapit and completed 155km today. We found a campsite only with a little trouble getting directions in French. It was Smokies, rice, and mushroom soup for dinner. Adam prepared boiled eggs for lunches and potatoes for breakfast.
July 25, 2007 - Saint-Agapit to Ste-Louise
Dan made some greasy bacon, potatoes, and eggs for breakfast, turning Jordan off the bacon and eggs to her original breakfast consisting of granola, nuts, and apple juice. On the road early today got us to Levis for a snack at 8am. We continued to Montmagny for lunch. It was a long day for us, biking 160km. Dan and Jordan are sure enjoying the bike route with it having no vehicle traffic, and many other cyclists. After such a hot and sunny day we relaxed with few beers to end our quiet and beautiful night.
July 26, 2007 - Ste-Louise to Cabano
We had such a good sleep and plenty of rest. We hit the trail at 6am and headed for Riviere-du-loup for lunch. We took an hour break from biking so that Dan and Jordan could pick up some food for lunches and dinners. We found out there is still a bike trail that takes us right to Edmunston, NB. After leaving Riviere-du-loup, it was a long 4 hours to Cabano where we met up with Adam and finished the day off. Dan and Jordan looking so tired, they didn’t have much left in them. We got a campsite right on lake (Temiscouta). Jordan and Dan enjoyed a swim to cool them off. For dinner we went to the pub down on the lake and enjoyed some Nachos and Pizza for dinner. With it being such a hot day once again and a time change coming up, it was an early bed time for us.
July 27, 2007 - Cabano, to Grand Falls, NB
An early and quick start this morning got us riding at about 5:45am. We stopped in Edmundston for lunch. Adam was busy with phone calls and organizing an interview with the local newspaper in Grand Falls, NB. We arrived in Grand Falls at 2pm and then had an interview. Heidi Cyr the interviewer was very nice and gave her opinion on some local places to eat and a very nice camp site right beside the gorge in Grand Falls. We went out for dinner at a local restaurant that over looked the Dam and Falls. Dan and Adam had some pasta and Jordan had Steak for the evening. Back to the camp site we go to relax till bedtime then back at it tomorrow.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
July 15-19
Day 47 – July 15, 2007
North Bay to Pembroke
We were on the road by around 8am, but not long after Jordie ran into some mechanical difficulties so we were stopped on the side of the road for a half hour or so. The terrain was fairly hilly with a gradual down slope. We met up with the Ottawa River in Mattawa and followed it for most of the day. Dan could not believe the width of the river which spands a mile or so. The weather couldn’t have been any better with the wind at our backs and some clouds keeping us cool. After doing a 160km to Deep River, where it was suggested that we keep going. Dan was pumped to break their previous record of 167km, and Jordie was exited to surprise her parents by arriving a day early at their home in Waltham. We arrived in Pembroke at 7:30pm after peddling 205km, and loaded up Adam’s truck and headed for the farm. Jordie’s parents arrived from a dinner party shortly after and we sure did surprise Judi (Jordan’s mom). After visiting for a couple of hours we hit the hay, what a day!
Day 48 – July 16, 2007
Petawawa to Waltham
We slept in this morning, cooked a big breakfast, then we headed into town. We went to Gearheads, the bike shop in Petawawa where we had some bike maintenance done. Damien (the owner) had lined up a small group of riders to ride with us to Pembroke. So we began the ride right from the bike shop accompanied by 4 other riders. It was great. We did lots of picture posing and a short interview, then we headed for Waltham. That’s where we were greeted by many friends from town. The friends of Jordan really showed their support today. Many of the local kids joined them for their ride through town and even the fire truck escorted us. We did more posing for pictures and another interview. We peddled to Jordan’s farm and had a small celebration with friends and family.
Day 49 - July 17, 2007
DAY off
Day 50 - July 18, 2007
Judy insisted that we get more rest, so we took the day off again. Then John Fogerty!!!!!! It was a great concert and we had great seats! Adam owes Blayne a big thanks for his ticket, what an awesome contribution. The concert went pretty late, and then with the traffic afterwards, we didn't make it home until after 1am.
Day 51 - July 19, 2007
Yet another day off. We decided to take one final day of rest at the farm before hitting the road and the final stretch of our trip. There is just under 1500km to go and we still hope to finish by the end of the month.
North Bay to Pembroke
We were on the road by around 8am, but not long after Jordie ran into some mechanical difficulties so we were stopped on the side of the road for a half hour or so. The terrain was fairly hilly with a gradual down slope. We met up with the Ottawa River in Mattawa and followed it for most of the day. Dan could not believe the width of the river which spands a mile or so. The weather couldn’t have been any better with the wind at our backs and some clouds keeping us cool. After doing a 160km to Deep River, where it was suggested that we keep going. Dan was pumped to break their previous record of 167km, and Jordie was exited to surprise her parents by arriving a day early at their home in Waltham. We arrived in Pembroke at 7:30pm after peddling 205km, and loaded up Adam’s truck and headed for the farm. Jordie’s parents arrived from a dinner party shortly after and we sure did surprise Judi (Jordan’s mom). After visiting for a couple of hours we hit the hay, what a day!
Day 48 – July 16, 2007
Petawawa to Waltham
We slept in this morning, cooked a big breakfast, then we headed into town. We went to Gearheads, the bike shop in Petawawa where we had some bike maintenance done. Damien (the owner) had lined up a small group of riders to ride with us to Pembroke. So we began the ride right from the bike shop accompanied by 4 other riders. It was great. We did lots of picture posing and a short interview, then we headed for Waltham. That’s where we were greeted by many friends from town. The friends of Jordan really showed their support today. Many of the local kids joined them for their ride through town and even the fire truck escorted us. We did more posing for pictures and another interview. We peddled to Jordan’s farm and had a small celebration with friends and family.
Day 49 - July 17, 2007
DAY off
Day 50 - July 18, 2007
Judy insisted that we get more rest, so we took the day off again. Then John Fogerty!!!!!! It was a great concert and we had great seats! Adam owes Blayne a big thanks for his ticket, what an awesome contribution. The concert went pretty late, and then with the traffic afterwards, we didn't make it home until after 1am.
Day 51 - July 19, 2007
Yet another day off. We decided to take one final day of rest at the farm before hitting the road and the final stretch of our trip. There is just under 1500km to go and we still hope to finish by the end of the month.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
July 9-14
Day 41 – July 9, 2007
Marathon to White River
We got to a somewhat late start today. We only rode 100km to White River. We had laundry to do. We set up camp at the Info booth in town. That’s where they told us to because there are no campsites around. White River’s claim to fame is Winnie the Pooh. Someone purchased a black bear cub there and named it Winnie. It ended up at a zoo where the famous author visited with his son Christopher very often.
Day 42 - July 10, 2007
White River to Wawa
It was super foggy out when we woke up and pretty chilly out too. We rode out and had a good morning. We liked the terrain a lot more. Adam fixed us up with a good lunch as usual. We rode about 120km and called it a day. We camped at a hunt and fish camp. It started raining and storming so we went to bed around 7:30pm.
Day 43 - July 11, 2007
Wawa to Chapleau
Rain, rain and more rain!!! It rained all night and didn’t stop in the morning. We rode 50km in it and then stopped for lunch. It stopped shortly after, but it was still pretty wet all day. It hasn’t been this cold out in a while. But now, we’re all warm and cooking spaghetti for supper.
Day 44 - July 12, 2007
Chapleau to Hwy 144
An early morning for us today, so that Jordan had time to prepare some egg sandwiches for lunch. We finally got biking at around 7:30 am and rode ‘til 11 am, where we enjoyed the homemade sandwiches. The weather was much better to ride in today with it being a little chilly in the morning then warming up after lunch. We rode a total of 116km today, 80km of it being a gravel road. This gave us little bit of a tougher ride with the softness of the road. We stayed at the Watershed Restaurant in a bunk house right where Hwy 144 and the 667 junction. We watched some T.V. and had some good old fashion chilly and buns for dinner. It’s going to be an early night to bed around 8am to give us an early start for tomorrow.
Day 45 – July 13, 2007
Hwy 144 to Sudbury
Wake up call was at 5am, but there was not much enthusiasm to get started after it poured rain all night. At least it wasn’t raining when we were getting ready allowing us to start our journey at 6am to Sudbury. With a few stops along the way for two small lunches and completing 160km today made it a very long day. Once again the terrain was challenging for Jordan, so Adam (the coach/trainer) gave her some tips and made a minor seat adjustment which made a difference for her be the end of the day. We then loaded up the bikes into Adam’s truck and drove out to Jordan’s friends’ (Ashton and Rod) place on Little Panache Lake just outside of Sudbury. Ashton and Rod prepared a wonderful steak dinner for us and a delicious pie for dessert. Later that night a friend of Ashton and Rod’s, T-Bone, came over on his pontoon boat and took us out for a cruise on the lake allowing Adam and Dan to do some fishing. Dan caught a few, but no keepers. Adam got skunked. It was sure a great change being out at their place and getting some time to relax and a dry place to sleep.
Day 46 – July 14, 2007
Sudbury to North Bay
Can you say bacon and eggs for breakfast because we sure can? Dan woke up early and prepared breakfast while everyone else had a slow morning start. After breakfast and saying our thanks and goodbyes we got on the road. We had to make a stop at Cosco in Sudbury to pick up a few things while hoping the rain would stop. All the rain sucked out the desire to do much of anything today, but Jordan is getting excited on arriving at her farm and seeing her parents on Monday, so a day off is out of the question. It was approx 11am and poring rain as we arrived to our starting point. Having the rain come down so hard and a nasty head wind slowed Jordan and Dan down, making it a long day for them. This has been pretty much the worst day of riding for them, with the traffic not being very good, not much of a shoulder, the poring rain, head wind and a late start. We stopped in Sturgeon Falls at Tim Horton’s and had soup and chilly for an early dinner. Jordan was hesitant to bike the last 40km as she was feeling very cold and wet at this point. But an elderly couple that they met inside cheered her up and gave her motivation to keep going. We must keep on track to make it to the farm for Monday. After riding 120km we arrived in North Bay very wet and cold. We went to a car wash to hose off the bikes and also to hose off ourselves.
Marathon to White River
We got to a somewhat late start today. We only rode 100km to White River. We had laundry to do. We set up camp at the Info booth in town. That’s where they told us to because there are no campsites around. White River’s claim to fame is Winnie the Pooh. Someone purchased a black bear cub there and named it Winnie. It ended up at a zoo where the famous author visited with his son Christopher very often.
Day 42 - July 10, 2007
White River to Wawa
It was super foggy out when we woke up and pretty chilly out too. We rode out and had a good morning. We liked the terrain a lot more. Adam fixed us up with a good lunch as usual. We rode about 120km and called it a day. We camped at a hunt and fish camp. It started raining and storming so we went to bed around 7:30pm.
Day 43 - July 11, 2007
Wawa to Chapleau
Rain, rain and more rain!!! It rained all night and didn’t stop in the morning. We rode 50km in it and then stopped for lunch. It stopped shortly after, but it was still pretty wet all day. It hasn’t been this cold out in a while. But now, we’re all warm and cooking spaghetti for supper.
Day 44 - July 12, 2007
Chapleau to Hwy 144
An early morning for us today, so that Jordan had time to prepare some egg sandwiches for lunch. We finally got biking at around 7:30 am and rode ‘til 11 am, where we enjoyed the homemade sandwiches. The weather was much better to ride in today with it being a little chilly in the morning then warming up after lunch. We rode a total of 116km today, 80km of it being a gravel road. This gave us little bit of a tougher ride with the softness of the road. We stayed at the Watershed Restaurant in a bunk house right where Hwy 144 and the 667 junction. We watched some T.V. and had some good old fashion chilly and buns for dinner. It’s going to be an early night to bed around 8am to give us an early start for tomorrow.
Day 45 – July 13, 2007
Hwy 144 to Sudbury
Wake up call was at 5am, but there was not much enthusiasm to get started after it poured rain all night. At least it wasn’t raining when we were getting ready allowing us to start our journey at 6am to Sudbury. With a few stops along the way for two small lunches and completing 160km today made it a very long day. Once again the terrain was challenging for Jordan, so Adam (the coach/trainer) gave her some tips and made a minor seat adjustment which made a difference for her be the end of the day. We then loaded up the bikes into Adam’s truck and drove out to Jordan’s friends’ (Ashton and Rod) place on Little Panache Lake just outside of Sudbury. Ashton and Rod prepared a wonderful steak dinner for us and a delicious pie for dessert. Later that night a friend of Ashton and Rod’s, T-Bone, came over on his pontoon boat and took us out for a cruise on the lake allowing Adam and Dan to do some fishing. Dan caught a few, but no keepers. Adam got skunked. It was sure a great change being out at their place and getting some time to relax and a dry place to sleep.
Day 46 – July 14, 2007
Sudbury to North Bay
Can you say bacon and eggs for breakfast because we sure can? Dan woke up early and prepared breakfast while everyone else had a slow morning start. After breakfast and saying our thanks and goodbyes we got on the road. We had to make a stop at Cosco in Sudbury to pick up a few things while hoping the rain would stop. All the rain sucked out the desire to do much of anything today, but Jordan is getting excited on arriving at her farm and seeing her parents on Monday, so a day off is out of the question. It was approx 11am and poring rain as we arrived to our starting point. Having the rain come down so hard and a nasty head wind slowed Jordan and Dan down, making it a long day for them. This has been pretty much the worst day of riding for them, with the traffic not being very good, not much of a shoulder, the poring rain, head wind and a late start. We stopped in Sturgeon Falls at Tim Horton’s and had soup and chilly for an early dinner. Jordan was hesitant to bike the last 40km as she was feeling very cold and wet at this point. But an elderly couple that they met inside cheered her up and gave her motivation to keep going. We must keep on track to make it to the farm for Monday. After riding 120km we arrived in North Bay very wet and cold. We went to a car wash to hose off the bikes and also to hose off ourselves.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
July 6-8
July 6 - Day 38 - Thunder Bay to near Rossport
We pedalled a tough 140km today. There were quite a few hills. The sun was shining and we were hot. The day took a little bit of energy out of us. Adam fixed us up with ham sandwiches for lunch and we refilled our water which we were going through like crazy. We found the Rossport provincial campsite for the night and had smokies for supper. We went to bed around 7pm.
July 7 - Day 39 - Day off
So, we've already messed up our itinerary. We were still totally wiped out in the morning, so we decided to take the day off. We were able to check into a motel room early that morning and we just totally vegged all day watching tv. We were kind of lucky because it stormed all afternoon and all night.
July 8 - Day 40 - Rossport to Marathon
It was another tough day - 120km. The terrain in northern Ontario is prooving to be quite a challenging ride. Jordie is just guzzling back the water - she even had to drink some of Dan's today. Adam fixed us up again with a good lunch and then met us near Marathon later in the afternoon. We are staying at a campsite in town - Penn Lake Park campground. It will be another early night.
We pedalled a tough 140km today. There were quite a few hills. The sun was shining and we were hot. The day took a little bit of energy out of us. Adam fixed us up with ham sandwiches for lunch and we refilled our water which we were going through like crazy. We found the Rossport provincial campsite for the night and had smokies for supper. We went to bed around 7pm.
July 7 - Day 39 - Day off
So, we've already messed up our itinerary. We were still totally wiped out in the morning, so we decided to take the day off. We were able to check into a motel room early that morning and we just totally vegged all day watching tv. We were kind of lucky because it stormed all afternoon and all night.
July 8 - Day 40 - Rossport to Marathon
It was another tough day - 120km. The terrain in northern Ontario is prooving to be quite a challenging ride. Jordie is just guzzling back the water - she even had to drink some of Dan's today. Adam fixed us up again with a good lunch and then met us near Marathon later in the afternoon. We are staying at a campsite in town - Penn Lake Park campground. It will be another early night.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Tentative Itinerary
Due to high demand, we are posting a tentative itinerary for the remainder of our trip. The key word is "tentative". One of the best parts of this trip is that when something comes up that prevents us from riding, we didn't have a schedule telling us we had to keep going. However, we have been pushing to get to Jordie's farm for July 18th due to a John Fogerty concert oh and of course to see the family. Then since we're on such a wicked pace, we might as well keep it up for the last stretch. We hope to be in Halifax by the end of the month. So, here it is:
July11 - Sudbury
July 14 - Petawawa/Pembroke
July 17 - Hull
July 18 - Day off in Ottawa and JOHN FOGERTY
July 20 - Montreal
July 26 - Fredericton
July 30 - Halifax
The in-betweens are pretty rough estimates of where we will be, but if you want'em let us know.
July11 - Sudbury
July 14 - Petawawa/Pembroke
July 17 - Hull
July 18 - Day off in Ottawa and JOHN FOGERTY
July 20 - Montreal
July 26 - Fredericton
July 30 - Halifax
The in-betweens are pretty rough estimates of where we will be, but if you want'em let us know.
July 3-5
Day 35 - July 3 - Dryden to a little bit past Ignace
Day 36 - July 4 - Ignace to Raith
Day 37 - July 5 - Raith to Thunder Bay
The time change was unwelcoming to us this morning. We slept an hour extra (6:30) because it was still dark out. Jordie snuck away to wash up while Dan was left in charge of breaking camp while getting attacked fiercely by the bugs. We ate our granola and apple juice in the truck on the way to where we left off. There wasn't a cloud in the sky when we started but that sure changed by the end of the day. "Adam... come rescue us, there's lightning", so we packed up and headed for the campsite. We headed into town for a grocery shop and Adam picked up some extra camping gear. We ate some pizza for dinner, and came back to camp for the night.
Day 36 - July 4 - Ignace to Raith
Day 37 - July 5 - Raith to Thunder Bay
The time change was unwelcoming to us this morning. We slept an hour extra (6:30) because it was still dark out. Jordie snuck away to wash up while Dan was left in charge of breaking camp while getting attacked fiercely by the bugs. We ate our granola and apple juice in the truck on the way to where we left off. There wasn't a cloud in the sky when we started but that sure changed by the end of the day. "Adam... come rescue us, there's lightning", so we packed up and headed for the campsite. We headed into town for a grocery shop and Adam picked up some extra camping gear. We ate some pizza for dinner, and came back to camp for the night.
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