Day 29 - June 27th - Minnedosa to Portage la Prairie
We woke up around 7 but didn't get on the road 'til about 9:00. We biked over 70 km in a strong crosswind. Our stomachs were growling and we wondered where Adam could be with our lunch. Sure enough he had forgotten about the time change and was dilly dallying in Minnedosa. We weren't upset because we found a nice little bakery that served us soup and sandwiches. We also stocked up on cinnamon buns and cherry pie as well. It was a nice change to hit the #1 today. We finished about 10km outside of Portage la Prairie. We set up camp in Island Park - right in town. That's where we met Derek, a fellow cyclist. He is doing a cross-Canada music tour. He has his own guitar strapped to his trailor. He lost his partner in crime along the way, so we invited him to join us on our ride to Winnipeg.
Day 30 - June 28th - Portage la Prairie to Winnipeg
We got a super late start this morning - like on the road at 10. We did our 10km then Derek met up with us on the other side of Portage and we continued on until lunch. We stopped just outside of Elie(that's where the F4 tornado was) and Adam hooked us all up with lunch. Then Adam went storm chasing in Elie. He saw all the damage done and took some pictures. He even saw a bathtub in the middle of a field. While he was searching for tornados, we carried on to Winnipeg. We bipassed the city and called it a day. Then we had to go to a bike shop because of Dan's misfortune with his back wheel (more broken spokes). So, driving through the city was interesting with Adam that's for sure, but we made it to the shop. While waiting for the repairs, we hit up this restaurant that you need a membership to get in (the guy at the bike shop gave Dan his card). So there, we met up with Dan's cousin Dan, his girlfriend Sue, and his mom Denise. They treated us to a nice meal. After picking up Dan's bike, we went back to Dan's to crash for the night. Their hospitality was unreal especially since it's been 20yrs since the last reunion.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Days 27-28
Day 27 - June 25th - Yorkton to Langenburg
It was raining when we woke up, but stopped shortly after. Unfortunately we still had a headwind. We made it 30km outside of Yorkton when Dan broke yet another spoke. There isn't much between Yorkton and Winnipeg, so we decided to get Adam to take us back to Yorkton to do some repairs. While waiting for his bike, Dan got his hair cut. Now he's ready to pose for the camera. The wind picked up in the afternoon, which wasn't very motivating. So, we took another little break/rest at the info centre and then did a little evening ride with Adam following. We made it to Langenburg.
Day 28 - June 26th - Langenburg to Minnedosa
We rolled out of Langenburg this morning with the winds at our backs. Some parts of the day were tough with road construction, little shoulder, and when we turned south for a while which gave us a heavy crosswind. Adam fed us a huge feast of sandwiches for lunch to reboost our energy levels. The afternoon we were flying! It was a big day today - over 160km. We are staying at the Minnedosa Beach campground. We just finished smokies and corn on the cob for supper. It's time for laundry and then a little dessert at the local internet cafe. We put our clocks ahead an hour too, so we're going to try to make it an early night.
It was raining when we woke up, but stopped shortly after. Unfortunately we still had a headwind. We made it 30km outside of Yorkton when Dan broke yet another spoke. There isn't much between Yorkton and Winnipeg, so we decided to get Adam to take us back to Yorkton to do some repairs. While waiting for his bike, Dan got his hair cut. Now he's ready to pose for the camera. The wind picked up in the afternoon, which wasn't very motivating. So, we took another little break/rest at the info centre and then did a little evening ride with Adam following. We made it to Langenburg.
Day 28 - June 26th - Langenburg to Minnedosa
We rolled out of Langenburg this morning with the winds at our backs. Some parts of the day were tough with road construction, little shoulder, and when we turned south for a while which gave us a heavy crosswind. Adam fed us a huge feast of sandwiches for lunch to reboost our energy levels. The afternoon we were flying! It was a big day today - over 160km. We are staying at the Minnedosa Beach campground. We just finished smokies and corn on the cob for supper. It's time for laundry and then a little dessert at the local internet cafe. We put our clocks ahead an hour too, so we're going to try to make it an early night.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Days 21-26
Day 21 June 19th - Loydmister to Battleford.
Adam dropped us off where we finished yesterday which was at the "Welcome to Saskachewan" sign. We left out a story from when we were in Edmonton. Basically, the same night that Adam lost his wallet, he also injured his foot. Today he finally went to the hospital to get it checked out. While he was there, we literally flew on our bikes with a super strong tail wind. We rode 140km in 6 hours to Battleford. We found the David Laird campground on the east end of the city. Jordie cooked wholewheat maccaroni and tomatoe soup for dinner (Jordie's special). That's when we got a phone call from Adam. He decided to rejoin us since he was unable to work. His foot is indeed broken in two places. Unfortunately his foot was too swollen to put a cast on. He was asked to return on Friday to put one on. So he is with us until Thursday night.
Day 22 June 20th Battleford to Saskatoon
We left the David Laird campground and started making miles with great weather and the wind at our backs. We made 75km to Radison for lunch where my cousins (Lawny, Daryl and kids) met us. Daryl rode with us the remaining 65km to Saskatoon. After making it through the city we threw the bikes in the back of Adam's truck and showered up at a nearby pool. Auntie Helen reserved a table at the Blue Diamond reastaurant. We were amazed at the Burgess turnout. There must of have been at least twenty relatives that showed up for dinner. It's so nice to receive such positive encouragement. After many goodbyes and a few family pics, (Cory send me the pics in the parking lot) we made our way to Jordan's cousin Penny's place for the night. We stayed up late visiting since they had a lot to catch up on.
Day 23 June 21st Day of Rest
We grabbed a bacon & egger at Subway and made our way to where we left off at the eastside of the town. the late start didn't help with the wind situation but we faced the cruelest head wind of the trip thus far. After a couple of hours of battling, and pedaling at what seemed as a crawling pace, we decided to wait out the wind and found a 4-H clubhouse parking lot where we blew up our matresses and napped the afternoon away. We tried again around 4 for an hour but the riding became very discouraging, so we set up camp in Clavet. Adam had to leave us to have a cast put on his foot in Loydminster. Rice with a can of tomatoe soup was on the menu for tonight.
Day 24 June 22nd - Saskatoon to Lanigan. With lots of rest from the day before, we broke camp at 4:30am to try and beat the winds. After a flat tire and some consistent head winds, we ate sandwiches in Plunkett. We were feeling pretty tired but a phone call and encourgement from Rick Hansen perked us up for the afternoon ride. We went searching for somewhere to refill our camel packs and came across some friendly Saskachewan folk who invited us in for some ice cold water and a break from the heat. We also enjoyed some watermelon that the neighbor provided. We continued on to Lanigan and arrived around 3. There was a pizza joint which claimed to have the largest single slices of pizza going and it was just what our stomachs were craving. We phoned Adam and received the exciting news that he will be joining us for the remainder of the trip - meaning all the way to Halifax! We found a campsite in town beside the local golf course. Jordie went straight for the shower and Dan set up the tent. We pedalled into town to do some laundry. We were in bed by 8 and Adam found us shortly after midnight.
Day 25 June 23rd - Lanigan to Elstow
We got a fairly early start again to try to beat the winds. Unfortunately, they were against us again. Also, the skies were looking pretty dark. Jordie uncovered her major fear of thunderstorms (she is definitely her mother's daughter). We rode parallel to a major storm all morning, but we stayed dry. At lunch, Adam told us about the tornado warnings. We decided to keep riding until it got ugly, which was in Elstow. Adam was right there to pick us up. There were no campsites around so we checked in to the Willie's Tavern hotel in Foam Lake. Of course there was a bar downstairs that we paid a little visit to. Timmy, the bartender gave us some cool Kokanee hats as souvenirs. Also, the owner of the bar bought us a round of drinks. It was a neat little bar.
Day 26 June 24th- Elstow to Yorkton
We ate granola with apple juice for breakfast while recapping the night before. After checking out of the Tavern Hotel we shuttled back to Elstow where the storm stopped us from reaching Foam Lake. The weather finally smartened up and we were once again blessed with the winds from the west. We sailed 80km in 2.5hours before lunch. The remaining 50km's proved to be much more difficult as the Prairie storm engulfed us. We arrived in Yorkton at 1pm, set up camp and made our way into town for supplies and food to keep us going for the next few days. Campfire burgers were on the menu for dinner.
Adam dropped us off where we finished yesterday which was at the "Welcome to Saskachewan" sign. We left out a story from when we were in Edmonton. Basically, the same night that Adam lost his wallet, he also injured his foot. Today he finally went to the hospital to get it checked out. While he was there, we literally flew on our bikes with a super strong tail wind. We rode 140km in 6 hours to Battleford. We found the David Laird campground on the east end of the city. Jordie cooked wholewheat maccaroni and tomatoe soup for dinner (Jordie's special). That's when we got a phone call from Adam. He decided to rejoin us since he was unable to work. His foot is indeed broken in two places. Unfortunately his foot was too swollen to put a cast on. He was asked to return on Friday to put one on. So he is with us until Thursday night.
Day 22 June 20th Battleford to Saskatoon
We left the David Laird campground and started making miles with great weather and the wind at our backs. We made 75km to Radison for lunch where my cousins (Lawny, Daryl and kids) met us. Daryl rode with us the remaining 65km to Saskatoon. After making it through the city we threw the bikes in the back of Adam's truck and showered up at a nearby pool. Auntie Helen reserved a table at the Blue Diamond reastaurant. We were amazed at the Burgess turnout. There must of have been at least twenty relatives that showed up for dinner. It's so nice to receive such positive encouragement. After many goodbyes and a few family pics, (Cory send me the pics in the parking lot) we made our way to Jordan's cousin Penny's place for the night. We stayed up late visiting since they had a lot to catch up on.
Day 23 June 21st Day of Rest
We grabbed a bacon & egger at Subway and made our way to where we left off at the eastside of the town. the late start didn't help with the wind situation but we faced the cruelest head wind of the trip thus far. After a couple of hours of battling, and pedaling at what seemed as a crawling pace, we decided to wait out the wind and found a 4-H clubhouse parking lot where we blew up our matresses and napped the afternoon away. We tried again around 4 for an hour but the riding became very discouraging, so we set up camp in Clavet. Adam had to leave us to have a cast put on his foot in Loydminster. Rice with a can of tomatoe soup was on the menu for tonight.
Day 24 June 22nd - Saskatoon to Lanigan. With lots of rest from the day before, we broke camp at 4:30am to try and beat the winds. After a flat tire and some consistent head winds, we ate sandwiches in Plunkett. We were feeling pretty tired but a phone call and encourgement from Rick Hansen perked us up for the afternoon ride. We went searching for somewhere to refill our camel packs and came across some friendly Saskachewan folk who invited us in for some ice cold water and a break from the heat. We also enjoyed some watermelon that the neighbor provided. We continued on to Lanigan and arrived around 3. There was a pizza joint which claimed to have the largest single slices of pizza going and it was just what our stomachs were craving. We phoned Adam and received the exciting news that he will be joining us for the remainder of the trip - meaning all the way to Halifax! We found a campsite in town beside the local golf course. Jordie went straight for the shower and Dan set up the tent. We pedalled into town to do some laundry. We were in bed by 8 and Adam found us shortly after midnight.
Day 25 June 23rd - Lanigan to Elstow
We got a fairly early start again to try to beat the winds. Unfortunately, they were against us again. Also, the skies were looking pretty dark. Jordie uncovered her major fear of thunderstorms (she is definitely her mother's daughter). We rode parallel to a major storm all morning, but we stayed dry. At lunch, Adam told us about the tornado warnings. We decided to keep riding until it got ugly, which was in Elstow. Adam was right there to pick us up. There were no campsites around so we checked in to the Willie's Tavern hotel in Foam Lake. Of course there was a bar downstairs that we paid a little visit to. Timmy, the bartender gave us some cool Kokanee hats as souvenirs. Also, the owner of the bar bought us a round of drinks. It was a neat little bar.
Day 26 June 24th- Elstow to Yorkton
We ate granola with apple juice for breakfast while recapping the night before. After checking out of the Tavern Hotel we shuttled back to Elstow where the storm stopped us from reaching Foam Lake. The weather finally smartened up and we were once again blessed with the winds from the west. We sailed 80km in 2.5hours before lunch. The remaining 50km's proved to be much more difficult as the Prairie storm engulfed us. We arrived in Yorkton at 1pm, set up camp and made our way into town for supplies and food to keep us going for the next few days. Campfire burgers were on the menu for dinner.
Monday, June 18, 2007
June 18
Day 20 - June 18 Dan woke up super early (4am) and tried to rally everyone together for an unexpected early start... There was hardly any positive feedback so Dan wrote the last blog at 4:30am which was proof read by Jordan at 7am. We ate our complementary breakfast and made our way back 40km west of Vermillion to start the day. Adam (our support driver) dropped us off and went back to the room to check out. He was nice enough to grab some lunch stuff from the grocery store and meet for lunch after we had done 70km's. The second part of our day turned a little soggy as the clouds rolled in and we hit rain for the last 30km. We rode to the welcome to Saskatchewan sign and Adam picked us up and we went to stay with his brother (Kris) and family (Wife Hanna and two wonderful children, Grace and Beth) We cooked a pork chop feast for them and bought a cheese cake for dessert. After dinner we watched Oceans 13 at the local theatre and headed back to Adam's brother's place for a night cap and some well needed rest. It's off to North Battleford tomorrow and then Saskatoon on Wednesday.
June 16 and 17
Day 18 - June 16 After a solid breakfast of bacon and eggs, we said goodbye to Dan's buddy Dean and packed up our gear. Dan was unable to get help with spoke repair the previous afternoon so we headed out in search of a wheel truer to straighten Dan's wheel. It was finally noon before we were back on the road and out of Edmonton. Because we didn't bike the morning, the afternoon ride didn't seem like that great of an idea. So we decided to take the whole day off. An unintensional day off was inevitable. Adam drove us to a campground outside Elk Island and we set up camp for the night.
Day19 - June 17 Waking up to rain wasn't the most motivating (thing) but we were up, had breakfast and were on the road by 8. Adam dropped us off where we left off and headed back into town to pick up his wallet that the RCMP found on Friday night, as well as Dan's cell phone charger that he left at his brother's place. We rendez-voued for lunch further down the highway. Nothing like homemade sandwiches and smoked salmon which we purchased from a (fruit stand) the previous day. It rained for most of the morning, and the afternoon turned out to be very windy and difficult to ride in. None the less we rode 120km, packed up the bikes and drove into Vermillion for the night. After a soggy day, we decided that a hotel room was the way to go and the weather didn't look very promising. Dan's cousin Drew and his better half (Kelly), stopped by for dinner with us. After dinner, the hottub proved to be welcoming to our soar and tired legs.
We'd like to thank everyone for their tremendous support. It is so awesome reading all the comments. It is sometimes difficult to find a computer with the internet, but knowing that you guys are reading this, we put that extra effort in to find a computer. So, thanks everybody and keep the comments rollin'.
Day19 - June 17 Waking up to rain wasn't the most motivating (thing) but we were up, had breakfast and were on the road by 8. Adam dropped us off where we left off and headed back into town to pick up his wallet that the RCMP found on Friday night, as well as Dan's cell phone charger that he left at his brother's place. We rendez-voued for lunch further down the highway. Nothing like homemade sandwiches and smoked salmon which we purchased from a (fruit stand) the previous day. It rained for most of the morning, and the afternoon turned out to be very windy and difficult to ride in. None the less we rode 120km, packed up the bikes and drove into Vermillion for the night. After a soggy day, we decided that a hotel room was the way to go and the weather didn't look very promising. Dan's cousin Drew and his better half (Kelly), stopped by for dinner with us. After dinner, the hottub proved to be welcoming to our soar and tired legs.
We'd like to thank everyone for their tremendous support. It is so awesome reading all the comments. It is sometimes difficult to find a computer with the internet, but knowing that you guys are reading this, we put that extra effort in to find a computer. So, thanks everybody and keep the comments rollin'.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Days 14 - 17
Day 14 - June 12th We left Jasper around noon for Hinton. The breakfast sandwiches at the Coco Cafe were an excellent way to start the day. It was time to bust out the self-sufficient trailer. 80Ibs really slowed Dan down... perfect for Jordie's pace. The terrain was really enjoyable with the mountain goats, big horned sheep and the Rocky mountains in the background. we were starting to feel a little run down from the Jasper stay, so we rallied 70km to Hinton for some camping, maccaronni and tomato soup, and an early night (7:30).
Day 15 - June 13th We left the KOA camground at a descent hour. Probably because we went to bed at 7 the night before. We reached the Obed Summit at around 10:30. It's the highest point on the Yellowhead Highway. We hit Edson around 2 and had lunch at Subway. Jordie insisted that we stop at a grocery store to buy lunch items for the next two days. She bought canned salmon and snopeas and wraps. I checked out the the tourist information centre and the lady suggested that we head another 45km to Nojack campground. It turned out to be 60km and we finally arrived at 6. Jordie cooked her famous mushroom soup and we made it to bed around 8. It was our furthest day ever 160km (unintentionally).
Day 16 - June 14th Nojack to Stonyplain was supposed to be flat according to Glenn... But it wasn't... The trailer pulling wasn't easy. It was rolling hills and rolling hills... Sure enough the prevailling winds were not in our favour. The winds picked up in the afternoon and slowed us down exponentially. We were happy to find a the Lion's Club campsite. They tried to tell us that it was too muddy to camp but we told them that we didnt' care. Lucky for us, it stayed dry the whole night. But before bed, Dan's cousin Drew took us out for a few beer. We had some drinks and lots of laughs and called it a night around 11:30pm.
Day 17 - June 15th We left Stony Plain at 9 this morning. The sun was shining which made it easier to roll out of bed, especially after cousin Drew took us out for drink or two... Riding through Edmonton proved to be quite difficult today. After jumping a couple of curbs, Dan managed to snap a couple of spokes and blow a tire... and then another... and then Dan started a hissy fit. After fixing the second flat, we made it through the city. Adam (our mutual friend) picked us up 40km east of Edmonton at Elk Island Provincial Park. We loaded up Adam's truck and headed back to town to Gerard's (Dan's brother's) place near U of A. So we are sitting here having some brew pops with Dan's other buddy Dean Biller who came up from Red Deer to cheer us on. The plan tomorrow is to go from Elk Island to Vermilion. We should be in Lloydminster Sunday and hopefully that will be our next update. Adam will be our support vehicle/driver until Sunday.
Day 15 - June 13th We left the KOA camground at a descent hour. Probably because we went to bed at 7 the night before. We reached the Obed Summit at around 10:30. It's the highest point on the Yellowhead Highway. We hit Edson around 2 and had lunch at Subway. Jordie insisted that we stop at a grocery store to buy lunch items for the next two days. She bought canned salmon and snopeas and wraps. I checked out the the tourist information centre and the lady suggested that we head another 45km to Nojack campground. It turned out to be 60km and we finally arrived at 6. Jordie cooked her famous mushroom soup and we made it to bed around 8. It was our furthest day ever 160km (unintentionally).
Day 16 - June 14th Nojack to Stonyplain was supposed to be flat according to Glenn... But it wasn't... The trailer pulling wasn't easy. It was rolling hills and rolling hills... Sure enough the prevailling winds were not in our favour. The winds picked up in the afternoon and slowed us down exponentially. We were happy to find a the Lion's Club campsite. They tried to tell us that it was too muddy to camp but we told them that we didnt' care. Lucky for us, it stayed dry the whole night. But before bed, Dan's cousin Drew took us out for a few beer. We had some drinks and lots of laughs and called it a night around 11:30pm.
Day 17 - June 15th We left Stony Plain at 9 this morning. The sun was shining which made it easier to roll out of bed, especially after cousin Drew took us out for drink or two... Riding through Edmonton proved to be quite difficult today. After jumping a couple of curbs, Dan managed to snap a couple of spokes and blow a tire... and then another... and then Dan started a hissy fit. After fixing the second flat, we made it through the city. Adam (our mutual friend) picked us up 40km east of Edmonton at Elk Island Provincial Park. We loaded up Adam's truck and headed back to town to Gerard's (Dan's brother's) place near U of A. So we are sitting here having some brew pops with Dan's other buddy Dean Biller who came up from Red Deer to cheer us on. The plan tomorrow is to go from Elk Island to Vermilion. We should be in Lloydminster Sunday and hopefully that will be our next update. Adam will be our support vehicle/driver until Sunday.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Days 8-13
Day 8 (June 6 - Dan's b-day) The sun didn't shine at all on Dan's birthday. We woke up to pouring rain in 100 mile and it didn't stop ALL day. We stopped in a small cafe at Interlakes. By then we were quite ready for a break from the rain. After some hot soup and a coffee we made our way to Little Fort. But to get into Little Fort there is this huge downhill 10km long where we literally froze. We rolled into Little Fort and went to the first motel we saw. We grabbed a much needed hot shower and went across the street to the local pub to watch the Sens game (sorry for your loss John...) and celebrate Dan's b-day. Our roommate Brad Boudens came up from Kamloops to say hi and watch the game with us. Diane (Dan's mom) met us at the bar after the game and we went back to the room for the night.
Day 9 (June 7) Another rainy day, except Diane brought some riding pants and neoprene gloves for Jordie to make the ride much more comfortable. The Yellowhead highway was welcoming to us with wide shoulders and smoother pavement. We made it to Avola. Another 100km in the rain. We were finished quite early(2:30) and spent the afternoon watching movies and napping in the hotel. The owner of the hotel made us hamburgers and chili for dinner. We were sleeping by 8.
Day 10 (June 8 - Jordan's b-day) We were happy to wake up with no rain in sight. We stopped for a snack in Blue river and pedaled for 90km when we met Diane and blew up our foamies and had a nap on the side of the road for over an hour. I think it was Dan's pace that burned us out... None the less we hammered an afternoon ride of about 30km and made it to 20km outside of Valemount. We put the bike in the back of the truck and headed into town. Diane cooked us an excellent pork meal with corn on the cob. After dinner we went across the street to the Loose Moose Pub to celebrate Jordie's B-day. We ran into Heather Lynch (a friend of Jordie's from Pembroke) and we watch her baseball game and had a few frosties.
Day 11 (June 9) Diane got us going with some fried eggs on toast for breakfast which was a nice change from Granola and oatmeal and drove us back to where we left off the day before. We stopped for lunch at Rearguard Falls. We had a near miss there and a little mishap. The near miss was that a mudslide missed us by under 5 minutes. But then Diane accidentally locked the keys in the truck and had to wait for a tow truck while we pushed on for the day. 3 hrs later we were beginning to get a little worried and hungry. Just as we reached the 100km she greeted us with tasty sandwiches. We decided to call it a day 50km outside of Jasper and head into town. We checked into the Athabaska hotel, showered up and Diane treated us to a pasta dinner downtown. We stayed up for a couple of brew pops at the Whistler Inn but didn't last long.
Day 12 (June 10) We were shuttled out to where we stopped the previous day and said goodbye to Diane. We made it into Jasper in the early afternoon and did a few tourist things before meeting with Glenn Schleiman. He used to work on the farm in Waltham back in the day as well as a little babysitting for the Evans'. He treated us to some fine dining and a night on the town. Stories of the old days were the highlight of the day.
Day 13 (June 11) Our first real day off. We slept in, checked out, brought our gear to Glenn's where he putting us up for the night. We were couch potatoes after brunch but finally got some motivation to take care of a few things. We are excited for a home cooked meal at Glenn's tonight. Then it's off to Hinton tomorrow.
Day 9 (June 7) Another rainy day, except Diane brought some riding pants and neoprene gloves for Jordie to make the ride much more comfortable. The Yellowhead highway was welcoming to us with wide shoulders and smoother pavement. We made it to Avola. Another 100km in the rain. We were finished quite early(2:30) and spent the afternoon watching movies and napping in the hotel. The owner of the hotel made us hamburgers and chili for dinner. We were sleeping by 8.
Day 10 (June 8 - Jordan's b-day) We were happy to wake up with no rain in sight. We stopped for a snack in Blue river and pedaled for 90km when we met Diane and blew up our foamies and had a nap on the side of the road for over an hour. I think it was Dan's pace that burned us out... None the less we hammered an afternoon ride of about 30km and made it to 20km outside of Valemount. We put the bike in the back of the truck and headed into town. Diane cooked us an excellent pork meal with corn on the cob. After dinner we went across the street to the Loose Moose Pub to celebrate Jordie's B-day. We ran into Heather Lynch (a friend of Jordie's from Pembroke) and we watch her baseball game and had a few frosties.
Day 11 (June 9) Diane got us going with some fried eggs on toast for breakfast which was a nice change from Granola and oatmeal and drove us back to where we left off the day before. We stopped for lunch at Rearguard Falls. We had a near miss there and a little mishap. The near miss was that a mudslide missed us by under 5 minutes. But then Diane accidentally locked the keys in the truck and had to wait for a tow truck while we pushed on for the day. 3 hrs later we were beginning to get a little worried and hungry. Just as we reached the 100km she greeted us with tasty sandwiches. We decided to call it a day 50km outside of Jasper and head into town. We checked into the Athabaska hotel, showered up and Diane treated us to a pasta dinner downtown. We stayed up for a couple of brew pops at the Whistler Inn but didn't last long.
Day 12 (June 10) We were shuttled out to where we stopped the previous day and said goodbye to Diane. We made it into Jasper in the early afternoon and did a few tourist things before meeting with Glenn Schleiman. He used to work on the farm in Waltham back in the day as well as a little babysitting for the Evans'. He treated us to some fine dining and a night on the town. Stories of the old days were the highlight of the day.
Day 13 (June 11) Our first real day off. We slept in, checked out, brought our gear to Glenn's where he putting us up for the night. We were couch potatoes after brunch but finally got some motivation to take care of a few things. We are excited for a home cooked meal at Glenn's tonight. Then it's off to Hinton tomorrow.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Day 6 and 7
Day 6 (yesterday) we pedalled 66km which brought us to William's Lake before noon. We took the rest of the day off to run some errands like some bike maintainance, grocery shopping and a little visiting with friends. Someone stopped Jordie at the grocery store and asked her what her tan lines on her face were from. We watched the Sens lose then packed up and went to bed.
Day 7 - We are riding to 100Mile House today and meeting Guy (Dan's Dad) after work. Guy has been awesome since the beginning of this trip as our support driver. He has spoiled us with excellent meals, his positive attitude and sense of humour. Diane (Dan's Mom) will be taking over Tuesday night from Little Fort to Jasper. We probably won't be updating until Jasper. Our ETA there is Sunday.
Day 7 - We are riding to 100Mile House today and meeting Guy (Dan's Dad) after work. Guy has been awesome since the beginning of this trip as our support driver. He has spoiled us with excellent meals, his positive attitude and sense of humour. Diane (Dan's Mom) will be taking over Tuesday night from Little Fort to Jasper. We probably won't be updating until Jasper. Our ETA there is Sunday.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Day 5
Another 100 km today. Our tanlines definitely makes us look like cyclists now. The sun and wind pounded us today. We took a little shortcut on a gravel road that followed the Chilcotin River for 20km instead of climbing hill called Revenge. We ate lunch by the river and tackled the Lee's Corner hill after that. The winds picked up - got our first taste of some nasty headwinds for the last 30km. We're only doing 60km tomorrow - that will bring us back to William's lake where we will refuel and recharge.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Summary of Days 1-4
We made our way out to Bella Coola on Wednesday. We dipped our feet/bikes into the Pacific Ocean and started pedalling that afternoon. About 60km later we found ourselves at Tweedsmuir Lodge where the lady in charge (Carol) there hooked us up with a nice little cabin to stay in. The next day we had to tackle "the hill". 20km of 10-14% grades which took a good 5 hours. We called it a night and camped out at Nimpo Lake. Day 3 starting at the top of "the hill"/Heckman's Pass, we did 120km and camped out at One Eye Lake. This was a good day for wildlife. We saw a black bear, a few deer, a cow moose and its calf, and a marmot. Jordie almost hit a deer (yes, on her bike). It's a good thing her breaks were working. Day 4 we pedalled 100km and called it a day. We got a beating from the hot weather and bright sun. It tought us a thing or two about sunscreen. Tomorrow we hope to start bright and early to beat the heat.
Well, goodnight everybody...
Well, goodnight everybody...
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