Blog

After a great stay in Marathon we left on a foggy day and headed for Wawa, which was scheduled to be the longest day of the trip.  The riding all through the north has been hilly and really great.  This day was not as great for scenery due to the fog but it was nice.  Half way through the ride the sun came out only to disappear again once we hit Wawa.  The ride distance was just over 193 km.  I had joked that I would just go 7 km more so I could hit 200 km but that would have meant going up another hill so I decided I was good with 193.  Once in Wawa we met Pierre and Carmen the cyclists we had previous met a few days earlier and we decided it would be more cost effective to book a cabin with them.  It was a great decision and the extra company was great.  We had a huge spaghetti dinner which I devoured after biking so far.  I was a little nervous about how I would feel the next day with another long day scheduled but I was feeling good when we woke up but not as motivated to start the day in the cold and rain.  I could not believe how cold it was in July.  We left Wawa around 8:30 and said goodbye to our new cycling friends.  We exchanged info and hope to connect again when we hit New Brunswick.  The ride from Wawa to Pancake Bay would have been great but with all the Fog it was tough to see anything.  At times I could not see the cars coming toward me until they were really close.  We rode through Lake Superior Provincial Park and once we passed Montreal Harbour it cleared up and the sun was out and there was not a cloud in the sky which was a welcome change.  Before the weather change it was so cold I had to take a few breaks and hop in the van at a rest stop etc just to warm up.  Gotta love Canadian weather.  We made it to Pancake Bay after about 144 km and got a campsite right next to the lake.  It was a nice way to end a tough couple of days.  The bear total went up by one as I saw a bear cub and was able to snap a few pics before mama bear came around.  I was very much looking forward to the following day when I would have a short ride into Sault Ste. Marie.  The ride to Sault Ste. Marie was great, the sun was out and it was warm.  I snapped a few pics on the way including one of a deer and a fawn.  We had planned to stay at a bike shop that had a few camping spots behind it that offered free camping to cyclists but when we arrived there it was only 11:30 and we started discussing trying to make it a little further down the road as we new rain was expected the next day.  Anything I can do at this point to avoid a rainy day I'll take into consideration.  We decided to head on to Thessalon.  The ride was considerably flatter than our previous days with a few medium size hills.  Its rained for short time but other than that was a great day.  About half way to Thessalon we met a guy that was riding to raise awareness of addiction to prescription drugs.  It was nice to talk to him and I'm hoping to catch his documentary that he is filming along the way.  Ill post the info regarding his ride when I find his card he gave me.  In my previous employment at the Gateway shelter in Toronto and in my current employment I have seen many lives negatively impacted by drug use and prescription drug use specifically so it was nice to talk to Chris (I think) and I hope his ride has a positive impact on those affected by this issue.  Just after meeting Chris I got the idea of heading right to Blind River which was about 55 km past Thessalon.  We had nice weather and a tailwind and again it was calling for rain the next day so we did end up continuing on.  I found a place to stay via www.warmshowers.org a touring cyclists community where people sign up and offer their place to cyclists passing through their community.  So we spent last  night here and have decided to rest today and stay here a second night.  Thanks to Muriel and Wayne Orton for hosting us and allowing us to stay with you.  We are in a guest house that overlooks the water, such a nice relaxing setting.  The total ride yesterday was supposed to be 76 km but turned into 219 km, the longest ride I have ever done and it felt good to get a 200 km day in. This also means I'm one day closer to the kiddies and Sarah.  Really looking forward to the next three days.  Tomorrow we head out to Espanola and maybe a little farther depending on how the riding goes.