Blind River to Batman's Campground in Sheguiandah, ON

I had a good day! No, I didn't have more energy and I didn't ride any faster, I just rode comfortably. William started with me but shortly went on ahead. I was plenty alright with this and he was happy to go his own pace. At the first rest stop I was told me friend Irena was ahead. I caught up with her after a few kilometres and rode with her till about 71km. At 71km was my rest stop in Massey, ON where Sea to Sea got off highway 17 TransCanada and Irena was to continue on highway 17 towards Sudbury. We parted and wished each other well.
By this time Jim Beezhold, an 81 year old rider and usually the last rider, had caught up. He joined me at the rest stop and then left ahead of me. When I did catch up with him we jammed to some classic tunes on my Bluetooth speaker till near the next rest stop at 99km. We were both ready for a stop and I got a pleasant surprise. At the 71km rest stop Nancy, the wife of another rider named Jim, was going to the store and asked if Jim Beezhold or I needed anything. I first said, "no," but then replied, "sugar!" I gave a few candy ideas. At the 99km rest stop she had a bag full of candy! I thought she'd only get one kind but she decided to bless me with plenty and plenty to share.
From that stop on I rode pretty much alone but for short spurts as people passed me. I kept motivation by looking for McDonald's cafe sticker to fill out a sort of lunch card. On the punchcard you add up 7 stickers and then you can get a free McCafe drink! What a Dutch man I am. I also found a nice stainless steel insulated mug and a nice snake skin design pocket knife.
My day wrapped up not until around 4:40pm but I was in great spirits. I spent the last 8km riding with Stuart, talking as if I had a thick southern accent. It was a long day but a well enjoyed day. I appreciate riding fast with George Vanderkuur (getting early into camp) and I appreciate riding slow with Jim Beezhold (and getting in just before dinner). I've worn bicycle shorts the past two days to save my butt and it's helped. Not in a loner way, but getting into a comfortable place that works for me this week has helped incredibly for both my energy and my attitude.

Time: 8hr 4min
Trip: 162.2km
Avg: 20.0km/hr
Max: 56.2km/hr





Whitefish Falls, Ontario

Onto the Manitoulin Island!


Warm welcome to camp! Beautiful washroom facilities. I got an orange juice concentrate and let it warm into a smoothie texture as my evening dessert :)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Amqui, QC to Sugarloaf Provincial Park in Atholville, NB

Image
A day to savour. Riders are more relaxed now that your days are winding down and the ride distances are shortening even by just a few kilometres. It's strange how 20km less per day, about an hour of riding lessons per day, makes us feel like the day's are so much shorter. My group stayed ahead of me all day which was quite alright as I took it easy. The morning fog made for a cool by special morning. I rode primarily with no hands for the first 45km so I could sit up and take it easy. The parrelling of the Saumon River ensured a pleasant sight and a slight downhill over the day. In camp tonight we are at the foot of a ski hill. Sugarloaf Provincial Park sounds awesome as it has camping, skiing, mountain biking, hiking, snow shoeing, cross country skiing, tennis, and day use areas. It's truly a year round park and the staff I have met are friendly. We entered New Brunswick today and it's a radically quick change to see mostly English once again. It almost feels too ba
Read more

Bathurst, NB to Daigle Daigle Park Campground in Saint-Louis, NB

Image
I made many stops today. There were numerous unmaintained of completely abandoned homes and buildings to be seen today. My first spark for looking into abandoned places was on the south side of Bathurst. I didn't know it's name at the time but I saw the left over concrete from the power and paper mill. I began to notice homes along the secondary road 134 that had been abandoned. In the pictures you'll hear more of their stories. Besides the buildings I took interest in, the day faired well. The hills and bumps of the road were worse in the morning and smoothed out after Miramichi, roughly half way. Tomorrow is our longer day of the week but I really don't have much of worries. I pray for favorable wind and good sights. I plan on handing out many many Sea to Sea cards and stickers tomorrow. Only four more riding days left! Trip: 127.5km Time: 7:16am to 3:30ish pm Remains of the Bathurst Power and Paper company. After some research its name and that it ju
Read more
Image
Today began with a good breakfast but the drive was long. The Stehouwer family was tired and grumpy but resolved their issues when it came time to enjoy Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The park offered scenic views at the Painted Canyon Rest stop and 36mile scenic loop packed with prairie dogs, wild horses, bison, and hiking trails. From the national park we drove a long hour to Glendive, Montana. Without a pool for entertainment, the family got Pizza Hut for dinner and watched John skateboard and the local skatepark. John was quite thrilled and even made a friend who let him borrow a full size skateboard.  All in all, the day turned out to be a good one for the books!
Read more