Day 23, June 21st, Kenora to Dryden (143km)

Eagle in a Tree

"Hey come over here a second, I want speak with you."  Uh oh... I thought, I was in front of the police station in Dryden and this guy was asking me to come inside.  "Hi, I'm the chief of police," he introduced himself.  "How was it out there today?  You know, we hire students to do our motorcycle patrols and they radioed in that the headwinds were insane.  They saw you on your bike."  People in these small towns are friendly.  The chief said 9 out of 10 days the wind blows the other way but it's been a really strange year.  He mentioned there was nothing between here and Ignace and recommend the campground at the Eastern edge of the city.

Beaver Dam in a Field

The chief was right.  Today was another day of insane headwinds.  Mix in Ontario's legendary short, steep hills and I would have to say this was perhaps my toughest day since climbing the two mountain passes in Manning Park and making it from Hope to Princeton.  The scenery though was beautiful.  Nature seems to be at its best out here.  Beaver dams dot the landscape.  Hawks, eagles and vultures prowl the skies.  Deer and moose run beside the road.  There really is nothing between the cities except the wildlife.

One of Many Lakes w. Islands

Starting in Kenora, I passed what seemed to be a zillion lakes.  There were so many of them, mappers had a hard time coming up with creative names.  Instead, I passed Narrow lake, Triangle lake and No Name lake.  All were beautiful in their own unique way and provided the ecosystem necessary for the thriving wildlife in this area.

Huge Vultures on the Rocks

There are so many birds out here.   Vultures seemed to rule the skies.  Their wingspans are massive and you can hear their squawks echo down the valleys.  These birds look fearsome.  Bald headed and red beaked you know they're here to eat the dead.  There's plenty of food for them too.  Road kill from accidents between vehicles and animals line the roads.  I watched an eagle swoop down to the lake and grab a fish.  He circled back and took the catch to his tree.   I could have watched the scene play out all day long, but the headwinds were taking up my concentration.

Huge Cut Through Rocks

From Kenora to Dryden, the shoulder was wide and paved.  I was surprised.  This wasn't the Ontario road system that so many bikers lament about on the internet.  The headwinds and crosswinds were surprisingly strong.  This morning, Jean Pierre had mentioned it was going to be a tough day when I pulled out before his team.  He was right.  On some flat stretches, I could barely manage 12km/h.  The cuts in the rock through which the highway passes seemed to funnel the winds and increase their speeds.  I caught myself yelling out this is ridiculous more then once.   You could see RV's being towed behind trucks that were fishtailing in the wind so I stayed as far to the right as I could.

After almost 100km, I came to Vermillion Bay.  I was thankful for the only restaurant open in town.  It had been a tough slog and I needed a break.  After lunch, I looked out with dread.  The winds were even stronger.  Leaving the gravel parking lot, I could see the sand and small rocks being blown off the road.  Getting pelted by rocks really hurts.  I was glad to get back on the paved shoulder.

Decorating the Highway

It was just over 40km to Dryden and it seemed to take for ever.  Over the last few days, my right knee has been a bit sore so my left leg has been overcompensating.  My left quad was on fire.  I distracted myself by looking at the Graffiti on the rocks.  Most people simply wrote their names.  Taking a break, I built an Inukshuk to mark my passage.  Pulling into Dryden, I hit up the supermarket and a restaurant.  Then I came across the police chief.  He was right about the campground.  An old friendly Swiss guy runs the place and they have the cleanest washrooms I've ever seen.  He hand built the wooden drainage platforms in the showers.  It's almost a piece of art.  This guy really takes a lot of pride in his place.  In a world full of apathy it's refreshing to see.

Fierce Looking Turkey Vultures

Distance: 143km
Average Speed: 18km/h
Maximum Speed: 47.8km/h
Time: 7:54
Odometer: 2922km