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| Victor in Good Spirit |
For 5 hours last night, the monsoon roared. Night became day, as lightning struck close to the bay. Around midnight, there was a lull in the storm. Victor and I escaped from the office porch to check on our stuff. My tent had held out the rain and my gear remained dry. Victor wasn't so lucky. His tent and gear had gotten a little wet. Within 15 minutes, the storm started again. Victor said he was going to camp in the washroom. I stayed in my tent, hoping the water running down the grass wouldn't creep underneath it. I had set up on the highest piece of grass I could find. It was a good spot. With rain pelting the tent, it was tough to sleep. Around 2am, I must have drifted off. When I got up at 6am, the rain had stopped. I walked up to the office to find Victor asleep on the porch. The cold morning was miserable but at least it was the start of a day. I was running out of clothing so I pulled on my long sleeve merino wool and a cycling jersey that I had used the day before. With all the rain, nothing in the mesh bag I bungee to the back rack of my bike had dried. It really sucked having to put on a damp cycling jersey. The one thing I hadn't prepared for was extended stretches of cold wet weather. I just try to layer as best as I can when I run into these storms.
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| Curves in the Road. |
Drying off my gear as best as I could, I broke camp and loaded my bike. The clouds still looked ominous and the crisp winds continued to howl. Stopping at the bakery to grab some bread, I wished Victor the best of luck. I knew there would be lot of hills on the route. The shoulder on this stretch of highway is really narrow. Ironically, the shoulder gets wider on hills so semi's can pull to the side to let others pass. The hills are so steep that from time to time you see a semi stuck on the side. On the flat sections, the narrow shoulder was really problematic today. The crosswinds were so strong, they were howling through the spokes of my tires. Gusts were moving my bike off the shoulder onto the gravel. I found myself on the gravel more than once. Luckily the highway isn't that busy so I positioned my bike 2 feet inside the white line. Listening for cars, I would dart for the shoulder. It was really stressful having to ride this way.
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| Beautiful Lakes Along the Route |
No amenities would be available between Terrace Bay and Marathon. Numerous hills came and went. Today it felt like you were either climbing a hill or coasting down one. With the hill geography comes stunning scenery. While the road was away from the shore of Lake Superior, there were numerous beautiful inland lakes all along the way. A lot of lakes were dotted with little islands. People on boats were fishing in a number of places. I don't think I could get tired of seeing the type of landscape that I saw today.
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| Too Many Car Accidents with Animals on the Highway |
Before I could see it, I could smell the rotting meat. On the shoulder of the road, I saw pieces of the front of a car. There was broken glass and some twisted red metal. Looking to the right, I saw the carcass of an animal. The animal looked too big to be a deer. I think it might have been a moose. 50m further on was another moose carcass. Driving at night along this highway is especially dangerous. Wildlife tend to freeze when they spot the headlights of a car or truck. The sharp curves in the road mean drivers don't have time to react. The moose had been struck close to the end of a curve. It's blood was still splattered all over the road.
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| Ontario Police Helicopter |
After 2 hours of battling the wind, I pulled in to a rest stop. I was chewing on a granola bar when I heard the rotors of a helicopter. The Ontario Provincial Police had a helicopter hovering a few hundred feet above me. It paused for half a minute then moved on. After finishing my snack, I continued on my way. The whole incident with the helicopter seemed a little strange. Within a few minutes, I heard rustling in the trees to my right. 3 police officers were walking in a line beside the road on the edge of the forest. "How's it going one yelled to me." "Not too bad," I replied, "What are you looking for?" The cop said they were looking for someone. I don't think it was a missing person because they were being too discreet. After checking to make sure that I was okay for supplies, they threw me a chocolate bar and I was on my way. The police are really helpful in remote places like this.
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| Climbing Another Hill |
More hills appeared before I hit Marathon. It was a slow grind up followed by recklessly fast descents all day long. Lake after lake appeared beside the road. There are so many lakes that they are too numerous to count. Everyone you meet is friendly. A lot of drivers honk and wave or stop to say hello. As bad as the weather's been, it can't dampen my spirits. Tonight Victor ended up in the same campground once again. Being from Australia, he had found the wind and hills shockingly tough. I admire his determination. While he doesn't have the physical abilities of younger cyclists, he is mentally tougher then the rest of us. On some of these windy days, it sure feels like you'll never get there.
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| Muddy River Draining Into Lake Superior |
Distance: 94km
Average Speed: 17.6km/h
Maximum Speed: 62.3km/h
Time: 5:21
Odometer: 3616km
RE: Police Search:
I later found out the police were looking for a hit and run driver who had been involved in an accident that resulted in serious head injuries to a flagman. Unfortunately, the police never found the driver. Best wishes to the injured flagman towards a full recovery.
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