Day 33, July 1st, Montreal River to Sault Ste. Marie (124km)

Last Nights Sunset

To get to Sault Ste. Marie from Thunder Bay, you take Highway 17 East for 697km along the shores of Lake Superior.  The terrain is diverse and the scenery's beautiful.  Sault Ste. Marie is at the Eastern end of the Northern shore and marks the end of the major hills.  Waking up on the shore of the lake, I could hear the howling wind.  Overnight, the clouds in the distance had blown across the lake.  I packed up camp and thanked the guys with the canoe.  Without them, there would have been no dinner.  I wanted a good meal for breakfast.  Hmm... Pancake Bay, with a name like that, I expected the best.  Hundreds of years ago, the legendary Voyageurs would stop for breakfast here.  They would use the last of their flour to make pancakes before the final push into Sault Ste. Marie.  I made my way back through the forest.  Back on the road, I hit a supersized hill.  This highway makes you work for everything.  I would have to earn my breakfast on the way to Pancake Bay,

Beautiful Scenery Lake Superior

The hill wasn't really the problem.  The roaring sounds of relentless headwinds in your ears is demoralizing.  While the road from Thunder Bay to Sault Ste. Marie is a hilly, physically difficult challenge, the winds present the most formidable physical and psychological obstacle.  After reaching the summit, I pedaled down the hill.  Reaching the mighty speed of 25km/h, I sighed in exasperation.  Who needs brakes when the wind blows so hard I thought.  With the wind roaring in my ears, I fought my way to Pancake Bay. 

Tepees at Pancake Bay

Tepees appeared beside the road.  Ahh... civilization.  It had been almost 150 hilly kilometers with barely a store or a gas station.  I was happy to get to Pancake Bay.  The Agawa Indians run a great business.  You can buy their furs, shop for groceries or a souvenir.  Over 200 North American carvers are represented in their stores.  What was missing was a restaurant.  I resigned myself to breakfast from the grocery store.  The provincial parks could learn a lot from the Indians.  At over $35 a night the camping is expensive in Ontario's parks.  If you do spend $35, you might not even get showers. Employees mill around with nothing to do.  Thanks but no thanks, I'd rather free camp on the shores of the lake or support a private campground with friendly owners offering twice as much for half the price. We need to do better.  There is a disconnect between the government and the patrons of the parks.  The parks are beautiful, but scenery aside, the lack of facilities a exorbitant price give tourists little reason to stay.  In a world where cheap flights have made beautiful places more accessible, Ontario will lose its tourists if continues to fail to connect with those who want to enjoy the outdoors.  It was embarrassing to hear nothing but continuous complaints from international tourists unhappy with the facilities and the crazy price.  If the administrators so out of tune with reality, now would be a good time to make a change. Rant over...

Chippewa Water Fall

Leaving Pancake Bay, the roads stayed flat but the wind continued to howl.  Riding by the lake was beautiful. Small chip stands and grocery stores dotted the shore.  Beautiful little islands appeared beside the road.  For a minute or two, the lake would disappear.  Rounding a corner, it would come back into view.  A completely different portrait would appear before your eyes.  You had to constantly remind yourself you were still riding beside the same massive lake.  I slowly passed a waterfall.  Chippewa waterfall was right beside the road.  I paused to stop.  This road gives you so many reasons to take a break.

The Start of 1 Mile Hill

Stopping for a snack, I asked the friendly lady about the last 20km to the Soo.  With great enthusiasm, she warned me about One Mile Hill.  One Mile Hill is legendary.  There's a story about a cyclist who rode all the way across Canada, saw the hill, gave up and turned back to go the other way.  I got back on my bike and within 5 minutes I was at the base of the hill.  The  higher I climbed, the steeper the hill seemed to get.  In my head, I thought this would be the perfect training site for a sadistic running coach.  Hitting a mile, the hill still continued up but flattened out.  At 2.5km the summit finally appeared.  After the summit, I slowly coasted the rest of the way to Sault Ste. Marie.  Pulling in at a restaurant, I had a chat with Scott.  Scott's on his way to start a new life in Port Moody and left a week ago from Quebec.  I told him how spectacular and remote the 697km is to Thunder Bay.  Then I told him about the hills.  Scott's riding himself into shape.  He'll be a new man by the time he hits Thunder Bay.  I gave him my email, wished him good luck an yelled, "See you in Vancouver in 40 days."

For 697km, It's Been a Beautiful Ride Along Lake Superior

Distance: 124km

Average Speed: 18.8km/h

Maximum Speed: 58.1km/h

Time: 6:36

Odometer: 4052km

Day 32, June 30th, Wawa to Montreal River (111km)

Calm Winds Outside Wawa

As beautiful as Canada is, one of the great experiences of this trip is meeting unique and interesting people. Everyone has a story to tell and the stories out here are unbelievable. Yesterday, I met Umair. Umair has a dark complexion and long black hair. He's the type of guy who could be from anywhere. Spotting me from across the road, he crossed over.  Umair had just done his masters and is riding his bike from Toronto to Vancouver over 40 days. We were doing the same route going opposite ways. I learned from Umair that next year he'll ride from Paris to Lhasa. With an interest in language, he plans to study Chinese dialects along the way.

Old Woman Bay

Today's ride took me through Lake Superior Provincial Park. After the long day yesteday, I hadn't looked at a map. A group of boys at the camp doing missionary work cooked up a good breakfast. The guys were in their teens and were hungry to hear good stories. They told me about Daryl who is a day or two ahead. He has a GPS that continuously updates his location on his blog. After breakfast, the guys gave me some Cliff Bars. It was already late when I set off for the Lake Superior Park.

Danielle and Her Dad

Entering the park, I saw the sign. Lake Superior Provincial Park was 83km long. In provincial parks, there's no stores to buy supplies. Great! I had 3 cliff bars and 3 liters of water, It was going to be a difficult ride. The hills were steep. After a gruel-ling ascent, I zoomed into Old Woman Bay. Danielle and her dad were by the water. Danielle's dad was going through an ugly divorce and happy to have time to spend with his daughter. Maybe after the divorce he might do a trip. He's thinking about biking across Canada so he had a lot of questions. He offered me some extra supplies before I resumed my trip.  I thankfully accepted a lot of water.  It's so ironic to run out of water beside a lake. 

I left Old Woman Lake and climbed the hill to the park office. Not familiar with the terrain, I asked for a profile of the road ahead. The helpful girl said there would be more hills and that I should be ready for a difficult climb up Montreal Hill before Montreal River. Descending from the office, a man appeared out of the brush beside the road. I was kind of curious so I stopped for a chat.

Descent Into Christine Bay

Dana Meise has a really interesting story. A little while back he received a promotion at his job. With the promotion, he would have been stuck in the same position for perhaps the rest of his life. Instead of accepting, he quit his job, sold his house and started to walk. People called him crazy, he had worked so hard to get the promotion. Dana started in Newfoundland and over 8000km later, I was talking with him at the side of the road. His goal was to walk the entire Trans Canada Trail. At 22 000km it's a bit of a hike.  The trail was washed out in this part of Ontario and after struggling for several days, Dana detoured through the park. Michaelle Jean the former Governor General and Lauren Harper the Prime Minister's wife had heard about his trip. They had spent some time to walk with him. His trip has taken on a life of its own. Now sponsored by the Trans Canada Trail http://www.tctrail.ca./home.php and Keen Shoes http://www.keencanada.ca/ca/en/, Dana will spend the next 7 years to complete the hike. He has a GPS that records his real time position on the internet. For more information, check out www.thegreathike.com As far as I know, Dana will be the first person to walk the entire trail. He's an amazing guy with an amazing dream. I hope one day I run across him again as he walks through the Trans Canada Trail into Vancouver.

Beautiful Desolate Beach, Christine Bay

After the chance encounter, I continued my ride. It was already afternoon and the sun was hot. Montreal River was still 50km away. My ride took me past Christine Bay. With no one by the water, I paused for a little lunch. Climbing more hills I finally made Agawa Bay. I talked to a biker at the rest stop. Yesterday, a deer had clipped his motorbike. He had gone down and the bike slid across the road. He was missing his windshield and a turning signal. The mechanic who fixed his bike said it happens quite often. Ditch rats is what they call the deer out here. Descending from the viewpoint I entered the provincial park campsite and filled up my bottles. The camping fee of $35 plus tax is a little steep. The girl at the office mentioned it was a 57km ride to Banana Bay. At 3pm it was too late. I set off anyways, hoping to find something in Montreal River.

Welcome to Montreal River

For weeks, I had heard about Montreal Hill. Dana had mentioned the big hill after Agawa Bay. Umair had said there was some nasty hills after the park. In Winnipeg, the guys at the hostel all remembered this hill. In the hot afternoon sun, I started my climb. It was steep and long and my legs were dead. I just kept ploughing forward. It took a while, but I finally hit the top. I had gone through 1.5 liters of water climbing this hill. With the summit behind me, I started my quick descent. A sign saying Montreal River appeared beside the Road. Montreal River isn't even a town. Distracted by the sign, I didn't notice the black rubber used to fill the cracks in the road. The rubber caught my tire and my bike wobbled really bad. I was able to recover and kept it from crashing. This black rubber is really dangerous to cyclists. It can clamp onto your wheel like a vice.  I counted my lucky stars.  At the time I hit the rubber, I was going at my maximum speed for the day. 

Sunset on Lake Superior

Not a town in sight and it was late in the day.  I briefly checked out Twilight resort but it was a rag tag place along the lake.  The great thing about Lake Superior is there are so many beaches along its shore. Walking through the dark forrest then along the shore, I found a nice little spot not far from the road and resort.  I set up on the rocky sand.  A night on the beach beside the lake.  Sunset was beautiful, and I met some guys with a canoe.  I swam in the lake to wash away the sweat.  Since breakfast, I haven't had a proper meal and I'm out of supplies.  It's going to be interesting to see what's left in the legs for tomorrows trip to Sault Ste. Marie.

Parks Building Lake Superior Provincial Park

Distance: 111km

Average Speed: 18.8km/h

Maximum Speed: 48.4km/h

Time: 5:52

Odometer: 3928km

Day 31, June 29th, Marathon to Wawa (201km)

Sunrise Penn Lake

Epic Day!!  201km after 3 difficult days.  For the past 3 days, the route from Thunder Bay to Marathon featured some of Canada's toughest hills.  The last 3 days had been tough!   Victor says he finds it too difficult to ride up all the really steep hills.  Every day for the last 3 days, he had walked his bike up and over more than 20km of hills.  These hills were steep and it was starting to take its toll.  At 5am, I got up.  It was so cold there was frost on the grass.  Making my way to the lake, I could see the steam rising off the water.  The clouds were gone and the wind was calm.  This was going to be a beautiful day.  I broke camp and wished Victor good luck.  He'll be alright.  We both need a good day to get our spirits up. 

Lake Before White River

Today was an excellent day.  The winds were calm, the sun was out and it was only 21 degrees.  The conditions were perfect for a very fast day.  Making my way out of town, I stopped at the junction with the highway.  The girl at the station said the tough stuff was done.  Today, there would be some hills, but they wouldn't be steep.  Leaving the station, I worked the cranks.  My first stop of the day was White River which was nearly 100km away.  The lakes along this road are stunning.  It's tough to describe their beauty.  There are so many that it's impossible to remember their names.

White River Winnie the Pooh

Around 11am, a tailwind picked up.  Victor was right, when the sun heats the air, the winds get stronger.  I was glad the the tailwind was with me today.  I made the 100km to White River going fairly fast.  It wasn't even lunch time so I checked out the town.  White River is the famous birthplace of Winnie the Pooh.  Lieutenant Harry Colebourn of White River was a veterinarian and soldier who donated a bear cub named Winnie to the London Zoo.  Coleburn had come across Winnie near White River when a hunter had killed her mother. At the time, he was leaving for the war so he bought the cub for $20 and took it across the Atlantic where it became the mascott for the Canadian Armies Fort Garry Horse.  Coleburn went on to serve 3 years in France and kept Winnie at the London Zoo.  After the war, Winnie was donated to the zoo. Winnie later inspired the creation of A.A. Milne's famous childrens book Winnie the Pooh.

Trees Destroyed By a Forest Fire

Moving past White River, I planned to stay at Obatanga Provincial Park.  By now the air had warmed and the tailwind was fast.  The road was flat and I did a 30 minute stretch at over 40km/h.  In no time, I was at the park.  I went into the office and contemplated whether I should end the day.  The girl said the road to Wawa was fairly flat.  With the wind at my back, I thanked her for the information and said I would go for Wawa today.

Neat Wawa Gas Station & General Store

On big km days, your body tends to protest.  Every 30 minutes, I forced myself to eat and drink 350ml of water.  The plan worked well and my legs felt great.  The girl was right, the road was flat.  An hour out of Wawa, the temperatures cooled.  In no time, the tailwind was gone.  5 minutes later, it had shifted into a headwind.  I smiled at the heavens.  I had really taken advantage of the tailwind that had followed me for most of the day.   With only 20km left, I battled the headwind.  Tough little hills started to reappear.  On tired legs it wasn't easy, but I made Wawa RV before 6pm.  The campground only gave me 192km.  I really wanted a 200km day so I headed into town and reloaded my supplies.  Arriving back at camp, my odometer read 201km.  It was an epic day.

Canada's Lake District is Beautiful

Distance: 201km
Average Speed 24.6km/h
Maximum Speed 59.1km/h
Time: 8:10
Odometer: 3817

Day 30, June 28th, Terrace Bay to Marathon (94km)

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.

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.

 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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

Day 29, June 27th, Nipigon to Terrace Bay Ontario, (114km)

Climbing a Hill Lake Superior Behind

Oh Lake Superior! The beauty of your shoreline is difficult to put into words. Today I woke up with vague notions of trying to get to Marathon almost 200km away. For weeks, cyclists going the opposite way had talked about the killer hills of Northern Ontario. Almost 650km into the province, all I had encountered were a few molehills and strong persistent headwinds. Today looked to be no different. Thick clouds hung in the sky and the fierce, cold wind blew directly in my face. Leaving Nipigon, I had no idea that the third challenge would be the steep hills that were about to come into play.

Narrowest Point of the Trans Canada

Just outside of Nipigon, is the narrowest point of the Trans Canada Highway. With a single lane each way, you come across a bridge that serves as the route for both highway 17 and highway 11. The shoulder is tight, and trucks come scarily close to your handle bars. Glad to get past the bottleneck, I got my first taste of the short and steep hills that define this part of the province. While the hills of B.C. tend to be long gradual passes that can run uphill for 40km or more, the hills of Ontario are short, steep and frequent in nature. Rarely is a hill more than 5km long. but they are definitely steeper then the ones I encountered in B.C. My first indication of how steep they are, was the view of a semi trailer slowly climbing one in the distance with its hazard lights on. Working my way up, the view of Lake Superior started to open up on my right. It was a serene scene full of natural beauty.

Islands of Lake Superior From the Top of a Cliff Head

Lake Superiors shoreline is dotted by rocky bluffs. Todays route along the lake involved more than 6 climbs up the rocky cliffs. To my right, islands in the lake became visible as I neared the summit of each cliff. The closer islands were a darker shade of blue while more distant islands got progressively lighter. I crawled up the hills. Sometimes I could barely ride 6km/h. The descents were quick and often reckless. On one descent, I saw a U-Haul truck pulled over beside the road. Smoke was pouring from its wheels so I stopped to ask the driver if everything was okay. The driver said he was carrying a really heavy load. The steep downhill had overheated the brakes.

British Mini Bikes Beside My Bike

Pressing on, I hit Gravel Creek. The only building in the town houses a gas station, liquor store and restaurant. I needed supplies so I crossed the road. Parked in front of the building were two tiny bikes fully loaded with touring equipment. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I entered the building expecting to see two midgets wearing cycling gear. Instead, I came across a couple of giant British guys. The shortest one had to be 6'4” Surprised, I told the guys, “When I saw those bikes, I thought I'd find a couple of midgets in the store.” The Brits had started their ride in Halifax and were working their way to Vancouver. They quickly admitted that the bikes weren't working out too well for them. Somehow they still managed to get close to 100km a day. They were good chaps, and I would have loved to chat a while longer but I still had a long way to go before the end of the day.

View of Lake Superior by Rossport

Climbing more hills, I descended into Rossport. By now, I was starving. Rossport turned out to be nothing more than a hamlet of houses along the shore of the lake. The shoreline out here is beautiful. After each climb up the side of a cliff, the lake presents itself with a different look. You have to remind yourself that you are looking at a different part of the same huge lake. In areas without islands, you can see water until the horizon. It's easy to see why early explorers thought Lake Superior was the sea.

Terrace Bay

Climbing Another Hill

Tired of climbing hill after hill, I paused to take some self portraits. The road in this area is blasted through the rocks of the cliffs. Often, the climb is longer than you first expect. False summits, plateaus then more steep road play tricks with your mind. You feel demoralized when you climb for 4km, the hill flattens out and you turn the corner only to see another huge hill in front of you. This happened 3 times on the final hill to Schreiber. Relieved to hit a major town, I grabbed a quick lunch. The fellow working there mentioned there were more amenities at Terrace Bay. Not impressed with the campground at Schreiber, I rode the final 14km stretch to Terrace Bay.  

Aguasabon Falls

Before setting up camp, I checked out Aguasabon Falls and the Gorge.   A massive waterfall plummets into a gorge before draining into the lake.  Today the scenery had been spectacular.  It was the most beautiful day since the mountains of British Columbia.

Rain was threatening so I set up my tent. Victor the Aussie rolled in half an hour after me. Within an hour, we were hit by the worst downpour of my trip. Victor and I ran for the washrooms to get out of the rain. It's been raining for 4 hours now. Lightning is flashing all over the night sky.  Thunder, lightning, rain, wind and cold temperatures can't stop me from remembering this as an amazing day.  

Looking Back at Lake Superiors Shoreline

Distance: 114km

Average Speed: 17.7km/h

Maximum Speed: 65.6km/h

Time: 6:26

Odometer: 3522km

Day 28, June 26th, Thunder Bay Int. Hostel to Nipigon (89km)

The Porch Thunder Bay Hostel

Late last night, just after dusk, a ghost arrived at Thunder Bay Int. Hostel.  I'd heard rumors about Victor the Australian in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.  We were traveling parallel routes, but we always seemed to miss each other by a day.  At one point, we were even at the same hostel in Winnipeg.  A hostel so big, that we probably brushed shoulders in the hall without recognizing each other.

Wildflowers Beside the Road

 Victor is quite the character.  At age 63, he comes from the most isolated city in the world, Perth Australia.  Perth is over 2100km away from any major city.  Years ago, Victor rode from Sydney to Perth, a journey of over 4000km.  He mentioned the severe droughts plaguing Australia.  Droughts so bad that water had to be trucked in to remote gas stations servicing the outback.  As a cyclist, the gas stations wouldn't even sell him water.  It was a very precious commodity needed for cooling systems of the trucks.  Victor subsisted on that trip by buying 4 liter jugs of orange juice at remote out stations along the way.  For a man his age, he is in amazing shape.  While he is traveling at much slower speeds than me, he is doing approximately the same distances.  At over 170km, the trip to the hostel had been his longest day.  The great thing about Victor is his methods of travel are before old school.  Map and compass in hand, he doesn't even have an odometer on his bike.  His flare gun for the bears is something only an Aussie would carry.  Armed at the hip, he looked like a cowboy.  The bears are shyer than Australia's venomous spiders I pointed out with a grin on my face.

Endless Tracts of Wildflowers in Full Bloom

Early this morning, I was ready to leave.  At 9am, I was off.  I thanked the Swiss for all their help and told Victor we'd see each other down the road.   Victor had taught me a lot about making surmises from a regular map.  He told me that river crossings cutting through the Canadian Shield on their way to lake Superior have short steep downhills followed by a brutally short steep uphill as the carve through the landscape.  Winds he said, pick up in the afternoon as the sun heats the air increasing the speed of the collisions between molecules.  It was all basic chemistry, but these old timers have this basic useful knowledge that technology seems to kill.  Today's stage from Thunder Bay to Nipigon featured rolling hills, rivers and the threat of bears.  Pulling into a gas station a patron said he had seen 4 bears on his way west.  I said great, I'll have the camera ready.  The bears just don't worry me anymore.  I cruised down the road on fresh legs.  I felt like a million dollars.  Forcing myself to slow down, I took some pictures of the wildflowers beside the road.

Terrain Between Thunder Bay & Nipigon

Entering the Port Arthur Hills, the going got a little tougher.  Working the gears, I noted the signs for Amethyst mines on the side of the road.  About 75 km from Nipigon are some of the worlds richest deposits of the gemstone Amethyst.  While not as valuable as rubies and saphires, ancient Greek philosophy suggests purple hued Amethyst protects its owner from drunkenness.  The locals in the small towns out here have been a little too friendly.  With so many offering to buy a drink, it might be a good idea to pick up this little gem.

1906 Church Nipigon

I found the Port Arthur Hills to be an easy challenge.  Before lunch time, I had arrived in Nipigon.  Nipigon is a small town of about 2000 along the shores of Lake Superior.  It's primary industry was forestry, but the mill has now been closed.  As one local said, all the six figure jobs disappeared.  Ironically, I met a few forestry workers from B.C. who ended up moving here after poor government policy wrecked the industry on the West Coast.  When a downturn in lumber and pulp prices shuttered mills along the coast, the subsequent sale of multi million dollar mills to developing countries for pennies on the dollar lacked foresight and business acumen.  Government policies allowing for the export of raw logs were the final death blow to a suffering industry.  As prices recovered, Canada was left without the facilities to process wood.  Now Canada is merely an exporter of raw logs to oversea mills we once owned.  As with a lot of resource towns, this town is shrinking.  Shuttered businesses line its streets.

Paddle to the Sea

Nipigon's biggest contribution is the 1941 childrens book "Paddle to the Sea."  In the book a native boy from Nipigon carves a wooded canoe and inscribes the words "Please put me back in the water" on its hull.  The canoe travels all the way from the great lakes to the Atlantic on an epic journey of discovery.  People from all walks of life come across it on its voyage to the sea.  In 1966, the story was turned into a film that was nominated for an Oscar.  I still remember seeing this movie as a kid and was delighted to stumble across the history of the story down by the lake.

Cat Guarding My Bike

Dropping by the grocery store, I came across Graham, Owen and Natalie.  These three cyclists had met along the way.  Graham and Owen had started off as soloists while Natalie had been ditched by a cycling partner who couldn't take the hills, rain, wind and her way of traveling.  On a $25 a day budget, this girl has been free camping.  It's been three weeks since she had a shower, but there's lakes along the way.  We had a bit of a picnic in front of the grocery store.  They gave me a lot of good advice about abandoned hotels that I could squat at along the lake.  For a few kilometers, I rode west with the pack.  Shaking hands at the campground, they headed off into the setting sun. Perhaps I'll have the chance to seem them again when they make it to Vancouver!

Elaborate Chainsaw Carvings

Distance: 89km
Average Speed: 23.9km/h
Maximum Speed: 54.7km/h
Time: 3:43
Odometer: 3408km

Day 27, June 25th, Silver Bay East of Thunder Bay (0km)

Searching For Treasure at the Dump

Hostels have always had a special culture.  Unlike hotels, guests share a common kitchen, TV room and bathroom.  What makes hostels so unique, is good conversations with random strangers.  Over the years, I've spent a lot of time at these types of places.  While Thunder Bay International Hostel is older than most, its owners provide the character for a very special refuge for weary travelers.  Lloyd and Willa have lead extraordinary lives.  In the late 1960's they spent 6 years in Borneo, before traveling to Europe, Australia, Africa and Asia.  They traveled at a time when backpacking was in its infancy and were lucky enough to see places like Afghanistan and Lebanon before the wars that plague those countries.  After spending a day here, I realized Lloyd is no ordinary hostel owner.  He's the head of Backpackers Hostels Canada.

Sign Posts Made by Hostel Guests

Backpackers Hostels Canada is a group of independent hostel owners who banded together after years of dealing with draconian rules set by Hosteling International.  The group has over 150 independently owned hostels that serve budget conscious travelers across the country.  Lloyd's son Ken,  has continued what his father started and operates an excellent hostel in Ottawa.  More information on their network of hostels can be found at www.backpackers.ca 

Lloyd Makes a Discovery

In addition to their great work within the hosteling industry, Lloyd and Willa have been strong advocates for refugees.  The two of them were responsible for sponsoring 200 Karen Burmese to Canada who previously lived in refugee camps after being persecuted by the Burmese army.  Many have thrived in the local community and credit Lloyd and Willa for the lives they have and their freedom to live.  Lloyd is walking one of the girls down the aisle for her wedding.  She is deaf.  I wonder what kind of life she might have had in Burma had Canada not opened her doors.  They really are the elder statesman/stateslady of adventure travel and human rights and have tirelessly taken on issues long before the issues were popular with the public.  Now in their golden years, operating a hostel on the back roads outside Thunder Bay, the world comes to them.  The hostel is a tribute to their life's work.  Newspaper articles, pictures and clippings line the walls.  There really is an appreciation within the community for the work that they have done.

My Super Tough Touring Bike

There are only 3 of us here tonight.  A young couple from Switzerland is biking from East to West.  They're so romantic.  When I mentioned they were going the wrong way to catch the prevailing winds, they stated they wanted to finish in the most beautiful part of the country.  Next year they're getting married.  I'm happy for them, they both have such great attitudes about their trip and their life.  As bicycle tourists going opposite ways and meeting halfway, we've been passing on a lot of information to each other.  Today they told me about a website www.warmshowers.com  This is a website for bike tourers run by bike tourers.  Like www.couchsurfing.org it provides a data base of places bike tourers can stay for free.  Unlike other websites providing this service, it specificity to bike tourers is what makes it special.  Ask anyone on a bike what the most important thing is at the end of the day and they'll tell you a warm shower and washing machines.  

Kitten at the Garbage Dump

Today Lloyd took me to the garbage dump.  He had to throw out an old mattress and I was more than happy to come along for the ride.  The couple from Switzerland came too.  Having studied environmentalism, the girl was interested in the way Canadians dispose their trash.  Arriving at the dump, she was shocked.  There are so many things that can be recycled that get thrown out.  It was worst than the system she had observed in third world countries around the world.  We found 3 little kittens amongst the garbage.  I guess this must be home for them.  We told the operator about our find but it's all we could do for them.

Solitude Along Lake Superior

After getting back to the hostel, I decided to take a trip down to the shore of the lake.  Lake Superior is massive.  Being almost 20km outside of the city, I had the place all to myself.  It was beautiful.  I had picked up a little bit of lunch at a local grocer and sat on the warm rocks overlooking the lake.  A couple of girls on a fishing trip interrupted the solitude.  Today they had no luck.  One of them was just happy to be back by the lake.  After spending 3 years in Germany, it was what she missed most.   The locals are always friendly in these smaller places.  I never see a need to lock my bike and more often than not help is offered before it's solicited.  Tomorrow, I leave for a 700km stretch of highway that takes me to Sault St. Marie.  I'm going to miss this hostel.  It really is an oasis in the middle of Northern Ontario.  Hopefully the rainstorms and lightening hold off for the next 5 days.