- Day 1 -1 Week
- Day 1 -12 Hours
- Day 1
- Day 2
- Day 3
- Day 4
- Day 5
- Day 6
- Day 7
- Day 8
- Day 9
- Day 10
- Day 11
- Day 12
- Day 13
- Day 14
- Day 15
- Day 16
- Day 17
- Day 18
- Day 19
- Day 20
- Day 21
- Day 22
- Day 23
- Day 24
- Day 25
- Day 26
- Day 27
- Day 28
- Day 29
- Day 30
- Day 31
- Day 32
- Day 33
- Day 34
- Day 35
- Day 36
- Day 37
- Day 38
- Day 39
- Day 40
- Day 41
- Day 42
- Day 43
- Day 44
- Day 45
- Day 46
- Day 47
- Day 48
- Day 49
- Day 50
- Day 51
- Day 52
- Day 53
- Day 54
- Day 55
- The End
- Retrospective
I was surprisingly not very tired for bed. Not that I was going to stay awake all night but when we talked about going to sleep I read on the phone for a while more. Then the alarm went off. I had a quick pee before Jerry got in the shower and I got dressed to finish yesterday’s blog entry and excitedly thought about what was going to make todays breakfast “deluxe”.
In the lobby there were no news papers which was not a great start for “deluxe”. However, just before the breakfast room a man working at a counter created us. We headed into the room but I knew I would be back… build your own omelet station?!? This is Deluxe! Inside was more of the same, but I knew I was getting that omelet so I always had that to fall back on. Jerry had his waffles with strawberry compote. Water bombs! Breakfast was good.
Back to the room to get ready. While finishing the check out a lady biker chatted me up. We spoke of the road ahead and behind. She told me about what today would be like and warned of a few days ahead. She was very nice, and I appreciate the conversation however some of the things she said, or maybe the ways she said it, I felt like this is not the advice for me.
We hit the road. The first mile or so was the end of town. It had some nice elements to it, for a small town kind of nowhere Canada. But you know so much of Canada has surprised me, everyone has a museum. I can’t imagine that many of these are frequented often, but they have a building dedicated to learning about something. One place had a library / indoor pool combination building. I wonder how many water damaged books they’ve had in their existence, but how great to put something the people want in the same building with something the people should use.
More of the amazing beauty. The hills, rivers and streams trusting and turning together into a undulating symphony. I still feel I can not do it justice but, if you even remotely like nature, come here!
We stopped for some fruit. It was very dry and kind of dusty, maybe, in hindsight it might have been smoke in the air. Either way there was a serious need for fruit. We chatted about our day and movies and the ride. It’s interesting how your mind wonders to all kinds of different places as you bike rides to new places and then with other people you have more possibilities of thoughts, ideas, memories that all flood and come out in conversation, thoughts and relivings.
We passed a biker adjusting his bags or digging something out, or what ever, parked in a pull off on the side of the road. I waved, he waved, as we passed he said ‘you guys are fast’. Jerry said ’40 days from Manhattan’. Now I’m not 100%, and I’m not trying to cast dispersions on the guy if this wasn’t what he said, but I am 99% sure he then replied, ‘I don’t fucking care’. Now the thing is there aren’t of a lot of things that could have been. And what do I really care what he has to say as we ride past… However, if you don’t want to engage, don’t. It’s so simple, and yet he choose to talk, then complain that we’re now talking. You had no problem waving, wave and be done with it.
We passed a large lake with all kinds of water sports happening. Water skiing, boating, swimming, it looked like a really fun recreational area.
We came across some construction. No detour, which was nice, but seldom is construction a good thing. The shoulder on the right was still good, so we rode up along the cars waiting till they could proceed. The shoulder continued on unobstructed, as did we. Deep into the construction area there were the repaving machines on the right. When we approached we dismounted to walk past. Jerry went wide into the grass while I went between the vehicles. I had to ask the guys to move, which they didn’t seem to mind, and I stepped in the fresh black top, clearly leaving a foot print, which again they didn’t seem to mind… In hindsight I should have followed Jerry. Back to smooth sailing on our unobstructed shoulder. A klick or two later the tar machine was out. We avoided as best we could but it was every where. We ended up riding through a bunch and had every and anything stuck to our tires. Luckily not too much further down the road there was a gas station. We pulled over to clean off our wheels.
A man and woman on tour bikes pulled into the gas station, of course heading east. They were really loaded, though no helmets or toe clips. Jerry chatted with the woman and I with the man. Jerry and I later confirmed that English was clearly their second language. We found out they were really only biking as a means of transporting them and all their gear from camp site to rock climbing site. He really didn’t even seam to like riding, complaining about his ass. I don’t think he had bike shorts or a good saddle. He told me about they climbing and camping so far. As well as riding on a mountain trail where they were only getting 30 kilometers a day. It sounded like a very interesting, but very different trip. We spoke of retirement ages in our respective countries, where he asked me if I had 5 years left of working… ? I just said in America average is 60-65 was he saying I could pass for 55-60??!? We talked about keeping fit, riding bikes and health. He told me they just went for an ice cream that was one serving and the two of them could barely finish it. It was a nice chat, and good to see other people doing crazy stuff. But soon enough it was time for us to head into the wind, and them to ride into the construction.
We headed down the road a piece and the construction stopped. Our road turned off the road ours had combined with this morning, so a right turn and full west again. As soon as we turned we saw a sign for more road resurfacing! We climbed a small hill with the grooved pavement. Not fun, but maybe better then the taint shiatsu, and really not so bad on the up hill. I worried that this would be the rest of our day. Everything was so bumpy I was worried about the GoPro and took it down, just incase. Luckily at the top the road smoothed out and we were on our way.
A long down hill lead us into more grooved pavement. This looked to go on for a while. We rode along side of the cars all patiently waiting to be allowed to go. It is so nice to see people just wait. No honking horns, no yelling out the window… just waiting till they’re told they can go. Jerry talks about going to the other side for a possibility of a better ride. I suggest we ask the sign guy that must be coming up soon, with all these people waiting, we must be close to the end. As he swings back to the outside I end up just ahead of him. As I peddle the cars start to move. A girl pulls along side and asks me about the Drake challenge. I say I can’t get off my bike to dance she films me saying no just ride with the music up. I think these videos are really only good when something crazy happens, I look back to make sure nothing crazy is happening and Jerry is WAY behind… Is he walking? I stop and turn around. The next two cars tell me my friend is broke down and calling me. I ride back, and unbeknownst to me right when Jerry song to the outside he got a flat. While he gave a slower peddle or two to feel it on the grooved pavement I was keeping going and by the time he knew and yelled for me she had Drake on. So I guess something crazy did happen but not on the video and like most of the crazy things… not fun crazy.
2/5 Mike/Jerry. He wasn’t happy to have a flat or that I just rode off, which I can’t blame him, but it really was just the perfect timing of bad events. Flat fixed and away we went. Till it starting going flat again. There must be something stuck in there. We pumped app his tire and rode just a bit more to a better spot in the rode to fix a second flat. This time we took the entire wheel apart, and scoured the inside for anything. We found a tine piece of wire, like a straightened staple inside the wheel. Some pliers, lots of water and we were ready to continue. I think it’s only fair to keep it at 2/5.
It had gotten really hot, the road was still all chewed up, and the electronics store closed in 2 hours! I had filled up my hard rive with GoPro videos, and now needed to do some house cleaning/ moving stuff around. So we hit it. 13 miles to go, in 2 hours zero problem… unless we have another flat… or it gets much hotter.
We made it to the store, and even though I got all crazy and later called them to complain / demand my money back. But in the end the hard drive works fine and the guy did not steer me astray.
It was so hot we went past the hotel to go to 7-11 for something cold before we checked in. And now I’m typing well into bed time so maybe I’ll write some of the flair of the rest of the evening as a bonus… later.
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