Well as you have probably guessed, once again, the internet opportunities are somewhat limited so I should give you another 'where am I now' update on progress. I'm happy to report that I have reached vancouver and I breasted the city limit sign on July 18th under a deluge of Pacific inspired rainstorms. In fact it seemed to rain for all of the 6 weeks I've been riding in one day which is funny since except for a couple of half days here and there I havent had to break out the rain jacket more the factor 50 sun screen.
The last couple of weeks through the tailend of the Prairies, the Rockies and West Coast Mountains have been some of the hottest that I have ever cycled with daily temperatures in the high thirties each day and often the sensation of literally riding through hot water as the humidity grew into the afternoons.
By my reckoning this means that the total odyssey took 47 days with 7 days of rest intermixed within that time. My basic route involved Quebec, Ottawa, Sturgeon falls, Sault Ste marie, Thunder bay, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Calgary, Banff, Revelstoke, Kamloops, Cache Creek, the Fraser canyon, Hope and finally a 170km burst out to vancouver city.
Its been an amazing trip and I'll be resting and reflecting on the journey for a bit longer in Vancouver staying with friends and enjoying seeing some of the area. Have already spent time with a university friend jamie and his girlfriend Jess and also seen Terry and Kirsten from lane4 Canada over in West Van.
I guess some initially interesting things for me was a feeling more of a relief than outright satisfaction on reaching Vancouver (perhaps because of all the rain and negotiating the traffic into the city on the last day made it a little nerve wracking in places). Clearly these conditions have been wildly different from what I have been used to for the majority of the trip where open roads and dry visible roads have been the norm.
Also that my most euphoric moments have been along the way (as I think back now) with a couple of examples springing to mind. The first was a stretch of road in the Prairies where there wasn't a cloud in the deep blue sky that is so large it envelopes you in its presence and made me feel like an ant scurrying across earths surface. I was riding strongly and the gently ups and downs of the western edge of the Prairies were allowing me to cycle like cyclists dream they can ride on their best days. the combination of the scenery and my sensations were what I had imagined and wanted for months when I had thought about the trip. To paraphrase Ewan macGregor from "long way round' but I was IN THE DREAM I had had and I knew it at that moment. This caused a surge of excitement and euphoria through me that made me shout out loud and have my voice and expression shower out and dissipate into the emptyness of the landscape.
The second kind of moment and one that happened more at the end of particular days, but not everyday, was a reflection of progress made along the way. I remember sitting at Marathon on the north shore of Lake Superior in a very non descript Motel and studying all my 10 A4 photocopied maps (thanks lane4 colour photocopier!!) and feeling bubbles of emotional happiness at the progress I had made that would make me alternate between powerful feelings of pride, excitement, emotion(crying a little) and expectation of what was still to come.
Life and my emotional volume turned up in every direction!!
Whilst this may sound crazy I knew and felt quite alone of that road but happy and also at the same time with the world making something, my thing, happen.
Funnily this feeling was repeated on other ocassions after tough days or nearing the end of tough sections of the route, for example at Drumheller, a town close to the end of the Prairies where I recognised that I had summited a personal difficulty physically or psychologically and was moving on to a new phase of the journey. Again it wasn't possible to predict this feeling as often i was very preoccupied with the process of living and enjoying cycling in a wide and varied scenery over a certain distance most days but it was almost a stepping out of myself and seeing that i was again making my thing happen, moving forwards.
I will endeavour to fill in the fairly large blanks that exist in my account, especially cycling through the Rockies, now I have regular e mail access.
In the meantime its been great to receive various messages and e mails from people back home. In a similar way to meeting people along the way it has given me great burst of energy that have helped me through the tough passages!
Tuesday 24 July 2007
Monday 23 July 2007
Photos III
Photos......
Down and up the roads go in Ontario but still pretty straight!
One man, his bike and a tent camping out in Pembroke :)
My trusty stead!!
The long and straight road that leads to your door...or at least vancouver's door hopefully!Thursday 19 July 2007
When the west wind blows...
The wind blew and blew and I learnt about the power and relentnessness of the gusts across this immense expanse of flatlands.
I woke up late-ish again and am on the road by 9.30. The wind is blowing and gusting strongly with yellow fields around me and white clouds moving and skidding across the blue sky. Already I am down to 3rd gear on my bike and it takes about 3 and a half hours just to get 33kms to Neepawa, the next town on route 16 known as the yellowhead route to saskatoon. at times I just fight to keep the bike upright, other times the smallest rise seems like a mountain. I employ the 'dont look further than 5 metres in front of you tactic' so as to not be too discouraged by the slow progress.
At Neepawa and I stop for lunch at a diner and watch my bike be blown over and my helmet and sunglasses get flung across the car park by the wind and have to run out to save all my items from dissappearing back towards Winnipeg. A couple in the diner ask how I'm doing in the wind and say that they had passed me on the way into town. I'm feeling forlorn, vulnerable and tired but dont really want to show too much of this desperation with strangers so laugh about the experience with them. Inside though I feel a sense of emerging gloom at the idea of making the next town 28kms away but also am unable to let myself call time of todays mileage at just 33kms.
I set off on a slighly rising straight road away from town and cycle and struggle to keep the bike upright in the wind. After about 20 minutes I look back and the town is still shockingly present in my eyesight and I have to laugh at the python-esqueness of my efforts against nature.
Then, and this has happened on various occasions during the trip, I feel like I am blessed personally by the kindest fate. I am aiming to get to Minnedosa which is 28kms further along but at my current speed will take 2 or even 3 hours in this wind but a tractor comes past at about 25km's per hour and i jump behind it as it provides virtually complete shade from the tempest. I ride in its shelter, unsure how far it will go, but unbelieveavbly happy to get any form of shelter whatsoever.
There are a number of lanes and farm tracks it could turn down and I silently pray that it stays on the main road for a bit further, and then a bit further, and maybe a bit further still and it goes all 28kms to Minnedosa and I make it there in just over an hour instead of the feared 3 hours.
Then, with the old desire to get mileage under my wheels I start to think that maybe I could make the next town. I begin to head off beyond the town again but realise the futility of what I'm trying as the wind has showed no signs of abating. The energy expended doesn't translate into the distance I'm getting so finally give and turn around and settle in at Minnedosa for the night.
I woke up late-ish again and am on the road by 9.30. The wind is blowing and gusting strongly with yellow fields around me and white clouds moving and skidding across the blue sky. Already I am down to 3rd gear on my bike and it takes about 3 and a half hours just to get 33kms to Neepawa, the next town on route 16 known as the yellowhead route to saskatoon. at times I just fight to keep the bike upright, other times the smallest rise seems like a mountain. I employ the 'dont look further than 5 metres in front of you tactic' so as to not be too discouraged by the slow progress.
At Neepawa and I stop for lunch at a diner and watch my bike be blown over and my helmet and sunglasses get flung across the car park by the wind and have to run out to save all my items from dissappearing back towards Winnipeg. A couple in the diner ask how I'm doing in the wind and say that they had passed me on the way into town. I'm feeling forlorn, vulnerable and tired but dont really want to show too much of this desperation with strangers so laugh about the experience with them. Inside though I feel a sense of emerging gloom at the idea of making the next town 28kms away but also am unable to let myself call time of todays mileage at just 33kms.
I set off on a slighly rising straight road away from town and cycle and struggle to keep the bike upright in the wind. After about 20 minutes I look back and the town is still shockingly present in my eyesight and I have to laugh at the python-esqueness of my efforts against nature.
Then, and this has happened on various occasions during the trip, I feel like I am blessed personally by the kindest fate. I am aiming to get to Minnedosa which is 28kms further along but at my current speed will take 2 or even 3 hours in this wind but a tractor comes past at about 25km's per hour and i jump behind it as it provides virtually complete shade from the tempest. I ride in its shelter, unsure how far it will go, but unbelieveavbly happy to get any form of shelter whatsoever.
There are a number of lanes and farm tracks it could turn down and I silently pray that it stays on the main road for a bit further, and then a bit further, and maybe a bit further still and it goes all 28kms to Minnedosa and I make it there in just over an hour instead of the feared 3 hours.
Then, with the old desire to get mileage under my wheels I start to think that maybe I could make the next town. I begin to head off beyond the town again but realise the futility of what I'm trying as the wind has showed no signs of abating. The energy expended doesn't translate into the distance I'm getting so finally give and turn around and settle in at Minnedosa for the night.
Winnipeg and onwards to the Prairies
I'm woken in the night to strange sounds and two car alarms going off nearby...it appears the strange weather has spouted forth near golf ball sized hail on everything which is inciting the car alarms to chorus at 5am in the morning. Fall back to sleep and then wake later to more rain and my resilience to the idea of an early start crumbles and I turn over and sleep some more.
Finally leave after nine and begin the process of working my way around the city by pass....the wind is side to tailwind coming from the morth east so it helps me except when i ridenorth along the western edge of the city. here i am reduced to low speeds, also in aprt contributed to by no breakfast of note.
Eventually find route 1 and begin a more westerly direction away from Winnipeg and the wind is more in my favour again. I decide to stop, though fearful that the wind might change and move against me. I have had glimpses of the desperation a Prairie headwind can cause but I need some food. the plan is to ride about 140kms today.
Also suffer my first puncture but locate repair tube and tools quickly and also the tyre, when deflated, slips easily from the rim of the wheel and makes the change smoother. No need for Thundercat finger strength to remove over toght tyres this time.
The rain stops and I say a quiet prayer to the RAC God for no more punctures and the next 70kms to portage go really well. The terrain is so open and so flat, the sky is indeed big JZ!! The road is mostly straight again either going ever so slightly up hill or downhill and I make Portage and find a Tim Hortons eatery for soup and bread.
A guy in there asks me what I'm doing and he is concerned for my route choice, he believes the road is dangerous and full of big trucks and also local storms that are coming. There had been a twister tornado that had touched down locally the day before destroying two local houses in seconds and the weather stations are indicating more might be on their way. I kind of veer between ambivalence and concern. I feel like this is the route I have decided to take and I'll have to deal with whatever comes at me if it comes at me. I feel his care though and this is appreciated.
I head off and the next 50km become more of a plod as the wind turns across me and my fatigue builds. I begin to get an empty feeling which nutri grain bars seem to only satiate at this time of the day for about 20 minutes. The clouds cause the light to begin to go early with a cold greyness about everything, fields, a few trees and the road dissappearing off into the horizon. Eventually I reach Gladstone at 6pm, having slowly witnessed various out of town painted signs advertising various amenities on offer from 20kilomteres out. My cold and tiredness and the threat of high winds discourages camping and I check into a local motel happy to have put good ground between myself and Winnipeg.
Finally leave after nine and begin the process of working my way around the city by pass....the wind is side to tailwind coming from the morth east so it helps me except when i ridenorth along the western edge of the city. here i am reduced to low speeds, also in aprt contributed to by no breakfast of note.
Eventually find route 1 and begin a more westerly direction away from Winnipeg and the wind is more in my favour again. I decide to stop, though fearful that the wind might change and move against me. I have had glimpses of the desperation a Prairie headwind can cause but I need some food. the plan is to ride about 140kms today.
Also suffer my first puncture but locate repair tube and tools quickly and also the tyre, when deflated, slips easily from the rim of the wheel and makes the change smoother. No need for Thundercat finger strength to remove over toght tyres this time.
The rain stops and I say a quiet prayer to the RAC God for no more punctures and the next 70kms to portage go really well. The terrain is so open and so flat, the sky is indeed big JZ!! The road is mostly straight again either going ever so slightly up hill or downhill and I make Portage and find a Tim Hortons eatery for soup and bread.
A guy in there asks me what I'm doing and he is concerned for my route choice, he believes the road is dangerous and full of big trucks and also local storms that are coming. There had been a twister tornado that had touched down locally the day before destroying two local houses in seconds and the weather stations are indicating more might be on their way. I kind of veer between ambivalence and concern. I feel like this is the route I have decided to take and I'll have to deal with whatever comes at me if it comes at me. I feel his care though and this is appreciated.
I head off and the next 50km become more of a plod as the wind turns across me and my fatigue builds. I begin to get an empty feeling which nutri grain bars seem to only satiate at this time of the day for about 20 minutes. The clouds cause the light to begin to go early with a cold greyness about everything, fields, a few trees and the road dissappearing off into the horizon. Eventually I reach Gladstone at 6pm, having slowly witnessed various out of town painted signs advertising various amenities on offer from 20kilomteres out. My cold and tiredness and the threat of high winds discourages camping and I check into a local motel happy to have put good ground between myself and Winnipeg.
Friday 29 June 2007
Kenora to Winnipeg
First thing I write.....Wake up feeling heavy, my legs and particularly my quads hurt to touch but i look outside and its not raining....
Later I write....
What a day....200kms to the outskirts of Winnipeg. I crossed out of the province of Ontario and into Manitoba and after the last few gentle ups and downs on the road it settles into flat, flat, flat terrain. JZ I think of you and you are right....the sky does get bigger.....today essentially rode on a dead straight road for 160kms!
An early town was Clearwater Bay which had little coves onto a lake with steep hills coming out of the water, people homes delicately and precariously perched on their slopes.
About 90km's from Winnipeg, on the long long straight road, I stop at a diner just outside a place called McMunn and had a major Cinammon Bun and a pleasant South African guy called Greg chatted with me. Meanwhile his daughter entertained the room with here antics on the baby chair. He is in HR diagnostics and he gave me his e mail address. Very friendly and like others the bike and my gear is always an entree into conversation.
On the flat roads my strategy is to stop looking more than 5metres in front of me and just aim for each next bump in the orad......a lot of Canadian roads have a consitent crack in the orad every 20metres or so. It keeps me from getting demoralised looking ahead and seeing that anything on the horizon hasn't changed or got any closer.
The pain of my saddle is bad and my right hip hurts and just the monotony of pedalling makes me groan audibly on a couple of ocassions. Not sure if it was physical or psychological but it feels like a painful process of cleansing myself is taking place....I notice I get tense and try to relax and release the tension i build up and hold (just from doing the same thing over and over again)
Also have the idea of each moment lying beside one another happened again. There is no beginning or end just different moments. These moments are not held together in a linear way with one leading to another it is as if they are separate.
The pain gets worse, I strongly desire to get there and I think about my pattern of wanting to e at the destination and I have a realisation (which as I look at it now is blindingly obvious) which is a bolt from the blue then that I needed to find the resources to enjoy this now more than the imagined now of my destination (in the bath at a motel for example).
Not sure if this is a catalyst but near the end of the this day I fell into a relaxed trance-like rhythm feeling near the end and tried to bolster this enjoyment as much as possible as I finish 200kms and arrive at the western side of winnipeg as the sun begins to set on the prairie horizon.
Overall I felt a euphoria of having done 700kms since Thunder Bay. Am also intrigued that each day I have reached my targeted destination despite self negotiating myself out of it at various tougher moments on the bike.
Still that conundrum of achievement vs process (or being) to play with though...
Later I write....
What a day....200kms to the outskirts of Winnipeg. I crossed out of the province of Ontario and into Manitoba and after the last few gentle ups and downs on the road it settles into flat, flat, flat terrain. JZ I think of you and you are right....the sky does get bigger.....today essentially rode on a dead straight road for 160kms!
An early town was Clearwater Bay which had little coves onto a lake with steep hills coming out of the water, people homes delicately and precariously perched on their slopes.
About 90km's from Winnipeg, on the long long straight road, I stop at a diner just outside a place called McMunn and had a major Cinammon Bun and a pleasant South African guy called Greg chatted with me. Meanwhile his daughter entertained the room with here antics on the baby chair. He is in HR diagnostics and he gave me his e mail address. Very friendly and like others the bike and my gear is always an entree into conversation.
On the flat roads my strategy is to stop looking more than 5metres in front of me and just aim for each next bump in the orad......a lot of Canadian roads have a consitent crack in the orad every 20metres or so. It keeps me from getting demoralised looking ahead and seeing that anything on the horizon hasn't changed or got any closer.
The pain of my saddle is bad and my right hip hurts and just the monotony of pedalling makes me groan audibly on a couple of ocassions. Not sure if it was physical or psychological but it feels like a painful process of cleansing myself is taking place....I notice I get tense and try to relax and release the tension i build up and hold (just from doing the same thing over and over again)
Also have the idea of each moment lying beside one another happened again. There is no beginning or end just different moments. These moments are not held together in a linear way with one leading to another it is as if they are separate.
The pain gets worse, I strongly desire to get there and I think about my pattern of wanting to e at the destination and I have a realisation (which as I look at it now is blindingly obvious) which is a bolt from the blue then that I needed to find the resources to enjoy this now more than the imagined now of my destination (in the bath at a motel for example).
Not sure if this is a catalyst but near the end of the this day I fell into a relaxed trance-like rhythm feeling near the end and tried to bolster this enjoyment as much as possible as I finish 200kms and arrive at the western side of winnipeg as the sun begins to set on the prairie horizon.
Overall I felt a euphoria of having done 700kms since Thunder Bay. Am also intrigued that each day I have reached my targeted destination despite self negotiating myself out of it at various tougher moments on the bike.
Still that conundrum of achievement vs process (or being) to play with though...
English River to Dryden
Woke up....not sure what time it is....my mobile seemed to register a time 3 hours behind when it found reception at Thunder bay the other day and I have crossed into a new time zone as I move westward so have no idea what time I'm at. Thought the clock was 2 hours behind but need to check and ask someone..
Stopped at Ignace....glad that I didn't have to ride the extra 60 k's to here instead of stopping at English River. Am struck by the fortune of finding Ron and Fran's place.....there were only 2 houses in English River...
Gentle tailwind gets me to Ignace at 1020 so I probably left camp at 8am this morning. Find a diner in town and order some breakfast. A curious thing is that with toast Peanut Butter and Strawberry jam are the only two options offered everytime!
As I wait for my order to arrive I fiddle with the back of my neck and feel the damage from last nights sleep.....midges have bitten just below my neck line...it feels like a basket of eggs as my finger runs across it...
In the diner various men congregate at different tables...some talk across these tables...it suggests people know people despite sitting in a variety of spots....baseball hats, shirts, jeans and trainers, some stay longer some go after they have eaten but it is unhurried easy paced conversation. Coffee refills are offered by the waitresses and some accept. It seems not that people dont have work to do but they are working to their own deadlines....It feels relaxed, laidback, natural and hints at being a regular occurence...a well oiled subtle eating tradition where local socializing has its place.
A radio is background music and Sheryl crow's beautiful mistake is not out of place in this moment....more the tune than the lyrics...her easy drawl voice fitting with atmosphere of the room
Later further along the road, 30km away I meet another cross canada-er, we exchange photos and notes on places to stay, road conditions and each persons story....he is doing it for the Scout movement in Canada and is scheduled to meet with different groups to talk with them about what he is doing. I feel a little more blase about our meeting and I have the dinner party affliction of forgetting his name almost immediately!
The wind seems to swirl and at times I ride like a professional with the wind at my back, others I struggle and have to gear down and patiently plod the kilometres to Dryden. I get really hungry near the end and eat two fruit bars and drink a dr pepper and feel sick for about half an hour but arrive in Dryden just after 4pm back in civilisation after the wilderness of the last 2 days along the edge of the Arctic watershed.
Stopped at Ignace....glad that I didn't have to ride the extra 60 k's to here instead of stopping at English River. Am struck by the fortune of finding Ron and Fran's place.....there were only 2 houses in English River...
Gentle tailwind gets me to Ignace at 1020 so I probably left camp at 8am this morning. Find a diner in town and order some breakfast. A curious thing is that with toast Peanut Butter and Strawberry jam are the only two options offered everytime!
As I wait for my order to arrive I fiddle with the back of my neck and feel the damage from last nights sleep.....midges have bitten just below my neck line...it feels like a basket of eggs as my finger runs across it...
In the diner various men congregate at different tables...some talk across these tables...it suggests people know people despite sitting in a variety of spots....baseball hats, shirts, jeans and trainers, some stay longer some go after they have eaten but it is unhurried easy paced conversation. Coffee refills are offered by the waitresses and some accept. It seems not that people dont have work to do but they are working to their own deadlines....It feels relaxed, laidback, natural and hints at being a regular occurence...a well oiled subtle eating tradition where local socializing has its place.
A radio is background music and Sheryl crow's beautiful mistake is not out of place in this moment....more the tune than the lyrics...her easy drawl voice fitting with atmosphere of the room
Later further along the road, 30km away I meet another cross canada-er, we exchange photos and notes on places to stay, road conditions and each persons story....he is doing it for the Scout movement in Canada and is scheduled to meet with different groups to talk with them about what he is doing. I feel a little more blase about our meeting and I have the dinner party affliction of forgetting his name almost immediately!
The wind seems to swirl and at times I ride like a professional with the wind at my back, others I struggle and have to gear down and patiently plod the kilometres to Dryden. I get really hungry near the end and eat two fruit bars and drink a dr pepper and feel sick for about half an hour but arrive in Dryden just after 4pm back in civilisation after the wilderness of the last 2 days along the edge of the Arctic watershed.
An Englishmen at English River
Climbed away from the city of Thunder Bay after a day of rest. Believed that i was on route 102 which the map looked like it would cut route 17 off and reduce the distance as I headed towards Winnipeg. Funnily the road was quiet and it took longer than the map suggested to meet the 17 that I began to doubt my 'oh so clever route choice' of getting out of Thunder Bay. Was scared I'd gone the wrong way....even though i was heading westward as the early morning sun had created the shadow of a touring cyclist in front of me to perpetually chase but not catch....
Once again though needing to hold the faith I found said mentioned route 17 and my sense of certainty and intent grew now firmly riding on the route across western ontario, with lake superior dissappearing into the distance behind me. As the afternoon began the wind got stronger into my face and I was being slowly pummeled by a long stepped climb up towards a small indian reserve called raith. The climbing was explained to me at Raith with a sign announcing that we had entered the Arctic watershed meaning that everything from now on flows not to Superior but to the Arctic circle.
Luckily after Raith the road flattened and I can still make good time towards Upsala. Here I had thought that I would stop for the evening but with only a small convenience store to welcome me into 'town' I decide to carry on through towards English River (another 50 kilometres further) with only a few more swigs of water left in my bottle.
An hour and a half later and I began to see signs for motels in English River but when I get there I am crushed to find that both Motels are closed. It is past 6pm and I am exhausted with little food and no water so am faced with camping wild or seeking some help from the two houses that make up the rest of this place!
I ask for water and explain my situation to the lady who comes to the door, low and behold they have an impromptu campsite out back. I set up shop (doing my ministry of silly walks body movements during the process to ward off mosquitos and sand flies and within 20 minutes and in Ron and Fran's house sharing photos from our respective collections sharing observations of the things I've seen. All this whilst munching on cheese sandwiches made by Fran!
Apparently it has been 190km from Thunder Bay...I have pushed back my daily limits. I wonder how my legs will feel tomorrow?
Ron shows me photos of him catching bears (not good for the morale when you are about to sleep outside) but he sends me off into the dusk with a bear joke and a smile....
The joke goes "there are lots of bears around here so make sure you have your bear bell and pepper spray handy just in case. You can tell if bears have been around because of their droppings. They are rounded in shape.....the smaller ones are of the babies.....you can tell whether larger bears have been about because their droppings are bigger and if you look carefully you can normally see in them bear bells and cans of pepper spray!"
Thanks Ron
Once again though needing to hold the faith I found said mentioned route 17 and my sense of certainty and intent grew now firmly riding on the route across western ontario, with lake superior dissappearing into the distance behind me. As the afternoon began the wind got stronger into my face and I was being slowly pummeled by a long stepped climb up towards a small indian reserve called raith. The climbing was explained to me at Raith with a sign announcing that we had entered the Arctic watershed meaning that everything from now on flows not to Superior but to the Arctic circle.
Luckily after Raith the road flattened and I can still make good time towards Upsala. Here I had thought that I would stop for the evening but with only a small convenience store to welcome me into 'town' I decide to carry on through towards English River (another 50 kilometres further) with only a few more swigs of water left in my bottle.
An hour and a half later and I began to see signs for motels in English River but when I get there I am crushed to find that both Motels are closed. It is past 6pm and I am exhausted with little food and no water so am faced with camping wild or seeking some help from the two houses that make up the rest of this place!
I ask for water and explain my situation to the lady who comes to the door, low and behold they have an impromptu campsite out back. I set up shop (doing my ministry of silly walks body movements during the process to ward off mosquitos and sand flies and within 20 minutes and in Ron and Fran's house sharing photos from our respective collections sharing observations of the things I've seen. All this whilst munching on cheese sandwiches made by Fran!
Apparently it has been 190km from Thunder Bay...I have pushed back my daily limits. I wonder how my legs will feel tomorrow?
Ron shows me photos of him catching bears (not good for the morale when you are about to sleep outside) but he sends me off into the dusk with a bear joke and a smile....
The joke goes "there are lots of bears around here so make sure you have your bear bell and pepper spray handy just in case. You can tell if bears have been around because of their droppings. They are rounded in shape.....the smaller ones are of the babies.....you can tell whether larger bears have been about because their droppings are bigger and if you look carefully you can normally see in them bear bells and cans of pepper spray!"
Thanks Ron
Wednesday 20 June 2007
The road to mattawa
Rode from pembroke (NW of Ottawa) to Mattawa intending to go for it and get to a place called North Bay but the plans didn't go to plan....heres what I wrote.....
Arriving in Mattawa.....My God did I underestimate the road between Deep River and Mattawa. The village of Deux Rivieres didn't really exist along the way (at least on route 17) and so along the way I ran out of food and water, got sun burnt, got bitten and then when I needed to step on it as the weather was changing from deep blue skies to storm clouds ahead I couldn't.....had no energy or horsepower. Also there were no signs along the way to tell me how far or close I was....just a series of ups and speed killing ups at that. Also no bends so that you feel like you are climbing a whizz wheel hill....nothing but the top to focus on.....like that climb from Chiddingfold to Wormley on that road race circuit.....every climb i do........
When the storm came I was a kilometre of uphill out of town but had to take cover in someone's porch (an old guys...he'd just abandonned cutting his grass) and he beckoned me under the porch for cover.....apparently he came to work in the area from Quebec in 1961 and one thing led to another and he stayed.....4 children, 10 grandchildren to his name....
Learning....if you go for broke early you could jeapodize the whole trip. I need to nuse my skin. Going to play conservative and limit myself to 100k's per day for the next few days.....The motorbike lady was right back at brunch who said that mattawa was more likely than North bay today....riding 205km....I laugh now at my arrogance....
Arriving in Mattawa.....My God did I underestimate the road between Deep River and Mattawa. The village of Deux Rivieres didn't really exist along the way (at least on route 17) and so along the way I ran out of food and water, got sun burnt, got bitten and then when I needed to step on it as the weather was changing from deep blue skies to storm clouds ahead I couldn't.....had no energy or horsepower. Also there were no signs along the way to tell me how far or close I was....just a series of ups and speed killing ups at that. Also no bends so that you feel like you are climbing a whizz wheel hill....nothing but the top to focus on.....like that climb from Chiddingfold to Wormley on that road race circuit.....every climb i do........
When the storm came I was a kilometre of uphill out of town but had to take cover in someone's porch (an old guys...he'd just abandonned cutting his grass) and he beckoned me under the porch for cover.....apparently he came to work in the area from Quebec in 1961 and one thing led to another and he stayed.....4 children, 10 grandchildren to his name....
Learning....if you go for broke early you could jeapodize the whole trip. I need to nuse my skin. Going to play conservative and limit myself to 100k's per day for the next few days.....The motorbike lady was right back at brunch who said that mattawa was more likely than North bay today....riding 205km....I laugh now at my arrogance....
Fellow Cross Canaders
Something that I've learnt over the last couple of weeks is that there is a community of other cross canada cyclists that you will meet or pass on the journey. These are people who are doing some form of the same trip that I am.
The first that I met was a guy called Martine who stopped and hailed me down when I was about 40km's away from espanola. He had a somehwat grizzled but happy way about him and was full of details about general info to do with camping, bears, road conditions, his own start and finish destinations. he had been a departmental manager in a big store in Quebec and gave up his job to set off from Vancouver about a month before. He told me about making sure to put anything i owned that was sweet (including things like toothpaste and suncream) at least a 100feet away from my tent when camping. He had done so but had woken one morning to go and retrieve his gear to find his bag wripped to shreds by something during the night. Even his suncream had been consumed...a sober story told with an amusing laugh...one that made me re think the prospect of camping for the next few days....
Another guy was Ben who came up to me when I was sitting outside a Tim Hortons in Sudbury and just started talking to me and asking what my trip involved. Interestingly I was feeling pretty uninspired at this moment and he was full of friendship and comradeship when I told him i was going east to west....most go west to east to take advantage of the prevailing winds...he had done same trip east to west 2 or so years before on a mountain bike and had done it in 31 days!!! He worked as a mountain bike/outdoor guide and was just so positive that it left me feeling re-invigorated again....I was blown away by the fact he aimed to do 160kms per day as a minimum and would often camp in peoples gardens having knocked on their doors to check it was ok.....It made me think about inspiration and how it often has come unexpectedly when I most need it....
Others I have met include a guy called Paul (who was going my way and we rode together for the morning), Matt and Dean I met near terrace bay (both from vancoover) and 3 girls I past on the way round from sault Ste Marie.
All the time poeple are friendly, share information of what is coming up in both directions and a little about their story of why they are doing it! In fact before I got into the swing of these chance 15 minute meetings I would feel guilty for not having passed on anything that I might know but having my map handy now helps for me to exchange what I know and feel like good about sharing what is known out there....
....the other thing (and this relates to inspiration) is that everyone is happy for everyone else and encouraging of them achieving what they have set out to achieve and also that people inspire people who inspire other people in sharing backgrounds...its liked we are all amped for everyone and you are part of an immediate bonded club.....congratulations, good luck, best wishes and watch out for the bears!!!
The first that I met was a guy called Martine who stopped and hailed me down when I was about 40km's away from espanola. He had a somehwat grizzled but happy way about him and was full of details about general info to do with camping, bears, road conditions, his own start and finish destinations. he had been a departmental manager in a big store in Quebec and gave up his job to set off from Vancouver about a month before. He told me about making sure to put anything i owned that was sweet (including things like toothpaste and suncream) at least a 100feet away from my tent when camping. He had done so but had woken one morning to go and retrieve his gear to find his bag wripped to shreds by something during the night. Even his suncream had been consumed...a sober story told with an amusing laugh...one that made me re think the prospect of camping for the next few days....
Another guy was Ben who came up to me when I was sitting outside a Tim Hortons in Sudbury and just started talking to me and asking what my trip involved. Interestingly I was feeling pretty uninspired at this moment and he was full of friendship and comradeship when I told him i was going east to west....most go west to east to take advantage of the prevailing winds...he had done same trip east to west 2 or so years before on a mountain bike and had done it in 31 days!!! He worked as a mountain bike/outdoor guide and was just so positive that it left me feeling re-invigorated again....I was blown away by the fact he aimed to do 160kms per day as a minimum and would often camp in peoples gardens having knocked on their doors to check it was ok.....It made me think about inspiration and how it often has come unexpectedly when I most need it....
Others I have met include a guy called Paul (who was going my way and we rode together for the morning), Matt and Dean I met near terrace bay (both from vancoover) and 3 girls I past on the way round from sault Ste Marie.
All the time poeple are friendly, share information of what is coming up in both directions and a little about their story of why they are doing it! In fact before I got into the swing of these chance 15 minute meetings I would feel guilty for not having passed on anything that I might know but having my map handy now helps for me to exchange what I know and feel like good about sharing what is known out there....
....the other thing (and this relates to inspiration) is that everyone is happy for everyone else and encouraging of them achieving what they have set out to achieve and also that people inspire people who inspire other people in sharing backgrounds...its liked we are all amped for everyone and you are part of an immediate bonded club.....congratulations, good luck, best wishes and watch out for the bears!!!
The first Camping experience
At la Plaisance (just to the east of Ottawa) I stayed at my first Campground....it was a national park and when I turned up at about 5.30 there weren't too many people around....it seemed to stretch in length for about 5km's from the entrance and was surrounded by rivers and lakes. The weather had been wet and although it wasnt raining there was heavy clouds and things didn't look like they were going to get drier.
I had had a broken French/Quebeccois conversation with a lady who was leaving for the day at the recption door and she seemed unconcerned about me paying or not. therefore I pedalled off into the site and searched out a camp place under some trees with what I have know realised is thre standard wooden bench next to each place for people to sit. managed to get my tent up in about 10 minutes and whilst it dumped rain on me for about 3 hours during the night this had discouraged bugs so I remained reklatively unbitten.
Woke at 6am and then about a zillion times more until 8.30 when a park guide appeared and we had a quick chat. He spoke English which helped, and I confessed that I hadn't paid yet....he seemed unconcerned about that and he enquired to my trip and talked about the weather.
Talking about the weather isn't as banal in outdoor life as it contains vital information on what you might expect later in the day. He mentioned cold northerlies and the blessing that this might kill off mosquito eggs which were due to release soon for their high season. he then left with a warm shake of the hand and I was left to methodically pack my stuff and search out somewhere for breakfast and then head for Ottawa.
I had had a broken French/Quebeccois conversation with a lady who was leaving for the day at the recption door and she seemed unconcerned about me paying or not. therefore I pedalled off into the site and searched out a camp place under some trees with what I have know realised is thre standard wooden bench next to each place for people to sit. managed to get my tent up in about 10 minutes and whilst it dumped rain on me for about 3 hours during the night this had discouraged bugs so I remained reklatively unbitten.
Woke at 6am and then about a zillion times more until 8.30 when a park guide appeared and we had a quick chat. He spoke English which helped, and I confessed that I hadn't paid yet....he seemed unconcerned about that and he enquired to my trip and talked about the weather.
Talking about the weather isn't as banal in outdoor life as it contains vital information on what you might expect later in the day. He mentioned cold northerlies and the blessing that this might kill off mosquito eggs which were due to release soon for their high season. he then left with a warm shake of the hand and I was left to methodically pack my stuff and search out somewhere for breakfast and then head for Ottawa.
The travelogue updated
Folks as you can see there are large spands of time where it has been difficult to get to the internet access so I reckon that I should give you a quick update and then fill in the blanks later....
Its June 20th now and I'm at Thunder Bay which is about 1600km's round....I've gone round the top of Lake Superior after having travelled from Ottawa (where I spent a day of rest).
The route has worked out as follows
Quebec, la trois rivieres, joliette, la plaisance, ottawa, pembroke, mattawa, mattawa, sturgeon falls, espanola, ironbridge, sault ste marie, montreal river, wawa, white river, marathon, terrace bay, nipigan and now Thunder Bay where I'm having a second rest day... Each place I've written is where I have stayed for a night and currently in the duke out between motels and campgrounds...the motels are winning it.....
Basically with the cycling each day I have found it physically and mentally tough and have opted for motels at more places than camping to help myself recover better and help me find my feet....once the first few days enthusaism faded away it has been a challenge to get mileage done and the clean bed motel existence has helped lower the challenge to a level i could cope with....
The small things become bigger things either in your favour or against you it seems so far. Getting up early to avoid the rising winds in the afternoon, cleaning cycling gear each day, eating a 'four square' meal each day and getting away from a host of midge life has made the 6 hour cycling days more do-able.
Its funny too that in many places the things you see are on route rather than in the towns of villages so there aren't many reasons not to get more kilometres under your wheels each day...
Its June 20th now and I'm at Thunder Bay which is about 1600km's round....I've gone round the top of Lake Superior after having travelled from Ottawa (where I spent a day of rest).
The route has worked out as follows
Quebec, la trois rivieres, joliette, la plaisance, ottawa, pembroke, mattawa, mattawa, sturgeon falls, espanola, ironbridge, sault ste marie, montreal river, wawa, white river, marathon, terrace bay, nipigan and now Thunder Bay where I'm having a second rest day... Each place I've written is where I have stayed for a night and currently in the duke out between motels and campgrounds...the motels are winning it.....
Basically with the cycling each day I have found it physically and mentally tough and have opted for motels at more places than camping to help myself recover better and help me find my feet....once the first few days enthusaism faded away it has been a challenge to get mileage done and the clean bed motel existence has helped lower the challenge to a level i could cope with....
The small things become bigger things either in your favour or against you it seems so far. Getting up early to avoid the rising winds in the afternoon, cleaning cycling gear each day, eating a 'four square' meal each day and getting away from a host of midge life has made the 6 hour cycling days more do-able.
Its funny too that in many places the things you see are on route rather than in the towns of villages so there aren't many reasons not to get more kilometres under your wheels each day...
lunchtime in lachute....
Felt pretty low today...i'm having lunch in lachute having travelled up from la trois rivieres to a place called Joliette last night and now am heading across country towards Ottawa....the weather has been really heavy this morning although i have again been blessed with something of a tailwind. Stayed in another motel last night (and feel somehwat guilty about this but lost about an hour yesterday evening riding around the town trying to find a campsite).
Found an amphitheatre though but it was all shut up. Yesterday was hot and was punctuated with arriving in tiny villages where I constantly wonder what the people who live here do for work...certainly Joliette had a nice array of houses (I know I rode around it for long enough!!!)
This morning I had hoped that the Canadian weather forecasters would be wrong about the rain but it was raining either heavily or lightly until now....
Aware that my setting of goals of destination each day is creating a large impatience in me and gets in the way of being satisfied and enjoying the present. My riding question is how to set goals and then almost forget about them and just truly 'be'....This was my moment of inspiration on route 158 whilst dodging the rain and big trucks that steam past on the road.
In this weather I worry about feeling exposed and getting sick...have fallen in love with a place called Tim Hortons (like the name their!!) which is a healthy fast food place you can find out many intersection road junctions along the way.....the windows are always big and clear so I can put my bike outside and keep an eye on it whilst eating inside....they also do great soups which provides good nourishment along the way.....
Still struggling with spending longer than 4 hours on the bike in the saddle undercarriage regard... also aware that I'm just trying to get through rather than enjoy the trip at the moment
Found an amphitheatre though but it was all shut up. Yesterday was hot and was punctuated with arriving in tiny villages where I constantly wonder what the people who live here do for work...certainly Joliette had a nice array of houses (I know I rode around it for long enough!!!)
This morning I had hoped that the Canadian weather forecasters would be wrong about the rain but it was raining either heavily or lightly until now....
Aware that my setting of goals of destination each day is creating a large impatience in me and gets in the way of being satisfied and enjoying the present. My riding question is how to set goals and then almost forget about them and just truly 'be'....This was my moment of inspiration on route 158 whilst dodging the rain and big trucks that steam past on the road.
In this weather I worry about feeling exposed and getting sick...have fallen in love with a place called Tim Hortons (like the name their!!) which is a healthy fast food place you can find out many intersection road junctions along the way.....the windows are always big and clear so I can put my bike outside and keep an eye on it whilst eating inside....they also do great soups which provides good nourishment along the way.....
Still struggling with spending longer than 4 hours on the bike in the saddle undercarriage regard... also aware that I'm just trying to get through rather than enjoy the trip at the moment
Wednesday 6 June 2007
This is more like it...
Strangely after feeling not secure at our friendly downtown Motel in La Trois Rivieres I was up and outta there early the next morning. I have made a decision that while I am still finding my feet I will avoid really built up areas which will have implications for my journey route today. Instead of making a beeline down from La trois Rivieres to Montreal (or as the quebeccois say 'Moreal') I am going to head across country and aim for north of the city hopefully avoiding the busier roads.
So far my experience has led me to believe that the road services in the city are pretty rutted, they often look like they have suffered from severe earthquakes the amount of ruts and cracks there are in the road....although my working theory is that the heavy road usage combined with heavy tyred vehicles has eaten, quite literally, into the quality of the surfaces.....this may sound like a strange observation but on day 2 I am becoming aware again of my need to acclimatize to sitting for 5 or 6 hours a day on a saddle....road quality becomes an important consideration in relation to the wear and tear of ones undercarriage!
I continue down the 138 through villages like Loiseville (where I stop for a hearty brunch) and Berthierville with the sun shining and once again a following wind I am clipping along at a steady rate.....the roads are wide, a double yellow centre line with a good 5ft cycle space at the side of each lane and a railroad track running about 50metres to my right. I hope to see one of the big Canadian trains go past and imagine it on the same journey as me but as yet I havent had this experience. I also get glimpses of Lac St Pierre which being further up the St Lawrence estuary is a fresh watered lake that flows out to sea.With the ideal cycling weather conditions, a feeling of form and strength on the bike and the general scenery around me (including more Harley davidson groups) this is part of what I had hoped for.....only part as it still feels quite close to civilisation in all its guises (eg people, buildings, time of the trip)
I turn inland to traverse the area north of Montreal heading towards Joliette and arrive here at about 3pm with the same crazy haphazzrad routine as the day before ensues...cycling round town trying to find an information place or hoping to stumble upon a campsite....neither occurs and on a sunday i begin to fear my chances of finding anywhere open....luckily having inadvertently found a local amphitheatre along the way i end up at a one star motel (I know another motel!!) where I happily stump up cash to a bemused looking receptionist and load up with provisions at a nearby pertol station.
Two days and about 220 kilometres under my wheels am I'm feeling tired and sunbleached....the sun was continuous today but with the breeze I dont notice its effect and I have got some colour in the usual cycling places...arms, tops of the knees and back of the calves...however a minor detail is that having rolled down arm warmers to my wrists early in the day I now have red arms but 3 inch white wrists as a souvenir for a second day of pedalling....nice!
So far my experience has led me to believe that the road services in the city are pretty rutted, they often look like they have suffered from severe earthquakes the amount of ruts and cracks there are in the road....although my working theory is that the heavy road usage combined with heavy tyred vehicles has eaten, quite literally, into the quality of the surfaces.....this may sound like a strange observation but on day 2 I am becoming aware again of my need to acclimatize to sitting for 5 or 6 hours a day on a saddle....road quality becomes an important consideration in relation to the wear and tear of ones undercarriage!
I continue down the 138 through villages like Loiseville (where I stop for a hearty brunch) and Berthierville with the sun shining and once again a following wind I am clipping along at a steady rate.....the roads are wide, a double yellow centre line with a good 5ft cycle space at the side of each lane and a railroad track running about 50metres to my right. I hope to see one of the big Canadian trains go past and imagine it on the same journey as me but as yet I havent had this experience. I also get glimpses of Lac St Pierre which being further up the St Lawrence estuary is a fresh watered lake that flows out to sea.With the ideal cycling weather conditions, a feeling of form and strength on the bike and the general scenery around me (including more Harley davidson groups) this is part of what I had hoped for.....only part as it still feels quite close to civilisation in all its guises (eg people, buildings, time of the trip)
I turn inland to traverse the area north of Montreal heading towards Joliette and arrive here at about 3pm with the same crazy haphazzrad routine as the day before ensues...cycling round town trying to find an information place or hoping to stumble upon a campsite....neither occurs and on a sunday i begin to fear my chances of finding anywhere open....luckily having inadvertently found a local amphitheatre along the way i end up at a one star motel (I know another motel!!) where I happily stump up cash to a bemused looking receptionist and load up with provisions at a nearby pertol station.
Two days and about 220 kilometres under my wheels am I'm feeling tired and sunbleached....the sun was continuous today but with the breeze I dont notice its effect and I have got some colour in the usual cycling places...arms, tops of the knees and back of the calves...however a minor detail is that having rolled down arm warmers to my wrists early in the day I now have red arms but 3 inch white wrists as a souvenir for a second day of pedalling....nice!
Day 1 Quebec to La trois rivieres 140km ish
well to continue.....just to let you know that I am half writing this from my 'rambling notes' from the book given to me before I left and also what is reminded to me as i re-read and review each day
Breakfast at the Quality Suite wasnt quite as impressive as the room...a meagre croissant, some orange juice and a cup of tea (yeah i know tea drinking after all my abstinence since january but needs must!!!) anyway having slept until about 6 and began the process of re-assembly of le velo in my 'lounge' I breakfast at 7 and and ready to go by 8.15. I remeber the Lane4 spirit of setting myself a goal to get everything done which does indeed help me focus!!! Suffice feel like its all a success particularly as there are no oil stains on the hotel carpet :)
Even having had a couple of dry runs the weight of everything tied to my bike is a little shocking....the weight on each side makes it feel like it is going to twist of brake in half but i gingerly get going from a non descript 'by a freeway' hotel (think Travellodge here) and I'm in search of route 138.....i thread through quiet city traffic and finally turn west on 138 with the comforting sign saying La Trois Rivieres 130km's signalling my way.
First humourus incident involves a waterbottle strapped to my tent and sleeping mat falls off as I go under a bridge and scatters across a road...luckily there arent many cars and I first scramble the bike to the side of the pavement (no mean feat as the bike has been renamed 'the tank') and I collect my water bottle from the middle of the road....
The routre after this is quite straight forward really....follow 138 which becomes eerily quiet out of the suburbs of Quebec....i am blessed with a tailwind which helps keep the speed higher than i imagined and feels like the RAC God is gently encouraging the new traveller....RAC means Ride Across Canada by the way...
things i wrote down that i noticed (the consultant in me is still strong-said in a yoda styly!) include that all the houses have porches and steps up to them....they all seem to be wooden or at least wooden like with much less brick in evidence as a building material for houses.....also I have as my companion the estuary to my left that runs out into the Athlantic eventually up in Newfoundland
Feel nervous to get miles under my wheels, perhaps because I have now begun to realise how far the trip will be and its all feels sooo far away on the first day, so I dont stop for lunch but then enter an areas with little or no food available and i get hungry and my average speed starts to drop.....then i remember the Dairy Milk bar gift from everyone at work and it becomes my life blood for abut 30kms...
The most common other form of transport on the road appears to be motorcycles and especially Harley davidsons....groups and groups of them ride past and I can begin to see the attraction of them....cruising along in a group stopping from time to time and hanging out with your friends.....makes me think of zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance!
Finally reach La Trois Rivieres and ride around like a mad man looking for camp sites and information places when at about 4pm the heavens which ahd been darkening for a while suddenly release their contents and have me drenched in minutes.....give in to the temptation of the first motel I see and negotiate with the guy at reception to let me have my bike in the room with me. He hadn't been too impressed with the gear and the state of it post rainstorm but he relents and gives me 3 old towels to lay under the bike as to not damage the carpet.
Into the room and it looks like one of those seedy rooms you see in cop shows where criminals lay low before or after 'coming to town' but at least it is dry. I watch tv and fall asleep nervous to the noises outside. Whatever this trip is I'm in it now....
Breakfast at the Quality Suite wasnt quite as impressive as the room...a meagre croissant, some orange juice and a cup of tea (yeah i know tea drinking after all my abstinence since january but needs must!!!) anyway having slept until about 6 and began the process of re-assembly of le velo in my 'lounge' I breakfast at 7 and and ready to go by 8.15. I remeber the Lane4 spirit of setting myself a goal to get everything done which does indeed help me focus!!! Suffice feel like its all a success particularly as there are no oil stains on the hotel carpet :)
Even having had a couple of dry runs the weight of everything tied to my bike is a little shocking....the weight on each side makes it feel like it is going to twist of brake in half but i gingerly get going from a non descript 'by a freeway' hotel (think Travellodge here) and I'm in search of route 138.....i thread through quiet city traffic and finally turn west on 138 with the comforting sign saying La Trois Rivieres 130km's signalling my way.
First humourus incident involves a waterbottle strapped to my tent and sleeping mat falls off as I go under a bridge and scatters across a road...luckily there arent many cars and I first scramble the bike to the side of the pavement (no mean feat as the bike has been renamed 'the tank') and I collect my water bottle from the middle of the road....
The routre after this is quite straight forward really....follow 138 which becomes eerily quiet out of the suburbs of Quebec....i am blessed with a tailwind which helps keep the speed higher than i imagined and feels like the RAC God is gently encouraging the new traveller....RAC means Ride Across Canada by the way...
things i wrote down that i noticed (the consultant in me is still strong-said in a yoda styly!) include that all the houses have porches and steps up to them....they all seem to be wooden or at least wooden like with much less brick in evidence as a building material for houses.....also I have as my companion the estuary to my left that runs out into the Athlantic eventually up in Newfoundland
Feel nervous to get miles under my wheels, perhaps because I have now begun to realise how far the trip will be and its all feels sooo far away on the first day, so I dont stop for lunch but then enter an areas with little or no food available and i get hungry and my average speed starts to drop.....then i remember the Dairy Milk bar gift from everyone at work and it becomes my life blood for abut 30kms...
The most common other form of transport on the road appears to be motorcycles and especially Harley davidsons....groups and groups of them ride past and I can begin to see the attraction of them....cruising along in a group stopping from time to time and hanging out with your friends.....makes me think of zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance!
Finally reach La Trois Rivieres and ride around like a mad man looking for camp sites and information places when at about 4pm the heavens which ahd been darkening for a while suddenly release their contents and have me drenched in minutes.....give in to the temptation of the first motel I see and negotiate with the guy at reception to let me have my bike in the room with me. He hadn't been too impressed with the gear and the state of it post rainstorm but he relents and gives me 3 old towels to lay under the bike as to not damage the carpet.
Into the room and it looks like one of those seedy rooms you see in cop shows where criminals lay low before or after 'coming to town' but at least it is dry. I watch tv and fall asleep nervous to the noises outside. Whatever this trip is I'm in it now....
Tuesday 5 June 2007
up, up and away!!!!
hello..well having just found myself an internet site (i've made it to ottawa so far) i thought i should update you on what has happened on my first couple of days in canada....
All my worries and concerns begin to dissipate as I start to make the steps to catch the flight at Heathrow....lots of emotional goodbyes to friends, take a bow team teapot and also friends from work (thanks everyone at lane4...choked is not the word!!) and then finally to Mum and dad and jacq especially....the emotions rise in me easily from my core up and hit like a wave on the inside of my face spilling out as tears on my face....i miss you all and already people pop into my head during the long days of pedalling....
On the flight and i start a conversation with the two guys next to me, Miguel and Kev, they are friendly and offer two different siders to Canada...one is a Quebeccois and the other from Newfoundland...the flight is smooth and I get through customs with bike and panniers without a problem...the connection flight is on a smaller plane but we are in Quebec within 40 minutes...it is finally getting dark and the airport is a small one...
I get a taxci and am at the Quality suite...it exceeds its purpose as I have a lounge and bedroom with a massive bike box....little do they know that I will use the lounge space as a make shift bike shop to assemble the bike.....i'm tired and decide to sleep and put everything together tomorrow.....relief and tiredness send me to sleep quickly...the first day awaits me
All my worries and concerns begin to dissipate as I start to make the steps to catch the flight at Heathrow....lots of emotional goodbyes to friends, take a bow team teapot and also friends from work (thanks everyone at lane4...choked is not the word!!) and then finally to Mum and dad and jacq especially....the emotions rise in me easily from my core up and hit like a wave on the inside of my face spilling out as tears on my face....i miss you all and already people pop into my head during the long days of pedalling....
On the flight and i start a conversation with the two guys next to me, Miguel and Kev, they are friendly and offer two different siders to Canada...one is a Quebeccois and the other from Newfoundland...the flight is smooth and I get through customs with bike and panniers without a problem...the connection flight is on a smaller plane but we are in Quebec within 40 minutes...it is finally getting dark and the airport is a small one...
I get a taxci and am at the Quality suite...it exceeds its purpose as I have a lounge and bedroom with a massive bike box....little do they know that I will use the lounge space as a make shift bike shop to assemble the bike.....i'm tired and decide to sleep and put everything together tomorrow.....relief and tiredness send me to sleep quickly...the first day awaits me
Sunday 13 May 2007
a Brave New World
Saturday 12th May
Well Jacq and I have decided to try and camp and cook for the first time. We found a campsite that was local to Guildford on the web and here we are at 6.30pm in the evening on our little pitch having had a first course of noodles and awaiting a possible second course of soup and chopped vegetables later.
The campsite is a bit of a find as it has a nice little lake at its centre where other campers appear to be trying their luck at catching whatever they can. Also the facilities are very clean and user friendly (clean toilets and showers). The surrounds of the site have oak trees which signal the gentle breeze that is blowing around us but also provides some coverage for the stove action that is a prime feature of evening entertainment.
It certainly feels like we have walked into a whole new world of outdoor living. As I type this a warden of the site (singled out as he wears the green branded campsite sweater) is relaying some paving stones at theentry gate to this section of the site. Next to this gate is a large motorhome with attached tent gazebo which makes me imagine the wardens may actually live permanently on site.
I conjure a semi retirement lifestyle of motor home existence where one becomes more and more in tune with nature nestled in this little quite community of people who enjoy the outdoors.
Another thought rumbles past my head which is that we have been blessed with agreeable weather. There are a few white clouds across the sky stretched by the prevailing wind but with plenty of blue gaps behind it which is beginning to darken into a purply hue as the light starts to fade.
Clearly this helped me to cook relatively smoothly without things being rained on, blown everywhere and having to suufer a diet with all foods eatern a la mud/grass/insect depending on the slant of unforgiving environmental conditions.
I'm told Canada in May and June is the insect version of Tottenham Court Road in rush hour so I may need to further sharpen my camp craft in the weeks to come....
Well Jacq and I have decided to try and camp and cook for the first time. We found a campsite that was local to Guildford on the web and here we are at 6.30pm in the evening on our little pitch having had a first course of noodles and awaiting a possible second course of soup and chopped vegetables later.
The campsite is a bit of a find as it has a nice little lake at its centre where other campers appear to be trying their luck at catching whatever they can. Also the facilities are very clean and user friendly (clean toilets and showers). The surrounds of the site have oak trees which signal the gentle breeze that is blowing around us but also provides some coverage for the stove action that is a prime feature of evening entertainment.
It certainly feels like we have walked into a whole new world of outdoor living. As I type this a warden of the site (singled out as he wears the green branded campsite sweater) is relaying some paving stones at theentry gate to this section of the site. Next to this gate is a large motorhome with attached tent gazebo which makes me imagine the wardens may actually live permanently on site.
I conjure a semi retirement lifestyle of motor home existence where one becomes more and more in tune with nature nestled in this little quite community of people who enjoy the outdoors.
Another thought rumbles past my head which is that we have been blessed with agreeable weather. There are a few white clouds across the sky stretched by the prevailing wind but with plenty of blue gaps behind it which is beginning to darken into a purply hue as the light starts to fade.
Clearly this helped me to cook relatively smoothly without things being rained on, blown everywhere and having to suufer a diet with all foods eatern a la mud/grass/insect depending on the slant of unforgiving environmental conditions.
I'm told Canada in May and June is the insect version of Tottenham Court Road in rush hour so I may need to further sharpen my camp craft in the weeks to come....
procrastinate no more....
Friday 11 May
Woke up this morning with a sudden sense of urgency and imminency for the trip. Feels like I need to finalise most of the rest of my prep for the journey this weekend. I need to buy some final equipment, have another practice night under canvass with stove for food being fully operational and generally get my head fully into gear on all the minor details that I don't feel I can leave till when I'm on terra firma canada!
Whilst doing all these last minute bits I have become aware of the fact that I can't cover all bases and have to rely more on a make it happen mindset when I get there.
I notice how much I am accustomed to all things routine and how either I take what I already do for granted or I imagine the things I will learn about outdoor life to be more complex that what I have already learnt. It is the fear of succumbing to the unknown and the recognition that so much of my confidence and self esteem is founded on competence.
The competence of knowing things or being able to do things. What would it be like to be fully confident without such things?
And also the courage to be humble, to embrace not knowing and therefore feel more comfortable taking risks. Also being able to pre evaluate those risks to minimize the perception of them by analysing the 'what if' scenarios to feel that the perception of that risk is lower and or a person's confidence rises about overcoming that risk.
Lets see how I get on!!!
Woke up this morning with a sudden sense of urgency and imminency for the trip. Feels like I need to finalise most of the rest of my prep for the journey this weekend. I need to buy some final equipment, have another practice night under canvass with stove for food being fully operational and generally get my head fully into gear on all the minor details that I don't feel I can leave till when I'm on terra firma canada!
Whilst doing all these last minute bits I have become aware of the fact that I can't cover all bases and have to rely more on a make it happen mindset when I get there.
I notice how much I am accustomed to all things routine and how either I take what I already do for granted or I imagine the things I will learn about outdoor life to be more complex that what I have already learnt. It is the fear of succumbing to the unknown and the recognition that so much of my confidence and self esteem is founded on competence.
The competence of knowing things or being able to do things. What would it be like to be fully confident without such things?
And also the courage to be humble, to embrace not knowing and therefore feel more comfortable taking risks. Also being able to pre evaluate those risks to minimize the perception of them by analysing the 'what if' scenarios to feel that the perception of that risk is lower and or a person's confidence rises about overcoming that risk.
Lets see how I get on!!!
Thursday 19 April 2007
a first night in tent and on bike combined
Rode over to ali and jezza...bike weighed a ton on the back with the gear on it...had a 'what am I doing here?' moment as I struggled to get my tent on the top of the rack using the bungee...this is the detail that I clearly don't know yet but will need to know it to feel confident...felt exhilarated on the road once i realized that there was enough space for my feet to pedal .
Funny to laugh at the smallest victories which removes one of the small concerns in my head only to be replaced with other concerns that spring into my mind....
Well I am in my tent for my first night out under the stars...sleeping bag is nice and soft. The mat doesn't seem to be as comfortable as I thought at this stage which is a little worrying...I'm sure it must be more buoyant than this flat hard thin piece of skin!
I'm interested that people's responses vary to sleeping out under the stars...some suggest i'm crazy and maybe gently mock whilst others seem more enticed and seem drawn to it...especially those who have distant fond memories of camping expedition times of their own.
Amusing incident number 1: Found myself settled in the tent when my body suddenly indicates it needs a number two and I feel trapped as I can't be bothered to put trousers and shoes on to deliver my personal message to the big white telephone indoors. Therefore I'm committed for the night in a 'not completely relaxed state' of mind and body
Feel the cold begin to invade the silence of the tent, a bird sounds overhead with its noise suggesting a pathway it might cut across the sky. In the background the dull hum of flowing water provides a backdrop to my night.
Funny to laugh at the smallest victories which removes one of the small concerns in my head only to be replaced with other concerns that spring into my mind....
Well I am in my tent for my first night out under the stars...sleeping bag is nice and soft. The mat doesn't seem to be as comfortable as I thought at this stage which is a little worrying...I'm sure it must be more buoyant than this flat hard thin piece of skin!
I'm interested that people's responses vary to sleeping out under the stars...some suggest i'm crazy and maybe gently mock whilst others seem more enticed and seem drawn to it...especially those who have distant fond memories of camping expedition times of their own.
Amusing incident number 1: Found myself settled in the tent when my body suddenly indicates it needs a number two and I feel trapped as I can't be bothered to put trousers and shoes on to deliver my personal message to the big white telephone indoors. Therefore I'm committed for the night in a 'not completely relaxed state' of mind and body
Feel the cold begin to invade the silence of the tent, a bird sounds overhead with its noise suggesting a pathway it might cut across the sky. In the background the dull hum of flowing water provides a backdrop to my night.
the beginning is a fragile time....
I imagine that at the beginning of any blog there should be something auspicious written so mine will be centred on a phrase that has captured my imagination ever since I read it about ten years ago....."when you throw a stone into the water it finds the quickest way to the bottom of the water. It is the same when Siddhartha has an aim, a goal. Siddhartha does nothing; he waits, he thinks, he fasts, but he goes through the affairs of the world like the stone through water, without doing anything, without bestirring himself; he is drawn and lets himself fall. He is drawn by his goal, for he does not allow anything to enter his mind which opposes his goal. This is what Siddhartha learned from the Samanas. It is what fools call magic and what they think is caused by demons. Nothing is caused by demons; there are no demons. Everyone can perform magic, everyone can reach his goal, if he can think, wait and fast."
Siddhartha, by Hermann Hesse
I guess that ever since I read this I have wanted to get closer and closer to this ideal of single mindedness or one mindedness as the Buddhist tradition might relate to it. Therefore the latest challenge in the spirit of this adventure within is to create an adventure externally.
Having watched Ewan McGregor's dvd series Long Way Round I combined this sense of journey with an interest in cycling and have come up with the plan to cycle across Canada, from Quebec to Vancouver, during a three month sabbatical from work next summer. It gives me, when I think about it, a mixture of the willies and bags of excitement. What will it be like? How will I manage it? How might I be different when its done? What would I do if all I had is a mini pump faced with a 10 foot Grizzly in the middle of nowhere?
Anyway all these questions and a host of internal ones about myself will probably be answered along the way...
Siddhartha, by Hermann Hesse
I guess that ever since I read this I have wanted to get closer and closer to this ideal of single mindedness or one mindedness as the Buddhist tradition might relate to it. Therefore the latest challenge in the spirit of this adventure within is to create an adventure externally.
Having watched Ewan McGregor's dvd series Long Way Round I combined this sense of journey with an interest in cycling and have come up with the plan to cycle across Canada, from Quebec to Vancouver, during a three month sabbatical from work next summer. It gives me, when I think about it, a mixture of the willies and bags of excitement. What will it be like? How will I manage it? How might I be different when its done? What would I do if all I had is a mini pump faced with a 10 foot Grizzly in the middle of nowhere?
Anyway all these questions and a host of internal ones about myself will probably be answered along the way...
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