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...
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