Day 42 Aug 07 2009

Pembroke Ont To Fitzroy Bay Ont (via Qubec)

Depart: 7:30
Arrive: 6:30

Daily Distance: 125.75 km
Time: 7:22:17
Odo: 4819.4km
Max: 35.5 km/hr
Avg: 17.0 km/hr

Weather: Sunny 21 deg
Wind: N 10
Roads: bike path B

I left Pembroke and decided to cross over into Quebec to ride the bike path and stay off the highway, this was not a shoter route, just a pleasant change. The 'cyclopath" is about 90 km of well compacted limestone over an old railbed so the grade never exceded 2%. The trail finished at a town called Quyon where the ferry crosses to the ontario side, near Ottawa. My plan was to Free camp at the Kwannis park and continue on the Quebec side, however, I was told by a cyclist the Ottawa side was a way better route,  he suggested I cross over.. As the ferry doesn't start running until 8:00 on Satudays, I headed over tonight in order to get an early start tomorrow.
Lorraine provided me with some good info regarding a bike path from Ottawa to Montreal and the park warden showed me how to get to the start of the path,  I should be set to go.

Day 41 Aug 06 2009

Mattawa Ont to Pembroke Ont

Depart 8:00am
Arrive: 6:00 pm

Daily distance: 146.02 km
Time: 7:51:08
Odo: 4694.1 km
Max: 52.1 km/hr
Avg. Speed. 18.6 km/hr

Weather: overcast with sunny periods.
Road: hilly first 100km then flattened out past Deep River
Shoulder: (D-)

Spent the first 100km yoyoing up and down with really poor asphalt, in several areas the asphalt was broken half way into the drive lane. The rough roads rattled me to the bone, I hit my front wheel hard twice and shook the mirror on my helmut right off. Taking a run at hills was impossible so each climb was a slow grind.
I pulled into a restraunt in Rolfton where a fella asked me to join him at his table and wanted to hear about my trip. In order not to repulse him with  my "cycling cologne" I opted to sit at the table next to him. We were joined by his cousin and both these guys gave me good play by play on the upcoming road conditions. I always enjoy chatting with the locals, I gave him my blog adress to follow my trip. When I went to pay my lunch bill it had been taken care of. Unfortunatly these guys names have slipped my mind an I'm hoping I get an Email from him so I can add him to my "thank you" list.
After a good flat ride to Pembroke I found a cheap Motel, when I asked the owner if there was a place close by to eat he said "No" but went into his Kitchen and loaded me up with supplies for dinner.
Today was yet another reminder of how good complete strangers can be and there are lots of good folk out there.

Day 40 Aug. 05 2009

Sudbury to Mattawa

Depart: 7:15 am
Arrive: 6:00 pm

Daily Distance: 177. 47 km
Time: 8:00:04
Odo: 4548.1 km
Max: 56.5 km/hr
Avg. Speed: 22.2 km/hr

Weather: 21 deg.  Overcast with Sunny periods.
Wind: W 15km/hr
Road: Flat/ med hills
Shoulder: Very Poor (D)

Gary dropped me off at the Highway near where I had turned off 2 days prior and I was happy to find the wind blowing from the west and a long flat section of road in front of me.
Taking time yesterday to have a grand tour of Sudbury was a nice break and allowed me to actually see a city that I pass through. My daily focus tends to be on achieving my distance goals and being in bed by 8:30 so  I don't actually ever get to see to many attractions.
I stopped for a bottle of orange juice at a little restraunt just outside of Rutherglen and began talking to a gentleman and the lady running the place about the road ahead as they both seemed to know the area well. They convinced me to get to Pembroke then cross over the river to the Quebec side which gets me off these crappy highways on the ontario side and allows me to bypass Ottawa. I looked at this option tonight on the map and the distances are identical, also,  there seems to be more towns on the Quebec side, I think I'll go for it.
I'm hoping for another wind at my back day so I can make tomorrow night my last stay in Ontario and scratch it off my list.

Day 39 Aug 04 2009

Sudbury Ont to Sudbury Ont

Rest Day

I spent my rest day at the home of Gary and Lessa Noble. Gary and Lessa are the parents of Kurtis who I work with at Chatwin.
Gary picked me up at the motel I had stayed at the previous night and we met Lessa at a local restraunt where they treated me to breakfast.
After breakfast Gary took me  to what I had come to Sudbury to see, the grand daddy of roadside change, the Sudbury Nickel.
Later in the day the three of us took a walk around the lake in the centre of town and then a tour of some of the differnt neighbourhoods and came back to the house for a BarBQ.

Thank you Gary, Lessa and Kurtis

Day 38 Aug 03 2009

Blind Bay Ont to Sudbury Ont.

Depart: 9:00 am
Arrive: 7:00pm

Daily Distance: 172.0 km
Time: 8:32:15
Odo: 4370.6 km
Max. 48.3 km/hr
Avg. Speed: 20.1 km/hr

Weather: Rain/ overcast 19 degrees Wind: SW 10 km/hr

Roads: fairly flat, easy grades
Shoulder: (C--)

I was wondering how I escaped the usual heavy Sunday traffic yesterday, then I realized Monday was the holiday. I had a good ride in the morning even in the rain. About 1:00 pm the traffic started and it was a steady stream in both directions until about 5:00. That, combined with poor shoulders made the section from Massey to Sudbury made me feel the most uncomfortable since I left.
As I will be going grocery shopping tomorrow I wanted to finish up some old stuff I had been hauling around for the last week or so. I was making a peanut butter and prune roll up on Weight Watchers wraps (1 point each) when I spotted a small bear, it wad clawing at a tree. By the time I got my camera out it had disappeared, I guess he wasn't interested in my snack.
I arrived in Sudbury late (for me) and had a hard time finding a cheap motel, its harder in larger centres because everything is spread out further, in small towns you can see eveything no matter where you are.
Young Kurtis in our office had sent me an Email giving me his parents contact information in Sudbury, I called them and have arranged to take my rest day there and  spend the next night with them, thanks Kurtis.
Philip sent an Email, he had bike problems and got a ride to Sault, that along with my rest day may put us in contact.

Day 37 Aug 02 2009

Heydon Ont. To Blind Bay Ont.

Depart: 9:00am
Arrive: 6:15 pm

Daily distance: 161.95 km
Time: 7:14:50
Odo: 4198.6 km
Max. 45,6 km/hr
Avg speed. 22.3 km/hr

Wwather: Cloudy with sunny periods 20 degrees. Wind: SW 10-15km/hr

Roads: Mainly Flat, a few small hills.
Shoulders: "C" narrow rough shoulders

When I left Heyden this morning my plan was to just do 60 km to make up the 2nd half of my partial rest days. Shortly after I got going the sky lightened up, the road was flat and the wind was pointing the bullrushes east, I knew I had to take advantage os this weather.
It seems that a lousy day of cycling is always followed by a good one, I felt I was being rewarded for the  previous dfficult day.
I hit Blind River which is the home of Wayne and James Orten whom I had met in Kamloops. I called their home and spoke to Waynes daughter who said they were in Marathon tonight and expected home in the next 4-5 days, they must be close to Phillip.
I met a young couple staying at the same motel who were from Errington near Parksville, they had purchased a home who's history of flooding annually was never disclosed to them. To make a long story short, they  ended up filing for bankruptcy and were moving back to Ottawa to live with her parents.
$1.40 in change today and probably one of the nicest riding days so far, weather permitting I will be heading for Sudbury tomorrow.

Day 36 Aug 01 2009

Pancake Bay to Heyden

Depart: 9:00 am
Arrive: 3:00 pm

Daily Distance: 69.59 km
Time: 4:43.19
Odo: 4036.7 km
Max. 38.1 km/hr
Avg. Speed: 14.7 km/hr

Weather: Rain. Wind: S 20km/hr
Road: Flat and hills mixed, shoulders (C)

Left Pancake Bay into a stiff wind that lasted all day. I'm due for a rest day but I want over the last big hump into Sault so I decided to do 2 short days instead. During a downpour I pulled into a coffee shop at Goulais Bay. Two local guys suggested I take the Old Hwy 17 and avoid the big hill to Sault.  Lorraine and the kids have often heard me say "a shortcut is the longest distance between two points" and once again I proved that I was right. Although the route was about 5 miles (oops, I've been in Ontario too long) I mean 8 km longer, the grades weren't to bad. The downpours were extreme and the head winds reminded me of the Praries.
I arrived in Heyden and grabbed a Motel room so I could dry out.
I'll be doing another part day tomorrow and try and get some R and R.
I took a quick look at my schedule and figure I'll be making the Kweebeck
 border next Saturday.