Biking Across Canada - Summer 2006

Follow Up

2007-05-17T16:43:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is May of 2007 and I am finally putting up the final post. I guess I just didn't want it to be over. Either that or I am the worst procrastinator out there. Probably a bit of both. One thing now is I have some more perspective on the trip. I'm pretty sure it will go down in my memory as one of the most amazing journeys of my life. It's spring now and I've been getting back on the bike regularly. Every time I go for a ride I'm thinking about my trip across the country. Each time I'll remember some different little detail or event or character I met along the way. Or just the free feeling I had riding my bike seeing places for the first time every day. The country seems a lot smaller to me now. Just this morning I met someone from Halifax and I was instantly flooded with all my memories of the time I had in that city, one of my favorites in all of Canada.
Riding my bike across the country was something I had wanted to do for a long time and I feel very fortunate that I was able to do it. If any of you have got one of those big trip ideas or experience you have always wanted to have, get out there and make it happen! You won't regret it!

Now a big thank you to all that donated money to the Alzheimer's Society of Canada on behalf of this trip. With all of your help I was able to raise just under one thousand dollars for that cause. THANK YOU!!!

I finished my bike trip just in time to move to Terrace, BC where I started my new job with Environment Canada. I am now spending my working days keeping tabs on the quantity of water in the many rivers and watersheds of Northwestern BC. It is a 50/50 mix of time spent in the field and time spent in the office. I love the job and will most likely be sticking with it for a while.
Terrace is a great place if you are an outdoor enthusiast like myself. It's got it all - Mountains, Rivers, Lakes and Ocean not too far away either.

Here is a picture of the drive up to the local ski hill - Shames Mountain.

I was hired on to my job as part of a national hiring. In total, there were 20 of us from across the country hired on with the Water Survey of Canada(the division of Environment Canada that I work for). I went through weeks of training with this crew and they are a solid bunch. We became pretty tight as a group and I will miss the good times we had through our training program. Here is a group shot of us in Ontario from just a few weeks ago. If any of you guys are reading this, here's to you!

Screeching in to St.John's

2006-12-09T14:01:00.000-08:00

From Conception Bay, all that remained was an easy day's ride to my final destination - St.John's, Newfoundland. It was a nice ride and we enjoyed ourselves, stopping at a little yard sale, stopping for coffee, and generally taking our time. It was almost anticlimatic as we found our way to the campground. We were also in different frames of mind at this time. The Grays still had another week before they flew home and planned to do one more loop south. On top of that, they were both feeling sick at this point. For me, this was the end and I was determined to celebrate. It was Saturday night and I knew it would be the opportune time to check out the legendary George Street and hopefully get "Screeched in". Terrie and Angie decided they would stay at the campground. Luckily, we met a cool guy in the campsite next to us that was in town for something work related and had been out to George St. a couple times already. He was up for hitting it again, and the two of us went to see what the night had in store.

We started out with a pint at Nautical Nellie's, a true English style pub. The bartendress was friendly, full of energy, and proud of her town. She offered to take me out to get screeched in on her next night off. That was two nights away and I think we both knew I would be screeched in by then. We pushed onwards. From there we moved into the heart of it. There's something like 30 bars in a 3 block span of George St. If you can't have fun here, then you must be dead. Everyone is in good spirits. There was a big scavenger hunt like race going on. We had three different wildly dressed groups ask us to take their picture or else join them while doing a can-can dance. Each group was given a disposable camera and had a list of things they needed pictures of. Usually of the group doing something crazy.
Anyway, to make a long story short, by the end of the night I had been screeched in, met all kinds of great people, tried out about 5 or 6 of the bars and had an all around great time. Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera out for fear of losing it so you'll have to imagine. Wish I had but I'm glad I still have my camera.

In case you don't know what getting "screeched in" means, it refers to the ceremony and subsequent downing of your first shot of Newfoundland Screech, a dark Jamaican rum. It involves reciting many lines of serious Newfoundland jargon about sailing, kissing a cod and downing the stiff rum. The cod I kissed had to be one of the ugliest specimens I've ever seen.

Finishing the Journey

2006-12-03T16:22:00.000-08:00

Ok, the last chapter I left you with was leaving Branch after the hangover of all hangovers. Being as we were hungover and didn't leave until 4, we didn't make it too far this day. 28.5 kms to be exact. I started feeling good once we got pedalling.

Terry, on the other hand was one grumpy dude. Sorry Terry, telling it like it was. We started looking for a roadside place to camp after about 20 kms and finally found a small gravel pit like site. It was actually quite nice, considering. It turned out the REAL gravel pit was somewhere just up the last road we passed before choosing this site. We discovered this after a vehicle drove by us, turned up that road and then shortly after the gravel crusher started. He had the late shift. It didn't stop until just before we were to leave the next morning. Besides the continuous sound of gravel being crushed a few hundred meters away, it was a nice night. Angie created a very feng shui kitchen complete with an entrance (made of rocks), seats (made of rocks), two cooking platforms (also made of rocks)....you get the idea. Hey, when you're given rocks...uh, make a kitchen? After a tasty dinner we enjoyed an amazing star filled sky. Angie had a star chart and we checked out the constellations while Terry cursed the gravel crusher. Don't get me wrong, we were all cursing the gravel crusher.
The next morning we had oatmeal for breakfast and the hit the road with sunny skies and feeling 200% better than the previous morning. We decided to put in a good day and did. We rode 90 kms to Conception Bay and camping on the northern shores of the Avalon Peninsula. It was a generally enjoyable day, taking pictures of everyday life in Newfoundland and enjoying the fresh air. We stoppped for some awesome cod bites and chips. Fresh, cheap($5), and tasty! We pushed on to a great camping spot right on the water. Windy, but beautiful. Oh, it should be noted that I cracked out the whoopy cushion I bought earlier in the trip this day as well.

We stopped for coffee and ice cream in Holyrood (like Hollywood, except in Newfoundland) and there were a few unexpected BBRRRAAPPP's, much to my enjoyment and Terry and Angie's embarrassment.
Terry retired early once we got camp set up as he was feeling sick. Angie and I had a small fire on the beach in an old tire rim and I got to laugh at the crazy workings of her brain fuelled on caffeine and ice cream. Very funny girl. Miss you guys!

The Great Branch Hangover

2006-10-19T17:23:00.000-07:00

Branch, Newfoundland that is.

The following is an excerpt from my personal journal dated Thursday, September 21:
'Headache. Nausea. Rain. Hell. Woke up on the slope I pitched my tent on still in my clothes and with no water. Woke up to The Grays just arriving back with Greg after sleeping for less than two hours out at his house. They were chipper. Suggested eating breakfast right away and hitting the road. They were obviously still drunk. I laughed in their collective face, got some water from the nearest house and went back to sleep. We all woke up a couple hours later. Not rested, just too uncomfortable to sleep any longer'

Yes, that was a painful morning. Must be the altitude or something, but I sure was hungover. After a little sleep, so were the Grays. This pleased me of course, misery loves company. It was raining all the while. Luckily, the hall was being cleaned so the doors were open. The gentleman cleaning it offered us the foyer area to cook our breakfast and dry out. Thank you! The road to recovery began. Angie, bless her heart, cooked us up a big batch of pancakes with coffee while Terry and I spread our tents and gear out to dry. Locals were in and out all day saying hi to us and inviting us to spend another night. Alas, we had a schedule, loose as it was. We dragged out our time there and finally left Branch at about 4:00 in the afternoon, feeling markedly better. Goodbye Branch, thanks for the memories!

The Great Branch Party

2006-10-19T16:41:00.000-07:00

Branch, Newfoundland that is. Branch is located another 25 km down the road from the Gannet's Nest Pub. As it turned out, there was a big party going on there that very night.....
After our visit to Cape St.Mary's, Travis toured us around the community of St.Brides, where he grew up. Beautiful little community with amazing ocean front properties for cheap. I think Travis will be spending his Fort McMurray dollars on a new home there. Anyway, after our tour we picked up a couple beers and went back to the pub? We cooked up our Petey O'Keefe (I love saying that name..Petey O'Keefe)salmon in the yard outside. We even used his recommended method: boiling it with onions and spices. Delicious. I'm going somewhere with this, really. Sooo, after dinner we all jumped in Travis's truck and made for Branch and the big Irish party. There was a group of traditional performers from Ireland doing a tour of Newfoundland and happened to be in Branch for what turned out to be the party of all parties. The place was packed, standing room only for the performances. When they were all done, the dance floor was cleared and a band pumped out music for the rest of the night. Newfoundlanders sure know how to party. The dark rum was flowing heavy, and as the bartenders got to know you, it flowed even heavier. I think Terry, Angie and I personally met every person in the community. Word was getting around about the off-island bikers crashing their party. Travis lined up a yard for us to camp on about 100 ft from the hall. I stayed up late but The Gray's represented and were the last ones out. As if that wasn't enough, they even went for a drive with one of the locals (Greg) out to his place for another drink. Just when you thought they were hardcore, after an hour and a half of sleep they got up and drove back to the Branch hall. Greg dropped the Grays off on his way to the docks where he was leaving for a 3 week tour of duty on a fishing boat! Wow. I always thought I had stamina but I guess I'm not from Newfoundland. Hats off!
Terry, Travis and Greg getting into it.

Cape St.Mary's

2006-10-19T16:14:00.000-07:00

Ok, I've been home for over two weeks now and still haven't finished off the rest of the story. So whether anyone will ever read these posts or not, I must complete this blog.

The pictures on the previous post show some of the crazy hills we rode up after we left the O'keefes. The first two were probably the first and second hardest hills of the entire trip. Luckily, the views were so incredible we didn't seem to mind. Petey O'keefe told us to stop in at the Gannet's Nest Pub a day's ride away and tell them that he sent us. It showed up just in time. We hadn't travelled that many kms but they were tough ones and it had just started to rain. We happily entered the dry digs and promptly ordered a beer to reward a hard day's pedal. We soon were joined by Travis. Travis is a young guy who works out in Alberta and was home for a break with his parents (who own the pub). Before long, Travis was driving us out to Cape St.Mary's ecological reserve, home to thousands of nesting Gannets, puffins, and many other birds. It is what the area is well known for. That, and the cod fishing off of Cape St.Mary's. We had mentioned to Travis that we were going to go check that out the next day so he offered to drive us there instead. It's a 13 km one way road and it was raining. Terry, Angie and I decided we could live the "cheat" and took him up on it. It was incredibly foggy out there, you could hardly see 50 ft in front of you. Very enjoyable just the same.

Amazing Newfoundland Coastline

2006-10-03T10:02:00.000-07:00

First day of riding in Newfoundland

2006-10-03T09:49:00.000-07:00

Here's Terrie, Angie and myself just getting started into our Newfoundland journey.

Outside the Sobey's grocery store in Placentia. Planning and dividing up our food for the next 4 days.

True Newfoundland Hospitality

2006-10-02T15:43:00.000-07:00

Ok, on to Newfoundland.
After our fun filled ferry ride that I mentioned earlier, I was invited by Terry and Angie to join them on their tour of the Cape Shore Loop. How could I refuse such a gracious offer from such fine people as The Gray's. So after doing laundry and buying groceries in Placentia, we headed south along the barely inhabited coastline. It turns out that the Cape Shore Loop is home to the steepest and longest hills in all of Newfoundland. Dark was setting in as we screamed down the good side of one of those hills into a small community called Big Barresway, home to 18 (people). Luckily for us, one of them was on the road and we asked where we could camp for the night. In his family's backyard was the answer. It turns out that this family (the O'Keefe's) has a long history of taking people in. They are in the low spot between two of the long steep hills. So when people get stuck because of weather or fatigue they somehow end up at the O'keefes. You couldn't meet nicer people either. Their hospitality and good nature was so genuine, it should make the average person feel truly humbled. After we set up our tents and cooked dinner in the front yard, we were invited inside. Close family friends had just lost a loved one and came by later that night to celebrate her life. True Irish wake style. It was an amazing thing to be a part of. The funeral was just that day and yet here they are inviting us in to share food, drink, music, laughter and tears with them. The next day as we rode out of the community with half a salmon that Petey O'keefe gave us (he caught it earlier that week), we knew we had experienced as genuine a Newfoundland experience as you could hope for. Newfoundlanders are the warmest people I have met in this country and the O'keefes are shining examples. It was an honor to meet them. Thank you Petey, Anita, and all the rest of the crew!!

Check out this link to see video footage of the good old fashioned Newfoundland kitchen party!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvXHu-6V1MQ

Trailer Park Boys and Alexander Keith's

2006-10-02T15:17:00.000-07:00

Way back when, I mentioned the Trailer Park Boys. I'm now trying to play catch up with some of my adventures. It feels a little different now that I'm back in BC but I'll do my best. Well, if you didn't know already, popular canadian tv show; Trailer Park Boys is filmed and based out of Dartmouth and Halifax. The funnycool thing I learned while there is that they stay in character and costume all the time. The friends I stayed with had a few stories of seeing them in the liquor store or out at the bar (mostly Ricky and Julian). I guess people are always going up to them and offering Ricky pepperoni and buying them drinks, etc. If you don't watch this show then this really means nothing to you but if you do watch the show....remember in the 2nd season when they get Ricky really drunk so that he passes out and doesn't mess things up when the rest of them robbed the grocery store to get food for Ricky's wedding. Then Ricky wakes up in the vehicle, comes in the store to buy some smokes and ends up in a shootout against his buddies. I stayed just a few blocks from that store! Talk about a brush with fame.

I never did see them at the liquor store or the bar.

The other thing I wanted to mention is the tour I took of the Alexander Keith's Brewery. On this trip I didn't shell out money to do tourist things very often but this one was well worth it. The Brewery has tons of history and still has marks in the wall where horse drawn carts carried away the beer. They do an excellent job of the tour with a full cast of characters and you get a couple mugs of Keith's in the old underground, stone tavern at the end. If you ever make it to Halifax, I highly recommend it!

Woo Hoo!!!

2006-09-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

I made it!! I finished my cross country journey a few days ago in St.John's, Newfoundland. In total, I rode my bike 6330 km!
I still have some great stories and pictures to share but I haven't been having any luck with computers. I stayed in a hostel in St.John's specifically because they had a computer with a high speed connection and then the server was down. My last week of travel along the south coast of the Avalon Peninsula was one of the highlights of my trip. I had a great time riding with Terry and Angie Gray. We had some very unique Newfoundland experiences.
After a looong day of jets and airports yesterday, I am back at my parents' place in Red Rock,BC. I've got video and pictures that I need to post but the dial-up connection isn't cutting it. I will try to get to a computer soon so please keep checking back for stories of the last leg of my trip.
Right now, I am heading out with my dad for a celebratory round of golf.
Thanks for following my adventure through this blog. It's been fun. But remember - there will be more to come soon, so keep checking back. Thanks! Blaine

Aloha!

2006-09-19T10:53:00.000-07:00

Ok, Aloha makes no sense at all as a title to this post but that's all I could come up with. Maybe it's because I'm now on an island. Not quite a Hawaiian Island but an island just the same. That's right, I made it to The Rock! After 3 months of cycling, I have landed on the grand island of Newfoundland and the last leg of my trip. A week from now I will be boarding the plane that turns all this into a memory. I wish I just had a couple more weeks b'y.(Newfie-ism) I guess all good things must come to an end. I shouldn't get ahead of myself though, the week is looking to be a good one. I never did finish all the updates from earlier but I still plan to. For now, a quick update. I just arrived in Argentia on the ferry from Cape Breton Island, late last night. The usual 15 hour ferry turned into 16 after we stopped to assist a small fishing vessel in da middle of da sea. Although we all were hoping for a dramatic sea rescue of gnarly fishermen from a sinking boat, everything was worked out without even having to toss one life ring. The journey across the Atlantic (ok, a wee portion of the Atlantic) was exciting enough anyway. On the boat were three other cyclists finishing their cross country journeys. Our group grew in size when we were joined by two seperate, genuine Newfoundlanders. Greg - a camaro drivin', no nonsense talkin' engineer from the tip of the Avalon Peninsula and Melissa - a laughing, smiling, fisheries officer returning to her homeland after a few years working on Prince Edward Island. The cyclists consisted of a couple from Banff, Alberta - The Grays, and a long-haired hippy from Saskatchewan - Adrien. A better lot, you couldn't ask for. We hung out all day watching the sea, watching movies, and watching each other tip em back in the bar. Good times were had. So much so, that I have changed my planned route to join Terry and Angie (The Grays) for a tour to the south from Argentia looping our way around to St.John's. Adrien was out of time and had to make for his plane in St.John's via the shortest route possible. Greg and Melissa might come meet the three of us in St.John's for a shot of Screech when we get there. It's not looking good for any more updates before I get to the capital and unfortunately I can't even add any pictures right now. (The usb ports are off limits)
I'll have some time when I get to the city to catch up on all stories thus far, and those to come enroute. You can count on pictures as well b'y, to be sure.
Put in your orders for cod tongues, I'll be coming home soon!
Love, Peace n' Bicycle grease
Blaine

2006-09-19T10:46:00.000-07:00

Join the Revolution, Ride your Bike!

2006-09-14T10:01:00.000-07:00

If you haven't ridden your bike lately, hurry and get out there before winter comes! Even though I complain about a sore ass from sitting on my bike seat too long, I really can't say enough about biking as a way of getting around. You see more, you smell more, you get exercise, and you feel good.
Neil, a fellow Cross-Canada cyclist from Vancouver, and Bruce, who served as my Halifax welcoming committee, know what I'm talking about.

I would also like to pay some respect to my own bike with this small ode. Thank you bike(I never did come up with a nickname for it), for getting me all the way here. Your smooth shifting and large carrying capacity have served me well as we've travelled this big ass country. Here's to a good last leg of the journey, after which, I promise I will wash you. Thanks again, Blaine.
Here she is looking particularly sexy with an 8 pack of Alexander Keith's strapped on top.

The Legend of Peggy Cove

2006-09-14T08:56:00.000-07:00

I'll see if I can remember this properly. There are two stories as to how Peggy Cove got it's name. The first one is better.

The lone survivor of a downed ship was a young girl named Margaret, Peggy for short. She came ashore and then stayed in this community. People would come to see and meet the talked about girl, Peggy of the Cove. You can see where this is going. That's right, they decided to rename their community; Peggy's Cove.

The other story is that it was named for it's close proximity to Margaret River. Just pretend you didn't hear that one.

Coffee makes me go!

2006-09-14T08:38:00.000-07:00

I thought I should show a picture of my digs behind the Tim Horton's. Really not that bad, especially when it's picth dark out. Not to mention being that much closer to my morning coffee.

Apparently I'm a big fan of caffeine, proven by my decision to buy a big espresso maker in the middle of a bike trip. Come on, it was only a buck. What was I supposed to do?

Update: I have since sent home the espresso maker. Still a deal.

Red earth, Ferries, Sunsets

2006-09-14T07:41:00.000-07:00

Over the next couple of posts I will try to expand on the flurry of happenings I reported earlier. One last mention of PEI first.The red soil throughout every part of the island that I saw made for some cool scenes. Namely when the sun was setting and making the shoreline cliffs glow. I know I already talked about that in a previous post but that's how nice it was. This picture is not quite sunset but just a cool spot I stopped for a break between Charlottetown and Wood Islands(where the ferry is).

Here's couple taken from the ferry as it was leaving.

Ok, let's do this properly

2006-09-14T07:02:00.000-07:00

That was a little too much for one post yesterday. I only had one hour to use the computer and I had some other logistics shit to deal with. (flight home, trying to find more money, lining up places to stay, etc) I wasn't sure when I would find another computer so I tried to fit everything in one post. I also spent 10 minutes trying to download pictures to no avail. So I left Halifax ready to get some kms under my belt just after that session. I caught the ferry from Halifax across the harbour and started through the maze of tattoo parlours and donair shops that is Dartmouth. I had an unplanned meeting with one of the potholes in the street as I was getting to the outskirts. My tired tire decided it was a little too much. When the spokes broke it sounded like a cartoon bedspring? You've got to be flexible on a trip like this. So I spent the next couple of hours locating a bike shop and waiting to get it fixed. This is not a poor me story so please don't sympathize for my bad fortune. Broken wheels are a part of a trip like this and it doesn't make me feel bad in any way. Instead, it made my decision to go only as far as my friend Barry Hurst's place that much easier. I met Barry in Loydminster where he is working right now. I had seen pictures on his computer of his place out here but they didn't do it justice. That is where I am right now. It's a beautiful house on a quiet little lake. This is a picture of the lake taken from out the back door this morning.

The action never stops!

2006-09-13T06:49:00.000-07:00

Ferries, Sunsets, Yard Sales, Tim Horton's, Indian Reservations, Peggy's Cove, Cross Canada Cyclist (another one), Halifax, amputee biker, Alexander Keith's India Pale Ale, Trailer Park Boys, History, New friends, Tall ships, Rock and Roll......phew. No wonder I'm tired!
From the island of red earth (PEI) to the lively province of Nova Scotia. Caught a great sunset on the 7:30 ferry that later dumped me off in the dark to a 7 km night ride to the Tim Horton's(which I camped behind). No, not on the pavement. a nice grassy knoll actually. Bought a $50 italian espresso maker from a yard sale for a buck (practical on a bike trip?...no) Met a cool native grandmother who took me in. I stayed at her house on Indian Brook reservation with a bunch of her extended family. She drove me out to Peggy's Cove for the day. It was nice to be off the bike. Met another cyclist just finishing up his cross canada journey on my way into Halifax. He was jealous that I was still going on to Newfoundland. I was jealous he didn't have to sit on his bike seat anymore. Met and stayed with Berkeley and Dave in Halifax(met Berkeley's mother in the prairies and she gave us her contact). They were great and we had a good time while I was here. Met a cool biker with a prosthetic leg, funny guy. Learned about the Halifax exposion, went on the Alexander Keith's Brewery tour (very cool), loved all the ships in the harbour and went and saw a wicked band (RocketFace - Check 'em out!) Now I'm leaving and this computer isabout to shut down. bye

Prince Edward Island

2006-09-08T06:58:00.000-07:00

Hi, How are ya?
From New Brunswick, I crossed the Confederation Bridge to PEI. I got onto the island at about 5:00 pm and then enjoyed an incredible sunset as I rode the scenic route along the southern coastline. The cliffs were glowing red and I even was on unpaved red clay roads for a part of it. PEI is relaxed and the friendliest province yet! I love the accent. Last night after spending a half day off in Charlottetown I watched an even more amazing sunset from a lighthouse while eating a chicken shawarma and drinking a beer. This was a memorable evening. I managed to get a self timer shot. It involved a quick sprint and a vault off of my bike on to my perch. Onwards!

Hello Maritimes!

2006-09-06T05:53:00.000-07:00

A big part of the inspiration for doing this trip was to see the Maritimes. I've always enjoyed the people from these parts and I love the ocean. Well, I'm finally here! I've been in New Brunswick for a few days already and will actually be going over the bridge to Prince Edward Island later today. As soon as I crossed the bridge into Campbellton,NB from Quebec I could feel the difference in the air. Much of the northern coastline of New Brunswick, where I have been travelling, is Acadian. This means that the first language spoken is still french. There are a LOT of french speaking people in Canada. Bit of an eye opener for me, I'll admit. Anyway, New Brunswick has been beautiful. I've been sticking to the quieter roads right on the ocean and enjoying the smell and calm of the sea. Also, now that school is back in, the tourists are all gone (except me). That is nice. I'm in Shediac right now where I just stayed the night with my friend Sparky's parents (they call him Brian). They treated me to a delicious BBQ dinner when I arrived last night and made me feel right at home. Thank you Laurie and Lev!

Road Warrior

2006-09-06T05:27:00.000-07:00

The next leg from Rimouski across to New Brunswick made me stronger. That's what happens if it doesn't kill you right? The warranty on my bike and gear must run out after 5000 km because that's when things started to fall apart. It's all a bit of a blur now but in that short time I broke a wheel, got rained on hard, had 3 flats, blew a tire (this one I was kind of proud of since it was a new tire when I started), got stranded without a spare after a spontaneous combustion of one tube (I was saved by a fellow cyclist), got rained on some more, broke my front rack (it's still waiting for a weld, be strong zip ties!), had my first full on wipe out on the highway (hello asphalt), lost kms while riding back to get my water bottles (don't ask).......you get the picture. During this same time I was racking up the showerless days. I started to feel like a hardened road warrior. Dirty. Sun beat. Wet. Tired. But anyone who has done longer outdoor trips knows that once you cross that hump, it's ok and the thought of a shower isn't as exciting anymore. You know longer care what you look like to others, parents shield their chilren. It's now been 10 days straight of riding without a day off but I have finally had a shower and washed my clothes. It took a bit of my edge away but I guess it's worth it.

5000 km!

2006-09-06T04:58:00.000-07:00

Shortly after leaving Rimouski, I hit the 5000 km mark of my trip! Of course I was very excited and celebrated by keeping it steady while a line of trucks blew by me. Ok, but after that I really celebrated. I raised my right fist in the air and pumped it while saying - "5000 kilometers, woo hoo! Ya, that's right. 5000!!" There's not much else you can do to celebrate while you're still riding. Oh yah, I took a big drink of water. I do that at every milestone. To be honest, it's hard to comprehend that I've ridden my bike that far. I don't think it will hit me until after the trip. When I think back to the prairies now, it seems like last summer or some other time. Needless to say, I feel great that I've made it this far and things have went as well as they have. Not long to go now!

Roadside snack. (I usually get further off the road than this!)

Au Revoir Quebec!

2006-09-06T04:33:00.000-07:00

As I think you could tell from my previous posts, I thoroughly enjoyed the province of Quebec. I wanted to put up one more post and picture from La Belle Province. This picture is from my campsite in Cacouna. It was right on the St.Lawrence behind a tourism related building of some sort. It was closed when I showed up, and still closed when I left early the next morning. That's a good part of the day's adventure is finding a place to camp for free. You can get pretty good at it, even start to get picky. "Oh, I'm sure they'll be an even nicer place further on." Usually I get lucky, sometimes I get desperate. This time I was lucky.

On a 'keeping it real' note, later this evening after cooking my cuban black beans and rice, I was hit by a short but serious rainfall. Do you think I managed to get everything put away? no.

Good Fortune on the Fleuve Saint-Laurent

2006-08-31T07:34:00.000-07:00

I left Quebec on a dark and rainy afternoon about 5 days ago now. I caught the ferry across the Fleuve Saint-Laurent and looking back at the city, it was as if it was 400 years earlier. With the Castle Frontenac, the old fort walls, and the dark clouds above, Quebec looked like a menacing stronghold from the past. I went no further then the Casse-Croute (poutine stand) just off of the ferry where I took shelter from the escalating storm. This is where I met Myriam. Myriam has spent a lot of time in BC, has cycle toured through Europe, and speaks perfect english. She immediately got on the phone and lined up a place for me to stay that night. I only rode less than 30 kms to Beaumont to be welcomed into a warm, cozy 200 year old stone house by Annie and Audille. They had just prepared crepes de la mer. Crepes filled with asparagus and seafood. This, along with a fresh salad from the garden and a glass of wine and I had to ask one of them to pinch me. The dinner was the best I have had in a long time and the company was great. We sat around the wood fire in this cool old house on the river and exchanged stories, learned more french(that was just me), and felt very fortunate (again, just me). I slept on a cozy bed next to the fire while it rained outside. The next morning, Myriam came out for breakfast and gave me another number of some friends in Rimouski where I am right now. I am about to hit the road after another great recharge here (including another great meal upon arriving). I will be in New Brunswick in two days and then start my whirlwind tour through the Maritimes. I fly out of St.Johns, Newfoundland on the 26th of September. 26 days, 4 provinces left. I think days off are now a thing of the past. The temperature is dropping and the rain is expected to increase with the two new storms heading up the east coast. My appetite seems to be going up as the temps go down. to be expected I guess, but I canèt believe how much Ièm eating and am still always hungry! Well, I appreciate any emails or comments more than you know so keep em coming. Send food.
Thanks, Blaine

Pledge link fixed

2006-08-31T07:24:00.000-07:00

I finally fixed the pledge link on the sidebar. All it does is direct you to the original Raising Money post I put up earlier this month. Ièll give a quick recap.
I am raising money for The Alzheimer Society of Canada and the Go For Green project. I asked people to pledge me one cent per km from the 3000 km mark on. I would like to modify that slightly in that, if you are interested in pledging any amount of kms, that is great and muchly appreciated. (1000 kms = $10)
For more detailed information on how to pledge some kms, try the link. It also has more information on the causes. These are also found as links in the sidebar.
Thank you so much to all of you who have pledged kms already!!!

Quebec City - The rest of the story

2006-08-27T08:31:00.000-07:00

In Quebec, I have been staying with Steve and Marie-Julie. They are friends of Marie-Lou`s and are very cool hosts. I met many cool Quebec`rs through them. We went to a nice party where everyone was singing or playing an instrument by the end. They live very close to downtown as well, so it made it easy to check out the city.

Quebec City Mini Series

2006-08-27T08:15:00.000-07:00

Bonjour,
I have 3 video clips of Quebec City.
Part one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH_jOw7_f8M
Part two:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsMan9JqIKU
Part three:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijjqvJWa64c

It turns out that when I thought I was in the main tourist area of the city on the video, I wasn`t. So I will put another post with some pictures.
Salut

Quebec - La Belle Province

2006-08-26T11:01:00.000-07:00

It didn`t take long for Quebec to become my favorite province to bike in. The trip from Montreal to Quebec city was so enjoyable. They have a completely seperate bike route that makes it`s way along the shores of the St.Lawrence River, through farmland and small villages. The weather was perfect for biking - sunny, but not too hot. I really felt like I was in Europe. Passing small fruit and vegetable stands, practising my french, and stopping at nice viewpoints to eat. Here I thought Quebec was just going to be poutine, second-hand smoke, and people using 4 or 5 swear words at a time. Au Contraire, mon frere. Don`t get me wrong, I eat poutine almost every day (how can you not?) and find myself tabernac`ing things now and then. Overall though, Quebec is clean, beautiful and friendly. They are also very tolerant of english speaking people, especially if you are making an effort. There is no better way to learn a language than to immerse yourself in it. My french has been improving at a steady rate. I`ve got a lot of the slang down. Voyons Donc. Oui, c`est ca.
Here are some shots of the trip from Montreal to Quebec.

A couple more pics of Montreal

2006-08-26T10:51:00.000-07:00

I thought I should include a shot of the view from the top of the Olympic Stadium since I mentioned it earlier. The other is taken from the waterfront in Old Port, Montreal.

Jump out of a plane at 11,000 ft - check

2006-08-26T10:32:00.000-07:00

Finally! I`ve been wanting to skydive my whole life and finally got the chance while I was in Montreal. In Montreal, I stayed with an old friend I knew from Banff. Marie-Lou is a social worker who works with youth on the street out of a center in Montreal. Through the center, they arranged and funded a trip to a skydive center west of Montreal and a chance to skydive for 11 youth. It worked out very well for me that they needed someone with a class 4 driver`s licence to drive the van full to the ranch and back. In return, I got to do a tandem freefall from 11,000 ft. I wanted to do the course and jump by myself from a lower elevation but I was the only anglophone around and there wasn`t anyone to give me my own private instruction. So instead I was clipped onto Dean, who has done over 3300 jumps. We got to freefall for 45 seconds which is really hard to explain. The first 5 seconds we were kind of tumbling through the air and it was too much sensory input for the brain to take. Once we leveled out, it was still insane. What a cool feeling to freefall! Wish I had a helmet cam to video it. Oh well, here`s a picture of me and some of the crew anyway. It was really cool to experience this with these guys. Definite confidence builder!

The Olympic Stadium

2006-08-26T10:26:00.000-07:00

Built for the olympics in 1976, the Olympic Stadium is apparently a bit of a sore spot for the locals because they only just finished paying for it and they`re not doing a whole lot with it these days. It`s still an impressive structure and offers a great view of the city when you pay the $10 to take the elevator to the top.

Montreal City

2006-08-26T09:50:00.000-07:00

I made it onto the island of Montreal via a train from Dorion. A bit of an adventure on it`s own with 100 lbs of bike and gear in tow. Then, Bam! , I`m in the city. I got out at the Montreal Canadiens arena. I forget what corporate sponsor name it has now. They have a wall showing all of their stanley cup wins. very impressive. Do they have the most wins of any team? I can`t remember. I got someone on the street to take this picture of me amongst all of the people and action. I swear there was a lull at that moment. Things are happening in downtown Montreal. It is a very cool city, oozing with culture. I`m a big fan of Graffiti in the cities and Montreal is a great showcase for the artists there. Here`s a good one.

Maxville to Montreal

2006-08-21T19:22:00.000-07:00

From Ottawa, I stayed off of the main arteries and pedalled my way along quieter country roads for the remainder of my Ontario experience. This was a nice way to finish off the same province who's highways would have drove me to drink if riding on the highways drunk wasn't such an incredibly bad idea. The first day I made it to Maxville, a small friendly town that someone had suggested I check out. Maxville is small to be sure, and friendly as they come. The next morning on the way out of town, I met an off duty RCMP officer who was also a bike tourer. I had coffee with him and two of his buddies outside the local convenience store. Characters, to say the least. I have a picture of them and will post it the next time I get to a computer. I'm not able to at the moment. I do, however, have a link to a video clip of me riding my bike along those small country roads a short time after leaving Maxville on the day I would make it to Montreal.
Try it out, I hope it works. Hmmm, I guess you will have to cut and paste it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkLcIWgX-FI
I started an account on Youtube so that I can start posting video clips. Got to keep up with the times you know.
I will get caught up with updates soon.
Salut
Blaine

On to the Capital

2006-08-18T19:23:00.000-07:00

From Wilderness Tours, I pedalled my hangover away getting to our nation's capital, Ottawa. Luckily, my good friend Ted picked me up before I had to navigate my way through the city. I spent the next 3 nights in Ottawa with Ted and is wife Joanne. Ted and I went to college together 6 years ago in Invermere. The first night I was there they had a stag/stagette to go to so I tagged along. No rest for the weary. It was a fun night and I got to see Jon and Jen as well, Another couple I knew from Invermere days that are friends of Ted.
I really enjoyed Ottawa, it's a beautiful city. The parliament buildings were very impressive, the market was great and the amount of green space in the city was top notch.
I didn't get many pictures while I was here but here's one of some of the local produce at the market.

Gratuitous Whitewater shot

2006-08-18T19:19:00.000-07:00

One of the locals on the 'Garberator' wave, Ottawa River.

Good times on the Ottawa River

2006-08-18T18:33:00.000-07:00

At long last I got to paddle on the famed Ottawa River. After a lazy morning in Deep River drinking coffee, reading magazines and talking about biking, I finally said thanks for the break and pedalled my bike past Beachburg and on to Wilderness Tours. This is the largest raft company in Canada and they have an amazingly well developed base area with a restaurant, volleyball courts, bungee jumping, mountain biking, camping and the usual debauchery that surrounds rafting. I went in hoping to drop a couple of names, give the "I raft guided in BC" speel and get as much as possible for free. It worked. The crew at Wilderness Tours are awesome and treated me so well. I ended up camping there a couple of nights, had all my meals covered, and got in on the first day of a 3 day whitewater playboating course with pro-kayaker/shit-disturber Corey Volt. Mad props to Sharky, Corey, Lara, and Jamie. In such a short time I met so many cool people, had an amazing day kayaking on the Ottawa and even got a little closer to flatwater cartwheeling. It was so nice to be in a kayak as opposed to the bike for a day.
Here's the story background to this picture. While kayaking that day, I 'swam', and Corey helped me get back in my boat and retrieve my gear. In the whitewater world, its bad to swim(have to pull your deck and escape your boat). Especially between guides, boating friends, or as was the case here - when I was basically in calm water. My punishment for this was to either drink beer from Corey's neoprene boot (standard given the situation) or do a Stuntman shooter. Corey was good enough to come up with the Stuntman option as he has worn his booties for the last 100 days straight and just had some fungal problem clear up. He wasn't sure if he wanted to be held liable for any health related repurcussions. The Stuntman shooter requires tequila, salt and lime. Step one: snort the salt up your nose. Step two: shoot the tequila. Step three: squeeze the lime in your eye. This is Corey and I just after step 3.

Deep River Hospitality

2006-08-18T15:25:00.000-07:00

Before this trip I heard many stories of people inviting travellers into their homes with offers of a meal, a bed and a shower. I was offered all of this hospitality by some friendly folk in Deep River, Ontario. Their names are Aubrey and Suzette and they cycle tour regularly as it would turn out. Here's a picture of them on the deck of their cool house in Deep River. Thanks for everything guys!

The old highways were better

2006-08-18T15:00:00.000-07:00

From North Bay, I had a tough day to Mattawa, only 70 km away. I just could not get into it this day. There was a 25 km stretch of road construction that left the no.17 even worse than normal. Mattawa seemed like a nice place so I called it quits there and fed and drank my tough times into submission with a double cheeseburger and a couple of beers at Myrt's family restaurant. I sat and read my book for the next two to three hours before I pitched my tent for the night about one block away at the local high school. The next morning on the way out of town I met a cool construction worker turned fiddle-playin' street-busker named Roger. He gave me an impromptu history lesson on Mattawa, the meeting place. Mattawa is at the confluence of the Mattawa and Ottawa Rivers.These were major highways in earlier times. I was happy to get my first look at the Ottawa River, maybe the most popular whitewater river in Canada nowadays. Here is Roger standing outside the office of Angus Magazine, an off the wall publication of rants, raves and stories of complete fabrication. I've now got the latest issue in my possession.

Long time no blog

2006-08-18T14:11:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
sorry for the lengthy delay between blog updates. I am alive and well and now in Montreal. The couple of days when I had access to a computer in Ottawa, I could not get in to the site to add anything.
I have got some serious updating to do. I offer this picture of a corn field. I have been riding by these steady for the last week.

Quick update from North Bay, Ontario

2006-08-08T07:55:00.000-07:00

I'm on a limited use computer here in North Bay so I can't download any pictures. Just wanted to update my progress. I decided to stay on the 17 all the way to Ottawa where I plan to be in 3 more days. The weather has been great, the people friendly and the experiences plenty. Had a great day yesterday. Found a huge patch of wild blueberries and gorged on them as well as taking a container full with me. Went cliff jumping into the river with some 14 year old kids in Sturgeon Falls, met a cool couple around my age in North Bay who let me use their shower and washing machine, and camped on a beautiful beach under a near full moon. I'm really enjoying life on the road right now. Life presents you with so much when you are open and receptive to it.
keep in touch,
Blaine

Just a little reminder

2006-08-04T09:30:00.000-07:00

Definitely my favorite road sign I've seen on this trip

Raising Money

2006-08-03T17:08:00.000-07:00

I'm now at least half way through my trip across Canada but I have decided that it's better late than never. I would like to try and use this opportunity to raise some money. I have been thinking about this for a while now and it seems that since I have been travelling around Lake Superior, too many signs have been pointing towards making it happen. It started with a good visit with Terry Fox just north of Thunder Bay. They have an amazing monument to him there and he is truly a Canadian to be inspired by. Since then I have also been inspired by other cross canada cyclists raising money for different causes. I have been doing a lot of thinking and researching as to what I wanted to raise money for and how I was going to do it. There are still some things that need to be ironed out but I thought I better get going on it if I'm going to do it at all. Here is what I have come up with:

I have pedalled a little over 3000 kms so far (3200'ish actually). I hope to pedal at least 2500 more, give or take.
I am asking for a pledge of one cent for every kilometer I pedal from the 3000 km mark on. This could mean a total of somewhere between $20-$35, depending on how many kms I end up riding.
I am not setting any totals that I want to reach, rather going with the thought that any amount raised will help.

All money raised will be donated to these two causes. 50% to each:

The first is the Alzheimer Society of Canada. Alzheimer's is a progressive, degenerative brain disease and is becoming more and more prevalent in our society. I think you would have to be pretty lucky these days not to be affected by this disease in some way, whether it be from someone you know having it or having it yourself. Much research needs to be done and money donated will help. Please use the link on the sidebar to learn more.

The second is the Go For Green: Active Living and Environment Program. Go For Green is a national non-profit, charitable organization encouraging Canadians to pursue healthy, outdoor physical activities while being good environmental citizens. They have a number of programs including:
Active & Safe Routes to School - a national program encouraging the use of active modes of transportation to and from school.
Commuter Challenge - a national program that aims to increase the awareness of the benefits of sustainable commuting and to encourage Canadians to take action by walking, cycling, taking transit, carpooling or tele-working instead of driving alone to get to work.
Ice Dreams - This is one of my favorites. It is a national program that encourages the development and use of new and existing outdoor rinks in Canada.
Active = healthy and happy

To pledge one cent for every km I ride from the 3000 km mark forward, please send me an email at senorbowe@hotmail.com with the word pledge in the subject line. For now, I am going to keep all pledge emails in a seperate folder and work on how I will collect the money once the km total is in. For now, the email only need say that you want to pledge my kms. Do not give me any financial nitty gritty yet. All money will be collected at the end of my journey. Thank you in advance to all who want to help with these causes.

*Please do not feel any obligation to do this. I will not be hounding you to pledge me or anything like that, and I still want to keep in touch with you!
**On the other end of the scale - if you would like to pledge all kms that I ride from the beginning to the end of the trip, please feel free. (By no means expected though!)

Cross Canada cyclist bottleneck

2006-08-03T13:29:00.000-07:00

A lot has happened riding around Lake Superior. Here's the summary.
I left Thunder Bay on my own as planned and rode to Nipigon on the first day. After camping in a field (with permission) I awoke to found I was basically on an ant hill. So a quick removal of a couple hundred ants from my food bag later, I went into town for a cheap breakfast. This is where I ran into Darren and Sebastien. They were just leaving after having taken an unexpected day off. Some locals took them out sailing and 4x4'ing for the day. So I rode that day and the next still on my own. As I rode into Terrace Bay on that 3rd day I heard some yells directed at me as I rode by the campground, so I turned around and came in. It was some other cyclists, two of them loaded with gear and one on a supported trip. The two self supported riders are two young girls from Quebec; Josianne and Andree. They started in Quebec, rode east through the maritimes, flew to Vancouver and are on their way back home. These girls are full of energy and enjoying every minute of their trip. They have been riding loosely on the same schedule as the Tour de Canada, a supported group ride across the country. So they were all at this same campsite and I was invited to join them for some riding over the next couple days. The Tour de Canada has a truck that transports all the cyclist's gear from camp to camp so the riders get to travel unloaded. As a result, they travel fast. I got onto the french girls' schedule of waking up crazy early and getting a big head start, and then getting in late after the Tour at the same camp. On the second day, after riding 40+ km into White River, who do we run into just gettting ready to ride? Sebastien. He and Darren parted ways the day before. After much rejoicing of meeting up yet again, we became a unit of 4. We had a lot of fun riding together that day and made it to Wawa that night. We rode together, along with the Tour for another day still and then I let them go on ahead. Again, it was a lot of fun riding with other people, but the crowd was a little large for my liking. I will see Sebastien along the way again and hopefully get to visit the girls in Quebec city when I go through there. Best of luck!
Oh, almost forgot to mention. In Wawa, we also ran into a couple from BC riding across the country to raise money for AIDS. Here is a link to their website. http://bikeacrosscanada.ca
The girls also have a website and are raising money for a non profit organization in Quebec.
http://unpieddevantlautre.org
Safe travels Sebastien, Andree, Josianne, Jason, Kylie, and all the Tour de Canada crew!

Here is a picture of Sebastien, Josianne, Andree and some curious tourists as we have lunch at the Lake Superior Provincial Park information center.
Ok, I can't get that picture to upload. I will try again later.

I'm going to miss her

2006-08-03T13:07:00.000-07:00

Lake Superior has become a big part of my life in the last week. I rode my bike for over 700 kms around her shores. Staring out over this ocean of a lake from my final camp spot, it was hard to believe that it was the same body of water I was looking at while in Thunder Bay. Here's a cool vantage from the highway somewhere on the northern shores.

Big thanks!

2006-08-03T12:54:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to say thank you to all those who have been writing comments or sending emails of encouragement along the way. It means a lot and helps to keep the spirits up. I especially want to send out a big hello and thank you to all my relatives who have been keeping in touch. This is probably the most contact I've had with family in one summer. Who knew all I had to do was leave the province. Here's a sunset picture of Lake Superior from my last camp spot along her shores.
Best Wishes for all of you! Blaine

Wawa

2006-08-03T11:13:00.000-07:00

Wawa, Ontario is a cool little town on Lake Superior a couple days ride away from Sault Ste. Marie. It's full of stuffed moose, giant canadian geese, barrels of maple syrup and other Canadian headliners. Definitely geared to the american tourist but a friendly town all the same. two thumbs up for Wawa!

Ontario Border pic

2006-07-28T13:08:00.000-07:00

It's old news now, but here's a picture of the Ontario border. How long will it take to get to the other side? Seems like it could be a while.
Speaking of news, I should mention that I am back to travelling on my own. Riding with Darren and Sebastien was a lot of fun and a good chapter of my trip. I guess I was just ready to see things from the solo perspective again. It changes the way people interact with you. Who knows, maybe I'll hook up with someone else to ride with before the trip is through. Good luck Darren and Sebastien!!!! See you in New Brunswick Darren.

Pictures added, words re-hashed

2006-07-28T12:53:00.000-07:00

I've added at least one pic to an old post and have a couple more to do. Also, I have kindly changed the wording on the "Inconvenient Truth" post from:
'If you still believe this is just a natural cycle of warming, first pull your head out of your #!@, and then go see this movie'
to:
'If you still believe this is just a natural cycle of warming, you really, really should go see this movie'

I had just seen the movie and was all worked up. Not meaning to offend anyone.

PS - You really, really should go see this movie. Know what is happening.

Lake Superior Pic

2006-07-28T12:40:00.000-07:00

This is a picture taken from the rest area where I camped last night.

Map of Canada with route taken so far

2006-07-28T11:58:00.000-07:00

Finally, I can post pictures again. This is a picture of my map of Canada with the route I've taken gone over in felt. This was taken a few days back and doesn't have past Thunder Bay marked. I'm now 3 days along the north shore of Lake Superior. The far north of Canada has been marked with a line of samosa grease.

note: this map is not interactive

This section has been great, if not trying. I'm sure when I look back at this, I will remember the incredible views of Superior and friendly little towns along the way and not the leg burning, will breaking hills that seem to come one after another. I knew I was in trouble when a guy in Nipigon was telling me about the hills that were coming my way and referring to them on a first name basis. When a hill has a name, it usually means business. After a brief period of cooler temperatures last week, its getting hot again. The high in these parts today is 29. I think it hit that at 11:00. I stopped for a refreshing head soaking at Rainbow Falls Provincial Park earlier today. At least there's a lot of water around. This is a beautiful area of Canada.

The Ontario Outback

2006-07-25T12:50:00.000-07:00

I'm in Thunder Bay, Ontario. I have pedalled over 2500 kms and am now into my fourth time zone. Eastern standard I believe. The last leg was a lot of fun. We took an alternate route from Winnipeg to near the Ontario border. There was no traffic which was a nice break from the busy Trans Canada. We were three through this leg. Sebastien, Darren and myself.

We camped behind a laundromat with a lakefront view in Kenora, behind a church in Dryden, at a free campsite in Whitemouth where all of the locals (many of them with white hair) get around on their bicycles, a rest area on the side of the highway with the heaviest concentration of mosquitoes I have EVER seen (and I lived in the Yukon), beside the hotel/restaurant at Shabaqua corner and finally shared a cheap motel in Thunder Bay after being soaked by rain two days in a row. How's that for a run-on sentence? We averaged close to 140 km a day which made my legs very sore as much of this was through hills. I've been riding the prairies for so long I forgot what hills were like.
It feels good to have made it this far. I am now over half way. Unfortunately, this blogger site is not letting me post any pictures right now. I will try again the next time I get to a computer. It shouldn't be so long this time. The last section I dubbed the Ontario Outback because there was some long stretches of not much at all besides hills and trees.
I'm excited about the next stretch from here to Sault St. Marie. I'll be riding alongside Lake Superior the whole way. First time seeing the great lakes!
Hope everyone is well!

Dude, where's your bike?

2006-07-17T16:47:00.000-07:00

Today has been an interesting day. Darren's bike got stolen from outside the hostel this morning. Someone cut his cable in broad daylight in between people walking in and out of the hostel. He called all the pawn shops and the cops and then we went to meet Monika and Jonah who just arrived last night from Whitehorse. We met for breakfast with the two of them and our Winnipeg friend and guide - Liz. Thanks for everything Liz, you were a great person to show us the city! After breakfast Jonah was good enough to drive us to a bike shop so Darren could look for a new bike. He didn't want to let the loss get in his way of finishing his trip. Ya Darren. Jonah is from Winnipeg and used to work at the shop - Olympia Cycle. They hooked Darren up with a sweet deal on a new bike and all the accessories he needed. They were most helpful and now Darren has an even better bike than he was on before. When we got back to the hostel, we had a new roommate and he was another cross canada biker. His name is Sebastien and he has asked if he could ride with us. So now there are 3. By the Maritimes we should have a full troubadour. Sebastien seems like he's on the same kind of pace and he's a cool, friendly guy. Welcome aboard Sebastien!
Oh, and I got my camera today. Yeee hooo!

We are leaving Winnipeg tomorrow for sure, I promise. The break has been nice for the body but I'm ready to start seeing some more of the country.
Ontario, here I come.

Here's a pic of the new footbridge in Winnipeg we went over on the way out of the city.

An Inconvenient Truth

2006-07-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

Forgot to mention, go see the movie - An Inconvenient Truth. It's a documentary about Al Gore touring around the world giving slideshows and talking about climate change. It's well done and has some good up to date information on how we're heating up the planet.
Those of you who still believe that this is just a natural cycle of warming, you really, really should go see this film.
Here's a VERY simple way of cutting down on your contribution to heating up the planet:

Stop going through the drive thru at Tim Hortons! (and any other drive thrus) It makes me cringe seeing a lineup of ten vehicles all chuffing out the emissions while they are waiting to pick up a coffee. Get out of your vehicle, walk inside!

If I had more time, I would throw some more out there but that one is really urking me these days.
Anyway, go see the movie whether you believe it is something that is of concern or not.
thanks

Winnipeg Rocks!

2006-07-17T06:40:00.000-07:00

Today is the day I leave Winnipeg. My camera is supposed to arrive and after it does, I'm back on the road. Darren has stuck around because we decided to travel through Ontario together as well. We keep hearing horror stories about the highways in Ontario so thought it would be good to have some backup and some company. Ontario is by the far the longest province to get through so I'm just thinking of it one leg at a time. First step is to actually get into Ontario from Winnipeg. From there, the leg will be complete in Thunder Bay. That will feel good to get that one done.

I had such a good time here in Winnipeg while I've been waiting for my camera to arrive. I've always heard Winnipeg had a good music scene and now I know. Just went and saw a band play their first real show last night and they were really good! They are called The Green Room and we saw them play at the West End Cultural Center which is a great venue. I thought they were another band called Green Room I knew from BC so that's why we went. Turned out to be a good mixup. Heard great live music two other nights as well. We stayed at the hostel while we were in Winnipeg and had a good time hanging out with all the international folk. Did a lot of touring around the city and its parks and riverfront on the bike. Found an amazing place to eat for cheap. If you're ever in Winnipeg, go to Shawarma Time Restaurant. It's a Mediterranean restaurant on the corner of Ellice and Sherbrooke. Delicious!
Winnipeg is a beautiful city with a great vibe and it's full of culture. Favorite city yet!
Take care all and thanks for the emails and comments. Much appreciated while on the road.
I hope to get another post in somewhere before Thunder Bay.

2006-07-15T19:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm going heavy on the pics today. This was a self timer shot of Darren and I in the small town of Saltoaks. We were delaying getting back out into the heat.

2006-07-15T18:56:00.000-07:00

I tried to post a picture of Darren with the last message but I think I can only have one picture per post. So here's a picture of Darren with a Roughriders flag he found on the side of the highway.

Saskatchastan to Manitoba

2006-07-15T17:56:00.000-07:00

It's funny, everyone warned me about how boring the prairies would be but I have found them to be a lot of fun. I have not once found myself 'bored' anyway. The seas of canola are in full bloom right now, the skies are alive and amazing at night, the thunderstorms scare the shit out of me, and the people are getting friendlier and friendlier the further I travel. The interactions I have with people in all of the small little towns along the way is where I feel like I'm going to get to know our country the best. I regularly eat breakfast in restaurants. I cook my dinners and eat packed food for lunch but I love eggs for breakfast. Not to mention the coffee factor. I only have tea with me and sometimes it just doesn't cut it. Yes, you can still have a coffee addiction while you are cycling across the country. (In case that was holding anyone back)
The leg from Saskatoon to Winnipeg was great. I got to visit my friends Wayne Piett and Trevor Dyscievik who I haven't seen in many years. We camped with them just outside of Yorkton, Saskatchewan. Along with Deb and Matt, they showed us a great time. Here's a pic of of all of us around the camp minus Darren taking the picture.

Those 780 km also went by a lot faster largely in part to my new travelling partner Darren. We've been having a good time hanging out and riding. There is definitely a bit of a difference in our riding styles. That being that Darren seems to be able to ride as long and hard as necessary to "get it done". While I am finding it a bit tiring keeping up with his pace, I'm also feeling stronger. He's holding back a bit and I'm trying to pick it up a notch and it seems to be working. One disadvantage I have is that my bike and all gear weighs in at 102 lobs including full water bottles. His must weigh 60ish. He packed ultralight and I probably packed heavy as always. Besides that, he's just a serious biking nut which is cool. He's been in many races and won the 24 hours of adrenaline event before. Still not sure if we are going to continue riding together after Winnipeg but regardless, Darren has become a good friend in a short amount of time and I expect we will stay friends for a long time to come. Cheers buddy!

From Yorkton, the first day was painful. We rode into a 20km/h headwind all day and only made it 66 km. We gave up early and saved our energy for better conditions. The next day the wind was calm and even at our back occasionally. We hammered out 190 kms that day to make it to Mendossa, Manitoba. Dead tired when we arrived in this nice town. I inhaled a banana split as soon as we got there. It's crazy how many calories you need to ingest every day to keep up the energy. The next day we had a headwind again but still made it 137 km to Portage la Prairie. It felt like another 190. We hit up the Tim Horton's and a bunch of cops sat next to us so we asked them where was a good place to camp for free in town. They were cool and suggested a nice spot on Island Park. They even came by to check on us later. Perfect example of the small town attitude in Manitoba. From Portage, it was about 80 km into Winnipeg. In that time we got hit by a severe rainstorm. It was fun once I became thoroughly drenched because then it didn't matter. It was also good timing because it made me aware of a couple of things I still needed and Winnipeg has a Mountain Equipment Co-op. That was our second stop, right after Tim Horton's. Darren wants to visit every T Ho he passes. So we checked into the hostel in town for a couple of days to rest and check out the city......

Riding The Wave

2006-07-09T16:03:00.000-07:00

It's been a fun couple of days since I left Saskatoon. My first stop, 30 km out of Saskatoon, I met another cross canada biker. He left from Victoria one day before I started my trip so that means he's biked about 1,000 more kms than I have. That should have been warning enough to stay clear of this guy. Instead, we decided to ride together for a while. It was a good day, we had a decent tailwind that seemed to be picking up. After going pretty strong for an hour or so, it started to become evident why the wind was picking up. Slowly catching us, was an ugly looking wall of dark clouds and chaos. Some guy even pulled over in his pickup to tell us to "Get somewhere before this thing hit us". We quickly sized it up and decided to push on and use the storm to our advantage. The next 40 km were wild. The wind started gusting hard, both sideways and from behind. It was a serious effort just to keep the bike on the shoulder and stay in control. The storm was gaining on us and the winds kept getting stronger and it felt exactly like we were riding the wave of the storm. It reminded me of surfing a lot. We cruised the flat Saskatchewan highway at 50 km/h plus with a top speed of 62 km/h! Very exciting stuff. The storm eventually weakened as it went overhead and we avoided getting trashed. It seemed to horseshoe around us, with walls of rain coming down half a km to either side. Definitely the most fun I've ever had riding my bike on the highway. Speed is fun.
So that day we rode for 137 km. Good day, but then yesterday we rode for 214 km!!!!
By far the most distance I have ever covered on a bike in one day. It looks like if I keep riding with Darren (thats his name), I might get out east a little faster. We'll see how long I hold up. It all made sense when I asked him for his email address this morning - pedaljunkie@....
Pedal Junkie. great

He's got a digital camera, so here's a pic

Talk to you in Winnipeg!

Picture

2006-07-06T21:45:00.000-07:00

Definition of frustration : sending your new digital camera away for a warranty repair and then, within days, losing your job and deciding to go biking across the country.

I'm waiting patiently for my camera to be fixed and sent out to me. In the meantime I thought I would buy a disposable camera to take some pictures. I just got my first one developed and have to say......I wish I had my digi back! They didn't turn out how I had imagined they would when I was taking the pics, but if they did I would be selling them. Instead I'm trying to find one worthy of this free blog.

The picture that takes top honors is this one

My bike underneath the World's Largest Pysanka

Vegreville, Alberta

Copies of this picture can be made available upon request.

C'mon digital, I need you back.

Saskatoon

2006-07-06T20:44:00.000-07:00

I got into Saskatoon on July 5th (yesterday). At the last minute, I got in contact with my cousin Lori and her husband Morris who live here. They have been taking care of me in a big way. Comfortable bed, warm meals, cold beers - its nice to see family. Morris brought my bike to work to weld my second broken rack back together. Lori ran me around half the day so I could do my city things (pedicure, manicure,etc.....My nails are a wreck!)
They are Volkswagen enthusiasts and have a cool red convertible beetle (old school style), Veedub Van painted Saskatchewan yellow, and a Jetta. We cruised around in the convertible today which was a lot of fun. Saskatoon is a great city - friendly people and a relaxed pace. The river parks are amazing.
Lori and Morris - Thanks so much for the great recharge!

I hooked up with fellow IEP grad Graham Pipher for a beer and some live music last night. His roommate was spinning at a cool bar named Lydia's. Met some cool people and heard some great music. Felt like drinking 10 beers but only drank a couple. (I'm saving myself for the maritimes)

I'm leaving first thing tomorrow morning to start the next leg of my journey - 780 km to Winnipeg. Come on tailwinds!

Saskatchewan's not that flat

2006-07-04T12:06:00.000-07:00

I've always heard "you can watch your dog run away for two days". that to me implies flat as a pancake. I feel like I've been pedalling uphill most of my time in "the land of the living skies" (that's Saskatchewan's catch phrase-it's true, the skies at night are amazing)
I think I'm just feeling a bit burnt from the sun. It's basically too hot to ride from noon until six. I still ride during that time, but with a lot of breaks. I've been getting a good session in the morning and a good session at night. Makes for long days. I'm in the library at North Battleford right now enjoying the air conditioning. I plan to be in Saskatoon by tomorrow sometime.
Hopefully, I'll get to post a couple of pictures there.
Blaine

Congratulations Ari and Shari !

2006-07-02T14:10:00.000-07:00

My good friends Ari Gore and Shari Russell are being married today. I wish I could be there.
Congratulations to both of you! Enjoy your new happy life on the lake.... after a few hundred more hours of back-breaking labor that is.
I know your wedding day is going to be so much fun, I'm thinking of you all!
Blaine

Link to great canoe adventure!

2006-07-02T13:43:00.000-07:00

I just set up a link to my friend Helene Marcoux's website. She and her friend Anne Marie are getting set to canoe 1200 km from Winnipeg, Manitoba to Thunder Bay, Ontario. They are trying raise money and awareness for ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease). They have a great website, check it out.
I'm hoping to meet up with Helene in Winnipeg before they start their trip in a couple of weeks.

On my trip, the first thing people want to know is Why am I doing the trip? I think many of them are expecting me to have a cause of some sort. Really, I just have always wanted to see the rest of the country and I thought a bike would be one of the best ways to see it. Of course, its a big personal challenge and chance to grow and learn as well.

Well, I still don't have a personal cause as such but if anyone would like to put some money towards sponsoring something good and worthwhile, then check out www.paddlequestforals.com . They have it all set up. Even if you don't want to sponsor them, check out the site!

Ya Helene and Anne Marie!!!

Trip Background

2006-07-02T10:58:00.000-07:00

Ok, time to get posting. It's July 2nd and I'm in Loydminster which is on the Alberta/Saskatchewan border. Made it through Alberta!
Maybe I should give a quick background to this trip.
My plan is to ride my bike from Prince George, British Columbia to St. John's, Newfoundland. I started the trip on June 20th and am hoping to get to St.Johns in late September.

Biking across Canada is something I've always wanted to do. I did a week long bike tour up in the Yukon and Alaska last summer with a high school group out of Whitehorse. I was an assistant on the trip and the head instructor had biked across Canada before. I definitely got some inspiration from him. Thanks Greigg!

I was working in Kelowna as a surveyor on the new bridge across Okanagan Lake for a couple of months this spring making better money than I'm used to. When I got laid off unexpectedly and couldn't find any other work right away, I started thinking of the bike trip. I've never taken a summer off in my working life and have always wanted to. Luckily, I had been saving my money I was making on the job to pay off debt, put a down payment on a house, etc, etc. So I actually had enough money to take the summer off and do the trip. (There will always be time to pay off debt and buy a house right?) Within days of thinking it, my mind was set. I was doing the trip. I had a road bike that I was riding a lot but it wouldn't work for this type of trip. I traded it in towards a touring specific bike, with attachment points (braze-ons) for racks to hook panniers on and burlier tires and frame. The model of the bike is a Kona Sutra and so far I'm loving it. It carries a load great and is so efficient on the road. I bought a set of 4 panniers which are like saddlebags if you're not familiar with the term, a little bike computer and a bunch of other touring odds and ends. I'm going into this pretty green on the experience end. I only rode the bike fully loaded once for 30 km before I left and that was the day before.

So the trip has been pretty spur of the moment really. I didn't have time to put a website together or come up with a cause or anything like that. I just found this blogger site while I was in Edmonton. It's completely free and takes about 10 minutes to set up. Hopefully I'll be able to keep it updated.

out for now
Blaine

A little quote to get me going

2006-06-29T07:52:00.000-07:00

A journey of a thousand miles starts in front of your feet.
- Lao tzu

.....or in front of my bicycle tire

Test blog

2006-06-28T23:03:00.000-07:00

Ok, here goes. Could be fun if i have the time to keep it up.....