Day Twenty-Eight: Portage La Prairie, Manitoba: Windy day, but sunny, not uncomfortable, fewer and fewer trees, and more and more wind. Strangely painful on the hamstrings (after hours in the same gear on a relatively flat hwy) am realizing this could be a problem. Have to make the effort to stand up, change gears, and mix it up just to give the legs a break.

Manitoba hwys are the worse yet, kms with no shoulders. Its a high to be finally on the prairies but a rude awakening to find out there is NOTHING between towns, no little motels like in Eastern Canada. Will have to plan more carefully where to stop at days end.

216 kms- 10 hrs 31 minutes - 4,580 kms Total (28 days)

Monday July 19-B hits Winnipeg around 2pm. Its exciting because it feels like passing an emotional barrier, that somehow hitting Winnipeg means its all easy from here.

No more bugs, tents, empty motels and snack food for dinner. The only thing he'll miss about crossing northern Ontario is the spectacular scenery, and the girls softball team he watched the World Cup game with one night. He was so starved for company he didn't mind them talking over the game and all the random unprompted giggling.

C: As for how the rest of us are spending the summer, Leslie is keeping us mesmerized with her incredible baked treats. (Chocolate cupckaes anyone?) I'll bet B could eat ten right about now!! Leo ate 7! (Is that even possible for a grown up?)

And just so you don't get a swollen head, the grrls could cycle across Canada too if they felt like it. But they decided not to this year..they'll run around instead.

Day Twenty-Seven: Manitoba! (Just barely!) The good news -he's at the border. The bad news-Falcon Lake isn't a town and there's no room at the inn! It turns out its a provincial park and home to one large resort (that is fully booked with vacationing families). But it does have a snack shop, so B loads up and heads back up to the hwy in search of other digs. Sadly at 8 pm, he rides over a shard of glass on the way out, and flattens his front tire. Now it's late, getting dark, Winnipeg is way too far so it seems like another night in the woods.

A late night update: As luck would have it 15 km out of Falcon Lake along the hwy he stumbles across a little motel..The town? No name-no restaurant-no bar. A rustic resort (?) (C: For future reference -no place without food or a bar is a RESORT?!). Mosquito swapping is a sport-ie constant- (another reason it's not a resort!).

Ever heard of: crazyguyonabike? He's a celebrity cyclist of sorts (blogger) -quit his job 4 years ago and spends ALL his time cycling-from the tip of South America (some buses & boats) but mostly leg power. He's on his way home to Victoria, it will take him two months more he says. (Unlike B 's planned 2 1/2 week deadline). Jeff Kruys-he worked with computers digitizing maps. (C: Hey Jeff don't be giving B any wild and crazy ideas-he's bad enough!)

PS -Yes saddle sores (well one big one) is now an irritant. So a planned stop at a pharmacy asap.

224 kms- 10 hrs 18 minutes-4,364 kms Total

Day Twenty-Six: Heading for an early stop in Dryden. It's a cool day, perfect for cycling, but his legs are flat. A week ago he would have been flying on a day like today, but he has no zip.
Likely lack of carbos, the food (including highway stop shops) has been iffy lately, but that shouldn't be an issue in Dryden. All the more reason to stop early, (if you call 165 km in 7 hrs early?), but even if he adds another hour he gains nothing since Winnipeg is still two days away no matter how you divide the distance.

In TO the running gang is BBQing at Jeff's tonight to celebrate Michael and Via's pending new addition. B might be finished and back before the baby arrives- He can celebrate then! Maybe a joint "arrival" party!

171 kms- 8 hrs 3 minutes - 4,140 kms Total

Day Twenty-Five: Hunkered down in English River. (Which it turns out is not really a town), just a stopping point for hunters to refuel and buy supplies. Luckily there was a hostel of sorts, and B spend the night there with a couple of other cyclists. There was no restaurant but he paid the owner to make him a sandwich.

Not ideal, but after a day of brutal winds and 3 hours of rain, he wasn't about to complain or camp out. And since it rained all night, it was soooo much better than the tent option. Besides motels the great wide north is also lacking in pasta or anything besides meat. A vegetarian would starve. It's all burgers or steak. He admits - not to hunting-but to foraging (eating wild strawberries growing near the hwy). Irresistible.
164 kms -9 hrs 1 minute-3,969 kms Total

Day Twenty-Four: Thunder Bay and counting. Or rather ranting! B is having a melt down because at Thunder Bay cyclists are forced off the TC, to detour through town BUT there are no subsequent signs telling you where down town is! So for the last 30 km, you have to guess where to turn. And to add insult to a poorly marked route, you can't see the Terry Fox memorial unless you are on the TC (in a car!). Its discrimination against cyclists! He's only gone 100 kms by noon today, and is in a bad mood because 26 kms (not 11 as advertised) was intensely under construction and a rock n'rattle fest of barely moving.

He was happy to meet Helen and Jody, a couple of young Brits in Canada on a one year visa, cycling from Toronto to Vancouver to find work at Whistler and other ski resorts in the winter.

PS Meanwhile back home on Marlow we are enjoying a sunny day on the deck and neighors wish B well on his hair brained scheme. Even Cooper (the dog) is confused, why go that far from home? Even a pooch knows better.

Day: Twenty Four: Nipigon: C: B is tired & hungry (only had bar snacks last night cause no options for restaurants-Can you cross the country on beer & wings?). But he still rides 193 kms. so I refuse to be sympathetic. The eating dilemma is a real dilemma! There are almost no restaurants and now even the bars and motels don't serve decent meals. Last night he had to resort to a sub, chips and coke from the corner store.

He is however having happy childish flashbacks as the trains chug by tooting, (yes dear, the conductor is tooting at you), He'll easily make Thunder Bay tomorrow even though there is 11 km of stripped off hwy-no pavement-to navigate first. (I suggest walking the bike?) It'll be rattle ,rattle, bump for an hour at a snails pace, but after that it should be an easy day. Only 800 kms to Winnipeg, and it's all the back-half from there.

193 kms-9 hrs-16 minutes-3,658 Total

C: Okay - Only B would fall in love with a yellow brick road sign. Has anyone under 50 even seen The Wizard of Oz? B's a classic (old) movie fanatic: The Thin Man ? Anyone? Exactly you've never heard of it or William Powell. My first question when he finds a fabulous movie to watch: Is it in colour? At least the sign is. He's also crossed Eley Road, and a few other memorable signs.

C: Leeton B (B's podmate at wk) sends his best. He's a competitive martial arts guru, (why are all B's freinds so competitive)? He cycles too, not across the country at the moment but since it seems all the guys B is meeting on the road are "retired", I suspect its part of a future plan.

C: Wed July 14 -23 days of riding and B hits half way 3,500kms. (Two days east of Thunder Bay). If I don't watch out he'll get to Victoria before I do! (Flying out Aug 1). But apparently its a terrible day, windy again and hilly as only northern Ontario can be.

The highs and lows: Yesterday B tells me he's getting stronger every day and might try to set a record for an unassisted ride. (After two 200 km plus days of riding he's flying). But today he's changed his mind, his legs are like mush and he can't get a rhythm going. He's itchy, lethargic, mentally lazy, (He's tired! Big mystery! Hey it happens! (not that often to B) but sometimes you just need a day off and a juicy steak! Am I right?)

So its been a landmark but kind of crappy day (his words not mine) albeit with spectacular scenery. Northern Ontario is stunning, one picture opportunity after another.

Another big day... 195k in 8 hrs 57 mins... but it seemed "easy" after the last couple of days. Get this... the marathon runner, on a marathon bike ride has arrived in the town of Marathon... and the only room available is a smoking room!!!



Anyway, it's one of those rare times I've found a computer where the USB port isn't disabled, so I can update some pics. I especially like the one with the road they named in my honour... sadly it was going the wrong way, so I had to bypass it and stay on the TransCanada.

I met yet another cyclist going the other way and actually got a pic with me in it... Lake Superior in the background.

And I just had to take the depressing pic with all the kms to various points... I think they must be measured as the crow flies... but it still makes the point... it's a long way to go!

Despite the long days (what else do I have to do though?)... the legs are good and seem to get stronger as I go.

Thought for the day... You know those highway signs that indicate a passing lane ahead... the ones we love as drivers, so we can finally pass the donkey in front of us? Well, I've come to dread the sight of them as a cyclist because they mean only one thing... another sick hill to climb... and there are a lot of those signs in northern Ontario!!!

Totals to date... 3,465km in 170hrs and 36 mins of pedaling.

By the way... if anyone is interested, I went through the home of Winnie the Pooh today... White River... If you don't know the story, google it... and appropriately, I even saw a bear by the road today... he didn't seem interested in me though... I guess there's not enough meat left on these bones!

C: Do I feel lazy and guilty! I sit on the back deck drinking lemonade (yes -really) madly reading the fabulous third book in the best selling Swedish series: the Girl Who Kicked a Hornets Nest. If you haven't read it (or seen the first movie The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo), its gripping. The only exercize I got today was furiously turning the pages. How can he ignore the pain, cycling uphill is sooooo painful, I haven't done it for years and I can still remember the screaming legs while I'm being dropped in seconds (left abandoned on a hwy in the middle of nowhere). The real reason I like running, you can't get lost 5 hours from home! (Although I did get lost once running in a storm in TO-I flagged a taxi home). I don't think I ever told Brian, he wouldn't approve.

Day 21: Against all odds he reaches Wawa after a marathon day.
11 and a half hours of monstrous hills, brutally slow at 20 km per hour, at once point pedalling constantly for 15 minutes up a hill. That particular hill was a drain at 9 km per hour, in and out of the saddle.

He had planned to tent it in the park, (for the first time), but it just didn't seem a good idea at the time. The woods were so dense he couldn't find a place to pull off until he hit the campground at the end of the park, and then it was only another 30 km to Wawa.
( a measly 30 kms?) The ride was only 20 kms longer than yesterday but took 3 hours longer.

He met Bob & Dale (not Doug) two fellow cyclists who'd met on the hwy and teamed up. One was going from Vancouver to Toronto, the other from Fernie, B.C. to Ottawa. Both 50 plus. (Who knew X-country cycling was so popular?)

He finished exhausted but sounding surprizingly chipper, and amazed at his output.
(me too!) His legs are NOT sore, but he's starving. Is it possible? he's getting stronger every day and is slightly nervous it can't last.

235 kms- 11 hrs 39 minutes-3,270 total (2 more good days might be half the distance done....no he's not competitive).

C: B will stay north on Hwy 17 (TC) heading to Wawa, but it is 230 kms and might not be doable in a day. So unless there's a motel in Montreal River (are any of these tiny places actually towns?), he may finally be forced to camp out, (there's a provincial park that might do). The next 5 day stretch to Thunder Bay looks bleak as far as motels or even cell phone use is concerned. He might get lucky like I was once while reporting in Nfld, we paid a local $100 to crash in his basement. (We -being the cameraman Eddie and myself). As for food? There are garage station mini-marts, I guess we'll find out what else. He's down to 153 lbs and the concensus among friends is he's too thin already! PS he objects to my earlier post saying he used his "granny gear". Apparently he does NOT have a granny gear (and if he did he wouldn't use it! sorrrrry!!). His lowest gear is 34/27 (whatever that means). He's been on the bike a total of 150 hours. (and has lost his sense of humour. oops did I say that).

Day Twenty: Spent the night in Massey, and it turned out to be a great day for riding. Hot but not humid or windy, and for once a great stretch of hwy uninterupted by road work.

Also a perk, the bike was still clean and I didn't have to spent the usual 2 hrs going over it. So far bugs are not a problem, hope that continues. What I could really use is a couple more "buffs", (the multi-purpose tube-scarf runners use to cover their faces in winter). It is promoted as having 12 different uses, wraps the neck, head, face, hairband depending on how you adjust it. I can add a 13th, I need one to stuff under each leg of my shorts to drap over my knees and keep the sun off...am getting an incredible suntan(burn?).

I passed (yes passed- do you know how slow horses are?) a Mennonite family in a cart along the highway to the delight of the kids who cheered "the race". I thought they looked pretty cool too. Made it to Sault Ste. Marie in a relatively pain free day.

208 kms-8hrs 50 minutes-3,035 kms total. (in another 3 days I'll be at half the total distance about 3,500kms).

A beatiful day for a ride... sunny and the humidity is finally gone. I also past a major psychological barrier today by crossing Manitoulin Island and climbing up onto the Canadian shield to hit the TransCanada at Espanola. I'm finally in Northern Ontario and headed west on the TransCanada, north of the great lakes... the next big leg of my journey... and I feel like I've broken the bonds of eastern Canada and southern Ontario.

Tonight I'm staying in Massey after a slightly shorter than normal day (due to the ferry crossing), but did put in 146k for a total to date of 2,824k.

I also became an honourary member of some Long Island, NY motorcycle club, when we all lined up together for the ferry. I joked about hanging with the cool gang even without a motor and then we traded stories about our respective travels. The 2-wheel thing seems be a strange bond... I always get waves and friendly toots from bikers that pass me. I'm off to find myself a steak and a beer now...

Day Eighteen: Left Collingwood early (in the rain) but it cleared by noon. Planning to catch the 7 am ferry tomorrow morning (no reservation needed), for the 2 hr crossing. Today was slightly cooler than yesterdays 30 plus sweltering heat, so it was easier going, but it was a challenge because of the road repair. For one bone shattering stretch it was almost like walking the bike through a gravel pit.

Met a stranger on the hwy, a woman mid-forties (retired teacher) who was cycling across Canada too.....only she was doing it leisurely. C: Still a feat! B: She cycled from Vancouver to Winnipeg last year, and this year flew to Winnipeg and is cycling to St. John's. Good thing she's retired though cause she started June 12 and has only done 1,500 kms (the tourist bike tour). C: snob!

Several close calls on the road as cars speed two abreast to pass each other heading right at me. Am I invisible? On more than one occasion I was shocked when I looked up to see them bearing down on me. $%$# scary! I don't think they concider a bike -a vehicle. I've been cut so close its
chilling. C: Well it helps you stay cool then! As Larry & Dave P tell me when I'm running -head up-head up! B: Finish in Tobermory. Beautiful, scenic, romantic. (ooh forget it..focus, focus)

176 kms-8 hrs 50 minutes-2,678 kms total

C: Beautiful huh? Almost makes you wanna

get the bike out. I think it's Confederation Bridge P.E.I. B left a whack of photos, so I can load them. He thought he'd be able to update more photos himself on the road, but it hasn't been as easy as he thought to find internet cafes, or motels with wi-fi. I guess not every where is as connected at TO. Strangely he says there are lots of telephone booths (common in small places) that you almost never see anymore in the city.

Day Seventeen C: He is too skinny! (L is right!)At 6-4 and 160 lbs or there'bouts B's lost ten pounds in two weeks. What a painful diet! I'd rather eat grapefruit all day or anything else! It's too hard to eat during the day, and at night he's too tired. Plus by the time he cleans the bike and washes his clothes, the local restaurants (when there are any) are closed.