Last night we fended off the black flies and mosquitoes, Jim and Serge being the least successful. The two of them also got up for a 3 a.m. walk under sheets of lightning. The rain that accompanied it did little damage.
In the morning we packed up soaked tents, grabbed some granola bars and were on the bikes by 7. At a Can-Op in North Quetico we shared eggs and sausages with four members of the David Thompson Canoe brigade. One was a veteran of the winning Manitoba Canoe in the 1967 Rocky Mountain Hourse to Montreal voyageur race.
After breakfast we headed back out and came across the change in watersheds from Hudson Bay to the Atlantic Ocean. From there we were greeted by a phenomenal tailwind which pushed us through our original destination of Kashabowie, where we ate lunch, on to Shebandowan where we stayed at a relaxing R.V. Park. We were treated to a beautiful pasta salad by Jim and Yvonne. The night ended early as we lost an hour by entering the Eastern time zone. All-in-all it was a very eventful day. Submitted by Serge and Stefan.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Day 40, Sat. July 5. Atikokan, 91.5 km
About 8 a.m. we left Bliss Campground, Mine centre, amid a cloud of mosquitoes and black flies. "Bliss" is not exactly how I would describe the campsite, with a 200 m walk to the unisex washroom.
This morning traffic was very light on Hwy 11, with the occasional pulp-wood logging truck. For the full extent of the 91 km to Atikokan, there were no rest stops of any kind and almost no shade in which to seek shelter and relief in the 32 degree heat.
The only wildlife seen was a golden eagle. There were a few swampy bogs with beaver lodges, but no beaver seen. We keep hoping to see moose, bu no luck so far - maybe tomorrow. Submitted by Jim Grayson. P.s., yesterday's was submitted by Carol Judd. She apologizes for forgetting to sign her name.
This morning traffic was very light on Hwy 11, with the occasional pulp-wood logging truck. For the full extent of the 91 km to Atikokan, there were no rest stops of any kind and almost no shade in which to seek shelter and relief in the 32 degree heat.
The only wildlife seen was a golden eagle. There were a few swampy bogs with beaver lodges, but no beaver seen. We keep hoping to see moose, bu no luck so far - maybe tomorrow. Submitted by Jim Grayson. P.s., yesterday's was submitted by Carol Judd. She apologizes for forgetting to sign her name.
Day 39, Fri. July 4, Mine Centre, 103km.
At Emo we camped on the beside Rainy River. On the other shore, some 400 metres away, was Wisconsin. Therefore, when we left our campsites today we were as close to the U.S. as we will get on this trip and, as luck would have it, just in time for its fourth of July celebrations.
We cruised 30km into Fort Frances where Dave 3 finally found a Starbucks. The caffeine in his chai latte kept him on a high for the rest of the day. Most of the others ate our now usual second breakfast at a real restaurant.
On a roll with a tailwind we headed out to the causeway over Rainy Lake only to be stopped by the OPP who said there had been an accident and the road would likely be closed for an hour and a half. After an hour baking in the sun we set off once again and, helped by our faithful tailwind, mosquitoes and horseflies, we arrived in Mine Centre by 2:30 p.m.
We are on a beautiful lake (perhaps Seine Lake) at a campground called Bliss. It is a bit rustic, with one co-ed toilet and two co-ed showers. Nothing went amiss, however, until Dave 2 was showering in his stall and someone minced into the second stall announcing herself as Rita. To Dave's complete credit, he kept his eyes firmly averted and his embarrasment to himself. This was witnessed to be absolutely true by Dave 3 (aka Rita).
Another exciting moment happened when Serge and Stephan were cooking their first dinner - a fine fettuccini alfredo - when Serge used an oily rag as a pot holder and nearly set the R.V. on fire. Luck was on our side once again and the R.V. is hardly worse for the mishap.
We cruised 30km into Fort Frances where Dave 3 finally found a Starbucks. The caffeine in his chai latte kept him on a high for the rest of the day. Most of the others ate our now usual second breakfast at a real restaurant.
On a roll with a tailwind we headed out to the causeway over Rainy Lake only to be stopped by the OPP who said there had been an accident and the road would likely be closed for an hour and a half. After an hour baking in the sun we set off once again and, helped by our faithful tailwind, mosquitoes and horseflies, we arrived in Mine Centre by 2:30 p.m.
We are on a beautiful lake (perhaps Seine Lake) at a campground called Bliss. It is a bit rustic, with one co-ed toilet and two co-ed showers. Nothing went amiss, however, until Dave 2 was showering in his stall and someone minced into the second stall announcing herself as Rita. To Dave's complete credit, he kept his eyes firmly averted and his embarrasment to himself. This was witnessed to be absolutely true by Dave 3 (aka Rita).
Another exciting moment happened when Serge and Stephan were cooking their first dinner - a fine fettuccini alfredo - when Serge used an oily rag as a pot holder and nearly set the R.V. on fire. Luck was on our side once again and the R.V. is hardly worse for the mishap.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Day 38, Thursday, July 3, Emo, 110 km
Today was full of more beautiful lakes, hillier hills and trees. The road was again comfortable to ride on and the traffic was light. We had coffee/second breakfast 49 km into the ride at Nestor Falls and continued on through Finland to the junction with #11 where we turned east for 6 km, ending up in Emo. The terrain around Finland had changed to more flat and open areas with some farming evident. The road was quite straight with gentle hills.
We were worried about finding a spot in Emo to stay, though we knew there was a motel here. I had not read about any group/person staying in Emo and hadn't planned originally in stopping here. However, here we are and we are delighted! We had advice from David Cain (Sue's husband) to inquire at the OPP office if it was open. So Brenda did and we are now camped in the gorgeous Lions Park overlooking Rainy River with a view across to the US. We even have a cooking shelter and showers! How is that for continuing with our good luck?
The weather is cooperating and the cycling is enjoyable. We expect to not be able to communicate until we arrive in Thunder Bay in 5 days.
Posted by Yvonne from the Emo Public Library
We were worried about finding a spot in Emo to stay, though we knew there was a motel here. I had not read about any group/person staying in Emo and hadn't planned originally in stopping here. However, here we are and we are delighted! We had advice from David Cain (Sue's husband) to inquire at the OPP office if it was open. So Brenda did and we are now camped in the gorgeous Lions Park overlooking Rainy River with a view across to the US. We even have a cooking shelter and showers! How is that for continuing with our good luck?
The weather is cooperating and the cycling is enjoyable. We expect to not be able to communicate until we arrive in Thunder Bay in 5 days.
Posted by Yvonne from the Emo Public Library
Day 37, Wednesday, July 2, Sioux Narrows, 81 km
This morning we easily followed the signs out of Kenora and onto Highway 71 heading south. After 26 km we arrived at the Rushing River General Store to be greeted by Carol's neice (Sue Cain) with coffee and muffins from Tim Horton's. What a treat for our now traditional second breakfast! We had our lunch at Sioux Narrows and quickly found a nearby campsite/marina. Paradise Point actually turned out to be a better site than we thought on initial sight. There were several mule deer does and their fawns very comfortable in roaming back and forth through the boat trailers and RVs. The evening calm that came over the lake was enjoyed by all of us from the large deck overlooking the dock and boat ramp. The tranquility made many of us think of our summer holidays beside lakes.
The landscape changed again today. The road was gently hilly and curvy with mostly a decent shoulder. There were many marshes and small lakes where we expected to see moose but didn't. Wild flowers were in abundance by the roadside: daisies, wild marigold, pokeweed, yellow lady's slippers, wood lilies, etc. The granite chunks were large and became more plentiful. Signs of beaver were common and we saw a black bear crossing the road and a bald eagle landing in its nest.
I learned from Dave 2 about lobsticks and spent some time trying to spot one.
All for now, from Yvonne
The landscape changed again today. The road was gently hilly and curvy with mostly a decent shoulder. There were many marshes and small lakes where we expected to see moose but didn't. Wild flowers were in abundance by the roadside: daisies, wild marigold, pokeweed, yellow lady's slippers, wood lilies, etc. The granite chunks were large and became more plentiful. Signs of beaver were common and we saw a black bear crossing the road and a bald eagle landing in its nest.
I learned from Dave 2 about lobsticks and spent some time trying to spot one.
All for now, from Yvonne
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Day 36, Tuesday, July 1st (Canada Day), Kenora, 108.7 km
The horseflies abated to some degree and the road improved immensely. Coffee which has become a second breakfast was at Falcon Lake. Our server was in his red scarlet uniform and wished us all a safe day. Manitoba was handing out free hotdogs, cake and coffee at their info center. However Ontario's info center offered us nada. It was really hot so we took refuge at the side of the road for lunch.
We were startled by a highway motorcycle policeman who did a U-turn and flashed his lights. Were the laws different in Ontario??? It turns out that Carol's neice is an OPP member in Kenora and had sent him out to check our progress. Carol's neice and her husband joined us for supper during a wild storm that included hail. Yvonne and Jim (the Chefs de jour) were brilliant in making supper under a dripping oak tree.
We are heading south along highway 71 and 11. There wil be very few opportunities to update the blog for a while. Be in touch when we can.
Dave 3
We were startled by a highway motorcycle policeman who did a U-turn and flashed his lights. Were the laws different in Ontario??? It turns out that Carol's neice is an OPP member in Kenora and had sent him out to check our progress. Carol's neice and her husband joined us for supper during a wild storm that included hail. Yvonne and Jim (the Chefs de jour) were brilliant in making supper under a dripping oak tree.
We are heading south along highway 71 and 11. There wil be very few opportunities to update the blog for a while. Be in touch when we can.
Dave 3
Day 35, Monday, June 30, Prawda, 121 km
Serge and Stefan took us through a very painless route out of the city. Before we knew it we were in St. Anne's for coffee and our second breakfast. On the highway we were surrounded by horseflies. It seemed like we had our own personal cloud of flies. We also started to hit some bad roads... we were really unimpressed. We were worried that this was a omen of things to come. The change in terrain from the great plains to boreal forest happened really suddenly. Gone are the wide expanses of prairie to be replaced by rock and black spruce.
From Dave 3
From Dave 3
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