Some Final Thoughts....

Friday, September 24

A short time has passed since the completion of our ‘adventure’. I have had a difficult time with the idea that ‘this’ blog like our ‘adventure’ has to come to an end. I will miss my ‘daily’ writing. In some ways it became a ‘connection to reality’ and in many ways ‘therapeutic’. On the days when the weather did not cooperate, the hills seemed never ending, the muscles ached, the butt hurt, and the mind played games with my confidence, the ‘blog’ was a constant. It was ‘rare’ that I did not want to ‘share’ a part of our day. As I have said before, there is a lot of ‘idle mind time’ while riding a bicycle hour after hour and day after day. Many of those hours were spent coming up with ideas that would be shared. Bottom line the ‘blog’, just like the whole ‘adventure’, has been both ‘fun’ and ‘rewarding’.

I would like to thank all of the people who have taken the time to follow my ‘ramblings’ on the blog as we crossed this vast country. It has been fun to share our experiences with you.

I would be very remiss if I did not thank all of our friends and family who shared in and made this adventure possible. You know who you are!!! Without your help and support Sue and I would never have been able to make our ‘dream’ a ‘reality’.

We have enjoyed a ‘nomadic life’ for over 4 months. Our re-integration into ‘normal’ society, we suspect, will be a difficult one. We have been asked numerous times since our return what our next adventure will be. We do not know for sure. Rest assured we are not finished with our bicycles!

It is only fitting that the blog be ended with our adventures’ motto. What we did not know when we came up with it was how ‘prophetic’ it would become.

”LIFE ISN’T ABOUT WAITING FOR THE STORM TO PASS...IT’S ABOUT LEARNING TO DANCE IN THE RAIN”

Final Statistics....

Thursday, September 23

After 6 days in St. John’s we returned to Ontario. The Canary Bicycle shop in St. John’s boxed our bikes and sent them by courier back home. Our camping gear was sent through the mail and the rest of our gear flew home with us. We are in some ways relieved but in many ways are sad that this adventure has come to an end.

One of the things that I would like to do is a ‘statistic page’ of our adventure. So here goes...

# of Days Riding = 111

# of Days Riding in the Rain = 39 + 1 snow day

Average Daily Distance for whole adventure = 76.17 km

Province By Province Statistics...

British Columbia = 1193.20 km in 17 days for a 70.18 km per day average

Alberta = 444.78 km in 6 days for a 74.13 km per day average

Saskatchewan = 750.89 km in 8 days for a 93.86 km per day average

Manitoba = 536.37 km in 7 days for a 76.62 km per day average

Ontario = 2596.16 km in 33 days for a 78.67 km per day average

Quebec = 994.26 km in 11 days for a 90.38 km per day average

New Brunswick = 443.69 km in 6 days for a 73.94 per day average

Prince Edward Island = 171.82 km in 4 days for a 42.95 km per day average

Nova Scotia = 335.52 km in 5 days for a 67.10 km per day average

Newfoundland = 988.31 km in 14 days for a 70.59 km per day average

Longest Day = 143.83 km taking 8 hours 27 minutes on the bikes (Atikokan to Shabaqua)

Days cycling over 100 km = 9

Maximum Speed = 71.44 km

Equipment Analysis...We each had only one flat but both were fixed in campgrounds. Both of our front tires made it all the way across Canada. Sue had 2 back tires and I had 4 back tires. I had to replace my back wheel in Sault Ste. Marie and upon arriving in St. John’s realized that ‘that’ rim was also ‘toast’. Another time a BOB trailer might have to be considered! Our ‘Rocky Mountain’ bicycles held up really well. They were truly ‘workhorses’! Our MEC bags and clothing also stood the test of everything that the weatherman could throw at us and trust me that was a lot! Overall our equipment with the exception of my 2 back ‘rims’ served us well.

Stay tuned for some ‘FINAL’ musings!!!

Further 'Musings' From St. John's....

Tuesday, September 14

One of the things that I have commented upon many times throughout our adventure was the slower pace that we set across Canada. Most Cross Canada cyclists accomplish their trips in anywhere from 2 months to 3 months. As everyone who has followed our journey knows, we took a 'lot' longer. These cyclists who we met who were riding 200 km or more a day made it (we assume) much faster. But did they enjoy it? Did they see any sights? What will be their memories? Were they able to be 'travellers'? For us, it was never about the speed. Sue throughout the ride, often said "I wish I was a 'real' cyclist". To her, the cyclists on road bikes passing us and leaving us in their 'dust' were the 'real' cyclists. But you know after we had passed 8000 km on our adventure I finally challenged her on this. Somewhere in our adventure Sue became a 'real' cyclist. Anyone who can wake up every morning (and that is tough for Sue), get on their bike despite the weather, how grumpy you are, or how much your muscles ache, has to consider themselves a 'real' cyclist. And 'Kudos' to Sue, as was pointed out to us, very few women actually accomplish this 'feat'. Even more amazing is Sue did it while putting up with 'me' whose patience, at the best of times, is 'wanting'!!!

For periods of time we were joined by 'younger crew members'. As they would power up the hills I had to keep reminding myself that this was not about seeing how fast we could get to the top but about seeing if we could still be standing the next day or 2 months from then. I would like to finish up today's entry with a 'fable' that most people will recognize.

The Hare and The Tortoise...An Aesop's Fable

The Hare was once boasting of his speed before the other animals. "I have never yet been beaten" said he, "when I put forth my full speed. I challenge any one here to race with me.". The Tortoise said quietly, "I accept your challenge". "That is a good joke", said the Hare. "I could dance round you all the way". "Keep your boasting till you've beaten me", answered the Tortoise. "Shall we race"? So a course was fixed and a start was made. The Hare darted almost out of sight at once, But soon stopped and, to show his contempt for the Tortoise, lay down to have a nap. The Tortoise plodded on and plodded on, and when the Hare awoke from his nap, he saw the Tortoise just near the winning post and could not run up in time to save the race. Then said the Tortoise: "Plodding Wins The Race"!

Some Thoughts...And Reflections...From St. John's....

A Bicycle Trip Across Canada...Why?

It had been on my 'Bucket List' for a few years and I managed to talk Sue into it. To begin I suspect this trip was probably about the physical challenge. Are we capable of riding bicycles across Canada? Most people we talked to were fascinated with our journey and were even more surprised when we would say that we were not raising money for a 'charitable cause'. My 'pat answer' when asked "why then?" was "to see Canada in a truly unique way, to see 'small town' Canada and meet its people". As time went on the answer felt like it was true. But as the days turned into weeks and province after province was crossed our perspective of the adventure began to change. While riding one's bicycle for hours on end you have a lot of time to spend 'within yourself'. Or in plain English you have lots of time to reflect upon what it is you are doing and upon life.

So what did I learn about myself?

I certainly learned that with a lot of hard work and perseverance anything is possible. Riding day after day is more mental than physical. The challenge to get on one's bike knowing that your legs are 'stiff and weary', your 'butt' hurts, you are facing tough climbing, and in our case, abnormal amounts of rainfall, is purely 'mind over matter'. Of course our conditioning improved but that mental game was always present. The struggle to make sure we had water and food for not just today but maybe for a couple or three days was mentally draining. So was figuring out where we might stay for the night. Sue did 'yeomen’s duty' looking after a lot of these details as I 'merrily' got my blogging done. These 'not so small details' all would take place after riding 80 to 100 km. No small feat.

So what did we learn about Canada?

As the Arrogant Worms so elegantly put it "Canada is really BIG"! We have vast areas of 'nothingness'! But it is far more than that. We have scenery that probably 'cannot' be matched by any other country in the world! We have been asked what was the most beautiful place on our trip? Every part of Canada has it's beauty. But for me it would be British Columbia and Newfoundland. Both of these provinces have impressive mountains, rivers and landscapes that are formidable, especially on a bicycle. But the shear beauty of British Columbia stands out. Riding through the valleys and looking up at the snow capped mountains is 'breathtaking'. The 'raging rivers' and the mountain passes were extra special. British Columbia also provided that 'moment' that was most significant to me. When we rode out of B.C. and were greeted by the Welcome to Wild Rose Country, it was exhilarating. It was at that very moment that I finally believed that we might actually be able to do this. For me it was "we just made it across the mountains...holy shit"!!! And then there are Canada's 'people'. We were treated to some of the most amazing generosity and trust. It began with our stay with friends in Maple Ridge and continued throughout our adventure. From the 'elderly lady' inviting us to her campfire in Souris, Manitoba, to the generosity of friends in Ontario, to the unbelievable experience of a 'total stranger' opening her house to us, to all the 'honks' of automobiles in Newfoundland, we were 'blown away' by the 'generosity and friendliness' of people. We met an awful lot of 'nice' people.

On our days off I always referred to us as 'tourists'. In fact it was not until we got to Newfoundland that I realized that this was not true. In fact, all across this 'vast' country we had been 'travellers'. You might be saying, "well what is the difference"? The Newfoundland 2010 Traveller's Guide best describes it. "The 'traveller', sees what he sees. The "tourists' know what they are looking for long before they know what is truly here. A 'traveller', on the other hand, seeks the truth of a place, the essence that can only be appreciated by seeing the puzzle as a whole. Wildlife? Check. History? Of course. Amazing vistas? In spades. And culture? We speak more dialects of English than the English do". Those few words probably best describe what we truly were as we crossed this country. We did not have pre-conceived ideas of what to expect or what we wanted to see. We saw whatever was there to see, not what we wanted to. The physical and mental challenge never subsided but the trip truly did 'morph' for us.

How has this trip changed us?

That will, I suspect, be a work in progress. Of this I am sure. The adventure will continue to live on inside us long after we have finished. I suspect places and people will drift magically in and out of our consciousness when we least expect them. Moments of boredom will probably cause us to relive our adventures and moments of joy and new found friendships, As one of our 'new found' friends said to us upon the completion of our journey..."What you did was amazing. You'll have your whole life to relish this achievement. When you're having a 'shitty' day at work, stop, smile, and think to yourself. This isn't important. I bicycled across Canada."

Kevin

Further Thoughts From Sue....

Part way through the trip a young woman asked what I liked most about the adventure so far. I replied, with no hesitation, "the solitude of being on my bike". Over the last part of the trip, I have had time to reflect on this answer, as since my teenage years, I have liked 'to be on my bike'.

The solitude of being on my bike...

the monotony of watching my front tire rotating forward to pavement...the push and pull of leg muscles 'in tune' with the terrain...the sound of traffic in the periphery of my consciousness...the metronome in my mind counting the pedal strokes...the casual search for black pick-up trucks in my rearview mirror...the subconscious listening to bike parts ensuring all is well...the bike in front of me; a constant companion...the landscape around; often beautiful, always interesting...the endless wandering of my mind from the mundane to the philosophical to a wondrous nothingness...many questions, few answers...health in solitude

Sue

Life Isn't About Waiting For The Storm To Pass...It's About Learning To Dance In The Rain!!!!

Friday, September 10

Holyrood to St. John's, Newfoundland

WE DID IT! Not sure what else to say! After 4 months and 3 days we have arrived at our final biking destination!

Today was one of those days where 'sane' people would never have left the comfort of the Beach View Motel in Holyrood. Today was an experience to say the least! 50 km winds drove the heavy rains at us in 'sheets'! We are 'drowned rats'...again. But as I had said to Sue this morning "come hell or high water" we are getting to St. John's. And we did!

We are comfortably camped out on the 10th floor of a downtown hotel. A few days ago we tried about 10 B+B's but were unable to find one for both tonight and tomorrow night so we decided to splurge. We originally booked we suspect a 'closet'. When the guy checking us in heard about our adventure he upgraded us to a 'harbour view' and greatly reduced the price . Could be that he just 'felt sorry' for two drowned rats! Don't know but we will take it just the same.

The blog will go silent for a couple of days. We both need time to reflect upon what we have accomplished and what 'the journey' truly means to us. At this point I cannot put into words how I feel. Maybe glad to be finished the ride but at the same time we are both a little saddened. So a couple of days off are in order.

As we got closer to the end of our journey I kept thinking back to a song by The Arrogant Worms. I would like to end this blog entry with the words to this song. They call it their 'national anthem'. It goes like this:

When I look around me...I cannot believe what I see...It seems as if this country...has lost its will to live...The economy is lousy...we barely have an army...but we can still stand proudly...because CANADA'S really big...We're the second...largest country...on this planet earth...and if Russia keeps on shrinking...then soon we'll be first!...as long as we keep Quebec...The USA has tanks...and Switzerland has banks...they can keep them banks...they just don't amount...cause when you get down to it...you find out what the truth is...it isn't what you do with it...it's the size that counts...most people will tell you that France is pretty large...but you can put fourteen France's...into this land of ours!...We're larger than Malaysia...we're most as big as Asia...we're bigger than Australia...and its a continent...so big we sell them butter...to go see one another...but we often go to other...countries for vacations...Our mountains are very pointy...our prairies are not...the rest is kinda bumpy... But man do we have a lot!...We've got a lot of land...we've got a whole lot of land...So stand up and be proud...and sing it very loud...we stand out from the crowd...cause CANADA'S really big...

Daily Distance = 52.56 km. Time on the bikes = 3 hours 38 minutes. Average Speed = 14.45 km. Maximum Speed = 50.97 km. Wildlife Sightings = Mink.

Kevin = 3, Sue = 0.

Total Trip Distance = 8455 km.

Stay tuned I will be back with more 'ramblings' in a couple of days!

Wind, Hills, Rain...Just What We Expected In Newfoundland....

Thursday, September 9

Bellevue Beach to Holyrood

After a nice 'relaxing' night in our 'cozy' log cabin we were on the road by 7:30. Climbing out of Bellevue Beach was quite a challenge but we were pleasantly surprised that it was only 2 km not the 5 to 7 that the map showed. Once again we are amazed at the inaccuracies of Newfoundland's Provincial Roadmaps!

Today Newfoundland threw 'everything she had and then some' at us. A strong headwind, lots of hills, and a steady rain made our day another 'challenging one'. I do not think that we had recovered from our tough ride 2 days ago. As Sue said part way through the day, "my leg muscles just will not loosen up". I call it 'dead legs'!

The scenery continued to be spectacular as we climbed up through the valleys. No wonder this province is affectionately referred to as 'The Rock'. The east side is just as spectacular as the west and definitely more hilly. Again we passed through a wind swept area where the small trees were all leaning in one direction. Easy to see what direction the prevailing winds are.

We are staying at the Beach View Motel in Holyrood. Again we have ventured off the highway and come 'down' to the ocean. The motel is situated high on a hill with one of the best views that we have had of houses built on the side of rock above the water. It is just what we had pictured that Newfoundland towns would look like.

Daily Distance = 72.74 km. Time on the bikes = 5 hours. Average Speed = 14.53 km. Maximum Speed = 44.93 km. Wildlife Sightings = Black Backed Gull, Kingfisher, Blue Jay, Moose. (Yes we finally saw a moose on The Rock)!!!

Kevin = 3, Sue = 1.75 (but it had nothing to do with her bike)!

What a Difference a Day Makes....

Wednesday, September 8

Clarenville to Bellevue Beach

On the road at 8:10 and climbing back up to the highway. One thing we have realized on 'The Rock' is that if you leave the highway you can count on doing some climbing. Newfoundland's population is coastal and the Trans Canada is not.

Today more than made up for yesterday. The wind was still strong but primarily in our backs so even though there was still lots of climbing, it did not seem nearly as difficult. Our biggest problem today was a result of yesterday...'tight leg muscles'! It is hard to believe that after all of the cycling that we have done we still have 'fatigued' leg muscles!

As we rode along we came upon the community of Arnold's Cove. We could 'smell' it before we saw it. Arnold's Cove has a 'huge' oil refinery...thus the smell! I suspect it has something to do with Newfoundland's new found offshore oil. As we climbed away from the refinery we passed through an area almost 'void' of vegetation. Either this area had a 'nuclear attack' at some time or it must be one 'windswept' chunk of rock. I suspect it is the latter since we probably would have heard about the 'nuclear theory'!!!

We decided to leave the Trans Canada and head out to a coastal community for our accommodation tonight. Remember that thing about leaving the highway and hills, well we met the 'steepest' hill we have faced in Newfoundland. We are staying in a 'log cabin' on the ocean at the Fiddler's Green Resort. It is a really nice 2 bedroom unit with a full kitchen. Too bad all we have to cook are 'Sidekicks', our old standby.

Daily Distance = 82.57 km. Time on the bikes= 5 hours 4 minutes. Average Speed = 16.29 km. Maximum Speed = 53.94 km. Wildlife Sightings = Osprey, Bald eagle, Cormorants, Black backed gull, Red Squirrel, Mourning Cloak Butterfly.

Kevin = 3, Sue = 0.

Working HARD For Every Pedal Stroke....

Tuesday, September 7

Glovertown to Clarenville

One of the drawbacks of staying at B+B's is that you cannot control your departure time. So today we left Glovertown 'well fuelled' but on the road late! It was 9:20 by the time we had climbed out to the highway.

Today was 'one tough day'. Between the 'many' climbs and the 'terrifically strong' headwind we worked hard for every peddle stroke!!! The headwind gusted so strong at times that it would almost bring you to a stop. One gust moved me so one of my front bags actually glanced off of the guardrail along the side of the highway! We have not worked this hard nor have we been this tired since we faced some terrific winds back in Saskatchewan.

As we rode through Terra Nova National Park we were overtaken by 2 Cross Canada cyclists who had left Vancouver July 6. They were probably in their 60's and were riding 'supported' on really 'nice' road bikes.

We are staying in the Restland Motel in Clarenville. It is not a bad motel with a fairly large room, lots big enough for our 2 bicycles and all of our gear.

Daily Distance = a gruelling 95.52 km. Time on the bikes = 6 hours 32 minutes (and my butt feels like it). Average speed 14.61 km. Maximum speed 56.19 km. Wildlife sightings = red squirrel, bald eagle, osprey, junco, black backed gull.

Kevin = 3, Sue = 0.

P.S. The huge 'bank' of black clouds that chased us all afternoon has finally arrived and it is now raining heavily.

Four Months On The Road....

Monday, September 6

Gander to Glovertown

On the road by 7:35 with the sun shining and the wind only 'slightly' less strong. It was nice to be on the road again as we enjoyed views of Gander Lake, Square Pond, and Butts Pond. (Nice names). We encountered many long climbs today one of which was over 5 km. Combined with the wind that blew steady at 30 km and gusted to over 40 km, today's ride had some challenging moments.

As we rode along today we came upon 'Joey's Lookout', a place with a panoramic view of the town of Gambo and Freshwater Bay. The Gambo area is the birthplace of 'Joey Smallwood' Newfoundland's 'Father of Confederation' and it's longtime Premiere. Gambo was an important lumber town from the 1860's until the 1960's. Massive forest fires brought that to an end.

We are staying in the Cuddle - Inn B+B in the town of Glovertown. It is right on the ocean. We were unaware, however, that the town was 5 km off of the highway, and worse yet, all downhill. So tomorrow morning we will have to climb back up to the highway and I mean CLIMB! The other thing that we are finding frustrating is the inaccuracy of the provincial road map. Today was to be 73 km and it was only 67 km. Now I know everyone is thinking "but it was in your favour". Problem is we suspect that will be tacked onto tomorrows distance instead. It makes me wonder if like everything else in Canada, Newfoundland 'subs out' its map making to a foreign company who probably uses 'Google Maps' to get its information. Now that is a real confidence builder.

Daily Distance = 67.18 km. Time on the bikes = 4 hours 6 minutes. Average Speed = 16.32 km. Maximum Speed = 59.90 km. Wildlife Sightings = Red Admiral Butterfly, Junco.

Kevin = 3, Sue = 0.

P.S. Today represented the end of our 4th month on the road!!!

A Good Decision....

Sunday, September 5

Gander

Maybe one of the better decisions we have made on this adventure might well have been taking the day off today. The winds that were predicted most definitely materialized. Steady winds out of the south at 40 km and gusting to over 50 km would have been less than a pleasant experience. 75 km in 'Granny' would have been a bit much!

So again we became tourists. We decided to visit the North Atlantic Aviation Museum. Outside the museum there are 4 airplanes. A 'Lockhead Hudson' (1 of only 8 left in the world), one of the principle aircraft used by the RCAF Ferry service during WWII ,a 'water bomber' used by Newfoundland Forestry Service to fight forest fires, a Beech 18-S (an old RCAF fighter plane), and a CF-101 Voodoo (an old fighter jet). Inside you can get into the cockpit of a DC-3 and examine 50 cal. Machine guns up close. It is a worthwhile visit and the neat part is we had no idea it existed!

Gander...an update. The 'Newfoundland Airport' was built in 1938 to serve as a refuelling station for transatlantic aviation. It was one of the main airfields used by the Royal Air Force Ferry Command (shuttling pilots to England after being trained in North America) and became a USAAF base during WWII. At its peak 10,000 Americans and 5,000 RCAF and RAF were stationed here. No wonder we can see so many ex-military housing units in Gander. This town was military! The RCAF still have a base here. Gander became a commercial airstrip after the war but in recent years has become less important with airplane's ability to not need refuelling. Gander still provides technical help to the commercial and military aircraft of many countries.