It's December 24th, and im sitting here on my bed organizing a photo album of our trip for my moms christmas present. I have the playlist on my moms iPod playing in the background. As im looking through these photos I can remember the process of taking them. Positioning, posing, and finally smiling to make it perfect. There's days of our trip that I would wish I were somewhere else, away from my bicycle, my mother, and the ongoing pain in the ass (literally).
The music from the trip, on my iPod and my moms iPod still plays on a regular basis. Certain songs take me back to climbing the rockies or peddling alongside feilds of beautiful wild flowers in P.E.I. When I get the brief reminders of my summer, I only have one wish: to be back there, doing it again.
The cross Canada trip was the best thing I've done in my life and I am going to be retelling stories of our adventures for as long as I remember them.
Our last days in Newfoundland were relaxing. We rented a car and put miles under our belt by driving to Cape Pele; the eastern most part of Canada. We went to Cape Breton, a wild life santuary known for its crazy amount of bird species. So overall, it was a good way to end our trip.
Me and my mom are already discussing another bike trip for next summer, possibly to Banff or down to California. At the end of this trip we're going to get tattoos, (the ones we were supposed to get after our Canada trip). No way around this one, mom.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Obstacles
Day 25: TMC: 1693 miles. Port Hastings to Nfld Ferry: 89 miles. Conditions: On and off pouring rain.
Today was the most exciting morning we've had, and this was mainly due to the fact that we set a time to leave, and left right at that time. We got out of the hotel and on the road by 6 45 (QUITE a feat for us). The ride was good except for the looming clouds threatening rain....but then....it started to POUR. About every five minutes I was asking her what we were going to do and she'd always respond the same way, "dont worry, right up ahead we'll be out of the rain." yea..no. The rain didn't let off, we stopped roadside and covered up our bags, already soaked and freezing we managed to get back on our bikes and find a place 30 miles down the road for breakfast. My mom made a big deal about the fact that the waitress poured her a cup of coffee without her actually wanting it...apparently, if she didn't drink it, however did not ask for it, it isn't considered wasting...keep dreaming mom.
After another few rainfalls the skies cleared up and offered us blue skies all the way into North Sydney where we caught the boat from. Mama-bear wouldn't relax, asking everyone around her how the boat ride would be and how wavey it is. She said she wouldn't get on the boat without a glass of wine...unfortunately, subway doesn't serve wine, so she reluctantly rode on without some liquor in her system.
Day 26: TMC: 1700 miles. Argentia ferry to Placentia: 7 miles. Conditions: Cold!
Today was the day of The Butt! as nemo would say. It was a smooth sailing journey and we met a couple of bikers in the parking lot actually. The two bikers were two men from Victoria, unsure about the age.. 55-65? the younger of the two, David, he had ridden his bike all the way from Victoria! And the older, Doug, coming from Ottowa, however, he was also from Vic. We met up with them on the ferry and as soon as we did they offered my mom a glass of wine. You could tell, from this point in, my mom had made some new friends. The two guys were pretty cool and had a great sense of humour. They invited me and my mom to an afternoon pub crawl, tomorrow actually. Starting at 1 and going till god knows when. We said no. :P
We stayed in such a cute little B&B on the water in Placentia, the people there were AMAZING and the food was delicious! It was actually quite sad having to leave..
Day 27: TMC: 1787 miles. Placentia to St.Johns: 87 miles. Conditions: Cold, hot, cold w/ clear skies.
I honestly can't tell you what we were expecting today, mama-bear thought it was going to be an easy ride, however I knew from the first step we took onto Newfoundland it was a hilly jut of rock in the ocean. Today was constant up and downs, no fun. We thought we were lost for a while, so we stopped at a garage outside of a little town called Hollyrood...yes, Hollyrood. It was the "Tidy Town winner in 2002!" (as clearly stated at least 3 times). My mom tried to make conversation with these men and ask directions, however the second they talked you could just see her face fall. The accents here are hilarious! So, as to not be rude, she nodded and laughed at these two talkative men when seemed appropriate. I may even venture out to say...her french may have been equally impressive in this case.
Arriving at St.Johns was rather anticlimatic. No marching bands or confetti tossed on the street as we arrived at our inn...oh well...I guess we shouldn't have been expecting much. But, we are both so releived to be done and are also ready to come home. However we're also ready to enjoy this beautiful island!
Tip of the Days: The end is near, just not clear from around the bend.
Today was the most exciting morning we've had, and this was mainly due to the fact that we set a time to leave, and left right at that time. We got out of the hotel and on the road by 6 45 (QUITE a feat for us). The ride was good except for the looming clouds threatening rain....but then....it started to POUR. About every five minutes I was asking her what we were going to do and she'd always respond the same way, "dont worry, right up ahead we'll be out of the rain." yea..no. The rain didn't let off, we stopped roadside and covered up our bags, already soaked and freezing we managed to get back on our bikes and find a place 30 miles down the road for breakfast. My mom made a big deal about the fact that the waitress poured her a cup of coffee without her actually wanting it...apparently, if she didn't drink it, however did not ask for it, it isn't considered wasting...keep dreaming mom.
After another few rainfalls the skies cleared up and offered us blue skies all the way into North Sydney where we caught the boat from. Mama-bear wouldn't relax, asking everyone around her how the boat ride would be and how wavey it is. She said she wouldn't get on the boat without a glass of wine...unfortunately, subway doesn't serve wine, so she reluctantly rode on without some liquor in her system.
Day 26: TMC: 1700 miles. Argentia ferry to Placentia: 7 miles. Conditions: Cold!
Today was the day of The Butt! as nemo would say. It was a smooth sailing journey and we met a couple of bikers in the parking lot actually. The two bikers were two men from Victoria, unsure about the age.. 55-65? the younger of the two, David, he had ridden his bike all the way from Victoria! And the older, Doug, coming from Ottowa, however, he was also from Vic. We met up with them on the ferry and as soon as we did they offered my mom a glass of wine. You could tell, from this point in, my mom had made some new friends. The two guys were pretty cool and had a great sense of humour. They invited me and my mom to an afternoon pub crawl, tomorrow actually. Starting at 1 and going till god knows when. We said no. :P
We stayed in such a cute little B&B on the water in Placentia, the people there were AMAZING and the food was delicious! It was actually quite sad having to leave..
Day 27: TMC: 1787 miles. Placentia to St.Johns: 87 miles. Conditions: Cold, hot, cold w/ clear skies.
I honestly can't tell you what we were expecting today, mama-bear thought it was going to be an easy ride, however I knew from the first step we took onto Newfoundland it was a hilly jut of rock in the ocean. Today was constant up and downs, no fun. We thought we were lost for a while, so we stopped at a garage outside of a little town called Hollyrood...yes, Hollyrood. It was the "Tidy Town winner in 2002!" (as clearly stated at least 3 times). My mom tried to make conversation with these men and ask directions, however the second they talked you could just see her face fall. The accents here are hilarious! So, as to not be rude, she nodded and laughed at these two talkative men when seemed appropriate. I may even venture out to say...her french may have been equally impressive in this case.
Arriving at St.Johns was rather anticlimatic. No marching bands or confetti tossed on the street as we arrived at our inn...oh well...I guess we shouldn't have been expecting much. But, we are both so releived to be done and are also ready to come home. However we're also ready to enjoy this beautiful island!
Tip of the Days: The end is near, just not clear from around the bend.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Canada's Ocean Playground.
Day 24: TMC: 1604 miles. Pectoe to Port Hastings (Cape Breton): 97 miles. Conditions: Good!
The ride today was pretty smooth sailing, however, as you can see it was decently long. We left our inn this morning at around 7 15 after waking up at 6. We talked to the inn keeper, it turns out "Customs House Inn" actually used to be a customs house for sailers and others travelling by boat and arriving in Nova Scotia.
There really isn't much to say about today...we were crossing a small bridge on the main highway with no shoulder and my chain fell off, so I kept one foot in the peddle and then pushed off the ground with the other foot. That was rather awkward...Oh and a rediculous amount of roadkill today. Right as soon as we left pectoe there was a stretch of maybe at tops about 1 kilometre, and I counted 13 dead birds. 12 being crows or blackbirds and 1 being a type of turkey or something. It was rather displeasing.
But now, we are going to bed to wake up early for another 100 mile day, maybe even longer than that. And we'll be boarding the ferry tomorrow to Newfoundland about this time and docking 14 hours later in Argentia.
Tip of the Day: Watch for road kill.
The ride today was pretty smooth sailing, however, as you can see it was decently long. We left our inn this morning at around 7 15 after waking up at 6. We talked to the inn keeper, it turns out "Customs House Inn" actually used to be a customs house for sailers and others travelling by boat and arriving in Nova Scotia.
There really isn't much to say about today...we were crossing a small bridge on the main highway with no shoulder and my chain fell off, so I kept one foot in the peddle and then pushed off the ground with the other foot. That was rather awkward...Oh and a rediculous amount of roadkill today. Right as soon as we left pectoe there was a stretch of maybe at tops about 1 kilometre, and I counted 13 dead birds. 12 being crows or blackbirds and 1 being a type of turkey or something. It was rather displeasing.
But now, we are going to bed to wake up early for another 100 mile day, maybe even longer than that. And we'll be boarding the ferry tomorrow to Newfoundland about this time and docking 14 hours later in Argentia.
Tip of the Day: Watch for road kill.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Its a microscopic world.
Day 23: TMC 1507 miles. Charlottetown to Pectoe: 44 miles. Conditions: Varied winds with overcast and light rain.
Today was way too exciting, I don't even want to talk about our ride, but, this is what this blog is for soo, here we go. Today we woke up and ate our breakfast at the inn and conversed with a younger couple from michigan (it took them three days to finally be friendly with us) and we were having a really nice time! As we knew today was only 44 miles we were stalling like none other. Finally, we went up to the room, but it took me about half an hour to get all my things together before we could leave. Once we finallyy left we came to an intersection, one where we could choose two routes; a shorter, hilly one. Or a longer flat one. And, my mom being the dare devil she is chose to go the hilly way in hopes of finding the confederation trail..however, we did not. Now, I must say, whoever calls P.E.I. flat is crazy. If there were hills, we were on em'.
We got to the ferry terminal for the ferry to Nova Scotia and realized that there was a ferry just about to leave so we raced on and parked our bikes beside a pole at the rear of the boat. I look up, and you wont beleive what I saw. Mr. Armstrong, (a teacher/coach at rockridge) it was so wierd. I called his name and he didn't really notice until his wife (also a sub at rockridge who I've had.) looked at me and said "oh! a rockridge face!". It was the craziest thing ever! We talked about our summers and he told us what they were doing. Driving across Canada and back. !! They left July 1st and are hoping to arrive back home on September 1st. Looong trip. The two kids, 11 year old boy and a 12 year old girl, were having a trip of their lifetime. Small world, eh?
Tip of the Day: Procrastination doesn't ALWAYS hurt.
Today was way too exciting, I don't even want to talk about our ride, but, this is what this blog is for soo, here we go. Today we woke up and ate our breakfast at the inn and conversed with a younger couple from michigan (it took them three days to finally be friendly with us) and we were having a really nice time! As we knew today was only 44 miles we were stalling like none other. Finally, we went up to the room, but it took me about half an hour to get all my things together before we could leave. Once we finallyy left we came to an intersection, one where we could choose two routes; a shorter, hilly one. Or a longer flat one. And, my mom being the dare devil she is chose to go the hilly way in hopes of finding the confederation trail..however, we did not. Now, I must say, whoever calls P.E.I. flat is crazy. If there were hills, we were on em'.
We got to the ferry terminal for the ferry to Nova Scotia and realized that there was a ferry just about to leave so we raced on and parked our bikes beside a pole at the rear of the boat. I look up, and you wont beleive what I saw. Mr. Armstrong, (a teacher/coach at rockridge) it was so wierd. I called his name and he didn't really notice until his wife (also a sub at rockridge who I've had.) looked at me and said "oh! a rockridge face!". It was the craziest thing ever! We talked about our summers and he told us what they were doing. Driving across Canada and back. !! They left July 1st and are hoping to arrive back home on September 1st. Looong trip. The two kids, 11 year old boy and a 12 year old girl, were having a trip of their lifetime. Small world, eh?
Tip of the Day: Procrastination doesn't ALWAYS hurt.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Land of Potatoes
Day 22: TMC: 1463 miles. Cap-Pele to Charlottetown!: 65 miles. Conditions: Tail wind and muggy.
Today was originally supposed to be a 70 mile day, however after looking at it again mum realized it was actually 90 miles into Charlottetown, which kind of blowed...but then somehow we managed to make it only 65 miles. Hmm? We got to the Nova Scotia side of the Confederation Bridge and had to wait for a shuttle to come as walkers and bikers are not allowed crossing the 13km bridge. While waiting we met a pair of two young men, 19 and 23, they were brothers and they were doing the cross Canada trip together (following the footsteps of their other, older, brother). They started our conversation by asking about our bikes and gear, they seemed either very bored, boring, or tired. So my mom asked if they were tired and the older one simply replied with ".....uhhhh......nope, not tired." Dont tell anyone, but I think he was lying.
Our ride into Charlottetown was beautiful! We went along the shoreline on a quieter road and got to enjoy all the seaside towns. Many of which had long wharfs with ice cream places or lobster shacks that were interesting to look into. Such character! And we happened to get really lucky and had a tail wind the entire ride. This we were somewhat scared about, Gilles, the french man we met in Golden mentioned how he hated P.E.I. because of the harsh headwinds he had to face.
In Prince Edward Island we were actually lucky enough to stay here for three nights to rest up for our last drag of biking. We're staying in a super nice inn. In our room there are so many patterns and none match, yet it all seems to work, it is very cute! Yesterday, we decided to be pretty big tourists and went on a tour bus/boat thing that was called The Hippobus. It took us through the old neighbourhoods and the tour guide mentioned interesting facts about one of the last hangings in Canada (that was held here) and the bell they tried to install. It's too long to explain, but if you're interested I'm sure its on the internet somewhere.
After the tour bus, we went to the musical of Anne and Green Gables. It was surprisingly so good! We weren't expecting much but we were shocked by the acting and the pieces put together to create the show. It was a real tear jerker... After the show we went to the same restaurant as last night called Fish Bones, I got the lobster, bacon and avacado club. MMM best thing ever!
Today we decided to rent a car, so we taxi'ed to the airport and somehow managed to get a Sebring (the car I've been trying to get away from)HA! It was quite nice though, we got a convertable and it was great being able to see the sky! Waaaay better than a closed car, so much better I think my mom now wants a convertable. ;) We stopped at a beach called Brackley Beach which is located in a National Park, where we swam in the atlantic ocean! oo! Then we went to cavandish and drove past Anne's house!
Our P.E.I. experience was great! But now its time to get back to the saddle!
Tip of the Day: EAT COWS. Mooey Gooey!!
Today was originally supposed to be a 70 mile day, however after looking at it again mum realized it was actually 90 miles into Charlottetown, which kind of blowed...but then somehow we managed to make it only 65 miles. Hmm? We got to the Nova Scotia side of the Confederation Bridge and had to wait for a shuttle to come as walkers and bikers are not allowed crossing the 13km bridge. While waiting we met a pair of two young men, 19 and 23, they were brothers and they were doing the cross Canada trip together (following the footsteps of their other, older, brother). They started our conversation by asking about our bikes and gear, they seemed either very bored, boring, or tired. So my mom asked if they were tired and the older one simply replied with ".....uhhhh......nope, not tired." Dont tell anyone, but I think he was lying.
Our ride into Charlottetown was beautiful! We went along the shoreline on a quieter road and got to enjoy all the seaside towns. Many of which had long wharfs with ice cream places or lobster shacks that were interesting to look into. Such character! And we happened to get really lucky and had a tail wind the entire ride. This we were somewhat scared about, Gilles, the french man we met in Golden mentioned how he hated P.E.I. because of the harsh headwinds he had to face.
In Prince Edward Island we were actually lucky enough to stay here for three nights to rest up for our last drag of biking. We're staying in a super nice inn. In our room there are so many patterns and none match, yet it all seems to work, it is very cute! Yesterday, we decided to be pretty big tourists and went on a tour bus/boat thing that was called The Hippobus. It took us through the old neighbourhoods and the tour guide mentioned interesting facts about one of the last hangings in Canada (that was held here) and the bell they tried to install. It's too long to explain, but if you're interested I'm sure its on the internet somewhere.
After the tour bus, we went to the musical of Anne and Green Gables. It was surprisingly so good! We weren't expecting much but we were shocked by the acting and the pieces put together to create the show. It was a real tear jerker... After the show we went to the same restaurant as last night called Fish Bones, I got the lobster, bacon and avacado club. MMM best thing ever!
Today we decided to rent a car, so we taxi'ed to the airport and somehow managed to get a Sebring (the car I've been trying to get away from)HA! It was quite nice though, we got a convertable and it was great being able to see the sky! Waaaay better than a closed car, so much better I think my mom now wants a convertable. ;) We stopped at a beach called Brackley Beach which is located in a National Park, where we swam in the atlantic ocean! oo! Then we went to cavandish and drove past Anne's house!
Our P.E.I. experience was great! But now its time to get back to the saddle!
Tip of the Day: EAT COWS. Mooey Gooey!!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Friendly New Brunswickers
Day 21: TMC: 1398 miles. Miramichi (Chatham) to Cap-Pele: 101 miles. Conditions: Muggy and Windy.
Today we woke up at 6am! Such an accomplishment for us! Not only did we do this, but we managed to get out of the hotel room and to Tim Hortons and on the road only 5 minutes later than what we wanted. I must say, we were very proud of ourselves. The day was very easy, not many hills and most of the way had an adequate shoulder.
A couple hours into our ride we were going along and some car started honking so I got all excited and waved, but then another car started honking. But it actually sounded like a truck, I looked in the rearview mirror to see a giant moving house coming my way. Quickly, I drove off onto the shoulder and watched as the truck completely took out the space I was like, minutes before. Scary business!
After lunch (my mom had lobster, a must-have in the maritimes) we were lucky enough to get 40 miles of headwind..woohoo. AND lots and lots of traffic, but no more moving houses, so that's an upside.
Tip of the Day: When staying in motels, lower your standards immedietely.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
A collection
Day 20: TMC: 1297 miles. Nigadoo to Chatham: 62 miles. Conditions: Warm.
Well...today was interesting to say the least. We left fairly early and got 8 miles under our belt before breakfast. We got lost trying to find the 134 S and had to cut back a few miles. Making our (again) already late day, later. The ride was hilly, up and down and up and down and very boring and unscenic. We connected onto the main highway and continued on the busy road with minimal shoulder and saw a moose!! We
got to Chatham and gave it in for the day...our original plan was to make it to Richibucto which is 30 miles past. But by the time we stopped for lunch it was already 5, so we just got a room in a hotel here.
Tip of the Day: Keep on high alert for moose! They're dangerous.
Day 19: TMC: 1235 miles. Matapedia to Nigadoo: 78 miles. Conditions: Gross.
We left Matapedio and went down the same hill as the last night and set out across a bridge into New Brunswick! We were so relieved to get out of french speaking territory, however, we were shorty faced with the fact that...it's still a lot of french. We get into the first Tim Hortons we see and tried to order a breakfast sandwich but the women wouldn't let us because it was too late. We were super confused. APPARENTLY we went through another time change by crossing a bridge. No one told us...
For the first 15 or so miles of our day it was absolutely pouring! We got drenched! Trucks even sprayed us as they passed by, it really wasnt a very happy start to a new province. But the weather cleared up and it got pretty out just in time for us to recognize the smell of the ocean again! The atlantic ocean!!
We called our hotel to confirm our reservation but they got all confused and said they would call us back but we didn't hear the phone ring. So as we're getting lost in Petite Roche we call the motel again and they tell us they made a mistake and booked us for August 30th and they actually reserved us at another motel down the street. Mama bear was pissed.
Tip of the Day: Ensure your waterproof clothes are...well...waterproof.
Day 18: TMC: 1157 miles. Saint fleuris to Matapedia: 100 miles (on the dot). Conditions: Hot w/ clouds.
Today our day started out on a bad note, we went for breakfast in our hotel but it ended up taking about an hour so we got a super late start to our day. The day was rather uneventful up until after lunchtime. There weren't many hills and we managed to stay away from the main stream of traffic because we were led onto a smaller, country road. After lunch on a lumpy road where you cant get any speed because its so uneven I was following my mom when I saw a bug flying at my face, I ducked and apparently it went into my helmet. I felt a sting, got my helmet off to see a struggling wasp. Fail number 1.
Later on, we saw our first cycling tourist of the day. We were riding through what seemed to be mountains, very reminicsent of B.C. Going down a long hill I noticed something very odd. So I stopped and a massive nose bleed started. And.. of course.. my mom didn't notice me stop, so she kept on going down the hill and I continued my walk until she looked back and found me. Fail number 2.
After about 97 miles we were outside a little motel debating wether or not to go in even though we had a reservation "somewhere else" but we condinued on into the town of Matapedia only to realize that was the hotel we had our reservation in. So we went back up the hill, feeling like fools, and checked in. Fail number 3.
I was scared going into our motel because we were 1 mile away from 100 on my odometer, but as we went into the gravel parking lot it changed. Whew.``
Tip of the Day: Listen to our tips (especially the last one) wet wipes = handy.
Well...today was interesting to say the least. We left fairly early and got 8 miles under our belt before breakfast. We got lost trying to find the 134 S and had to cut back a few miles. Making our (again) already late day, later. The ride was hilly, up and down and up and down and very boring and unscenic. We connected onto the main highway and continued on the busy road with minimal shoulder and saw a moose!! We
got to Chatham and gave it in for the day...our original plan was to make it to Richibucto which is 30 miles past. But by the time we stopped for lunch it was already 5, so we just got a room in a hotel here. Tip of the Day: Keep on high alert for moose! They're dangerous.
Day 19: TMC: 1235 miles. Matapedia to Nigadoo: 78 miles. Conditions: Gross.
We left Matapedio and went down the same hill as the last night and set out across a bridge into New Brunswick! We were so relieved to get out of french speaking territory, however, we were shorty faced with the fact that...it's still a lot of french. We get into the first Tim Hortons we see and tried to order a breakfast sandwich but the women wouldn't let us because it was too late. We were super confused. APPARENTLY we went through another time change by crossing a bridge. No one told us...
For the first 15 or so miles of our day it was absolutely pouring! We got drenched! Trucks even sprayed us as they passed by, it really wasnt a very happy start to a new province. But the weather cleared up and it got pretty out just in time for us to recognize the smell of the ocean again! The atlantic ocean!!
We called our hotel to confirm our reservation but they got all confused and said they would call us back but we didn't hear the phone ring. So as we're getting lost in Petite Roche we call the motel again and they tell us they made a mistake and booked us for August 30th and they actually reserved us at another motel down the street. Mama bear was pissed.
Tip of the Day: Ensure your waterproof clothes are...well...waterproof.
Day 18: TMC: 1157 miles. Saint fleuris to Matapedia: 100 miles (on the dot). Conditions: Hot w/ clouds.
Today our day started out on a bad note, we went for breakfast in our hotel but it ended up taking about an hour so we got a super late start to our day. The day was rather uneventful up until after lunchtime. There weren't many hills and we managed to stay away from the main stream of traffic because we were led onto a smaller, country road. After lunch on a lumpy road where you cant get any speed because its so uneven I was following my mom when I saw a bug flying at my face, I ducked and apparently it went into my helmet. I felt a sting, got my helmet off to see a struggling wasp. Fail number 1.
Later on, we saw our first cycling tourist of the day. We were riding through what seemed to be mountains, very reminicsent of B.C. Going down a long hill I noticed something very odd. So I stopped and a massive nose bleed started. And.. of course.. my mom didn't notice me stop, so she kept on going down the hill and I continued my walk until she looked back and found me. Fail number 2.
After about 97 miles we were outside a little motel debating wether or not to go in even though we had a reservation "somewhere else" but we condinued on into the town of Matapedia only to realize that was the hotel we had our reservation in. So we went back up the hill, feeling like fools, and checked in. Fail number 3.
I was scared going into our motel because we were 1 mile away from 100 on my odometer, but as we went into the gravel parking lot it changed. Whew.``
Tip of the Day: Listen to our tips (especially the last one) wet wipes = handy.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Slow going.
Day 17: TMC: 1057 miles. Trois Pistoles to Sainte Fleuris: 66 miles. Conditions: Nice.
Today, we got what we were expecting: Hills. And lots of them. We started our day off later than we wanted, waking up at 8 30 and dilly dallying until 1010 when we finally left, we departed and took the "route verte" (the cycling path that goes all through Quebec). The path was beautiful, on a gravel path through a forest between fields. The path was remarkably hilly, we saw hills like none other.. We climbed for about 2 hours, ranging from a 8% grade to a 20% grade *wheewwie*, finally, we got to the summit and got to descend. I LOVED it! My mom...didn't feel quite the same way about the 2 mile decent at 15%. Funny how that works...
After it took us 4 hours to do the first 25 miles of uphill we stopped at a roadside diner and bought a few cheese burgers; probably the best meal ever because we were so hungry. We stayed there and figured out our map and then left again for the 40 or so miles we had left. Except for the fact that, as soon as we started riding again I felt something not good, another flat. :/
. I think you will all be amazed with me. I am just knocking minutes off of the time it takes me to change a flat. Its nothing big, but I did it in under 20! Yuss!
After we fixed the tire, I flipped the bike upside down and was putting my paniers back on when i realized that I was missing a screw. So, we took it to the gas station and ended up sending a boy about my age on a wild goose chase in search of the perfect screw. And he eventually found it (I think it surprised us all).
We finally arrived at our hotel at around 7, exhausted, hot, and covered in chain grease. It was a tiring day because we worked the muscles we haven't used since the Rockies; our climbing legs.
Tip of the Day: Keep your wet ones handy.
Oh and p.s. WE HIT 1000 TODAY!! :)
Today, we got what we were expecting: Hills. And lots of them. We started our day off later than we wanted, waking up at 8 30 and dilly dallying until 1010 when we finally left, we departed and took the "route verte" (the cycling path that goes all through Quebec). The path was beautiful, on a gravel path through a forest between fields. The path was remarkably hilly, we saw hills like none other.. We climbed for about 2 hours, ranging from a 8% grade to a 20% grade *wheewwie*, finally, we got to the summit and got to descend. I LOVED it! My mom...didn't feel quite the same way about the 2 mile decent at 15%. Funny how that works...
After it took us 4 hours to do the first 25 miles of uphill we stopped at a roadside diner and bought a few cheese burgers; probably the best meal ever because we were so hungry. We stayed there and figured out our map and then left again for the 40 or so miles we had left. Except for the fact that, as soon as we started riding again I felt something not good, another flat. :/
. I think you will all be amazed with me. I am just knocking minutes off of the time it takes me to change a flat. Its nothing big, but I did it in under 20! Yuss!
After we fixed the tire, I flipped the bike upside down and was putting my paniers back on when i realized that I was missing a screw. So, we took it to the gas station and ended up sending a boy about my age on a wild goose chase in search of the perfect screw. And he eventually found it (I think it surprised us all).
We finally arrived at our hotel at around 7, exhausted, hot, and covered in chain grease. It was a tiring day because we worked the muscles we haven't used since the Rockies; our climbing legs.
Tip of the Day: Keep your wet ones handy.
Oh and p.s. WE HIT 1000 TODAY!! :)
Saturday, July 31, 2010
La belle Province
Day 16: TMC: 990 miles. La Pocatiere to Trois Pistoles: 78 miles. Conditions: Hot.
Today was another easy day, we are starting to see more hills though, however it is good preparation for our hilly day we're expecting tomorrow. The day today was a super scenic route which led us through cottages along the river and through small european-like towns. It solidified the name "La Belle Province" for this beautiful province.
We got to our Motel in Trois Pistoles and sat on the lawn chairs overlooking the river with a glass of wine and chips and enjoyed the cooler rays of sun. We rode into town and went to a dinner restaurant which is actually the owners house transformed to fit dining customers. The meal was fantastic, a four course "Menu D'hote". However, it resulted in having to bike home in the dark. I was completely fine with it, but mama bear complained the whole way. It's safe to say I was releived when we got back to our motel.
Tip of the Day: Prepare for the dark.
Today was another easy day, we are starting to see more hills though, however it is good preparation for our hilly day we're expecting tomorrow. The day today was a super scenic route which led us through cottages along the river and through small european-like towns. It solidified the name "La Belle Province" for this beautiful province.
We got to our Motel in Trois Pistoles and sat on the lawn chairs overlooking the river with a glass of wine and chips and enjoyed the cooler rays of sun. We rode into town and went to a dinner restaurant which is actually the owners house transformed to fit dining customers. The meal was fantastic, a four course "Menu D'hote". However, it resulted in having to bike home in the dark. I was completely fine with it, but mama bear complained the whole way. It's safe to say I was releived when we got back to our motel.
Tip of the Day: Prepare for the dark.
Hey there stranger
Day 15: TMC: 912 miles. Quebec City to La Pocatiere or rather: 75 miles. Conditions: Nice!
Leaving Quebec, we rode down the hill to the river and got on a small ferry with four cars and about three other walk on passengers to a town on the other side called Levi. At this point, neither of us had eaten and we were super hungry so we stopped at a gas station on the side of the main road, thinking we were being smart and "healthy" we picked up two sandwiches from the freezer. Oops, I by mistake grabbed a Spam and mustard sandwich. ew.
After this, we stopped at a gas station and I watched a young(ish) biker pass by and I waved, later on we passed him sitting at a Fromagerie, than again he passed us when we stopped to eat a cookie. After this, mama bear sent me to go catch up and we ended up talking then having lunch at Tim Hortons together. His story is the most interesting we've heard by far. Get this; 19 years old, biking across Canada alone.
I got to ride along with him for about 40 miles and he told me all about his trip and the crazy people he's been meeting along the way. It sounds like such a blast. He tuned up my bike and then we bought him dinner. And apparently, he hit 6000 km's today. Good Job Matthieu Fraser! :)
Tip of the Day: Once you find your bike mechanic, dont let him go unless you absolutely have to.
Leaving Quebec, we rode down the hill to the river and got on a small ferry with four cars and about three other walk on passengers to a town on the other side called Levi. At this point, neither of us had eaten and we were super hungry so we stopped at a gas station on the side of the main road, thinking we were being smart and "healthy" we picked up two sandwiches from the freezer. Oops, I by mistake grabbed a Spam and mustard sandwich. ew.
After this, we stopped at a gas station and I watched a young(ish) biker pass by and I waved, later on we passed him sitting at a Fromagerie, than again he passed us when we stopped to eat a cookie. After this, mama bear sent me to go catch up and we ended up talking then having lunch at Tim Hortons together. His story is the most interesting we've heard by far. Get this; 19 years old, biking across Canada alone.
I got to ride along with him for about 40 miles and he told me all about his trip and the crazy people he's been meeting along the way. It sounds like such a blast. He tuned up my bike and then we bought him dinner. And apparently, he hit 6000 km's today. Good Job Matthieu Fraser! :)
Tip of the Day: Once you find your bike mechanic, dont let him go unless you absolutely have to.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
"Live free or die."
Quebec City, Rest day.
Today we got to stretch our legs and enjoy a day of relaxation (a.k.a. no cycling) in Quebec City! We arrived here last night, into an old building turned mod. Once again, me and mama bear are sharing a bed. Today we woke up and went for a small ride of the city and added another 10 miles onto our missed mileage. We got in from that, freshened up, and went for breakfast at a creperie and we both enjoyed a ham, cheese and mushroom crepe. Deee-lish.
We continued to walk around the city, looking at the parliament buildings and admiring the randomly assorted sculptures throughout Old Quebec. We window shopped at small boutiques and bought Maple Fudge from a store called "Fudge". We were supposed to save it for desert, but we couldnt help ourselves, so we ate it all there.
We had a nice dinner, followed by a carriage ride on one of the many work horses. It was such a nice experience, just sitting back and savouring the feeling of the rocking motion and the sound of hooves on pavement. After we did that, we went to another creperie and ate a dessert crepe with coffee, then went to the square and enjoyed a street performer "One Man Band" play all his many instraments to old classics. All in all, a very nice evening.
Tip of the Day: Splurge on a carriage ride.
Today we got to stretch our legs and enjoy a day of relaxation (a.k.a. no cycling) in Quebec City! We arrived here last night, into an old building turned mod. Once again, me and mama bear are sharing a bed. Today we woke up and went for a small ride of the city and added another 10 miles onto our missed mileage. We got in from that, freshened up, and went for breakfast at a creperie and we both enjoyed a ham, cheese and mushroom crepe. Deee-lish.
We continued to walk around the city, looking at the parliament buildings and admiring the randomly assorted sculptures throughout Old Quebec. We window shopped at small boutiques and bought Maple Fudge from a store called "Fudge". We were supposed to save it for desert, but we couldnt help ourselves, so we ate it all there.
We had a nice dinner, followed by a carriage ride on one of the many work horses. It was such a nice experience, just sitting back and savouring the feeling of the rocking motion and the sound of hooves on pavement. After we did that, we went to another creperie and ate a dessert crepe with coffee, then went to the square and enjoyed a street performer "One Man Band" play all his many instraments to old classics. All in all, a very nice evening.
Tip of the Day: Splurge on a carriage ride.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Its not always sunny in paradise
Day 14: 837 miles. Saint-Anne-de-la-Pèrade to Quebec City: 58 miles. Conditions: Muggy and rainy.
We left this morning thinking it was going to be a super hot day, and boy, were we ever right. The day was boiling, however not sunny, just the usual mugginess for the East coast, (apparently?). The day was going by super fast and we had already finished 20 miles before we wanted to stop...and you wonder why? No hills! Well, no hills to be mentioned, of course there were small lumps that startled us when we saw them. We stopped for lunch at a riverside bistro and shared a pizza and salad. (how cute) and when the waiter asked me if I wanted dessert, he completely lost me with his french, and that led to us talking to a couple beside us, the man was a biker and he was super interested in biking across Canada on his bike.
We went for a few miles after lunch (this is when it started pouring) and came to a more industrial-ized area and we decided to clarify on where we were on our map, so we went into DQ for help. It turned out to be a whole store effort, we had the three DQ workers trying to help us, and about 5 customers.
If I tried to count the amount of times we had to ask directions today, I would have to use my toes too. It was so pathetic, Quebec City is confusing!
Tip of the Day: Keep a map handy.
We left this morning thinking it was going to be a super hot day, and boy, were we ever right. The day was boiling, however not sunny, just the usual mugginess for the East coast, (apparently?). The day was going by super fast and we had already finished 20 miles before we wanted to stop...and you wonder why? No hills! Well, no hills to be mentioned, of course there were small lumps that startled us when we saw them. We stopped for lunch at a riverside bistro and shared a pizza and salad. (how cute) and when the waiter asked me if I wanted dessert, he completely lost me with his french, and that led to us talking to a couple beside us, the man was a biker and he was super interested in biking across Canada on his bike.
We went for a few miles after lunch (this is when it started pouring) and came to a more industrial-ized area and we decided to clarify on where we were on our map, so we went into DQ for help. It turned out to be a whole store effort, we had the three DQ workers trying to help us, and about 5 customers.
If I tried to count the amount of times we had to ask directions today, I would have to use my toes too. It was so pathetic, Quebec City is confusing!
Tip of the Day: Keep a map handy.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Is...is that a hill? First one today.
Day 13. TMC: 769 miles. Bertheirville to Saint-Anne-de-la-Pèrade: 69 miles. Conditions: Hot.
This morning it was hard to wake up, our one double bed was amazingly soft, making rolling out quite a challenge. However, as breakfast was served (2 crepes filled with eggs and bacon) we began to stir a little bit more.
After saying goodbye to John and Janie (a picture will be added probably tomorrow) we continued our way along a fairly busy road through the farming fields. We tried to follow the "Route Vertè" except we kept on managing to get lost...Go mama go!
Once we managed to find our way to our B&B "Auberge du Manoir Dauth" we dropped off our stuff and went out into the yard under the cute gazebo and devoured a few apples and a stack of cheese (and this is after the ice cream cones). We went out for dinner, where mama bear managed to say "good-bye" to another waitress who was simply trying to greet her. Now, here we sit, at the B&B supplied computers, me yelling at the faulty internet and her getting mad at the different keys on the keyboard. Oh what a nice family.
Tip of the Day: If you dont speak french, don`t even bother trying...you`ll make a fool of yourself. (I think we all know who I`m referring to)
This morning it was hard to wake up, our one double bed was amazingly soft, making rolling out quite a challenge. However, as breakfast was served (2 crepes filled with eggs and bacon) we began to stir a little bit more.
After saying goodbye to John and Janie (a picture will be added probably tomorrow) we continued our way along a fairly busy road through the farming fields. We tried to follow the "Route Vertè" except we kept on managing to get lost...Go mama go!
Once we managed to find our way to our B&B "Auberge du Manoir Dauth" we dropped off our stuff and went out into the yard under the cute gazebo and devoured a few apples and a stack of cheese (and this is after the ice cream cones). We went out for dinner, where mama bear managed to say "good-bye" to another waitress who was simply trying to greet her. Now, here we sit, at the B&B supplied computers, me yelling at the faulty internet and her getting mad at the different keys on the keyboard. Oh what a nice family.
Tip of the Day: If you dont speak french, don`t even bother trying...you`ll make a fool of yourself. (I think we all know who I`m referring to)
Monday, July 26, 2010
un autre début
Day 12: TMC: 700 miles. Montreal to Bertheirville: 51 miles. Conditons: Slight head wind, warm.
If you can recall a while back, in Golden, B.C. I commented on how funny it was watching my mom attempt to speak french. That was one circumstance, now there are plenty. Out of Montreal, people tend to speak less and less english, meaning my mom has to attempt at speaking french more.. While we were still in Montreal, a waitress at a classy restaurant came up to us and said "Bon soir!" And my mom immedietly responded with "Au Revoir"....Good. Job. Mom. (Slow, mocking applause in the background.)
So, total coincidence. Today, while riding we were going to pass a couple when my mom slowed her rythym to talk to the man. He asked us where we were going and where we were from and they came to the realization that we're both from B.C. Not only that! They have a place on redroofs! (for those who dont know, about 10 minute drive from our cabin on the Sunshine Coast) Another major coincidence, their names are John and Janie. WOW. (again, for those of you who dont know, my parents are John and Jane) We ate lunch with them at a roadside deli and ended up having dinner together in the town of Bertheirville at a little restaurant on the river, the food was decent, however the service was a short cry from horrible. But, of course, we traded contact information and are gunna keep in touch back in Vancouver :)
We're staying at a B&B where our room is hilarious, its got a double bed with a bath and toilet in the room. The bathtub is a old-styled tub with 4 legs and an amazingly comfortable shape to it. The toilet and sink are in the other corner of the room, hidden away by a removable japanese-esque screen. Privacy here is apparently not a top priority.
Tip of the Day: Beleive it or not, it's a small world. (I recommend you do)
If you can recall a while back, in Golden, B.C. I commented on how funny it was watching my mom attempt to speak french. That was one circumstance, now there are plenty. Out of Montreal, people tend to speak less and less english, meaning my mom has to attempt at speaking french more.. While we were still in Montreal, a waitress at a classy restaurant came up to us and said "Bon soir!" And my mom immedietly responded with "Au Revoir"....Good. Job. Mom. (Slow, mocking applause in the background.)
So, total coincidence. Today, while riding we were going to pass a couple when my mom slowed her rythym to talk to the man. He asked us where we were going and where we were from and they came to the realization that we're both from B.C. Not only that! They have a place on redroofs! (for those who dont know, about 10 minute drive from our cabin on the Sunshine Coast) Another major coincidence, their names are John and Janie. WOW. (again, for those of you who dont know, my parents are John and Jane) We ate lunch with them at a roadside deli and ended up having dinner together in the town of Bertheirville at a little restaurant on the river, the food was decent, however the service was a short cry from horrible. But, of course, we traded contact information and are gunna keep in touch back in Vancouver :)
We're staying at a B&B where our room is hilarious, its got a double bed with a bath and toilet in the room. The bathtub is a old-styled tub with 4 legs and an amazingly comfortable shape to it. The toilet and sink are in the other corner of the room, hidden away by a removable japanese-esque screen. Privacy here is apparently not a top priority.
Tip of the Day: Beleive it or not, it's a small world. (I recommend you do)
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Lost in the Madness
Tonight is the last night in the big city, the last night we'll see Sam and John for three + more weeks. Tomorrow, we re-ignite our adventure on the hard plastic gel seats of our dark-framed bikes.
After our weekend in Montreal it's safe to say we're some what more energized now. Every night here we've been dining extravagantly and just enjoying not having to be on the move all the time. Today, we managed to make up 20 miles of our missed riding, we convinced Sam and dad to bike alongside the canal that branches off of the St.Lawrence with us, getting a feel of another touristy part of Montreal. The ride which was on a small two laned bike and rollerblade path was quite enjoyable. We stopped for ice cream at a market then continued on to have lunch back at our destination.
Tomorrow, we're all waking up early, Sam and John heading to the airport and me and mama bear heading out to begin the 3 day trip to our next destination, Quebec City, back to our old routines.
Tip of the Day: Don't drop your bicycle.
After our weekend in Montreal it's safe to say we're some what more energized now. Every night here we've been dining extravagantly and just enjoying not having to be on the move all the time. Today, we managed to make up 20 miles of our missed riding, we convinced Sam and dad to bike alongside the canal that branches off of the St.Lawrence with us, getting a feel of another touristy part of Montreal. The ride which was on a small two laned bike and rollerblade path was quite enjoyable. We stopped for ice cream at a market then continued on to have lunch back at our destination.
Tomorrow, we're all waking up early, Sam and John heading to the airport and me and mama bear heading out to begin the 3 day trip to our next destination, Quebec City, back to our old routines.
Tip of the Day: Don't drop your bicycle.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
A long way gone.
It's crazy to think, three days ago today we could be spotted miles and miles away from where we are now. Back in the days of pre-civilization a trip across Canada would be unheard of, a great adventure taking weeks, even months. Me and mama-bear managed it in three very relaxed days and nights. The food they would have seen would have been barbaric; elk or bear meat caught and cooked over an open fire, grimy fingers grabbing at any remains, feeling the need to have enough energy to last them a couple days. Our trip, in contrast, consisted of three generous meals a day, ranging from rack of lamb and carrot cake to the omlette of the day with a side of hashbrowns and orange juice. We can safely say, food was not scarce in the least.
The people we met...well, we met some characters for sure. An irish man out for a good time and a few beers, a women who almost broke down when she came to the realization her puzzle (which she put 10 hours of labour into) was missing. There were americans, canadians, australians, french, english, spanish and german travellers aboard the VIA Canada. Some of the travellers took the train to get to a destination to continue their travels, some took it as a 3 day vacation. Whatever the reason, people were found to be having a good time.
I met a retired man named Bill, and his friend Jerry. Bill coached basketball, volleyball and track and field for 30 years during his time as a highschool teacher. We met him in Jasper, only to realize that he was getting on the same train as us. I spent a few hours in total with him, sharing track incidents and telling each other of the trip we were both taking, enjoying each others company.
There were another couple of guys, Don and Brad, who we spent some time with. Wether it was relaxing in the viewing car at the back of the train where we could be found reading a book, playing cards and making bracelets. Or in the activity car playing a game of Phase 10 after bonding over a nice dinner in the diner car. These are they people we met, became comfortable and eventually will begin to miss. Looking back on these people will be just the beginning to a trip of fun events and people from around the world.
Currently we are on a commuter train heading to montreal from toronto, my dad has joined us, soon to be followed by my brother who flew in. The next few days we will be spending in montreal, where the two will fly home and me and mama-bear will continue on our journey to St.Johns, Newfoundland.
Tip of the day: Expand your horizons.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Choo choo
Hey all! We haven't been able to get any internet as we're on the train, however we had a quick rest stop in Winnipeg where the internet is still horrible.
The trains exciting! We're meeting all kinds of people, including the ones we're sitting beside riiight now. :) Sorry bout the short blog, its all I have time for!
Tip of the Day: Diet before departing on your train journey.
The trains exciting! We're meeting all kinds of people, including the ones we're sitting beside riiight now. :) Sorry bout the short blog, its all I have time for!
Tip of the Day: Diet before departing on your train journey.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Over the Horizon
Day 10 & 11: TMC: 649 miles. D10-Banff to Saskatchewan River Xing: 99 miles. D11-Saskatchewan River Xing- 15 miles outside. Conditions: Good.
Well...day 10 started of well, we woke up early, feeling proud of our ability of getting out of bed...however, 6 miles down the road I realized I didnd't remember packing my phone. Uh oh. So, we booked it back and grabbed my phone, it was in the exact place I thought it would be. The whole day consisted of biking through the rockies, the lakes there were beautiful, I must say, I have never seen such shades of blue. The day was supposed to be 85 miles however it turned out to be 99. By the end we were just BEAT.
Tip of the day: Phone check.
Day 11- Today we allowed ourselves to sleep in a bit because it was only supposed to be a 65 mile ride to a inn called Sumwupta Falls. However, about 10 miles into the ride my chain started acting wierd, I wasn't able to switch out of the small gear one, and could only go between the big gears 1 and 2. After having dealt with this for about 5 miles I was going up a small hill when all of a sudden it appears my brakes went on, almost throwing me off the bike. I get off to see my derailer (thing that the chain goes through to move through the small gears) was bent towards my spoke, also haven chewed through a cord. So...we flipped the bike upside down and stuck out our thumb.
The people that picked us up were former owners of High Gear Cyclery in New Jersey, Carol and Larry Dole. They commented on how the Canadian Rockies were a) much prettier than the american rockies (YUSS) and b)the most beautiful place they've ever been. Go Canada Go!
Tip of the day: Take your bike to the doctor.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Now this is how you do it.
Rest Day Number 1
Not much to say, it was amazing compared to yesterday. We started the day with our first sleep in in a week. However, my mom made me get out of bed at around 9 30. LAME! We took the shuttle into town and wandered around the streets of Banff and ate breakfast at a little coffee shop. We felt bad for the three girls working...it was apparent the store ran out of everything people asked for. We then decided to check out the Banff Springs Hotel, it is such an amazing building. Beautiful! We ate lunch there and enjoyed the beautiful view of the Rocky Mountains. Best part of the day, we both got hour long massages at our hotel :)
Tip of the Day: Take a deep breath.
Not much to say, it was amazing compared to yesterday. We started the day with our first sleep in in a week. However, my mom made me get out of bed at around 9 30. LAME! We took the shuttle into town and wandered around the streets of Banff and ate breakfast at a little coffee shop. We felt bad for the three girls working...it was apparent the store ran out of everything people asked for. We then decided to check out the Banff Springs Hotel, it is such an amazing building. Beautiful! We ate lunch there and enjoyed the beautiful view of the Rocky Mountains. Best part of the day, we both got hour long massages at our hotel :)
Tip of the Day: Take a deep breath.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Oh Deary deer.....and goats....Oh and MOOSE!
Day 9: Total Mile Count: 550 miles. Golden B.C., to Banff, Alberta: 85 miles. Conditions: Good.
Canadian Rocky Mountains–noun
The chief mountain system in North America, extending from central New mexico to N alaska. Highest peak, Mount McKinley, 20,300 ft. (6187 m).
Looking at the title, it may be a given about what we saw/did today. Earlier in my blog I commented on how we were disapointed with the amount of wildlife we had been seeing, however, today we had many sightings. On Kicking Horse River Pass we saw two mountain goats attempting to cross the road, very skeptical of the two passing bikers. Later on, while climbing a small hill I looked to the right and saw three deer just hanging out. But the most exciting was the moose! There were three of them and they were so timid and didn't even feel threatened by the many cars stopped and people taking pictures (might I add, I was the first one to notice them)
Somehow today managed to spread out to be a 94 mile trip in total, so me and mama bear are totally pooped. (Shes already asleep) We climbed the kicking horse pass, made it all the way into banff, then realized we were to tired to make it up the 3km hill to our hotel, so we admitted defeat and walked.
Tip of the Day: Wake up earlier than normal and go outside. Its nice.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Easy, Breezy, Beautiful.
Day 8: Total Mile Count: 465 miles. Heather Mountain Lodge to Golden. 36 miles. Conditions: Ideal.
Today was a very short ride, mainly downhill. However we were being catious due to the recent flat tires. (I may be a tire changing wizz now, but its better to be safe than sorry). Golden is a very cute, small, town. With one main road through the city and various shops along the way. We can tell its a very mountain-sport town. All the clothing shops are mntn. biking, snowboarding and skiing stores.
On our lunch break at Tim Hortons on the outskirts of Golden we met a man names Gilles. He's a "senior" as he called himself from Quebec. He was very nice and assisted us in planning our trip through Quebec and the Maritimes. Gilles is also on a extended bike trip. He started in Montreal and went to St. Johns, where he flew to Victoria and then continued his ride back towards Quebec. We had a lovely little lunch with him and talked for about an hour and a half, however the language barrier making it slightly difficult. (watching my mom try to speak french was haaaa-larious). GOOD LUCK TO YOU GILLES!!!!!!
Tip of the Day: Be friendly to strangers. (Yesterday and today)
Today was a very short ride, mainly downhill. However we were being catious due to the recent flat tires. (I may be a tire changing wizz now, but its better to be safe than sorry). Golden is a very cute, small, town. With one main road through the city and various shops along the way. We can tell its a very mountain-sport town. All the clothing shops are mntn. biking, snowboarding and skiing stores.
On our lunch break at Tim Hortons on the outskirts of Golden we met a man names Gilles. He's a "senior" as he called himself from Quebec. He was very nice and assisted us in planning our trip through Quebec and the Maritimes. Gilles is also on a extended bike trip. He started in Montreal and went to St. Johns, where he flew to Victoria and then continued his ride back towards Quebec. We had a lovely little lunch with him and talked for about an hour and a half, however the language barrier making it slightly difficult. (watching my mom try to speak french was haaaa-larious). GOOD LUCK TO YOU GILLES!!!!!!
Tip of the Day: Be friendly to strangers. (Yesterday and today)
Sequel: The misadventures of Jane and Julia
Day 7: Total Mile Count: 429 miles. Revelstoke to Heather Mountain Lodge: 53 miles. Conditions: 7 degrees and wet.
Having recovered from their treachous journey the day prior, Jane and Julia were set to face another hard day of biking through the heavy rain and cold temperatures of eastern B.C. The rockies held a new kind of surprise for them, large hills and beautiful scenery as they passed through Rogers Pass through the Rockies. Jane and Julia were prepared, they stopped road side and covered their paniers in garbage bags and slipped on their rain booties. They were set for anything mother nature threw their way.
The bikes rattled as they sped their way on the winding highway. The rain pounded on their bags, the girls, shivering in the cab of the semi-truck that picked them up reminisced on the two flat tires they had just recieved. Jane and Julia were ready to handle a flat, however a misfortune of wrong equipment led to sticking out a thumb on the side of the road. Upon arriving at their destination, Heather Mountain Lodge, Julia quickly saved the day by repairing the two flats with ease. Jane and Julia look upon this day as a learning experience, and await their next flat tire to prove to themselves and others. The end.
**In this story, we actually did hitchhike. My father left us yesterday for Vancouver.
Heather Mountain Lodge was a really nice place. In the winter its known for being an all inclusive Heli-ski lodge. With an amazing chef and extremely welcoming staff we had a wonderful time.
Now all of you are probably thinking that we're cheating, and not fully completing our Journey, we are always looking for ways to make up for the missed past two days, which will be very easy to accomplish, touring around on our rest days.
Tip of the Day: While peeing in the woods, avoid animal shit.
Having recovered from their treachous journey the day prior, Jane and Julia were set to face another hard day of biking through the heavy rain and cold temperatures of eastern B.C. The rockies held a new kind of surprise for them, large hills and beautiful scenery as they passed through Rogers Pass through the Rockies. Jane and Julia were prepared, they stopped road side and covered their paniers in garbage bags and slipped on their rain booties. They were set for anything mother nature threw their way.
The bikes rattled as they sped their way on the winding highway. The rain pounded on their bags, the girls, shivering in the cab of the semi-truck that picked them up reminisced on the two flat tires they had just recieved. Jane and Julia were ready to handle a flat, however a misfortune of wrong equipment led to sticking out a thumb on the side of the road. Upon arriving at their destination, Heather Mountain Lodge, Julia quickly saved the day by repairing the two flats with ease. Jane and Julia look upon this day as a learning experience, and await their next flat tire to prove to themselves and others. The end.
**In this story, we actually did hitchhike. My father left us yesterday for Vancouver.
Heather Mountain Lodge was a really nice place. In the winter its known for being an all inclusive Heli-ski lodge. With an amazing chef and extremely welcoming staff we had a wonderful time.
Now all of you are probably thinking that we're cheating, and not fully completing our Journey, we are always looking for ways to make up for the missed past two days, which will be very easy to accomplish, touring around on our rest days.
Tip of the Day: While peeing in the woods, avoid animal shit.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Lets Hightail it out of here
Day 6: Total Mile Distance: 376 miles. Salmon Arm to Revelstoke: 63 miles. Conditions: 9 degrees, pouring rain and very windy.
Once upon a time on a stormy summer day, there were two avid bikers, Jane and Julia. These two girls set out on their daily adventure bright eyed and bushy tailed, however with sore muscles gallore. Leaving Salmon Arm they were propelled forward by a strong tailwind, causing dirt and dust to whip at their chilled, exposed flesh. The two girls found nothing wrong with this scenario, a tail wind couldn't hurt anyone, could it?
Part way through their journey a storm began to form. Julia and Jane ran for cover under the nearest tree. As the rain pounded down and the lightning cracked over head the two girls shivered in their rain drenched shorts and thin waterproof jackets. "Well..." Julia said, "what are we going to do?"
"I think we need to play the safety card." said Jane reluctantly. So the two girls stuck out their thumb and waited for the perfect opprotunity to catch a ride along into Revelstoke. The end.
**Jane and Julia did not hitchhike, they caught a ride from Julia's father. Added for effect of story :)
Tip of the Day: Sun dance daily.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
The ups and downs.
Day 5: Total Mile Distance: 313 miles. Kamloops to Salmon Arm: 70 miles. Conditions: Hot with slight headwinds.
Today was an easy ride, mainly small hills with the occasional climb. However we had a headwind for almost the whole day. Absolutely nothing interesting happened... I left my bag in wallmart last night and it actually ended up getting returned. So that was the highlight of my morning. We stopped at a little road side town called Pritchard, with a small convenience store with a connected gas station and a interesting bridge. We've realized that these towns are getting more and more less...impressive, to say the least.
In the past few blogs i've been talking about stupid things my mom does...but today she managed to get off without doing anything mildly embarrasing. Which makes this post more boring than usual. (jokes..) We saw a train, which I waved at, and it blew its horn and scared us half to death. But other than that, today was scratch-free!
So far we've been very unimpressed with the wildlife out here, we saw a deer yesterday on a hill, and a deer the day before on the Coquihalla, but other than that nothing. Until today, there was two strange animals in longer grass that looked like a combination of a squirrel and a rat. Very odd... still am not sure what it was.
Tip of the Day: Don't break your iPod on day one, it makes for a very boring day two and three.
Today was an easy ride, mainly small hills with the occasional climb. However we had a headwind for almost the whole day. Absolutely nothing interesting happened... I left my bag in wallmart last night and it actually ended up getting returned. So that was the highlight of my morning. We stopped at a little road side town called Pritchard, with a small convenience store with a connected gas station and a interesting bridge. We've realized that these towns are getting more and more less...impressive, to say the least.
In the past few blogs i've been talking about stupid things my mom does...but today she managed to get off without doing anything mildly embarrasing. Which makes this post more boring than usual. (jokes..) We saw a train, which I waved at, and it blew its horn and scared us half to death. But other than that, today was scratch-free!
So far we've been very unimpressed with the wildlife out here, we saw a deer yesterday on a hill, and a deer the day before on the Coquihalla, but other than that nothing. Until today, there was two strange animals in longer grass that looked like a combination of a squirrel and a rat. Very odd... still am not sure what it was.
Tip of the Day: Don't break your iPod on day one, it makes for a very boring day two and three.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Hi winds!
Day 4: Total Mile Count: 242 miles. Merritt to Kamloops: 59 miles. Conditions: Dry heat.
Well...where do I start? Today was quite a disapointment. Mama bear had be anticipating an easy ride, 59 miles of rollings hills and plenty of easy coasting downhill. However, that is not what we recieved. Today was absolute torture. On a "quaint" little road through the Nicola Valley with a headwind my mom nor I have ever experienced before. All in all, the miles we did today felt like double that they should have. Again, quite a disapointment.
We stopped for our lunch on a little indian reservation. I must say, it was very eerie. The little log gas station, (the kind you see in old movies) with gas pumps barely reaching your hips. There were two little kids, one sitting in a chair and one on the arm, staring straight ahead not saying anything...other than the chatty worker it was silent. We went swimming there and it was super refreshing. Then my mom locked herself in the bathroom and then got locked into the store :) har har.
Tip of the Day: Stop and smell the flowers.
Well...where do I start? Today was quite a disapointment. Mama bear had be anticipating an easy ride, 59 miles of rollings hills and plenty of easy coasting downhill. However, that is not what we recieved. Today was absolute torture. On a "quaint" little road through the Nicola Valley with a headwind my mom nor I have ever experienced before. All in all, the miles we did today felt like double that they should have. Again, quite a disapointment.
We stopped for our lunch on a little indian reservation. I must say, it was very eerie. The little log gas station, (the kind you see in old movies) with gas pumps barely reaching your hips. There were two little kids, one sitting in a chair and one on the arm, staring straight ahead not saying anything...other than the chatty worker it was silent. We went swimming there and it was super refreshing. Then my mom locked herself in the bathroom and then got locked into the store :) har har.
Tip of the Day: Stop and smell the flowers.
Friday, July 9, 2010
The Climb
Day 3
Total Mile Distance: 175 miles. Hope to Merritt; 75 miles. Conditions: Hot.
Today was our first real day on the road, originating in Hope, our ride started with a 30 miles climb up the Coquihalla. Reaching record highs, with the temperature ranging from 28 degrees to 34. The hill wasn't as bad as we were expecting, however lots of traffic, fast moving trucks and cars and in some cases a lack of shoulder caused for a uncertain ride.
A pair of kayakers stopped at the viewpoint and commented that the "man" which was Jane was really far behind. A trucker stopped and approached my father and asked him if he was with the two cyclists and commented on how well we were doing for the conditions. We were getting so much support for biking up the Coquihalla, trucks honking and the small side comments, all because no sane person would ever want to do it.
So far I have made the conclusion that Canadians need to clean up their acts. :/ trash everywhere. The shoulders of roads filtered with fast food garbage and broken bottles.
Hint of the day: Never pass a bathroom without using it.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Just trying to figure things out
Hello All, I'm very new to this blogspot deal, so just bear with me. The reason I'm making this blog is to fill in all friends and family back home about me and my mom, Jane Fawley's bike trip/train trip across Canada. However, the details are still rather unclear to me, we leave on July 9th, its a 4000km ride originating here, in Vancouver and the first segment ending in Jasper, Alberta. There we are going to be embarking on a three day train ride to take us to Montreal where we will be spending a few days before leaving for our second part of the trip. We will be going through the remaining part of Quebec and then through the maritimes averaging 80 miles a day. Our destination is St. Johns, Newfoundland, where we will be flying home on the 17th.
Background on us?
Jane Fawley was born in Tanzania, Africa. She moved when she was 5 years old to live in the Cotswolds, England for a year before moving to Vancouver, where she has lived the rest of her life. She met a man named John Hawkins, my father, a man truely dedicated to athletics and is still competing in World Masters events all across the globe. Jane has always wanted to bike across Canada but has never found anyone to do it with her. Time was a large restriction so we shortened the trip to make it possible to do in a summer, with having remaining time to enjoy in Vancouver. Jane loves bicycle touring, having done the trip to San Fransisco twice, from Vancouver to Banff as well as numerous other shorter distance trips.
Me, my name is Julia Hawkins, I'm 17 years old, soon to enter into grade 12, and have lived in West Vancouver my whole life. I love being active and it appears I never stop moving. Im involved in all kinds of sports with clubs, and with school.
Our biking relationship together isn't very large, two years ago, we took our first bike trip together, simply down the oregan coast, a relatively easy ride when I was 15. And our last, being this past summer a very easy 6 day cycle in the Little Loire Valley in the French countryside. This trip will be the largest trip for the both of us.
Me and my mother have been organizing the trip for a few months now and anticipation is high, we've been training (her more so than me) in and around the Vancouver area. So.. wish us luck?
Julia.
Background on us?
Jane Fawley was born in Tanzania, Africa. She moved when she was 5 years old to live in the Cotswolds, England for a year before moving to Vancouver, where she has lived the rest of her life. She met a man named John Hawkins, my father, a man truely dedicated to athletics and is still competing in World Masters events all across the globe. Jane has always wanted to bike across Canada but has never found anyone to do it with her. Time was a large restriction so we shortened the trip to make it possible to do in a summer, with having remaining time to enjoy in Vancouver. Jane loves bicycle touring, having done the trip to San Fransisco twice, from Vancouver to Banff as well as numerous other shorter distance trips.
Me, my name is Julia Hawkins, I'm 17 years old, soon to enter into grade 12, and have lived in West Vancouver my whole life. I love being active and it appears I never stop moving. Im involved in all kinds of sports with clubs, and with school.
Our biking relationship together isn't very large, two years ago, we took our first bike trip together, simply down the oregan coast, a relatively easy ride when I was 15. And our last, being this past summer a very easy 6 day cycle in the Little Loire Valley in the French countryside. This trip will be the largest trip for the both of us.
Me and my mother have been organizing the trip for a few months now and anticipation is high, we've been training (her more so than me) in and around the Vancouver area. So.. wish us luck?
Julia.
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