Day 27 - Sha- (rp pain in my) -baqua (side) Corners

The theme for last night and this morning was "mosies" (mosquitos). They were in my tent biting me as I tried to sleep. Even when they weren't biting, the slightest movement of a hair sent me into swatting mode. Not the most restful night.

This morning, we just couldn't wait to get on the road again, not for what lay ahead, but to escape before we were eaten alive. I'm sure it would have been comical to watch us all flailing our limbs like rock and roll dancers from the 60's. I was the last out of the campsite at 8.

Currently, several of the guys on the tour are dealing with butt problems. In Atikokan, Owen and Ilan wisely called into the pharmacy for diaper rash medication and baby powder. A day of pampering later, they appear to be in good spirits. For my part, I'm still having some issues (that's probably enough detail for this blog), but I'm optimistic that I'll be able to deal with them in short order.

The highlight of today's ride was a stop at Quetico North Outfitters for a hot turkey sandwich, mashed potatoes, a delicious chocolate milkshake (thanks to Cat for the recommendation) and apple pie. Everything was great and that was a good thing because there wasn't really anywhere else to stop the whole day.

At km 70, we crossed another continental divide, this one dividing water flowing to the Arctic and Atlantic oceans. I wanted to touch a stream to feel a connection to the Atlantic, but there were none to be found. At least there was a sign.


Failed culinary experiment of the day: peanut butter, nutella and shreddies sandwich. Too dry.


Now I have ruthlessly assassinated every insect in my tent and am ready for a good night's sleep.

Today's track

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Day 26 - (smokin') Atikokan

This was the most uninhabited stretch of the tour so far. Over the 140 km between Fort Frances and Atikokan there was a grand total of two stores, both dingy looking old gas stations with no signs of life. It was a good day to load up the bike with food and water.

We rode through rocky, hilly forest interrupted frequently by marshes.

You could say there wasn't much to see but I wasn't bored by the scenery. Every marsh had a different combination of dead and dying trees, water, reeds and grasses.

I didn't mind the hills, either. Every few minutes there was a new challenge. Each hill had a climbing phase where I was only concerned with getting to the top, and a descending phase where I happily reaped the reward for the hard work. This broke up the ride and made time pass much more quickly than those long days in the prairies.

Even Jim, who used to grumble at the mention of hills, wasn't complaining. I rode with him most of the day and was amazed at how much his fitness has improved since Vancouver.

Also seen on today's ride, the longest place name ever:

Unfortunately, my GPS totally flaked out today so I have no track to share. Grrr.

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Day 25 - Rendez-Vous at Fort Frances

It was another day of experimenting, this time with my saddle.

It's hard to go wrong with duct tape but the jury is still out on whether it helped with the bum chafing. The bottom line is that your rear end is going to be sore after 150 km no matter what.

It was as long day with headwinds the whole time. There was absolutely no civilization to be found...

...between km 50 and km 100 and this caught a couple people off guard. Chris ran out of food and Graham ran out of water, and they both struggled as a result.

I rode alone for the whole day, catching up with Jim, Rick and Graham just in time for lunch in Nestor Falls. This worked well for me because I could always go at my own pace and that pace changed dramatically depending on how I felt from minute to minute. I also took very short breaks every 10 km or so and I think that helped.

We're staying indoors tonight at La Place Rendez-Vous overlooking another huge lake... Rainy Lake I think. It's so big, it even has seagulls.

We can hear the water lapping onto the beach from our room and that is a comforting sound to a shore dweller like me.

Today's track

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Day 24 - Sioux Narrows

This morning I dreamt that I was in an Airbus A380 super jumbo jet that was struggling to get off the ground. When I woke up, the reality wasn't much different. I had that feeling you get in the thin, recycled air of a jetliner. There didn't seem to be enough oxygen getting to my brain. As I got ready for the day, I left a trail of misplaced items behind me and made many unnecessary trips between the tent and the truck as I wandered around like a zombie.

Eventually I did get off the ground and 6 km down the road reached the Ontario border.

It's hard to believe we're in Ontario already.

Another experiment today, this time with "chamois cream", a balm you put on your nether regions to prevent chafing. I've always been reluctant to put goop down there but after yesterday I was ready to try anything. I'm not sure if it helped a whole lot but I could tell it was there. Instead of eating sticky buns like yesterday, today I had sticky buns (TMI?).

I rode a lot more slowly today and was feeling better at the end of the ride than at the beginning. We went through Kenora, which looked out on a beautiful big lake, and also saw this thing.

Today's track

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Selkirk Rest Day

The day in Selkirk was the most restful of any rest day so far. I went for a walk to the grocery store, watched some TV, cleaned my chain, and that was about it.

There are a lot of churches in Selkirk. I guess the bible belt extends into Canada here. Here's a church sign we found amusing:

Another thing I noticed that is probably not interesting to anyone but myself was this AMC Eagle from around 1980, not long before AMC disappeared into oblivion:

The Eagle was ahead of its time in introducing four wheel drive in a wagon, way before Subaru grabbed onto that niche. This example was in such good condition, I wondered how the owner maintained it. Then I noticed no fewer than seven parts cars on the same lot. I guess that's how.

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Day 23 - West Hawk (mo' action) Lake

As we got going this morning, it occurred to me that I am still enjoying riding my bike. You'd think I'd be tired of it by now, but I look forward to hitting the road every day. It was a beautiful day for a ride, sunny but cool. There was a mild headwind, just enough to make us feel like we were working.

The highlight of the day for me was this bakery in Whitemouth (i.e. the middle of nowhere).

I had a tasty burrito and sticky bun. It was like walking into someone's house that happened to have tables set up in the rooms and a gigantic kitchen sticking off the back. In keeping with the religious theme of this area, there were bible quotes and stuff like that scattered throughout the house. On the wall next to our table was the Lord's Prayer and on top of the toilet a card inscribed with "God is Merciful".

With our appetites and souls replenished, we continued and soon reached the end of the prairies. Unlike the start of the prairies which were gradually revealed by flattening foothills, this transition was immediate. One minute we were riding through fields, the next we were riding through rocks and trees...

Today I tried an experiment, using a easier gear than usual and spinning the pedals a lot faster. This requires less pressure on the pedals and, I hoped, less pressure on my knees. The experiment was successful in preventing knee troubles but there were two side effects. First, the extra pedaling did a number on my butt - towards the end I was starting to grimace. The other was fatigue. With about 30 km to go I felt like I had nothing left in the tank. The love for cycling that I had felt earlier had evaporated and I just wanted to lie down.

And now I am lying down, hopeful that my butt will recover and pretty sure that tomorrow morning I'll be chomping at the bit to get going again.

Today's track

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Day 22 - Selkirk (... yup, Selkirk)

Today was supposed to be the flattest day on the tour and it delivered. It was 120 km of pancake flat prairie, with the occasional hay bale,

A few flooded areas,

And flies that were able to keep up with us at 25 km/h. Riding behind Chris, I could see literally a swarm of insects around him. At one point we were forced to ride faster because they were starting to bite us.

Now we're in a hotel in Selkirk, about 35 km north of Winnipeg. If I feel ambitious tomorrow I might get a bus into the city, but it's more likely that I'll hang around and do nothing. There's a Smitty's next door and a McDonald's and Subway next to that, so I'd say we have everything we need for a lazy day.

Today's track

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