The North Shore

The North Shore route was a trek within a trip. In 9 days I went 1243 km from Kenora to Thunder Bay, then around Lake Superior to Sault Ste. Marie. My jelly legs and I are currently enjoying a relaxing day in the Sault. I made sweet potato hash browns, had leftover pad thai, and am devouring a delicious smoothie at some local coffee shop, "Dish".

As soon as I hit Kenora, Ontario it felt like familiar terrain. I felt like I was close to home as I traded the prairie tundra for lakes, hills, trees, and signs that said, "no snowmobiling on the sidewalk." I'd hitched a ride from Winnipeg with the fellow I was staying with as he was going climbing in the area. Needing to make up a few days to get to Toronto for the long weekend, I happily traded in two windy prairie days for the new landscape.

On the way from Kenora to Thunder bay I had the pleasure of meeting a host of bikers! Up to this point I really hadn't met anyone biking across Canada. A few spandexed hardcores on their slick road bikes out for a their daily cruise, but no fellow weary-eyed bike tourists loaded down like mules. But the mule men were on this stretch! And a mule-maiden for that matter. I had the pleasure of running into a middle aged duo doing the cross-Canada in sections, an older couple taking it slow but steady on their way to halifax, and a 30ish year old brit who is taking a few years to bike from Alaska to the tip of South America. I camped with them for a night or two and enjoyed the company. My introverted self has been loving travelling alone, but it was also nice to get to know some people and realize my days on the road haven't completely eliminated my capacity for conversation.
I had my first major bike repair incident when my chain snapped the day I was going to try and make Thunder Bay. Fortunately, the Brit who was only a short distance behind me had 15 years previous bike repair experience! He did in 2 minutes what probably would have taken me a half hour. We replaced the link in my chain and I carried on the Thunder Bay without difficulty.

Seeing the Great Lakes for the first time was quite special. I took my take-out and tea down to the shores of Lake Superior and gazed out upon the expanse for the first time. I am sure I am not alone in cherishing the experience of gazing into a horizon that doesn't end before your eyesight does. I felt such peace as the sun set on the great body of water. I felt as if I aged 6 decades in a moment. I could imagine myself as an ancient man staring out on a similar expanse on a similar day and feeling the exact same as I did right then, content and complete. As if I had reached the extent of some forms of the human experience and while I may feel identical someday, I could never feel them more fully.

I found the most glorious campsites along the north shore and met up with a few other bikers who I saw on the road daily throughout my trip. A wonderful Spaniard named Simon and a young 20 year old from Kalamazoo named David. They were fast bikers. Simon had raced as a young man and has been literally all over the world bicycle touring. Peru, South America, Europe, Malasia. That is not even uncovering the surface of all of the places he's been. And David is a fit young passionate cyclist studying Political science for the purpose of bicycling. Do not worry, I do not see a direct correlation either, but they were both very great people.

3 days before I made it to Sault Ste Marie I woke up at 2am in immense pain. I swallowed and it felt like glas shards grating against my throat. If expletives are any indication of how difficult days are, this day would take the cake before my alarm went off at 7am. I popped some tylenol and went to the bathroom to see what was going on. My tonsils were red, inflamed, and painful. I wasn't sure what I was going to do. Should I hitch hike into Sault Ste Marie and rest there? Should I get some Halls and tough it out? As I contemplated my predicament I started to filter 5 liters of water because my campsite water wasn't  potable as it started to rain, further cheering me up. And as if a ray of sunshine wanted to shine straight down on me, as I finished up filtering water into my camelback, a time consuming process with my filter, I spilled all 3L of drinking water on the ground. This caused an eruption of curses that I think will make sure no other day beats August 23rd for parental advisory cautions.

I needed a time-out. As I went to the lake to spend some much needed time with God I remembered the wise words of "The 100 year old man who climbed out the window and disappeared" (a brilliant book I'd been listening to). "What has happened happened, what will be will be." I cannot control how terrible my sleep and morning have been, but I have some control over my day and how I will process it. And so, the day improved. My legs were surprisingly well rested. The tylenol kicked in. I bought some halls. And was able to make it through the next 3 days with only minor pain and interrupted sleeps.

And so here I am in Sault. Tomorrow I am hopefully catching a ride to Niagara Falls and then biking to Toronto then having a glorious weekend at a cabin. My sister is looking at flights to join me on the east coast for a week around NB, PEI, and NS. Enjoy the end of summer and the leaves as they start to turn. I am hoping to be in Montreal with maple syrup filled french toast when they are really colorful.