I am surprised to find that some of you tune in daily for updates. Actually, sorry might be a better word there. :) Since I won't be on my bike for about a week, I will be switching to a car/bus/train...( I can hear kathy now..'Trains! Cheating!") I am going to do a massive summary at the end of the break and then resume my bike trip to the coast. Expect a delay of about a week to 10 days while I enjoy the company of family and friends. See you soon, David
Dear Readers,
I am surprised to find that some of you tune in daily for updates. Actually, sorry might be a better word there. :) Since I won't be on my bike for about a week, I will be switching to a car/bus/train...( I can hear kathy now..'Trains! Cheating!") I am going to do a massive summary at the end of the break and then resume my bike trip to the coast. Expect a delay of about a week to 10 days while I enjoy the company of family and friends. See you soon, David
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In times of personal difficulties, I often find the words of Jon Bon Jovi quite comforting. It was a 75 km ride into the City of the Future. Unfortunately, once Toronto ate it up, it lost its city status. Sad to see. It was around the Scarborough Town Centre (4th biggest Shopping Centre in Canada!) that I recognized the landmarks that were once so familiar to me. I rode on the sidewalk since the streets were getting so busy and I turned up Saratoga St. to see the Wattersons, parents of Jim Watterson. I found the place and knocked on the door and Jim's dad answered it. He said hello warmly and then stood there as if expecting me to sell him something. It took me a second to realize he didn't know who I was so I told him and then the recognition kicked in. We parked the bike around the side and I had a seat in the kitchen. Mrs. Watterson came in the kitchen and I filled them in on my adventures and plans very briefly. I have tried somewhat to let people know of my plans. The nice thing about being on a bike is that I have some flexibility in terms of departure. I was quite happy with our little chat but like so many others, they wanted more Dave so I graciously accepted an invitation for dinner next Wednesday. They were very excited to be upgraded from "Host Dave Schulte in Ontario" runners up to finalists! Well done! Before I left, Mrs. Watterson sent me off with a currant loaf which I have made quick work of! Delicious! I came home to the house that I grew up in and there are a few changes to the place but it still looks the same. Sue, my stepmother, heard me rummaging around the back with my bike and I went inside to greet her. Juno the old black lab is still kicking even though her medical problems seem to be increasing. Once I showered, Sue and I caught up and I found out that Tara, my youngest sister was arriving back from Europe via Scotland, France, and Switzerland where she attended the wedding of my neice Charlene. While Sue was at the airport, I took Juno around the block for a walk but after about 10 minutes, the excersise and heat was getting to her but she was ableWe had an exhibition of pictures and video before heading to Red Lobster for dinner. I also did a skype chat with my 2nd youngest sister Lisa in Scotland. The boardding house where she is staying can't afford a sound system so she could see and hear us but only sign and type back at us. We were looking at the Scotland pictures so most of the conversation was me looking up at the Scotland pictures while Lisa watched me. The gift of technology!! The location of Red Lobster has changed and we headed west to find the closest one. The meal was good and our manager came and had a lengthy conversation with us. I noticed that he didn't mind interacting with Tara at all but was disappointed when he turned down the offer to sponser the remainder of my trip. I think Red Lobster is trying to turn itself into a ritzy restaurant by having the manages come around to the table to talk the guests. Still, good to chat with him. Tara was definitely jet-lagged by the time we finished dinner so we let her go home. I got a nice sleep in Lisa's bed There are few sons who would demonstrate such tenacity and courage to see their mothers but I am one of those rare treasures. It took me 2 months and 4000 kms but I finally got to see her. The 14 km bike ride into Uxbridge wasn't too challenging and it was good to see her again. She cooked me a delcious lunch and was very happy to help me finish off her tub of Velvet ice cream and her Voortman Cookies. I think the Voortman cookies were the limited edition commerating the war of 1812 becuase they were not unlike the hard tack that the soldiers were issued as rations. Luckily, my standards have shifted to new lows. She has a new cat to add to her old one (Pippy) and her terrier (Beau). We did a quick walk around to meet people and pets and then went to Swiss Chalet for dinner. It was packed but we managed to have a good meal and good conversation. My wife Megumi had money on me quitting my tour in Edmonton and then after that bet lost, her "to show" bet was Toronto because I would have seen my family. We'll see if her prediction comes true! It was with a heavy heart that I left the comfort of the Loneys and Gleasons. I'd had such a good time at MBC and I was sad to have it end so soon. I had hoped that someone might have stolen my bike or I might have strained a muscle while moving the heavy timber over to the fire the night before but no such luck. Dan, Karen and Uncle Orv were nice enough to drive me all the way to Orillia before letting me go. Dan was impressed with the weight on the bike and how it affected the steering and control. More pictures and I finally set off again. I had had a great visit! Because I was so close to Port Perry now, I was only a few hours away from my sisters. She emailed me to find out where I was. Seems like the phone I have is buzzing constantly with people asking on my whereabouts. I need to stop into the conservation office and have them implant a transmitter so people can follow my moments. I told Kathy the location and which highway I was heading down, I suspected she would come do a driveby with the kids and she did but it was with the bass booming and her throwing her hands in the air to the music. Nice. She pulled over and I made as if to keep going for 2 seconds before I spun around again. I noticed the Snickers bar in the passenger seat and made to grab for it casually but she cut me off and said it was for me anyway. She also produced a bottle of cold water. Well done! She wanted to sully my biking record by offering to take me into town but we compromised on her taking my bags in. While she went shopping, I entered the house and calmed the barking Boxer Toby by saying his name. Because my clothes were at her house though, I did not have a clean set to change into so I did what any reasonable person would do and helped myself to a bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream. Soon enough, she arrived with enough food to feed the Maple Leafs training camp. I cleaned up and we had a good talk and caught up on family events. Soon her husband Andrew arrived with son Jake who proceeded to give a fashion show of his back to school clothes. Songs and stories with the little ones Keira and Brooklynn followed. My younger sister Kathryn has struggled for years with Autism so it is sometimes hard for her to seperate some nuances in dailty life. So, when we we started talking about the bike trip at dinner, she would shout out,"Trains! Cheating!" and bang her cultery on the table several times. She doesn't understand that I was not riding the train but only riding on the old railbeds. It's the same with the Ferry across Georgian Bay. She would shout out, "Boat ride!!! Cheating!!!!" and no matter how many times I tried to tell her that I HAD to take the Ferry, she wouldn't listen. This distraction oppoing up occasionally did not spoil a fantastic dinner of Quesadillas! During dinner, the subject of Brooklynn's filled diapers came up and Jake quickly put an end to that conversation but no sooner had he done that when he started discussig how Toby had a leaky bottom. He went into great detail about how Toby would be on his sheets and in the morning, it was like the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina! I put an end to that topic but also found that I was ok without a 2nd helping of Quesadillas. After dinner, Keira saw me as an easy mark and had me read "Peter Pan" to her and Brooklynn. The version is a collector's item becuase of the extra-small fine print and the highly detailed version of events. Apparently, its her favourite but rare for her to have people read it because it is so long! One 45 minute version was enough for me to summarize the next day. When the little ones were put to bed, we played an energetic version of the card game,"Pit". For those of you unfamiliar with the game, you try to get a set of 9 cards by trading a number of hidden cards with other players. Apparently, the rules have changed a bit because my nephew would trade 3 cards for 2 and Kathy was calling out the kind of cards she wanted. Big no-nos in this game. Still, its not my house so who am I to judge. Oddly enough, Kathy won the game but I found great satisfaction in trading the "Bear" (penalty card") to Andrew seconds before someone had a set. Great fun (even with the cheating). I got to sleep in Jake's bed and apparently it is a package deal with Toby the Boxer included. To his credit, he slept straight as a board and he managed to control his bottom wonderfully. Thank goodness too because he was coming at me with guns hot!! A great day! My last day at Mary Lake was actually very relaxing. I updated the blog, read a book, and did lots of sitting. I watched Karen bake a peach cobbler while we chatted. We had a all-you-can-eat feast in the camp restaurant. I followed Uncle Orv's lead and avoided filling up on the buns and salads and went straight for the entrees. Soon, I was downing salmon down my throat like I was a seal at Marineland. Once I;d satiated my hunger a little, I enjoyed the vegetables and rice as well. Dinner was only an hour and we ended up being the last table as I felt it was only polite to have a 2nd piece of Banana Cake to show how much I liked the meal! I will dream of this dinner in the weeks to come. That night we had a campfire and ran through all the campfire and hymms that we knew and that I could play on the ukulele. I discover that Uncle Orv and Aunt Ruth actually sang at the Grand Ole Opry on stage. I come from a talented family! Dan continues to impress with his unlimited skill set. He produces PERFECT popcorn over the PERFECT fire and completes the evening with PERFECT marshmallow roasting. The Campfire was highly successful and we even finished off the evening with a 4 part round of "Fire's Burning" that was not actually Carnegie Hall quality but was fairly respectable considering what I had to work with! :) A nice way to end my visit here. I was able to sleep in until 7:00 before my stomach commanded me to rise. I had a generous bowl of mini-wheats and that calmed it for the time being. Life started slowly but in a burst of activity, Karen prepared a lunch for us while we went to the Art Centre. Before that, we went to Oxtongue Rapids where Aunt Ruth had her ashes spread. It was a warm, summer morning and soothing to hear the water rushing over the rocks. Dan scoped out possible fishing spots in the eddies. After this, we made our way to the Art Centre but stopped in at the Algonquin Outfitters store which is the Huntsville equivalent of the Mountain Equipment Coop. They had some neat stuff that I was tempted to buy but being halfway through my trip, decided I didn't need it now. Karen and Dan however, I think feel a philanthropic obligation to support the struggling people of Muskoka and purchased several items. Karen was nice enough to gift me two postcards since she'd heard I was sending mom and Megumi a postcard a day. We made it to the centre and enjoyed our lunch under the shade of a maple tree. The art centre had fantastic pieces all priced in the $2000-$7000 range. Uncle Orv had his eye on several pieces and if I hadn't been on my bike, I'm sure I could have found something nice for the living room of my own abode. My price range was more within the stamp size reprints and postcards. Still, a beautiful exhibit. The highlight of the trip was the visit to the Kawartha Dairies. When we got there, at least 15 people formed the lineup. They had a thick guide tied to the lineup ropes that defined the various flavours. Like good poker players, Dan and I kept our choices secret until the last minute. I was traditional and went with Tiger Tail which used to be impossible to find in Northern BC but I'm glad to say that the Superstore has started bringing it in within the last year. We shared a dinner of Lasagna and then went our seperate ways. Dan headed down to the docks to catch fish while Karen and I walked the grounds. It was Karen and Dan's 24th anniversary so with 24 being the fishing rod year, she joined him at the docks. Dan is not unlike the character in Hemmingway's "Old Man and the Sea", always pursuing the big trophy catch. Karen started in fishing and within about 3 minutes, had hooked a sunfish. Dan took over to get the fish and Karen wanted to touch it. Almost before she did it, I sensed it wasn't a good idea and when she did, the fish flopped in Dan's hand and Karen let out a deafening scream. The poor fish free-falled forty times its body length before hitting the dock, flopping again, and fell back into the lake. Quite the scene. Undaunted by that experience, Karen grabbed the pole again and soon had a big strike on the rod. It was a pike. Dan grabbed the net while Karen tried to haul the fish out of the water with just the rod and hook. The pike was subdued and Dan tried to get the scale to measure it. We managed to get Karen holding the fish but again, the flipping and the subsequent screaming set the fish loose but this time on the dock. I would have eyeballed the thing at about 20" and possibly 2.5 lbs. Dan couldn't get the scale to work and sort of kicked the fish gently back into the water. After that, Karen decided that she'd had enough while Dan continued to look for his big fish. Later on, the size and weight of the fish continued to grow with each subsequent re-telling of the story. Tomorrow is strange because it will be the 2nd rest day in a row, something I haven't done for 6 weeks. Again the train routes are very relaxing and like train travel, take more time but it is so nice to be off the roads!! I take so much time getting out of Midland due to the numerous plaques detailing the dying industries of engines, ship building, grain handling, and coal shipping. Midland is now a place of tourism but in their wisdom, they made the train yards into walkways. This means that you get to bike through these massive mansions whose backyards have been fenced as well as their water access to their docks and high-priced water machines. Still, the harbour is beautiful and makes for a pleasant ride. At #16, before Coldwater, I am forced back on the roads. Its not too bad and the truite nice. The library is closed but I am excited because today, I get to see my relatives in Gravenhurst. They are going to pick me up and drive me the rest of the way to Huntsville. I head up Rama Rd trail which also has used the train tracks but the gravel is a little rough. Soon, I am back on the road as the trail ends. I am surrounded by corn fields and I pause when I meet a road closed sign. I ask a nearby lady if there is anyway to get across and she shakes her head. I decide I will find away across but when I get there, the bridge is completely out. I survey the scene around me and when I see the train trestle, a plan takes shape. At great risk to myself, I push my bike across the 5 metre train bridge and link up to the other side. One for the cyclists!! In Washago, I ask about an alternative around the hwy #11 and am told to take a side route. I miss the side route and end up looking at some particularly fast-moving traffic with nothing resembling shoulders. I map it out and it is 13 km to Gravenhurst versus 65 km to go around the long, "safe" way. The night before I read a story about a gentleman who rode #11 and was smashed on the head by a truck carrying stuff hanging 4 ft off his truck. I decide that 13km isn't too long, but my bike in the lowest gear and ride to the far right of the shoulder. This works but I really do feel like I should not be here. Maybe someone could look into fixing this. I think the stores along 11 are suffering too becuase traffic is moving so fast that people do not have time to pull in safely. Another hgihlight of this trip was running across 11 where the route divides between gravenhurst and northbay. I looked all over but nothing ressembling a pedestrian crossway exists to stop the 100 km + traffic!!! What a rush! In Gravenhurst, I contact the warm showers host there, Brandon McGregor who offers me beer, a warm shower, and provides details of the next route to take in Quebec. Hundreds of trails exist and my route to Quebec can be quite pleasant. He shows me a bike he uses for snow and the tires are about 10 cm across. He says they work great on the snowmobile trails. It was good to meet Brandon, however briefly. Although the Gleason family, led by Karen, followed by Dan and Uncle Orv are slightly late (3 minutes), it is still wonderful to see them! It's even nicer to have all my stuff loaded into a car and my bike stuck on the back rack! There is talk of a concert by "The Good Brothers" and I have to ask twice to make sure I am hearing them correctly and not feeling the effects of the beer I have had previously. Karen questions who they are and I silently scold Uncle Orv for not raising Karen in a more musically-aware environment. I saw "The Good Brothers" in Quebec and remember one of their many hits, "Fox on the Run". We got there and they had already started playing but it sounded good, especially the fiddle. They made terrible jokes about being twins and their surprised father saying he would drown the ugliest of the two. They also started "Duelling Banjos" but stopped after the slow part saying, "that's all we know". They played the whole thing after that and it was also great. As soon as they played "Fox on the Run", we left for their beautiful cottage on Mary Lake. It was so good to see them again and there was lots of laughter and remembering, perhaps a little less on the part of Uncle Orv! :) Rachel, Karen's daughter, has surprised the family by bringing home a Siamese kitten. Its name is Aurora and I hold it and get get my picture taken with it. I send the picture to Megumi with the caption being,"My new kitty!" and within about 7 seconds, get a phone call with my wife screaming that I need to get the kitten home as soon as possible. Wow. I need to send that picture if I ever want an instant response from her. I plan on being here a few days before heading down to Toronto. I left Owen Sound feeling refreshed and renewed but at the same time, feeling like I hadn't really explored the city properly. Perhaps a "car visit" is in order later. I had gotten some advice from a cyclist in Gravenhurst so I was going to try the train track paths that had been created from the old rail lines. I rode the #26 to Meaford, passed close by the town where Tom Thompson (Leith) lived. The plaque was 7 km in so visiting was not an option. I made it to Meaford, At Meaford, I used the library quickly, reconfirmed with warm showers people down the line, and hooked on to the trails along the water. They were fantastic. They were not paved but very fine gravel and it was interesting to think that the trains had moved past the backyards so closely. I would have to stop to cross a street but otherwise, I was rolling on ahead and passing other cyclists who were not loaded down with packs. I thought the term "Naked Cyclists" might be appropriate for these people. In a way, I feel sad for them because they are missing out on the joy of carting around 75 lbs of stuff on their bike... I made it to Collingwood in time to miss a rainfall and checked my email. In a cruel game of takeaway, the host I had decided to move 30 kms north to a cottage campsite. After having done 50 kms already, another 30 kms added on was a bit daunting. I tried to go towards Wasaga but I found I was getting discouraged by the heat and traffic. In times of stress, I find I can almost always find comfort in ice cream. So, I sat down and mapped out some close places for me to stay. There was a place in Midland which was 40 km versus 80 km at the other spot. I made arrangements with Jim in Midland and headed into Wasaga beach. Wasaga beach is a huge, touristy beach popular with Ontarions. The scenery was breathtaking as I wove my bike amongst the beachgoers. I headed past the main drag and wound down the country roads. I came across a huge paintball convention with hundreds of cars parked and people walking around with highpowered paintball guns. There were also campers, RV's, and tents of people hanging around to shoot each other. It was as I was taking a water break on the beach road that wound along Georgian Bay that I saw the 1st corvette go by. At 15 corvettes, I realized I was in a parade. I got back on the road and apparently, driving a corvette in a parade of other corvette exempts you from the rules of the road! Most gave space but several cruised right by me and most were all exceeding the 40km posted on the road. I later learned it was the Wasaga Beach Corvette Convention who had organized this thing. In the end, roughly 250 corvettes raced down the back roads in formation. I found another train track trail and swung into Midland. Jim and Mary Hunt met me at the door. They live in a magnificient old Ontario brick home. Jim had also done a cross-Canada bike trip so we shared stories over a great spaghetti dinner. They let me shower and then Jim took me on a tour of the town. Turns out that Jim is an artist at heart. So good in fact, that the town hired him to construct a steel swan for the 2000 year. Its about 10 metres across and made from stainless steel. Fame is not without its conflict. There is a small rivalry between Wawa (Big Goose) and Midland (Big Swan). Hopefully, no bloodshed will occur. Jim is also responsible for the design of the mural on the grain handling facility. Jim also tells stories about relatives who were at Frog Lake and were protected by Big Bear from the other leaders of the 1887 Rebellion. He showed me a movie he'd made of his own trip and it made me think that I need to produce something myself once this is all over. We watched a terrible movie on netflix about a musician who falls in love with a hearing impaired girl. I'll stop the description there because I can feel my lunch wanting to come up again! The next morning, I had breakfast for a king and I finally asked as they put another slice of toast on my plate, "Will you let me go it I finish this last piece?". At breakfast, Mary reluctantly reveals that she is a co-arthor of a best-selling cookbook about Georgian Bay recipes. Apparently, you can buy a copy for $2 on amazon or the next highest price $120. Get the cheap copy fast! I really wish I could have spent more time with them but I hurried off down the train trails to Orillia. After the downpour the night before, it was good to see the sun again when I woke up in Tobermory. I headed out on Hwy 6 and enjoyed the quiet conutry roads as the Ferry Traffic wasn't due for an hour or so. I have been enjoying the early 19th Century farmhouses I see and the buildings in town are cool too. I stopped in Ferndale to rest and when I came out, a wall of clouds and rain greeted me. I did what anyone would do at 10 am and went for ice cream next door. I ate a delicious cookie dough scoop (s?) and watched the clouds for a break. After about 2 hours, I finally got up to leave and the owner figured that even though the rain had stopped that I was going to get wet. I biked a kilometre down the road before I saw an old Catholic school serving as a thrift shop. Hoping to stock up on dry clothes, I managed to find a t-shirt, a sweater, and a tiny pillow! The piloow is an excess I guess but I really miss having one! When I got outside, the sun was shining brightly and a few ominous clouds were in the distance. There were big honking windmills in the next lot over going full tilt. There is some opposition to these because I see the odd sign here and there protesting them. Today is a very social day. I see a guy limping with a cane and pushing a baby carriage along the road. His name is Motes and he is walking to Ohio because he is too injured to work. He lists his ailments off and he is fitted with knee braces and ankle braces! He doesn't have a cause and I am almost thankful! What a guy! I peddle a bit more and come up on a cyclist who is not moving too fast. He doesn't have a mirror so I follow him for about 5 minutes before the traffic clears and I go up beside him. I consider sneaking up behind him and shouting,"HOW ARE YOU??!!" but see that could be dangerous to him. It turns out he is breaking his trip in two and heading back to teach at a Catholic school in Vancouver! He is going to Hamilton so his trip is finished until next summer. We ride side by side and I am checking my mirror constantly to make sure my trip doesn't end with my brains on the side of the road here. We agree that Hwy 17 is brutal and that the driving is getting worse. He pulls off into a rest stop and I wish him well and continue on. I make it to Wiarton and stop in the library. I see next door is the Wiarton Willie cage and I go to investigate. He does not seem to be home. I make a call to the guy whose cell phone I picked up in Sask and as I'm talking, I notice the shape of a groundhog. As soon as I move closer, he goes underground. When I go to look in the underground part, he goes back up! I finally saw Willie and he says it looks like another 6 weeks of biking for me! At the Tim Horton's just outside Owen Sound, several people ask me about my trip and 1 guy sits down and inquires as to where I am going and where I have been. he doesn't recognize the places I talk about and I realize based on his dress that he too is a cyclist. He is coming from Pennsylvania and went up to the Soo via Duluth and then came back down via Espanola. His name is Ryan Caines and he is taking a very casually trip of around 70 km a day. Bruce would not be pleased! I arrive in Owen Sound and find the house of Paul. It has a nice backyard and Paul comes out to talk. He reminds me of a Surfer a bit. I head to the YMCA where Tonia is nice enough to grant me a free shower and then I head home. Its a late night as I check the advice from the warm shower people ahead of me. Brandon has suggested a stone dust trail which might be nicer than HWy 26 which gets pretty busy. I turn in and enjoy my night as I fade off to the sounds of the folk fest in the distance. So, if you take this picture, remove the sun and then turn Lake Superior over so that it falls to the ground, you have a good idea of what my day was like. I goofed around in Espanola and then tried to meet David Pope the warm showers host in the area. He told me the area was hilly and he was right. I had also loaded up on groceries too so I was extra heavy. I failed to mention that I finally managed to eat the last of the 55 packages of oatmeal I had brought from BC. But, I got back up on that horse again and invested in a more moderate 16 packages of high-end oatmeal. None of this no-name stuff! I saw a plaque that said Franklin Roosevelt had fished here in 1943 before his Quebec trip for the conference with Churchill and Stalin I believe. I gave David a call and found I had gone too far so I thanked him for all the help and advice he has given me. I cannot overstate the importance of what people have to say about roads in their area. Because of David, I am doing the #6 down instead of battling transports on 17. I think it was looking grey and I thought I would wait it out in a restaurant while it passed. Well, the rain subsided in parts but never actually stopped. At times, it was brutal and I gave up on all attempts to stay dry. It was with great relief that I made it to the South Baymouth just as the rain was dying out. Along the way, my ipod suddenly shut off and I suspect it drowned. :( I made inquires about a motel room but the $111 was too chere for me. I took the ferry across and discovered that my sleeping was partially wet. Very amateur! I need to start sticking things in garbage bags again. I have been spoiled on this trip! I deplaned in Tobermory and it was still raining. I waited under and awning 'til about 12:30 am and walked around and looked for a covered spot. I finally found a park that was dark, had coverage, and had picnic tables. I don't know why but I am suddenly finding picnic tables very comfortable to sleep on! I look up and see starts so tomorrow should be nicer. |
About meAmateur cyclist, bon vivant, writer and internationally acclaimed singer/songwriter. Archives
February 2013
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