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.
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.