Author: bikeral2000

A nice riding day but it got really hot.  We were on back roads all the way, sometimes along the water.  The road was rough in places and often had expansion cracks, too.

We stopped mid morning for a snack and on the door was this sign.

Now who wears stiletto heels?  And this was out in the country.

Later when we stopped for lunch, we just wanted a shady spot with a view.  We couldn’t find both together so we settled for the shade at the end of a driveway. By then it was bloody hot.

I made the mistake of walking up town this afternoon and tho’t I was going to melt.  I needed toothpaste and wine.  I will appreciate that wine once it gets cold.

You’ve noticed by now that we have some wierd town names.  These are all native Indian names.

43.4 miles today . 3221.2 .Total

We had a really restful day today.  Cleaned my bike and did my kitchen chores.

I was in charge of kitchen clean up last nite but went to bed and forgot to start the dishwasher.  So all nite long I was awake waiting for it to be early enough to start it without waking everyone up.  I knew others had had problems starting it because you had to shut the door just so.  I got up three different times trying to start it and finally the third time I succeeded.  Didn’t get much sleep worryimg about it.  Dumb!

Started a new book and played Sudoku so no real action today.  I did visit with the owner of the house we are in and picked a few blueberries with her.  Otherwise a real laid back day.

Beautiful day today.  We all had a leisurely breakfast and then rode through the park that was only a couple miles from where we are staying.  We had a nice shady bike path through the whole park.  Destination was a beach so some of the riders could go swim.  Three of us came back early because we didn’t want to swim.  Those that did said they saw several jellyfish which apparently aren’t particularly friendly.  Not my idea of a good time.

Just relaxed the rest of the afternoon, reading or talking.  Maggie cooked a scrumptious dinner and then we all played a trivia game.  One of the riders researched on the internet and came up with five categories of questions.  They were really hard.  I’m not good at that anyway but her questions made me feel really dumb.  However, Janice and I did come in second.

Tomorrow will be a rest day for all of us.

23.7 miles today.  3177.8 total

Started out sprinkling just before we left.

I am an early bird and like to get on the road as early as possible, regardless of how far I need to ride.  Breakfast wasn’t served til 7 and no one left before 8.  I didn’t want to ride out alone and good thing I didn’t.  I would have taken off in the wrong direction.  So Michaell and I rode together and we got into our destination just as it started to rain.  And rain hard it did.  We lucked out.

He always teases me about being the early bird and how I have to be patient.  Yeah, but it drives me crazy.

We are staying at an air bnb tonite and it is a great house.  Each of us have a bed, two bathrooms, a large kitchen, a sitting area and a screened in porch.  Quite the luxury compared to some cramped motel rooms.  We bought food and are cooking all our meals for the next three days.  Tonight’s dinner was awesome.  Grilled hamb, baked potato, and veggies.

The property is right next to a national park so there is lots to do the next couple days.  We have two rest days here.

No pictures today as it threatened rain all day.

34.0 miles today.  3154.1 miles total

I picked a really good day to not have to ride.  I didn’t actually pick it, I was assigned.  It was over 70 miles and very boring compared to what we have been riding.  And they had a headwind.  My legs were rejoicing in the van.

One thing I’ve noticed about the Canadian towns since Quebec, is that they are long and strung out.  It may be 10 km to town but another 10 km to the end of town.

Last nite I rode five miles from the motel on one end of town to the grocery store on the other end and I didn’t get to the end of town yet.  It’s like they have one main Street and everything is right on the main Street, with minor exception.

They do have a few side streets sometimes but they only go a block or so.  So whenever we are told so many km to where we are going, I add at least another 10 and I might be close.

Today’s motel was a case in point.  We drove thru town forever to find it.  I just think this is odd.  Consequently, towns are very close to each other.  You leave one and soon are heading into another.

I am starting to have trouble with my phone so if you don’t hear from me in the next few days, don’t worry.  It seems to have a mind of its own and only works when it wants to.  I need to get to a big city to get it checked.  That is if they have Verizon up here in Canada.  Such a pain.  Consider no news, good news.

No riding today.

A beautiful day of riding.  Nice roads, one with no shoulder but very little traffic and the other more trafficked but with a decent shoulder.

We all started out together and once out of town, broke off in to smaller groups or by ourselves.  I rode with Janice and Michael most of the way.  Janice and I stopped for a grilled cheese sandwich just before town, which I never do but we were both hungry and since it was a short day, I decided I could break my rules.  Usually I never stop until I see my destination. Fortunately, it was only another two miles up the road.

The weather was perfect as long as we were riding, but, as soon as we stopped for water or a snack or to take a picture, the sweat just rolled off us.  Kind of a weird day.  I sweated as usual but at least it wasn’t rolling in my eyes.

Once at the motel, I looked for Maggie who was recommended as someone who could trim my hair.  I needed to get rid of an inch and she did a superb job.  I’m a happy camper.

I rode into town after reaching the motel which was on the outskirts.  I had no idea how far it was to the supermarket but turned out to be 4.75 miles from the motel.  So I rode an extra 9.5 miles just to get breakfast and lunch for tomorrow.  And by then it was HOT.  But you do what you have to do.

We all went to dinner at a seafood restaurant tonite as our last nite together before we lose two more riders.  Karen and Katherine are both leaving on Sunday.  But we will pick up two more riders next week.  It seems like we just get bonded and someone has to leave.

Our dinner near the water.

Last nite I had a really bad sleep.  I was awake at 11, 1, 3, and 5 and finally decided to get up.  Every time I woke up, I stretched my legs and they were really tired.  Tomorrow I get a rest day as the co-pilot.  Yeah!

49.9 miles today.  3021.1

The ride today started out very nice and actually would have been very good all day if it hadn’t rained.  I left right after breakfast and at about 35 miles the rain started and hasn’t stopped yet.  I was the only one to ride the whole way, 70  miles, half of that in varying degrees of rain.  It was a warm rain so I didn’t even put on my rain jacket.  There wasn’t a dry speck on me anywhere when I got in.  And I was covered in gritty sand from head to toe.  What a mess.

I passed more beautiful fireweed today.  There was a 5 acre field of the stuff.  Absolutely beautiful.

I didn’t get a picture of the field because by that time it had started to sprinkle. Just not worth digging out the camera.

I also saw another logging operation and instead of piles of logs, they had stacks of lumber in great big stacks just like the logs were yesterday.  I counted at least 8 rows that were long and high.  Probably more there but they were behind where I couldn’t count them. Again, no picture because of rain.

There was one place today along the water where you could see Quebec and New Brunswick.  Quebec had those tall, steep mountains all the way down to the water and on the Brunswick side, they were gentle hills that went up high gradually.  Nothing like the Quebec side.  Hope you can see the difference in the pictures.

A few days ago we were riding through the fjords on the Highway of the Fjords.  Yesterday when we followed the river, there was barely room for a railroad track and the road and then the terrain went straight up.  Couldn’t get a decent picture.  I was so glad to see that New Brunswick didn’t seem to have those humongous steep hills.

Hills are gonna take on a whole new meaning after riding in Quebec.  Today we only had a small rise in the road.

I updated yesterday’s miles.

70.3 miles today.  3070.2 total

Another tough day but nothing like yesterday.  My legs were still tired this morning and then we had a rather stiff headwind the whole way.  What a bummer.  But we did over 60 miles so it was more irritating than debilitating.  We just had to work harder.  I rode by myself all day and grumbled to myself every time a big gust tried to blow me over.  I had to pedal on every downhill grade.  Thank goodness we followed the river downhill today so very little up.

When I got to the huge bridge from Quebec to New Brunswick, I started riding across and then there was no shoulder and only two skinny car lanes.  So before some truck could come squish me, I got up on the barely three foot wide sidewalk.  I rode a couple hundred feet and then decided to get off and walk.  The wind was so strong, I was afraid I’d be blown off the sidewalk right into the traffic.  What a way to end the day.

Early in the ride, I passed this huge logging holding area.  I could not believe the size of the log piles.  This is three different piles and I think there were more piles behind these.

Later down the road, I rode past a town sign and they had this huge Adirondack chair next to their town sign.  Probably only had 10 houses there and nothing else.

Bill is leaving us tomorrow to ride home.  He rode from NJ to lac St Jean, Quebec, where we started our group ride.  Rode with us for 12 days and now plans to ride back.  We will miss him.

I’ve known Bill since the Odyssey 2000 trip and then we both rode the Orient Express ride in 2008.  Now this.

We had a talent show tonite and it was really cool.  5 songs, 4 poems, a math puzzle  (my favorite) and a meditation exercise about being outside in nature with the sound of the loons.  We had an MC and another rider brought popcorn.  A good time was had by all.

Bill, becoming emotional on his song ‘It’s been so good to meet you.’

The four of us rode the Orient Express together.  Janice, Bill, Karen, and me.

64.5 miles today.  2999.9 total

This was a long and brutal day.  Loaded our bikes at 6 am and headed to the ferry.  The van had to make two trips in order to carry all the people, luggage and bikes so lots of sitting around and waiting.

Here are some of us waiting to get on the ferry.

This chain was huge.  There was one on each side that raised and lowered the ramp.  Quite impressive.

Once off the ferry, we had 65 km to ride to our hotel.  One of the riders decided we should take a different route other than the main road.  I knew it was not a good idea but my vote didn’t count.  Actually, there was no vote.  So it was longer, steeper and so hot, we were all suffering.  Only three riders made it in.  Michael and I rode 30 miles and it was the hardest 30 miles I think I have ever ridden.

Lots of 12% and 15% hills and I don’t mean short ones.  I had to walk one which really irked me but it was long and steep and I was out of umph.

Check this baby out.  That 15% downhill on the other side was over a half mile long.  I don’t like long hills and when they are that steep, it can be scary.

Once Michael and I reached the one and only town before our destination, we decided we had to have food and we were spent so we got a pizza and called the van.  They picked us up and was that ever a relief.  I am really tired tonite.  Didn’t get in til after 8 as it was.  The last riders who got picked up didn’t get in til after 9.  One of the problems was the remoteness of the area and no phone service.  You had to be in just the right spot to call or send a text.  A tough day.

The second hill we climbed today soon after leaving the ferry was 1.8 miles of constant up.  And I’m not talking 5-6% grade.  We went to the top of a ski area.  I tho’t for sure we’d have some ‘flat’ up on top, but, no, more hills.  We should have been able to touch the moon.  It was pretty for a very short time with the farms and fields.

So we all survived but hope we don’t see another day like this one.

30.0 miles today, brutal miles.   2925.4 total

I had planned to be gone 180 days and today is half way but I started 6 days earlier than planned so guess I’m not quite half yet.  Doesn’t seem possible I have been on the road this long.

Today was cloudy and cool.  Perfect for riding bit I still perspired like it was in the 90’s.  Don’t know what my problem is.

I had planned to leave really early again but it rained really hard last night and then it was super foggy this morning.  I decided to wait til others rode out because my batteries died on my rear blinker and I really did want to be seen.  So left about 7:30 with Janice, Maureen, and Bill.  Bill left us after one of our stops so the three of us rode into lunch together.

Everyone ordered something for lunch and our van driver got it for us and delivered to wherever we were on the road.  Since it was Sunday yesterday, by the time we decided what we needed to do, all the stores were closed.  Today was a medium long ride with no food options along the way.  I am used to always carrying plenty of snacks and/or lunch but most of these riders aren’t.

I snarfed my lunch as usual and left ahead of the others.  If I stop too long, it is hard to get going again, so I eat, and move on.

Michael happened to be there at lunch but he caught up with me later, mainly because I kept stopping to take photos.

I had taken this one before lunch with Janice and Maureen.

This is fireweed and very prolific along the roadsides.  It is beautiful and I’ve seen it at least the last four days.

As I was entering the town where we were supposed to meet, Michael met me and am I ever glad.  I looked at my phone for directions but was confused.  There was to be a Tim Horton’s on the right, (this is a very popular breakfast fast food place in Canada) and a McDonald’s on the left and the Travelodge across the street.  But no Travelodge.  Michael asked directions three times and this town is so Wierd.  We were in West Baie Comeau and the Travelodge was in East Baie Comeau.  But there were at last 6 km of nothing between the two.  We really tho’t we were lost.  We got there ok thanks to Michael.  If I had been alone, I’d prob still be in the west going around in circles looking for the stupid Travelodge.  Just part of the fun. And in both the West and East towns there was a Tim Horton’s and a McDonald’s.  What are the chances?

I wrapped my knee today and it held up great.  None of that Wierd pain.  So hopefully, all is ok.

63.2 miles today. 2895.4 total