June 14 - Day 39 - 98 km - Birch Point trailer park

The lake at the campsite 

Going west

Going east

 If it looks like I’m in the middle of nowhere ….well that’s because I am!!!!  Nothing around for miles….Lorraine and I made quite a few phone calls yesterday looking for a campsite, motel or restaurant or even gas station, and the only camping is 77 km ahead at Kakabeka falls….177 km is way too much in this area.  I found this place, and begged.  The owner finally relented….and I see why….these are seasonal spots, but they just happened to have one that’s empty right now so they are allowing me to stay here for the night.  No charge.  There’s an outhouse on the property, and a beautiful lake with picnic tables.  They refilled my water bottle, and invited me to sit and tell them my story.  Very nice of them.  They also advised me on where to stay in Thunder Bay…..more importantly where not to stay.  There is a hostel, but then my bike wouldn’t be secure.  The KOA charges $60, and it’s out of town, so I would need to bike 10km back for breakfast, or do without again.  So hotel it is!!!  

This morning was a late start….it rained during the night and was fairly cool…..so waited for the sun to at least start drying off the tent fly before I packed it up.  I went to the Esso and bought food for breakfast for today and tomorrow….snacks and something for dinner tonight.  

The cycling was a bit easier than yesterday….the hills are not as steep, so easier to keep a good pace.  A surprise….there was a restaurant at 35km!!!!  Yeah.  I went in and had French toast, egg and bacon for lunch.  Best lunch ever as I wasn’t expecting it.  Tomorrow there’s a restaurant about 45 km away….3 hrs by bike, and another at 75 km at Kakabeka Falls. The plan is a hotel in Thunder Bay tomorrow night.  

Thanks for all the texts and comments.  

June 13 - Day 38 - Atikokan - 140 km

 So glad this day is done.  I have been thinking about this day since the beginning…..a long day without any services.  

I woke up at 0500….so that I could get everything packed up and leave and make some miles before the wind got too strong.   I left around 0700 and noticed that the wind wasn’t too bad.  Great!!!

I had cycled 25 km, when I saw a sign for the same lake the cabin is on.  It’s a massive lake!!!!  And so beautiful and rugged.  Spectacular…..especially at sunset!!!

I had rolling hills all day….only a few km of flat so it was a lot of work, and lots of shifting gears.  For about half the distance, the shoulder was very narrow, so I really had to pay attention….and at times had to get off the paved shoulder and onto the loose gravel.  

I didn’t take a single photo today….seemed like all the best views were as I was going uphill, and I can’t take photos then…..nor can I stop because getting going uphill is really difficult.  

Anyways…..I’m safe in my tent at the campground.  Tomorrow will be another early day.  So Good night!!!!😴 

Tonight’s campsite 

June 12 - Day 37 - Rest

My view tonight…..tops them all!!!!  💕

Spaghetti lunch and dinner….thanks Deb for the homemade sauce…..so yummy.  

Journaling on the deck

 Rest day in Fort Frances.  Nobody moves….no one gets hurt 😆😆😆.  

Laundry and packing done - had a little nap - enjoyed some deck time and did my best to eat and drink lots today.  I will be early to bed for an early start tomorrow.   It’s a long day, and they are calling for a headwind all day.  Nothing for services along the way, so I’ll need to get the distance done.  Atikokan is the planned destination.  

June 11 - Day 36 - Fort Frances 116.7 km

 Hello…..what an interesting day terrain wise.  I started off early this morning, on the Canadian Shield, and ended up on farm land!  About 25 km south of Nestor falls, I saw fewer rocks, everything opened up, and turned into pasture land.  Acreages with mowed grass, just like I had been seeing in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.  Also fewer lakes in that area.  As I approached Fort Frances, it started getting rocky again.  

I stopped at Tim’s for several drinks, and a donut as I didn’t have much for dinner last night, nor breakfast this morning.  No services on the road until I reached Emo, 60 km from the campground which is where I had lunch.  Then I picked up a few meals to go, and some cheese and fruit from the grocery store, as I’m staying in a beautiful cabin about 20 km from town.  

The views of the Rainy Lake from the cabin are spectacular….and my hosts left me some homemade spaghetti sauce.  Too tired tonight, but will make it tomorrow, as I’ve planned a rest day here.  The next three days are calling for a head wind, and I have to cycle 140 km as there aren’t any services before then.  I will think it over tomorrow…..I could always wild camp if required….but I would prefer to make it all the way.  

Thanks for all the texts and comments!  I love hearing people’s stories of where they grew up as I’m passing those areas.  And I just formed out that Terry Fox’s younger brother is cycling across Canada, with a group of 8 that have been affected by cancer.  They will be cycling 230 km per day, and are inviting people to join them for part of a leg.  It would be so amazing to run into them.  I believe they have just left Vancouver and will be finished on July 10.  Unlikely that I will intercept them as I’m doing a bit of a wander through Ontario and Quebec….but never know.  I would consider changing my route in order to meet them….but then they would probably just whiz by me!!!!  😂😂😂😂.  It will be interesting to follow them.  

View from the Cabin

Acreage

Farm land.  

June 10 - Day 35 - Nestor Falls 58.7 km

                    My sitting and thinking spot!!!!  

 What a fantastic day!!!!  The sun is shining and I had a short riding day with incredible views!!!!  

 Was so cold last night that I slept in my thermals- I forgot to air out my down jacket and down sleeping bag at the hotel…so everything was a bit damp.  I opened up every other bag and emptied and washed the bags, but my bar bag looked clean, but it was raining when I packed up….and it was a bit damp.  This morning I slept until the sun was out and warming me up!!!!  What a great way to get up!

A cyclist passed me this morning, he was just out for a little ride, but on his return he cycled with me for a bit….he wanted to hear my story.  Nice visit for 5 ish min, then he went on his way.  

This entire area is all lakes and trees….and not much traffic.  I imagine on the weekend in the summer it must be crazy…but I’m still early for this area I think.  

The campground tonight is almost as fantastic as yesterday’s…. I have a small beach area, and really three sites all to myself.  Powered sites across the way, so everything is charged up.  I stopped at the grocery store on the way in to buy some food for tonight and breakfast as there isn’t much until I get to Fort Frances tomorrow. The days have been clear….no smoke, and I only had a headwind for part of the day.  😀😀😀.  

When I opened up my clothing bag at the campsite…it smelled minty fresh…..my toothpaste tube split open!  Thankfully it was mostly contained in my bathroom bag.  I placed the toothpaste in the lunch bag that Derek placed my peanut butter sandwich in when I left Redverse.  The sandwich was yummy….and I saved the bag thinking it might just come in handy….well it did!!!  Thanks Derek!!!!  ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Lunch spot with takeout from yesterday.  I had a late lunch so wasn’t hungry for this at dinner time.  

Nestor Falls

My campsite for tonight 😀😀😀

Dinner tonight and breakfast in the morning.  I’ve been carrying that large squeeze tube of peanut butter since I started in Port Hardy.  It’s time that I eat it, since I have another one waiting for me in Fort Frances!!!!

June 9 - Day 34 - Sioux Narrows 72 km

My campsite 

My private viewing spot

 What a fantastic day!!!  I had originally planned to make this a double day, but after yesterdays double day I just didn’t have it in me….must be the comfort of the hotel last night, I didn’t want to leave in the rain this morning!!!!  

This area is gorgeous….not only the views….so many lakes and trees, but it feels quite isolated and remote.  Not too many vehicles in the road, so a much quieter day…more relaxing than the last several days.  The paved shoulders here are very narrow, but most people have been giving me lots of room which is great.  I didn’t take any pictures today because I was cold and it was rainy all day.  

Now I’m sitting by my campsite, overlooking the lake.  It’s quiet….a few birds chirping nearby, and in the distance the call of the loon.  The trees are sheltering me from the wind, and the campground is about 1km off the highway, so no traffic noise.  The campsites are also spread out….so I have this viewing spot all to myself.  Life is wonderful❤️

Options for camping, eating or hotel are quite limited on this stretch, the next town is Nestor Falls, and is only 60 km, and then the next is Fort Frances in  another 90 km.  So it’s challenging to make the days longer without making them impossible.  So I think tomorrow will be another short day, and Fort Frances on Wednesday.  I’ve been getting to bed so late….almost midnight most nights because I have so much to do…. I will try for an early night tonight.  It’s 1830 local time, and I’ve eaten and the blog is done.  Just need to set up camp and crawl in!  Forecast tomorrow is a high of 24!  Fingers crossed it warms up a bit!  

Love all the texts and comments…..they both come to my GPS while I’m riding.  Love the comments on the blog too, those I read in the morning usually.  Thanks everyone for following, it lifts my spirits!!!  😀😀😀❤️❤️❤️ 

June 8 - Day 33 - Kenora 148.2 km

Stormy up ahead

The terrain has changed again

 Another day done….and I’m glad it’s done, but it was a challenging day….but only the beginning…and the end….and the middle was hard too!!!  

I got up at 0500….and was ready to go by 0630, but by this time it was raining, so my tent was packed away soaking wet.  It never really dried off after the big storm last night.  So wet it went into the pack.  

I knew it would be a bit before I could find some breakfast, and I went off the highway to a restaurant that said was open…but it wasn’t.  A 15 min detour.  Finally I got to Yogi Bear around 40 km from where I had camped.  It was great, and warm but not warm enough that I got dry.  The rain was really coming down, and my options were to go back to the town of Richer - 50km away, or continue to Kenora.  I was strongly considering going back….when I got a text from a good buddy who gave me the kick in the pants that I needed, to get out the door and continue on.  And that’s what I did.  Around Falcon Lake is where the rain stopped 80 km from where I started this morning.  

Fantastic….it was starting to warm up a bit….but this is where the terrain changed, no more prairies…hello to the Canadian Shield, and now it was hilly with a headwind.  Good for drying off the clothes but hard on the legs.  Beautiful, and I saw some beautiful small lakes with a cabin at the end….but mostly I had my head down working hard.  I had a good breakfast at 0900, then at Falcon Lake I had a cinnamon bun.  That was it for the day…..so I was feeling a bit depleted going up all those rolling hills.  

Just after Falcon Lake I entered Ontario….and just like all the other provinces, someone was watching and sent a text at that exact moment.  It has been a different person each province….who will it be for Québec??‽!!!  😀😀😀

I’m in a hotel room here in Kenora, drying out….washed my bike and gear, did a load of laundry and my tent is hung up to dry.  I had a bit of a thought to get to Fort Frances in one day….but it’s over 200 km with lots of elevation gain.  My plan says three days, but I’m hoping for two.