B. E. C. C. A.

or

"BLAINE'S EXCELLENT CROSS CANADA ADVENTURE"

Sunday, June 18, 1995

I was living in Nanaimo B.C. and working for a moving company. I knew the time to ride was nearing as I had already moved into a local campground in order to test all of my newly purchased equipment. The following is taken directly from my journal and is not doctored up. Therefore some parts may not appeal to all and other parts might appear confusing to some. I have since added "(notes)" to try and be a little more descriptive. Moved June 8 to Oceanside Living Forest Campground in preparation for trip. Lots of rain in the past 10 days but the tent is holding up well. Campfires every night. I plan to leave Saturday, June 24.

My gear consists of: 18 speed mountain bike from Consumers Distributing $239 ; View Photo two person Coleman Tent from Canadian Tire 5lbs 3oz $99 ; Coleman Peak 1 stove from Canadian Tire $45 ; Mummy Sleeping Bag from Zellers $29; Rear racks and bags from Canadian Tire $12 and Kite + Bike store $99 ; Front racks and bags from Riders Cycles $49 ; one water bottle and frame mounted tool kit bag ; U-lock from Canadian Tire ; Stainless Steel cookset from Canadian Tire $10 ; sleeping pad ; head lamp ; knife, fork, spoon set ; Walk-man ; camera ; pump ; spare parts ; can opener ; fuel ; bug repellent ; cycle computer ; sandals, shoes, green thing, three T-shirts, jeans, sweats, 3pr socks and underwear, 1pr. Shorts, one jacket, one towel, two cleaning cloths ; toiletries ; food ; poncho ; clothesline ; tapes ; shock cords ; rope ; notepad and pen ; misc.junk.

I look forward to the trip. Money will be really tight and I may have to work along the way. Any opportunities for a few days' work I will take. Actual cycling days should only be 35-40 days. Here in camp I've met Mark at #105, two German tourists, and a teacher from California. I am experimenting with all types of foods but so far can say I hate Spam. I also hate the daily firewood hunting. Campsite costs $86 per week or $13/day. Super nice site though. Highly reccomended to all travellers. Well, it's dark, no flashlight, bye.

Last night, Marc Partridge and Alex Lawson came over. Great dinner, Alex played the harmonica and told war stories all night. Well, I have $440 and am leaving tomorrow. I am going to catch the first ferry at 7:00am. I would like to make Hope tomorrow (145 km). Getting into Vancouver at morning rush hour doesn't please me but what can I do. I don't even know the way. I'll just wing it. It is going to be an interesting first day. I loaded all my stuff and yes, I have too much. I may send my Walk-man and tapes plus a few other things to Mom. Bike looks good though. Have to tighten front panniers. I'm relatively calm right now about the trip and only today have I come to realize how big a trip it really is. I just hope all goes well.

Nanaimo-Harrison. Ferry to Horseshoe bay. As soon as you exit the ferry there is a long steep hill to remind you are carrying way to much. Marine Drive is rolling hills to the Second Narrows Bridge. Great view from bridge. West Hastings is the 7A. Lots of traffic lights and once it turns into E. Hastings it's shabby for about 12 blocks. Never be there after 4pm. Really bad area. Got the thumbs up from an elderly man. It's uphill till Coquitlam and takes awhile. Turns into Hwy. 7 also called Lougheed Hwy. Flat generally all the way to Harrison with a few rolling hills. I am definitely carrying too much weight. Will have to get rid of walk-man, batteries, fuel, lock and anything else to lighten the load. Few car crazies on the road. Got honked and whistled at. Ate lots today: breakfast special on the ferry, four bananas, burrito, Pizza Pretzel, brownie, and five or six sandwiches. My rear is really tired as was body near the end of day. I never really prepared for this trip in any special way. I would cycle to work but that is it. Staying at Kilby Provincial Park on the beach but I had to set up the tent on gravel. Oh well. Went for a swim but got out quickly as my heart almost stopped when I dove in. Cold, cold, cold. Tomorrow I will try for Lytton, approximately 150 km away. Having fun though. Spirits up.

Harrison - Boston Bar. I am staying at a horrible campsite called Blue Lake Resort. It is dirty, overpriced and very difficult to get to. It's 2 km up a very steep forest service road. They advertise abundant wildlife. They must be referring to the swarms of blackflies, horseflies, mosquitos and ants. I reccomend to everyone never to stay there. Up at 7:00, left by 8:00. 20 km cycle to the nearest restaurant, 2 eggs, 2 sausages, 2 bacon, 2 pancakes, coffee, $4.95. I bought a 6-49 quick-pik lottery ticket in Vancouver at a 7-11 convenience store. Had a guy at the restaurant check it through a machine, I won $67.50. Bonus! 8-9 o'clock 20 km. 9-10, 20 km (including breakfast) 10-11, 20 km. That brought me to Yale. Beautiful little town. Had two sandwiches and one muffin. At 1:40 I headed out, and the day went to hell, literally, to Hells Gate Canyon. From Yale to Spuzzum, gradual light downhill, but headwinds. Had to pedal in low gear all the way. Met another cyclist heading to Jasper. Earlier I met a guy and girl with "3" spare tires and loads of equipment heading to the Fraser Canyon. I blew by them. Spuzzum to Hells Gate Canyon is just that, hell! Did I mention it was 32°C today? Uphill for 35 km. I can't wait to get rid of some of my equipment tomorrow by mailing it to my Mother. Called her from Hells Gate Canyon and she wished me good luck. I went down three steep hills though, one outside Harrison, reached 65 km/h, one outside Yale 55 km/h, and 1 north of Boston Bar 63 km/h. I came closer to God on each of them. What a rush but extremely dangerous. Hit two highway orange cones with my front panniers but recovered each time. Close to God each time also. Went through about seven snow tunnels, scary, no shoulder.Quick darkness then quick sunlight. Imagine how a driver going 100km/h adjusts his eyes. He doesn't so be very careful! Made it though. Hells Gate - Boston Bar: more up/down, long ones up and had to pedal hard downhill with headwinds. My right knee is giving me big problems. It forced me to stop twice. Excruciating pain on left side of the kneecap. I believe it is going to prohibit me from doing good distances every day. I hope it goes away but I doubt it. When I was young, the same pain was there when doing certain sports. I find if I can get a good start in the morning, it's cooler and I can pound off, 100 km before noon. After noon; I'm toast; every 5 km I seek shade and rest. It's hot here in the Okanagan. The Fraser River is beautiful. Boston Bar - 15 km to the turnoff to the campsite is up and down rolling hills. Last night met Dale and his wife and Ashley in truck/camper at Kilby Provincial Park. Super nice people. Had wieners and spiked coffee all night. Kilby is a nice place. Highly recommended except for heart stopping water temperature. Well, overall: breakfast was good, 6-49 lottery helped, nice scenery, rear doesn't hurt as much as yesterday, tires are wobbling more after killer potholes, and I am looking forward to a shower tonite. I hope tomorrow is a good day all round! I will be leaving late as I have some work to do on my bike so will only make Cache Creek.

Rough day. Didn't start until 11:00am. Down the forest service road, onto the highway with a very strong headwind. From Boston Bar to here, which is 50km S. of Cache Creek, it's uphill. Period. Long stretches with a headwind kept me in low gear all the way. First it follows the Fraser River View Photo then the Thompson River. Beautiful and wild. Stopped in Lytton for two hours waiting for post office to open. Mailed all my tapes, all the batteries, spare headlamp and Walk-man. 6 lbs. Whew. To be honest though I didn't notice a difference. At around 4:00pm I blew a tire. My first flat. Took me 10-15 min. to change it but it worked. In Cache Creek I am going to have to buy a new tire and inner tube. Money I don't have. Stopped 1 km after my flat at a little place called Thompson River Park. Beautiful little place. View Photo Nice elderly lady. Clean washrooms, free showers (I emphasize free as in many campgrounds in B.C. they charge $0.25 for 1 minute shower, and of course it takes 3 minutes for the hot water to start flowing), laundromat, running water, beautiful kept lawns, gardens, all this for the heart-stopping price of $4. Yes, four dollars. Right along the river and highway.(Most campgrounds in B.C. are $15. Extra for showers, wood, etc. Arriving on bicycle is an advantage as the owner will sometimes say "If you rode all that way just to stay here I will only charge you a few bucks.) Tomorrow, my alarm will be set for 5:30am. A quick shower, pack up, and I'm off. It's north to Cache Creek so I have to expect a headwind. Hopefully, early in the morning there won't be one. After Cache Creek I am heading west again. I want a big day tomorrow.

I ended up about 40 mins. east of Kamloops. Long Day. Up at 5:30, packed up and left by 6:00. Stopped 2 km's down the road and had breakfast. Relatively flat to Spences Bridge then uphill to Cache Creek. Wasn't bad though as there was no wind and I was fresh and fed. 10 km to Cache Creek and at 9:30am the wind started. I was grinding low gears right into the wind. Finally arrived in Cache Creek. Took a break and I was off to Savona, about 34km east of C.C. Not bad, but long. In fact pretty flat. Also some scary 65 km/h downhills. Stopped in Savona and ate a plain burger and fries. Leaving Savona is a major long uphill. Tiring. At the top was a rest stop so I rested and slept for an hour. Got some water from some tourists from Holland (from their RV) and at 3:00pm I was on my way. From 6-12 I did 100 km. Big downhill, then big uphill, then flat, then more uphill and I was in Kamloops. Stopped at Canadian Tire right on the highway and bought spare tube and patch kit. Major downhill out of Kamloops all the way. Stopped and bought some groceries, then pedalled to Water slide + RV Park. $13, nice grassy lawn but very family oriented. I'm going to have to start free camping. Money is low at $291. Getting up early is essential as afternoons are a write-off due to the heat. Glad I accomplished alot of km today and tomorrow if I feel really strong, I might make Revelstoke. Good luck. Called Mom and she's going on vacation.

Left the site about 7:00am. Went about 20 km to Pritchard Esso, got a coffee, and heard about a missing kid from the area. Police and helicopters everywhere. 10 km later, 200m from an Esso station, my rear tire went again. Walked to Esso, put a patch on the inside of the damaged tire and put a brand new tube in. Pulled out of the Esso and not 100m later it blew again. That was a brand new tube. I had talked to a guy earlier who told me there was a bike shop in Chase, about 8 km away. So I walked my bike to Chase. No honkers, I'm amazed. Found the store, bought two new "specialized" tires, two new tubes. $55. Super nice people though. Then when I was ready to go, my front right rack broke. Finally fixed it, and at 2:00pm, I had only travelled 29 km. I got on my bike and instantly noticed the difference of the slick tires. I could almost double my speed and could climb hills in seventh gear instead of first. What a lesson it taught me! Anyway, Chase - Salmon Arm, relatively flat to uphill with a few steep climbs. Nice downhill into Salmon Arm then major uphill out of Salmon Arm. Brutal! Salmon Arm - Sicamous, two major uphills, two downhills, one up, one down right into Sicamous. Felt like celebrating. I'm ¾ of the way through B.C. and running out of money big time. I am going to have to work. Maybe at a campsite or Allied Van Lines as a swamper (helper). Quick cash money is always welcome. Must do it soon though. Still having fun, love the freedom, learning a lot. My kneecaps are the only area of my body giving me problems. Stayed at TR Camping. A nice beach front site, took a swim, $16 though. Not worth it. Clean though. I would recommend it to anyone who has money to burn.

A few things I've learnt so far: Camping: - if you don't like the site, leave, there will be another campground within 20 km. If not, free camp and be happy for the money you saved. Provincial Parks in B.C. never have showers but are usually quiet, safe, clean and have toilets, free firewood, and running water. Never sleep on gravel - leave. If you run out of stove fuel, there will always be someone at the site carrying the type of gas you need. Don't bother carrying a whole bottle of Coleman fuel. Shower the night before.

Traveling: Leave ASAP in the morning. It's easy to knock off 100 km before noon. After noon is too hotl! You are tired, the wind is up, it's never at your back, and the sun drains you of energy, and drains your water bottles quickly. Same as after 5:00pm. The wind dies, it gets cooler, and there is usually sun till 9:30pm. Lots of time to make the next campsite or town. Use 1:00pm - 4:00pm to sightsee.

Water: If you run low, stop at the next rest-stop and guaranteed there will be an RV there with loads of cold water in its tanks. Fill at gas stations, restaurants, campgrounds etc. Usually never a problem. Worse comes to worse, flag down an RV.

Tires: Use slick tires always. They are faster, smoother, Always carry a spare, as you cannot under any circumstances patch a ripped tire. Carry one spare tube.

Food: Never stop at the local diner and order a greasy burger. Tastes good at first though. You will pay at the end of the meal and keep on paying later. Order something healthy!

Tools: Always carry a tool that will fit all parts of your bike.

Uphills: I find finding a comfortable gear and staring just in front and not uphill makes it easier.

Other Motorists: No problem yet. Everybody has given me a wide berth, especially truckers.

Sicamous - Albert Canyon. Staying at Canyon Hot Springs Campground. $15 + $4.50 to use swimming pool and hot tub. Free showers but are only unlocked from 8-9am and 8-9pm. Not very useful. Someone could make a mint operating a campground at a reasonable rate, clean everything, level out sites, and don't charge $4.99 for a loaf of bread or $9.75 for a plain burger and fries. Well, the day went well. I left Sicamous at 8:00am, arrived in Revelstoke at noon. Had McDonalds (tsk tsk) and left. Revelstoke - Albert Canyon is up and down and steep at times. I only accomplished 35km in the afternoon, it was hot. Stopped at a rest stop and relaxed till 2:45pm. The sun and heat are just too brutal. Tomorrow might be difficult but my sights are set on Golden, 140 km east over the Rogers Pass. I'll see, might start really early. Money is almost gone. I don't know what I'm going to do. After today, I will try and free camp as much as possible.

Big day today, Started just east of Revelstoke in Albert Canyon and ended up 7 km inside Yoho National Park. I'm staying at a campsite in the National Park. No showers but $10. Honour system too. Bike held up wonderfully today. This morning I immediately was going uphill. Two or three long climbs, nothing steep though. Mixed with flat areas and very few downhills. Then about 20 km east of Albert Canyon, pretty step uphill till the summit of Rogers Pass. View Photo Then fast major downhill for 8-10 km through tunnels and snowsheds. View Photo Saw two groups of cyclists heading the other way up to Rogers Pass. Ouch. Coming up from the east is much worse. From there till Golden there is another big uphill and rolling hills. People (4 or 5) heading opposite direction keep on honking and giving thumbs up. Had dinner in Golden at Husky Truck Stop. My right knee was in bad pain a few times today. Had to stop right where I was for a while. What was really nice was stopping at the waterfalls and refreshing myself. I was going to stay in Golden but it was only 6:30pm. Had no idea what was up ahead. Major super steep hill leaving Golden. Wowsie!! Only lasts maybe 1 km then just a light uphill. Then through very remote mountains up and down with one big downhill and two or three big uphills. Makes Rogers Pass look like a joke! It was getting late and I was in the middle of nowhere. Suddenly Yoho National Park popped up. I asked the lady at the booth and to my delighted ears she said there was a campsite just 5 km up the road. I think I got a lot of the worst terrain out of the way. Went through a time zone today and am now on Mountain Time. Tomorrow is Kicking Horse Pass and I think it will be tough. But after that, I'm in Alberta, in Banff or Calgary. Can't wait. I'm glad I pushed on today. Hope tomorrow goes well also.

Western tip of Yoho National Park - Dead Man's Flats, Alberta. Had a good nights sleep last night. Got up, no shower, wrapped my gear in rain bags and left. Chancellor Park ( this is the name of the campsite) to Field is uphill, steep at times. Starting at 3000ft, you climb to 4000ft where you reach Field. When I got to Field at 11:15am, the pancake breakfast celebrating Canada day had just ended. But I got two free big cups of coffee. Just what I needed. From Field to Kicking Horse Pass, its straight uphill for 9 km. You gain over 1000ft in 9 km. Saw the Spiral Tunnels, the Big Hill Bridge. Then I thought I was going to get some good downhills. Wrong. It's pretty level all the way, and although you are losing altitude slowly, you drop 10ft, climb 8, drop 12, climb 10, and so on forever. Not one good downhill. I was disappointed. Going east over Rogers Pass is moderate. Kicking Horse Pass is strenuous. Good going West over Kicking Horse. Not one steep climb. Up 12 down 10 and so on. However, going west over Rogers Pass is super strenuous. Saw two cars burnt down to just molten metal on Kicking Horse Pass. Well, I flew by Lake Louise and Banff (tourist traps) and Calgary is 106 km from Banff. When your watch says 6:30pm, you won't make it. Mind you, its 10:05pm right now and its still pretty light out. The problem is up/down after a long day is a killer. If it were flat, that would be different. Knees were good today, rear wasn't too bad. Ran into some rain, had to put rain gear on me and bike. Looked and sounded pretty funny. But it worked. So far, I have found and picked off the side of the road, pliers, wire cutters, multi-head screwdriver, bungee cords, sunglasses, and a $2 bill. What I have seen but not picked up: socks, shoes, underwear, shirts, shorts, pants, hangers, chairs, pots and lots of garbage. I'm staying a Green Acres Campsite. Nice place, $10, loonie ($1 coin) shower, washers (did my laundry). Had a nice hot shower, my first in three days. Last place was Sicamous. So far, I've seen one bear across the Thompson River, three to four deer, two mountain goats, one bald eagle and zillions of chipmunks. Down to my last pennies. Don't know what I'm going to do. I'm sure I will figure something out. Well, I'm clean, my tummy's full, I'm warm, my clothes are clean, and I'm tired, so guess what now .......

Write off day. Rain day. Rest day. Spent the day reading and sleeping. I needed that! Cold and rainy. But tomorrow rain or shine I push on. Down to $12.

Dead Man' Flats - Calgary. Approximately 70 km through driving rain and rolling hills. Outside Chief Chiniki Indian Reserve there is a 3 km hill that makes you think that you're back on Rogers Pass. Found a sleeping bag on the side of the road. A really nice one too. A mummy style one made by Moonstone out of California. Finally got to Calgary. My plan was to camp out somewhere free but phoned a couple of friends and stayed at their plac.

Still in Calgary. Got some work by calling Allied Van Lines Dispatch and offering my services. What a story here. I was staying with friends on Scarpe Ave. in the big city of Calgary. The dispatcher asked me if I knew where Scarpe Ave. was as there was work there. He didn't believe me as I told him I was on Scarpe Ave. Well, didn't have far to go to work. Did a packing job and inherited two large bags of frozen food and loads of fridge stuff. Took it to where I was staying and had a feast later that night. Also was given Coleman Fuel, OFF, and tent sealer as Allied is not allowed to transport those items. Lined up work tomorrow also and the dispatcher told me he will send a truck to pick me up in the morning as there is another job close by. Excellent. Replenishing bank account.

Calgary - Bassano. Left at 9:00am. Left Calgary at 10:00am. The bikes' crank set was grinding and really acting up. Nice flat prairies though. Was attacked by a Hawk as I was invading his piece of the Trans-Canada Hwy. Excuse me! Really amazing though and a bit frightening. Had lunch at the Husky in Strathmore. Pretty desolate on Hwy. You can look ahead and see where you'll be in 1 hrs. time. Clouds finally lifted. Tomorrow will be a late start as I have to fix bike. Passed that girl walking to Ottawa. She's got a long way to go yet and so do I.(A little update on her. She was a Native Canadian walking from B.C. to Ottawa, the Nation's Capital, in order to bring attention to native land issues. Unfortunately, many months later while she was in Winnipeg Manitoba, a drunk driver killed 4 people walking with her and her trip came to an end) Little self-registering campsite in Bassano right on the main drag. Quiet but I hope I don't have any problems like theft. Clean washrooms, free shower for $5. So far, 10 cycling days, 2 rest days, 2 work days. Everything is great except bike crank set. I have never taken one apart so I must find a bicycle shop. Oh well. Any luck and I'll be in Saskatchewan tomorrow night. Oh yeah, never take Trans-Canada through Calgary on bike. Absolutely no shoulder and very treacherous. Find an alternate route!!!

Bassano - Medicine Hat. Had breakfast at the local greasy spoon in Bassano. The bike was acting up big time around the crank set. Rode it 43 km to Brooks and lo'n'behold I fixed it. I thought I either didn't have the knowledge or the tools to do the job. $2.14 later, buying two bearings, two hours, I was off. Boy did I and the bike ever feel better. Never be afraid to fix a bike part on your own. I could have paid someone $50 to fix it but explored and did it myself. My knees this morning were bad. Real bad. I crept into Brooks thinking I'm in trouble. Battered body and a broken bike. I was finished. Fixed the bike, bought some Icy Hot for my knees and it seemed to do the trick. Brooks - Suffield (50 km) is desolate. Not even a farm! Had to conserve water big time. Nice easy back wind all day let me really keep up the speed. Got to Redcliff at 6:00pm. Planned on stopping for the day as there was a campsite there and it was 11 km from Medicine Hat. My rear ached, my legs were tried, I was drained from the sun, and I was pleased with my progress. Had a Chinese Food Buffet and went to the campground. It was a field, no trees or picnic-tables and the showers and washrooms were part of the ball diamond next door. $7. No thanks. So I went on to Medicine Hat and stayed at Wild Rose Campground. Nice treed lots, grass, free showers, campy feeling, nice neighbours, on east side of town just seconds away from #1 Hwy. Had a shower, felt great. Hope I sleep well tonight. Last night, cars and people all night up and down main drag. By the way, yesterday just outside Calgary I found another two bucks. Weird. Got honked at alot today from bikers, rigs, cars, campers. Hot day today! (I would just to mention campground prices dop considerably in Alberta and stay that way till Ontario)

Rough day. Medicine hat - Tompkins. Got up at 7:30am and was on the road at 8:30am. Headwinds all day. Very severe in afternoon. Rolling prairies all day. I never got to the Saskatchewan border View Photo till 12:30pm. Just before I got there, I met some local tourers on bikes and they said an east wind usually means moisture. I wish they were right! 34° and not a cloud in the sky all day. The heat zapped my energy and the sun burnt me and dried me to a crisp. From Sask. border - Maple Creek (55 km) there isn't even a farm. You go through the Cypress hills so there are a lot of ups and downs. A few steep grades but nothing too bad. By the time you hit Maple Creek, if you have any water left its 95°. Then you leave Maple Creek for Piotpea (40 km), nothing again! (6 km) off Hwy #1 is Piotpea or 24km to Tompkins. Well, I decided to stay on Hwy. #1 and hit Tompkins. Either I've lost my mind or was just super slow, but Tompkins is not 24 km away. More like 42 km. Out here, you come over a hill, and you can see where you will be in the next 20min. Sometimes, you come over a hill, see a town, but you will not get there for ½ hour. I'm staying at the campground here, it's more of a motel with grass behind it for tents. Rough grass, but there is grass, no showers, washrooms, store, gas, restaurant, right on the Hwy, and FREE! Had they charged me $5 or $7 I'd rate it 4/10. Now, its 8.5/10. Tomorrow 80 km to Swift Current and I will have to find work. Down to $20. No breaks all day. I stopped for water a few times but that takes 1 min. Trick is to keep pedalling, otherwise you never get anywhere. That Icy Hot gel doesn't work. My right knee gave me problems from the very start till the end. 25-30 pedals and stretch, 25-30 pedals and stretch, move aching rear, 25-30 pedals and stretch. Same thing all day nonstop. Near the end of the day I was toast. No energy, feet hurt, rear was really bad, knee was hurting, tired, headwinds, just wanted to get there. I had just cycled about 150 km into a headwind all day, with 50lbs of gear on my bike, and on my last hill, three kids had the laugh of their life about how slow I was going up that hill. I would have strangled them but I was too tired to even lift my head. There is a thunder and lightning show going on way north of us right now. Neat. You can watch storms 50 miles away in the Prairies. Last night met Bob and Nancy from Petawawa. They gave me leftover spaghetti and bananas with strawberries. Really good. Just as I went to bed at 11:30pm this Plymouth Voyageur V6, towing a camper blew its transmission. Nasty! I'll bet you I went farther than them today. Well, I hope tomorrow is nice. I did good mileage today but I really had to earn it.

Tomkins - Morse Got up late, didn't get on the road till 9:30am. Good sleep though. Hit Gull Lake Campsite and had a shower. Rolled into Swift Current around noon. I looked for work but found none. Left S.C. around 2:30pm, hit three small towns, then I was in Morse. A nice campsite, showers, washrooms, grass, $5. Met Sherry and Eli from Toronto in their Westfalia camper. They came over and offered me salad and tea. We had a campfire and shared stories. Had "smors" which are big crackers, Hershey chocolate and marshmallow in the centre. Very good. Did my laundry. Hope to hit Regina tomorrow with work on Wed. and Thurs. I need it. Hot today, wind at my back, good cycling day though. Hint - always carry a candle instead of a flashlight for tent use. They are great! Few big hills today made me feel I was in the Rockies again. Weird for the prairies. Hope this heat breaks though.

Morse - Regina. Left the campground around 9:00am, strong back wind. Just had to put it in high gear and go, even uphills in high gear. I find instead of gearing down when my RPM's are low is not the way to tackle rolling hills. If you do, you have any easy time pedalling but it takes twice as long to crawl up the hill. It's easier to just stay in high gear and pump up the hill. Suddenly you are there without putting in too much effort. Lots of stuff littered along the highway. Most often seen items are dead seagulls, diapers, and bungee straps. Stopped at a rest stop about 40 km west of Moose Jaw and met a couple from Nova Scotia. They insisted on giving me two grapefruit juices, cookies and a banana. Wonderful. I find people in rest stops love to ask you many questions about your trip and figure I cannot carry specialty foods with me so they bring them out of their fridges and campers and insist you have some. Good food and good conversation. Rolled into Moose Jaw around 1:00pm. Then I motored off to Regina 71 km away. I had to find a phone before 5:00pm so I could line up work from Allied for the next day. As I was entering Regina just past Gran Coullee, a car pulled over in front of me and a wonderful lady named Tracy asked me where I was staying in Regina.

I told her I had no idea and Tracey asked me if I would like to spend a night with her family. Wow. This is just what I was hoping for, a change in pace. I politely accepted and couldn't believe my good fortune. Tracey and Wayne, her husband, showered me with homemade red wine, Tacos, while I was swimming in their pool. View Photos. Can you believe it? Awesome. Tracey has done some long distance cycling herself. She went from Calgary - Regina. Met all sorts of wonderful people. I once heard that the people in the Prairies are the friendliest. I can honestly say they are even more than that. Stayed up, talked, and finally slept in a bed after a long time on the road. Excellent.

Got some work helping folks move during the past week. The Shwartz family invited me to stay awhile and a great friendship was made. Spent some time at their cottage, went golfing, windsurfing, and generally had the time of my life. Beautiful People. (Addendum Dec.1 1998 One of the Shwartz's sons had his bike stolen from their garage. So when I finished my trip I sent him my bike with all the gear as a thankyou token. I know he really appreciated a bike that travelled so many miles.)

It has been nine days since I last wrote in my journal. I'm back on the road today after the best eight-day vacation anyone could ask for. I really had such a wonderful time staying with Tracey's family. Friday: Up at 7:00, off by 8:00am. Side wind all day. Wanted to make Whitewood but by 3:00pm my legs were extremely sore, I had a limp, I was in Wolseley and wicked thunder showers hit. So I called it a day. I'm in the ladies' washrooms writing this as the men's didn't have a bench in it. My bike is in here also keeping dry. Stayed at the campground in Wolseley. Nice place, clean, $8, free showers. Noisy trains all night. (The Trans-Canada Highway runs parallel to the main railroad tracks so any campsites right on the highway will guarantee noisy trains all night.)

Wolseley - Virden, Manitoba. Long day. Did pretty good mileage all day. Crossed into Manitoba View Photos round 3:50pm which suddenly was 4:50pm thanks to Daylight Savings Time. My left leg, not just the knee, should have stayed in bed this morning as it was of no use to me all day. It was in constant pain and denial that it was attached to the rest of my body. My right knee was bad enough, but I have found a quick fix for the pain. Every twenty or so pedals I flex the thigh muscles and the pain goes away for twenty seconds. It's a hassle but it gets me places. My left thigh, knee and under part of the thigh were so bad that I couldn't put any muscle into that side of the pedalling. None, so it just sat there and went around and around like a free ride on a roller coaster. Bike's been good though. Thought a lot today about Terry Fox, cycling through Europe, sailing around the world and about which language cows really speak. They all look so funny at you when you just talk to them and go MOO. If you say it opera style, they bolt for the hills. They don't seem to see a lot of cyclists as when cars go by, they don't even move. I guess if I saw a cow on a bike I would have a funny look on my face too. Terrain today was flat. How flat: Well, the highway crossed the railroad tracks, so they built this little bridge. This little bridge was the only variation during my day. I also seemed to get excited when a curve came up. I stopped in every town along the way to see the old buildings and to stretch. Wind all day: mostly at my back but at times from the side. No problems though. Didn't get a honk nor a wave all day till around 6:30pm. A guy and his wife in a camper heading west honked and waved. Double header. Made my day. Saw two hitchhikers heading East and a group (2) cyclists heading West. They were crouched down to avoid the wind, heavily loaded. So far: (1) 16 cycling days, 6 rest days, 7 work days. (2) B.C. has best shoulders for cycling, best and most rest stops, most scenic areas, dirtiest ditches. (3) Alberta has fair shoulders, cleaner ditches but beer and pop cans galore. (no recycling program therefore no one picks the aluminum for money) (4) Sask. has worst shoulders, View Photo farthest distances between towns, flattest terrain. (5) The stay at the Schwartz's has been the highlight of my trip. (6) Sask. has cleanest ditches. Not one pop or beer can as there is a 10¢ deposit. Great idea. (7) I recommend carrying a walk-man for night time. (8) Stop at used book stores and trade in old book for new one. (9) Water in Virden Manitoba is the worst while water in B.C. is best. (10) Leave the alarm clock at home. (11) Ground sheet for tent never needed but full covering fly essential. Pillow important but improvisation is key. (12) Never stop for eight days and expect body parts to function normally when back on the bike. (13) Water fill-ups are only a problem between Medicine Hat and Regina. (14) Bring enough money and preferably a credit card or traveller's cheques.

Staying at "Virdens Lions Campground," $8 gives shower and site. Nice quiet place, clean, well kept.

Virden - Portage La Prairie 162 km. No shoulders whatsoever. Very dangerous and a bumpy highway as the trucks have made big grooves and bumps every 5ft. Find myself having to ride 1ft. on the highway just to make it bearable. Already had two daredevils not give me enough room. Avoid Trans-Canada through this area! Well, it's 11:30am, this is the first time I've written in my journal before the end of the day. My left leg is really painful again today! Oh well, have to keep going. It's now about 11:30pm. The road is hilly from Alexander to Sidney. At times shoulder, but most times no shoulder. Made it to Portage in one piece though. From Sidney, there is a shoulder. You would think "Wow", this is going to last till Winnipeg. Believe it or not, it lasts till the intersection of the Trans-Canada and Yellowhead (Highway 16). The most busy intersection across Canada and suddenly you have no shoulder again. Oh well, what the heck, I'm in Portage, one heck of a day's ride. Miller's Landing Campsite was recommended so I went there. Great place, excellent facilities, pool (didn't use), nice treed sites, overall great place. Advertised as $11.00 for unserviced sites, but cyclists only pay $8. Thankyou. While I was setting up my tent, Bill came by and asked me the standard questions. He also invited me over for a rum and coke. I gladly accepted, and during this conversation I met Wally. Wally came from Cape Town, South Africa, as did Bill and we stayed up talking about deja vu, reincarnation, friends, religion, and politics. Oh well, tomorrow is 65 km to Winnipeg and I have to hit the phones for month end work. I can't wait. Last night it rained and tonight it's raining again. Better at night than during day light hours. Got a free paperback from the campsite here. I'm convinced these people know how to run a campground. Everything is priced conservatively, sites are well kept, service is friendly, hats off to them.

Portage - Winnipeg approximately 78 km. Got up late around 9:30am. Had a shower, ate some soup, had tea, and finally hit the road at 10:15am. It was only 60 km to Winnipeg but I didn't get to the city till 1:30pm. Almost four hours of strong cross winds, no shoulders, tons of traffic, very sore left leg. Then I had to cross the city. This city is actually pretty big. I didn't get to my campsite till 3:15pm. The roads all day, especially in Winnipeg are absolutely horrible. I am really surprised nothing fell apart on my bike. Really hard on the rear though! Place I'm staying is clean, just seconds off end of ring road (bypass). Grassed sties and free showers. View Photo

I toured all around Winnipeg and saw the sights. Travelled on the worst roads I have rode on. Bumps, potholes, gravel right downtown. Amazing. Something big is wrong with Manitoba. Back at the campsite at 3:30, ate, read and talked with two girls from Switzerland. They arrived in Vancouver three weeks ago and are bussing around Canada. They have stopped on Vancouver Island, Jasper, Banff, Lake Louise, Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg and plan to stop in Thunder Bay, S.S. Marie, Sudbury, Toronto, Niagara Falls, back to Toronto, then back to Switzerland. So far they have had a wonderful time.

Another gorgeous day today. Sunny, high of 33. Did the garbage run for the campsite here and got me $20. Stocked up on groceries, read two newspapers, four chapters in my book and relaxed. I want to leave Winnipeg soon. Hopefully by next weekend. I still have all of Aug. and Sept though. Ontario is beautiful in the fall so the situation isn't all that bad. Still having fun and meeting lots of people.

Did the garbage for Lee again today which paid my rent for tonight. I am experiencing work problems as Winnipeg doesn't seem to have anyone moving in or out. Strange. Very slow all over. I am only eight days away from New Liskeard, Ont and Mom. Problems: starvation. No thanks. I have a sense of adventure but not that keen. Well, back to reading my book, "The Aquitaine Progression" by Robert Ludlum. Great book!

Not bad, I'm camping, meeting people, having fun, so relax!!! Next year, wherever I am cycling, I have made up a list of what to take. This is based on 3000 km of biking experience, so it's good. Bike: Multigear, I'm very happy with the grip shifters as you don't even have to move your hands. Brakes - never used them. Seat - Gel pad is advisable and make sure the height is properly adjusted. Tires - Slick road tires and always carry a spare tire and tube. Racks for bags - buy goods ones that fasten well to the bike. A lot of road vibration and holes and bumps will test even the best backs. Don't buy cheap. Bags - Once again, don't buy cheap, reinforce seams yourself and the more external pockets the better. Also, one might be tempted to buy small bags to force themselves not to bring to much. Forget it. You might need the extra room and you'll end up packing your small bags so tight they will end up splitting open in downtown Winnipeg on Main St. Rear light - preferably a flashing one for tunnels and rainy days. Front light - totally unnecessary unless you plan on cycling at night. Water bottle - equip bike with as many holders as possible. Two or three with a backup bottle of water in bags. Man can survive without food, but water is essential.

Camping Equipment: Tent -I never used a floor liner but do suggest one. A tarp must be used and it must also cover the whole tent and not just halfway. As many windows (zip-up) as possible is preferable. A vestibule would be nice to have but I never used one. Sleeping bag - mine is useful till -10°. The first two nights I found myself sweating and started wearing a T-shirt to bed. That helped a lot. The thicker the bag, the more comfortable. A thin bag can be pretty uncomfortable. Mattress - mandatory! On my next trip I will be taking a blow up model. The thin blue ones are ok but certainly a good night sleep is more important than an extra pound or two. Stove - The Coleman stove is great. Its light weight and size make it perfect. It does go through a lot of gas though! This requires that you carry an extra supply which adds to weight and cuts down on space. Cookset - The boiling pan I brought is simply too small. It measures four or 5 inches across. A larger one next time. No frying pan to speak of but I will try to find a light one for the much missed bacon and eggs. I bought stainless steel utensils but they are anything but stainless. The knife has disappeared and the fork is so rusted I won't use it. Get a good set! I also brought a paring knife and it has served many useful purposes. Flashlight - a small one in the tent and to find the can is all you need. I will not back down on the use of candles. They are excellent to read by or do almost anything. They even smell nice and don't tie up your hands. Clothing: Shirts - two short sleeves, light cotton ones. One long sleeve shirt for cool nights. Jacket - waterproof would be very nice. Shorts - I only brought one pair. I use them for everything (swimming included.) . Just wash them every night and they are dried before morning. Pants - Do not bring jeans! I brought jeans and have never worn them. They are restrictive and heavy. I will bring a loose cotton pair next time. Socks - two pair. Underwear - two pairs, wash these daily as well. Shoes - I wore tennis shoes all the trip and brought a pair of sandals. Both are excellent. Sandals are great for hot days, campsites, showers, and rainy days. Sweater - shouldn't be needed. Too bulky and heavy. Just be sure your jacket will keep you warm if need be. Towel - one towel. Hang it up at night when you reach campsite. Tools: Following is a list of tools I could not do without: Multi-head screwdriver, crescent wrenches, pliers with wire-cutting capabilities, chain remover tool, pedal and crank removal tool, spoke wrench and allen keys. Spare Parts: haven't used any but I do suggest carrying these - tube, tire, brake pads, derailleur cables, brake cables, chain links, a few bearings, and a few spokes. Miscellaneous: Camera, laundry line, soap with case, other toiletries, mosquito repellant, oil, WD-40 (use this on chain as it doesn't collect dust), pen, journal, first aid kit (simple), good book, salt and pepper or other spices, small packets of instant soup, packets of porridge, cards, extra bungee cord, lip balm, pump, picnic table seats (double as pillow), alarm clock, umbrella (usefull for in site and exploring on days off), garbage bags, knapsack, foil, and tea. I know there are things I left out like a walk-man and tapes, but these above are the essentials.

No work today. Did the garbage, read, ate, relaxed. Same old routine. Soon will decide what I will be doing.

Had a funny experience today. A small bird landed beside me as I was cleaning up around the office. (Did I mention I was pulling shifts at the campground) It kept its distance; then it came closer, landed on my foot, let me pet it. Then it flew 2 feet away. I tried to get it to land on my finger. How wonderful it would have been to touch nature in that way. As it suddenly got closer and was about to jump on my finger, a truck blew by and I haven't seen birdy since.

Believe it or not, I'm leaving tomorrow. I was supposed to leave today but it started raining last night at 10:00pm and it wasn't supposed to clear till late today. So today I picked up last minute items, prepared my bike and said my goodbyes. My equipment is all ready to go, all I have to do is fold my tent, sleeping bag, and pad and hit the road. I can't wait. I have been in Winnipeg now for 44 days. This is not how I anticipated my journey but what the heck. Well, it's time to call it a day as tomorrow is going to be painful.

Last night was cold as it went down to 3°C but my sleeping bag kept me really warm. Got up this morning at 6:30am, I was ready to go at 7:00. Rather, I stayed talking to a friend till 10:30am. The ride was pretty flat and boring but I did pass the exact longitudinal Center of Canada. View Photo My rear was saying 'not again', my knee (left) said 'no way' and my neck said 'fine, you want to play games!' Light head wind all day. The campsite I stayed at tonight is south of Hadashville. Out house, no shower, clean lawn, free firewood for $5. No problem. I am so tired all I'm going to do is sleep anyway. Tomorrow I cross into Ontario which will be great.

Today I finally crossed into Ontario. View Photo Stats for today: Average speed: 23.1 kms/h :Max. Speed: 48.6 :Total Kms: 121 :Trip time: 5.15 hours. Total distance from Winnipeg: 253km. I'm staying at Anicinabe Park, belonging to the Town of Kenora. It's in town, overlooking the Lake, free showers, $12, ok but not worth the money. I registered and was asked to find a spot I liked and then to let them know. I found one, put up my tent, hung up my sleeping bag then went to let them know which site I was in. I had heard of all the bear reports in Kenora so I figured I would ask them about that too. I started walking to the office and 10 feet away out of the bushes comes this black bear. View Photo I almost lost my lunch from the adrenalin rush. But it answered my question. I got lots of photos as did many other people. Anyway, last night there was frost, and the inside of my tent iced up. No doubt from my moisture. (must leave a window partially open for moisture to escape.) But I was warm. I left at 9:35am this morning as I slept in. Half the day was flat and the other half was rolling hills. Overcast but warm enough to wear shorts. My left knee was in big pain all day. It started 8 km out. So in Flacon Lake I stopped and bought Extra-Strength 500mg Aspirin. I took three and they didn't help. Then around four o'clock after many hills it got better. Not great but better. I have a feeling that the prairies bring it on and rolling hills use different muscles and don't bring it on. It was never this bad in B.C. I never even felt it in the Rockies. Tomorrow I'll try it again and see what happens. Tomorrow, I'll be up early, Dryden is 148 km away, Ignace is 180 km. I'll see how I feel. Time for a nice hot shower.

It's now 8:30pm. Yogi the bear View Photo came back and I saw with my own eyes how fast a bear can climb trees. As fast as a bird. I was also told by four people how he liked the spot where my tent was. So I moved. Upon writing this at 8:37pm he's back for a third time! Sitting right where I had my tent. They were right. WOW!

Total kms: 105. Average speed: 16.9. Max. Speed: 45.1. Time actual cycling: 6.12. Total distance from Winnipeg:358.7. What a day! Up at 6:15am, ready to go by 7am. I didn't get 6 km and my right leg (knee) was causing pain. Notice I said right and not left like yesterday! Any opinions? My guess is as good as yours. My left knee and leg were 100% all day. My right knee was so bad I almost grabbed this book and wrote "Hospital" on it so someone would stop. It debilitated me twice. So much pain I could not continue. The rest of the time I just put up with it and hurt. I thought about quitting all day. I don't have the knees for it. I came so close! My initial destination was Dryden but Vermillion Bay was far enough. 100 km's all day. How pathetic! Every 2 km I was stopping. It took me 6 hours and 12 minutes to cycle 105 km's. Pathetic! I only had one leg though. Pain like you would never believe. Severe! Anyway, rolling hills all the way. Mostly up than down. I had a headwind all day, severe at times. That combined with my knee made it a day straight from the books of Alfred Hitchcock. Upon arriving in every city, town, or village, for 10 kms you have signs saying what is in town and how far. Approaching Vermillion Bay, every sign says '3 miles' ahead. Every sign! I finally limped into town, bought some groceries, and tried to find the nearest campsite. There are two. One costs $15.50, no free showers, and the other costs $15, free showers, $1 firewood and on a lake. Where is it? It's Crystal Lake Campground, just west of town. View Photo Well, I already passed it. How far west of town? '3 miles!' Well, I bought some 6-49 tickets. You know I would being in a town called Ver-million. I bought five, my lucky number and some groceries and headed west. It's not 3 miles but more like 12 km. Anyway, I'm here, checked in for two nights to recuperate. Good fire, good music. Upon entering Ontario, campground prices skyrocket.

Rest day. Also my last day on the road. I need my knees for the rest of my life. I cannot see damaging them any further. I took a ride into town today 21 kms round trip, and my right knee went on me. Forget it. It's sad but I have to stop. I'm happy at how far I pedalled already and had an extremely wonderful summer. I'm going to store my bike, tent, sleeping bag, stove, cookset and a few other things here over the winter and pick them up on my way to Winnipeg, in the spring. I will be returning there as I agreed to Lease the campground from the owner for the summer. Tuesday I catch the 11:20am bus to North Bay and New Liskeard. Should arrive Tuesday afternoon. Bus costs $170. It's a good thing I wasn't out on the road today. Headwinds again. Very dangerous as it is a 2-lane highway, no shoulder and you can't hear traffic coming up behind you with a headwind. Treacherous. Beautiful day though!

Sitting on a bus. Everybody smells like they have been on the bus since Japan. I hate busses. Sad that I couldn't continue but proud of what I accomplished. Met some wonderful people, had a ball, lined up a job for next summer, got into shape, etc. etc. Maybe another year I'll finish my journey across Canada.

Made a cardboard sign with New Liskeard and a "Happy Face" sign on it . Arrived in New Liskeard, Ontario at 1:30 and great to see Mom. View Photo

The End..............by Blaine Gervais