I’m hot……. The smell of bacon and sausage wafted downstairs. Dale, the owner, invited us to camp on his property which extended way back to the tip of the lake. Thank you home group for your encouragement and support. He’s not a fan of cities. Mario began training by joining charity bike tours. Alex, Ian’s brother told us that when Ian was in his mid-twenties, living and working way up north as a researcher, he was in an aeroplane accident that claimed the life of the pilot and changed Ian’s life forever. He said” Smartest thing I ever did was to show up.” They’ve been married 45 years and have a 44 year old daughter. Incredible. Veronica and Adam are up extra early every morning. He has a big personality. Charlie coached Kayla Kalischuk for soccer for 5 years and she and her parents, Kathi and Rocky, and two friends, Marissia from Calgary and Albane, from France were to meet us at the summit of Signal Hill, our final destination. The TDA Foundation has always been an integral part of TDA Global Cyclingâs vision and is an important part of the company, one that remains close to the heart of all our team members.  When he saw us he started waving madly. Slow going gravel or hill after hill. Tragically he was killed in a car accident before he was able to realize that dream. One of the women came over to me and, in French, asked me about our-ride. Dean found Nala on the side of the road while he was biking his way through Bosnia. If youâre biking across Canada, the Golden Triangle is a must for cyclists. He spent several years there and one time during a Sun Dance he was called upon to replace one of the dancers. I’d biked throught the Rockies, across the prairies, through never-ending and challenging Ontario, hospitable Quebec  and the mainland Martimes, pretty PEI and now on this final ascent in Newfoundland, I’d be damned if I’d walk my bike up any part of this last formidable hill. Done and no one witnessed it. It had nothing to do with its colour or clarity, whether it’s “nose” was fruity or oakey or even if it was good! He suffered but a few scratches on his body but had a serious head injury and lost most of his vision and hearing. They have to get themselves ready before awakening their year old twins. Easy for Charlie. We have very little as it is but really, we have what we need. As we bike across America, you'll cross 15 states and climb more than 157,000 feet over the course of 42 riding daysâall from the saddle of a top-of-the-line Trek Domane bicycle, the use of which is included in your trip price. Cycling from Beaver Creek to somewhere; Cycling from a campsite to Lake Creek in Canada Kaitlin, Madison, Emma, and Madison. The hospital was not far and when we got there, there was nobody in line up for blood work. In 3 months, we would cycle 7500km from Vancouver on the West coast to Halifax on the East across the second largest country in the world, a route chosen so that the prevailing winds would be behind us.  They have never met us before and not only have they opened their home to us, now they’ve leant us their car. Very sentimental,  he was teary-eyed when he spoke of his deceased parents and friends, He believes that God put him on the earth to try to do good whenever he could.” Well, he and Sharon were sure good to us! We recognize that and respect them for their efforts, and at the same time are appreciative of how fortunate, how blessed we are. We thought he was waving at someone else. There’s no way I did this all on my own! We stopped for lunch under a bridge in Pomquet. Now I’m just glad he’s not something that bites. He told us of how he’d met her at age 21, she 19. The ferry was in a bit late, so our departure was delayed. We rode along the highway until exit 35 and took that into Holyrood. The motorcycles all have to be secured to the floor using heavy hooked straps. When we got to the sign welcoming us to Cape Breton, we were held back by the rotation of the bridge. Then two young guys pulled in, laughing and chattering.  One, the “If and When” was built by General Paton who planned on sailing around the world with his wife if he made it through the war. It was from a local brewery ( they are springing up everywhere! ) He was going to the ferry to get to Nova Scotia. It was still early and none of the shops in downtown Charlottetown were open. “What time are you usually up”, Pat asked us the day before.  A huge turning point for me was when Charlie came into my life 13 years ago. Of course not! We rode around a bit, then went to the very busy “Chip Shack”. Adventure Cycling Organization, another bike-centric organization, has mapped more than 40,000 miles of routes specific to bicycle touring. Every trucker gave us as much room as he or she possibly could. Crossing into our second province, Alberta, we celebrated with a day off in Jasper, to enjoy the spectacular view from the top of the tramway on Whistlers Mountain overlooking Jasper National Park.  When we got back we bought a canned Caesar for me and beer for my man and had some pretty darn good fish and chips. Bill Baggs Bikes and Baggs // 2019 Tours. Pat’s sister came by for tea. We made and ate our breakfast on the stairs of the building beside the church and were ready to walk in at the top of the hour. Watch! Thank you Lord. Truely professional drivers. We just wanted it on record should a problem arise later in relation to this injury. It was such a comfort to stay with you in your RV and eat everything Rebecca put in front of us. Their adopted son Felix, age about 9, was very enthusiastic about it, especially the bacon. The other, Chris, had just finished his first summer of tree planting and he described it as” The worst experience I’ve ever had.                       We’re holding tight. Cycle Canada, The Veloforce Corporation is a Canadian owned and operated company. Maybe it wasn’t that bad. If youâre looking for a relatively flat biking route, then ⦠Even though the ground was a bit damp, as was the air about us, the tent was quite dry. So, did I did I do this on my own? The ground around it was either weedy or marshy. We stopped to chat for a while. What a morning! It would soon burn off but it leant a mysterious appeal to the fields about us. Whether you are cycling across Canada or just biking through a province or two, this guidebook presents detailed maps and all of the information that you need to explore the country by bicycle. Â.  He was still in touch with the two young guys, Chris and Matthew who kept inviting him to “wild camp “with them. He talked about his wife, his  kids, (2 and 1 on the way), his work, the townhouse he rents and how he manages to make his money stretch working only seasonally. Maybe that won’t happen…. Charlie had, yet again, a3 piece fish and chips, his fries also done Newfie style. Jack de Wilde has an interesting story. Charlie and I laughed and embraced, our bikes motionless beside us. Do you want to just live vicariously through those who have? Rapha Blog 9. Breakfast was assembled and eaten down at the waterfront. I know there are many others to thank too. However, we were crazy enough to attempt this feat by bicycle and it sparked the beginning of one of the greatest adventures of our life. They gave us big hugs and started to take some pictures of us and of all of us together. Tim Hortons really is that iconic gathering place/coffee house and, once again, we spent some quality time alone together there. As we ate together, Pat talked,  his voice booming and  I wondered how Sharon could sleep through it. “Well, hello there. I might have to try that at home. Still, he did well, farming Island cattle and he’s a handy man. August 11, 2017, Day 82, Holyrood to Signal Hill, St. John’s, Newfoundland.  ????? Smooth riding on the main highways right into St John’s.  I will email her and ask her for her blog site; she couldn’t remember it off hand.Â. We dropped off our things and headed down to the 7th ( of 10!) It was terrible. We wished him well and parted ways. We had plenty of food to share with our new friend. I live in ⦠We talked for hours. As we were headed to our hosts home, Charlie in front, me tailing about 6 metres behind, a guy opened his car door directly in front of Charlie. He started at university but is more suited to “hands on” work.  Good thing we did too because this deck is one that the local kids like to hang around as it’s the deck leading up to the store. The ups and downs you experience whilst cycling these distances are extreme and vary, dependent on gradient, tiredness, weather, distance, and food (or lack of it).  Many people really struggle to get by. âMindâ and âblowingâ are words that will come to mind along the 230-km ⦠Tailwinds we loved - racing along barely touching the pedals. Good morning to you.” I opened my eyes to find this little fellow on the INSIDE of our tent! Charlie had 2 orders of 3-piece fish meals and 1 piece from mine. Finally he did and I asked him why, after injuring someone he hadn’t stuck around to make sure that the person was alright. We wanted to leave as soon as possible and cause no interruption to their routine. The guys that we’d met on the ferry were there and they came over and congratulated us. So far over 87% of the trail is complete, and it already connects most of the major cities in Canada. That’s fine; we are outside most of the time anyway. Ahhh…….Â, Back to the hills. We planned, schemed, dreamed about it. We were inside for most of it, Charlie plugged into his Amazon Fire, blogging, me attempting to read, failing and nodding off. Albertaâs Icefields Parkway. They both do and we learned so much about their families and jobs and animals and, and, and…. He’s taking business at a small religious university in Hamilton, Ontario , and he applauds the class sizes, saying that it gives him the opportunity to know the other students and the professors better and that it’s an atmosphere conducive to learning. “Have we finished?” Willy, Charlie’s youngest brother called from work, “Were we done yet?” No, but soon. His passion for adventure has driven him to climb both Kilimanjaro and Annapurna Base Camp in Nepal and he and his wife have also traversed Canada and all the way down through the Americas by bike! Rouleur Magazine Blog ⦠Ah, there! Tours range from a 2 day, one week, two week to 10 weeks. Yes, that would be great. We said our goodbyes and thank-yous to Chantal and Aria and went on our way. We felt like “the big boys” and Charlie rolled up right in amongst them, silly boy. You can go in and have one if you’d like.”.  The inside, though, has been updated somewhat without jarring the ambience. We look forward to seeing you soon. There were switchback hills leading up to it. Cyclists travel exclusively in Canada and in all 10 provinces with a range of challenge levels. Through the mist I could see a gigantic hill with the last cars from the ferry winding their way up effortlessly. â Home About Archive Also on Micro.blog Biking Across Canada Day 19: Runnin' Round in Saskatoon Jul 7, 2019. He also enjoys going out to dinner at a nice pub. The girl at the info site who had suggested this highway had said the traffic would be light. Sue and Ken live within a few minutes walking distance. We are both a bit in awe, a little stunned that this is it! I did it with you! This annual event was first held in 1988 and 2020 will be our 32nd year! Food. I don’t think she’s been this way recently. Oh well, a one time Newfoundland thing, right?! He avoided answering, instead calling me a dick head. While we were standing there, I saw two women approaching, flowers and champagne in hand. The Inner Ring 6. We had lots of time and the air was warm, fresh and ocean-infused, the scenery, pretty but similar all along; many wildflowers and thick green foliage. “Around 6am”, replied Charlie. We climbed it and then, there was another hill. We secured our bikes against the walls as well before we headed to our cabin.  Linda (who we were not fortunate enough to meet as she was away) lived not far where she had lots of space. We still weren’t sure what we were going to do. The circumstances have to be right, of course. I want to hear more stories! Big Pond, Cape Breton is a tiny little town on Bras d’Or Lake (Biosphere Reserve UNESCO—largest saltwater lake in the world) where Rita McNeil spent time as she was growing up. I have wanted to bike across Canada since I was 22, ever since my brother, Kevin, and I cycled from Banff to Vancouver. Charlie and our host had gone to meet Maura and Jol at a nearby intersection to retrieve our panniers. Charlie and I discussed how unimpressed we’d be with a stop in Sydney if we were on a cruise. Every corner led to another jaw dropping sight, with classic views of high snow-capped peaks in the background, breathtakingly stunning turquoise lakes (created by glacial silt in the water) and fir tree forests. Did you get a chance to cycle on the Trans-Canada Trail and is it a viable option for cyclists? Solid, carved wooden staircases and railings. She explained the “Chase the Ace” gambling game that we’re seeing every where in Cape Breton. We were never sick, injured or in need of anything.        Uhh…I could do with a little more circulation but I’m ok. Arms? We went to Tim Hortons to look over the map and explore our options. We asked permission of the owner and she said yes, she’d be happy to let us camp there. Thanks to Don who reminded me that I didn’t have to tackle the whole mountain at a time, only the few metres in front of me. The guy who “doored” him said, “Sorry , my bad” before he disappeared into the adjacent smoke shop. The EMS and police were very kind and professional. Â. No? Another peaceful beautiful night. The sun was trying to pierce through the mist and was covered in a heavy haze. When are we gonna stop? We headed to Tim’s, located a little more centrally. Quickly, we stripped the bed, dressed, packed, and carried our bags upstairs. Abruptly the pavement became knarly, and the shoulders disappeared. Prior to this we had very little experience of this kind of trip, having only cycled from London to Paris over 4 days. Pat and Sharon told us they had a downstairs bedroom and that we’d be welcome to stay with them. This route is popular, and there are some big cities along the way. Then you've come to the right place! We’ve either gotten there too early or too late to see them, but today there were 4 in the harbour. We had said our goodbyes early to Mark and Suzane, leaving without eating. Province by Province routes. Last year he motored throughout Australia, this year he was taking 5 months to travel throughout North America. I bought one. This is our dream (almost) realized! If I buy them I’m liable to make my jaw sore from eating them, one after the next, until they’re gone. I added another layer of clothing before we headed off. We passed Rearguard Falls, the furthest up-river destination for Salmon to swim and lay their eggs. He met a First Nations woman from South Dakota and moved there to join her on her Reservation. We passed a home with a sigh that read:  “Little Nashville” and stopped to take a picture. 10. As the miles ticked by, the gradients increased through the Colombia Mountains into the foothills to the Rockies. And I am especially grateful for the constant companionship, unwavering support and love from Charlie. People are friendly. We packed up our things from camping beside the manse. Cycle America provides a variety of supported bicycle trips. The outside, as most of these older homes do, could use a new paint job; a monumental and expensive proposition. A solo and unsupported cycling tour across Canada from Victoria, British Columbia to St. John's, Newfoundland. If planning a similar bicycle touring journey of your own, keep in mind that Canada is a BIG country! We made our lunch and as we were waiting another cross Canada cyclist pulled up. 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