Batchawana Bay Provincial Park to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Today was my shortest day of riding, not even 70 kilometres, so I took my time getting up, and lingered over a large breakfast.

As the server took my payment and asked me about my ride, she mentioned "oh, you'll have to ride up Mile Hill!"  I had not heard about Mile Hill, so I played it cool, then quickly Googled it.  It is not quite the climb that Montreal Hill is, but any climb that has a nickname is obviously going to be a challenge!

I rolled out at 10:30, to what was my nicest weather day yet.  Again the route was beautiful, with lake views, but also views of hills full of trees with changing leaves.   

After about 45 kilometres of riding I reached Mile Hill, pausing beforehand to eat the apple fritter I had taken to go from The Voyageurs Lodge.

Mile Hill should really be called 1.5 mile hill, because it was 2.4 kilometres from the bottom to the top.  The shoulder was lousy, but luckily there was little traffic on the climb, so it was not too bad.

After about 10 more kilometres on Highway 17, I left the highway and came into the Soo on back roads.

I reached my hotel just before 14:00.  I was done!

An hour later, I was showered, had a rental car, and swung by Velorution, the Soo's bike shop that had tuned me up two years ago when I rode Sault Ste. Marie to North Bay.  

Velorution had a bike box for me, and soon I had my bike broken down and ready to fly.

I will actually be in Sault Ste. Marie for two nights, but I will definitely not want to ride my bike tomorrow!

With my errands complete, I headed down to St. Marys River to enjoy a celebratory beer on the waterfront.

With this ride done, I have now cycled between the Pacific Ocean and North Bay, Ontario, and from Ottawa to Moncton.  That leaves me with the gap between North Bay and Ottawa and then from Moncton to the Atlantic Ocean--so perhaps as little as two more summers to go before my ride across Canada is complete!

Wawa to Batchawana Bay Provincial Park, Ontario

Although, much shorter than yesterday's ride, my 152 kilometres made for a tough day again, although it ended on a real high note.  As I worried, there were no food options--the two I hoped for, the Lake Superior Provincial Park visitor's centre and the chip truck at the Twilight Resort just south of the park, were shut down.

The park is huge--I was probably in the park for half of today's ride or so--and very beautiful.  

Mostly, though, I was obsessed with food for most of the ride.  I was rationing what I had, but also realistic that it would do no good to starve myself, so I was all done my granola bars and fruit snacks early, and into my rice.  I am sure rice never tasted so good.

Really I do not know how I got myself into a situation where I did not have enough food.  I have run out of water before, but not food, and I was surprised how hard riding was hungry.  This stretch also included some very hard climbs, and my stomach seemed particularly "growly" on the ascents.  One of these climbs is "Montreal Hill"--a fairly major, steep climb just south of the Lake Superior Provincial Park.  

The climb proved quite the challenge for Terry Fox, but also marked an important milestone once he successfully got over it.  It was only from watching the Terry Fox documentary that I even knew to expect it at all.

I finished up my rice after that climb, knowing that the remaining 40-50 kilometres was largely flat.  Still, even on the flat, I was struggling badly, both mentally and physically.  

With about 30 kilometres to go, I was coming down a small incline and noticed an SUV pulled way over in the gravel shoulder, with a couple standing outside of it.  It struck me as odd, since they seemed particularly interested in me.  As I approached, I assumed they were looking for help, or something, but felt it was odd they would be asking me.  They started waving at me so it became very clear that indeed they wanted to talk to me.  I slowed, and the man asked me if I had a few minutes.  

Keep in mind--I have now ridden 600 kilometres in 5 days, have eaten nowhere near enough today, and am sore and tired and not particularly loving riding right now.  As they beckoned me off the highway towards them, I literally thought: "is this how people get murdered?"

I saw that the man was holding energy bars and the woman cupcakes, however, so these did not seem to be murder weapons.  Perhaps I was slow or perhaps they communicated poorly, but eventually I understood that they were also cycle tourists, that they were (very) excited to see me riding, and that they were offering me food and water if I needed it.  I could hardly believe it!  I told them I was good for water, but basically desperate for food.  I took the energy bars and started eating one right then.  It was the man's birthday, hence the cupcakes, and I took two of those, too.  We chatted for a bit--they, the man in particular--are far more intense and experienced than I am.  Not only has the man biked across Canada, but he did a route that involved Los Angeles-Vancouver-Edmonton-Halifax; has biked across Cuba three times; has biked across France; and also mentioned South America and Portugal!  I felt a little soft and "green" as a motel-staying, week-at-a-time-riding, failed-food-planning cyclist!

I ate two more of the energy bars right away, and then the rest of the food ten or so kilometres further on at an incredible spot by the lake.

Whether it was the food or the encouragement, or both, my day really turned around at that point, and I quickly finished up, reaching The Voyageurs Lodge in Batchawana Bay Provincial Park before 17:30. 

The Voyageurs Lodge is a fun, somewhat-tacky, roadside stop with a motel, gas station, restaurant, gift shop, convenience store, and so on.  I was asked to be in the restaurant by 18:00 if I wanted dinner, so I rushed to shower and get over there.

Despite the generous and surprising energy bars and cupcakes, I was still plenty hungry for dinner, and enjoyed Lake Superior whitefish and homemade blueberry cheesecake.  Yum!

After dinner I crossed the highway to enjoy a walk on the beach at sunset.  It was a peaceful way to end the day.

Marathon to Wawa, Ontario

Despite all my worries from last night, I managed today's 186 kilometres, and stayed well-hydrated, although did end up drinking a some of that no-good water from the Marathon motel.

Although there is nothing to speak of between Marathon and White River (except gorgeous landscape!), White River had a nice rest stop, including an A&W where I could get lunch.  Besides a place to get lunch, White River is also the "birthplace" of Winnie the Pooh.

White River was almost halfway to Wawa, so I still had a lot of kilometres to ride after lunch.  There is a lot of construction happening south of White River, and they are making what will be a very nice road.  

They even have signs up identifying it as a bike route!  Perhaps I should have waited a year or two to be able to enjoy this for longer.  Now I understood how the White River (and Wawa) motels were all full--the construction crews needed the rooms!

As nice as much of the road was, I was suffering pretty badly.  The weather was good, and the climbs not unreasonable on this stretch, but I still was not feeling 100% myself.  I was hoping to "ration" some of my food for tomorrow, but at some point could not anymore, and ate one, then two, then the last of my remaining carrot muffins (which meant I ate all six today!).

Between not feeling great and 186 kilometres of riding, I was not thinking very well as I got to Wawa.  I had booked a motel about 8 kilometers (and a lot downhill) south of the town, in a place called Michipicoten, so as to set myself up for less riding tomorrow (and, again, because I had expected to be coming from White River, not Marathon).  The problem is that there are limited services in the vicinity of Michipicoten.  I was somewhat aware of this, which is why I was carrying muffins and orange juice and some other snacks, but having eaten most of that this afternoon, I was down to three granola bars and two tiny packs of fruit snacks.  I could have gone into Wawa as I cycled past, but it was 18:00, and I was too set on finishing the day and not thinking enough about the consequences of running out of food.  I was also starting to (probably irrationally) worry that my reservation at the Mystic Isle Motel might not be there when I arrived--which would have been a real blow given how full all accommodations in the area were.  I suppose I think more rationally when I am clean, well-rested, well-fed, etc. . . .

There are two restaurants across the highway from my motel, so was able to enjoy a good dinner, but neither are open for breakfast.  I asked one of the restaurants if they would make me sandwiches to take for lunch tomorrow--because I am now realizing that there may not be any food options for all 150+ kilometres tomorrow.  They said they were too busy, but the other restaurant suggested a rice dish to take out, which I agreed would be good, so that is now in my mini fridge.  As I think about it now, though, I should have gotten two of those dishes.  

Terrace Bay to Marathon, Ontario

After two mornings of day-old muffins for breakfast, this morning I was able to enjoy a nice hot breakfast in the restaurant of the Drifters Motel before setting out just after 8:30.

It was a cold morning--there was a frost warning overnight--but nice otherwise, and I was able to enjoy some more gorgeous scenery along the 80 kilometres to Marathon.  

There were also a lot of climbs, including a few of 6% or 7% grade, which meant it was a fairly slow day. I arrived around 13:00.

I was originally going to go to White River today, but the two motels there are full, believe it or not, so I had to make it a short day. That means a long day tomorrow, of almost 190 kilometres, to get me to Wawa.  

Marathon is actually about 5 kilometres south of the highway, but my motel is on the highway itself so that I can save myself the 5 kilometres of riding tomorrow morning.  I still had to go into town this afternoon, though, to do laundry, eat, and get some shopping done.  Despite today's short ride, I am not feeling especially well, maybe because of how cold it was in the morning.  I am also anxious for tomorrow's ride, both because of the distance, and other reasons, including that I only realized after coming back to the motel from Marathon that the tap water is virtually undrinkable due to taste.  By then the nextdoor gas station convenience store had closed and will not open before I leave in the morning, and there are no working vending machines in the hotel.  I called the front desk and the man was able to retrieve three 591 ml Dasani bottles for me, which he gave me on the house, which was nice; but it is not a lot of water to travel with, and I do not expect options until White River, 90 kilometres out of Marathon.  Anyway, not much to do but try to get a good rest tonight.

Nipigon to Terrace Bay, Ontario

After yesterday afternoon's squall, today was gorgeous, albeit blustery and a bit chilly.  Luckily the bluster proved a tailwind, so I made good time over the 105 kilometres to Terrace Bay.  

In fact, between the speed I was able to maintain, the incredible scenery, . . .

. . . the road conditions (mostly excellent, with little traffic and paved shoulders), . . .

. . . and the weather, it was one of the most enjoyable metric centuries I have ever ridden.

Now the highway is known as the "Group of Seven Route."  I always associated the Group of Seven with the Algonquin Park/Muskoka Region, but I have learned they liked painting northern Ontario, too.

Terrace Bay is a cute place, but unfortunately almost all of the dining options were closed for Labour Day, so it was Chinese food from Wah's Restaurant for both lunch and dinner.  Sadly they were only doing takeout, thanks to COVID-19.  At least there was warm food!

Like Nipigon, Terrace Bay also has lookouts to climb.  In this case, both the lighthouse and a trail up a cliff provide vantage points to see the town and lake.

Thunder Bay to Nipigon, Ontario

Today I rode the just over 100 kilometres from Thunder Bay to Nipigon.  There was a bad storm forecast for the afternoon, so I left early in hopes of beating it. 

I rolled onto the road at 7:18 and was out of Thunder Bay quickly, following Lakeshore Drive along Lake Superior for the first 30 kilometres or so.  It was a beautiful, quiet Sunday morning, and I enjoyed the peaceful cycling as the day dawned.

For the rest of my day I was on Highway 17--dubbed the "Terry Fox Courage Highway" between Nipigon and Thunder Bay.  This was the last stretch Terry Fox was able to run before lung cancer put him into the hospital in Thunder Bay.  Interestingly, it is exactly 40 years this month since he had to quit.

For most of my 70 kilometres on the highway the route was pretty good, although in a few spots I got a taste of what I am sure is coming--single lane highway with virtually no hardtop shoulder, heavily trafficked by semi-trucks.  Certainly that does not make for pleasant riding, although I am fairly well prepared with 38 mm wide tires (previously I was riding on 28 mm wides) and a reflective flag--neither of which I have used before.  I am also using a rear view mirror for the third time, which is very useful generally and especially on the narrow places.

I made good time and reached Nipigon just after noon.  I had beat the rain, although the sky was clouding.  I checked in at the Northland Motel, which conveniently already had a room ready.  The bathtub situation was less convenient, although big enough to do "laundry," if not for me to bathe.  The picture does not quite make clear just how short and shallow the tub is, but I would describe it as "child-sized."  Also, yes those are window blinds on the floor--fell off the window frame when I touched them; what can I say, I do not always stay in classy places.

The wind was moving pretty good and the sky was dark, but I needed lunch, so I headed down the hill from the highway to Front Street (what would surely be "Main Street" in a prairie town) to dine at the "China Garden" restaurant.  After lunch I rode around a little, touring the marina . . .

. . . some old buildings, including this church . . .

. . . and this impressive lookout tower up above the town, with views of the town, cemetery, Nipigon River, and the beautiful and important Nipigon River Bridge.

The bridge is important because it is the only Canadian road link between east and west (if the bridge fails for any reason, which it did for 24 hours or so a few years ago, the only detour is through the United States--and that would be a long detour).

The storm--technically a "squall," apparently--hit around 14:00 and was something else in terms of the wind and rainfall and how dark it got.  I was really happy I had made quick time and was not cycling when it hit, because it would have been dangerous.  Frustratingly, I was caught walking back along the highway from Tim Horton's, so ended up pretty wet anyway!

Thunder Bay, Ontario

In 2017 I finished my cycle trip from Winnipeg at the Thunder Bay airport, and today I started out for Sault Ste. Marie from the same spot.

I flew into Thunder Bay early yesterday evening on WestJet via YYZ.  Originally I was to fly via YWG on Saturday, not Friday, but in these COVID-19 times airlines are canceling flights constantly, I guess, and two or three weeks ago I was told my original flights were victims.  It meant an extra day off work and a longer travel day, but I suppose it all worked out fine.

Actually, COVID-19 made me worried I would not get in a cycling trip at all this year, but as summer wound down it seemed there would be a chance and, so, here I am.

After picking up a rental car at the airport I checked in at my motel on the northeast side of the city, the old Port Arthur (at one time Thunder Bay was two towns, Fort William [where I stayed in 2017] and Port Arthur]).  The Old Country Motel is more or less in the opposite end of the city from the airport and in the corner of the city closest to my way towards the Soo.  From my motel I walked downtown for dinner, and made my way back along the lovely Prince Arthur's Landing waterfront area.

I was up at 8:00 this morning for a breakfast of Finnish pancakes at Niva's restaurant.  The server at the bar the night before had recommended I check it out, and indeed it was delicious and a good experience! 

Who knew, but apparently Thunder Bay is the largest "Finnish city" outside of Finland (put me down as skeptical, but that's what I've read).

After breakfast I headed into Fort William's downtown to Petrie's cycle shop for a tune up.  They were kind enough to prioritize me and actually my bike was all done in less than an hour! 

With the bike all done, I had the rest of the morning and afternoon to enjoy Thunder Bay.  Three years ago I had enjoyed the natural area on Mission Island, so I went out there again straight from Petrie's for a little walk and to see the lake.

Then it was time to check out another recommendation from last night's server--"The Persian Man." "You need to get a 'Persian.' It's as Thunder Bay as it gets," he told me.  Again, who knew? 

The Persian Man is something of a coffee shop and bakery, but clearly these "Persians" are the highlight--in essence a donut with raspberry icing.

I drove down to the Prince Arthur's Landing waterfront area to enjoy my "Persian" and coffee by the marina.

It was now around noon, but after a large breakfast and the Persian, I was certainly not hungry for lunch, so I wandered a little bit and found myself at a neighbourhood known as Bay & Algoma.  More of Thunder Bay's Finnish heritage was evident here.

That Hoito restaurant is interesting--a co-op restaurant that is more than 100 years old.  Unfortunately, COVID-19 has shut it down, hopefully just temporarily.

My last tourist stop of the day was the Terry Fox statue just a few kilometres outside of Thunder Bay.  I had visited here in 2017, too, but in preparation for this trip--part of which will be on the "Terry Fox Courage Highway"--I had read some and watched a documentary about Terry Fox, so visiting the statue this time was more meaningful.

I was now ready for lunch, so it was back to Prince Arthur's Landing to a restaurant called Bight, where I was able to enjoy pickerel, a couple of local beers, and the patio.

After lunch, I headed out to the airport and dropped the car off, then cycled across Thunder Bay to the motel, mostly sticking on multi-use trails that made for a lovely ride, along the Neebing River, through the Lakehead Univesity Campus, and so on.  I also cycled past the infamous Dennis Cromarty High School, which has sadly lost many students over the last few years.  I read Seven Fallen Feathers by Tanya Talaga a few months ago about these students, so I pulled over as I came by to see the school.

I have stayed at some real dives of motels on my cycling trips, but the Old Country Motel really is the diviest.  At $60/night, it is also probably the cheapest, and I suppose it is adequate; in some ways the motels are all part of the experience!