Back in Gear

Last nights stay in the motel really worked wonders for me. I had a great sleep and woke up this morning with a whole new attitude and renewed desire for riding. This left me itching to get on the road, so after a filling breakfast, we bid farewell to White River and set out for Wawa. The sun was shining once again and I was totally relaxed being on the bike, as opposed to the previous couple of days where I was nervous and stressed out about bears.

I think it was talking to dad last night that got my head straightened out about the whole bear-phobia. All he did was tell me about how he and mom had seen a black bear cub while heading to the first tee at Twin Rivers Golf Course in Terra Nova a few years ago. Although, it wasn't such a big deal, it did a lot for me to just hear that there is nothing to really be afraid of - all I need to do if I see a black bear is give it some space and let it go about its business. After all, we both just want to get on with things without disturbing the other.

Since I was so much more relaxed and refreshed today, the riding was much more enjoyable. As a result, the kilometres seemed to just fly by, and we got to Wawa in what seemed like no time at all. In Wawa, we stopped for some pictures of the big Canada Goose and inquired about campgrounds within Lake Superior Provincial Park. We then had lunch and set out for Rabbit Blanket Lake Campground, which was another 30km away.

Just after leaving Wawa we ran into a couple that were cycling in the opposite direction, headed for Vancouver. The two had started in Quebec City about two weeks ago, and already were in Northern Ontario, which I took not only as a good sign for them but also for us... it just goes to show that once we finish Ontario, we will be going through provinces much more quickly again. It was amazing to see how much gear the two were carrying on their bikes - they had both read and front panniers along with things stacked on top. It made it look like Dave and I were carrying nothing! I certainly couldn't imagine biking with that much of a load.

After we had chatted with the two for a bit, discussing our adventures so far, we wished them good luck and good weather and then bid them farewell as we continued towards our destination. The remainder of the ride to the campground brought some steep hills, which we haven't seen since Marathon. One in particular stood out - it was preceded by a steep decline that stretched for several kilometres until we reached Old Woman Scenic Lookout. Then, we were faced with a hill that seemed to reach high into the sky. The ride up the hill actually wasn't too bad, but shortly after reaching the top, my knees started screaming for the day to end. Luckily it was only another couple of kilometres to the campground, so they got their wish!

Once we reached the campsite we quickly coated ourselves in fly repellant as both the mosquitoes and black flies were out for blood! We then assembled the tent and Dave quickly jumped inside to escape the swarm of bugs. I on the other hand simply hung around the campground playing with some of the toys we had acquired along the trip. First I lit a mosquito coil to try and fend off their attack, and then I lit the candle John had given me in Thunder Bay to see if it would keep the black flies away. Once lit, I couldn't believe how well the candle burned! The flame was as big as a small wood fire, and it raged high enough to make me put it in the fire pit to ensure safety. The only disappointment with the candle was that it seemed to lose a lot of wax from the single burning - for something that is supposed to last 50 hours, I was surprised to see that almost an inch of wax gone once I extinguished the flame. Granted, I did spill some while moving the candle.

Well, I am now ready to lay down for a good night sleep, and I am looking forward to tomorrow. Things certainly have taken a turn for the better for me, and I hope to keep these high spirits going for the rest of the trip. The worst, I hope, is definitely behind me knock on wood!