Category: Touring

By the time I went to bed, all my clothes and gear were dry. The air was damp and uncomfortably warm. I knew it would chill overnight. Just hours later, I pulled my sleeping bag over me.

This morning, the outside of the tent is covered with dew. The inside is damp with condensation. Everything feels damp. The store opens at 7 a.m. I am dressed and ready for breakfast and coffee. The sleeping bag and bedding are packed in their sacks. I walk over to the store.  The sun is now up and beginning to dry the tent. I move the tent off the grass onto the dry gravel driveway. This quickly dries the tent to pack. My ground cover is also dry. Minutes later, all is packed onto the bike, and I’m ready to ride. But first, I stop and visit with the Co-op owner. His son lives in Rhode Island.

The plan is to ride a short day to Nipigon and camp overnight in the city marina campground. Nancy will go to Rainbow Falls Provincial Park; that would be a seventy-mile day for me. I start riding, and the closer I get to Nipigon, the greater the temptation to suck it up and go the distance to Rainbow Falls.

The Trans Canada is hit or miss with a shoulder to ride. I begin on barely a six-inch shoulder with busy tractor-trailer traffic buzzing by as I cling to the edge that drops off to a rough gravel ditch. Then nine-foot-wide shoulders when the road splits into a divided highway.

I get to the edge of Nipigon and stop for lunch. I’m still juggling the scales of going on or stopping and resting at the harbor. I choose to stay at this campground. I ride in and set up camp. I can see tomorrow’s route a short way up the water, a suspension bridge.

It was hard to admit, but this short day before tomorrow’s fifty-mile ride is a good choice.

Last night was a late night. I had so much fun visiting with Dan, Warmshowers host, that time kicked in to warp drive.

Morning also came early, and I didn’t notice until 7:30. Dan is up and offers breakfast: fried potatoes, last night’s pork, veggies, and eggs. Then more visiting. I got a late start. I have 70 kilometers to Canyon Country Co-op, where I will pitch a tent for the night.

Reconnecting to my route was easy. There is a convenience store at the intersection, so I filled my bottles with Gatorade. The first twenty kilometers of the route is on Lakeshore Drive, a quiet back road, that is keeping off the Trans-Canadian Highway.

The rest of the seventy kilometers is on Rtes 11&17.

Within two kilometers, the rain starts. It has looked like rain all afternoon. Now I am less than .1 kilometers from the Co-op when I see a cyclist heading toward me. We stop and visit. Mathieu is riding to Vancouver. Tomorrow, he will be staying at the same Warmshowers where I stayed last night.

I am now where I will camp tonight. I’ve eaten: a burger and onion rings.  I am now resting in the shade. I will wander over in a bit for ice cream.

Today I get to ride a bicycle on roads I have not yet ridden. Yesterday I changed the plan to a shorter day, finishing in Thunder Bay. I will be hosted by Dan, a Warmshowers host.

Off I go with panniers packed for four days. Nancy and Moe walk with me a short bit. Moe is not at all happy watching me farther and farther down the road. His yelps fade into the distance as I fade out of sight.

I leave the park and merge onto the same highway that drove us from the last campground. I soon start riding a nice quiet country road, a straight shot to the north side of Thunder Bay. This is where my host lives. I decide to drop South the Fork William.

After maybe an hour I begin my ride to the host. Most of the way is on bike trails.

I arrive. Dan comes out to welcome me into his home. Grilled pork chops with fresh vegetables and salad picked from his garden, a great dinner. I also meet and share stories with Jim, his friend.

Fed, showered, and tired, I climb the stairs to fall asleep.

The loud, constant traffic noise drowned out my sleep. I’m a bit tired this morning. Nancy and Moe came back from a walk and let me know that she was at the office and switched campgrounds. We are at Riverside, and will be moving to Whispering Hills. It will be a short distance up the hill and away from the highway. Checkout is at 2 p.m., so we have time to kill. I make breakfast and enjoy a morning coffee.

I break down the tent and gear and stuff it all into the camper. We hitch up, Nancy drives out of the site, and I follow on my bicycle.

OK, we are here, this site has electric hook-up. The post is a difficult distance that requires backing the camper with the rear hovering over the fire pit. This area is not level, so three blocks under the low wheel and the camper is level. I set up the tent in the corner of the site.

We go to see Kakabeka Falls.

Now back in our site, that has little to no cell coverage. I can get a text to send at snail’s pace. The speed of communicating is about as fast as mailing a letter through the post office and getting the reply. I did finally set up an overnight at a Warmshowers in Thunder Bay for tomorrow night.

 My eyes open and I’m wondering the time. The phone shows 6:30 a.m. I’m already awake, so I begin packing up. The valve opens, air whooshes out. I fold and roll the mattress and put it into the sack. Next, the pillow. The sleeping bag is stuffed into its bag. Everything in the tent is packed and piled next to the door. I slip on my shoes and stand out in the morning air. 

The rain fly is now off and in its stuff sack. I empty the tent and fill the panniers. The tent  is next. Once unclipped and the poles put away, the tent is put into its stuff sack. Now, the footprint is put in the sun to dry the damp underside. This entire process takes about twenty minutes. It is the routine of every morning.

The sky is getting dark. Nancy is getting the camper ready. We put my bike and gear inside, another routine if I am riding with her. The rain begins, everything has been put away dry.

We drive to Grand Marais. I get coffee and scones at a local coffee shop. Next is gas. We are now heading to the Canadian border.

We stop at Grand Portage to see the sights. Luck is with us today. There is a Rendezvous happening. Tent villages are set up. We stepped back in time to the 1700s. We spend hours looking, visiting, and learning the way of life in this trading port.

Back on the road to Canada. Entry is a breeze. We’re hoping it will be this easy coming back into the States.

We find the campground and set up camp.

The night went by as I slept. It is now morning, a new day unfolding. What will it bring? I climb out of the tent and find my way to the chair four yards away. It doesn’t sound like much, but this distance comes with a comfy chair. I take advantage. I sit in the cool air bundled in a fleece jacket. 

Nancy asks if I’m ready to hike. I race back in time to get my bearings. I’ve had breakfast. So, I suppose I am ready to hike. We walk to the Cascade River trail.

We follow the river to where it flows into Lake Superior.

We cross Rte 61 and begin hiking the lake trail. This trail is overgrown, but we are on the banks of Lake Superior.

We get back to the campground, and I begin to find ways to plot my route around the lake. The cell at this campground is poor, and I’m having a difficult time. We decide to drive into Grand Marais for better cell coverage.

We stop at the Voyageur Brewing Company. I put together a route that I am somewhat comfortable with. We go into the brewery for dinner. Moe is welcome on the patio. Dinner is good; the beers are excellent. I buy a six-pack to bring on tour. The waiter, Robert from Armenia, is fabulous, and I enjoy the playful conversation with him.

Now we are back at the campsite.

I’m working on the blog. Night is falling fast. Tomorrow will soon be here. This time tomorrow, I’ll be in Canada composing another blog. 

It was cold overnight and cold this morning. I dress into fleece pants and a sweatshirt. The mosquitoes are out in force, as if it is a warm summer day. Nancy makes oatmeal as I pack up to ride the forty-four miles to our next campground.

Nancy takes Moe for his morning walk. I let them get out of sight and begin the day’s ride. I’m in no hurry. Check-in is at 4 p.m. It is 10 a.m. Nancy plans to leave at noon.

Once out of the park, I ride north on Rte. 61. The only road to choose. The shoulder is wide, allowing a good distance from cars and large truck and RV’s.

Mile twenty-two is half way to the campground. I see a bakery ahead. I stop and see a family of four waiting to cross the road. I ask about the bike trail that they were riding. Jason, please correct me if I’ve mistaken your name, compliments my bike. This begins a forty-minute conversation. I give him my contact info to follow the tour.

I order food and have a sit-down meal. I really am in no hurry.

I cross the road and begin riding the Gitche Gumee Trail. This is a great trail with interesting scenic views.

The trail ends. I have ten more miles to the Cascade River State Park.

I arrive and park the bike, Eve R Green. I relax in a camp chair. Nancy has gone food shopping.

We are all now here. The soft, melting ice cream is eaten. I go and shower, then set up the tent for tonight.

The thunder and rain rang in the midnight. Loud claps of thunder broke the silence and rattled the ground. The lightning lit the sky and the darkness in the tent.

Then the rain hit the tent. Just inches above my head roared the sound of a waterfall.

I felt cozy wrapped in the storm. Dry and safe, listening until the end. Then the quiet, and I drifted to sleep.

It is morning. The tent is covered in large wet drops with a few leaves adding their shadow to the new day.

This is our last day in this park. We go to the trailhead at the visitor center. Still a bit tired from yesterday, we begin the hike. We follow the stairway to the beach.

Then we hike the trail to one of the two lookouts. We climb step after step to the first lookout. There is a group getting ready to rappel off the cliff. We visit for about thirty minutes, learning about the youth camp and sharing our tour stories.

The hike to the second lookout is slow. Moe attracts the interest of returning hikers of all ages, from three through late seventies.

The hike is over. We are back at camp. I put my bike on the work stand. I add sealant to the tires and clean and lube the chain. It is now ready for another ride.

The chill came late at night/early in the morning. I put on a light fleece and went back to sleep. Hours later, I opened my eyes to see the day begin. The moon in the blue sky was bright.

We have trails from the campground to two waterfalls. This will be explored. Moe is leashed and ready. We have our hiking shoes on. Off we go. A few sites from us, I spot a walk-in tent site. Curiosity pulls me down the trail to the site. Wow! This is a great place to camp.

We reach the trail and hike to the Upper Falls. Down the steps to the depths below. This is worth every bit of energy.

Up we climb. The steps seem to have doubled for the return to the top. Tired with fourteen-year-old Moe leading the way. Straining the leash, hoping we will move just a bit quicker.

Now at the trail split to Two Step Falls. I don’t know how it’s possible. There are two hundred steps to reach the bottom of the falls. This is steeper and longer than getting to the other falls. We do get there and hike over rocks and ledges to view the water drop, swirl, and splash.

Now is the payback. Up all those steps we climb.

We are now on the trail back to the campsite. I sit and relax as best I can while swatting mosquitos. With no lunch and all the hiking, 5789 steps, I skip a late lunch in favor of an early dinner. Burgers, tomatoes, and baked beans at 4 p.m.

I put the rain fly on the tent. It will rain overnight. We work on planning the next four campgrounds. Some will be in Canada. Then a short visit with the campsite across from us.

I’m sitting here writing a blog.

It’s getting dark, and I tire of fighting biting insects. I’m thinking of crawling into the bug-free tent.

At 6:30 am I’m awake and starting the breakdown. My sleeping gear and tent are packed. Next is breakfast, gobbled quickly. I want to be on the road by 9:00. The next campground is sixty miles away. I hope to be there around 3 p.m. Looking on the map, the town of Isabella is thirty miles away, perfect for grabbing drinks and food. The day now has a plan.

In the saddle and pedaling out the five-mile gravel road to MN 1. This road will take me to five miles of the campsite. Easy peasy, one road. This low-traffic road goes through the Superior National Forest. There is nothing other than swampy areas, many small lakes, and dense forest.

I am six miles from Isabella, hungry. Nancy goes by, slows down, and stops on the side of the road. Her window goes down, and she hands me the rest of her cold Dr. Pepper. I tell her my plan, and now she will meet me when I get to Isabella. She drives away. A few minutes later, I get a text. There is nothing in that town, and she will wait and make sandwiches. I ride another few miles and see the camper. Which, by the way, is the only thing in the town besides one house.

I get a few minutes’ rest sitting in a chair and a full belly. I leave, Nancy and Moe drive ahead to the campground.

Finland is the next town that might have food, just a farm market, a closed gas station, and a post office.

I am three miles from the campground.

I make my way to Park Road, climb the hill, and enter Baptism River Campground.

Camp is set up, and it’s time to relax. Oh, there are plenty of mosquitoes here also.