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organic hippie farms & hawberry jelly
just enough fuel this morning for oatmeal and half of a cup of coffee each. had a lazy day today but perfect for exploring. went into an old abandoned farmhouse and barn.
took backroads most of the way to Providence Bay. came across an organic farm--Gypsy Family Farm--and bought fresh snap peas from Ted's sister. the 3 of us polished off a litre of them by mid-afternoon. they were the sweetest peas ever. everything else was at market with Ted, the farmer, who incidentally is a retired nurse from Texas. his wife is still a nurse. great stories. we are taking an extra trip into Mindemoya tomorrow morning to go meet him at market and get some fresh fruit for lunch.
missed our turn off today and ended up staying on the highway, which was a good thing or else we wouldn't have come across the tiny hamlet of Spring Bay, which had an LCBO outlet (we had run out of wine--funny how things work out like that) and the Hawberry Farms company whose jams and chutneys we love. had to pick up a few jars of their famous hawberry jelly (hawberries only grow on Manitoulin Island)...and a few other things. extra weight, yes, but only for another day and so worth it. also got some christian paraphanelia for Sue at a tiny old church in Britainville.
Providence Bay has the coldest water i've ever jumped into. my toes went numb. and there's a family (a dad and his two kids) who are just starting out on their journey of biking Manitoulin at the site across from ours. i'd like to give the girl a book that i finished on the trip (Strange Heaven by Lynn Coady).
we're going into town tonight to eat fish & chips.
(edit: the fish & chips place was closed but lucky for us because we found the best soup & sandwich shop! once again, love how things always have a way of working out. ~m)
day 6 stats
27˚ & sunny
total riding time: 2 hrs 43 mins
total distance: 40.72 km (avg: 14.9 km/hr)
max speed: 36 km/hr
the swamps of mordor and a beat up old jalopy
the ride back to Lake Wolsley today--which was the same as yesterday, minus the extra 10km of hill into Sheshegwaning First Nation--seemed so much easier.
not easy, but easier.
although i did get attacked by horseflies through most of it.
it must have been the eggs and homefries we had at the lighthouse restaurant for breakfast. that was a nice treat.
and i didn't have to poo on the side of the road again like yesterday--thank god for the emergency roll of TP.
we made it back to the camp at Lake Wolsley Obejewung and are ready to feast. we're almost out of camp fuel so we decided to eat most of our dried food. plus we stopped in at the general store in Evansville (at the bottom of Indian Point Hill) and Beebs picked out a cajun smoked manitoulin river trout to add some protein to our pasta. the nice young girls in the store also showed us another way to camp without having to climb the crazy steepness of Indian Point Hill Rd, which was a welcome reprieve after another long day.
we found a beautiful old abandoned dock today, where we stopped for lunch after buying more bagels and p.b. in Silverwater again (we were reluctant to stop there again, but there really is nowhere else).
we met a couple from toronto at the store, and they offered up their septic field for a soft place to sleep and a hot shower for the night . so very nice of them, but they weren't too far from Silverwater and that was only our half way point for the day.
the dock was abandoned by the government and was in a beautiful bay...it was lovely, save for the nasty climb back up a loose gravel road to the highway.
hopefully we have enough fuel for breakfast. it's a short day to Providence Bay tomorrow where there's a little town with a restaurant for dinner.
back to civilization....not sure whether i'm sad or excited.
day 5 stats
27˚ & sunny
total riding time: 5 hrs 3 mins
total distance: 78.93 km (avg: 15.6 km/hr)
max speed: 51 km/hr
the lighthouse beyond meldrum bay
i silenty cried today on our last 13 km on lighthouse road. my knee is a mess.
but we made it to the absolute west side of Manitoulin Island and the most beautiful campsite ever.
the shower building reminds me of Friday the 13th.
we rode in silence along a beautiful tree lined road, me secretly wishing we would be there around every bend.
i stink and have a serious butt rash.
but we have homemade tarts for dessert after our mountain chili and the lighthouse restaurant is open for breakfast. good thing too since we're almost out of camp fuel.
mostly the people on Manitoulin have been so nice and friendly but in Silverwater (the only place to stop on hwy 540 between Gore Bay and Meldrum Bay) we walked into the restaurant/gas station/general store only to be stared at but completely ignored amongst the locals. we got up and left after the waitress sat down at the table next to us to talk.
so we bought some bagels and p.b. and headed to Sheshegwaning First Nation reserve. This took us 10 kms out of our way to find the giant dreamcatcher, which we didn't see, but we found a lovely spot to eat our lunch on a beat up old dock.
i took this photo of the garbage can there because it made me laugh:
talking about our experience over lunch, Beebs thought maybe it was because they thought we were native because we're so darkly tanned from biking all day. i hope that's not true; that they wouldn't serve us if they thought we were native. beebs is part native and me, i always wished i was.
day 4 stats
~22˚; cloudy with sunny breaks
total riding time: 6 hrs 5 mins
total distance: 85.67 km (avg: 14 km/hr)
max speed: 46.5 km/hr
Jerusalem Hill kicked my ass
today i prayed all day--i prayed for no more wind.
that wind stopped me dead a few times.
i have never pedalled so hard in my life.
like a cartoon character continually circling my legs, yet going nowhere.
hwy 540 to Bridal Veil Falls was just so windy, but the falls are pretty and I got bit by a horse fly. those buggers hurt.
we missed the old jail museum in Gore Bay by 5 mins because the LCBO outlet took priority.
all hail the tetra paks of wine!
perfect for a night at Lake Wolsley after having to climb the steepest hill ever at the end of the day. Indian Point Hill. wow. two steep, quick hills in one day.
we managed to cross a gorgeous causeway today, the windiest of days, without blowing into the water. amazing.
in my head i take notes like journalling for a blog now. title and all.
is that sad?
day 3 stats
~22˚ & sunny (35 km/hr winds)
total riding time: 5 hrs 6 mins
total distance: 71.3 km (avg: 14 km/hr)
max speed: 39.5 km/hr
when butterflies attack
slow start today.
"the sheg" (Sheguiandah) to Little Current. had lunch in the park. that sign we saw that we swore said there was a Timmy's in Little Current was a total lie.
the woman laughed at me.
"i wish there was a Tim's here. you're going to have to go to Espanola for that."
Beebs and Bob were actually considering it.
Little Current to M'Chigeeng (formerly West Bay) was a crazy ride. very hilly.
M'Chigeeng means "village enclosed by stepped cliffs" in Ojibwe.
we picked some wild strawberries on the side of the road. so sweet!
started to rain a bit so we pulled into Gina's Restaurant to catch some cover.
Pam makes the best butter nut tarts! and the young guy working there answered all of our questions. such nice people.
saw a guy skid into the ditch going up a hill.
decided to go on the last 15 km to Stanley's Tent & Trailer Park.
got chased by a dog that bit my bag! it could've been my leg...
then Beebs got attacked by a monarch butterfly.
but there hasn't been a hill--yet--that we haven't conquered.
i've always wanted to live in a trailer park. a whole different breed.
i swear i just saw Ricky & Julian. and Stanley is like a younger version of Mr. Lahey.
day 2 stats
25˚ & sunny; partly cloudy with some rain near M'Chigeeng
total riding time: 4 hrs 24 mins
total distance: 65.5 km (avg: 14.9 km/hr)
adventure to Squirreltown & beyond
not even 10 mins off the Chi-Cheemaun, we were in the middle of nowhere, heading north on hwy 6 (the Great Spirit Circle Highway). about 10 kms off the ferry, there was a billboard for a Timmy's.
"only 74 mins!" it beckoned...by car, of course. something to look forward to tomorrow morning. (only a few days later did we find out there are no franchises on the island, and that tim's was really in Espanola -ed.)
i picked up a hitchhiker...a green bug named Gerald--he rode shotgun on my handlebar bag for quite some time...even down two serious hills. he disappeared at Fossil Hill in Squirreltown.
so Beebs says "hey manny, you lead for a bit"...how excited i was, until i realized it was probably because the boys were already tired and wanted the 5'2", 120 lb girl to set the pace, without either of them backing down.
it wasn't because of my outstanding ability on a bicycle--no.
it was because i'm slow...er,
but how can i compete with this hairy beast of a machine? combined, it's like riding behind a 12 ft, 400 lb monster.
no matter how fast i pedal (on the downhill!), they cruise by letting their weight carry them.
until the uphill of course, when i motor past them screaming all the while "eat my dust pansies! muhahahaha!"
no...not really. that was a fantasy as i panted up the last hill of the day (don't ever let anyone tell you manitoulin island is flat)
riding really far behind leaves nobody to talk to. it's very conducive to fantasies.
day 1 stats
25˚ & sunny
total riding time: 4 hrs 4 mins
total distance: 65 km (avg: 16 km/hr)
food for thought: strange heaven by lynn coady
Canada Day 2006
after meeting Beebs the patriotic in O-Sound, we stopped at the Top Notch Restaurant in Wiarton for some local whitefish. Beebs picked the spot saying "i think the name says it all".
on the way to Tobermory, saw this ad:
"Losing weight? Fight back! The Sweet Shop, Tobermory"
Bruce Peninsula Nat'l Park had no space for us--it being Canada Day weekend and all--but the nice park ranger told us we could pitch a tent right on the ferry docks...but there were fireworks and nowhere to park....so we slept in the car of the legion parking lot while a dude with an arm cast and his cronies drank a 2-4 of Blue on the tailgate of their Dodge pick-up and proceeded to break a few bottles. i don't even think they noticed us.
ah, small towns.
took backroads most of the way to Providence Bay. came across an organic farm--Gypsy Family Farm--and bought fresh snap peas from Ted's sister. the 3 of us polished off a litre of them by mid-afternoon. they were the sweetest peas ever. everything else was at market with Ted, the farmer, who incidentally is a retired nurse from Texas. his wife is still a nurse. great stories. we are taking an extra trip into Mindemoya tomorrow morning to go meet him at market and get some fresh fruit for lunch. 
