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Hi - it's just greg. In the summer of 2003, My wife, Mollie, and I decided to pedal our bikes across Canada for our honeymoon. We had just had our very small wedding atop a mountain in the Rockies of Alberta - only nine people (us included) and two dogs in attendance. To make a long story short, we decided that we would spare everyone the trouble (and ourselves the grief and expense) of having a big wedding, and bring the reception (the best part of a wedding, for anyone but the bride and groom, anyway), very slowly, to each of them in turn. Over three months, we traversed this vast expanse of a country from West to East - seven and a half thousand kilometres from Victoria, British Columbia to Saint John's, Newfoundland. It was an epic journey, and by far the best summer of my life. I would recommend this trip, or a similar one on your own homeland, to anyone who has even the remotest inkling of an interest. We are (and were) not world-class athletes, or even in very good shape. We had no idea of how possible it was to attain our objective (if you could call it that). We just thought it would be fun to try, and a great way to see our country and celebrate our wedding. Travelling slowly, in the open air, by your own propulsion, provides you with an altogether richer and more real experience - moving across a landscape is no longer just a visual thing, it's a full-blown feast for the senses. Anyway, I could go on and on, but I thought that the best way to share this experience with you would be to include the periodic emails that we sent out to family and friends when we had the chance. They take a while to read, but I hope you enjoy them - and feel free to get in touch if there's anything else you'd like to know. By the way, Mollie and I are still happily married, and intend to stay that way. Have a great day, and enjoy the trip. Next time, I'm walking.********************************************************************Hi everybody! Greetings from Lillooet, in the sunny Fraser Valley! We're six days into our trip, and already over the toughest, steepest climb we are to face (I think!). We had a last minute change of plans, and decided to start in Victoria, BC, at mile zero of the TCH - only 4,680 miles to St Johns'! Oh well, we'll just take'er one pedal stroke at a time. From Victoria we headed up the east coast of Vancouver Island to Nanaimo, then on the ferry over to Horseshoe bay in North Van, and up the sea-to-sky highway (route 99), through Whistler and Pemberton, over "the Duffy", and down into Lillooet. And here we are! Highlights of the trip so far:-longest day - day 1, victoria to Fuller Lake, 80 km.-fastest speed - 69 km/h, with a full trailer, coming down Cayoosh creek into Lillooet, earlier today. whoo-hoo!-biggest hill - "the Duffy" - Lillooet lake east of Pemberton, up to Joffre Lake at 1246m - about 3000+ feet of climbing over 13 km, with a maximum grade of 13%. A helluva climb, but the scenery is beautiful, and the other side of the pass is about 70 km, mostly downhill, along the magnificient Cayoosh creek all the way into Lillooet.-neatest wildlife experience - at the start of the climb yesterday, we ran across three mule deer coming down the hill. They came within about 2-3 metres of Mollie. Close second was the ruby-throated hummingbird that checked us out while we were tearing down camp on Joffre creek that morning. No bears yet (blessing? curse? you be the judge)-nicest campsite - I don't know for sure - they've all been pretty nice. But I think I'd have to say last night's site on the Cayoosh, 25 km up stream from here, was the nicest. Moll found some "brain morel" mushrooms ( a $400/lb delicacy - no jokin'!) in the campsite, that we sauteed with garlic and sundried tomatoes for second course of dinner; and somebody even left us a little firewood to cook on - nice, since we got a little chilly up on the Duffy earlier that day. It's hard to lay down all of the highlights for you - it's all been pretty great so far, and the crappy stuff (rain, the occasional tumble, long days, nay-sayers, shoulder-less roads) seems to dissolve quickly into a soup of great, we-inspiring experiences, that I'm sure we're barely beginning to digest. We have already had what feels like a lifetime of great experiences, met some really nice people, and seen some incredibly beautiful country. And I'm not sure, but I think the pedalling seems to be getting a little easier. So today it's on up the Fraser, towards Cache Creek and Kamloops. We hope to hook up with some old friends from the time we spent in 100 mile house, just up the road from here. In fact, the "100 mile" refers to the distance from here along the old gold rush wagon road. I hope everyone is well - we'll try to be in touch as often as possible. Please pass this on to anyone not on the list, who you think might want to hear about our travels. It took us two days to get here from Lillooet, our "most productive" days so far, in terms of distance - although I must admit that I feel it's a lot more useful to gauge productivity based on the amount of fun we're having. We're staying here with some friends (Jill and Steve) whom we met when we were living up in 100 Mile House. They've been very kind and hospitable, and it feels soooo nice to get clean and sleep in a bed, just for a little change of pace (I'm not getting soft though!). We'll stay here again tonight, and then head out early tomorrow morning. We're hoping to take about two or three days to get to Revelstoke and the beginning of our next big climb up to Rogers Pass. Luckily there's a hot springs half way up the 40 ( ! ) mile climb - we'll likely spend a night there. In general, I'd have to say the trip is going great so far. We've seen so much beautiful country, met (and re-met) some really nice people, and we're feeling stronger with each day. Sorry about that - I assume that the problem lies somewhere in the email service that we use - I like it because it is run through an environmental web site, and every time you use it, you are helping conservation and environmental causes. However, if doesn't do what it is designed to do (ie. allow me to correspond with you), then I guess it's not really worth much, is it? Oh well, for the sake of the cause, I am willing to give these guys one more chance. Here we go. Greetings from mad cowtown - Calgary, Alberta Canada! Moll and I arrived here on Saturday (31 May) around noon - about a week earlier than we had anticipated! The trip on from Kamloops to Calgary has been pretty good - over two big mountain passes (Rogers and Kicking Horse), and through some truly spectacular country. We have seen a tonne of wildlife (bald eagles, mule and white tail deer, elk, bighorn sheep, pikas and marmots, sage thrashers and northern flickers, pileated woodpeckers, hawks and falcons,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], giant slugs and snails (do those count as wildlife?) geese, loons, grebes,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], etc., and one very big, eerily curious black bear). After leaving Cherry Creek, we rode into a hard, hot headwind, through the interior BC desert of the south Thompson River. then into the majestic Shuswap area, with its big, beautiful, clear (and still REALLY cold) lakes in deep froested valleys. We followed the Eagle River (and the TCH and CNR) up to its origins, in Three Valley Gap. Then down the other side, out of the Fraser drainage and into the Columbia, in which we stayed until leaving BC a few days later. We crossed the Columbia first in Revelstoke, before beginning our cold, wet, 70km climb up to the 1330m summit of Rogers Pass. The next day we rolled down the other side into the impressive Rocky Mountain Trench, where we rejoined the Columbia and rolled into Golden. We took a break in Golden, cleaned up our bikes, and spent a mellow day with our good friends Pete and Ceri Willott, and our kitty Arnica. Pete climbed the kicking horse valley with us, up as far as field (he decided to forego the final steep hill that leaves Field for the summit of "Kick-my-ass" Pass - smart man). After the most difficult time I have ever had changing a bike tube, Moll and I finished our climb out of BC, and crossed the continental divide - she's all down hill to the Maritimes now (ha ha)! The ride from the border to Calgary was pretty nice, compared to what had come before - mostly down hill,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], and a fair chunk (especially through the mountain parks) on scenic sideroads that see no truck traffic and have a speed limit of 60km/h. Our good friends Robin and Rebecca rode out to Cochrane and escorted us into Calgary along the city's great bike trails, and straight to a pub in Kensington for some grub and a couple of pints (went straight to me head!) We had a little wedding reception of sorts here, and have been chilling for a couple of days. Originally we had intended to get rolling again yesterday (tuesday), but Moll has been experiencing some tendonitis, and we've decided to wait around a little longer to see if she can't get that discomfort to a more managable level. Anyone who knows Mollie will,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], I'm sure, be amazed at her restraint and patience. So, Moll has a physio appointment this afternoon, and if she gets the go-ahead, we are back on the road tomorrow morning, bound for the farm (don't tell them - we want to see the look on their faces when we roll in on our bikes.). Probably the next chance to write will come in Kamsack, at ye olde public library. So until then, keep yer sticks on the ice, eh?PEACE and LOVE,greg and mollie*********************************************************************Hi everybody! Greetings from the banks of the South Saskatchewan River, and sunny Saskatoon Saskatchewan! It has taken us five days of riding to get to the 'toon, four of which were into harsh head- or cross-winds. The wind gods have not been particularly nice to us - I don't know what we've done to offend them, but I'm sure they have their reasons. Our enjoyment of this part of the trip has benn slightly muffled by the relentless, oppressive pin-downedness of the wind. Nevertheless, I find the prairies beautiful, in a much different way than the country that preceded it on our journey. They're just so BIG, and more to the point, they just make one feel so very very small. The terrain and roads have been fairly predictable, which allow lots of time for quiet contemplation, introspection, and philosophizing to the meditative, rhythmic whirr of chain and cog. We got blown at and rained on for the first four days out of Calgary, and then yesterday, the wind finally turned around for us,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], and blew us along and into Saskatoon. Yesterday we recorded our first "century" of the trip, biking a few more than 160 km (100 miles for all you southoftheborderians and paleophytes). Last night we were treated to the finest hospitality by Gordon and Jean Sukut, parents of our good buddy Al. They took us in and fed us, and we are truly grateful. If the winds continue to blow in our favour, there is a chance that we can make it to the Chernoff family farm in two days - or three if we're not so lucky with the weather, or if the Sukuts weigh us down, as I expect (hope?) they might, with a hearty breakfast. We thank any of you who are in contact with the aunties at the farm to keep our intentions a secret - to our knowledge, they are not yet aware of our trip,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], and we want to shock the s**t out of them when we roll into the farmyard on our bikes. The farm promises a chance to reunite with some family (not just the aunties, but Alex and Laura, Dad (WW Chernoff), uncle Jack,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], and also Ian and Sarah and our niece Alexandra will all be there at the same time - giddy up), and also to relax and put our feet up, and seek some much needed therapy in the steamy wonders of the BANYA (russian sauna). I'll leave you with a couple of highlights: lots and lots of birds of prey; shorebirds and the smells of the ocean in the middle of the prairie; 3/4-inch long mosquitoes; many many deer; some of the most beautiful birdsongs I've ever heard; cacti in the high prairie of eastern Alberta; a fox at flaxcombe; met a fella from Chipman, NB, who now lives in Alsask; big big big incomprehensibly big beautiful sky; the sukuts' hospitality; rolling into a city after fived days in the barrens; the town of delisle, SK, with it's friendly-to-people, unfriendly-to-gophers, curious, slightly off-kilter townsfolk (warning to anyone without a few hours to spare - they seem to congregate at the delisle post office). A lot of ground has passed under the rubber since our last missive - a whole province, a couple of really big lakes, and a few hard sections. But the good news is that we have arrived here in good health and better spirits. And we are finally across the prairies - I am not much of a conquistador or goal-oriented guy, but I must confess that there were a couple of times over the last week or so that I wondered if we would ever see the end of Manitoba. A brief recap of the last little while: The trip from Saskatoon to the farm was pretty uneventful - we made it in two long days, rolling into the Chernoff farm under cover of darkness, at around 1:00 in the morning. Between Mikado and Verigin we crossed the path of a badger, who crouched like he was ready to attack. Luckily he must have decided that we were no real threat,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], and allowed us to pass unharmed. We spent three days at the Chernoff farm, in the company of Aunties Doris and Annie, my dad (Bill the Bull) and uncle Jack, my brother Ian, his wife Sarah, our new neice Alexandra, my brother Alex and his partner Laura. We watched the video of our wedding, which was filmed, editted, and then HAND-DELIVERED by my uncle Allan (thanks, Al!), and celebrated the nuptuals in proper Chernoff(-Ferris) style - give er. We left the farm well fed and rejuvinated, and struck out for friendly Manitoba. Here are the high and low points of the trip through the easternmost prairie province, in no particular order:- the beautiful, rolling hills and hummocky terrain of the countryside on the sk-mb border - a nice change.- steady, gale-farce, hot, dry southeasterlies for four full days, through the barrens from Bield to Gimli. Led to a couple fo low-distance days, a lot of frustration, one fairly serious foray into the realm of heat exhaustion, a brief encounter with a real live 30s-style dust storm (covered us both in fine black gritty dust, but only on our right, windward sides), and a marked increase in cold drink consumption.- lots of really cool shorebirds and such, like cormorants, loons, geese, pelicans, killdeers, and suchlike.- some really nice folks that we happened upon along the way, like the Sigurdsons in Hnausa, the Pankratz s (I can not find the $#% apostrophe on this keyboard - i think it is set for le francais) on the Whitemouth River, Len and Jill at West Hawk Lake, and all of the happy give er waves that we got from passing motorists.- Spent a day with our good friend Carol Cherkas at Bel Air MB - were treated to some great company and fine hospitality, and a dip in the hot tub. Good good times.- When you do find lakes in MB, they are usually (with the noted exception of Dauphin Lake, which is shallow and scummy with algae and funky floaties) oases and a welcome escape from the oppressive heat and wind. We soaked ourselves a couple of times, and were most grateful. The beach at Hnausa (pronounced NAY-suh) was about the best, as it came after a few days of some of the toughest wind and most severe heat we have faced. I think I may have actually felt the consistency of my body becoming more solid as I soaked in that water.- Whiteshell Provincial Park in far Eastern MB - a diamond in the ruff, with rolling hills, first peeks at canadian shield (2.6 billion years old!) poking out of the bald-ass prairie, abundant wildlife (deer and geese and hawks and bears and beavers and loons and so on), and clear, cool, Canadian Shield Lakes. Oh yeah, and trees, trees, beautiful trees.- mosquitoes on moonlight bay, just south of gimli. second heaviest mosquito experience of my life.- really pretty skies - the last of the big sky country. So, on we trudge, on to the Canadian Shield and into the land of the moose and beaver and loon and precambrian rock and black spruce and deep dark lakes. North Ontario comes as a welcome change, and promises a lot of good swimming, and a lot of blackflies (quickly replacing mosquitoes as the biters du jour). The terrain is undulating, with bumps more than hills, which take a bit of getting used to after all this flatland travel, but is a lot less oppressive than constant winds for days on end. I guess that with the prairies behind us and weeks of ontario ahead, I am coming to the realization that travelling across the country on a bike exposes you to all of the elements, and leaves you at their mercy. Sometimes the elements are kind, and you are rewarded with an easy, beautiful, enrapturing experience. Sometimes they are cruel, and you feel defeated, vulnerable, isolated and helpless. And of course, there is an entire continuum between these extremes. The whole gamut is good though, and whether they come as blessings or curses, all of these experiences are valuable. Thus, the journey and the destination become the same thing. Anyway, we are rolling on to Thunder Bay, where we hope to visit with my buddy Dave - hope to be there by Saturday or so, if the elements are kind. Oh yeah, one more thing, which I think will not surprise many of you - it seems that the whole area to the north of us is on fire. I have less than one hour on the library computer so I'll do my best in this short time. We left Kenora almost two weeks ago and biked 3 tough days (175 km, 168 km and 135 km respectively) to get to Thunder Bay. We are back on the main biking drag (the Trans Canada HWY) now and have met 3 more trans Canada bikers - Morhgan traveling East to West and filling in the gaps from his first TransCanada trip 2 years ago which he did from Vancouver to St. John's. He is an engineer and had macked out his BOB trailer. He gave us some good advice on where to go and what to see in Thunder Bay. Then we met the opposite extremes of TC biking. The first was a fellow we met named Brian who is a potato farmer in Saskatchewan and he had an old bike (value approx. $200) with affixed milk crates for panniers, no bags for his clothing, which was sitting loosely in the milk crates. He was wearing a sweat suit and a camouflage camp hat. He was biking in sneakers. Sadly, it was pouring rain and all of his attire and "luggage" were drenched. The poor fellow had a pillow stuffed in one milk crate and a blanket in the other and they were soaked. Luckily, his spirits seemed good. He was continuing a trip from 2 years ago when he started in BC and got to Winnipeg. He had 30 flat tires on that trip. He was three days into the trip when we met him and had rain the whole time. He didn't have the advantage of the rockies for hill training and was finding the Ontario hills tough. We passed him. It was a very wet and cold day so we decided to stop for a hot lunch. We met two hell's angels motorbikers at the restaurant. They were very nice and invited us to the Angel house. I am so naïve - I said to Greg,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], what a nice name for a home. Then, he filled me in on the fact that this was the hell's angels clubhouse and probably not a great place for us to visit. As we were packing up we met the anti-Brian, Hap. Hap is from Calgary and is biking across Canada in 60 days. He is a retired CEO of a financial management company and very wealthy. His young blonde wife is hauling an RV with a trailer to assist him or more appropriately, fully support him. The trailer contains his 4 bikes. They stop at restaurants for every meal and although they have an RV,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], they spend every night in a hotel. Brian came into the restaurant as we were leaving and stopped for a huge meal and a cigarette. Bay. Oh, and of course, lots of rain and a very leaky tent. We were so happy to get to Thunder Ba
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