Almost six months after our arrival in Halifax we look back with many, many fond memories. As often is the case, time is kind: the high points seem just as vivid while the low points not nearly as low and a necessary and integral part of the adventure. When we tell people about the trip they're often impressed and amazed that we did it: what's odd is that as time passes we're increasingly amazed too. It was a truly epic adventure.
As for what comes next, who knows. One of the blessings and burdens of having big adventures like this is that expectations (both your own and those of others) are elevated. Since returning from Canada the tandem has made numerous trips around New England, but there are certain to be bigger adventures in the future. Watch this space ...
Latest update ...
Bitten by the bug, it wasn't long until there was talk of the next 'by tandem' adventure. It seemed only fair that the UK be our next destination, and we set our sights on the famous 'End to End' route from Lands End, England to John O'Groats, Scotland. This we did in the summer of 2007: you can read our account of that adventure at www.adventuresbytandem.com/britain.
And you can certainly expect more to come in the "bytandem" series of adventures ...
Monday, April 16, 2007
Sunday, October 22, 2006
The Sprint to the Finish
From our campground in Saint John, all that lay between us and our final destination was a ferry across the Bay of Fundy to Digby, Nova Scotia, and 300km across the peninsula to Halifax. We were so close and it was hard not to feel anxious!
The ferry crossing consumed most of Friday, but we had plans to be in a certain bar in Halifax by Saturday night and we were determined to make it. So a sprint to the finish it was going to be! Sadly, however, the weather didn’t cooperate. With thick fog and pelting rain, the crossing didn’t provide the views of the Atlantic we’d hoped for, but it did provide welcome, albeit brief shelter from the elements. Time doesn't wait for anyone, so that afternoon we pushed on through sometimes torrential rain into the evening. However, the remote, quiet roads made for enjoyable riding and we became increasingly excited with every sign that we saw quoting the distance to Halifax. By this point in the journey, the comfort of anticipation much outweighed the discomfort of wet feet. After a brief, and our only, encounter with a bear, we arrived at our destination well after dark.
Despite our efforts the previous day, we still had a significant distance remaining so we planned to set out at dawn. Unfortunately, forgetting the recent time-zone change, we got up an hour too early and set out into the darkness. Having arrived on a bicycle well after sunset the previous night, and now leaving well before sunrise, the inn’s owner clearly thought we were a little crazy! But she had no idea how far we'd come and how close we were.
Our last day of cycling was an appropriate end to a windy trip, with ferocious winds, fortunately today blowing in the right direction. Nevertheless, the hills along the coast seemed hard work, perhaps because we knew the end was so near and our bodies were giving up the fight. It was hard not to be impatient with how slowly the miles seemed to be ticking off the road signs. Anticipation of the end was almost overwhelming.
After numerous difficult experiences with big cities, we were determined to do the last one right, and do a good job of navigating Halifax. After racing a group of runners up the final, steep hill into the city, we cruised through town to Point Pleasant Park without incident. We'd planned to roll the bike down to the beach for the ceremonial wheel-dipping, but instead we were faced with an unbroken line of large rocks. We had quite a game carrying the fully-laden bike to the water, but we eventually made it with only a couple of soggy feet. We had made it.
Getting up on Sunday morning, in the knowledge that we didn't need to get on a bike any time soon was a strange, but well-anticipated and welcome feeling. We spent a couple of days seeing the sights and enjoying all the other things you can't do when you have to cycle 100 miles every day. Then, it was time to start to address all that had to be done to return us and the tandem to Boston and real life again. There had been so much anticipation and excitement about reaching the end, it had been easy to neglect the bittersweet task of accepting that the adventure was finally over and our return to normality came almost as a shock.
The ferry crossing consumed most of Friday, but we had plans to be in a certain bar in Halifax by Saturday night and we were determined to make it. So a sprint to the finish it was going to be! Sadly, however, the weather didn’t cooperate. With thick fog and pelting rain, the crossing didn’t provide the views of the Atlantic we’d hoped for, but it did provide welcome, albeit brief shelter from the elements. Time doesn't wait for anyone, so that afternoon we pushed on through sometimes torrential rain into the evening. However, the remote, quiet roads made for enjoyable riding and we became increasingly excited with every sign that we saw quoting the distance to Halifax. By this point in the journey, the comfort of anticipation much outweighed the discomfort of wet feet. After a brief, and our only, encounter with a bear, we arrived at our destination well after dark.
Despite our efforts the previous day, we still had a significant distance remaining so we planned to set out at dawn. Unfortunately, forgetting the recent time-zone change, we got up an hour too early and set out into the darkness. Having arrived on a bicycle well after sunset the previous night, and now leaving well before sunrise, the inn’s owner clearly thought we were a little crazy! But she had no idea how far we'd come and how close we were.
Our last day of cycling was an appropriate end to a windy trip, with ferocious winds, fortunately today blowing in the right direction. Nevertheless, the hills along the coast seemed hard work, perhaps because we knew the end was so near and our bodies were giving up the fight. It was hard not to be impatient with how slowly the miles seemed to be ticking off the road signs. Anticipation of the end was almost overwhelming.
After numerous difficult experiences with big cities, we were determined to do the last one right, and do a good job of navigating Halifax. After racing a group of runners up the final, steep hill into the city, we cruised through town to Point Pleasant Park without incident. We'd planned to roll the bike down to the beach for the ceremonial wheel-dipping, but instead we were faced with an unbroken line of large rocks. We had quite a game carrying the fully-laden bike to the water, but we eventually made it with only a couple of soggy feet. We had made it.
Getting up on Sunday morning, in the knowledge that we didn't need to get on a bike any time soon was a strange, but well-anticipated and welcome feeling. We spent a couple of days seeing the sights and enjoying all the other things you can't do when you have to cycle 100 miles every day. Then, it was time to start to address all that had to be done to return us and the tandem to Boston and real life again. There had been so much anticipation and excitement about reaching the end, it had been easy to neglect the bittersweet task of accepting that the adventure was finally over and our return to normality came almost as a shock.
Nova Scotia : Saint John to Halifax
Day 42 - October 20th - Saint John, NB to Kempt, NS - 99km - 6065km total
Day 43 - October 21st - Kempt, NS to Halifax, NS - 187km - 6252km total
Day 43 - October 21st - Kempt, NS to Halifax, NS - 187km - 6252km total
Friday, October 20, 2006
Following Rivers to the Sea
Having left the shores of the Great Lakes behind us, this penultimate leg of the journey took us along a series of rivers on our way to the Atlantic. Leaving Ottawa we crossed over the Ottawa River into the province of Quebec and followed it until it became the St. Lawerence, and as the the St. Lawerence grew into a bay we turned south into New Brunswick to pick up the St. John river to take us to the sea. We looked forward to flat terrain in the river valleys and so were a little surprised when the road climbed up and down, first high above the St. Lawerence and then especially in New Brunswick, which turned out to be quite a hilly place! One particular hill, on a badly chosen shortcut off the main highway, loomed like a vertical wall in front of us and turned out to be the longest, steepest climb of the entire trip.
Crossing the Saint Lawrence at Trois Rivieres proved to be quite the adventure. We knew that bikes weren't allowed on the bridge, but after some investigation we learned that there was a shuttle service. We warned them that we had a tandem, so instead of the usual minivan they sent a huge flatbed tow truck and we crossed the river in style! We crossed the river for a second time at Quebec City, this time by ferry, taking us straight into the old town for a breakfast detour.
Quebec proved to be one of our favourite provinces of the trip, with picturesque small towns along the Saint Lawrence river, which gradually widened to an enormous estuary. Here the grain elevators that had defined a settlement in the praries were replaced by the spires of the ornate Catholic churches and as we got closer to the sea the towns developed a maritime feel. New Brunswick was our first taste of the Atlantic coast, with its rugged, rocky shoreline, but the industrial port of Saint John was quite a shock after the fields and forests we'd become accustomed to of late.
We got our fair share of both good and bad weather on this leg, first enjoying clear and bright sunny days in the rolling fields of Quebec and then enduring a few very dark and wet days through the forests of New Brunswick. As usual the wind blew fiercely practically every day and here again we got a fair mix of head and tailwinds. In this case when the sun shone the winds were at our backs, making for pleasant days indeed, but when the rain fell the wind was in our faces, making the slog slow and disheartening. In the stoker's seat, Stephanie had the luxury of keeping her head down for a lot of these last difficult days.
Given these extremes, we developed a bit of an obsession with the weather forecast, seeking it out on every available opportunity, and both rejoicing in is favourable aspects and rationalizing away its less positive predictions. Rain or shine, daytime temperatures remained very pleasant for riding but the nights started to become cold (one particular evening the tent froze even before we got in it for the night!) and a new sense of living dangerously, with the potential for the weather to turn at any time, began to develop. Signs of the end of "the season" were all around us. On this leg we stayed at two campgrounds on their last night of operation for the year and we got used to seeing the closed signs at many others. We also started to really feel the pressure of the reducing number of daylight hours, which was down to 11 by the journey's end. To cycle 100 miles, eat 3 (sometimes 4!) meals, and both set up and dismantle camp each day in this time, one needs to be efficient indeed!
Our excitement at nearing the coast increased as each river broadened and led us toward the sea. We now stand in Saint John, with only 2 days and 250km through Nova Scotia betwween us and Halifax.
Crossing the Saint Lawrence at Trois Rivieres proved to be quite the adventure. We knew that bikes weren't allowed on the bridge, but after some investigation we learned that there was a shuttle service. We warned them that we had a tandem, so instead of the usual minivan they sent a huge flatbed tow truck and we crossed the river in style! We crossed the river for a second time at Quebec City, this time by ferry, taking us straight into the old town for a breakfast detour.
Quebec proved to be one of our favourite provinces of the trip, with picturesque small towns along the Saint Lawrence river, which gradually widened to an enormous estuary. Here the grain elevators that had defined a settlement in the praries were replaced by the spires of the ornate Catholic churches and as we got closer to the sea the towns developed a maritime feel. New Brunswick was our first taste of the Atlantic coast, with its rugged, rocky shoreline, but the industrial port of Saint John was quite a shock after the fields and forests we'd become accustomed to of late.
We got our fair share of both good and bad weather on this leg, first enjoying clear and bright sunny days in the rolling fields of Quebec and then enduring a few very dark and wet days through the forests of New Brunswick. As usual the wind blew fiercely practically every day and here again we got a fair mix of head and tailwinds. In this case when the sun shone the winds were at our backs, making for pleasant days indeed, but when the rain fell the wind was in our faces, making the slog slow and disheartening. In the stoker's seat, Stephanie had the luxury of keeping her head down for a lot of these last difficult days.
Given these extremes, we developed a bit of an obsession with the weather forecast, seeking it out on every available opportunity, and both rejoicing in is favourable aspects and rationalizing away its less positive predictions. Rain or shine, daytime temperatures remained very pleasant for riding but the nights started to become cold (one particular evening the tent froze even before we got in it for the night!) and a new sense of living dangerously, with the potential for the weather to turn at any time, began to develop. Signs of the end of "the season" were all around us. On this leg we stayed at two campgrounds on their last night of operation for the year and we got used to seeing the closed signs at many others. We also started to really feel the pressure of the reducing number of daylight hours, which was down to 11 by the journey's end. To cycle 100 miles, eat 3 (sometimes 4!) meals, and both set up and dismantle camp each day in this time, one needs to be efficient indeed!
Our excitement at nearing the coast increased as each river broadened and led us toward the sea. We now stand in Saint John, with only 2 days and 250km through Nova Scotia betwween us and Halifax.
Eastern Canada : Ottawa to Saint John
Day 34 - October 12th - Ottawa, ON to Montebello, QC - 76km - 4879km total
Day 35 - October 13th - Montebello, QC to Berthierville, QC - 174km - 5053km total
Day 36 - October 14th - Berthierville, QC to Ste. Croix, QC - 146km - 5199km total
Day 37 - October 15th - Ste. Croix, QC to St. Jean Port Joli, QC - 157km - 5356km total
Day 38 - October 16th - St. Jean Port Joli, QC to Cabano, QC - 156km - 5512km total
Day 39 - October 17th - Cabano, QC to Perth-Andover, NB - 170km - 5682km total
Day 40 - October 18th - Perth-Andover, NB to Mactaquac, NB - 143km - 5825km total
Day 41 - October 19th - Mactaquac, NB to Saint John, NB - 141km - 5966km total
Day 35 - October 13th - Montebello, QC to Berthierville, QC - 174km - 5053km total
Day 36 - October 14th - Berthierville, QC to Ste. Croix, QC - 146km - 5199km total
Day 37 - October 15th - Ste. Croix, QC to St. Jean Port Joli, QC - 157km - 5356km total
Day 38 - October 16th - St. Jean Port Joli, QC to Cabano, QC - 156km - 5512km total
Day 39 - October 17th - Cabano, QC to Perth-Andover, NB - 170km - 5682km total
Day 40 - October 18th - Perth-Andover, NB to Mactaquac, NB - 143km - 5825km total
Day 41 - October 19th - Mactaquac, NB to Saint John, NB - 141km - 5966km total
Thursday, October 12, 2006
The Slog to the Capital
We arrived in Sault Ste. Marie tired, but pleased to have conquered the much feared hills around Lake Superior. The plan was to take a full rest day in Ottawa to see the sights, in only five riding days time, so after a morning at the bike shop, we pushed on East. This leg of the trip felt very different to previous legs: it had been a long time since our last rest day in Winnipeg, there was no particular feature on route, and for the first time it felt like the objective was simply our destination and not the journey itself.
Perhaps we'd been spoiled by the grandeur of the mountains, praries and lakes we'd passed through thus far, but the scenery seemed a little drab: mostly flat with abundant desolate forest and the occasional stretch of farm land. The exception was the Ottawa River valley east of Mattawa, where the rolling hills provided a fun challenge and grand views down to the water that reminded us of our time around Lake Superior.
Sadly, for much of this section, riding conditions weren't great either. The condition of the road was often poor, with endless miles of cracked asphalt and pot-holes. Most of it was without a shoulder too: the edge of the road simply crumbled into the gravel or dirt, often even before the full width of the lane. We were thankful for the relative lack of trucks, but we were now closer to urban centres than we had been for a long time, bringing with it local car traffic and impatient city drivers. The wind continued to play a huge part in determining our progress and mood. It continued to blow strongly almost every day and although we only had a full-on head wind for one day, we often faced a blustery cross-wind that made holding a steady course through the pot-holes a difficult task indeed. After hours in the saddle, the incessant roar in your ears is enough to drive you crazy and there has been much debate over whether Canada is always so windy at this time of year or whether we'd picked an unusually windy autumn.
This stretch of the trip spanned the long weekend of Canadian Thanksgiving, which we witnessed most vividly through the holiday traffic leaving and then returning to Ottawa, and in particular the many pickup trucks returning to the city with the profits of a weekend's hunting in the back. Heads, legs and antlers spilled out with perhaps intentional showmanship, and the moose count from the stokers seat, if allowed to include dead animals, shot upward. While the hunters, we assume, dined on their prize catch, we found ourselves at Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park in the dark, with no food for dinner, just after the camp store had closed. Thankfully, the Thanksgiving spirit at the campground was strong, and we feasted on left-over hot dogs and beers provided by our friendly neighbours.
Our last night was in Petawawa, a small town dominated by a huge armed forces base and as we cycled through town we passed miltary buildings, squadies on the march and local stores displaying their support for the deployed troops. For the first time on the trip, Canada felt like a country at war and it sruck us as odd that it should take a visit to a town like this to be reminded of this. Our campfire at the deserted campground that night attracted a visit from a very bored Military Police patrol, and while the Sargeant was very interested in our trip, he was meticulous in taking our names and addresses and left us with strict instructions to find the campground owner in the morning.
We arrived in Ottawa elated but exhausted. Given the struggle of the last few days it was somehow fitting that we punctured as we crossed the bridge to the Parliament Buildings and the 3000 mile mark of the trip. Our rest day was spent with Stephanie's parents, who supplied welcome company, warm clothes and good food, as we spent the day taking in the sights and running errands. The highlight was a tour of Canada at the national museum, which followed our route from the west coast and brought fond memories and new inspiration to complete the journey.
We depart today well rested, with the final leg of the trip mapped out and with renewed excitement. We expect to arrive in Halifax in 10 days (!). We hope to post an update on-route from Saint John, NB next Friday.
Perhaps we'd been spoiled by the grandeur of the mountains, praries and lakes we'd passed through thus far, but the scenery seemed a little drab: mostly flat with abundant desolate forest and the occasional stretch of farm land. The exception was the Ottawa River valley east of Mattawa, where the rolling hills provided a fun challenge and grand views down to the water that reminded us of our time around Lake Superior.
Sadly, for much of this section, riding conditions weren't great either. The condition of the road was often poor, with endless miles of cracked asphalt and pot-holes. Most of it was without a shoulder too: the edge of the road simply crumbled into the gravel or dirt, often even before the full width of the lane. We were thankful for the relative lack of trucks, but we were now closer to urban centres than we had been for a long time, bringing with it local car traffic and impatient city drivers. The wind continued to play a huge part in determining our progress and mood. It continued to blow strongly almost every day and although we only had a full-on head wind for one day, we often faced a blustery cross-wind that made holding a steady course through the pot-holes a difficult task indeed. After hours in the saddle, the incessant roar in your ears is enough to drive you crazy and there has been much debate over whether Canada is always so windy at this time of year or whether we'd picked an unusually windy autumn.
This stretch of the trip spanned the long weekend of Canadian Thanksgiving, which we witnessed most vividly through the holiday traffic leaving and then returning to Ottawa, and in particular the many pickup trucks returning to the city with the profits of a weekend's hunting in the back. Heads, legs and antlers spilled out with perhaps intentional showmanship, and the moose count from the stokers seat, if allowed to include dead animals, shot upward. While the hunters, we assume, dined on their prize catch, we found ourselves at Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park in the dark, with no food for dinner, just after the camp store had closed. Thankfully, the Thanksgiving spirit at the campground was strong, and we feasted on left-over hot dogs and beers provided by our friendly neighbours.
Our last night was in Petawawa, a small town dominated by a huge armed forces base and as we cycled through town we passed miltary buildings, squadies on the march and local stores displaying their support for the deployed troops. For the first time on the trip, Canada felt like a country at war and it sruck us as odd that it should take a visit to a town like this to be reminded of this. Our campfire at the deserted campground that night attracted a visit from a very bored Military Police patrol, and while the Sargeant was very interested in our trip, he was meticulous in taking our names and addresses and left us with strict instructions to find the campground owner in the morning.
We arrived in Ottawa elated but exhausted. Given the struggle of the last few days it was somehow fitting that we punctured as we crossed the bridge to the Parliament Buildings and the 3000 mile mark of the trip. Our rest day was spent with Stephanie's parents, who supplied welcome company, warm clothes and good food, as we spent the day taking in the sights and running errands. The highlight was a tour of Canada at the national museum, which followed our route from the west coast and brought fond memories and new inspiration to complete the journey.
We depart today well rested, with the final leg of the trip mapped out and with renewed excitement. We expect to arrive in Halifax in 10 days (!). We hope to post an update on-route from Saint John, NB next Friday.
Getting to Ottawa : Sault Ste. Marie to Ottawa
Day 28 - October 6th - Sault Ste. Marie, ON to Thessalon, ON - 84km - 4055km total
Day 29 - October 7th - Thessalon, ON to Lively, ON - 215km - 4270km total
Day 30 - October 8th - Lively, ON to Samuel de Champlain Provinicial Park, ON - 203km - 4473km total
Day 31 - October 9th - Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park, ON to Petawawa, ON - 158km - 4631km total
Day 32 - October 10th - Petawawa, ON to Ottawa, ON - 172km - 4083km total
Day 33 - October 11th - Rest day in Ottawa
Day 29 - October 7th - Thessalon, ON to Lively, ON - 215km - 4270km total
Day 30 - October 8th - Lively, ON to Samuel de Champlain Provinicial Park, ON - 203km - 4473km total
Day 31 - October 9th - Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park, ON to Petawawa, ON - 158km - 4631km total
Day 32 - October 10th - Petawawa, ON to Ottawa, ON - 172km - 4083km total
Day 33 - October 11th - Rest day in Ottawa
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