=-=-=-=-=FINAL STATISTICS=-=-=-=-=-

Average Speed: approx 24.5 km/hr

Average Time Cycling Per Day: 5h 20min

Total Distance Traveled: 6696 km

Total Time Cycling: 272.6 hrs

Complete

Hello all.

We have successfully completed our cycling trip across Canada. We arrived in downtown St. John's NF on the 23 at approximately 5pm. We will be posting pictures/videos and a complete blog in a few days.

Days 21 to 41

29 July: DAY 22

ROUTE: Winnipeg to 90 km East of Winnipeg

DISTANCE: 76 km in 3h 48min

ROADS: hwy 1. There were shoulders about 60% of the time. Shoulders became more consistently available as we approached Kenora

CAMPING: Campground just off the hwy. 16$

Ludo’s thought for the day: Its nice to see the garden (back yard) from the kitchen sink.

We set off from Winnipeg with high expectations to gain a lot of ground towards St. John’s Newfoundland over the next few days. However, today I began to experience extreme cramping in my legs, first primarily involving my quadriceps and then involving my glutes. The muscles essentially stopped releasing after contracting. This came at an unfortunate time as we wished to do some large distances for the next few days after relaxing in Winnipeg. In an attempt to get more distance out of my legs today, I applied some Ben Gay (topical muscle relaxant) to my legs and glutes. This turned out to me a really big mistake because the Ben Gay ointment traveled to the cuts and sores on my butt that match with the edge of my bicycle seat. I yelled for the next 20 minutes to biking as we attempted to put Winnipeg farther behind us. Since my legs were basically useless, we decided to stay the rest of the day/night in a nearby campground.

At the campground we met a fellow North American traveler named Marcel traveling on a scooter (that is capable of motorcycle speed)

I spent the remainder of the evening in a hot tub soaking and stretching my legs. For dinner we ate a lot of chicken and fries. I feel like I still haven’t recovered from the distance we traveled across the prairies.

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20 July: DAY 23

ROUTE: 76Km West of Winnipeg to 20 km West of Kenora

DISTANCE: 129 km in 4h 58min

ROADS: hwy 1. There were shoulders about 60% of the time. Shoulders became more consistently available as we approached Kenora

CAMPING: A campground allocated for seasonal cottages. Normally there is no tenting, but the owner of the grounds made an exception tonight. FREE

Today when we began riding the cramps appeared almost immediately. With the theory that I’m suffering from some sort of electrolyte imbalance we decided that I should consume lots of milk. I drank 4 litres of milk today. Perhaps also, I am not consuming enough electrolyes with my water (Gatoraide)

We hung out at Falcon Lake.

We met Brad Smith on the hwy. He is traveling from St. John’s to Victoria on a longboard (skateboard). Ludo says that he’s the DUDE of the DUDES. He’s traveling with two ski poles a backpack and a guitar strapped to the pack.

Ludo’s though for the day: he doesn’t like side mirrors on cars.

We saw a wolf today and lots of lakes.

Tonight we will fall asleep to the sounds of frogs chirping.

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21 July: DAY 24

ROUTE: 20 km West of Kenora to Dryden Ontario

DISTANCE: 162 km in 7h 10min

ROADS: hwy 14. Wonderful road. Wonderful shoulder.

CAMPING: A campground in Dryden across the highway from the local McDonalds. Approximately $23 gets you a place for you tent, a luxurious shower and laundry facilities.

Today my cramps are significantly diminished. The milk I’m drinking seems to be helping. Ludo has decided to also start drinking milk. I feel like I’m beginning to recover and get back to 100%. I’m still feeling a torn quad muscle associated with a cramp that I tried to kneed out with a bottle west of Winnipeg. It became a problem today when we were 30 km west of Dryden. Because of this, we slowly rolled into town this evening.

TIP: If you get cramps of the type that are related to a nutritional imbalance, try to fix the imbalance and get some rest. Let the muscle relax naturally instead of tearing the muscle tissue apart with a bottle…..lesson learned. The damaged muscle is going to be with me for a while.

Kenora is a beautiful town next to Lake of Woods. Someone told Ludo that the lake contains over 14000 islands.

On the way from Kenora to Dryden, we saw a number of deer bounding along the highway. We stopped for a few hours at a rest stop and relaxed in the sunshine. Ludo took a short swim. This has been our first truly sunny day in a while. Tonight the night sky is clear, promising a sunny day tomorrow.

Ligthning bugs

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Day 25

ROUTE: to English River

DISTANCE: 151 km in 6h 33min

Roads: 18 inch asphalt shoulder

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DAY 26

ROUTE: English River to Shabaqua Corner

DISTANCE: 136 km in 5h 38min

ROADS:

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DAY 27

ROUTE: Shabaqua Corner to Dorion

DISTANCE: 113 km in 5h 07min

ROADS:

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DAY 28

ROUTE: Dorion to Rossport

DISTANCE: 134 km in 5h 47min

ROADS:

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DAY 29

ROUTE: Rossport to Dunce Lake (Before White River where it all began)

DISTANCE: 167 km in 6h 52min

ROADS:

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DAY 30

ROUTE: Rossport to Rabbit Blanket lake

DISTANCE: 159 km in 6h 39min

ROADS:

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DAY 31

ROUTE: Rabbit Blanket Lake to Agawa Bay

DISTANCE: 56 km in 2h 23min

ROADS:

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DAY 32

ROUTE: Agawa Bay to Sault Ste. Marie

DISTANCE: 134 km in 5h 59min

ROADS:

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DAY 33 REST DAY

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DAY 34

ROUTE: Sault Ste. Marie to Blind River on the shore of the north channel

DISTANCE: 145 km in 5h 07min

ROADS:

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DAY 35

ROUTE: Blind River to White Fish

DISTANCE: 120 km in 4h 26min

ROADS:

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DAY 36

ROUTE: White Fish to Sturgeon Falls

DISTANCE: 140 km in 5h 50min

ROADS:

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DAY 37

ROUTE: Sturgeon Falls to Stone Cliff

DISTANCE: 171 km in 6h 46min

ROADS:

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DAY 38

ROUTE: Stone Cliff to Portage du Fort

DISTANCE: 133 km in 4h 57min

ROADS:

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DAY 39

ROUTE: Portage du Fort to Gatineau

DISTANCE: 123 km in 5h 41min

ROADS:

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DAY 40

ROUTE: Gatineau to Montreal

DISTANCE: 190 km in 7h 49min

ROADS:

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08 August 2008: DAY 41. ONE DAY OFF

GENERAL UPDATE:

We are again finding it difficult to allocate time to writing the blog. We arrived in Montreal very late on Wednesday night after spending a wonderful evening and morning in Gatineau. Thursday we spent the day in Montreal doing errands and relaxing with some new friends (Elise, Katia, Eveliln). Thank-you Francois for connecting us. This morning we will be leaving Montreal for Quebec City. So far I don’t think Quebec drivers are very bad. We’re still alive and well. I did run into a steel post on the way into Montreal on Wednesday night; my bicycle took the blow and I managed to stay upright.

Nous avons monte le Mont-Royal et nous faison les photos!

We relaxed, went to park, ate chocolate and took pictures. There are many more stories that we could add to describe the last 20 days. We will add then when we have an opportunity (and we aren’t tired).

UPDATE:

Hello all. We've been a bit inconsistent with the blog lately. We're focusing our efforts getting across the country. This is a quick note to let you all know that we are in Sault Ste. Marie (Wednesday, July 30). We will be uploading more pictures and details of the various sections of the trip shortly. We are both very well and looking forward to the second half of the trip.

Interestingly, we have both gained weight over the distance from Victoria to Sault Ste. Marie. Ludo is still very lean and his muscles are growing. My legs are very big and my core has become quite thick. He's specialty is long distance at high power and mine appears to be sprinting. I'm looking forward to some rides on the Velodrome in Victoria this Fall.

Ludo and I have also decided that the BOB trailer beats the panniers. If you're planning a long trip by bicycle use a light bicycle and a lightly packed BOB trailer. Details of this comparison will be given later.

Thank-you to all those people who have offered cell phone solutions. We were able to get my phone working again by putting it in a waterproof bag with some silica gel.

Also thank-you to everyone who has offered a place for us to stay while we cross Eastern Canada. Some notable websites of interest for finding temporary places to stay are: www.warmshowers.org and www.couchsurfing.com

Cell phone Failing

It seems that my cell phone isn't going to last the trip. It is a Rogers GSM Nokia phone. I'm not sure of the model but it takes BL-4C batteries, of which, I have 2. If anyone has a junk phone they wish to donate, we can arrange a place for it (along with a charger) to be mailed. Email us at xcanada2008@hotmail.com if you have a phone. I should be able to swap the SIM card from my phone into the phone that it donated.

Thanks!

PHIL

Days 17 to 21

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ROUTE: Regina Saskatchewan to Sintaluta Saskatchewan
DISTANCE: 95 km in 3h 30min
ROADS: hwy 1:
CAMPING: urban camping

We rode our bikes until we came upon this town called Sintaluta. The local watering hole owner explained that the name of the town means, “the white tip of the tail of the red fox.” The town is located at the tip of the Red Fox river.

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15 July: DAY 18
ROUTE: Sintaluta Saskatchewan to Virden Manitoba
DISTANCE: 203 km in 7h 40min
ROADS: hwy 1:
CAMPING: Lion’s Club campground. Great showers

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16 July: DAY 19
ROUTE: Virden Manitoba to Sidney Manitoba
DISTANCE: 153 km in 7h 48min
ROADS: hwy 1: Very bad. most of the time there is no shoulder on which to ride
CAMPING: Shady Oaks campground. Great showers

This was the first day we encountered wind from the East. The head wind lasted all day. We passed where the “Manitoba Cycling Accident” occurred. There is a spot on the side of the hwy with flowers. The use of cell phones should be illegal while driving. Using the highway is a shared responsibility.

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17 July: DAY 20
ROUTE: Sidney Manitoba to Winnipeg Manitoba
DISTANCE: 131 km in 4h 38min
ROADS: hwy 1. Very bad. Most of the time there is no shoulder on which to ride
CAMPING: urban camping

We are now very near the geographical center of Canada.

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18 July: DAY 21

A day spent relaxing in Winnipeg. On the way to Winnipeg, the crank on Ludo’s bike began to fail. To make it does not break down later I went to the shop in Winnipeg to get the bottom bracket replaced.

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18 July: Reflection of DAYS 1 TO 21

Various comments on the progress since start in Victoria.

We left Victoria on Sat, Jun/28 from Mile 0. Since then we have been moving towards the East. BC was very challenging due to its mountainous terrain. Manning Park in particular was difficult. One final descent into Princeton was really fast, actually too fast for the trailer. The Okanagan was enchanting with its vineyards sunbathing on the undulating hills. Sadie, showing up unexpectedly from out of nowhere, was a pleasant sunshine. The ascent from Golden up to Lake Louise along the Kicking Horse River was exhilarating. Once past the Rocky Mountains riding became easier. Our day off in Calgary allowed us to have fun at the Stampede. Our journey through the Prairies picked up in speed, thanks to favorable wind conditions. An incredible thunderstorm with heavy hail and violent wind forced us to seek refuge in a nearby house. A few mechanical breakdowns slowed down our progress sparsely making us realize how critical it is to get equipped with good reliable bike parts. The trip is not only harsh on the bodies. The bikes suffer too.

Urban Camping and Lodging in Canada, East of Winnipeg

Ludo and I (Phil) have decided to put the word out that we are looking for places to stay the night in various towns across Canada. Our tentative route of travel is as follows. We will take highway 1/17 from Winnipeg to Thunder Bay. We will then be heading from Thunder Bay through Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury to Ottawa along hwy 17 (bypassing Toronto). We will then head from Ottawa to Montreal. We will take the Trans Canada from Montreal via Quebec City to Riviere-du-Loop. From there we will continue to Fredricton to Digby via the ferry across the Bay of Fundi. We will travel through Shelburne to Halifax and continue North East to Sidney. We will take the ferry from Sidney to Cape Ray and continue along the #1 hwy to St. John's.

If you have a place for us to spend the night please email us at xcanada2008@hotmail.com.
Our needs are simple; space for a tent or floorspace for sleeping and a bathroom are all that are required to keep us pedaling towards our goal. Please provide us with names, addresses, and phone numbers. The sooner we can collect phone numbers and arrange accommodation the better.

Videos of Cycling trip 2friends1goal

We have uploaded a number of videos of our trip. They are available on youtube.com and can be found by searching for the keyword 2friends1goal.

Days 9 to 17

06 July: DAY 9

ROUTE: 35 km east of Golden to Lake Louise Alberta!

DISTANCE: 133 km in 5h 33min

ROADS: The shoulder disappears often, however for the most part, we did have a shoulder to ride on. The shoulder wasn’t always in good condition. Motorists were for the most part helpful and gave us room on the road when we needed it. Kicking Horse pass is essentially an uphill climb only. The down hill portion doesn’t come until after Banff.

CAMPING: Lake Louise Campground. All regular camping facilities are available: showers, toilet, etc..

We got up this morning feeling a bit ‘rough’. Clearly we didn’t consume enough calories before going to bed and we didn’t have much to eat with us. We cycled the first 35 km into Golden with little water and food. To top it off, the rain was coming down, first as a refreshing drizzle and then in buckets. The rain gear works well enough but we still got wet. It is like being sprayed with a fire hose when a large truck passes us on the hwy while it is raining.

For the remainder of the day, after 2 hours and 2 meals each at Smitty’s Restaurant, the weather was ideal; not too hot with a slight drizzle of rain now and then. We met some weekend cyclists along the way towards a place called Field. Fortuitously, by chance we found some people Ludo knows on the hwy. They were headed West along the #1 when they spotted us and pulled over to chat.

The climb up Kicking Horse Pass was spectacular. All the big trucks are in their lowest gear and are only going approximately 20% much faster than us on our assent. Water was plentiful on the high side of the road flowing out of established rivers and water falls.

TIP: When you need water or food, don’t wait to consume it. Don’t try to wait for Lunch time or a special occasion. Drink and eat it as your body needs it.

TIP: goggles- Ludo has Sunbright goggles. He said that they fog up during the rain and that he should have brought something different.

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07 July: DAY 10

ROUTE: Lake Louise Alberta to Calgary Alberta

DISTANCE: 188? km in 5?h 33?min

ROADS: We took hwy 1A from Lake Louise to Banff. The road doesn’t really have any shoulders but that morning it was traveled on more by cyclists than by motorists. From Banff, we connected back with hwy 1 and rode on it to Calgary.

Approximately 35 km west of Calgary I (Phil) encountered my second flat tire. While I was fastening the tire to the bike, after changing the inner tube, I broke the fastening rode that holds the wheel in place. At first blush it appeared like we were in a bit of trouble because we can’t go anywhere and we’re on a hwy between cities. Fortunately we found a we were able to make due with the remaining long piece of the fastening rod by stealing washers from other places on the bike to build a new fastening system. By using the washers we were able to grip 1.25 turns of the nut.

When we arrived in Calgary (Kensington area) were hungry and without an immediate place to go so we wandered over to a pub called Molly Mallone’s. There we met some people Karen and Chris who immediately greeted us, fed us, and then provided us with a place to sleep the night. Thanks guys!

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08 July: DAY 11

The following day we went to the stampede (Nashville North) and met some more people. They showed us a fabulous time.

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09 July: DAY 12

ROUTE: Calgary Alberta to Brooks Alberta

DISTANCE: 190 km in 7h 30?min

ROADS: We took hwy 1 all the way. The shoulders were excellent once we left the Calgary area(16^th avenue).

Bad water at gas station. It smelled like a feed-lot. Ludo drank it; I didn’t.

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10 July: DAY 13

ROUTE: Brooks Alberta to Irvine Alberta

DISTANCE: 149 km in 5h 30min

ROADS: We took hwy 1 all the way. The shoulders were excellent.

CAMPING: We stayed the night in the town Inn. We highly recommend this place if you need to crash out for the night.

The trip between Brooks and Medicine Hat was fairly uneventful. The weather was generally hot but we kept hydrated. When we arrived in Medicine Hat we took a break in the shade—an afternoon nap. We decided to go an extra 30 km to a place called Irvine to camp. The last 30 kms were very eventful. We encountered very bad weather and hail. There was thunder and lightning everywhere. When things got really bad, we ducked inside a nearby house for refuge. After the hail passed, we assessed the damage to the house… There were holes in the siding everywhere. The ventilation flashing was damaged. I broke my yagi antenna for internet and LAN access.

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11 July: DAY 14

ROUTE: Irvine Alberta to Swift Current Saskatchewan.

DISTANCE: 187 km in 6h 20min

ROADS: hwy 1: Fantastic roads with shoulders

CAMPING: There are two campgrounds; one is about 0.25 km from the west-side Husky station. The second campground is on the east side of town. We stayed at the nearest campground.

We spent the day dodging storms… Very strong winds were coming from the west-north-west. Ludo damaged the de-railer on his bicycle along with 3 spokes on his rear tire. He managed put things in ‘workable’ condition but he doesn’t have a rear break and his tire wobbled as he rides. It is also time for him to change his tires. There are some large holes through to the inner tube.

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12 July: DAY 15

ROUTE: Swift Current Saskatchewan to Moose Jaw Saskatchewan.

DISTANCE: 170 km in 5h 45min

ROADS: hwy 1: Fantastic roads with shoulders. Sometimes, briefly, the shoulder would become narrow.

CAMPING: urban camping

Again, we spent the day dodging storms. There is a constant wind from the west-north-west, and, in addition, there are those winds generated by each storm.

TIP: Try to have all of your riding done by about 5 pm local time. After 5 pm, the winds often become inconsistent and sometimes clock around and become a head wind. Early morning, morning, and afternoon rides are best.

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13 July: DAY 16
ROUTE: Moose Jaw Saskatchewan to Regina
DISTANCE: 70 km in 2h 12min
ROADS: hwy 1: Fantastic roads with shoulders.
CAMPING: urban camping

Today I encountered another flat tire that we fixed in record time. Occasions such as these are becoming social opportunities to talk with other people on the hwy. We made today’s destination Regina so that I could catch a ride with a relative to get to Yorkton Saskatchewan to attend my aunt’s funeral. She passed-away a few days ago.

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14 July: DAY 17

We’re making repairs to our bicycles and doing any necessary maintenance. Ludo is getting his rear tire and de-railer fixed. Apparently Dutch Cycle is the place to go here in Regina. We’re buying some more inner tubes for our tires. We seem to be getting about 1 flat per week. We’ve decided that each flat that we get on the road is a beer at some point later in the trip.

Days 7 and 8

04 July: DAY 7

ROUTE: Kelowna to approximately 26 Km East of Revelstoke

DISTANCE: 166 Km in 6h 30min

ROADS: The roads between Kelowna and Vernon transitioned between four-lane hwy and 2-lane hwy, sometimes with shoulders and sometimes without. We stuck to hwys 97 and 97A. Generally, the drivers on the road were sympathetic to us when the shoulders did not exist and provided us with the necessary room. From Vernon to Sicamous the roads were mostly single lane each way. We were moving with the wind most of the way. From Sicamous our campsite on hwy 1 proved to be quite noisy. Most of the way there was a shoulder on which to ride however, again, occasionally it did disappear. We were cycling against the wind from Sicamous to the campsite. The wind was neutral or blowing to the North in the morning, and after about 1pm blew towards the South out of the mountains.

CAMPING: Noah’s Ark Campground ($16; tenting site, showers, access to microwave and BBQ, and a small grocery)

TIP: an ear plug stuffed part way into your ear dampens the shock of some of the trucks that go past. (My ear was getting quite sore so I decided to try it.) If you do decide to try this, remember to only slightly attenuate the sound; you need your ears (and perhaps a rearview mirror) to be safe.

Approximately 35 km to the East of Revelstoke, the valley in which the hwy winds narrows and then opens up and is filled with slowly running water (as a sort-of a ‘brook’) filled with beautiful yellow water lilies in full bloom, giving us a fleeting tranquil moment of serenity between 2 “boisterous” trucks. It is rather strange that the traffic comes in cacaphonic bursts. Approximately 30 km East of Revelstoke there are a couple of waterfalls on the south side of the hwy. We stopped to take some photos, at Crazy Creek, among others.

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05 July: DAY 8

ROUTE: approximately 26 Km East of Revelstoke to 35 km east of Golden

DISTANCE: 140 Km in 6h 20min

ROADS: Most of the time we had a shoulder. Generally, the shoulders on the bridges we crossed were too small so we strategically timed our bridge crossings to coinside with spaces between traffic bursts. We passed through snow sheds (tunnels) going up to Roger’s pass and then passed through some sheds coming down the east side of the pass. To pass through these, we also picked the moments between traffic bursts.

CAMPING: We were tanked (exhausted to the extreme) by the end of this; we expected to stop at a campsite in a town called Donald on the east side of the pass. We didn’t make it and the town does not really seem to exist. (At least, we haven’t found it.) We found a place with outhouses and road-side camped 35 km east of Golden. The camping was free with the risk of being tossed back onto the street by a bathroom patrol.

We had a short break at Hot Springs Canyon on the west side of Roger’s pass; the hot springs are essentially warm pools of water so we didn’t spend much time there. We passed three groups of cyclists; Guy, Paul and a couple who we haven’t yet chatted. By the way, it is my birthday today and climbing and then descending Roger’s pass was an awesome way to spend it. We’re collecting GPS data during this trip and this will be a wonderful memento by which to remember the occasion. For the last 1km towards the top of the pass I cranked up “Eye of the Tiger” on my ipod. On the way down (1^st km) the tune was “Africa” by Toto. I’ve wanted to do this since I was 10 years old.

TIP: you might want to consider a pedal system that provides a lot of support for the feet. Ludo was telling me about a system that is essentially a standard pedal with lots of surface area and still has the Shimano latching system. He might exchange his pedal system for this other one in Calgary.

TIP: Water changes should be done on a regular basis…. And drink lots of it.

DAY 6

03 July: DAY 6

We spent the day in Kelowna eating food and relaxing. We went for a light bike ride (maybe 10 km) to visit a hiking area called Paul’s Tomb (Knox Mountain Park). Here we did some light running and walking to stretch and use some of our ‘non-bicycle’ muscles to maintain some muscle balance. We don’t know why it has that name and we didn’t find a tomb. We did however see number of hikers and joggers on the trail. We enjoyed a jog/walk with 2 other athletic-types, Bridgette and Megan. …We honestly thought you ran up that hill… We seemed to have lots of power in our legs (for running up the hill) but our breathing couldn’t keep up. Ludo says it was refreshing to meet two unassuming, easy-going, interesting ladies who have a lot to offer; he likes the Okanagan.

The next multi-day stage of our trip will take us to Calgary via Golden and Banff. We’re looking forward to challenge and are eating large amounts of pasta, oatmeal, cakes, and chicken in preparation for it. I’m looking forward to some music in the Stampede tent they call Nashville North.

TIP: Do your laundry. Don’t use detergent when you wash your bicycle shorts. Washing with detergent leaves abrasives in the fabric and this can contribute to chafing. Do everything you can to minimize chafing. If you do decide to use detergent, make sure you RINSE multiple times.

TIP: I have shoes that clip into my pedals and these pedals are known as ‘egg beaters’. They provide maximum play and pivot in the connection between the shoes and the pedals however they are not easy to cycle with if you want to do a trip to the store wearing sneakers or running shoes. Perhaps a more versatile pedal system would have been better?

TIP: Bring lubricant for your pedals. My pedals seem to begin to seize every now and then—especially on hot days. This however, might be a normal part of the break-in cycle for these things. I’m not sure.

LUDO’S RANT:

I have been enchanted with what I have seen of the Okanagan: bountiful orchards (I am half way converted to a healthier fruit-based diet), orderly vineyards, scenic lake vistas, rolling hills covered with dry looking vegetation, unforgiving sun (my back is feeling the pain these days – btw that natural lavender-scented moisturizer is working wonders, Caroline! J), all of which pleasantly reminded me of some areas of France and Spain. This delightful ambiance leads me to think that I should set off from the Pyrenees some day to follow along the traditional route of “El Camino de Santiago de Compostella”. Anybody interested?

Days 1 to 5

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28 JUNE: DAY 1

ROUTE: Victoria to Tsawwassen

DISTANCE: 45 Km in 1h 30min

ROADS: We took the Galloping Goose from downtown Victoria to the Swartz Bay ferry terminal.

CAMPING: Canada Park, about 1 Km (or less) from the ferry terminal.

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29 JUNE: DAY 2

ROUTE: Tsawwassen to Hope

DISTANCE: 150 Km in 6h

ROADS: The roads were good. We avoided the main hwy 1 for 50% of the time. After Abbotsford, we used hwy 1.

CAMPING: unnamed campground.

It turns out that the bottom bracket on my bike came loose. Steve had an adaptor for his Allen key wrench that allowed us to remedy the problem. On this day also, I got my first flat tire. The tubes I have on my front and back tires are ‘thorn’ proof, but not staple proof.

TIP: It is helpful to have a pace setter early in the trip. Steve was very helpful in getting us trained for high cadence riding and determining appropriate paces for hills. Thanks Steve.

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30 JUNE: DAY 3

ROUTE: Hope to Princeton

DISTANCE 145 Km in 7h 30min

ROADS: Three very large hills before reaching Manning Park. Take your time as they will tax your stamina. There is a shoulder most of the way. It does however occasionally disappear.

CAMPING: urban camping

The gofers in Manning Park seem to have babies with them. They’re all over the place. We drank a lot of water. There were regular waterfalls and creeks between Hope and Manning Park.

TIP: Only bring riding shorts that you have worn regularly for at least a year. Also make sure the seams in the riding shorts (all shorts have seams, even seamless shorts) are not located at bearing points of weight on your bicycle seat. Ie., the seams should be appropriate for your bicycle seat.

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01 July: DAY 4

ROUTE: Princeton to Penticton

DISTANCE: 110 km in 4h 45min

ROADS: We rode south through the Similkameen Valley along the river and then north from Keremeos. The roads were excellent for riding. The shoulder did disappear occasionally however since it is not a main route, it wasn’t a problem. The air was still in the morning. In the afternoon we encountered a strong head wind. The beauty of the area made up for the assault from the front. I could live in that place.

CAMPING: urban camping

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02 July: DAY 5

ROUTE: Penticton to Kelowna

DISTANCE: 70 Km in 3h 30min

ROADS: About 4% on highway 97c. There are a number of small roads along the lake that head north towards Kelowna. No wind in the morning and morning is the best time to travel. The winds increased later in the day heading north. It got really hot. It is a very good thing we were already at the beach in City Park.

CAMPING: urban camping

Day 1 (Victoria to Tswassan)

PHIL' RANT:

We had a wonderful send off from Mile Zero today. We chatted with friends, ate food, drank -- water, told jokes, re-arranged our gear, and relaxed. The day was sunny hot; perhaps it was Victoria's first 'Summer' day this year.

We went for a swim at mile zero to inaugurate the start of our journey. (A brief swim)

We rode our bikes from downtown Victoria along the Galloping Goose trial to Sidney, and then from Sidney to the ferry.

When we arrived on the mainland Phil's bottom bracket began to fail. It's a good time for things like this to happen. We have a resident bicycle person arriving at our campground tonight who might be able to offer some assistance (and perhaps a wrench).

By the way, open wireless LANs make this trip blogging possible.
Thank-you to whoever had the foresight to leave their network open.

Finally, thank-you to everyone who joined us at Mile Zero today.

Farewell picnic.

We will be having a farewell picnic on Saturday the 28th of June. This will take place from about 12:00 noon till 4:00PM either right at the "Mile 0" mark or more likely on the beach just below "Mile 0". Feel free to join us for this last moment of shared joy before we set off towards the sunrise. Please bring your own food and drink. We will probably go for a swim as a kick-off, take a group photo then take off at around 4:00PM. Those of you who would like to ride a bit with us should definitely bring their bikes along or even their running shoes (I am thinking of Donald and Carlos in particular). We will most certainly follow the Galloping Goose at a very leisurely pace, so that we can catch the 7:00PM ferry to Tsawwassen.

Hoping to see you all before we go.

Our map of Canada.

We have a feeling that we will go astray often...

Getting lost is surely the best way to discover the country!

Two Friends - two bikes - one goal: St John's.

This is now official: Phil and I will be leaving Victoria, BC, Canada on Sunday, June the 29th of 2008. Final destination: Saint John's, NL, Canada. ETA: Monday, August the 25th of 2008.

We are both having the wonderful opportunity to be able to take 8 weeks off work at the same time. A big thank you to our respective employers for their kindness.

We will take the time to smell the roses. Life is all about the journey not the destination. Roses are everywhere. It is just a matter of looking. Take time to get back to the basic needs, away from the rush of the Western lifestyle.

The plan... Who is talking about plans? The idea is to just go with the flow. Get up every day to a new locale and see what serendipity brings us. Enjoy the moment, the scenery, the people. Take better care of oneself. I am personally a strong advocate of a short early afternoon nap to replenish the batteries. :)

The departure is only 5 weeks away. Time to get ready with all the gear and stuff. Bikes and accessories, maps, stove (Oh my God, I will have to do some cooking...), sleeping bag, tent, camera, etc. How exciting!

To find us elsewhere on the internet, our full names are Philip Michael Zeman and Ludovic Jean Clavier.