Ontario


Day25, Friday, August 7th
Sioux Narrows (6:50) --- Fort Frances (3:30)
146.5 km, total 2997.4 km


Woke up 5:30, but went to sleep again as usual. I finally got up at 5:45 and got surprised to see some people already had been on the lake. It didn't take me long to leave there, and by 6:50 I left there.
The road condition on the highway was still not good, and moreover I had to fight with the pain in the uncle. Nevertheless I kept 20 km/h on the average. When I went 25km, I met road construction. I met 4 more later, but they all didn't stop me. Also around there, I had to go up quite long hills, but they were still easier than ones in BC. I guess It will get as hilly as in BC soon.
40 km ride brought me to Nestor Falls. The fall itself was very small, which was kinda disappointing. I bought some food at a super market. It looked too big for the size of the town, but they sure live on money tourists drop.
Most cars goes on the highway has boats, and most cars come from not Ontario but the States (mostly Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota) Without road signs with km/h, it would have been the States, not Canada!
When I went 70km, landscape changed dramatically. It got pretty flat, and there were wheat fields and pastures instead of lakes and trees. I also saw a community called "Finland" I liked the name!
Before 1 I got to the junction of #71/#11. There was a gas stand, so I checked in. There seemed to be lots of Indian reservation around here, because there are lots of native Canadians in the shop. One native man talked to me, and was very nice. Indeed he was a lot nicer than Caucasians, which might be because we are both Mongoloid.
From there it was only 6km ride to Emo. I bought some food in a supermarket. It seemed like my favorite 1-litter-bottle chocolate milk is not sold in Ontario. A little sad.
From Emo to Fort Frances, the road was one of the worst. Paving got worse, with dents and cracks, and traffic was fairly heavy. Especially when I got in Fort Frances, I had to get out of the way into gravel shoulder.
I ate dinner at MacDonald's and went to the boarder. Going into the States and back in Canada in Sault Ste Marie was another option, but I decided to stay in Canada for the mere reason that I've been biking in Canada, not the States. I went to a campground on the edge of town, which was just beside the lake. There is nice view ahead, but I'm lonely again. Some boy asked came beside me and said laughing, "Are you Chinese?" I got pretty mad at heart, but didn't say anything since I knew he's just too young to understand racial problem and that I knew he said that from curiosity. This kind of incidents always make my identity as a Japanese stronger, though.

Day26, Saturday, August 8th
Fort Frances (7:30) --- Atikokan (4:30)
158.2 km, total 3155.6 km

I woke up at 5, but it took me 50 more minutes to get up. I left the campground past 7, but I biked around to look for a payphone to call my parents. So it was 7:30 when I left Fort Frances.
As soon as I left campground, the scenery changed dramatically. It turned into forest very soon. The road condition was still bad, and there was no shoulder either. I hit 3000 km just out of the town, but this time I missed the moment just by 100m. I took a picture all the same.
When I went about 10 km, I crossed Rainy Lake. It must have been very beautiful if it was fine, but it was cloudy and a little bit foggy till I got to Atikokan. At 15km from Fort Frances was a gas stand, where I took my first brake. When I pushed my bike I lost my balance, and my calf got cut by the chainring. It bled so much a guy there asked me if I was OK. Fortunately I was.
It became a little bit hillier after I left there, but it was still better than BC. When I went about 15 km from the gas stand, I met a female bike tourist going from Halifax to Vancouver. She told me she stayed in a campground only once and except for that she stays beside the highway. She looked a lot tougher than me. She also told me she is "moving" from Halifax to Vancouver by bike. I guess she has a mind of man.
Around 11:30, I got to Mine Center. It was the last town before Atikokan. An American man from Wisconsin who just passed me by gave me a Dr. Pepper. It was very nice!
From there, all I could do was just riding on. The landscape was not as scenic as I had expected, but it was pretty nice. Pavement turned new at 90 km, and shoulder appeared intermittently. Fortunately it tended to appear on hills.
Today it was one of the best riding day. Tail wind (at last!), very light traffic, (a car or two a minute on average!) and cloudy but never rainy whether.
Just before 4 I got to the entrance to Atikokan. I checked in the visitor info there, and I was told there are some campgrounds ahead, but it takes an hour by car. Another option was one in the town, but I had to ride 3 km to the town. I really wondered, because there was the best tail wind I had ever experienced. Eventually I chose the latter option. They also had a nice free sticker that says "We experienced Atikokan Ontario" I put it on the top tube of my bike. It would be a lot great if the subject is not we but I!
There was a pretty big hill into the town, though it was mainly downhill. I bought some food in a supermarket in the town, where people from California talked to me. I seem to be very interesting to others. Also some kids asked me who won Tour de France. It was me who wanted to know who!
At the campground, a big party was going on. It was pretty expensive (15 dollars) but I got a free meal again from family from Thunder Bay. It's been quite a lucky day.

Day 27, Sunday, August 9th
Atikokan (6:00) --- Kakabeka Falls (4:30 ET)
181.8 km, total 3337.4 km

I got up 4:15. It was 15 minutes earlier than the time I planed to get up. It was not because I had a good sleep, (absolutely not!) but because there was a big party going on in the campground and they played heavy metal very loudly and lots of cars passed and honked just beside my tent. If they played rap or hip hop instead of my favorite AC/DC and Ozzy Osbourne, I would have gone crazy!
I left the campground, stared by lots of people having party there. One guy apologized to me just when I left, which made me feel a lot better. It took me 15 minutes to get on the highway.
As soon as I got on the highway, there was a big hill. It was very tough for morning. The terrain was not hilly after then, though it was not flat either. I was warned that there is no gas stand between Atikokan and Kashabowie, so I took extra water. But it turned out that there are some gas stands on the way, one at 15km from Atikokan and another at 30 km. I stopped at the latter one, and I bought a chocolate milk. It was very funny to see most cars had Canadian canoes on the roof. I wish I could do some kayaking here, but I don't have lots of spare time left.
I passed the entrance of Quentico National Park a few kilometers away. There was the second big hill of today. It was quite a big national park, and it took me long to pass it.
At 60 km, I took the second break. My rear deraileur went wrong just after then, but fortunately it was OK.
Just past 11 I arrived in Kashabowie. There was a gas stand along the highway, so I checked in. I thought about going to toilet just before I left, but really nice tailwind made me go. Later it got me into a big trouble.
When I rode about 10 km from there, I started to have a pain in the stomach. If it was just a pee, I could've had a B.M. it anywhere and that I've done since I was born, but it wasn't. I knew I can have anywhere, but my pride kept me from doing that. If I had done it, it would've been my first time since I was 9, when I climbed a mountain. Just before Shabantowan, there was a restaurant, so I rushed in. I bought a Coke to make an excuse for using their toilet, but when I asked if there was any toilet, I got merciless answer ---No, we don't. Damn. I really wondered what to do with it, and eventually decided to ride on to the next town, Shabaqua. From there, I rode at incredible speed. Good tailwind helped me for sure, but it was not all. It was the FECES power that helped me! When I finally got to the junction of #11/#17, all in mind was going to toilet! It was supposed to be the place of nightmarebut it was not on my mind. I found a gas stand, and as soon as I put my bike, I ran into the restaurant. I found a paper on the door and it said they suffer from water shortage and I'll have to pay 1 dollar for toilet or I'll go to a toilet on the top of the hill nearby. I chose the latter. When I got to the toilet at last, I was surprised to see it --- it was pit toilet with no tank, that is, you have a B.M. to the field. Door didn't have a lock so I had to keep it closed with one hand. If I had failed, I might have been seen to sit on the toilet.
As soon as I got back on the highway, things changed dramatically. Traffic was very heavy, while there was no shoulder. Also lots of trucks bugged me. The pavement was new, which was only the good thing on the highway. It was a lot worse than Manitoba.
It was only 20 km or so when I got to the junction of highway 11 and 102. #102 is a lot shorter and I would've got nice tail wind. Nevertheless I took highway 11 to see Kakabeka Falls. There were some big hills on the way, but instead there was a nice shoulder most of the way. Around 4:30, I finally got to Kakabeka Falls. Campground cost me 17.50, which was pretty expensive for me, but the fall was very spectacular. I was told this year it doesn't rain very much and water is less than the average year. I think I'm rather lucky, because I have experienced rain only in BC and Saskatchewan.

Day 28, Monday, August 10th
Kakabeka Falls (10:00) --- Thunder Bay (8:30)
74.5 km, Total 3411.9 km


I woke up at 7:30. It was the semi-rest day I had waited for, so I had leisurely morning. I could have left there by 9, but eventually I left there at 9:45. I went to see the fall again so I could get the money's worth. It was almost 10 when I finally left there.
From Kakabeka falls, the highway became 2 lanes, but instead 3-feet-wide shoulder appeared. I thought it would disappear soon, since good things never last in Ontario, but it last till I got into Thunder Bay. It was not as hilly as yesterday, and when I got into Thunder Bay, it became completely flat. Today I had an important thing to do --- to find a gas cartridge. First I checked in Canadian Tire on the way, but they didn't have Camping Gaz. I rode on, and ate lunch at Burger King. I just went on, and before noon I got into Down Town.
First I tried to find an information center, and map said it was on May Street. I couldn't find it, so I went into city hall. The woman in the reception was very nice. First she said she would introduce me a woman in tourist office but she was not in. So I went to library to check my e-mail. When I came back she introduced me her, and she gave me tons of brochures. And then the woman in the reception gave me a phone number of a Japanese-Canadian family, whose daughter works there.
I left there after that, and I went on to find a gas cartridge. First I checked Walmart, but couldn't find any. A man talked to me and said the hostel is in the north. At first I thought he was quite weird, but later I found he was actually a nice person. Then I went to a shop called "Gear Up For Outdoors." Unfortunately they didn't have one either, but the shopsclerk was so kind that he called around to find one, and when I bought a mosquito coil, he discounted it from 2.99 to 1.53. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't find any cartridge after all, so I called the phone number I got at the city hall. Their name was Iwasa, and father came to meet me. He said he couldn't put me up, but he treated me a dinner and when I left him, he gave me 20 dollars. I refused to take it, but I eventually took it. I will keep it unused till I end this trip! I still can't believe it happened. Thunder Bay, I'll never forget you!
When I left there it was already 7. I heard it was 20 km north of the city center, so I rushed. Lakeshore Road to the hostel had a nice shoulder, and there were houses along the way. A dog barked at me and followed me for 500 m. I've heard of a story that some cyclist got bitten by a dog in Canada, so I was very scared. Fortunately nothing happened.
When I finally got to the hostel, it was already 8:30, just in time for sunset. I was surprised to see the manager. He was the man I met in front of Walmart! The hostel was one of the best I have ever stayed, and the room was almost a single room. It was such a lucky day --- Hope a day like this will come again on my trip.

Day 29, Tuesday, August 11th
Thunder Bay (11:00) --- Gravel River (9:00)
141.9 km, total 3553.8 km

 I got up 8. I decided last night to make today semi-rest day part II, I got up quite late. The thing is I just wanted to stay in bed as long as possible. It was only 90 km to Nipigon, so I didn't have to hurry. I liked the hostel the best in my life, because I got to know lots of people, and the managers (Lloyd and Willa) were very kind as if they were my grandparents.
When I finally left there it was already 11. I made second latest start, next to the day I biked from Portage to Winnipeg. I wish I could stay there longer, but I know I must go on.
When I went 1 km, I got back on the highway. A nice, wide shoulder last till I went a few kilometers on the highway, but it turned into narrow, only a feet wide shoulder, and I had to fight with the heavy traffic. Most cars gave me room, but some cars, especially trucks passed me by very closely. I need more than one life on this highway.
It was not compeletely flat, but the hills were very easy to beat. I used granny gear only a couple of times today.
I took my first break at a truck stop in Pass Lake, and after then, there were few gas stands till Dorion, where I took the second break. When I ate my lunch, a bike tourist passed, so I hurried to get on my bike again. She was from Germany, and she was the one who stayed in the campground in Gull Lake without tent just a day before I did. She is also going to Montreal, though she started in Alberta. I biked with her for a while, but I biked ahead after a while. I met her again in Nipigon, and suggested we stay in the same campground since it would be cheaper. But she wanted to go ahead, so I said goodbye.
After that, I was still wondering if I should go further. When I went back on the highway to campground, I met another bike tourist. His name is John, and he was biking a lot faster than me. (180km a day on average!) Eventually I decided to bike with him for a while.
From Nipigon the pavement got newer, and there was 2-feet-wide shoulder on the half of the way. Especially there was a nice, wide shoulder on hills. It was not very hilly, but there were some pretty big hills on the way. It cleared up around then, and I had nice view of the Lake Superior on some hills.
At 48 km from Nipigon was a motel and gas stand, where we had dinner. There was a campground, but it seemed like I had to pitch my tent in the back of the motel. When we went a little bit, there was a river (Gravel River), and under the bridge, there was a perfect spot for pitching tent. It was a lot better than pitching the tent in the back of the motel.

Day 30, Wednesday, August 12th
Gravel River (7:30) --- 30 km east of Marathon (8:00)
169.3 km, total 3723.1 km

I got up at 6. I meant to wake up at 5:30, but I stayed under the bridge and it was dark then. We left there around 7:30.
At first there was no serious hill, but when I went 6km, there was a big hill. It was the beginning of days of hills. It last 3 km, and was pretty steep, but I didn't get off the bike because there was John behind and I don't want to be thought to be weak. There was a nice wide shoulder on every hill, sometimes as wide as ones in west Canada. I wish they build shoulder like that all through the highway. I had to climb a hill like that once more before I got to Rossport.
Rossport was such a beautiful and peaceful village, with nice view of lake and a quiet harbor. When we ate breakfast, the German cyclist I met yesterday came in. She looked very surprised, because she had thought I stayed in Nipigon last night. She said she came to Rossport, and stayed in a boat. It would've been such an interesting day if I had kept biking with her from Nipigon.
I biked with her and John from there. There were some hills just after we left there, but they were a lot better than ones before Nipigon. Eventually she biked behind me, and we separated without saying goodbye, or good luck. The climb last for a while, but I didn't stop thanks to John. Around Schreiber, there were not many serious hills.
Around 11:30, we got to Terrace Bay. The town was nice too, with a beautiful row of trees, though I found it a little too touristic. We stayed there for half an hour, then went on.
For the first 20 km from there, it was very comfortable ride, but at 20 km, I met the biggest hill of the day. It was steep, and last for a couple of kilometers. I finally got off my bike. John did too, and pushed all the way to the top. From there it got less hilly and there were only small ups and downs, so I expected it to be like that for the rest of the day.
When I went 50 km from Terrace Bay, I arrived Neys Provincial Park. Just in front of it was CAN-OP, so we checked in. The guy there was very interesting, and he said cyclists can stay there only for ONE dollars, and when it rains, you can stay in his trailer. I wish I had known that, but it was too early to end the day. When we took rest, another German cyclist (again!) passed by. He was biking not across Canada like us, but to Toronto. We talked for a while, and then we left there.
From there, against my expectation it became very hard. The paving got poorer, and the terrain got hillier. I've heard there are 4 big hills, but with my criteria, there were 13 or 14 big hills. It might mean I'm a physically weak cyclist. Among them 5 were very hard. I got off the bike only twice, though.
We got to the entrance to Marathon past 5. We took dinner, and then we rode on to achieve 170 km. It got pretty flat after Marathon, though there was one big hill just out of Marathon.
I found a nice place to stay beside the highway just before 8, so we stopped there though we didn't go 170 km. About 50 minutes later the German cyclist passed by, so we stayed in 3. A man who works in the forest around there passed when we were cooking, and told me he saw a black bear today. I felt kinda surprised, but it's good it's not a grizzly.

Day 31, Thursday, August 13th
30 km east of Marathon (8:15) --- 25 km south of Wawa (8:45)
182.7 km, total 3905.8 km

I got up a little bit later than we planned, at 6:40. I heard ominous sound in the tent, and when I got out I found I was right --- rain. I experienced rain in BC and Saskatchewan, but it's a lot worse in Ontario. I have to get splashed, since the shoulder is very narrow.
For a while after we left there, there were not any serious uphill. At 20 km, there was a motel, and said they have dorm for 20 dollars. I wish I had known that. I got water and chocolate bar. After a while we passed White Lake Provincial Park, then nightmare began.
We ran into road construction zone when we crossed White Lake Narrows. Usually it doesn't bother me except that I have to stop for a while, but this time I had to ride on the bad road. It was just like some monster scratched the surface, and the scratch goes to the direction I was going. To make matters worse, there were some hills, and when it ended after riding 20 km, I felt like I rode double or even more.
New pavement replaced the scratched road, but good things never last in Ontario. It turned into gravel road. I had to get off my bike and push it for 1 kilometer. Pavement came back after that, but it was still scratched surface. By that time, I was mad to death.
Around 12, we finally got to White River, the place famous for Winnie the Poo. After I saw the statue, we went in A&W. It was very crowded with tourists.
New pavement came back after a while, and it was brand new. There were some hills, but not outrageously long. When I rode 35 km, there was Obatanga Provincial Park, where I waited for John. He came half an hour later, and told me he met a female cyclist biking across Canada. She appeared after a while, and we talked for about 20 minutes. She was pretty small, but I think she's doing very well. There was a gas stand at 5 km from there, and we took break there. I saw a Honda Prelude from BC, which must have been the car I saw in Austin, Manitoba. What a coincidence! (I'm sure they don't remember me, though.)
From Obatanga to Wawa, it got pretty flat, but instead I had pretty strong headwind. Around 6:10, we finally got to Wawa. The town of Wawa was a couple of kilometer off the highway, so we didn't go into the town. We had dinner at a restaurant along the highway, and left there at 7:30.
I'd heard it's one of the hilliest part in Ontario from Wawa to Sault Ste. Marie, so I was a little bit worried. It became hillier for sure, but they were not as steep as I had expected. I guess harder climbs should come tomorrow. There were 2 long hills though.
Around 8:40, when it was getting darker, I found a road off the highway. I went further, and found a nice spot for pitching tents. The place was pretty good, but my tent was all soaked. I guess it's gonna be a miserable night?

Day 32, Friday, August 14th,
25 km south of Wawa (6:20) --- Sault Ste. Marie (8:00)
202.5 km, total 4108.3 km

 I got up at 5:20. I set my alarm at 5:00, but I didn't notice it at all. I guess I was tired. John was ready by 6 but I slowed him down. I felt a little bit sorry about that. We finally left the place at 6:20.
Usually it's light around that time, but it was pretty dark. I turned on my tail light for the first time on my trip. It was the worst condition I experienced on my trip --- rain, thunder, headwind? Only good thing is that traffic was very light. I don't remember how hilly it was because of rain. An hour later, rain finally stopped. But road surface was still so wet I kept getting splashed from every cars which passed me by.
There were nothing along the highway, even a gas stand. Only thing around there was just provincial park. If it had been hot and I had not had enough water, I would have been dead! Past 11, when I went 60 km, I finally found a store (it should have been around Agawa area) and I bought granola bars for breakfast.
As I got close to Montreal River, I met some hills, which I classify as very big. There were some hills before Agawa (they were better than ones around Marathon.) but they were really tough. It reminded me of the day I went from Yale to Spences Bridge, BC. When I went long, steep downhill, I got to Montreal River. We didn't go into the town, but stopped in a gas stand nearby.
After a couple of tough hills, it became pretty flat. As I had believed it was the hardest part in Ontario, I was rather surprised. Instead headwind got stronger, and I managed to keep 20km/h.
I took a break when I went 20 km from there and waited for John to come. There was free spring water, so I replaced my water with "fresh" water. John passed it, so I got back on highway. When we went for a few kilometers, we took break. I was told that it wouldn't be as hilly as before, but there is a long hill (I think it is called "one mile hill" or something) Oh yes. Good things never last in Ontario!
Headwind got a little bit gentler after a while, but instead it started raining again. I hate this changeable whether! I met road construction zone again, and it was the "scratched" road. It last 20 km, and that drove me crazy. I wished I had a nice suspension with my bike.
When I went 170 km or something, (I forgot the exact distance) I finally met the one mile hill. Literally it last about 1 mile. I rode for the first 200 m, and I pushed my bike for the lest of the hill. It was one of the toughest hill I experienced on my trip.
Around 6:30, I finally got into Sault Ste. Marie. When I got into the city center, I said goodbye to John when I passed a bike shop. There I looked for a screw for my pedal, but they didn't have one. (Yesterday I lost a screw on my pedal which fixes the cleat onto the pedal shaft.) So I kept going and got to the hostel.
If I classify one in Thunder Bay as the best hostel in Canada, I classify this one as the worst hostel in Canada. It was a way too expensive for hostel, (21 dollars) very old, and people around were very weird. I got single room for 21 dollars, which might be good, but that also means I'll be lonely.
Also tonight, an accident happened. When I walked along Queen Street, a guy in front of some motel talked to me, and kindly gave me a brochure of downtown. He also gave me information about bars, (I didn't think about going to any bar, though) telling I'm a very nice guy. He said I could come back whenever I wanted, and I left there for dinner. I came back to hostel, and went to the bar in the basement of the hostel. It sucked, so I got out soon. Then I got back to my room only to feel really bored, so I went to the motel to kill time. He was very nice first, but after saying I'm a very nice guy (I should've noticed something is wrong) he told me he's homosexual. It was completely ok with me, but the trouble was he seemed to have fallen in love with me. Fortunately I had told him I'm straight when he gave me information about bars, but he kept saying, "I'm really sorry you are not gay" I try to think of some way to run away from there, but I couldn't come up with any idea. When I managed to say I gotta go, he said he wanted to give me a hug. I kept turning down, but he said "it's a Canadian custom!" But I knew better. I kept saying no to every word he says, but he didn't listen. In the end, he try to take me into the room behind the front desk. He turned off the light, and said "I'm not gonna kiss you!" I knew he meant "I'm not gonna kiss you, but I'm gonna f*%# you!" I felt really scared, and just kept saying "No!" I managed to make him give up the idea, but instead I kindly shook hands with him, though just touching his skin made me sick. When I was leaving there, he said "I'll see you tomorrow" and of course I wanted never to see him again in my life, I said "Maybe." He got really mad, and said "What do you mean!!!" I just told him I might leave tomorrow, and I got away. Gee, it's been a hell of a day --- rain, hills, headwind, and homosexual. I'm really glad I'm alive.

Day 33, Saturday, August 15th
Rest day in Sault Ste. Marie


I woke up around 8:30. I was pretty tired, as I biked 200km. I had a very leisurely morning.
Around 11:30, I left the hostel. I went around the town, but didn't see many people. I checked 2 other bike shops, but neither had the right screw for my bike. New pedals were a lot more expensive than in Japan, so I stand up with my half broken pedals. After then, I went to internet café (Ramada inn) and spent an hour there. After then, I just hang around the town, though there were not many to see other than the canal.
It was a nice rest day, but also a very boring day after all.

Day 34, Sunday, August 16th,
Sault Ste. Marie (8:40) --- Spragge (6:00)
168.9 km, total 4277.2 km


I set my alarm at 6, but I intentionally stayed in bed till 7. I left the hostel at 8:30. I was lucky I wasn't seen by the homosexual guy, but as soon as I left there, my speedometer went wrong. It took me 10 minutes to fix it.
Just before I got out of the town, I met the "scratched" road. It was pretty tough for early in the morning, but fortunately it last only 1 km.
When I got out of the city, what I saw was 6 feet wide shoulder! There was also beautiful view of the canal. Without headwind, it would be a lot nicer. Good things never last in Ontario, but this time it last as long as 20 km! It reminded me of highway 7 in BC.
From Echobay, the highway turned into 4 lanes, and at the same time the shoulder got narrower as I had expected. It had been almost completely flat, but from there hills appeared. Landscape also changed, from canal into farms. It was just like Manitoba with a little bit more hills and without shoulder.
In Sunday, there are less trucks, but instead the number of private cars increases. Most trucks give me a lot of room, as they know truck is threatening to cyclists, but some private cars passed just beside me. I get so mad I sometimes yell unconsciously "F*%# you!" in Japanese, but they would never listen. They must know how scary it is when a car passes just beside them at 80 km.
When I went 45 km, I got to the entrance to St Joseph Island, where I took my first break. And then I kept going to Bruce Mines. It seemed to be very touristic place too, and I saw lots cars with American license plates. I stayed there for half an hour, and hurried on my way.
I thought about taking the next break in Thessalon, but it was off the highway. From there, nightmare began---the shoulder disappeared. I got some loud honks (it should be less loud when honking to people) from trucks, and got out of their way. When I first got on highway 17, I got scared by every honk I got, but now I am too used to it. Far from getting scared, I got angry. To make matters worse, headwind got stronger around that time.
At Iron Bridge I took the next break. From there things changed a lot better. Headwind got a lot lighter, and though cracked, shoulder came back. And there was wonderful view of a river. In Ontario good things never last, but this time again it last until I got to Spragge. I took a break in Iron Bridge, and around 4:30, I got to Blind River. When I got off my bike to go into supermarket, I found I was sick. I seemed to catch a cold or something. From there I felt I was getting worse, but I ignored it.
I got to Spragge just before 6. The campground didn't appear soon, and it was a little bit out of the village. It was 18 dollars, but I didn't care about it, because if everything goes right, I'm staying in campground only 4 more times. When I come to think about it, I can't believe I came this far. I'm glad that Montreal is coming close, but in the mean time I feel sad that my trip is ending soon, which means I have to go back in the reality.

Day 35, Monday, August 17th
Spragge (7:20) --- Hager (6:00)
190.2 km, total 4467.4 km


It was the worst day in my trip, EVER! I want to forget today for the rest of my life.
I woke up at 6. It was sunny then, and I thought it foretold it was gonna be another nice biking day. But IT WASN'T!
I left the campground at 7:20. It was still sunny, but it didn't last for an hour. Soon it became cloudy, and started raining. To make matters worse shoulder disappeared too.
I thought again about taking a ferry to Tobermory, since I was sick and tired of Trans Canada. I took the first break at Massay, and saw the map. Taking a ferry means it takes one extra day, and I have to do 160 for 5 more days. I couldn't decide there, so I just kept going, thinking about that.
At Massay rain stopped but traffic got heavier. The number of private cars are same as yesterday, but there were more trucks today. Sometimes it came endlessly, and once I got out of highway, it was hard to got on it again. Most trucks gave me lots of rooms, though.
Around 11:30, I finally got to the entrance to Espanola. I stopped there for a while. It was still very attractive to take ferry, but eventually I decided to take shorter route, just because I wanted to get to Ottawa as soon as possible, where I'll meet Jason again and take rest. The gas stand there was closed, though, so I went to Nairn Centre to take my lunch. I still wondered if I had made the right decision.
I took lunch, sitting in front of gas stand in Nairn Centre. I must have been looked like a miserable Asian cyclist. Some people did look that way. Some people asked me where I came from, and when I said I came from Vancouver, they seemed like they couldn't believe that. This kind of conversation always make me realize how far I came.
After 30 minute break, I got back on the road. there was still no shoulder, and traffic was as heavy. It was pretty flat, though.
When I went 20 km, the day come, the day I finally got out of Trans Canada. Country Road 55 was as short as 20 km, but I felt like I was in heaven. Traffic was as light as on Highway 71 (from Kenora to Emo) and landscape was a lot nicer. The best thing is there are very few trucks, and if any it was a little bigger than a pickup. But as I always say good things never last in Ontario, it literally last only for 20 km.
First it started raining again. And that time it was heavier than morning. Pavement was brand-new, but that means they don't absorb water and I get more splashes. Not to mention, there was no shoulder. To make matters worse, I met road construction. While the highway is completely yours when cars on the other lane are going, but it turns into hell when traffic on your lane comes. Some stupid young kid made fun of me when they passed me. That made me mad to death, but I couldn't do anything with them. That made me feel even bitterer.
When I passed the junction of highway 17 and 69, the traffic got incredibly lighter. But as soon as regional route 55 (might be 35 on the map) came together, it got as heavy as before. I passed Sudbury without seeing Downtown, and I took break in Coinston. It stopped raining around there.
Just before I got out of Sudbury area, there was an visitor info, where I stopped for toilet. I saw a graffiti that said "if you need money come here at 3 tomorrow." When I got out of the toilet, I met a man, and talked to me. At first we did usual conversation, like where I came from, but after a while, he talked to me in English I couldn't understand, and tried to take me in the toilet. He seemed like the one who wrote the graffiti. When I said I didn't understand, he also said he didn't understand. I guess something weird was going on.
From there, it became a little bit hilly. Around here you have no shoulder on uphill, but you do on downhill. How inefficient! When I passed Markstay, it became pretty flat again.
Around 6, I got to Hager. I bought some snack, and when I was about leave for Verner, a guy talked to me. After we did some usual conversation, he said if I needed a place to stay. As I was soaked and miserable, I said sure, without hesitation. It was the beginning of nightmare, which I want to forget for the rest of my life.
He invited me to his place, but he was not kind at all! When I asked where his family was, he told me they were all away. Damn. I felt something dangerous might happen, and I put my knife in my pocket just in case. I finished dinner, and I was studying for the exams coming soon after I came back home. Just then he asked me all of a sudden "Do you have a girlfriend?" At once I understood why he took me here, but I made a fatal mistake; I answered no. Never in my life had I damned my honesty. When I asked if he does, of course he said no. It was the same beginning as the accident happened in Sault Ste. Marie. There was blank for a couple of seconds, and then, he said, "Would you like a bl*&%#$?" When it happened in Sault Ste. Marie, he asked me just for a hug, but this time he was directly asking me for sexual relationship. I got so frozen I couldn't say even no. I didn't say nothing for a while, then he asked me "You know what bl*&%#$ is?" My mother language is not English, but I happened to know the word. When I joined in an exchange program 4 years ago, I made good friends with a guy called Kevin and we both taught each other that kind of words in English and Japanese. At that time, I did that just for fun and would never thought the words are practical. But this time IT WAS! I finally came to myself, and I said no. Fortunately he said, "I had expected that" and didn't do anything to me, but I got really scared after then. His attitude was apparently different. He offered me a bed, but I chose a couch so that I would be safer in case he came and tried to sleep with me. I hit the sack around 11:30, but couldn't go to sleep, because I was afraid he might rape me when I'm asleep. I put my knife just beside the pillow, and managed to go to sleep.

Day 36, Tuesday, August 18th.
Hagar (8:30) --- Mattawa (6:00)
143.9 km, 4611.3 km


I woke up at 7:10. I was happy that nothing happened last night. I left his place around 8:30. Finally I got away from the place of nightmare.
I had heard wind would blow from north, I was prepared for it, but it was a lot stronger than I imagined. It must have been from 20 to 30 kph. It was also so chilly I wore jersey, arm warmer, windbreaker and for the first time, rainwear. It wasn't enough for chilly wind, though.
There wasn't enough shoulder like yesterday, but traffic was a lot lighter than yesterday. And there were very few log trucks, instead most trucks are ones a little larger than pickup. It was big enough to scare me though, because they blocked off the strong wind and I easily lost my balance. I almost fell some times.
I got to Verner before 10. It seems like most communities are French. When I went in a gas stand to buy some snacks, the salesclerk spoke English with a little French accent. And around here, almost all the signposts are bilingual. I noticed that when I saw a signpost twice that said "River Valley tourist area" in English and French. (River Valley is my last name in English!) For foreigner like me, it was more helpful, as their English was easier to understand.
From Hager to Verner, there were some gentle hills, but it became pretty flat from Verner. Landscape was beautiful too, with cornfields and pasture.
Sturgeon Falls was a French community too, but I didn't notice that until a kid spoke French. They spoke almost perfect English.
From there to Nippising #10, it was completely flat and straight. I took a short break there, and then kept going. It became a little bit hilly after then, but it was very easy to beat. They didn't have shoulder at all sometimes, though. I took a rest on the way, where there was a great view of Lake Nippising. On my opinion, it was more beautiful than Lake Superior.
I took highway 17B to Northbay from my experience that when highway splits into A and B, B is always less busy. I went through the town, and I went back on the highway 17. There was a big shopping mall at the junction of highway 17B and 11/17, so I went in to take lunch. It was rather surprising to see there were some Asian people there, because I expect to see them only in big cities.
As soon as I got back on the highway, I realized I made right decision. It was very crowded, and moreover, the road surface was "scratched." As I got close to the junction of #11 and #17, I saw a sign that said "Ottawa" and "Tronto." Never had I realized my trip is ending soon.
When I followed #17, traffic got lighter. It was as light as the part from Thunder Bay to Nipigon. It seems like most cars follow #17 to Toronto. It became a little bit hilly though. I had a nice view of lakes along the way. I should have taken some pictures...
Around 5:30 I got to Mattawa. I chose this place for tonight, because the name is interesting. (It means "or" in Japanese) I wanted to tell that to somebody, but I didn't. I stayed in a campground along the river. Though expensive, it was one of the nicest campground in the trip.
I called Jason in Ottawa tonight. (the cyclist I biked with from Regina to Winnipeg) It was nice to know he was fine, and I told him I'm arriving there in 2 days. I really can't see him again.

Day 37, Wednesday, August 19th
Mattawa (7:20) --- Pembroke (5:00)
153 km, total 4764.3 km


The day finally came. The day I finally got away from the nightmare, Trans Canada!
I got up at 6. I'd heard it would be another fine day, so I'd expected to see a beautiful sun over the Ottawa River. But when I got out of my tent, it was completely foggy. Moreover, it was very very chilly!
I left the campground at 7:20. It was the first morning in my trip to leave in the fog. It was very dangerous, because you were able to see at most 30 m ahead. Fortunately, the traffic was incredibly light, and all the cars went so slowly that when I got into their sight they gave me lots of room.
As soon as I got out of Mattawa, I encountered a big hill. But the fog helped me a lot. It made me think only about going ahead and not getting off the bike, because I had completely no idea how long it would last. It must have been very tough, but I didn't even feel it. There were many hills after it, but it was the toughest one for today.
The fog finally cleared past 8. While I felt relieved to be safer, I was a little bit sad not to be able to see the fantastic sight. As the fog cleared, I had wonderful view of Ottawa River. The other side is Quebec, the last province on my trip. I wish I could get into Quebec now, but I know I had to wait for a little while.
I took my first break at Deux Riveres. I was told there would be no serious hills, but it was wrong. By that time I knew better than to take it at face value. There were many rather steep climbs, but they all were not long, and most last less than 1 km.
There was nothing in Bisset Creek, and I took the next break in Stone Cliffe. From there it became less hilly. Some of them were so easy I was able to handle with the middle gear. I took another break in Rolphton. By that time traffic got heavier.
Around 2 I got to Deep River. I went into Burger King, where I ate my lunch. When I got out of there, I found the wind was blowing from the north, that is, tailwind. I was able to keep 30 kph very easily.
On maps Deep River and Chalk River are 10 km apart, but it was just like one town. After I climbed one hill out of Deep River, it was completely flat and straight. Also 3-feet-wide shoulder appeared, and it last for more than a few kilometers. It seemed like Trans Canada gave me farewell present!
I planned to get out of Trans Canada into C.R. 55, but most country road on my map had different number in reality. I missed it and had to ride extra few kilometers. I finally got out of Trans Canada at C.R. 37. Though I was on Trans Canada for about 30 days, I didn't have any sad feelings.
I took C.R. 37 and 51 (it seemed like 17 on maps) to Pembroke. I expected traffic to be lighter on the road, but things were opposite. Traffic was very heavy, and road condition was very bad. Of course there was no shoulder. It seemed to be the old highway 17. If I had biked many years ago, I had to bike on that way. Come to think about, I get really scared.
Around 5 I got to Pembroke. The campground (Riverside Park) was along the CR 51. I congratulated my last camping night with dinner at Taco Bell. There was a nice old couple in the next site, and they gave me 3 bottles of beer. I was very lucky, but I couldn't study at all. The letter "D" (It means fail at my university) came to my mind.

Day 38, Thursday, August 20th
Pembroke (6:55) --- Ottawa (5:00)
157.5 km, total 4921.8 km


Ron in the next site kindly woke my up around 5. They gave me a coffee too. It was pretty cold outside so I was in my tent for more than an hour. Just before I left, I saw a very beautiful sunrise on Ottawa River. Come to think about how many times I can see sunrise in Canada, I feel very sad. Reality is waiting for me in Japan.
I left the campground at 6:55. It was fine at first, but when I leave it became foggy. The traffic was light like yesterday, so I safely got out of the town. Pembroke seemed to be very old town, and there were lots of brick buildings.
I got out of town very soon, but what waited for me after then was not forest, but pasture and cornfields. I didn't feel like I was in Ontario. From Pembroke to Beachburg I followed C.R. 21. Though there is no shoulder, traffic was very light. I could even pee beside the road, and indeed I did. Moreover, it was almost flat, and hills which occasionally appeared last only for a few hundred meters.
After taking first break in Beach Burg, I kept following country road. I followed 21, 7 and 4. I was on C.R. 7 for a few hundred meters, and C.R. 7 on the map was actually C.R. 4.
When I got to Chenaux, I met a bike tourist. I was very surprised, because I thought I would never see a bike tourist again. He said he is going from Ottawa to Thunder Bay. He advised me to go into Quebec and take highway 148, and I followed it.
When I crossed the river and got into Quebec, I found a sign of "Welcome to Quebec." As it was not the main road to Quebec, the sign was very poor. From there, all the signs were written in French. I was ready for that, but I felt like I was not in Canada but in some other country.
I stopped in the information center in Portage-du-Fort. They had a nice bike touring guide of the area, which I had never seen in other place in Canada.
Things didn't change in Quebec either. There was no shoulder, and there were some very small hills.
I got into highway 148 at Shawville. There was no shoulder either, but traffic was pretty light for highway. There were some trucks, though.
I stopped at a hamburger stand in the middle of Shawville and Quyon. It still seemed to be an English community. I felt a little bit relieved. One thing I'm afraid of in my trip is French. I learned it at my university as my 4th language, but I didn't learn it so seriously. All I remember is like "Salut" "Je ne parle pas francais" "Je suis au Japon" "Je t'aime." There I also asked if there was any toilet, but they said they didn't have any but that I could do it in the back of the stand. I found some feces there indeed, but I didn't feel like it. Eventually I went in a coffee shop 15 km away just for toilet. I ordered a cup of coffee as a mark of my thanks.
From Quiyon some hills appeared, but they were very easy to beat. Around Pontiac it started raining, but I didn't even care about it. Ottawa was coming closer! Most communities seemed to be English before Pontiac, but it was completely French. It was very weird.
The highway split into 4 lanes after Pontiac, but soon it turned back into 2 lanes. At the same time, the road got narrower but traffic got heavier.
Around that time, something weird happened to me. Lassitude struck over me, and I couldn't even pedal. It was completely different from that I experienced just before Broadview, Saskatchewan. I think I'm subconsciously relived to be close to Ottawa, and all the fatigue I didn't even feel came over me at once. I felt better after 10 minutes or so, but the last 30 km seemed endless to me.
A couple km after I got into Aylmer, I finally found the bike track. It went all the way to Ottawa, and I had a very comfortable ride there.
I crossed the first bridge into Ottawa, and I got back into Ontario. Though it was still Ottawa, I felt like I reached my goal. I thought about practicing raising my both hands like bike race when I get into Montreal (I decided to do that when I got into Alberta) but I was too shy to do that.
It was 5 when I got into Ottawa, and I made a phone call to Jason. He said he would come back home at 6, so I killed time around. Ottawa is such a nice town, and it had bike tracks around the city.
I finally got to Jason's place at 6. Jason was not at home then, but his mother welcomed me. Jason came back soon after. I was very happy to see him again. I talked to him about many things that happened to me, like homosexual things. Stacey came to his place too, and we watched movie tonight. Though it's still Ottawa, I feel like I have finished my trip. I wish it was Montreal!

Day 39, Friday, August 21st
Rest day in Ottawa, Part I

I woke up at 8:30. I felt like doing nothing, but I studied for a while.
Jason gave me a ride to downtown, and I looked for pedals. I got Azonic pedals used, which cost me as much as 90 dollars. I saw a Cannondale T 700 sold at 900 dollars, which is about 1600 dollars in Japan. I wish I could get one!
I got back to Jason's past noon, and spent afternoon studying accounting. Of course I didn't want to, but my first exam is coming in less than 2 weeks.
At night we went to the movies with Jason, Stacey and his friends, and watched "The Revengers." It was very boring. We got back home around 12, and I went to bed soon.

Day 40, Saturday, August 22nd
Rest day in Ottawa Part II

I woke up at 8. I knew there was a party of my sailing team back in Japan, so I called my friend's cell phone. They sounded very surprised. It was lots of fun to me too, because I hadn't spoken Japanese for ages and speaking English all the time is stressful.
I studied international economics and accounting for a while. After lunch Jason and I went on biking along the canal. He still went so fast! I managed to follow him…
Jason went to a party at night, and I stayed at home. I just kept studying… Well, tomorrow is gonna be my last day. I don't know how I will feel when I get there.


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