DAY 45: NIPIGON TO TERRACE BAY, 113 KM

16 July 2007

Today was potentially the most relaxed riding day we've had yet, and definitely one of the most beautiful. After a cold morning, we got off to a late start, but we didn't mind; we enjoyed the coziness of our sleeping bags, as well as our small but delicious breakfast part one. We stopped for breakfast part two at a tiny motel restaurant, and then continued on to Rossport, a small village on the coast of Lake Superior. There, we had the best desserts of our trip--I had a coffee-flavoured ice cream cake with an amazing chocolate crust, and Dan a raspberry flan with loads of whipped cream.

Riding along Lake Superior was spectacular. Its waters are crystal clear and Caribbean blue, and in some places you can see for miles into the distance. We stopped at one lookout point, and talked to a nice couple riding across the country in their motor home. Then, as we were about to set off, a huge posse (as we like to call them) of motorcycles pulled in. Dan and I have encountered many motorcycle tourists on our trip, and we mostly just laugh at them--they're always decked out in full leather attire, and they emanate a teenaged look-at-me-'cause-I'm-so-cool attitude. But these bikers were really nice to us. Many of them (there must have been about thirty of them all together) approached us to chat, and were impressed that we were using leg power, rather than engines. One of them commended what we were doing, but said it broke his personal motto: "If it doesn't burn fossil fuel, I ain't ridin' it". It's a shame that people have that kind of attitude; but, all the same, they were great people with a journey of their own. This little encounter definitely changed our conceptions of bikers.

The extreme Ontario hilliness really started today--we'd have long, steep climbs, followed by massive descents--but we didn't mind. The climbs really give you a sense of accomplishment, and the drops are amazingly fun. I love pedaling as fast as I can down them, and trying to beat my own speed personal bests. Currently, my record is 64.4 km/h; we'll see if I have the guts and leg power to beat it.