June 23, 2009 - Rivers

Rivers, Smells, and the Imposter Slowed Down by Mother Nature

We left Kanata at 8 AM, with a quick U-turn to retrieve my dark glasses that I had left on my saddlebag when I gave it to her. Luckily, they were lying on the pavement and not scratched. We followed the Ottawa River for a hundred miles to Chalk River where we stopped for gas and liquids, both intake and discharge if you get my drift. And speaking of Chalk River, I didn’t see anything resembling chalk in the river. And on the way, we passed over the Mississippi River (but not THAT Mississippi River). So what’s up with that? And then there was the Deep River that didn’t look very deep; the Serpent River that did wind around a bit; the Snake River (kind of a theme here); the Blind River (Billy didn’t see it); the Saint Mary’s River. And then in Chalk River, and whereever we stop, we end up talking with other bikers, also stopping for gas or just there looking for a chat.

And what is it like on the bike for 500 miles? First and foremost, your butt gets sore. It tingles, with dull pins and needles after awhile. Your hands cramp up from shifting gears, accelerating and decelerating. Large bugs smack into your knees, and plaster the windshield. You get dehydrated big time. The smells are the greatest - the sweet pungent smell of manure on the farm fields; the faint smell of dead skunk; newly mown grass; diesel fumes or any car fumes. All are welcome and let you know that you’re not in a bubble of a car, but living and breathing your surroundings. Even the manure smell is greeted with recognition and appreciation now. We stop every 100 miles or so and take a good 40 minutes or so for a gas up and lunch. It’s a treat to stop for a bit, but I’m always the one chomping at the bit to keep going.

And we’ve learned more about the Imposter. He is traveling under the assumed name of “Griff” and he is almost within reach. He’s is Lacrosse, Wisconsin, stopped by Mother Nature and her dark clouds and threat of large thunderstorms. So we’ll be looking for him tomorrow.

We’re staying in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, having crossed the International Bridge which is quite long and runs from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario over the locks between Lakes Superior and Huron. After passing through US Customs and not going 100 feet, we come to a toll booth, the first in the first 1000 miles. $2.50 per person as a bridge fee. Can you believe that? Not 100 feet! I wonder how much of that Canada gets as its share.