Day two

day two

headwinds gusting to 60km/hr

We made it to Carleton Place after struggling with some serious headwinds. Gusting to 60km from the West. It rained and blew all night long as well. We camped on a grassed verge at the back end of the WalMart parking lot. We're going to try to make it to Perth today and take it easy. It should only be three hours or so on the road. I am tender in a few spots and stiff but otherwise surprisingly OK. Mike's knee is giving him some grief so he's gone off to buy some kind of brace.
Leslie travelled with us to just past Stittsville. After the first hour we stopped and I offloaded a pile of stuff I decided was heavy and superfluous. We left it on a picnic table and Leslie made a note saying it weighed too much and it was free for the taking. At another brief stop the wind knocked Mike's bike over and it landed on my trailer and left the first of what is sure to be many dents in the fender. Mike took my bike for about 5 km midway through the day as I was sapped of energy at that point. We were going along some gravel/dirt track and Mike was out of sight ahead when the front wheel came off and sent him for a spill. He sustained a few minor scratches but nothing serious, thank God.
We met a woman on the road yesterday who had started at Halifax and was riding back to BC. She was making much better time than us so I probably won't catch up to her again.
I started thinking that it might be nice to get up to Northern Ontario and camp for the summer near Manitoulin Island then ride back to meet my girlfriend in Brockville. It is far too early in the trip to make any concrete decisions like that but I do fondly remember Manitoulin from my youth.

I thought it might be a lot easier to do this instead of typing.

nearly ready

Dad suggested I might make use of one of these.

The gear

I laid out most of the gear today just to look at it in one bunch. There is a lot of it. Missing from the picture is the bike and trailer, panniers, and a few other things still to be purchased.

2 cycling shirts
4 T-Shirts
1 Wind jacket
1 Rain suit (jacket and pants)
1 Rubber like yoga mat
1 Cotton yoga mat
5 Bungee cords
1 Box of Ziploc freezer bags
1 Sling shot and replacement band
1 Explosive atmosphere flashlight
1 Hunting knife with scabbard
3 mesh stuff sacks
1 55L Drysac
2 pair cycling socks
1 cycling cap
1 set cycling gloves fingerless
1 set cycling gloves full finger
2 cammo tarps
3 maps (all of Ontario)
1 35L light duty drysac
1 collapsible take down buck saw
1 emergency blanket (space blanket)
10M yellow rope
1 5L platypus water bladder
1 5L drysac
1 campfire espresso maker and cup...that's right a campfire espresso maker
1 camp stove
1 cooking pot
1 fry pan
1 set sporks
1 set cooking utensils
1 water bottle
1 swiss army knife
1 camp towel
1 hiking pillow
1 sleeping bag
1 tent
1 sleeping bag liner
1 air mattress
1 foam seat pad/chess board
1 pair new bicycle shoes
1 pair water resistant booties
1 box of bits and pieces, spare spokes, cables, lube, multi tool etc.

the countdown continues

So the countdown continues. Just over six weeks left. JeFurry is still with me but might be adopted tomorrow. He has nearly gone a few times but people change their minds at the last minute sometimes. Today I was almost physically sick for a minute when I thought about the reality of what I am setting out to do. I have almost all the equipment I think I'll need with a few exceptions. I'll need some dehydrated food and the like. I am going to have a going away party at the Wild Oat on the 29th of May after work.

I know

I know, I know. I haven't posted in a while. I will get to it soon...maybe later today.