Howdy pardner….

 

I have finally made it to the land of cowboy hats, western boots and pick-up trucks.

No, not Hull.

I mean Calgary, Alberta.

I arrived late this afternoon – found a room at the Econo Lodge – unpacked, showered – and then promptly hopped back on my bike to go shopping.

I am now the very happy owner of a pair of waterproof motorcycle boots. And new Hi-viz rain gear as well. Both items that I discovered I was in need of. My current leather biker boots, even when slathered in Dubbin and with rain-booties over them, became individual swimming pools for my feet in northern Ontario. Not fun at all. And my raingear, while functional, simply wasn’t up to the task either. My visa card took a pounding – but I now have quality gear, seen below.

Bates waterproof motorcycle boots.

GKSII Hi Viz rain gear.

Thank you goes out to the staff at Stampede Boots for helping me out with my new gear.

……zzzzzzzz…….break……zzzzzzzzzz……………….

……….and good morning. I was just too tired to complete the post last night.

This morning I went to the McDonalds next door and updated my Photobucket page – the hotel WiFi – where I am paying $100 to sleep, won’t allow uploads – but McDonalds, where I paid $1.54 for a small coffee, does. Go figure.

Pics of my trip so far here.

I am going to check out some of Calgary today – and drop in at the Calgary Police Headquarters to introduce myself.

I am speaking at the request of the Chief tomorrow – on my experiences with childhood trauma, addictions, conflict with the law, homelessness – and the recovery there-from.

This evening I am going to be the ‘out-of-town-visitor at the CMC Calgary chapter 022 Bike Night at a local A&W. Looking forward to meeting more members of this great riding club.

And after that – the out-of-town visitor at an AA meeting.

For now, it is time to hop on the bike and check out some of this beautiful city.

Enjoy your day friends. Travel safely.

Aaaahhh, that’s better….

I got up at 0500 this morning. And smiled. John was just arising himself. And it didn’t matter. I was accountable to me. It was my trip again.
John hit the highway at 06:25 or so.
I started my bike at 0700. At 0715 I was stopped on the side of the road, not even out of Winnipeg yet, taking a picture of a 1970 Dodge muscle car. Just because I liked it enough to take a picture.
I smiled again as I was taking the pic.
I must have stopped at least 10 times today. And I only travelled a paltry 610 kms.
I took pictures of wind turbines. And the Saskatchewan welcome sign. And Manitoba fields. And grain elevators. And any damn thing I wanted to take a picture of. I stopped at a McDonalds. And at a Tim Horton’s. And at the Saskatchewan welcome station.
I took my time. And you know what – the prairies are not nearly as bad as everybody made it sound. At least, not while riding a motorcycle, singing a song and smiling ear to ear.
The low point of my day occurred about 18 minutes into my ride. I was adjusting my GPS unit to cut the glare. And I snapped the ball off the mount.
*sigh*
That just meant that I was traveling by eye. And lets be honest here – it is pretty hard to get lost on the Trans Canada highway between Winnipeg and Regina. There is not 1 turn. Seriously. Not 1.
So when I arrived in Regina, I checked my cell messages, heard the message from John – knew that he got us a room in a place called Belle Plaine, Saskatchewan. 50 kms west of the city or so, according to the message. “You can’t miss it”, he said.
And John was right. You cannot possibly miss it because Belle Plaine has only 1 structure or building of any kind. Standing 40 feet away from the 1 and only gas pump.
I expected to see a lame dog with 1 eye sitting in the shade of the nearby tree, but, errr…..there was no nearby tree.
The building (reminiscent of a favela in Rio) houses a bar, of sorts. And from behind that bar a young lady stood at the cash register, where presumably she managed all of the establishments transactions. From fuel sales (mine) to food sales (not on your life) to motel room rentals (sigh – yes, mine again – but actually I am innocent of choosing – guilty of staying).
I swear to god I expected to hear that sinister horror-flick music that just screams
‘GET THE HELL OF THERE RIGHT NOW BEFORE YOU FIND YOURSELF CHAINED TO A WALL IN A BASEMENT!’
…but it did not happen. Obviously. Wait a minute. How do you know this is me typing. Ahaaa….did he hear that music? Is John okay? How does it all turn out?
Yeah. I’m fine. So is John. And it is me typing. Though I am doing so 40 kms BACK IN THE DIRECTION I CAME FROM.
Why?, you ask. Well, because the free WiFi signal at the motel is free for a reason. If you can get a connection you deserve to have free service. Kind of like a back-woods motel contest. I hope the proprietor is laughing.
Wait a minute. Of course he /she / they are. They have 2 unwitting guests.
Did I mention that the door to our room appears to have been attended to with a pry bar recently.
Ok – Calgary tomorrow. Civilization, and all that.
I did make one really pleasant and highly unexpected discovery today. Rolling down the T-Can through Saskatchewan I decided that it was time to have a bite to eat just as I saw a sign advertising gas, food, lodging, etc, etc. in the town of Grenfell.
I hung a right turn off the highway where the sign said to turn and promptly discovered that other than the T-Can, there is not a single paved road in all of Saskatchewan. Freakin’ gravel roads everywhere! Like riding a motorcycle on flippin’ marbles for god’s sake.
Okay, I exaggerate. But there really are way, way too many gravel roads for the comfort of a motorcyclist on a street bike.
Anyway, I navigated the gravel for a couple of kilometers and made a second discovery.
Everything in Saskatchewan is like a contest. Sure, there are highway signs alerting you to the fact that that rest room you need – gas pump that you must find – restaurant that will quiet the kids – all of these things are ‘right here off the highway’.
If you are game for a round of hide and seek that is. Because nothing is where the signs point. Literally. Follow the signs and I guarantee that you will find……….NOTHING.
But look around a little, and you just might discover a hidden little gem. Like the sandwich shop / bakery that I discovered across from the post office in the minutes-away-from-being-a-ghost-town of Grenfell, Saskatchewan.
I parked my bike. Took off my helmet. Donned my ball cap (always wanting to make a good impression, don’t ya’ know) – walked through the door………….
…………..and straight onto the set from Corner Gas. I shit you not. It was uncanny. There were 2 older native women sitting in the corner near the window, a young acne-scarred, pony-tail and ball cap wearing, bespectacled young native man in conversation with them, animatedly waving his hands as he was exclaiming something to do with the try-outs at the local high school.
Two elderly Caucasian farmers, dressed in their John Deere best and covered in dust were at the table next to the one that I chose – both talking about the fact that someone had ”done the community a favour by killin’ that drug dealer fella, ayup”
There were two young teenage girls sitting at a lone booth around the corner, busily texting or checking facebook on their cellphones.
And the owners were……..
wait for it……….
a young oriental couple. In a tiny little town-that-time-forgot with a population of 900 souls.
I ordered, and ate the best tasting home made submarine sandwich that I have had in years. The coffee was strong – fresh – and delicious.
If you ever find yourself traveling down the TransCanada highway and hour or 2 into Saskatchewan and feel the need to stop for a bite – I urge you – and I mean I highly recommend – that you stop in Grenfell. And take a look around. You will be pleasantly surprised, I promise you.

Finally – I ended my evening with a trip back into Regina, as mentioned earlier – for 2 reasons. To find a replacement handle bar mount for my GPS – somewhat successful – and to have dinner with a friend who moved here from Ottawa 3 years ago.
Keetha, it was a real treat to see you. As always, you had me in stitches.

Okay – time to leave the McDonald’s in Regina who’s WiFi I have been enjoying and head back to Belle Plaine – to the no-tell motel.
See you tomorrow – live – from Calgary.
Ride safe.

Keetha and your writer / rider.

A bit of a rant.

 

Not a great day today.

The weather was finally sunny and warm.

The roads were really nice, for the most part.

And I found myself, for the second day in a row, concerned with someone else’s feelings, thoughts, plans, agenda, etc, etc.

In short – I felt like I spent the day on someone else’s schedule.

It is not John’s fault. Not at all. I am solely responsible for the frustrations that I felt at not stopping at a particular Timmies, or pulling over to snap that picture that I wanted to get, or taking a pee break when I needed it.

This will not happen tomorrow. I let John know this evening when we arrived in Winnipeg that he will have to make a decision tomorrow, because I plan on stopping at least every 90 minutes to hydrate. Something we only did 5 times in almost  12 hours today.

Those who know me well also know what I am like when I am hungry. When my blood-sugar gets low, I get angry. I am not very friendly, and it is best not to interact with me until after I have had something to eat.

The snickers bar at the end of todays journey came about 5 minutes too late for John’s sake. I had already fired a couple of shots and he was keeping his distance by the time my levels were back to good.

Sorry John. Won’t happen tomorrow. Because you will either be on your own, or adhering to my schedule. Problem solved.

So – a little about today. Well, for one thing, I can tell you that roadkill in northern Ontario is much, MUCH bigger than it is around home. I mean, moose-big. You have not seen highway roadkill carnage until you have seen the mess that is left after the collision of tractor-trailer and moose. At least I hope it was a tractor trailer. Anything less and the driver is likely also dead.

We also saw at least two smeared deer – one that must have been hit by every truck on the highway – nothing left but a flattened pelt and a blood-stain that was a full traffic lane wide and a hundred yards long.

Death is rarely pretty.

What was pretty though – and I mean take-my-breath-and-make-me –pause-beautiful – was the young cow moose that we saw standing about 25 yards off of the highway, staring at us as we cruised by, watching us as intently as we were watching her.

If I was riding alone, I would have stopped and snapped a pic. That was early this morning – and my supressed resentment about not getting that picture set the tone for the day.

I did get some GoPro time-lapse shots. Nothing spectacular, but you can get an idea of what the highway is like up here.

The weather forecast for tomorrow is hot and sunny. The plan is to ride to Regina Saskatchewan. We will likely separate, and hook up again in Regina. Which is not a bad thing. We both, John and I, agree that this is just the evolution of our ride together. A ride that was never meant to last beyond Calgary. A ride I am glad to have been part of, with a man I am glad to have met.

Lets see what tomorrow brings, shall we.

Sorry for the bitch-fest.

See you on the highway  - join me if you will.

An angry lake; a cold rain; one day at a time

 

The morning was once again gray and dreary. A cold drizzle was falling when my traveling partner and I arose to greet the day – and the breakfast bar.

John was ready before I was. I was still packing gear on the bike while he was riding around the parking lot trying to avoid over-heating in his foul-weather riding gear.

We pulled away from the hotel in Sault Ste. Marie at precisely 0700. Within 20 minutes I became aware that I had made an error. I neglected to put on my waterproof boot-covers. It was not yet raining hard – but I knew I was going to be sorry. John was on point, and I hesitated to wave him to a stop, preferring not to be ‘that guy’ – the one who delays the journey / slows everyone down / etc, etc.

10 or 15 minutes later I had completely forgotten my plight. Something far more powerful had garnered my attention.

I don’t know about you, but all I have ever heard about Lake Superior is that it is cold and dangerous. We all know the story of the doomed SS Edmund Fitzgerald. On November 10, 1975 the harsh mistress that is lake Superior swallowed her and all 29 hands on board. No one survived.

Riding along her shores this morning, I could not help but imagine the terror that these men succumbed to.

She was an angry, angry lady this morning. Cold and steel-gray, a needling 30 km/h wind whipped white-caps across her surface and I could swear I felt her spray – though in truth it was merely the cold rain falling once again from leaden skies.

We rode along the coast, following highway 17 as it wound it’s way along Superiors shores and up into the hills of granite, basalt, quartzite and sandstone. Keeping a brisk pace, and trying to intuit the gusts before they pushed me to close to the shoulder for my comfort, I did not really take the time to absorb all that I was seeing. I could feel it though. The history. The legends. The spectre. Unseen forces clamouring with each-other  - as though one wanted 2 more victims, and another watched over us as we made our way along a route that has claimed far too many in the past.

I will take my time going through this area, and this place in time, when I make my return trip. There is much to see, and feel, and share in these Anishinabe lands.

Spirits live here.

 

It was approximately 228 kilometers outside of Sault Ste. Marie that I realized just how cold I was. Because of just how soaking wet my feet were. We had stopped at the Tim Horton’s in Wawa for coffee, and I decided to pull my boots off.

I was slightly disturbed when I realized that I could not feel my feet.

Should have taken the time to put those boot-covers on when I first realized that I had forgotten them.

I changed my socks. Peeled off my soaked long-underwear and put on dry boxers. Changed into dry pants. And then did something that I said I would never do, and put on my running shoes to continue the ride. I covered these with the aforementioned boot-covers, and though somewhat discouraged I put on a brave face, hopped back in the saddle – and off we went, back on the road and into the rain.

Another 196 kms down the road, in Marathon, we stopped for a bowl of steaming tomato soup and a coffee. I needed the full 45 minutes that we were stopped in Marathon just to warm up enough to carry on. And carry on we did.

The ride did not improve for me at all until we were halfway between Nipigon and Thunder Bay. The rain stopped and the skies cleared – or at least lightened a little. The temperature rose quite dramatically, and before long I was in a completely new and enjoyable headspace – I was once again enjoying the ride.

By the time we pulled into Thunder Bay I was all but completely dry. We had a tasty fish and chips dinner at the local Joeys Only, and then I went off to find an AA meeting. And I found exactly what I needed. A good little meeting in tucked away corner of a Thunder Bay suburb, where I once again felt like I was home. A couple of members, after hearing that I was form out of town and on an adventure, even offered me a place to stay. I thanked them for their hospitality, shared some of my road-stories so far, and was given the heads-up about a group of motorcycle riding AA members in Burnaby B.C. known as the ‘sober riders’.

You can be certain that I will be dropping in on their meeting when I get to Burnaby. As sure as I am that this was the reason I ended up at this meeting in Thunder Bay, tonight. Because that is exactly where I was meant to be.

 

Well, it was a long, 730+ kilometer day today – and the cold and rain have sapped my reserves. Goodnight travelers.

….a little rain must fall.

Wet. And cold.
That pretty much describes today’s journey from North Bay to Sault Ste. Marie.
Staying in a hotel last night was a really good choice. I got up, enjoyed a long, hot shower and then filled up on coffee and muffins at the continental breakfast bar in the lobby. Satisfied in mind and body, I began loading my gear onto the bike at about 0730 this morning. A man in his early 50’s parked his brand-new, white with orange stripes Camaro SS and watched as I lugged my gear out from my 2nd floor room to the parking lot and stacked it beside my bike. It took me 4 trips to get it all outside and begin fitting it into place.
At this point, Mr. Wisdom sagely asked ‘you sure all that gear is gonna’ fit on y’er bike?’
Uhhmmmm…..you caught the part where I mentioned that this took place in the parking lot of a motel, right?
Did this genius really think that he was going to stop me in my tracks, scratch my head while pondering my dilemma and then ask him for advice? Did he think that I took a cab to the mall last night and went on a crazed camping-gear shopping spree with no conscious thought of what to do with it in the morning?
If I had been a little quicker of tongue I might have said something along the lines of ‘did you notice anyone pushing a side car on your way in?’ – or at least pointed out that I had managed to get all of this same gear to the hotel without the use of fairy dust or magic spells, so……
Must be something in the water in North Bay. Between Rebecca’s struggles with technology, as mentioned yesterday, and this guy’s total lack of critical thinking, I am not disappointed to have spent only slightly more than 12 hours in North Bay. Pretty town though, lol.
I was really hoping to be able to avoid the rain today. I actually thought that I might be able to, due to a misplaced trust in the Weather Network. I know….learning curves.
The highlights of the day were 4:
1) Welded metal sculptures at the Mohawk motel in Massey, On.

more pics here.
2) Stopping at the Camillus Centre, in Elliot Lake, On. This is a treatment centre that I attended about 11 months into my new-found sober life – it was a pivotal experience that continues to have impact in my life even today. I think it was a combination of a sense of honour, and a feeling of belonging, that saw me detour from my trip-plan to stop in and say thank you.
3) ‘Checking-in’ on Facebook from a Tim Horton’s in Blind River led to a woman named Gail coming across the street to sit down and touch base with me.
Gail and I met at……you guessed it – the Camillus Center. 5 years ago. We have not seen, nor spoken to each-other, except on Facebook, since that time.
Just another one of those moments in time.
And now, I am at the Sleep Inn Sault Ste. Marie. A man named John, whom I had never met before arriving here, booked us a room after a couple of email conversations last week.
Highlight #4.
John is a member of the same motorcycle club that I ride with – the Canadian Motorcycle Cruisers – or CMC. John is a member of the Sarnia chapter and, like me, is traveling to Vancouver. We plan on riding together as far as Calgary. More fodder for later posts, to be sure.
Ok – it was a long, cold, wet day of riding in the rain. I don’t think the temperature ever reached 13 degrees. The hot shower here in the hotel was, in a word – glorious. Now it is time for me to lay my head upon the pillow and …………..
……..zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…………zzzzzzzzzzzzzz…………..

Goodnight fellow travellers. Do your best to stay dry. And avoid late model white Camaro’s with orange stripes.

Mission Control, we have lift off!

 

And so it begins. I was up at 0600, checking everything over, having a coffee or three and trying really hard not to leave immediately. I had made a promise to a friend, you see. Brunch was to be my send-off.

So I began packing the bike at about 08:30. And finished at 10:00. Good thing I wasn’t on a schedule, lol. I couldn’t believe how long it took me to get everything packed and in place and tied down just so. I would have had to get up at 03:30 to adhere to my original Friday morning 05:00 departure time.

So it is with a sigh of relief that I say thank you Susie, for inviting me to brunch and thereby instigating me to slow down. I believe it has set the tone for the trip. Takin’ it easy – enjoyin’ the ride.

There was another added bonus to having brunch with friends this morning – it allowed another motorcycle-riding friend of mine time to finish up a meeting and then join me on my ride out of the city.

I have had escorts before – usually to a courtroom or a jail cell – but never has someone offered to be my wingman and see me off like this before. My fellow rider accompanied me all the way to Renfrew, under dark, gray and threatening skies – and lent a hand in repositioning and refastening my gear – before turning around to head back to the city and his family.

You are an above-average man, doing above-average things. Thanks Roy.

And now, I am sitting in a motel room……yes, I know – I brought half of Mountain Equipment Coop with me and I am staying in a motel…..but I thought that I should really try to make the end of the first day as great as it’s start was, so yes, I am in an air-conditioned motel in North Bay, digesting a wonderfully cooked medium rare steak and baked potato served to me by a very cute – and sassy – waitress named Rebecca at the local Kelsey’s.

Interestingly, Rebecca appears to be about 20 and remarked to me that she ‘hates technology’. Her cell phone failed to charge because she failed to plug the other end of the cord into the wall.

North Bay folks have  a lower standard for technology than us big city folks I guess. Ah well – keep smiling and making tips Rebecca – Cletus will come by once in a while to check on that dag gum chargin’ thingy for ya’.

 

As noted by my Ottawa-Renfrew wingman when I ‘checked in’ from North Bay via Facebook – I kind of missed Algonquin Park. Just kept right on riding. With nary a thought about shadows of past lives. Just as it should be, I keep learning. Curiously, my older brother – the ‘camping in Algonquin Park when I was 7’ older brother – called me just as I was entering North Bay. He left a message saying ‘I hope you are going to touch base before you leave.’

I am a heel sometimes.

I called him right back – shared a few laughs – felt that ‘older brother / younger brother’ connection – and told my big bro that I love him.

“Ride safely”, he said. “I love you too” he said.

 

 

Life is good. Really, really good.

A Reason For Everything

 

Well, my departure time is rapidly approaching. Faster than expected, actually. Seems there was a scheduling error at work, the result being that I am technically on vacation NOW!

 

This, of course, has given me cause to ponder – and recalibrate – my schedule.

 

My original plan, as you know, was to hop aboard my bike at 0500 on Friday morning, point my front tire west – and ride off into the….uhmmm…..away from the sunrise.

With that time frame in mind, I ordered a new visor for my helmet yesterday. The sales woman told me that it should be in by Thursday – “but not to worry – if it did not arrive before I leave on Friday”, she said, “we won’t charge you any restocking fees or anything.”

 

It arrived today. Of course it did. Why wouldn’t it?

 

The sales woman at the dealership could not believe that it was already in. I kinda’ smiled and said something like ‘neat huh?’

Now I am thinking of a trip revision. I am considering leaving tomorrow afternoon and riding to Algonquin Park. I will stay the night there, at a campsite in the park.

The very same park that I stayed in on the one and only occasion that I ever went camping with my father and my older brother. A trip I remember fondly, even 38 years later. That camping trip left some indelible memories, and helped to form the bond of friendship and love that I share with my older brother to this day.

Serendipitous, then, that a scheduling error at work has led to a chain of thought and revision that leave me revisiting my childhood on a trip that is all about discovering more of me.

And people ask me why I am so happy all of the time.

Isn’t it obvious? Life is exciting. We get exactly what we need, precisely when we need it – even when we have no idea of what it is that we need.

Okay, okay. I am going on about that ‘flaky’ stuff again, lol.

I was honoured with the opportunity to spend this morning with one of the most courageous people that I know – a very dear friend of mine who is currently undergoing chemo-therapy for stage 4 liver cancer. She has not lost the bounce in her step – is still as quick as ever to flash a mischievous smile – and retains such a positive attitude about the challenges that she is faced with that it makes my heart swell to simply think her name.

 

I love you hon. Though I am about to head thousands of kilometers away from you, I will be with you everyday, and thinking of you with every rising sun.

 

So this is my last pre-trip post. The next time that you hear from me I will probably be in Sault Ste. Marie. I will make an effort to post daily, and will be including some pictures in every post. My GoPro videos will be a post-trip project – a way to relive the moments – and capture the magic – all over again.

 

Here are a couple of links to pics and a video from a recent ride to Mont Tremblant with the guys and gals in the CMC.

Tremblant pics

Tremblant video

Though they do not really do justice to that which I am able to experience while in the wind, I trust that they at least convey the idea.

 

Ready?

 

Lets go!

 

Peace and love fellow travelers.