June 22, 2014
I made it to Sault Ste Marie, the city of salvation on the horizon or so it felt the last two weeks. I expressed my initial ambivolance about northern Ontario well The Soo was the point at which I felt like I could come up for air again. Another week of traveling lies ahead of me before I reach Ottawa but the towns are situated closer together, which feels more comforting. It just means the grocery stores are more frequent and hopefully the bike shops too. The trip around Lake Superior turned out to be really spectacular and well worth the strenuous climbs. Having someone to ride with was also a great boon. But most of the trip is mental perseverance.
When folks on the road ask about the trip, they usually reply with how crazy it is and how physically fit I must be. To an extent both are true but the real effort required is an ongoing series of mind games. I alluded to this while facing headwinds in the prairies. The whole trip is broken up into segments that are broken into smaller segments and so on depending on how difficult the challenge in front of you. So for example getting to The Soo or getting to the next utility pole on that windy, sluggish afternoon struggle to keep pedaling are what keep you going. I’ve also noticed that I immediately discard everything that I’ve passed or completed. Sure I can recal them but they’re not at the front of my mind like that hill, day, or week before me. It sounds kind of obvious but to bike across the country you just get on the bike again in the morning. If you’re pedaling, who knows just where the bike can take you.
The other mind game is one of expectation. There are challenging hills and stretches along the way but the experience of them is largely subjective. For example, the last few days I’ve heard numerous warnings about the difficulty of Montreal Hill. It was challenging but nowhere near the monster I expected. Now the climb into The Soo no one mentioned expect the lady at the general store a kilometre before it and that was a killer. Unfortunately, just telling yourself it’s going to be terrible doesn’t quite work. You need to hear it from others. And people in cars are rather unreliable in telling you about the challenges ahead as their horseless carriages glide rather effortlessly over the climbs. Cyclists are really the best giving you the lowdown.
As you probably noticed, I forgot to mentioned anything about the ride today. Other than getting to Sault Ste Marie, it was just another northern Ontario day.
Road Report: 136km
The stretches around the lake are great but the road conditions are terrible. As you get closer to the city, cottage traffic picks up particularly over the weekend which makes for less than enjoyable cycling. You’ll see the hill from afar and certainly feel the pain. Unfortunately, there’s no payoff on the other side so take solace in making it to The Soo.