June 23, 2014

Let me tell you a story about the trials and tribulations of doing your laundry on the road. I carry limited clothing with me as I only have so much room in my bags thus getting the clothes clean again is a pretty big deal. There was a laundry beside our camping spot in Agawa Bay last night but I figured it’d be nice to start out from Sault Ste Marie rested and with clean clothes. But like Aesop’s fox, I should have been satisfied with what I had. I called the laundromat close to the bike shop this morning but the answer machine didn’t list their hours so I waited until 9am. Turns out they don’t open until 11am which was a little troubling but I dutifully returned at 12 and they still weren’t open. Had I had my wits about me I’d have left immediately but instead I waited an hour. The tailor next door generously gave me directions to the closest laundromat but it was a good 30 minutes walk under a very warm sun. To make this short, I returned to the bicycle shop/camp at 4pm! Thankfully, I managed to do some shopping for necessities or all I would have managed with my day would be one little load of laundry.

My rest day already had a false start when I discovered the train tours to Agawa Canyon don’t start until tomorrow. Tuesday is a weird day to begin the season but to miss it by one day is rough. My family did the tour many years ago so it was a little bit of a nostalgia tour rather than seeing something new. Growing up as immigrant/farm kids, summers did not consist of camp or vacations; summer was the working season. If there was anything like a break, that would have been going to school. Anyway, one weekend all eight of us crammed into an extended cab pickup truck and drove to the Soo for this tour. It’s a beautiful place but what stands out most about the trip was the ride home. Tired and too tight spaces breed ill humours resulting in some weird hyper activity.

So the excursion prevented and laundry taking most of the day, I was a little flustered when the bikeshop didn’t get around to looking at my bike. I can’t tell whether the derailer just needs a little attention or if the cassette is worn out but it starting to skip which is not good. The owner of the shop is really generous in letting touring cyclists camp behind the shop and use the bathroom and shower but they seem a little to busy to actual provide the someday service touring cyclists need. My spirits lifted with the excellent company and conversation with a couple from BC also cycling across the country. All in all not a very restful rest day, especially as I eagerly look forward to Quebec and the Maritimes.