20 August - A night at the fort

Kenora to Vermilion Bay 97km (3608km total).

Any naive thoughts that the wind would no longer be a significant factor on the this trip were blown back into Manitoba, maybe even Saskatachewan today!!

So it was a slow ride east. There were not many places to stop although I did enjoy lunch at a very nice picnic area at Dixie Lake (Alberta take note, actually off the road, picnic tables, outhouses and garbage - but no recycling options!!).

To be honest I don't mind the hills, they are short compared to BC standards and at least give the ride some variety. The scenery is quintessential Canadian Shield and quite beautiful.

Having seen very few cyclists it was a pleasant surprise when Frank crossed the road to chat as I was stopped to get a stone out of my shoe. He is from Cortez, an island off the coast of Campbell River so was excited to learn roughly how far he still had to go!! He had been on the road a while including the UK and Ireland as well as Morocco and parts of Africa. He rolled a cigarette as we chatted and told me how far he had come in the last few days with the wind at his back. He was great fun and we had lots of high fives!!

I had hardly got back up to speed when there was another guy coming the other way who also came across the road for a chat. Paul was from Ottawa and by the time he gets to Vancouver it will be his 10th bike crossing!! He takes different routes and showed me a highlighted map, it blew my mind. He was very happy I had discovered bike touring and shared some tips. He also gave me his card, hopefully we will be able to meet up again back in Ottawa, I just wish some of these guys were going the same way as me!!

By the time I got to Vermilion Bay I was pretty pooped and stopped for a cold drink and ice cream at the gas station. I decided the 42km to Dryden could wait another day. I did a quick tour of town and didn't find any campgrounds, there was a provincial park, just 10mins up the road to the north according to the gas station lady but by bike that ain't 10mins!! I thought I remembered Astrid and Eric mentioning a small park by the lake with a pavilion which I found so I knew I could stealth camp there later if it came to it. I did see an info sign at a wooden fort like structure just off the highway and went in. There was no tourist info but there was a very nice cafe and as my appetite has increased in the last few days I ordered some food. I got chatting to the owner, an Italian lady, she said there wasn't really any camping in town but they were open until 9pm and there was a quiet room along the deck with a couch if I needed a nap, I told her if I did I might not wake up until morning!! So I ate, drank, used the wifi, dried my tent in the sun, played some keepy-uppy with a soccer ball lying around, read a cycling magazine Danielle had very kindly mailed to Winnipeg and chilled. I was packing up just before 9 when she said I could sleep on the couch in the quiet room overnight if I wanted to. I offered her money but she declined and so it came to be that I spent a night at the fort (actually a mock-up but still pretty cool I would say). At some point in the night I went out to use the bathroom and it was such a clear night and the stars looked stunning. 

Sign in the cafe where I ended up staying the night.