Perth, Ontario Aug 6 2022
I’ve been pretty fortunate overall with the folks who’ve been hosting me along the way. Have been using mostly Airbnb for the past few weeks (finding a motel or Airbnb within 5-10km of how far I’ve wanted ride each day has been hair-rippingly tough due to peak travel season, and has eaten big chunks of time before and during the trip).
My Perth host, Marcel, is a good example of how nice people have been.
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This was when a heat wave hit. I told him I’d booked a cab for the next morning, to shave about 30km of riding off an 85km ride. Dehydration was a real concern: I’d be biking the TransCanada Trail, where it sometimes strays pretty far from populated areas. When I woke up, he informed me that he’d found a local family that was traveling in my direction that morning, they had a van, and would drop me off at Sharbot Lake. Perfect! Saved me money and preserved my health.
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Kaladar, Ontario Aug 7 2022
My destination was in Kaladar. There I’d booked a kind of low scale “glamping” tent (glamorous camping), a few km in the woods. No wifi or electricity. I was bushed there in the bush. Loved the privacy. Practiced a bit of ‘clothing optional’ prancing about the remote campsite before the bugs got hungry.
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To get to Kaladar, I’d taken the TransCanada Trail from Sharbot Lake. Ugh! Mostly loosely packed dirt and stones, rocks and tire-swallowing ruts.
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About 45km of tense riding. Had to keep alert the entire time, else risk being tossed and torn. Due to the heat, I began running out of water (I carry about 3.5 litres at the start each morning). So I stopped at a farm around 2:30 pm. asked for a tap, and was kindly shown to one. Doused myself with the refreshing liquid and thanked the man profusely. Began daydreaming of the mini-rapids in Perth.It rained fairly heavily that night. Ever heard the noise hard rain makes on a taut tent? Even with earplugs it sounded like I was sleeping under Niagara Falls!