Day 18

Sunday, July 11th
Rest day in Drumheller
0km

We've just been told that Colin passed away this morning.  His family flew from Toronto to Calgary last night.

I've never know someone who died so suddenly and unexpectedly.  I spoke with Colin yesterday morning.  He served me breakfast.

At the beginning of the trip, Colin, Paul and I bought an electric razor and shaved each other's heads.

He let me keep my stuff in his room overnight in Vancouver, so that I wouldn't have to pay for my room.

I cycled with him several times.

Paul says that he had talked with Colin two days ago about Lorne's leg injury from the beginning of the trip.  They had agreed that it would suck to get injured and have to spend a day riding the truck instead of cycling.

I don't think that his death has actually sunk in yet.  I only heard the news 5 minutes ago.  This morning, the report was that his condition was improving.

The campsite is completely silent.  As I sit in my folding chair in front of my tent, I don't hear a single voice.  Some people are out enjoying their rest day...not having heard the news yet.  Others are alone in their tents.  Some sit alone.  Some sit in groups.  No body talks.  There's nothing to say.

We are all shocked.  We are all sad.  We are all scared.  We are all thankful to be safe ourselves.

There is no way for a cyclist to avoid a collision like this.  He was hit from behind on a long, flat stretch of road with relatively few cars on it.  We can be vigilant about staying on the shoulder of the road, but there will always be things in the shoulder which must be avoided.  Cyclists will always ride in the road on occasion.  This could have been any of us.  It could have been me.

So far this trip has been like a dream.  Its been a complete departure from the reality of my life.  I look different. I act different.  I feel different.  My daily schedule is different.  I am with different people in different places.

The reality of this trip will eventually sink in.  Probably not until it is over.  Only then will we really have a good perspective on the adventures we have been through.
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Daniel Longo
CIBC Corporate Development
(416) 956-3831