Epilogue

Sunday, September 5th
Flight home to Toronto
0km

I'm sitting on the airplane now, flying back to Toronto and the life I left behind for 11 weeks this summer.

This morning, I finished packing up all of my stuff and had a good bye brunch with the rest of the group.

We had a momment of silence for Collin, and a few people said words of thanks to the trip organisers, the driver, and Rick...the bike doctor. Ryan read a funny poem that he had written about the trip, which god a lot of laughs.

And then I said my goodbyes, piled everything into a taxi, and headed for the airport.

Can't wait to see everyone when I get back. Hopefully, some of the photos came out well.

I would whole heartedly recomend this trip to anyone who is interested. With 16 year old boys to 68 year old women, we had a truly diverse group this summer. Some people had riden for years and put thousands of kilometers on their bikes before the trip. Many were complete cycling rookies who signed up for the trip without even owning a bike and did only 2 months of light training in the spring. A desire for adventure and a lot of determination were the only real common elements.

What a great summer! I wonder where my next adventure will take me...
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Daniel Longo
CIBC Corporate Development
(416) 956-3831

Day 73

Saturday, September 4th
Argentia to St. John's
143km

What a way to end. Perhaps the toughest day of the trip with one of the toughest climbs of the trip up Signal hill at the finish line.

At 5:30am, a PA announcement on the ferry woke everyone up. We had a cafeteria breakfast on the ship, before it docked at 6:30am. By the time we got our bikes, made lunches, filled water bottles, and hit the road, it was probably 7:30am or so.

It was cold. As soon as we stepped off the ferry, we knew it was going to be a cool day. It was also spitting with rain, which would make it even colder. I had my arm warmers, leg warmers, vest and plastic rain jacket with me, but not my gortex pants, jacket, hat, gloves, booties, etc. All of that gwars for really foul weather was packed away on the truck.

For the first 90km, the weather varied between overcast with spitting rain and overcast without spitting rain. There was a still headwind throughout though, which made it really tough riding.

By the coast, there was some great scenery. Lots of big hills with rivers and lakes in between. However, once we got inland, the scenery became pretty dull. Long, straight roads with lots of hills and long grasses on either side.

Paul, Rick, Rosalyn and I stopped at a resteraunt in Holyrod for lunch. The waitress asked where we were cycling from, and we told her that we had started out in Victoria. “And you're finishing up right here in Holyrod?” she asked to our amusement. We joked that “No, were going to keep going to Upper Gullies or Foxtrap” we joked once she had left.

As soon as we left the resteraunt, it started to rain. Thus, the stage was not set for 50 of the toughest kilometers of cycling I have every completed. The rain was pouring down and everyone was soaked to the bone and freezing cold. There was a strong headwind and lots of climbing to do.

At around 113km, we took a wrong turn and rode all the way up a giant hill before realizing our mistake and riding all the way back down. The rain was so heavy that it was hard to see at times, and most of the intersections had no street signs. How frustrating!!!

By 3:00pm, we were at the Tim Horton's 11km from Signal Hill. The plan had been for everyone to. Meet there at 3pm, and then ride into St. John's together. However, there were only 7 of us in the lead group, and we knew that some people would be hours behind, so we didn't bother waiting. I was so cold and so wet that I didn't even go into the Timmies, because I didn't think I would be able to go back outside again if I did.

About 3km later, only 8km from the end, Paul got his 3rd flat tire of the entire trip. We all stood there shaking and we tried to change the tube with frozen hands.

Rick managed to get Paul fixed up quickly, and soon we were at the bottom of Signal Hill. At the top was a sensational view of St. John's and the finishline of oiur odessy. However, a full kilometer of unimaginably steep climbing was still ahead of us.

I started driving up the hill and instantly found myself in too high a gear. I switched gears and my chain came off. What bad luck. Paul stopped with me while I quickly put it back on, and we started the climb again.

The climb was very tough, but we gave it everything we had. On one section, the grade flattened briefly, but my fingers were so numb that I couldn't shift gears. I had to reach around the bar and grasp the shifter eith my entire fist to get it it go. In the end, it was Paul, Rick and I reaching the peak at the same time. Perfect ending. It was just like our early days of climbing in the rockies...us three pulling ahead on the tough climbs.

Tito, Rosalyn, Bob and Pierre were up shortly after we were, and we exchanged hugs and hearty congratulations. We snapped a few quick photos (what an AMAZING view) and rode halfway down the hill to the Battery hotel where we spent the night. It was so cold at the top that we only stayed a few minutes before rushing down to warm showers and a night of pizza, packing and partying.

Upon reflection, it was the perfect way to end the trip. It wouldn't have been the same to have a warm tailwind pushing us across some flat terrain all day before we reached the water and called it quits. No, today was much more appropriate. It underscored the sense of accomplishment for us, and demonstrated the commitment that we all had for what we were doing. It was a wonderful climax, and an unforgettable ending to an unforgettable trip.
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Daniel Longo
CIBC Corporate Development
(416) 956-3831

Day 72

Friday, September 3rd
Ferry ride from North Sydney (NS) to Argentia (NF)
0km

Since we rode from the campsite (in Little Bras d'Or) into North Sydney last night, we just had a short ride to the ferry terminal this morning.

We enjoyed a long sleep-in in our hotel rooms, and had breakfast in the hotel as well.

With check-out time at 11am, we had 2.5 hours to kill before meeting at the ferry. We went to a local mall, ate at a Tim Horton's, and sat around the ferry terminal for most of this time.

At 1:30pm, we loaded our bikes on top of the support truck and trailer, and took a shuttle onto the boat.

I had never been on such a large, ocean going vessel before, and I had never slept on a boat either. I had been looking forward to the trip for a while, but it was really nothing too exciting.

There wern't many people onboard, so there were lots of seats around. Our group pretty much stayed in a large TV lounge, watching TV and movies on a couple of big screens. Some people went down to the pub where there was live traditional Newfoundland music, but I didn't bother.

For dinner, we ate sandwiches that we made ourselves, and at night we slept in a large “sumbarine style” quarters. They called it “dormatory style” accomodation (as opposed to a private cabin), but I have never seen a dormatory room with 25 tiny little bunk beds in it. Luckily, it was a calm trip and I was able to get some sleep.
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Daniel Longo
CIBC Corporate Development
(416) 956-3831

Day 71

Thursday, September 2nd
Whycogomagh to Little Bras d'Or
134km

Just as we were about to head out this morning, I noticed that one of my seat rails was cracked.  (There are two seat rails, attacked to my bike seat and joined into the seat post.)  The rails were carbon fibre, so perhaps they were not up to some of the rough roads that we have been on lately.  My co-riders didn't buy this story, however, and everyone called me as “fat ass” for the entire day.

Instead of risking a completely broken seat, and the prospect of riding out of the saddle all day, I switched seats & seatposts with Dave's bike.  (Dave was the rider injured in Outlook, Sask. Whose bike is still on the truck.)  While Dave's seat took some getting used to, it got me through the day with only minimal discomfort and no troubles.

Today was a short, 93km ride, with an optional 37km loop on the Cabot trail.  I rode with Rosalyn in the morning, but she didn't feel like riding the Cabot trail, so I spent the afternoon riding alone.

The small portion of the Cabot trail that I rode was really nice.  Nothing “unbelievable”, but really nice all the same.  Lots of rolling, sweeping roads with nice views of St. Ann's Gut (a small bay).  The sun was out and it was warm, but there was a crispness in the air that gave the feeling of a fall ride.

After cycling around the gut, ther was a short (25m) ferry trip and then a long, steep climb back to route 105...the main route for the day.  From there, the climbing continued...right to the top of Kelly's mountain.  This was a really tough climb...one of the hardest of the trip.  The descent was fantastic too.  The first really long, steep descent in a long time.

At camp tonight, we dried out our tents and packed up all of our stuff in preparation for tomorrow's ferry trip to Newfoundland.  The big Ryder truck (that has housed our stuff all summer) will not be coming to NFLD with us.  Instead, we'll have a covered pickup truck with a trailer.

After putting together a day pack for tomorrow, and packing everything else up, Rick, Paul, Rosalyn, Peter, Tito and I rode into town to stay at a Best Western next to the ferry.  This way, all of our stuff will be packed away nice and dry...and we got to eat a nice dinner and sleep in comfy beds.
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Daniel Longo
CIBC Corporate Development
(416) 956-3831

Day 70

Wednesday, September 1st
Lower Barney's River to Whycogomagh
150km

Another long, fairly tough day.

We made scrambled eggs and oatmeal for breakfast this morning.  And with that, galley duty was finished for good. 

Rick cook breakfast with us today, since Peter had filled in for Rick yesterday morning.  This was good, because I got to ride with Rick for the first third of the day.

My goal every galley duty shift was to catch the other cyclists before they reached camp.  Most of the cyclists usually left at least an hour and a half before the cook crew, so I met my goal fairly rarely.  Today however, we left at about 8:10...only 40 minutes after most riders.  PLUS...I had Rick with me to pull me into the wind.

Together, with Rick doing most of the work, we caught up with everyone about 45km into the day.  Rick stopped for a secound breakfast, and I rode the rest of the day with Rosalyn.

We stayed dry for most of the day, but the winds and hills were still a big factor...especially for the 50 or so kilometers after Canso Causeway.  Some of the long windy climbs were very remaniscient of the Rockies.  One long climb even had construction crews and fresh ashphalt...deja vous Jackass Pass...minus the heat and severe steepness.
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Daniel Longo
CIBC Corporate Development
(416) 956-3831

Day 69

Tuesday, August 31st
Brackley Beach (PEI) to Lower Barney's River (NS)
142km

Really tough day today.  We woke up around 5:30am to make the first ferry off of the island and 11am.  The ferry was more than 80km away, so the timing would be tight.

Just after I got my tent down it started to rain pretty hard.  We hit the road around 6:40am and it was still very dark.  There were ominous black clouds everywhere, a fierce headwind, sharp rain slashing down on us, and rolling hills all of the way to the ferry.  Just about the toughest conditions you could cycle in I think.

We did pass through Charlottetown and several of the historic building there, but we didn't bother to stop or take any photos due to the heavy rain.

We made it to the ferry around 10:50am and went across to Nova Scotia with about half of the cyclists.  The ferry took about an hour and a half, and gave us a chance to have a hearty secound breakfast.

The rain had pretty much stopped by the time we reached Caribou, NS.The wind, however, was still out in full force.  For about 20km it was either a headwind or cross wind.

At the 100km mark, a large group of us got a bit confused by the directions, and ended up at a Tim Hortons asking for help.  A kilometer down the road, who do we meet...but Bud...the guy who runs the trip and made the map.  He was cycling around, looking for blueberry pie, he said...really.  He led us back onto the route, and even stopped to help Rosalyn with a tangled chain problem.  Perfect timing.

The last 23km or so were great.  We changed directions and had the stong wind at our backs.  Cycling is so much fun with a tailwind.  The windy, hilly roads were no longer obsticles, but rather points of interest and fun...thanks to the extra speed we picked up.

Tonight was the last night for my galley crew to cook.  I was the only one out of the four of us to make the first ferry, so I got into camp well before the others.  We didn't get cooking until 5:30pm...and we usually serve the food at 6pm!  Luckily, we had a lot of leftovers from Rick's family, and we were able to through together some rice and chilli to round out the meal.
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Daniel Longo
CIBC Corporate Development
(416) 956-3831

Day 68

Monday, August 30th
Murray Beach (NB) to Brackley Beach (PEI)
112km

At around 5:00am it started to pour with rain.  This pretty much lasted through breakfast, and I had to take down my tent in the rain.

Our 12km ride to the Confederation Bridge turned into a 20km ride when I made a wrong turn based on bad route notes.  (Several others did the same, and everyone agreed that the cue sheet was incorrect.). Usually an 8km detour isn't that bad, but it is even more frustrating in heavy wind and terrential rain.

They don't allow cyclists on the bridge, so we all loaded into a van shuttle and someone drove us across...10 at a time.

Once we arrived on the island, we grabbed a quick lunch and then headed out on the road again.  By this time the wond and rain had stopped and it was quite warm, although still overcast.

Rick was kind enough to show us around the island.  We went to Green Gables and Cavendish beach before heading to camp.

Boy is PEI ever hilly.  Rick was right at home charging up the steep rolling hills, but I really had a good workout and a tough time keeping up.  The entire island, from what I saw today, is nothing but hills.

The island is also very small, as evidenced by our encounter with a red Toyota.  As we rode along, the car drove past us and pulled onto the shoulder.  The driver hoped out and gave Rick a big hug.  “How's the cycling going?”
“Real good.  How you been?”
“Real good.”
“You coming out tonight.”
“Of course.”
“This is Paul, Rosalyn, Dan and Jonny.  Guys...this is my son, Richard.”
“Nice to meet you.  See ya later Dad.”
“See you tonight.”

Their whole conversation lasted about 45 secounds, and gave no hint that they hadn't seen each other in two months.  Rick's son just happened to be driving by. 

The rest of Rick's family and friends were at the campsite when we arrived.  They put on a fantastic meal, with seafood chowder, fresh muscles, potatoes, meats, and so much more.  It was fantastic and a real treat.
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Daniel Longo
CIBC Corporate Development
(416) 956-3831

Day 67

Sunday, August 29th
Saint-Louis-de-Kent to Murray Beach
145km

Very scenic ride today along the Northumberland Strait.  From my tent tonight, I look out across the straight and can see PEI in the distance.

Throughout the day, there were classic east coast scenes where dark blue water met a strip of clean white sand and a field of long green grass blowing in the wind.

At the 90km mark, we stopped briefly in Shediac...home of the world's largest lobster.  (A cement lobster statue...similar to the Wawa Goose.). Again, don't these towns realise that no one else is in the competition for “World's largest X statue”???

My sore throat is all but gone today, but my cough, nasal congestion and chest congestion are all worse than ever.  Happily, they still arn't too bad while I am actually riding...its the rest stops where I go through all the Kleenex.
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Daniel Longo
CIBC Corporate Development
(416) 956-3831

Day 66

Saturday, August 28th
Rest day in Saint-Louis-de-Kent
0km

...actually, we did ride 5km into town and back...but I won't count that in the official total.

I forgot to mention it yesterday, but I am sick.  Not really sick, but a bit under the weather.  It started out as allergies, which I get every year from mid-August to mid-September, but I think it is more than that.  I had a really sore throat yesterday, and a general feeling of malaise that I don't usually get with my allergies.  A few other people in the group seem to have the same thing, so perhaps there is a little head cold going around.

Some have even speculated that we might have the “martime flu”, which is a strange illness incountered each year by some TDC riders.  Apparently, lack of protein over a summer of intense exercise can eventually lead to flu-like symptoms.  I'm not sure that I actually buy into this theory, but you never know.  I have been eating a lot of meat over the summer, so I can't imagine having a protein shortage.

In anycase, it didn't seem to adversly affect my riding very much.  If anything, I felt less congested while I was riding.  Although, the heavy breathing made my sore throat even worse.  The toughest part is getting good sleep at night amidst all my congestion.

This was the last rest day of the trip, and I didn't do much of anything.  It was really hot and humid, so I spent some time swimming in and lounging around the camp pool.  I found a giant chess set too, with pieces about as tall as my arm, so I had a few matches.  (Dan 2, Lorne 0, Steve 0).

A bunch of us rode 2.5km into town for lunch.  We were in our street clothes, and it felt so strange to be using these high performance bikes to run errands.

That was pretty much it for the day.  I ate left over pasta for dinner, and went to bed around 8:30pm.
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Daniel Longo
CIBC Corporate Development
(416) 956-3831

Day 65

Friday, August 27th
Petit Rocher to Saint-Louis-de-Kent
151km

Really challenging day!  Who knew there were so many hills in New Brunswick.  The entire day was one rolling hill after another.  None overly steep, but several were one, two, three or even four kilometers long!!!

To make matters worse, we had a pretty stiff headwind for the first 95km of the ride.  Despite this, we still managed to average 25km/h into Miramichi, where we stopped for a second lunch and gatoraid refill.

Coming out of Miramichi, the wind turned into more of a crosswind, which was a big improvement.  For whatever reason, we decided that we ought to average 32km/h without the tailwind...so we finished off the ride at top speed and were the second group into camp.

Our only stop in the last 50km was to change a flat tire for a little old lady that was cycling on route 11 with us.  It turns out that she was riding out to see Bill, one of the cyclists from our group, so its a good thing that we stopped.

I did two loads of laundry as soon as I got into camp, which might last me until the end of the trip.

Dinner tonight featured a whole lobster for each rider, as well as pasta and potatoe salade.  Quite a treat.

It was a lot warmer today then it has been for the past couple of days.  We were actually pretty warm on the bikes, and the humidity in the campsite was really stiffling before the sun went down.

Looking forward to the rest day tomorrow.  Last rest day of the trip.
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Daniel Longo
CIBC Corporate Development
(416) 956-3831