Crossing Borders

The best part of waking up after a night in a motel is not having to pack up a tent – a tent that is generally wet, I might add. Today was no different but there was an added bonus. Not only did I wake knowing there was no tent duty but I also woke to a favourable response from a Warm Showers host in Winnipeg. Now all I had to do was get to Winnipeg – but that wouldn’t happen today.

I officially hit the road shortly after 8:00 and slowly worked my way through town. I barely left the motel when I stopped to have a brief chat with one woman had met two cyclist tourists from Mississauga yesterday. Based on the description, she may have been talking about Eric and Jordon – who I haven’t seen since Upsala. Anyway, we chatted for a bit before I carried on to Subway (of which there are two in Kenora).

The Subway stop was a success and with my standard order of subs packed away for the day, I officially resumed my trek west at about 9:00. I rather enjoyed the ride out of Kenora – no, not because I was leaving Kenora (okay, maybe that was part of it … but really, Kenora seemed nice). However, I really enjoyed the ride because, unlike yesterday, my legs felt much better today. Much more energy. Perhaps it was because I was cycling with the knowledge that, if all went well, this would be my last day in Ontario for a while. A long while. Certainly my happy thought of the day.

The ride started out pretty well with the sun even making a brief appearance. A very brief appearance. But it was appreciated just the same. However, the looming dark clouds to the west were strong indicators as to what was to come. And, come it did. By the bucket. And yes, there were a lot of buckets. On the upside, I managed to get in about 1.5 hours into my day before the weather turned.

By 9:30, scatterings of rain were beginning to fall. Not enough to warrant my rain gear but enough to make me realize that this was just the beginning. I wanted to hold off on the rain gear as long as possible to avoid sweating as much as possible. My rain gear does a decent job of keeping the rain out but it does an excellent job of keeping the sweat in. Which, I guess you could argue doesn’t really help in keeping you dry at all. I can’t dispute that. Perhaps the rain gear just offers the illusion of dryness.

Illusion or not, by about 10:00 it became abundantly clear that dryness was not going to be a factor today. Fortunately, just as the rain was beginning its onslaught, there was a chip wagon along the highway. Yes, it was too early for chips – the wagon wasn’t even open yet – but there was a covered area which allowed me to put on my full complement of rain gear in a less frantic manner. I even took the time to have some water and eat a CLIF Bar. Luxury living.

As much I was enjoying the luxurious life under the canopy of a Chip Wagon, it was time to move on. And the next hour (and a bit) was not entirely pleasant. However, the wind wasn’t a factor and I was actually able to maintain a pretty good pace – especially considering the conditions. The biggest challenge (and annoyance) was that I couldn’t stop the rain from running into my right eye. Mixed with sweat, it burned. A lot. So much so that I either had to stop every five minutes to wipe my eye, or cycle with one eye closed. I did a l little of both.

By 11:15, I was finally rewarded for my efforts of the day (and the past three weeks). Manitoba was officially in sight. It was a great feeling. Kind of like when I rolled past the Gros Morne entrance last year – granted, that was further away. Either way, after three weeks, and over 2,000 km I was finally leaving Ontario behind. Yes, it was a very happy moment.

I stopped briefly at the Manitoba Welcome Centre – if for no other reason than to get out of the rain for a while. I was hoping the rain would stop at the Ontario border but that wasn’t the case. What did stop was the hills. Almost immediately. Not that the ride from Kenora to the border was particularly hilly, but shortly after leaving the Welcome Centre the highway became particularly flat and straight. Given the rain, I didn’t mind.

The rain continued to accompany my ride for the next hour or so but as I pedalled I definitely got the sense that the rain might actually stop sooner rather than later. This proved to be correct about an hour later. Not only did the rain stop, but the sun actually came out and eventually blue skies were everywhere. Of course, the blue skies once again came with a headwind which sort of made me wish for the rain again.

When I set out this morning I really didn’t have a firm destination in mind but Prawda, Manitoba was the most likely candidate as it was basically the midpoint between Kenora and Winnipeg. And with the winds starting to strengthen it became more and more likely that I would be spending the night in Prawda.

For those who don’t know, there’s not a whole lot to do see and/or do in Prawda. Basically, there are two gas stations, a restaurant, and apparently a campground. I say apparently because I only saw signs for it but I didn’t actually check it out. I figured there would be somewhere more cost-effective to place my tent for the night. There was.

The local Community Centre ended up being my home for the remainder of the day. There was no WiFi. There were no washrooms. There wasn’t even cell coverage (boo Telus). But there was a picnic table, shelter from the wind, and a deer even stopped by for a visit. And, after a minor mishap with a box a pasta, I made some supper, set up my tent, and prepared to call it a day. Despite riding through the rain for most of the day, my gear was generally dry and now, with the sun setting under a blue sky, I was able to end my day completely dry. Day one in Manitoba is officially over and I’d call it a success.

Today’s totals:
Distance travelled: 107.95 km
Ride time: 5:18:17
Average speed: 20.35 km/h
Maximum speed: 51.12 km/h