On April 1, 2005 I set off across Canada on my bicycle. Or at least I'd planned to cross Canada. These pages are an account of that trip, as told through travelogs I sent to friends. I hope you enjoy the ride!


Stalled   

Hey Folks,
Try as I may I cannot seem to read all the way through that last travelog of mine, nor apparently can I escape the rain.

Today I came within inches of having my bedroll swept up in it. Mercifully, I was paying attention and managed to dig a moat around it before too much damage was done.

Now, a few hours later, its is brilliantly sunny and every fibre of my being, and of Blu's, wants to roll. But we are not rolling, we are not going anywhere.

If it ain't the rain, its the bank account. From all I'm hearing from fellow cyclists the cheapest camping ahead is $18 a night, until you reach eastern Alberta. And to boot, several folks have told me about being rousted by Canada's finest from roadside campouts. Seems the heat is supporting local industry by making sure all us slacker, won't spend a dime no-how cyclists, camp only in places where we have to pay.

I figure eastern Alberta is at least four days away, if I go hard. I've got $60 in the bank and another $10 in my pocket. That's maybe three days camping if I don't eat. Don't eat hell! I'll die or rob a grocery before I won't eat.

Oh, its not all so bad. There's more cashola coming. NEXT WEEK!

So, with weather and wallet vacuums, and the graciousness of my hostess up at Mt. Fernie, who says I'm welcome to stay as long as I like, because I'm a good camper, and I show genuine concern when hoodlums come in the middle of the night and swipe all the mirrors and toilet paper dispensers from the washrooms.

So I'm stalling, like I did in both Calgary and Lake Louise last year. Difference is, I wasn't even rolling by this time last year. Heck, it was a year ago tomorrow I finally got rolling.

Also wanted to say that, in my last cyclelog, I was overly hard on Dennis. I should not have called him dense, even if he was. Too his credit, despite health issues you nor I do not wish to ever experience, the guy gets up and goes, and he does so smiling and eagerly. While I was with him he was beginning to realize that, at his pace, it was going to take him years to reach his goal, but still he was going for it.

Whatever I had to say about him is seriously not an issue, when placed in light of the fact the guy is out here doing it. He may well be Don Quiote jousting with a windmill, but at least he's willing to joust.

Anyway, if any of you are rolling through Fernie over the next week, or until about the solstice, then drop up to Mt. Fernie park and take me out for lunch, or let me sit in your car for a while, with the heat turned up.

Talk to you all when I move again,
Will


 

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