The rest of the story

When I rolled into Duluth I just happened to run into John and Teddy (the terminally happy big yellow dog) on a walk to the hardware store. It was one of those timing/coincidence things that are just hard to fathom.  I took them up on their hospitality and spent the balance of the day mostly relaxing.  I took them out to dinner at Zeitgeist on Superior St. It is a fun place with good and interesting food if you are in Duluth. John agreed to drive me to Hinckley to meet Kelli.  We left the next day early enough that we had time to enjoy the expansive salad bar at Cassidy's restaurant just off the I-35 exit. John waited around for a while until Kelli arrived just at the time we had planned.

It was good to get home. To give Kelli a hug and enjoy her great cooking again. And of course to give the Chance dog a hug as well. The bags got unpacked and I was feeling relaxed and relieved. Being away from home on a trip like that has its own particular challenges for all involved and were all happy to be back together.

The previous day in Duluth I had spent some time scouting out options to get to Sault Ste. Marie, ON to retrieve my car. I was delighted when my old college roommate, friend for 50 years, Rick Fletcher said he could drive with me. We would leave on Friday, drive to SSM, Michigan, as Rick's passport was not current, and I would ride my bike across the International Bridge to get the car in Canada. Rick and I had a really nice time on the drive. We had certainly not had that much time together for 50 years. With stops and losing an hour to the time zone the drive took 11 hours.  By the time we checked in to our luxury suite at the Budget Inn we were ready for a walk and a brew.  Luckily we got both with a stroll to the Wicked Sister 6 blocks down the street.  Good food and good local craft beer selection. 

Next morning we followed the local recommendation to do breakfast at Frank's Place downtown on Portage Ave.  Convenient because I could ride on Portage right to the entrance to the bridge.  It was a quiet, beautiful morning.  Another great breakfast on the road.  I got the bike ready to ride and we each went on our way. Rick drove alone the whole way back and made it to our house with Kelli's car about 8:30 on Saturday. Heroic.

The ride over the bridge, which I have done once in each direction, was easy again. Actually easier without 50 pounds of gear, and the traffic again was very light, again. Did not measure but I am thinking it is a good 2 miles across and quite a view from up there.

I knew my way to the Watertower Inn.  Easy to spot.  There's a watertower there. The car was fine. Undamaged, still clean and full of petrol, as we say in Canada.  I headed north on route number 17, the Transcanada Highway to see what I had missed riding.  It was not long, only a few miles out of Soo, when I first thought, "I could not do this".  Well, obviously, but really, seeing it made my decision not to continue all the more appropriate.  The Canadian side of the the lake is much different than the US side.  Very mountainous and wild.  There are a lot of parks and attractions and several small towns but the country is absolutely gorgeous and awe-inspiring. I am so glad I drove it and saw it and so glad I did not find myself in the middle of it and unable to go on, as opposed to having that realization 50 miles from Duluth.

Jim and I had kept in touch and the plan was for me to watch for him on the road as I drove and he rode and we could connect for a few minutes.  That is what happened as I saw him as he approached White River, ON. I turned around on the highway and we stopped and chatted for several minutes.  Jim looked good and seemed unfazed by the hills and the highway.  I was just as happy to drive on but very proud of Jim who was on track to finish 3 days earlier than our original plan.  Jim did finish yesterday, 3 days early, and arrived home today.

So, I did get all the way around the lake.  In a car for the most challenging part, and more than halfway on the bike, for the easier part. I will take it.  It is what it is.  Happy to have been able to give it a try.

All good things........

Here we go again. This is not the first time this has happened. I am ending the trip early. I think I have now confirmed the limits of my mental and physical capacity.

So far on the trip I have felt pretty good most days with pace and distance of our rides. I know that Jim could definitely go faster and longer but he is very tolerant of my capacity. He knew it coming in from our previous rides. With the wind and the temperature yesterday and the days of riding I had reached my limit. I also think I have a real limit on my days away from home alone.

Jim could see it and at breakfast he brought the subject up, that if I had reached the end he was OK with my stopping and going back. Our location in Silver Bay, within easy reach of Duluth, and the ability to take up John on his offer for 'rescue' if needed, made the decision easy, given my mental and physical state. I was not feeling completely out of gas, but certainly knew that my legs did not have a lot of headwind and climbing miles in them at this point. So I did.

We had another unexpectedly great breakfast at the Northwoods Family Grill in Silver Bay. Stop there if you are in the area. It is really a great surprise. I saw Jim off to ride to Grand Marais on his own with a mix of regret and relief. I would be heading home with a tailwind. I rode back to Duluth after talking to Kelli. John and Chelly graciously offered to have me stay at their place again. Also, John offered to drive me part of the way toward St. Paul so Kelli had a shorter drive to come pick me up.

So now I just need to find a way to get to my car in Sault Ste. Marie. We will figure it out.

Tailwinds Jim.

Back home to Minnesota for a brief stay

Up and out of the Port Wing cabin with a quick microwave breakfast of yesterday's pancakes and butter and syrup from the Bear's Paw. We hit the road at 6:30, wanting to get to Duluth with some time in the afternoon for a bike shop visit and a look around Canal Park. There were also some unknowns about getting through Superior and to the bridge to cross. The day was another sunny one with some west wind which would at times be in our face but it was not that bad. Temps

We were on route 13 again until we got to a trail that would take us in to Superior. The highway was good again all the way as it stair-stepped it's way for 34 miles to our turn just short of US2. There were several steep down and up river crossings on the way. There was also a lot of flat Wisconsin countryside. Not as forested as previous days. Had a couple of rest stops before we finished with highway 13.

When we got to the trail it was as suspected, gravel. But there was no choice to use the highway as non motorized were prohibited. So we ventured forth on the trail and found it not too bad if we stayed on the edge where it was firm. Got to the start of the paved trail and we were more than ready for second breakfast. There across highway 2 was Choo Choo's Restaurant.  Hard by the tracks of course. We are in there!

Had a good meal, got good advice on getting through the city and we were ready for the rest of the day with bellies full. Something one learns when getting directions from a local who is not a bicyclist is that you must keep reminding them "we are on bicycles". Our well meaning waiter's first response was to direct us down US 2. Heavy, heavy traffic, four lanes and zero shoulder. So, no we will be on the trail. Once we got it clear his directions were perfect.

The trail is in need of maintenance but got us to our street to cross Superior and get to the path that crosses the Bong Bridge which carries US2 to Duluth. The path was adequate width for us but if we had met anyone it would have been tricky. We got across,with some photos at the top, and on to streets I am familiar with, having transited Duluth in the past. Jim needed to find a bike shop for new brake pads and that required some back tracking with assistance from a guy in a truck who asked if we needed help and ultimately he drove past the shop to make sure where it was and then found us again to confirm. Pretty special people in Duluth. We went Twin Ports Cyclery on 3rd Ave. Great shop. Got stories from the owner Denis while we waited. Including advice to ride over the bridge on the road, not the path. Not sure there will be another time for me.

Made it to Canal Park so I could show Jim the lift bridge and the fun center of the port city. Had an ice cream cone at Grandma's rail car.

We had been updating our Warm Showers hosts as we progressed through the day. They were leaving the house in east Duluth at 2:30 to go to a wedding but would leave the front door of the house open.

Warm Showeres is an international organization of people who sign up to host traveling cyclists. Marybeth in Negaunee was one. And the Schmidts of Duluth are as well.

We got on the Lakewalk trail along the shore and turned off on 40th Ave which runs past Duluth East HS and on to Schmidt's. We had fair warning about Teddy the dog and were reassured he would be no problem. Indeed. We opened the door, called his name and were greeted with a lick and a smile. You do pay for that super friendly demeanor with lots of petting and scratching.

We showered and relaxed and went to dinner at the New London Cafe down the street. Very good hot roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy. John and Shelly returned about 7:30. We had a great time trading stories. They were full of questions. Their daughter and son-in-law are on a round the world bike tour and they had just returned from having met up with them in South Korea. We talked a bit about families and careers but mostly about how we travel on bikes.

In the morning we packed up our clean clothes and the Schmidts made us a grade A+ breakfast. We took pictures, including Teddy of course.   The day was partly sunny and windy. We got underway at 8:30. Took the rest of the Lakewalk trail to join up with the Scenic North Shore Drive.
Up and out of the Port Wing cabin with a quick microwave breakfast of yesterday's pancakes and butter and syrup from the Bear's Paw. We hit the road at 6:30, wanting to get to Duluth with some time in the afternoon for a bike shop visit and a look around Canal Park. There were also some unknowns about getting through Superior and to the bridge to cross. The day was another sunny one with some west wind which would at times be in our face but it was not that bad. Temps

We were on route 13 again until we got to a trail that would take us in to Superior. The highway was good again all the way as it stair-stepped it's way for 34 miles to our turn just short of US2. There were several steep down and up river crossings on the way. There was also a lot of flat Wisconsin countryside. Not as forested as previous days. Had a couple of rest stops before we finished with highway 13.

When we got to the trail it was as suspected, gravel. But there was no choice to use the highway as non motorized were prohibited. So we ventured forth on the trail and found it not too bad if we stayed on the edge where it was firm. Got to the start of the paved trail and we were more than ready for second breakfast. There across highway 2 was Choo Choo's Restaurant.  Hard by the tracks of course. We are in there!

Had a good meal, got good advice on getting through the city and we were ready for the rest of the day with bellies full. Something one learns when getting directions from a local who is not a bicyclist is that you must keep reminding them "we are on bicycles". Our well meaning waiter's first response was to direct us down US 2. Heavy, heavy traffic, four lanes and zero shoulder. So, no we will be on the trail. Once we got it clear his directions were perfect.

The trail is in need of maintenance but got us to our street to cross Superior and get to the path that crosses the Bong Bridge which carries US2 to Duluth. The path was adequate width for us but if we had met anyone it would have been tricky. We got across,with some photos at the top, and on to streets I am familiar with, having transited Duluth in the past. Jim needed to find a bike shop for new brake pads and that required some back tracking with assistance from a guy in a truck who asked if we needed help and ultimately he drove past the shop to make sure where it was and then found us again to confirm. Pretty special people in Duluth. We went Twin Ports Cyclery on 3rd Ave. Great shop. Got stories from the owner Denis while we waited. Including advice to ride over the bridge on the road, not the path. Not sure there will be another time for me.

Made it to Canal Park so I could show Jim the lift bridge and the fun center of the port city. Had an ice cream cone at Grandma's rail car.

We had been updating our Warm Showers hosts as we progressed through the day. They were leaving the house in east Duluth at 2:30 to go to a wedding but would leave the front door of the house open.

Warm Showeres is an international organization of people who sign up to host traveling cyclists. Marybeth in Negaunee was one. And the Schmidts of Duluth are as well.

We got on the Lakewalk trail along the shore and turned off on 40th Ave which runs past Duluth East HS and on to Schmidt's. We had fair warning about Teddy the dog and were reassured he would be no problem. Indeed. We opened the door, called his name and were greeted with a lick and a smile. You do pay for that super friendly demeanor with lots of petting and scratching.

We showered and relaxed and went to dinner at the New London Cafe down the street. Very good hot roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy. John and Shelly returned about 7:30. We had a great time trading stories. They were full of questions. Their daughter and son-in-law are on a round the world bike tour and they had just returned from having met up with them in South Korea. We talked a bit about families and careers but mostly about how we travel on bikes.

In the morning we packed up our clean clothes and the Schmidts made us a grade A+ breakfast. We took pictures, including Teddy of course.   The day was partly sunny and windy. We got underway at 8:30. Took the rest of the Lakewalk trail to join up with the Scenic North Shore Drive.

We headed out into a steady and strong headwind. Coming right off the lake at an angle that was not conducive to easy riding. Stopped at Tom's Lumber Camp for a break. Made decent time given the wind and counted down the miles in reverse with the markings for Grandma's Marathon. We had our lunch at Subway in Two Harbors. When we came out the temperature had drop and we put on more clothes. Now we were on Highway 61 and the traffic level was much worse than before. The wind continued relentless. The climb up around Silver Creek Cliff on the bike trail was longer than I remembered. Finally, by the time we reached Gooseberry Falls my energy was all used up. When we reached Split Rock SP it began to rain and the wind picked up some more. We had tried riding on the road instead of the trail to a more direct route but it was not comfortable. So in Split Rock the trail curves and climbs and descends all over the place not that much fun when you are exhausted. We finally got to the park entrance building and took a break from the rain.

We went on past Beaver Bay. We had talked about how tired I was and agreed instead of camping at Tettegouche SP we would find a motel room. Silver Bay is only a couple miles from our intended destination so despite the troubles we are not behind.

The Mariner Motel was the first we saw and we went to check out a room. It is impressively clean and a classic with knotty pine walls. It is run by a delightful old Polish couple. Chatting and kidding with them helped turn my attitude around from feeling defeated.

We ordered spaghetti and lasagna delivered from the local pizza place and had a relaxing dinner in our comfy room. Thunderstorms rolled in and we were happy to not be in the campground. Watched the Penquins win the Stanley Cup. Tomorrow is another day.
We headed out into a steady and strong headwind. Coming right off the lake at an angle that was not conducive to easy riding. Stopped at Tom's Lumber Camp for a break. Made decent time given the wind and counted down the miles in reverse with the markings for Grandma's Marathon. We had our lunch at Subway in Two Harbors. When we came out the temperature had drop and we put on more clothes. Now we were on Highway 61 and the traffic level was much worse than before. The wind continued relentless. The climb up around Silver Creek Cliff on the bike trail was longer than I remembered. Finally, by the time we reached Gooseberry Falls my energy was all used up. When we reached Split Rock SP it began to rain and the wind picked up some more. We had tried riding on the road instead of the trail to a more direct route but it was not comfortable. So in Split Rock the trail curves and climbs and descends all over the place not that much fun when you are exhausted. We finally got to the park entrance building and took a break from the rain.

We went on past Beaver Bay. We had talked about how tired I was and agreed instead of camping at Tettegouche SP we would find a motel room. Silver Bay is only a couple miles from our intended destination so despite the troubles we are not behind.

The Mariner Motel was the first we saw and we went to check out a room. It is impressively clean and a classic with knotty pine walls. It is run by a delightful old Polish couple. Chatting and kidding with them helped turn my attitude around from feeling defeated.

We ordered spaghetti and lasagna delivered from the local pizza place and had a relaxing dinner in our comfy room. Thunderstorms rolled in and we were happy to not be in the campground. Watched the Penquins win the Stanley Cup. Tomorrow is another day.

What's the opposite of Murphy's Law?

This was a day when what could go right did. Perhaps the exception proving Murphy’s law.
When we woke up there was a dark sky in the west and we assumed it was headed toward us and quickly packed up and rode into town for breakfast, foregoing breakfast in camp. The dark clouds drifted north of us. We stopped in the first restaurant we passed. It had ‘help wanted’ signs everywhere and not many customers so we took a chance. Turned out that the Time Out Cafe had a top ten breakfast. The ‘Sportsman’ included two eggs, bacon and hash browns and a side plate of dollar cakes. Which turned out to be huge pancakes. What could go right did.
We left Washburn bound for Bayfield. The ride had some big hills, one I think a 10% grade. We stopped to rest and have a snack.
We started out from the town with several little stair step climbs, and then a great miles long decent into the tribal village of Red Cliff. From there the road turns inland to cross the peninsula. The road was unimaginably great. Smooth as silk. No cracks or bumps of any kind. Traffic was very light and no big trucks. Beautiful countryside. Some big long climbs and reward at the top with fantastic views and flying descents. This could not have been a more perfect ride. We rolled the final descent into Cornucopia, Wisconsin’s northern-most village, and the temperature must have dropped 20 degrees as we approached the town on the lake. Made the turn on to their little main street and found 2 places to eat and a sunny picnic table to have lunch. There was a little toddler and her mom sitting on another table having a snack. We had a little conversation about how much she liked to bike with her mom and her dad. It was about noon. Perfect. We usually do not get lunch right at noon, if at all. Defying Murphy, every thing was going right.
Rolled out of Cornucopia toward our destination for the day, Port Wing, 14 miles away. Road turned a little less perfect, but still very good. About 6 miles down the road we could see that the predicted afternoon thunderstorm was indeed developing. We stopped and put on full rain hear. Rode into Herbster, little village at the halfway point, and the storm hit. And right in front of us was an abandoned gas station with the pump canopy. We got under and barely got wet. The storm was very intense with thunder and an intense downpour. It would have been very un-fun to be in it. We waited for 30 minutes or so and the rain stopped. We had a few drops fall on us but not a big deal. Murphy’s what?
Port Wing has 2 bars, a restaurant, a store and a campground with cabins. With the wet ground we opted for the cabin. Rustic it was. But serviceable. Showers were in the building for the campground and, campground showers, were quite nice. We strolled over to the Bear Paw restaurant next door and had a great dinner. It looks to be family owned and run. Mom cooks, son helps in the kitchen, daughter waits tables and dad does it all. The food was good and the place was very friendly. After dinner we asked if they could spare some syrup and butter so we could eat our pancake from the breakfast in Washburn. ‘Of course’. No Murphey there. People are so nice. Overall we could not have expected a more perfect day. Go right it did.

Back to business

Wednesday. Day after the day off.
One of the fun things of the day off was finding the 'Curbside Cafe' a few hundred yards down the road from the hotel. It was just a little trailer parked in a small patch just off the road with a rug of artificial grass in front and a few tables. We had lunch at a table in the sun there. I had pulled pork and it was delicious. Jim had a cheese burger which he rated as very good. So we went back for dinner and had boaster chicken and potatoes. I got Jim's coleslaw too. Nothing green for him.

In the morning we were up at 5:30 and at breakfast soon after 6. The motel had a great free breakfast with eggs and sausage and waffles and all the other usual stuff.  We took just a few extras for snacks later. Snacks are critical. Can't do it without 'em.

Rolled out at 7:30. Had decided on a different route than original to cut off a few miles. This took us down M-64 south to Berglund on beautiful Lake Gogebic. We made good time with a decent road, a light tailwind and little traffic. A right turn took us on M-28 to Wakefield. Little town, home to Indianhead ski resort, set on another beautiful lake, Sunshine. Nice name. We were definitely looking for lunch at that point and what do you know, we just happened to stop right in front of Ma's Cafe. Ma was not in but her helpers were so we had a nice lunch. I had a cod sandwich which I am sure was Lake Superior whitefish, but it's good too.

One last leg out to Little Girl's Point CG. It was a fantastic day. Really could hardly have been better for riding. Cool, not too much wind and the best part was a long downhill at the end of the day. At Ma's we had received confirmation from locals on the route to take out there and it was a bit more than 20 miles still with a few hills to climb. But not at the end. We rolled down in and saw our first wildlife other than squirrels, rabbits and mosquitos. A whitetail deer. Exotic. It looked like it was remote enough to be bear country but apparently not.

Little Girl's Point is a lovely spot. The camp caretaker registered us and told us the site we took is good be cause the sun rises over the Porcupine Mountains in the east and gets you up early.  He was right. The light woke me at 4:45. I went back to sleep briefly. 

Looking out over the lake one has the Porkies to the east and the Apostle Islands off Bayfield, WI to the west. Pretty cool. 

Porkies

When we had rolled in to camp we were just getting set up when a guy on a bike rolled in and said hi. He and his wife had rode around the lake on a tandem would years ago. He asked if we would like a hot shower (the campground had none) and we thought long and hard and finally, a nanosecond later, said sure. 

So we were clean and we got back and had our dinner in camp and had a nice rest. Next morning the sunrise over the Porkies was stunning. There had been some showers overnight so we were not sure what we would be facing in the morning but it was cloudy but clearing and we got off again to climb away from the lake toward US2, which Jim and I know well from our cross country ride in 2005. We looked for the first place we could for second breakfast after oatmeal in camp. That turned out to be the Bad River tribal casino outside Odanah, WI. We each stuffed ourselves and headed back out on to the road on another perfect day. Got through Ashland and made the turn north toward Washburn and the slight tail wind turned into a head wind off the lake. The last 9 miles did me in. We stopped for a late lunch at Coco's and then found the very nice Memorial campground. We are situated on Chequamegon Bay and again it is very beautiful. 

Catching up continued.....

Sometimes the technology defeats me.

The Su under Jim's duplicate pic means nothing.

We arrived at Marybeth's to be warmly greeted  by a true Trail Angel. We cleaned up our bikes and hung our wet tents in her garage took a shower in her steam shower and boy did that feel good. Then we got personal service in the cafe and were fed like you would not believe.  Marybeth's home above the bakery is lovely and very comfortable. We slept well. Jim made the breakfast in the morning with the makings Marybeth supplied. We had a beautiful, restful, if short, stay with her. Such a generous person.

Next day, guess what? It was raining. Only difference being the wind was stronger. Headwind of course. And then I got a flat. At that point I was over the top exasperated. Good to have a calming partner. By 3 hours into the day we had gone a whole 15 miles. So we kept on going. And amazingly later the sky cleared, after Tioga creek.

Tioga creek

At that point we made good time and got only a couple of miles short of our original goal, in L'Anse, MI. We stayed in a motel because of continued rain in our future. 

Ate at the home of the monster sweet roll the Hilltop Cafe. They ship them. You can look it up. 

Yesterday we got on the road again before the rain and made it to the top of the first long climb before it started. Then it was rain off and on all morning but the wind was not bad. It was manageable but by the time we got to the Pit Stop on route M-26 we were really ready for a big lunch. The weather seemed like maybe it would improve again like yesterday as we went in to eat. When we came out 45" later it was colder, windier and raining. We got on down the road. 12 miles to Ontonagon and 13 miles to Silver City. At times the wind almost felt like it was pushing us but it was hard to know we were so cold and wet. Hot chocolate at Lucy's in Ontonagon helped. Then blessedly it was flat as a pancake all the way to Silver City. It felt so good to arrive and it feels good to rest today. Tomorrow the weather turns and it will be our last day in the U.P. 

Relaxing and catching up in the U.P.

It has been three days since I had wifi which could get my blog site open to write and today is our first rest day so I have the luxury of time to think and write. Jim and I are in Silver City,MI at the AmericInn. It is hard by the Porcupine Mts. and Lake Superior.  I am sitting in the lobby looking out at the gray sky and branches swaying to the NW wind. If the rain started it would be a reprise our last three days. But let's go back and review.

Our day in the Munising campground began early so we could get out of camp before the rain began. We skipped breakfast because we were sure there would be a place for breakfast down the road a piece. We beat the rain, which began a few miles down the road, at the lovely pond of a creek dam.

Still no breakfast place. Gotta be there soon. Well, not. As we approached Marquette, 4 miles out in Harvey was Macdonald's. Not our first choice. But we were 32 miles into the day with no real food. It was real enough here. It had been raining steady since the pond and when we stopped it began to downpour. We took our time at Mickey D's. It let up a bit and we got on the bike trail called the Iron Ore Heritage Trail. It leads to, through and out of Marquette. Very nice along the lake shore and then a turn in downtown Marquette which starts the trip away from the lake and up 1000 feet over about 8 or 9 miles on the way to our destination at the home of Marybeth Kurtz above her Midtown Cafe and Bakery in Negaunee. As we rode through Marquette there was a large area of tents for a festival and signs 'Race in Progress'. Little did we know the race was coming at us down the trail as we rode up the same. Meanwhile, the rain continued to fall. All the way up. Trail was paved for a couple miles and then well compacted crushed rock. As long as the trail went up (it was about a 3% grade) the trail was very firm despite the rain. Later when it flattened out and went up and down a bit that changed and it got very soggy and soft and started messing with our drive chains a bit. And then the racers came. We had to keep our heads up. There lots of biker banter as we rode the 'wrong' way. Jim told them we already finished the race and we're headed home.

Su

The way it should be

This was a picture book day for bike travel. We rode from Grand Marais to Munising, MI on one road variously known as Sable Falls Rd, Adams Trail and H-58,it's county road number. It is a beautiful road. Invariably smooth and lightly travelled, at least until near Munising. It winds over gently rolling forest lands and is the access road for the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The day began a little chilly and cloudy but warmed and cleared as it went along. We were both pretty tired with legs that felt a bit rubbery from yesterday's adventure in the sand and gravel. But we really enjoyed the ride. Into Munising was a long downhill, which was welcome after 50 miles. We stopped for a Subway sandwich as we had not had much food all day. We ate half and saved the rest for our dinner in camp. The road had no services or restaurant until Munising. We stopped midday at a beautiful lake and had a banana and some pastry or bars. After the sub we road to the Munising Tourist Park Campground which is much like last night's stay in the municipal Woodlands CG in Grand Marais. Tomorrow we ride through Marquette to Negaunee, MI. It is predicted to rain. We will deal with it. I want to attach some pictures of the trip so far but my internet connection is not cooperating today so maybe tomorrow. Until then, happy trails!

Easy rainy followed by brutal sunny

First two days are in the record books. June first we headed out of Sault Ste Marie at 8:15. The start was down hill for a mile or so and then some twists and turns and we were on the International Bridge to the US. We thought that would be a tough ride, not knowing traffic levels. And we were in the regular roadway, not a separate bike/pedestrian lane. Traffic was light and the ride was easy. We got over the bridge and down the road with no wrong turns and got to the lakeshore road we would spend the rest of the day on. There was a threat of rain right from the start but only a few drops until late in the morning. We stopped to look at the Iriquois Point lighthouse and chatted with some folks there. They said 'you guys are in for an interesting day' meaning we were going to get wet. As soon as we pulled out of the parking lot a steady rain started and we were soon in our full rain riding duds. It rained for at least a couple hours. The saving grace for the day, beside some nice scenery, was a tailwind, a cyclist's best friend. Because of the rain we decided to bag the planned state park camping stop and roll on to Paradise....Michigan that is. Got a room, dinner and slept well. Day two dawned sunny and we headed out for a long day Riding to Grand Marais, MI. Our original plan was to ride some back country county roads which would make the distance between 50-60 miles. A typical day for this trip. On my drive out I had scouted this route out because we could not be sure it was rideable. I consulted with the owner of Deer Park Lodge where those routes would end and he told me in no uncertain terms that was not possible on bicycles. The roads are sandy and soft. With a big fat tire bike it could be done. Not on our rigs. So that meant we had choices which included a route that would take 2 days or one which included 12 miles of a gravel road, which he believed would be rideable for us. I had driven that road on my way to his location and agreed that it looked challenging but doable. And, by the way, that route will be 74 miles to Grand Marais. That would make it the longest distance of the trip, on day two. Were we ready for this? So we started the day early, on the road at 7:10, and made good progress. But as the morning went on we had the opposite of the cyclist's best friend, headwinds. These persisted and wore me down. Jim does much better than I do in the wind. We kept on, not sure if we would find a place to eat. First good luck was the North Shore Baking Co. which had some wonderful cinnamon rolls. We got four (saved two for later) for $5, and we were refueled for the time being. When we had arrived there the sign said closed but we sat on their nice cushioned benches and very soon the owner appeared and we were in luck. Our next lucky experience was several miles later when we were ready for lunch. We rolled in to the Wolf Inn and again the sign said closed. But soon a nice woman opened the door and said 'come on in we are just opening'. So we had a fun time with locals and had a nice big lunch with mac and cheese for desert. They were amazed/puzzled by our plan to ride to Grand Marais, about 40 miles away, especially since we had to ride that gravel road. It turns out there puzzlement was not misplaced. The 12 miles of gravel took us between 2-3 hours. Most of it was soft and not accommodating of our relatively narrow tires. Jim rides tires much narrower than mine and I was able to negotiate it better. It was probably the most challenging section of road I have ever ridden, except for a detour on the Blue Ridge Parkway where we had to push and carry our loaded bikes on a rugged hiking trail. We got through it and now have set up camp and went to dinner in Grand Marais. Tomorrow is a new day and we ride exclusively on pavement!

The final planning day.

I have arrived in Sault Ste Marie, ON ahead of Jim and now in a fine hotel room where we will do our final decision making. I was able to drive many of the roads we will be on, or thought we would be on. Some of them in the stretch from Paradise to Grand Marais, MI are in the deep woods and are soft sand in many places. That will be our second day's ride. If we were on a wide open epic in the desert they might look good but not in this case. We will need to decide which of a few alternatives we will use. I also checked out campgrounds we plan to stay at. There are some really nice spots along the lake. The number of campgrounds along the route is huge. The ship in the picture is the ore boat aground on a reef in Whitefish Bay. You may have heard about it. My weather app had

been indicating thunderstorms in this area for tomorrow. I have been a bit concerned about crossing a huge high bridge back to US in a thunderstorm. It appears however that there is only a low chance of showers and that is not a problem for us. I visited the fantastic bike shop across the road from the hotel, Velorution. Jan, the owner, has helped with arrangements to leave our vehicles. Canadians are so nice. Jan rode around the big lake once. He averaged 180 miles a day and did it in a week. He says he wishes he had taken a bit more time. Well yaaaa! Most people in a car or on a motorcycle probably don't do it that fast. Needless to say, he is young (compared) and very strong. When Jim arrives we will have dinner and then dive into organizing and final decision making. As with all big events one plans for weeks and months it is hard to realize the time is nigh. Will be in touch.

The Big Lake--Prologue

Last December I was quietly minding my own business when I got an unexpected email from my bike touring buddy Jim. Attached to it were spreadsheets and Garmin GPS waypoints for our bike ride around Lake Superior. I knew we had talked about this in the past but he had the whole thing planned already. The spreadsheet had daily destinations, daily and cumulative mileage, camping and motel options for every day and notes about if there were any big hills and stuff. I was more than a little taken aback. I guess we are going on this trip. He had the whole thing planned already. I guess it's what you do during the winter in Maine. Or Minnesota for that matter. So we got busy refining the plan and creating our routes and commiserating by email, phone and FaceTime. Jim has used a Garmin device for navigating our trips for some time. I am a recent convert and we have different devices so there has been back and forth on how to get them in synch. Garmin has a couple of ways to create routes using their website or software they provide. It has taken a bit to decide how best to use the

tools and be sure we were on the same page. We have had experience with the device apparently not leading us down the right yellow brick road. Although sometimes it is just us not using logic and trusting the device too much. Spring came and it was time to get serious about training for this little excursion. We had both kept active over the winter but we knew there would be a way to go to really be ready physically. Especially at our advanced age. We have both been riding as much as time and weather allows. For the last month we have been adding more and more weight to our bikes in the form of our panniers, camping equipment, etc. Jim has documented over 1000 miles this spring with his bike loaded with gear. I am not sure I have that much but probably close. I do not keep track. I did do a shake down cruise last week riding 60 miles to Wild River SP, camping and riding back the next day. It was a good test and the second day with a head wind was a bit much. Since then I have felt great and I think it may have been the icing on the top of my training cake. The other key element is packing light. I keep trying and failing. If you are camping at all there is certain stuff you need. Some do with much less than me but I try to minimize within reason. For clothes one needs more than a pair of riding shorts and a jersey. So again, minimize within reason. You need tools and supplies for bike repair. So it adds up. Just weighed it: 48#. Four panniers, handlebar bag and tent with poles. It will get a little lighter as I eat food and wear what is packed, but that is where I am at right now. So I am just two days from leaving. Drive to Munising MI on Sunday. Will stop and say hi to Rob and Carrie near Hayward on the way. I will be driving some of our riding route backwards. The second day Of riding out of Paradise MI will of special interest since a large part of the ride will be on gravel roads. Anxious to see the conditions. We will start in Sault Saint Marie, ON. It is easier to start and end there since Jim is coming from Maine and needs to go through Canada to get there anyway. A bike shop there, Velorution, accommodates touring cyclists with a place to camp and showers so we will have friends right at the start. More from the road..... Gary