Day 118- Dreaded Highway 17 and Santa Claus

Day 118 Friday, September 3, 2010 Distance 72.16 km. Time 4 hr. 20 min. Total so far 8143.45 km. It rained hard all night. The inside corners of the tent where the poles insert always get full of condensation water that drips down the poles. In the morning it was drizzling but we decided to go. We had a big climb right away and many more after. It’s a good thing that for every uphill there is a downhill. During the last hour, I kept taking off different pieces of rain wear. We made it to Espanola and stopped to get Gatorade at the grocery store. I took photos of the pulp and paper mill as we left town. Before we knew it we were at Hwy. 17 and turning west toward Sault Ste. Marie. At the corner, the Tim Horton’s and gas station were as busy as ever but we didn’t stop like we usually do in a car. Now the scary part starts- 234 km. on Hwy. 17 to get home. This Hwy. is the reverse of those in Nova Scotia. On the passing lane there is some room on the side but on the regular Hwy. there is only a tiny edge. The wind was directly in our face and strong so we not only had to contend with it but with the big trucks and the wind from them as well. I know my heart rate went up for the rest of the day. When I see a couple of trucks in a row behind me and they can’t or don’t move over I hit the gravel and stop. The best piece of equipment we have is our Cycleware helmet mirrors. It is invaluable to have a view of what is behind. It was impossible to take any photos without going way off the road. I breathed a sigh of relief when we stopped in Massey for a while. We went to the grocery mart and then across the street to the information center and museum to ask some questions. Gordon was there painting a metal wagon wheel that was part of a railing. He moved north from Brampton 5 years ago but finding Elliot Lake too isolated, he bought property here on the Spanish River. He was volunteering his time and paint because the rust on the wheels kept bothering him every time he went past. He has been mistaken for Santa Claus many times and also plays the part on various occasions. He has the white beard and rosy cheeks and before he lost some weight this summer, he had the belly as well. He owns and rides a motorcycle and has complained to the government about the Northern roads. The tar strips down the path that car wheels take is dangerous for motorcycles. I added that the tar lines on the edge are really bad for my wheels also especially in hot weather. He sympathized with us about the wind because he even feels it on his heavy bike. It wasn’t raining yet so we made reservations from here at a motel up the road. We headed out to do 21 more kliks and it was even windier. The traffic was heavier going in the other direction. On our side, it came in spurts. When we passed the Camp Aush-Bik-Koong Bible Camp sign I remembered all the summers that our family had gone there. It was about 2:30 when we got to Spanish and it was time to get off the Hwy. because it would be busier as the afternoon went on since it’s the first day of the holiday weekend . We got a room at the Vance Motel. We took everything outside quickly to dry in the strong wind. We both tried to work on Silver and I think things are worse than ever and hope I am able to ride her home using more than the middle ring. For supper, we decided to eat at the motel restaurant because on Friday night they have all you can eat fish and it was walleye. We would have plenty to fill our bellies. The rain finally came in the later evening and the radar screen on the computer shows lots more coming our way.