Day 45: Marathon to White River, ON (95km)

I could continue to gush over North Ontario but I think we've already pounded in the point: it is GORGEOUS up here! Along with amazing scenery, every daily ride has it's own unique features, challenges, and events. Today we saw a bear cub at the side of the road but since they're known to have over protective mothers we decided not to stop and gawk at its cuteness.

Now as we're settled into camp at White River it seems as though every cross-Canada bike tourist has found their way into town on the very same night. We've reunited with two guys we met back in Princeton, BC on day four and have finally met Jeremy, who has been following the blog for weeks.
Aside from chance encounters and experiences, there are a few things that make up a typical day for us, at least as far as this lifestyle can be 'typical'. We usually try to keep a schedule of waking up at 6 or 7am and break camp by 8 or 9am. Though the other side of the wake-up is that we should be getting to bed around 10 or 11pm and this is rare. The result is we're getting short on sleep but it's hard when there are so many great people around. So our morning routine involves vowing to get to bed earlier the following night. Next we pull on bike clothes, slather sunscreen (now also bug spray), then pack up the tent. For breakfast we usually have wraps with eggs boiled at dinner to save cooking time but occasionally we'll have oatmeal mixed with peanut butter. Our daily pedaling times tend to vary from 4-6 hours but a few have gone longer. That said, it takes us much more than 4-6 hours to reach our destination. On the road we stop frequently to eat (granola, bananas, baked goods) and my tiny bladder adds at least an hour onto every ride. Lunch is a long 1-2 hour break that takes place anywhere from 11:30-1:30, although sometimes it shifts to accommodate 'second breakfast', or merely becomes 'first lunch'. In any case we like to have half of our daily distance covered by this point or at least fifty kilometres, but of course it doesn't always happen (like when we visit or stop for supplies and hit the road at 11am). We almost always seek out a grocery store on the way into camp to find add-ins for our pasta and treats for the evening. By then it's between 5-7pm and we're ready to set up home for the night as the mosquitoes feast on their slower moving prey *they also attack us while cycling but have to work much harder for it*. With that, I have to save some blood for tomorrow and get in the tent. Good Night!