Imagine 1 Day...I biked across Canada!

I made it!

2009-08-21T04:58:00.000-07:00

After two and a half months, 2 flat tires, 2 broken spokes and 6690km, I made it to Halifax! I actually arrived here a few days ago on the 13th, but I start where I last left off.

So after spending a couple nights in Fredericton, visiting with my cousin and seeing the sights I headed out for my last five days! It was originally supposed to be just 4 days, but because I was a bit ahead of schedule I figured why not slow down, and take my time? From Fredericton I was headed to a small town about half way to Moncton. It actually turned out that the woman I stayed with in Fredericton was going there for the day because she has family and friends who have a cabin on a lake there, so I had yet another place to stay:) It was a short ride that day, and I had a tailwind for the majority of it. When I arrived at the cabin there was a group of cheering strangers greeting me haha, although they weren't strangers for too long after that. We spent the afternoon lounging around in the sun and visiting.

The next day was a bit longer, and I was headed to Moncton! I don't recall anything significant from that day. Moncton was where my highschool teacher had kindly given me a night at a B&B. i had never stayed in one before, and therefore didn't quite know what to expect, but needless to say it was very comfortable. It was right downtown, so that evening I was able to go for a walk and give myself a little tour. For breakfast we had french toast and beans in maple syrup.

From Moncton I made my way into my last province- Nova Scotia! It was another short ride to the small city of Amherst, although I think I remember there being a headwind that day, and I actually had my second flat tire on the way. I lucked out with the location or where it happened. I was in the town of Sackville and very close to a Tim Horton's. So I actually went for a coffee first, then got to work. I was sitting right on the sidewalk outside of the restaurant, and as such had several people ask if I need help. I also had a few older women fascinated by the fact that I could fix my own flat tire, and watched me for a while haha. Anyways, it wasn't too long before my tire was back together and I was on my way again. Knowing that I was on my last couple of nights, and since it looked like it was going to rain that night, I decided to call up my auntie and uncle for the second hotel room they had offered me. I toured around the town a bit in the late afternoon; nothing really caught my eye or jumped out at me.

The next morning I was riding to Truro. It was a bit of a long day, especially compared to the last few days, but because I knew it would be longer it wasn't so bad. Truro was my last night before Halifax and I had someone to stay with there. She actually lived a bit out of town, but worked in town at the hospital and luck for me she had a truck. I rode into town, waited until she got off work and we drove out to her home. It was really nice to not have to camp on my last night; have some company, good food, and actual bed. It's pretty amazing how much I've come to appreciate these things.

My last day of riding...I wasn't really as excited as I thought I would be. In fact it was almost frustrating that day; I think I just wanted to get there. I had also been told that the road from Truro to Halifax was flat. You would think that by this point I would have learned to always question what non-cyclists tell you about the road ahead, but I didn't, and it definitely wasn't flat. It was very windy and a lot of little ups and downs, although it was quite pretty because it was followed many small lakes and eventually the Halifax harbour.

In the late afternoon I arrived right downtown in the main part of the harbour where I met my parents- I was done. It was great to see them, but I wasn't really as excited to be done as I thought I would be. I expected it to be this amazing moment of disbelief, and great accomplishment. It was more like,"okay I'm here, that's done. What are we going to go do now?" We did take a couple celebratory pictures. It was really crowded there though because there was a busker's festival going on for the next few days, so we headed to the hotel to visit and so I could put on something other than cycle/spandex clothes (oh the luxuries I had been missing haha)

My parents had flown into Halifax the day before I got there. After we all got to the hotel we had a really nice evening of catching up and enjoying a celebration dinner. The next few days we basically spent doing the tourist thing: we saw some of the attraction of Halifax, drove out to Peggy's Cove, spent a couple days in Lunenburg- a small touristy town an hour or two away. We came back to Halifax for their last night before flying back to Kelowna. It was an interesting switch in travel styles between my 2.5 months of biking time, a lot of which was by myself, to touring the Halifax area with my parents. It was almost like two different trips.

I'm still here in Halifax for a couple days longer and staying with a friend I made in school in Vancouver. I'm actually flying back to Kelowna tomorrow morning, and the whole thing will be over. This week that I've spent here has definitely been the hottest weather I've experienced all summer.

This is most likely my last blog entry, and I don't really know how to end it. Although maybe there will be one more; it doesn't seem to have hit me yet that I just biked across Canada. I definitely met some amazing people along the way, some of which I'll be in touch with for a while. I really didn't have any bad experiences along the way. Maybe I just lucked out in that aspect, but I like to think it's because we really do live in a beautiful place. Surprisingly there weren't any moments when I questioned whether or not I would succeed, or regret starting the trip. Every moment was worth it. For everyone I've met that's said something like,"I'd like to do something like that one day," please please do.

I'm not sure if everyone has my email address. I know its more difficult to respond to blog sites, so if you have any questions, comments etc, please write me-
rmoxham@hotmail.com

Peace and Love,
Rachel

"Accept your greatness"

Only 5 Days til Halifax!!!

2009-08-08T18:19:00.000-07:00

Wow...this trip has flown by...

I last wrote when I was in Quebec City. Leaving there, I wasn't entirely sure where I was headed simply because I had no commitment to be anywhere that evening. Throughout the day I was able to bike right along the St. Lawrence which was beautiful! I also discovered that there was a 2000 person, one week bike tour happening in that area, so there many other bikers around; Some spoke English, some spoke French. I recall that day having great weather, and I ended up in Riviere Ouelle in a campground that was right on the river- again, absolutely gorgeous! That evening there was karaoke as entertainment at the campground, although the majority of it was done by children singing what seemed to be well-known French songs. haha, I was entertained:)

I headed out the next morning, again not exactly sure on where I was going. Unfortunately, I was also starting to feel a bit of a sorethroat. By noon, I had made it to Riviere-du-Loup which was fairly straightforward. The trick about Quebec is that cyclists aren't allowed on the main highways, so finding your way on the side roads and La Route Verte (the cycle routes) can sometimes be a little tricky. That afternoon I found my way in the right direction but it was a lot of jumping around from one road to another to trails etc. At the end of the day I found a small town called St.Honoure. They didn't have a camp ground, but I found a little field with trees to pitch my tent in.

By the following morning my sore throat had turned into more of a cold including a stuffy nose :(, but I packed up and carried on my way, just taking it easy. It was a beautiful, sunny day. To my surprise I actually made it over the New Brunswick border that day (which was also my last time zone change) and into a neat little town of Edmunston. It was here where I found an amazing provincial campground, which had an area specifically for cycle tourists. They had a great park and pool, were close to town and it was only $10 a night! As I was not feeling well I figured this was the perfect place for a rest day, and rest I did. I slept in, and spent the day relaxing in the sun:)

The morning I left Edmunston I wasn't feeling 100%, but I was feeling much better. From there I headed to Grand Falls. The terrain was getting much more hilly again, but I still had beautiful, sunny warm weather and I was in no rush as the distance wasn't too far. Grand Falls certainly holds true to its name. As I rode into downtown, I looked over the bridge and there were spectacular waterfalls which flowed down into the river in a large cannon. My campground wasn't far from the river, and there was a lovely trailed that followed the river upstream towards the falls with several lookout points. (I wish I could post my pictures of that day).

The next day was again sunny and warm, and I was headed to Woodstock. The day was going along well, nothing to eventful, I had just finished eating lunch on the side of the highway, and was off on my way again. Then to my complete surprise my highschool French teacher pulls over to the side of the road!! It was the most bizarre moment! We chatted for a bit, she was going to visit some friends in Muncton. It was great to see her, the surprise certainly made my day :) and it turns out she's set me up with a B&B in Muncton (thank you very much Mme!). That evening, arriving in Woodstock. It was a pretty little town. I spent some time sitting by the river in the sunshine. The campground was right on the river as well, although I was the only tent. All other "campers" were in massive RV's, I stood out a little.

From Woodstock, I made my way to Fredericton. I was still making my way through some big hills, but again it was a beautiful day :) When I arrived in the city, I had a place to stay and was navigating my way there, but then bumped into Dave again! He had arrived the day before from a different route, and was relaxing by the river downtown. We chatted for a while, caught up on each others stories of the past week or so, then I took off as it looked like a storm was coming. I got to my new temporary home just in time!

So that was yesterday. Today I spent the day sleeping in, then I headed downtown. I met up with my cousin, Coralynn and her friend Sam who have been working in St. John for the summer. We went out for lunch the spent the afternoon visiting and relaxing. I am now back at "home." I'll be heading out again tomorrow with only 5 days of riding left, its really hard to believe that its gone so fast!

A lot of people along the way have asked me questions like "what's been the hardest part?" or "Wow, you biked through the Rockies/Northern Ontario! Was that tough?" I always have a difficult time answering these questions because I've realized that I don't and can't think of any part as "hard." The question of how hard anything is, is actually irrelevant. The questions that's important is, "Can I do that?" As long as the answer to that question is Yes, then there's no problem; you just go do it. It doesn't matter how you do it, or if someone else does it "better" than you. You still succeeded. Sometimes, you're not really sure what the answer is, but that doesn't mean "I can't," it means "let's find out."

I'm pretty sure they next time you'll hear from me will be in Halifax! I'm arriving there on the 13th. So if you know anyone who knows anyone who would like to come out and see me finish I'll be biking down to the harbour. I'm not exactly sure what time, but give me an email and I'll let you know on the day of, where abouts I am :)

Ontario was a success, now moving through Quebec...

2009-07-31T13:17:00.000-07:00

So, the day I left Ottawa, my friend Nicole`s mom, Sue rode with me. We were headed for Hawkesbury, and her husband Ivan was meeting us there. The first two hours of the ride really weren`t the greatest...it was pouring rain and the road was pretty rough- no shoulder, and lots of cracks and potholes. I don`t think Sue liked that part very much, but the rest of the day was better:) The rain stopped and the road improved. The days tend to go a bit quicker when I have some good company, and that day went even quicker because I had left all my gear in Ivan`s vehicle (thanks for the awesome day guys!). That evening I was staying with some friends of Ivan and Sue near Hawkesbury (who were, like everyone else on the trip, very welcoming). Everyone had dinner together, then Sue and Ivan headed back to Ottawa.

The next morning I set out on my own for the first time in quite a while. This was my last day in Ontario (wow, that was a big province) and I was headed for Montreal! It was a bit of a confusing day because in Quebec cyclists cannot ride on the main highways so there was a lot of navigating and stopping to read the map. As I got closer I was able to take the bike path that followed the St. Lawrence. With about 4 maps, and stopping to ask directions several times, I eventually got to where I was staying- with a friend from Armstrong and Nicole was meeting me there as well. That evening was pretty laid back, we walked around the city, and had some famous Montreal bagels (although really they weren`t any different than anywhere else haha). The next day we walked through some other parts, visited the market, and the Museum of Fine Arts. We also cooked up a storm that night of a delicious Mexican feast. The following day we walked up Mount Royal for a view of the city, then spent a fair bit of time attempting to find poutine with miso gravy. We didn`t have any luck, but we found a poutine restaurant that had several kinds, so I had one just with ketchup type sauce.

I was supposed to be headed out the next day for Trois Rivieres. I was up and on my way, but about 1.5 hours into my ride I got another broken spoke! I couldn`t believe it! luckily I was still on the outskirts of the city and the closest bike shop was only about an hour walk. Unfortunately with that one hour, plus the time to fix my bike I knew that I would not have had time to make it Trois Rivieres, so I turned around and went back to Montreal. It was a gorgeous day so I took my time getting back. I toured through Old Montreal and visited the Old Port, so it wasn`t really a wasted day.

The next day, attempt number two was a success. I rode 150km from Montreal to Trois Rivieres. It was really humid, in fact it was so humid that it was like I was riding through a cloud. At one point I couldn`t see the river beside the road, but I made it. I met up with a friend from Capilano College. She was doing a french program at the university there for the summer and I was able to stay in res with her for the night. I was able to understand a fair bit of the french that the students there were speaking as long as they had the same accent as me, but as soon as a native speaker spoke I was completely lost.

From Trois Rivieres, the next day I was aiming for Quebec City! The ride this day wasn`t quite as long. It`s interesting how every little town here in Quebec has an old looking church right in the middle. It kind of helps me out, because I can see the tops of them from a few kilometers away and thats how I know there`s a town coming:) It was a really hot day, and fortunately I didn`t have to navigate my way through Quebec city. I`m staying with a young couple, Nicolas and Nadia. Nicholas was an exchange student of my auntie and uncle a few years ago. Anyways, he came with his truck and picked me up just outside of the city- this was very much appreciated; that was yesterday. Nicholas and Nadia are on summer vacation this week, so today we went to visit Old Quebec city. It felt very much luck Europe with narrow, cobble stone streets, all brick buildings and old castles. We also went on a tour of the parliament buildings. Now we`re back home and relaxing:)

Tomorrow morning I`ll be peddling toward Riviere-du-Loup. I can`t believe that I only have 2 weeks left of biking. The trip has gone unbelievably fast!

An interesting aspect of the trip is the reactions that I receive from people along the way, especially compared the reactions that other cyclists (mostly being male) also receive. I`ve asked many of them "what do people say to you when you tell them that you`re biking across Canada?" They usually get something like, "Wow, thats really impressive! Have you run into any bears?"
On the other hand, the reactions I usually get (as a female) go something like, "Wow, alone? Is someone following you? Aren`t you scared? What if something happens??"
In many ways, this really frustrates me, but I know that people aren`t reacting like this on purpose, or in a conscious kind of way, so it would be unfair (and unproductive) of me to get angry or impatient with them. I would simply like to point out, now that I am nearly done the trip, that there is no need for the differentiation. I think that by now, there are people in many parts of Canada reading this blog, and each of you know that where you personally live is a pretty safe, and comfortable area of the world. So if you all know that, doesn`t that mean that basically all of Canada is just as safe and comfortable as your own home? I think it is really just a fear of the unknown that people are speaking about when they ask me these questions. With that in mind, if we followed this fear and lived within only what we knew we would never learn or discover anything- life would be really boring. Much of Canada was fairly unknown to me before I left, but by seeing it I have learned that the stereotype is quite true- Canadians tend to be very polite and kind people.

By the way, my camera broke a few days ago. I have bought some disposable cameras but I won`t be able to post any more until I have developed them.

In the Capital!

2009-07-23T20:54:00.001-07:00

Well I forgot to bring my journal with me to write this entry so I'm not going to try to remember everything that has happened since Sault Ste. Marie, but I'll give you some highlights and I guess lowlights haha.

There's been quite a bit of rain since then :S It turned out that my "rain jacket" wasn't really waterproof so I ended fashioning a garbage bag jacket. It got the job done for a bit, but I did finally buy a jacket in Sudbury. There's been a lot of hiding out in convenient stores, gas stations, weigh scales, or whatever is available to wait out the rain.

Dave and I traveled together to Ottawa. The day we left Sault Ste. Marie it was quite sunny so we stopped at a u-pick strawberry farm. They were delicious and someone there recognized me as "the girl in the news paper" which was pretty cool :) We had a lot of strawberries leftover (and don't travel well by bike) so we tried to make rice pudding with strawberries that night; it didn't go well, but it was edible haha.

The day travelling to Sudbury I had a broken spoke. Neither Dave or I had ever really changed a spoke, but after a couple of hours we managed to get my bike to a ride-able state. Then once in Sudbury we got it to a bikeshop and got it fixed up :)

My time here in Ottawa has been great! Yesterday some of the local Lululemon staff, my good friend Nicole and I did yoga on parliament where I was able to make an announcement to everyone about my trip. We then spent sometime in one of the stores talking to other staff and some customers:)

Tomorrow I will be on my way again, but Nicole's mom (Auntie Sue) is riding with me for the day. My next big destination is Montreal! Maybe a chance to practice my French??

I'll try to write a more accurate post next time!

2009-07-23T20:50:00.000-07:00

2009-07-23T20:44:00.000-07:00

2009-07-23T20:39:00.000-07:00

new photos

2009-07-23T20:36:00.001-07:00

Thunderbay to Sault Ste Marie cont.

2009-07-13T14:11:00.000-07:00

So being that we stayed in a motel room that night we had a pretty good sleep-in in the morning and didn't get on the road til about 10:30am. Noah took off ahead of Dave and I, and it was clear he travelled at a faster pace. Dave and I had the intention of going about 120km that day and making it past White River. Somehow that didn't quite work out, although it didn't work out for the best:) We arrived in Marathon (travelled about 80km) and were both quite tired. It seems as though we feed off of each other's energy levels. It was finally a sunny day, and as such it was quite warm. We decided we had had enough, and so we set off to find the campground. It turned out to be newly re-done, and right on a edge of a small lake. We also ran into Pierre-Paul in town so we shared a site with him. Before setting up camp or eating, we decided a swim was in order. The lake was only about 25m across and there were great big rocks on the other side perfect for sunbathing. The water was only about 1.5m deep and had a bunch of gooey mud on the bottom, which was kinda gross but also kinda fun. After our swim we had a delicious dinner, a small campfire, set up camp and went to bed.

In the morning we treated ourselves by making banana pancakes (for any future vegans, bananas substitute eggs well) then peddled off toward White River; where the story of Winnie the Pooh began! I don't recall anything overly significant about that day...the town was pretty tiny and didn't have an actual campground, so the tourist info let us set up in the park. That night apparently there was a pretty brutal storm (I'm a heavy sleeper), and I woke up with a very wet tent, sleeping pad, and slightly wet sleeping bag. We waited out most of the rain in A&W eating eggs and toast, then when it had died down a fair bit we packed up and rode away. The whole day it seemed to be threatening rain again, it was pretty cold and oddly foggy; we rode fast, but the rain never came.

Our destination was Wawa (I believe it was native for "flying geese" or something like that. There were a few giant geese carvings in town) Anyways, we decided on a motel room again that night since we both had a lot of wet gear, and the forecast called for more thunder-showers. We cooked our dinner on the covered walk way outside the room, and had another comfortable sleep.

We woke-up to clear skies, although it was still a little chilly. We packed up, had breaky then headed off to Montreal River. The ride was about 107km, and we conquered the Montreal River hill!! If that doesn't mean anything to you, well...it would if you rode a bike up it, its reeally big. We again didn't have to camp that night, in fact we may have had the best accomodations yet on the trip. Through a friend of a friend of a friend type contact of mine, we arrived to a beautiful log cabin right on the shore of Lake Superior. We had a deck looking out on the water, a warm wood stove and an actual electric stove to cook on; I don't know if anything could have made it any better! That evening made pizzas to go with beer and jelly beans :)

In the morning the neighbours (my friends of friends or something like that) made a delicious homemade breakfast, and even got our names in the newspaper of our next destination- Sault Ste. Marie. That day we really took our time- the weather was beautiful, and the scenery was even more so. For much of the day we were riding right along Superior's shore line. We ate lunch at a tourist stop of native carvings, then stopped a couple hours later for a swim in the lake and some time on the beach. Arriving in Sault Ste Marie around 7pm, we went our separate ways once more, and I found my way to my temporary home for the next two nights (another friend of a friend :) )

So, that brings us up to today! This morning I awoke, returned some phone calls to some local media contacts (thanks to my temporary mom) and ended up doing 4 interviews today! That being said, if your reading this on July 13th, tomorrow you should look at soonews.ca and saultstar.com. I also had one with CTV, and one with the local radio station.

Furthermore, my promotional video has been completed so you should check that out at http://www.imagine1day.org/creatributions.htm?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=RachelBike#rachel-video

or simply go onto imagine1day.org, click "get involved" and you might be able to find it from there. I didn't make it myself so I think I'm allowed to say that I'm pretty impressed by it.

So other than my interviews today, I visited the museum, strolled along the boardwalk and simply toured the town.

In the past week or so, there seems to be a very common theme of conversation- food. If you've never done a bike tour, you might now quite realize just how much more food you consume in the day, and how much more creative you must be in eating a variety of foods since you can't carry much, you can't refridgerate anything, and sometimes there are long distances between decent grocery stores.

I've also realized that this is the first time in my life that I have to strategically think about where I will be finding my water and food- that makes me pretty lucky.

Anyways, I'm hoping to post more pictures soon, but this computer doesn't seem to have the right chip-plug in thing so hopefully next time.

"Accept your greatness"

Thunderbay to Sault Ste Marie

2009-07-13T10:40:00.000-07:00

Well my time in Thunderbay was short but sweet. I spent two nights there, staying at my brother, Adam's place. I got a bit of a tour of the city, and got to catch up with my friend Jordan on my second evening there. The morning I left, I met up again with Dave out on the highway. We visited the Terry Fox memorial there (Thunderbay was where he stopped his run) then we continued on our way. Just as we stopped for lunch it started to drizzle and by the time we were done eating it was pouring. We were soaked by the time we found a gas station. We pulled in and the owners were more than welcoming. We were able to put our wet clothing in a dryer, and spent about two hours there playing cards and drinking hot chocolate as we hoped the rain would pass. In that time two other cyclists came through: Rob who I had met before, and Noah an energetic character from Colorado who stayed just long enough to drink a carton of juice haha. When the rain seemed to have eased up a bit we headed out again and peddled as fast as we could to our destination town of Nipigon. We still got soaked again in that stretch, but met up with Noah again in town and together we decided a motel room was in order. We ended up at a motel that had just opened and the owners were very hospitable. We were able to do laundry and spent the evening sitting by a fire and eating large amounts of food. (Noah learned what poutine was and enjoyed it for the first time haha).

I only have five minutes left on this computer (I'm in a public library, but I'll be back to finish this entry) Cheers!

Back into the Hills

2009-07-05T13:40:00.000-07:00

So I last wrote when I was in Winnipeg. I only spent one night there as I was held up in Portage an extra day because of the weather.

Leaving Winnipeg I was headed for Prawda, Manitoba. I don't recall anything overly significant about that day; it was a bit windy. I also moved from grassy fields in to trees although the land was still very flat and the road very straight. I rode the whole day by myself, but just after I pulled into the campground so did Dave (cyclist from Vancouver). Luckily there was a little restaurant on the grounds because the bugs were bad there. In the morning we had breakfast there too. I ordered a veggie omelette, and when it arrived it was made with frozen peas and carrots hahaha. I was still thankful for having a cooked meal.

So we took off that day and experience a very quick change in terrain that day. We not only crossed the Manitoba/Ontario border but there was a sudden change from flat prairies to the hills of the Canadian Shield. We made it to Kenora that day and went our separate ways as we both had places to stay. I thought Kenora was quite beautiful- its right on a lake that has many little islands.

I spent only one night there, and headed out again on Canada Day. I was supposed to make it to Dryden that day but I was feeling really tired; maybe the hills were getting to me. I made it about 100km to Vermillion Bay and decided that was all I could take, unfortunately I couldn't see any campgrounds around. I did however find Fort Vermillion- a large, gated-in courtyard type thing which also had a coffee shop in it. It seemed like a fairly comfortable and safe place to pitch a tent to I went in and asked if I could camp there if I promised to have dinner at the coffeeshop. The owner said that would work, so I sat down with a cup of tea and a veggie wrap. After a while the owner said, "you know there's another room next door with a couch in it. I think its supposed to be cold tonight, would you rather sleep in there?" So, I got to sleep on a couch that night! She came back in the morning to unlock the gate for me, and even gave me a free muffin and cookies for on the road. So, if you ever pass through Vermillion Bay, please visit Fort Vermillion :)

That night I got an excellent sleep, and woke up extra early so I could make up for the lack of distance the day before. I was on the road by 7am and rode 155km that day! I met up with Dave again part way through that day, and we finished off in Ignace. This is where I discovered what "black flies" are- little tiny bugs that you can hardly see, but when they bite they pull out a chunk of skin causing you too bleed, and I guess I'm slightly allergic to them because they swell up. Its kind of gruesome :S When we arrived at the campgrounds we discovered that Pierre-Paul (cyclist from Quebec) was also there.

The next day Pierre-Paul was up and gone before I even woke up, but Dave and I took our time and hit the road together. We rode the 110km to Upsala, but realized that there was still another 150km to Thunderbay and we would pass through a time zone the next day, and so after dinner we carried on for another 20km and stopped at a campground in Savanne.

The last day to Thunderbay was great! The sky was finally clear, there was a tailwind, and although there were some pretty steep uphills, there were also some good downhills to make up for it.

After arriving in Thunderbay I made it to my brother's place here. I am now taking a much needed rest day today. I've had my bike into the shop, we walked down to the park on Lake Superior and simply relaxing.

I'm still amazed at how big this province is. Its going to take more than three weeks to get through, but I've heard there's some great scenery :)

The Moody Weather of the Prairies

2009-06-28T18:31:00.000-07:00

Alright so, I've had a few adventurous days since I last wrote. My rest day in Regina was great. I met a few more relatives (this time on the other side of the family), saw a bit of the town, I even had an interview with a local TV station! I'm hoping I'll somehow be able to get that to all of you, but I'm not sure how; I'll let you know.

The morning of my departure, I woke up to rain, but by the time I was ready to go the skies had completely cleared and there was a perfect tailwind :) My cousin, Shelley followed me through the city to make sure I got away alright, and I was off again. As I didn't have anywhere to stay that night, and knew I would be camping I wasn't exactly sure on how far I would go that day, but because of that oh so perfect wind (that had me coasting at 35km/h at one point) I easily covered 140km that day and ended up in a sweet little town called Grenfell. There wasn't a whole lot to do there, but I was comfortable.

In the morning, I packed up and headed out, again not certain of where I would be by the end of the day. But, yet again I covered about 140km! I also passed another border, placing me in Manitoba and in the next time zone. That night was spent in the small town of Elkhorn. I was in a tiny little campground of only 16 sites, and being the only tent I kind of stood out, but that worked to my benefit. I not only received a money donation, but also fresh fruit (a girl biking all day everyday must be starving right?? :D )

The next day I was feeling pretty tired, and it was a hot one! I hadn't gotten the best sleep the night before (there was a train track and cows nearby), but I managed the 110km to Brandon and also spent at least an hour wandering the city attempting to find either a campground or the tourist info booth which would direct me to the campground. I found the latter, and it did what it was supposed to. That night I went to bed with clearskies, but woke up to overcast...

By the time I was packed ready to head out again, the rain had started. All day it was on and off. I had wind, not the good kind, as well as thunder and lightening. I guess my mind was set on the destination of Portage la Prairie, because I still managed 130km that day (I really don't know how). Although, by the time I got there I was drenched, and pretty darn tired. It was still pouring rain, and I decided that it was not going to be a camping night. I called in a...prearranged gift from my auntie and uncle, and rented a motel room for the night. (thank you so much guys) That bed and warm shower felt really good :)

So my original plan was that the next morning I would only have to cover about 70km into Winnipeg where I had a place arranged to stay at and have a day to rest. Unfortunately, mother nature had other ideas. I woke up that morning (I guess that would be June 27th), and looked out the window. The wind was absolutely howling and the rain was still coming down. "Alright," I thought, "I'll just give it a bit of time. It'll calm down and I'll head out. It can't last that long." I waited an hour or so, it kiinda calmed down, and I started out. Well, within about 5 minutes I was soaked, and then I basically got blown off the road. I ended up taking refuge in the only shelter I could find- the doorway of a closed car dealership. I sat in there for probably 2 hours. I pulled out some warm clothes, food, my journal and just watched the storm. I knew there was no way I was going to risk biking that 70km. If I got too far there might not be another cardealership haha. After a while the storm calmed down enough for me to pack my things up and head back to Portage. At that point I went to Tim Horton's for coffee and soup and lulled the situation over. It didn't look like the storm was going to clear up much more that day, so back to the motel it was. I can't stop wondering what people passing me in vehicles must have thought when they saw me trying to bike through that storm and getting blown around (crazy perhaps??)

Not wanting to fall behind on my schedule, that meant I had had my rest day, and that leads us up to today! This morning I woke up in that comfy bed again and hoped that when I opened the blinds it was clear. It was! sort of. There weren't any clouds, but it was still pretty gusty. I had an interesting kind of wind today; it was crazy strong and was heading in a South-East direction, while I was heading East. So it did help me, but it did try to push me over at the same time. I knew that if it changed directions just a bit more, it probably would have succeeded...but I made it to Winnipeg! And then I got lost haha. It was definitely my own fault. I somehow lost my written direction and ended up right downtown. It was alright though, I found the Mountain Equipment Co-op and entertained myself there while I waited for my not-yet-met-friends to call back. Eventually I got here, and have enjoyed yet another evening of a warm, welcoming family :)

Its been raining and gusty this evening, as I watch out the windows, but the forecast says it clears up tomorrow- fingers crossed! Destination for tomorrow is Prawda, although I'm learning to not be too set on my own plans :P

The rest of Alberta and half of Saskatchewan

2009-06-21T19:10:00.000-07:00

So I'm having a bit of a hard time keeping my days straight now, they kinda start to blend together in my head now, but I'll do my best.

Last Tuesday (June 16th) I left Brooks and was headed to Medicine Hat. I don't recall anything overly eventful from that day, although I think it was pretty hot out. The ride that day was about 110km. As I rode close to the city some relatives of mine (who I had never met) found me on the highway and led me to their home. For a prairie city there sure are more hill there than I expected haha. I spent a day here to rest and learned that I am somehow related to many many people in that town. I was also shown around the town and saw many of the local sites.

I left Medicine Hat on Thursday the 18th. I wasn't fully sure of how far I was going to get that day but with a beautiful tailwind I think I covered about 130km and arrived in Tompkins, Saskatchewan (2 provinces done!) This was a tiny little town with a small grocery store, a restaurant, a bar, and a campgrounds! As I rode into the campground the only other person I saw there was another cyclist from Quebec, so we shared a site for the night and tried to watch the sun go down, but the only tiny little cloud covered it up :P. The train tracks ran right beside the campgrounds but by the time I went to bed I didn't hear a thing :)

On Friday morning I packed up and moved on. The wind wasn't quite as helpful that day, but it was a beautiful sunny day. Again nothing too eventful; managed another 130km, and along the way caught up to my francophone friend (he got up earlier than me). By the end of the day we found ourselves in Herbert, another small town about the same size as Tompkins. We pitched our tents, had dinner and I was eaten alive by mosquitoes. That night there was a little rain, but nothing to bad and I woke up to cloudy skies. Again we left at separate times, although this time it was because I was having troubles with my cell phone and needed to make sure it works. When I finally took off that day it started to trickle a bit, but nothing really. I wasn't sure how far I was planning on going that day. I knew I had about 200km til Regina; I thought maybe 100km today and 100km tomorrow. I arrived in Caronport about 105km out. This town had a college, a motel, it seemed pretty big. So I asked where the nearest campground was- "about 25km East in Moose Jaw." So, back on my bike I got and headed to MooseJaw. I arrived there around 5:30pm, set up camp, had dinner, and a shower. That evening I spoke to a few people camping nearby and told them what my trip was all about, and got few more donations :). Then about 45min after crawling into bed the storm started...My tent was shaking pretty bad and it seemed like the lightening and thunder were almost directly above :S

This morning when I woke up it was still raining. I eventually talked myself into getting up and packing up. It was around this point when I discovered that the last two cyclists I had met were both in this campground as well. After all packing up we all headed out to Regina together. We only had 70km to cover today, but I would definitely say that was the most brutual 70km I have done so far. We had harsh headwinds or crosswinds the entire way. We had rain the majority of the time, and for a moment we even had hail, as well as thunder and lightening. One of the guys got a flat, which I guess gave us an excuse to take shelter in someone's carport. We arrived in Regina around 2:30pm and I was greeted by some more cousins in their warm and dry truck :) I am now much more comfortable having showered, eaten dinner and can watch the rain from inside. Tomorrow is another rest day and hopefully this weather clears up before Tuesday when I'm heading out again

2009-06-15T20:45:00.000-07:00

2009-06-15T20:38:00.000-07:00

2009-06-15T20:30:00.000-07:00

Through Alberta...

2009-06-15T17:26:00.000-07:00

I left Calgary yesterday (Sunday June 14th) morning, and I am now in Brooks, Alberta for the night.

Yesterday was a bit of a confusing day, and a very very long one. I started peddling around 9am and was pretty sure as to where I was staying that night- about 20km passed Gleichen and therefore had to ride about 110km; not too bad I thought. The weather was actually pretty nice most of the day. I rode under a couple big black clouds but never got rained on, and I was nicely sheltered from the sun, although I would have liked the wind going the other way. So I continued on my way...I had forgotten to check my odometer at the beginning of the day so I didn't really know how far I had gone- that was a mistake. I had a general idea though. I think my estimated distance was a bit off too, because I was coming from Northwest Calgary so that lengthened the day. Sometime around 6pm I found out there had been some confusion in communication and the place I thought I was staying was not available. I was getting a bit frustrated by this point, and pretty tired, but I had seen a campground sign about 5km back so things were still okay. By this point I was actually already off the main highway on my way to where I thought I would be staying. Fortunately I was offered another place to stay along that same road, in fact on the same property. I was given directions over the phone and things were looking good but...I had already gone past where I was supposed to turn off and didn't know it! I ended up going about 10km too far eventually knocked on a frontdoor and got directions back the way I came. I finally got to Madge and Phil's farm house around 8pm. I'm not entirely sure this is accurate but I think I did about 140km yesterday, and I was exhausted!

Today was better, but probably (hopefully) wouldn't be one of my favourite days of the trip. I left the farmhouse just after 9:00 this morning and I was heading to Brooks. It was already above 30C at this point. I don't know what the temperature got up to today, but it was really hot! This distance I had to cover was about 95km, so not nearly as long as yesterday. Although, many people have told me that the prairie winds blow west to east- I have yet to experience that haha. It was pretty much the opposite all day. I managed to travel about 40km by 12:30 and arrived in Bassano. I stopped for lunch by a gas station. I found some yogurt, fruit and a muffin in the store (I'm learning very quickly what gas stations usually stock their shelves with) So I sat outside for a bit on a picnic table, and after little bit another cyclist comes along- I have company! :) His name was David and was also from Vancouver, which meant we got to talk about some common Vancouverite topics such as vegetarianism, recycling and of course cycling. The wind was still blowing but we made pretty good time into Brooks and parted ways there.

I am now at my destination for the night- some more family that I don't believe I have ever met (nobody could remember for sure, so if we have it was a long time ago). I am clean, full, hydrated and very comfortable. :)

One thing I've been told that is very true is that the prairies just get continually more flat. When it doesn't seem possible they just do, and the roads go on for as far as you can see!

Tomorrow I'm moving on to Medicine Hat. I'll be having another rest day here, and then I'll be moving in to the third province- Saskatchewan!!! Hopefully that wind turns around soon :)

Survived the Rockies!

2009-06-13T15:04:00.000-07:00

So I left the Okanagan last Sunday. I started out in the morning from Sicamous and was heading to Revelstoke. My dad, brother, Auntie Clarice and friend Andi rode with me for the first hour and a half and then I was officially on my own; its definitely a different kind of trip this way. I travelled about 80km that day, arrived in Revelstoke having just missed the rain, and was warmingly greated by relatives of my mom's friend. They picked me up downtown and had a feast of a dinner cooked.

Monday was only about 70km but I had some climbing to do. Revelstoke to Roger's Pass- there were definitely a few big hills there and a couple snow sheds. Half way through the day another cyclist caught up to me. He was from Quebec and was clearly moving faster than I was, but he taught me how to draft behind and I made it to Roger's Pass with lots of time to spare. There was a bit of headwind that day too, so he was a great help. We parted ways in Roger's Pass and he continued on for another 50km! I stayed at a hotel that night generously funded by Jack Gareb. There really isn't much to do in that area for an evening but the scenery is gorgeous!

Tuesday I was headed to Golden. The morning was awesome! I coasted downhill for many many kilometers. Its almost frustrating to think about how many hours it took to go up that distance on the other side. The snowsheds were pretty fun too. The shoulder was nice and wide but the way the sun shone through the gaps in the side, it kinda felt like I was on a rollercoaster or something :) I arrived in Golden around 3pm and thought I was doing great. I went to grocery store to stock up a bit, and then I found out that the place I was staying was about another 20km out of town. So, back onto my bike and off I go. That day was a total of about 105km. I stayed at a friend of a friend's place who was actually out of town, but had the door opened for me. I don't think I'll stop being amazed at how trusting and generous everyone has been. (Jan if you're reading this I think I forgot a pair of socks on your couch haha, don't worry about it. I just thought you might be wondering where they came from)

Wednesday, I doubled back that 20km out of Golden, got back into town and back onto the Transcanada. There were a couple scary moments that day. Heading out of Golden was a pretty steep and narrow hill, but I got through it. Then I was riding though a canyon for quite a while. It was absolutely beautiful and I wanted to take pictures, but there wasn't really space to stop on the side of the road, so...no pictures, but I'm glad I got to see it :) After the canyon was a massive bridge and a 10 mile hill! (its actually called the 10 mile hill). The rest of the day was a lot of up and down and fairly windy, but I made it to Field by about 4pm and after riding a total of about 80km. Field is the cutest little town I have ever seen! I was staying with a family I contacted through a mutual friend. They own and run the pottery studio in town, and just like everyone else I've met so far were very welcoming:)

Thursday I was supposed to be riding to Banff, about 85km. I arrived there around 3:30pm, picked up my tent that my mom had sent to the Greyhound station there since I didn't need it yet, then decided to continue on to Canmore- another 20km. It made the next day a bit shorter. I arrived in Canmore just fine, found a hostel, checked in, but then as I was heading out to find dinner I got my first flat tire...:( So I had dinner anyways since I was starving, then went to work in the evening fixing it. I guess because my tires are skinnier than what I'm used to, I had a bit of trouble getting the bead back onto the frame so in the morning I brought it over to a bike shop, it was done in no time and I was off to Calgary!

The ride to Calgary was a bit longer than I expected and I had a pretty strong headwind almost all day. It wasn't until the end of the day when the wind finally changed direction and a rain cloud was chasing me. In about the last hour of my ride it did start to rain on me. I think I've been pretty lucky though; that's the first rain I've experienced yet and it was just before I was arriving to a nice comfortable house where I finally get to rest! I arrived at my cousin's house around 5pm pretty much soaked, but I made it through the Rockies, and I have now travelled over 1000km! The ride for the day was about 110km.

Today is now Saturday, and I'm still in Calgary resting up :) It's been sunny and warm. My bike has been down to a shop for a tune-up; I also bought a handlebar bag, and I just finished catching up with an old friend from highschool. Tomorrow I'm moving on through the Prairies.

I did see a bit of wild life in the past six days. I had a moose cross the highway about 50 yards ahead of me. I also saw a group of mountain goats on the side, I couldn't tell if they were real until they started moving.

A lot of people have asked me what I think about during all those hours on the road, but to be honest I don't think about a whole lot. I look around, try to take in everything I'm passing by. I think about what I'm going to feel like four or eight weeks from now. I find that its almost easier to not think, otherwise I might starting thinking too much about how far it is until I reach my destination or...how much my butt hurts haha.

Thanks to everyone who has helped me out so far, given me lots of encouragement, and donated to my shopping page on the imagine1day website. Please keep it all coming!

Happy peddling!

Back on the Road

2009-06-07T20:03:00.000-07:00

So I left Armstrong this morning and I'm officially on my own now. The last couple days of rest were great though:) I received some amazing support in Armstrong from many family and friends.

Saturday morning I had a booth set up at the Armstrong Farmers' Market where I sold lots of coffee and tea and also received donations. I got to chat with many people who have been part of my life in one way or another while growing up. It was great to see all of you and thank you very much for the amazing support.

In the evening my family held a BBQ where more friends and family came out to wish me luck. I kind of want to start giving individual thank you's but I feel like the list wouldn't end.

This morning, Sunday June 7th, my family drove me back up to Sicamous, where I had finished off last Thursday. From here I said goodbye to Mom, but Dad, my brother Adam, my Auntie Clarice and friend Andi rode with me for another hour and a half or so. It was nice to have a few people to chat with one last time. Just before noon we said our goodbyes, they turned around, and I headed out on my own for the first time, meaning a few things have changed. Firstly, I now have about an extra 35-40lbs of gear on my bike that I didn't have to carry before; this makes the uphill a bit more of challenge. Secondly, I don't have the same luxuries I had in that first week. There's no comfortable trailer waiting 10km up the road for me, I have no unneccessary clothes, or perishable food. And of course, I no longer have Mom, Dad and Adam there to cook, fix my bike, put sunscreen on my back and all those loving things.

That's not to say I'm not going to have a great trip still:) The ride here to Revelstoke was easier than I expected (I thought there were more hills) and the people who have put me up for the night have gone above and beyond to make me feel at home.

I'll be heading on to Roger's Pass tomorrow. That means into the Rockies I go and it's going to be a climb...!

From all the amazing support I've been given so far I don't feel I have to worry about my own needs on this trip much more. I can therefore focus more on reaching my goal of supporting imagine1day. If you haven't done so yet, please check out my shopping page on the imagine1day website; the link is in the blurb on the top of this page.

I am also looking to get some sort of mention, promotion or maybe even an interview with CBC radio, so if anyone has any connections there, please let me know.

Talk to you again soon :)

Day One to Five

2009-06-04T21:05:00.000-07:00

I've made it through the first five days of my trip: 512km from Stanley Park, Vancouver to Sicamous, and I am now sitting very comfortably in the air-conditioned living room of my parents' place in my hometown, Armstrong.

On the morning of May 31st I met up with a group of friends and family in Stanley Park for my kick-off. We had coffee, courtesy of Laughing Bean, and muffins, homemade by Kasey and Hannah. We even had a short yoga session led by Penny. Thank you to everyone who showed up that day, it was great to see you all before heading off on this adventure:) The weather this day was perfect; clear blue sky. My dad rode with me for the first 100km, then soon traded off with my brother who rode the last 50km with me. My mom drove the truck and trailer, and made sure we were all well fed and hydrated (Thank you Mom) Earlier in the day was the second time in total that I had forgotten about my shoes being clipped into my pedals and fell over (the first was a few days earlier before the trip started.) It happened at a rest stop right in front of a parked car full of people. I'm sure I looked like a complete clutz, toppling over when my bike is hardly moving:P haha
Anyways, total for the day was 160km which brought us all the way out to the Coquihalla campground in Hope. I was actually a bit surprised I covered that much distances and didn't feel all that bad. Thanks to the generosity of the campground owner we even got free camping :) And I was quite happy for the showers there.

Day 2 (June 1) The big climb...up the Coquihalla...!!! I actually fell over again, almost first thing in the morning; maybe I wasn't quite awake yet. I'm hoping that was that last one :) But yes, up the Coquihalla we went, my Dad and I climbed all the way up! We even found a nice wide shoulder that went around the snowshed so we wouldn't have to be crammed in with the traffic. Right around the top Dad jumped in the truck, and I pushed on for about another 20km make the day's total 70km. That night we found a road that took us off the highway a bit so that we could sleep without the noise of traffic. I can't say I was awake for long after my head hit the pillow.

Day 3 (June 2) Did you know there are actually some hills after the summit??? It doesn't make sense does it? Well actually I guess we did get to go down quite a bit too. Coasting down into Merritt was fantastic! At this point we stopped for ice cream (turns out not such a great idea when I still had to bike another half day). We also parted ways here. My dad and brother headed toward Kelowna in my brother's car in order to return the rented bike rack, (The rental was actuallly donated by Road Racks, so thank you very much to them!) and my mom and I continued on from Merritt up to Lac Le Jeune Provincial Park. This day was actually a bit tougher than yesterday. I wasn't as mentally prepared for hills, and I was probably just a bit more tired. There seemed to be a lot of wind that day, but I still managed 100km. The campgrounds were beautiful, and the dock was peaceful for a morning coffee.

Day 4 (June 3) From Lac le Jeune down to Kamloops was a breeze, almost all downhill! Although as I dropped further down off the mountains the temperature seemed to be rising. By 4pm when I was riding through Chase it was a summery 33C, but we still managed to get into Sorrento by 5:30. We covered 115km that day. Not that I'm complaining about the sunny weather (I much prefer it to rain) but the air conditioning of the restaurant at dinner felt pretty amazing.

Day 5 (June 4) Last day before a break, and it was a nice short one. We got up early and were on the road by 7:45am. It wasn't too hot out yet, and there weren't any big hills to climb. Riding along the shoreline of Shuswap lake was beautiful; the horizon was hazy from summer forest fire smoke. We got into Salmon Arm by 9:30am where we stopped for a break and met up with my Auntie Karen. After visiting for a bit we headed off again and my Auntie rode with me for about 10km out of town. We parted ways and I continued on to Sicamous. I hit a bit of construction where the traffic was backed up, but it was probably the safest part of my trip so far; I was waved through before all the other vehicles. Once I reached Sicamous around noon I jumped into the truck with my mom and we drove down to Armstrong. No more biking for almost 3 days! Sunday morning I will be driven back up to that same point in Sicamous on the Transcanada highway where I'll continue on my way.

These past few days have actually been easier than I was anticipating, although I believe a large part of that is due to having my family, and a truck and trailer along with me. My mom made me delicious food the whole way, catering to my vegetarian ways, Thanks Mom :) She also mapped out large parts of the highway calculating where there were rest points and campsites. It was nice having my dad ride with my for much of it, and him and my brother have been busy with small projects connecting mirrors, flags, and computers to my bike. Thanks to you guys too :)

The rest of the way I'm basically on my own. As for that, we'll see...:)

For any readers in the Armstrong area, I'll be down at the Farmer's market Saturday morning with a booth, so please come by and say hello.

Only 4 More Days!

2009-05-28T09:06:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe my day of departure has snuck up so fast...! There are still a few things to be done before I leave, but everything is falling into place and I can't wait to be on the road.

People keep telling me that the planning is the hardest part of everything; I'm not so sure that is true in this case haha, but I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

For everyone following me right now, and doesn't live in the Okanagan here is a link to my article in the local newspaper.

http://www.bclocalnews.com/okanagan_similkameen/vernonmorningstar/lifestyles/45874107.html

And if you're in the Vancouver area don't forget to come out to my Kick-Off event! This Sunday, May 31st at the Totem Poles in Stanley Park. Starting at 8:30am and biking away at 9:30am.

Peace and Love,
Rachel

13 Days til Kick-off

2009-05-18T14:52:00.000-07:00

With less than 2 weeks until I depart, this trip is becoming more of a reality (in a good way of course) especially comparing to three or four months ago when it seemed like a distant thought.

There is still a lot of planning and prep to do before the 31st, and there are still quite a few places I don't have a place to stay yet. The ones that concern me the most are through the Rockies (it could be pretty cold camping there) So if anyone has any connections in Roger's Pass, or Banff that would be fantastic!!

You might be wondering what's going through my head as leaving day comes so close... here are some of my thoughts...(although don't let any of them concern you too much, because some of them mention things that are simply bound to happen :) )

- What kind of people am I going to meet? Will they become my life long friends?
- How many times will I get lost?
- Am I going to hit snow?
- What on my bike is going to break, how often, and where will I be when that happens?
- How many times will I feel like the happiest, most free person in the world?
- How many times will I cry/regret this decision/want to quit?
- How often will I think "should I trust this person"?
- What kinds of things will I see/experience that I never would have otherwise?
- What will my reaction be when I arrive in Halifax?

I'm sure I've had a thousand and one other questions go through my head in the past few weeks, but I'd say those are the most frequent ones.

I'll let you know the answers as they come :)

Blenz Coffee Partnership to Help Fund My Trip!

2009-05-04T13:34:00.000-07:00

As a part of my fundraising I'm selling 5 kinds of Blenz coffee and 4 kinds of loose leaf tea. How it works is that Blenz has sold the coffee to me at cost (they will receive little if any profit), and anything beyond that is profit for my trip. What Blenz receives from the fundraising is free advertising and a good image. (sounds like a good deal to me!)

I'll basically make between $7-$8 per bag of coffee or tea. It doesn't sound like much, but it adds up fast!!

You can order the coffee in beans or ground. As the tea is loose leaf, you can also order tea bags, and there is free shipping all across Canada!

I've attached the order form. If you live in or around Vancouver, you can simply call me and I can come pick up your order. If you are not in the Vancouver area, perhaps you can get together with anyone else in your community that would like to place an order (feel free to spread the word, pass this on to your friends, family and co-workers!!) then mail all money and orders together to myself. After I receive the orders and send them to Blenz, your orders should arrive within 10 days.

Speaking of spreading the word, if you find that you don't like the coffee (or tea) that your office makes, this could be a great chance to change that! I am certainly willing to take larger orders, and there are reordering instructions on every package you receive!

Thank you!

Trip Itinerary

2009-05-04T10:07:00.000-07:00

77 days total
15 days of rest (2 spare days for riding or resting, which ever is necessary)
60 days of riding

NP= need place to stay
HP= already have a place to stay
At the end of the itinerary there is a full list of all places I need a place

Vancouver to Salmon Arm: 462km (sleep in Mom and Dad’s trailer)

5 Days to get to Salmon Arm + 2 day of rest = 1 week.
May 31st to June 6th

Salmon Arm to Calgary: 510km

June 7- Salmon Arm to Revelstoke- 104 km NP
June 8- Revelstoke BC to Rogers Pass- 67.5 km NP
June 9- Rogers Pass to Golden- 80.6 km HP
June 10- Rest Day in Golden
June 11- Golden BC to Field BC- 56.9 km NP
June 12- Field BC to Banff- 82.5 km NP
June 13- Banff to Calgary- 126 km (this day is going to be amazing!!!) HP
June 14- Rest Day in Calgary

Calgary to Regina: 754 km

June 15- Calgary to Gleichen AB- 92 km NP
June 16- Gleichen to Brooks- 95.9 km HP
June 17- Brooks AB to Medicine Hat- 110 km HP
June 18- Rest Day in Medicine Hat
June 19- Medicine Hat to Piopot SK- 120 km NP
June 20- Piopot SK to Swiftcurrent- 109 km NP
June 21- Swiftcurrent SK to Parkbeg SK- 117km NP
June 22- Parkbeg SK to Regina- 127km HP
June 23- Rest Day in Regina

Regina to Winnipeg: 572 km

June 24- Regina to Woleseley- 101 km NP
June 25- Wolseley SK to Wapella- 98.4 km NP
June 26- Wapella SK. to Griswold MB- 126 km (all downhill) NP
June 27- Griswold MB. to MacGregor- 129 km NP
June 28- MacGregor MB. To Winnipeg- 123km HP
June 29- Rest Day in Winnipeg

Winnipeg to Thunder Bay: 706 km

June 30- Winnipeg to Prawda, MB- 110km NP
July 1- Prawda, MB to Kenora, ON- 102km NP
July 2- Kenora, ON. to Minnitaki, ON.- 115km NP
July 3- Minnitaki, ON. to Ignace ON.- 128km NP
July 4- Rest Day in Ignace
July 5- Ignace ON. To Savanne ON.- 125km NP
July 6- Savanne ON. to Thunderbay- 123 km HP
July 7- Rest Day in Thunderbay

Thunder Bay to Sudbury- 997 km (HWY 17)

July 8- Thunder Bay to Hurkett- 85.4 km NP
July 9- Hurkett ON. to Rossport- 98.6 km NP
July 10- Rossport ON. to Coldwell- 91.1 km NP
July 11- Coldwell ON. to White River- 109km NP
July 12- Rest Day in White River
July 13- White River, ON to Wawa- 92.4 km NP
July 14- Wawa, ON to Montreal River- 107km NP
July 15- Montreal River, ON to Sault Ste. Marie- 120 km NP
July 16- Rest Day in Sault Ste. Marie
July 17- Sault Ste. Marie to Thessalon ON.- 85.8km NP
July 18- Thessalon to Spanish- 102km NP
July 19- Spanish to Sudbury- 116km NP
July 20- Rest Day in Sudbury

Sudbury to Ottawa- 486 km

July 21- Sudbury to Sturgeon Falls- 87.7km NP
July 22- Sturgeon Falls, ON to Rutherglen, ON- 72.6 km NP
July 23- Rutherglen, ON to Stonecliff ON. – 96.5 km NP
July 24- Stonecliff ON. to Cobden ON.- 112km NP
July 25- Cobden to Ottawa- 122km HP
July 26- Rest Day in Ottawa

Ottawa to Montreal- 224 km (see webpage http://www.hedney.com/o-m.htm )

July 27- Ottawa to Hawkesbury- 97 km NP
July 28- Hawkesbury Ont to Montreal- 94.2 km HP
July 29- Rest Day in Montreal

Montreal to Quebec City- 261 km

July 30- Montreal to Trois-Rivieres- 135 km NP
July 31- Trois-Rivieres to Quebec City- 127 km NP
August 1- Rest Day in Quebec City

Quebec City to Fredericton- 590 km

August 2- Quebec City to Saint-Jean-Port-Joli- 118 km NP
August 3- Saint-Jean-Port-Joli to Reviere-du-Loup- 93.3 NP
August 4- Reviere-du-Loup to Degelis QC- 86.6 km NP
August 5- Degelis QC to Grand Falls- 119km NP
August 6- Rest Day in Grand Falls
August 7- Grand Falls, NB to Hartland, NB- 94.8 km NP
August 8- Hartland, NB to Fredericton- 125km NP
August 9- Rest Day in Fredericton

Fredericton to Halifax- 436 km

August 10- Fredericton, NB to Havelock, NB- 142km NP
August 11- Havelock, NB to Sackville, NB- 109 km NP
August 13- Sackville to Truro- 123 km NP
August 14- Truro to Halifax- 95.4 km HP

List of Places I need a place to stay
• Revelstoke
• Roger’s Pass
• Field
• Banff
• Gleichen Alb
• Piopot Alb
• Swiftcurrent Alb
• Parkbeg Sask
• Woleseley Sask
• Wapella Sask
• Griswold MB
• MacGregor MB
• Prawda MB
• Kenora Ont
• Minnitaki Ont
• Ignace Ont
• Savanne Ont
• Hurkett Ont
• Rossport Ont
• Coldwell Ont
• White River Ont
• Wawa, Ont
• Montreal River, Ont
• Sault St. Marie, Ont
• Thessalon, Ont
• Spanish, Ont
• Sudbury, Ont
• Sturgeon Falls, Ont
• Rutherglen, Ont
• Stonecliff, Ont
• Cobden Ont
• Hawkesbury, Ont
• Trois-Rivieres, QC
• Quebec City
• Saint-Jean-Port-Joli, QC
• Reviere-du-Loup
• Degelis, QC
• Grand Falls, NB
• Hartland, NB
• Fredericton, NB
• Havelock
• Sackville
• Truro

Less Than a Month to Go!!!

2009-05-03T19:48:00.000-07:00

Wow, time is flying!!! It's hard to believe that I leave in less than a month!

Training is going well, I rode about 120km yesterday- from Burnaby out to the Chief (near Squamish) and back to North Van. My muscles are a little stiff today, but not too bad.

It's really quite amazing how you have a completely different perspective on everything around you when cycling opposed to driving. You don't miss anything; you see every creek, waterfall, and tree. You feel much more part of where you are instead of simply observing it. Biking has also very much changed my perspective of Vancouver- in a good way. I get to go places I never could before by bus or walking, and so many of the bike routes are much more beautiful than the main driving routes. I'm excited to see the entire country from this perspective.

On another note, I've finished planning my entire route today (I'll put that on the next post)The day I ride from Banff to Calgary is going to be a really good one; lots of downhill after sooo much uphill!!!

A promo video is currently being made for my trip which will be posted on YouTube and I'll place the link on here when that happens.

My last piece of good news for now- Lululemon Athletica has generously sponsored me with a $500 gift certificate!!! Thank you Lulu!!

Until next time,
"Keep fit and have fun!"

Progress and What's to Come

2009-03-23T23:11:00.000-07:00

So I'm exactly ten weeks minus a day from my departure!! Excited, nervous, a tad scared? All of the above:)
I feel like my training is going well. A couple weeks ago I rode to Horseshoe Bay and back (about 50km) and that was great, except for the fact that I was freezing and soaking wet (note to self, get raingear!) So by great, I mean my muscles felt good, and I wasn't exhausted. On April 7th and 8th I'll be biking to Victoria and back to see how 2 days in a row feels.
In terms of gear, I've been approaching different bikeshops in the area and receiving various responses. I'll give more detail on that when I have a few things sent in stone.
Turns out my full tour will be 6521km. So I've calculated it out, and with about 1-2 days of rest each week I will have to go just under 110km average a day. That will get me to Halifax by August 15, not too bad at all!!

That's really all for now. Once school is done (in two weeks!) things will move much faster!

Unexpected, but Very Welcome Support!

2009-03-23T22:53:00.000-07:00

So the last couple of days I've been thinking of adding another post, but didn't know quite how to word what I wanted to say, but then yesterday something really awesome happened.
I'll get to that in a moment, but first I want to say that lately I've been really amazed at the amount of support I've been receive from everyone around me. I have to admit that when I first started tell friends and family about my tour, I was a little worried about the reactions I would get (people might just think I'm crazy), but I now know that that is the last thing I have to worry about.

Not only has everyone I know given me great support but I have received support from the most unlikely places! This brings me back to the awesome thing that happened yesterday. So I had just made a new facebook group about my tour "Rachel's Cycling to Halifax!" and I got a message from someone who I thought was a complete stranger named Andrew Allen. Apparently he had come across my page, loved what I was doing and, being a musician, wanted to contribute a song to my cause and campaign! After chatting a bit we established that we actually do have some common friends, but this just came right out of no where! I was blown away! To make the story shorter, he is playing at the JunoFest downtown this Sunday. I'm going to go down, hear him play and we can figure out the details :)If anyone wants to take a listen to his tunes go to...www.andrewallenlive.com and listen to "love life"- that's the song we both thought was the most appropriate.

Thank you everyone for the amazing support, and please keep it coming:)

Training and Physical Preparation

2009-03-04T16:46:00.000-08:00

No doubt this is going to take a big toll on my body, that is why I am gathering every bit of information I can on how to best prep myself.

In about early to mid February I began taking spinning classes, and using the stationary bike at the Capilano gym. Along with that I've continued my regular running and kickboxing workouts. I also had an appointment with a physiotherapist a couple weeks back for an overall assessment. She sent me away with some good exercises, and general cycling advice. I might make one more appointment with her in a couple more weeks.

Since I do not have my own bike for the trip yet, (and am hoping to acquire it through a sponsor)within the next few days I am borrowing a bike from a friend until I get my own, which should be within the next month. Basically I'm going to bike as much as I can. In April and possible early May I am planning to do a couple weekend trips to test my endurance.

Anyone have any specific training advice they can pass my way?

Plans for Before I Start My Trip

2009-03-04T15:46:00.000-08:00

So, like I've mentioned, I'm going to be cycling from Vancouver to Halifax, but there is a LOT of planning going into this.

imagine1day has partnered me up with Courtney, an amazing person who is working on her business degree. I find she often thinks of all the structural kind of details that I would probably never think of on my own.

Right now we are focused on putting together a sponsorship proposal package, which I will soon present to various companies whom will hopefully find my project to be a worthy cause. Then they can help me with both the funds I need to make the project happen as well as reach my monetary goal of $25,000 for imagine1day. Naturally, I would also help them in return. I will only be presenting the proposal package to companies which I feel to be ethical, a positive quality I will gladly spread to any media coverage I obtain, and everyone I meet along my journey. If you own or know anyone who owns a business that would be interested in sponsoring me, I would be very grateful if you would contact me about that.

We will also be hosting two fundraising events before I leave. One being an afternoon tea with locally grown/made refreshments and a chance for me to inform others of my project. The second being a Dance Party with live music and tapas. Here again I can advertise my project, as well as collect pledges. Both of these events will be in April and I will be posting more info on them as they dates get closer.

Pledging will be the third form of fundraising I will be doing, which will be both before and during my tour. I have noticed that some people are unfamiliar with the term, so just in case, it basically means that any individual (or group) can decide to donate a certain amount of money for every kilometer I cycle. 100% of these proceeds will be going towards the $25,000 for imagine1day. If this is something you might be interested in do please let me know, or just keep an eye on my blog for upcoming information on that.

Then finally, the day I plan to leave is May 31st, 2009. There will be a kick-off event in Stanley Park at 7am for anyone who wishes to see me off. There will fruit and breakfast food, media coverage, and anyone who wants can cycling with me through downtown Vancouver. From here I will have a looong road ahead.

My Background Story

2009-03-04T15:26:00.000-08:00

I grew up in Armstrong, BC, a small town in the Okanagan Valley. I am currently a student at Capilano University in North Vancouver. I am in my second year of the Global Stewardship program, focused at sustainable development with a grassroots approach.

I am not only an advocate for gender equality, but for a wide range of social and environmental issues as well. It is my life ambition to increase the universal female literacy rate. I believe that through education many other world issues can be solved, so why not ensure everyone has the opportunity to live up to their full potential, decide their own purpose in life and contribute their intelligence to the solutions?

How did I decide on this life-long goal?
When I was nearing the end of my grade 11 year, one afternoon I was sitting in my social studies class and absent-mindedly flipping through the chapters of my textbook that we did not have time to study. By chance I flipped to a page with a bar graph showing the literacy rates of males and females in a variety of countries around the world.By this point in my life I had already developed somewhat of a feminist mindset (although I wasn't always certain about exactly what was unfair about certain gender roles in the world), but what I saw in that graph really hit me.
There were many countries, mostly those in the "developing world" that not only had a low percentage over all, but the female rate was often less than half that of the male rate. I don't know if I was more shocked by the statistics themselves, or by my own ignorance of the world in which I live. How did I not realize this before?
As I continued to look at that graph, I thought, "Maybe I can do something about that?" And that stayed with me for a while, but as grade 11 turned in to 12 I had to start planning my future.
I had no idea how to even attempt such massive dreams. So I decided to go with what I knew, what I was good at in school, and eventually went off to university to study science, but I couldn't do it. I didn't feel right there; I had no ambition to be there. So I left, and those thoughts of that graph came back. That was that, I had to do something about it. I soon found the Global Stewardship program, and I decided it seemed like a good place to start. Now here I am, doing something about it.

I haven't actually shared this story with many people, but I hope as you read this you might gain two things from it. First, I hope you realize just how seriously determined I am about this goal. Second, maybe this story will remind you of something that's been at the back of your mind for a while, something you would love to do, but you're too scared or you don't know how. I think you should try. It feels amazing to do what you really want to do, and if you only did what you know how to do you would never learn anything new.

The Beginning

2009-02-28T15:29:00.000-08:00

In September 2008 I was attending a weekend retreat with my university program. On the Saturday morning we were to partake in a goal-setting workshop with the organization, Imagine1Day. I had done some research on Imagine1Day ahead of time and realized that their values and aspirations were very much in line with my own. I have long been an advocator for women’s rights, and believe that education is one of the main solutions to gender issues.

During the workshop I set one large goal. To support my principles of living life independently, I set the goal that by the end of summer 2009 I will travel alone across Canada in a way that will have the least amount of environmental impact as possible, and demonstrate my own strength as a woman.

Throughout the workshop, the facilitator/executive director of Imagine1Day and I connected well, and so afterwards I approached her about the organization. I knew I wanted to get involved. We met a month later and discussed possibilities, but she did not want me to volunteer as an envelope stuffer (and I agreed). She basically left the choice up to me by asking, “How can I help Imagine1Day and feel passionate about the efforts I am making?”

We left the meeting at that; I told her I would get back to her when I had a few ideas. A week later I responded with the idea of combining my own goal of travelling across Canada (which she had already heard all about and very much encouraged) with supported the organization.

If you would like to read further about the work of imagine1day www.imagine1day.org