Tour Atlantic - Day Fourteen

Well the tour is over and I am at home - on a FULL SIZE keyboard. Don't ever underestimate your keyboard - bigger is better!!!!

The last night in camp was interesting because we had a pretty high wind. Some of us had a bit of an issue putting up our tents because they tended to want to fly away before we could get them pegged down!!!!

Oh dear - I hope we don't end up in Kansas!!!!!

We didn't have internet access where our tents were set up, but as usual the router was down by the showers/laundry facilities. So after dinner while I was blogging, lots happened at the camp. They took a group photo and I wasn't in it!!!!   Sharon is going to try and Photoshop me in - let's see how that works. But since I am pretty UNPHOTOGENIC - it is just as well. And if Bruce ever publishes a certain picture - he is DEAD!!!!!

Then I found out that we had to empty the truck because it wasn't going to end up in Baddeck with us. Yikes - I only brought one duffel bag so I had to use a garbage bag. Make sure that doesn't go astray - PLEASE!!!!!

Now we all had our stuff on shelves in the truck. And NO I did not take a picture of the shelves. Drat - every year when I get home, I think "I should have taken a picture of this or that". I guess if I do the trip enough times, I will get it down one of these days. Some people kept their stuff in bags on the shelf, I had some of my stuff loose and despite the fact that I had bungy cords, there was never a day passed when something would fly off the shelf while the van was transported from location to location. The worst were my sandals. They seemed to be everywhere EVERY DAY. I know - you think I would learn and I eentually DID. With about three days left in the trip, I remembered to put them on the bottom shelf (which was empty) so they were always waiting for me. I eventually just blamed Spencer (who did the driving) for moving my shoes. But I found one of them in the stove one day (under a burner) - thank god I found it before they made dinner - another day one sandal was in the box of Coke cans. Well - it became a joke. And one day, I could only find ONE. I was tired and it wasn't funny at that point. So I put the one sandal on the bottom shelf. While I was in the shower, Spencer yells in - I found your sandal. YEAH - I yell back. When I get out of the shower - I realize he "found" the sandal I put on the bottom shelf. It was funny. But he came through and found the other one - in the box with the cans of Coke.


That wind lasted ALL NIGHT. I was lying in my tent and it would be calm. Then you could hear the RUSH of the wind as it went through the tree tops and then dipped to the open field where we were tenting. The wind would slam into the tent and shake it. It was a tad unnerving at the beginning, but when I realized things weren't going anywhere, I did manage to get some sleep, but not as much as I would have liked.

Then we were off on our last day of cycling. Sharon, Ainsley and myself took off together. The day had a small side option that would add 6 K to the trip. At this point - we all said NO and took the slightly shorter route. After taking off those 6 K - we still had 130 KM to ride that day.

I am not sure how I can describe the day in words and have you really feel what it was like but I will try. We had a head wind, we had hills, we had a head wind, we had ONE mountain to climb, we had a head wind, we had high temperatures, we had a head wind.

Did I mention that we had a head wind for 130 KM???????    Honestly it was a tough day and it wasn't all physical - I had to dig DEEP inside myself to pull that day off. Ainsley was on her Canadian Tire SUPER CYCLE which she named Charlie the Chariot (Hey - too bad it didn't come with a horse!!!). She did amazingly well on that inexpensive Canadian Tire bike. I was IMPRESSED.

Thank god the mountain wasn't that bad on the climb - nothing like the other two the day before, but my legs were pretty tired. The heat didn't help - it just seemed that we couldn't get enough water into us - I had never stopped to buy so much water and juice ever. The sweat was trickling in my eyes (or perhaps that was the sun screen) and my face was on fire from wiping the sweat away with my grubby gloves and the wind burn. My arms glistened with sweat for most of the day despite the fact of the wind and at one point, all of us felt that we were going to be ill. The thought of food made me want to barf, but I did manage to down TWO chocolate bars and part of a sandwich.

Yes - this time when we saw the Baddeck sign - we were actually heading that way!!!!!!

At one point close to the end, we were all pretty shaky which was probably due to the heat and the stress of riding into that wind all day. We stopped about 10 K away from our final stop. One last push - we CAN DO THIS!!!!!!!!     And when I saw Ainsley disappear around a corner with her fist in the air - I knew we were close. And there is was - like a mirage - BADDECK. Wow - I could not believe that we had made it.

And then Ainsley disappeared off the road - OH MY GOD - we have arrived at our destination. I was never so happy to get off my bike. I do have to say that I did NOT have any problems with chaffing or major butt soreness (thank you Brooks Saddle), but just over all fatigue.

I really have to play mind games with myself in order to pull through some of those days. Wow - it was a challenge. But a HUGE HUGE HUGE thank you to Ainsley and Sharon for pulling each of us through that last day. I would have been able to do it on my own (I think??? - perhaps I would have had a melt down by the side of the road), but it made it that much "better" or "nicer" knowing that they were suffering more or less right along with me. Thanks!!!!!!


I felt very ill when I arrived - but never did have to barf, but we all felt like it. But I needed something and could not stomach the thought of food, so I had something I haven't had in a LONG LONG LONG time. I had a CAN OF COKE!!!!!!!    I know - there I am about to barf and collapse from heat exhaustion and I'm having a coke!!!!   But it did help - I slowly started to feel better, but now I was bloated!   Just can't win!!!!!

Sharon, me and Ainsley at the finish line!!!!   Notice the product placement of that COKE!!!!!

And here we are - pretending to barf

Then I got a WELCOME to Baddeck from an old friend. Through my posts on Facebook, I found out that Joyce Re (not Monday Motivator) was going to be in Baddeck on the day that we arrived. I contacted her and she was walking distance away. She came to visit. Drat - I DID NOT get a picture. It was so cool to see her.  She is a cyclist as well so she could appreciate what we had done. Thank you Joyce for popping over.


Enough wasting time now - it was time to disassemble the bike and put it in the box ready for travel the next day. Always seems so much of a let down - arrive - pull the bike apart and then go home. To do what???? Just kidding!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ian packing up his bike!

Funny - when you put the bike away, there are little bits of stuff everywhere!

Had a shower and was starting to feel slightly better.

Waiting for dinner - we were all pretty mellow at this point

Brian - more than most!!!!!

We had a GREAT lobster (OK - so I had salmon - who wants to waste all that time picking your food out of a shell) dinner. After dinner - Bud handed out our certificates. Yeah - I should get those things framed and hang them on my wall of FAME.

Spencer showing us his lobster he is about to eat

We had two waitresses and one was faster than the other. So we had the "haves" and the "have nots" at dinner!!!!

Oh yes - I forgot to mention that we had a MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR descent off that one mountain. I managed to get my helmet cam working again - DUH - charge it up stupid!!!!   So that is on video - I just have a bit to edit off it and then I will post it.

This is from the bottom of Smokey Mountain. See that dip in the middle of the hill - that was part of the road we descended!!!!!!

Here is the link to the video that I took via my helmet cam of the descent of Smokey Mountain. Sorry - next time - I will add sound effects. I think I was too focused to say anything.


Smokey Mountain Descent via helmet cam

Last year on Tour Pacific,  I "handed" out awards to the group. It was a great time to reminisce about who did what and some of the highlights. But dang it all - they all kept talking. Then when I sat down - everyone was eating dessert and I didn't get any.

Turns out they were going to bring out my "birthday" cake dessert, but I was talking and then they were talking to distract the waitress and me and well - anyway - it was a fun way to celebrate my birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!



Here are the stats for the day



Tour ATlanctic - Day Fourteen


I do have some pictures to post, but I will edit them in a bit. And the others took tons of pictures as well and will try to incorporate those into the mix.


Anyway - there you have it - another AMAZING trip from Cycle Canada (check them out at Cycle Canada)


I will post the awards later, and I will edit the blog to make it a bit more readable - some times, I think my brain was affected by fatigue and distractions - some of it probably doesn't make sense!!!!


I want to thank each and everyone of the participants - Diana, Diane, Scott, Frank, Bruce, Brian, Mike, George, Sharon, Ian, Mia, Dorothea, Ainsley - it was great to meet all of you. I had a BLAST!!!!!!

And thanks to Renee and Spencer (our cooks and drivers) - there was never a dull moment around camp.

And thank Bud and Margo - for organizing some amazing trips (despite the fact that I used your names in vain on NUMEROUS occasions) especially on days with a head wind!!!!!!!

And I want to THANK all of my friends and family who followed me on the blog and Facebook. I LOVED all the comments - it was VERY MUCH appreciated and I thought of you all as I slogged away on the bike.

Some of the scenery - it was gorgeous

More scenery

More scenery 

Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!