The Bruce (and Bikes)

It was a short trip, with some side trips. And very enjoyable.

I haven't had an opportunity to get up to the Bruce Peninsula in years, it's a place I've gone camping with my kids a number of times and we all have fond memories of time spent up that way so I was happy to have a reason to put it on my calendar. I left early on Friday knowing traffic would be slow as everyone makes their way to cottage country and slowly made my way up for an overnight visit with my mom. With all my extended trips I hadn't made it up to see her in a while so the little detour was well worth it. I'm happy to report she's doing well although the next visit will likely involve working on some plumbing (the house, not hers). Dinner was at the Explorers Cafe, I'm constantly amazed that Midland is lucky enough to have such a great spot to dine.

The next morning was relaxed and I had a leisurely start. On the road around 10 and up to the Bruce around 1. I checked out a few potential places to camp and decided on one that a friend had recommended (Cape Croker). It's nestled in at the end of a bay with  nice beach and right on the Bruce Trail so good hiking too. This panoramic shows how close my campsite was to it all without being crowded in the slightest.

The Bruce Trail, and my campsite at the edge of the escarpment

I drove around the area a little, hiked the trail a little, read a little, enjoyed a campfire and a relaxing evening. All in all a perfect spot and I'd recommend it to anyone with one caveat: know what poison ivy looks like and watch where you walk. There's LOTS of it around there.

Here are a few photos I took in my "down" time.

Abandoned

Roughing it

Morning

Then it was on to cover the race action. Time trials are a study in expression and composure to me, I like to find a couple of places that give me something as a background without distracting from the human form as the racers put out a huge effort. Sometimes it's the body language, sometimes it's the facial expression. Everyone has the same look after the finish though... spent and relieved it's over.

I've put a few photos up on my Facebook page, there will be a gallery on PedalMag.com soon and of course I'll have some on my website. Here are a few samples since you're here reading this.

And to close... this is a photo from the latest print issue of Pedal Magazine. The editor asked me for a bio including a photo (thanks to Jenna Matthews for the pic!). I have to admit that it felt good to see it when the magazine arrive. Another first...

Ah, Le Tour!

What an amazing event the Tour de France is... always filled with drama and excitement and surprises.

Of course I'd love to be there again to cover it, perhaps next year. I am very fortunate that I have lots of flexibility during the week so I've been able to watch some of the key stages (including these past two days in the Pyrenees!). Exciting to watch. And filled with memories as they go through places I've been on a bike to see them as well as with my camera in hand. And when I wrote about Le Tour last year I wrote about the "small" Tour (Elk Grove) as well as the TdF. I will be going to Elk Grove again, looking forward to that. I expect I will be going to Le Tour again too, will see when that next happens.

The beer bus

This has all gotten me to look back so here are a few photos that come to mind. Of course you can go back through the blog or my website to see many more.

It was great to witness history in the making last year as Cadel Evans won. While it's clear he doesn't have the form to repeat the victory Bradley Wiggins has taken up the challenge and is positioned to be the first British rider to win (just as Evans was the first Aussie last year).

Chapeau!

The man with the barbwire tattoos

Croix de Fer

Tourmalet

l'Izoard

Hesjedal

Evans

and me.

These photos are all from a gallery I posted on Picasa, you're welcome to go through them again too.

A New Background

I've been experimenting with changes to the blog and have decided I'm not ready for the "dynamic" version Blogger has available so I'm just making little changes including a new background.

If you like it you're welcome to download it to use as a desktop or screensaver. This is Baie Éternité in the Saguenay Fjord, QC.

A Full Calendar

It's been a busy summer for me and it shows no signs of letting up any time soon. After the swing through NY & Quebec this past weekend was a trip up to Sudbury for a new venue in Ontario mountain biking. A few days camped next to a lake (first in Port Carling and then near Naughton) mixed in with a couple of great rides on the rocky course. The folks at Chico posted a short write-up. I spent the past few days going through my backlog of photos and publishing galleries to my website, I have one left to go and then I'll be caught up.

The race was fast and hot

A dusty course

filled with rocky climbs

The next two weekends are road races, my first road race since Gatineau back in May. First up is the Ontario Provincial Road Championships, fortunately it's close to home so that should make the day a little easier. Then it's a time trial event up on the Bruce Peninsula. That one's not confirmed but I'd be happy to head up and camp there for the weekend. It's an area I used to go with my kids and know it well, beautiful.

I actually have a weekend off after that... although it's the Lapdogs "Dog Days of Summer" event at Albion so it will still be a weekend of camping and bikes. No obligations other than having fun.

And then it's August and I'll be heading to the Chicago area for the Tour of Elk Grove. I've covered that event for a couple of years now and it keeps getting bigger and bigger. This year I've read that Garmin-Sharp will be sending a team so the Continental teams will have their work cut out for them. I've also read that the purse for the women's event is bigger, something the organizers promised to do last year.

Here are a few shots from last year to wrap up this entry.

Canadian women were a big factor in the race

Fast Freddie

Windham NY, and Home (Part 3)

The parking lot was incredibly dusty, as was the course… as I sat writing this in a campground just west of Utica I could see a layer of dust on everything inside and out. I knew what I'll be doing during the week.

Friday in Windham was relaxing. I wander the courses to see where I would want to get shots, took a few photos at the Downhill qualifying round, and spent the early evening in the VIP lounge sampling some great beer and local cooking. I spent some time chatting with the folks from Scott and then headed back to the camper to get ready for the next day. The schedule had 4 races with the first one at 9 AM and the last podiums around 6 PM so I knew it was going to be another busy day.

While I was sitting down to begin writing the first of the blog entries there was a knock on the door. Cris from 3 Rox had mentioned he might drop by for a beer and sure enough he did. I enjoy talking with him and his passion for the sport is infectious. One thing we agreed on was who we thought would win the elite women's race, we both envisioned the same scenario. More on that later though.

Friday evening in Windham

There's one Westy hiding all of that

Saturday morning was bright and sunny and already warm at 7 AM. I made myself a strong coffee and a good breakfast. I was ready well before the first race with my computer set up in the media center and my camera bag loaded with gear and water. One interesting twist to the 2012 course was a start in downtown Windham that climbed up to the course (which then continued to climb up the ski hill). They had a shuttle to get media down and I did make it down for the elite women's race. Unfortunately all the photos I took on one of my cameras vanished, I'm not sure what I did but I haven't been able to find them. Good thing I was shooting with two different cameras! The races had lots of great action and it was clear on the faces of the riders how demanding a course Windham is. Catharine Pendrel described it as unique with its "6 minute descent, followed by a 12 minute climb". It's rare to find that much of a course in one direction (down).

The start in downtown Windham

The highlight of the day is probably one of the most devestating losses I've ever seen in a pro bike race and it came in the women's race. The three Luna Pro Cycling teammates of Katrina Nash, Catharine Pendrel and Georgia Gould set a hard pace from beginning to end and they opened a gap on everyone else. Then Gould dropped the hammer on her teammates and got a good gap on them. Near the end of the race she had almost a minute on them. And then it happened… on the descent she hit a rock the wrong way and got a pinch flat. With the descent being so long and technical she took the time to try to fill it with her CO2 but that only helped a little. She rode what she could, ran what she couldn't and kept going for that first elusive World Cup win. Imagine her teammates surprise as they came across Gould running toward the finish with only a couple hundred meters to go! Pendrel and Nash looked at each other and knew they had to race so they sprinted to the finish to see who would take the top step. It was Pendrel's second win in as many weeks, both of them by beating Gould who was leading both races. The photographs all the snappers took of Gould are heart-wrenching. One that I took is of a very sad Gould with Pendrel being interviewed behind her. I asked Georgia after the race if she thought they should have let her win and she was adament that they should not. It's a race, and things like this can happen. I'm sure she's going to get that first win. She's been showing what great form she's in so perhaps it might not be a World Cup, the Olympics aren't far off and I'm sure that a medal from there would overlay the memories of Windham 2012.

For the record, both Cris and I picked the Luna team to dominate and Gould to win on home soil. We had it right… almost.

Three teammates, one tough decision

 Sunday was DH day! Yet another hot and dusty day but at least it didn't start as early. I took my time getting organized, packed up and moved the camper closer (to where the Luna team had been parked the day before) and then finished getting out my galleries. I had done all the elite XCO races the night before (finished around 11 PM to make it a 16 hour day) but I still had the U23 and Junior race photos to get out. I took care of that and then made my way up to the top of the mountain. One slow trip down, taking photos at different sections trying to time it to get some of the Canadian racers going through choice bits of the course. A couple hours later I was at the bottom taking shots of the last few riders getting big air off the last jump and then a final set of podium shots. The last gallery was uploaded around 6:30 PM and I was on the road by 7. Here are a few more photos of the racing at Windham.

My last night on the road, Cedar Valley Campsite

Camped by 9, I was looking forward to a shave and shower in the morning. The GPS said I had 537 miles to drive until I get home, for some reason it thinks I need to go to Montreal to reach Toronto. I give up (turns out it was avoiding the toll bring at Lewiston). Anyhow it was two days short of three weeks on the road, I'm looking forward to being home and to seeing Andrea.

Beyond Liberty (Part 2)

After that short visit with Dake: Maine led to New Hampshire (and a little shopping in North Conway). New Hampshire led to Vermont and finally the rain seemed to be gone. I still hadn't found propane and I was now two weeks into the trip on on the one small tank that I'd gotten filled before getting to St. Felicien. Late afternoon had me looking for places to camp and on the list of possibilities was Bald Mountain CG. It sounded familiar so I headed there. Turns out that's where the Wet River Westies will be held in a few weeks, I've heard it's a great VW campout and now that I've camped there I can see it's a great spot to have one. I hope to get the timing right next year. At least I can say I was there!

The Berkshires seem dreamlike...

I had time in the morning so I started digging into the problem I'd been having with my stereo (dead), interior lighting (dim) and inverter to charge computers, etc (errors and alarms). My house battery was basically dead, only putting out around 6 volts and not capable of running anything. So a new mission! I looked on the map to find the nearest places I thought would have something and picked Bennington VT. I started by trying to find the same make and model battery as was currently there and after a few strike-outs I asked for help (on the Vanagon list). I quickly got some good suggestions, although while exploring my options I'd made my way south into Massachusetts. Still not finding the same battery I took one of the suggestions and looked for a Sears Auto centre. In the parking lot I took the cockpit apart (had to remove the drivers seat and the swivel mount to get at the battery), then got a "PM-2" marine battery that I was told would fit and worked on getting it in. I also cleaned up the wiring and added an extra 12V outlet while I was at it. When it was all back together it actually felt good to have accomplished that.

The mountain man look only lasted until I got to New York

Heading into the Catskills on Van Winkle Brodge

 Still no propane though…
It was now late afternoon and I wasn't too far from my destination so I looked for a place to camp in NY and came up with Blackthorne. It was only about 10 miles from Windham and suited my needs. I camped off in a corner by myself and settled in for the night. Come the morning I was glad to see the fridge was still chillin' and that I wasn't out of propane yet. I was also thrilled with the fully functioning electrical system thanks to the new battery. Next up was coffee and a shower and then on the road to search for propane before getting to Windham for the weekend. It was now Friday morning and I knew I'd be camped in the same spot for 3 days so I didn't want to risk running out.

Blackthorne Campground

I headed to Cairo based on the suggestion of the campground hosts however the place I stopped at there didn't have anyone who knew how to do it… and sadly my mat that I put down for the folks who fill the propane got left behind there. I will try to swing by to get it (I didn't make it). As it turned out I got to Windham without filling up. I got my media credentials and then talked to some locals about where I might get propane. The good news was that it was just down the road at a building supply company. The tanks was close to empty as they put in 10 lb (it's only a 10lb tank) and I was all set. Back up to find a place to park for the weekend (took 2 tries until I was satisfied) but it was all good.

And then it was time to get ready for another bike-filled weekend.

Onward from Mont-Sainte-Anne, Part 1

Considering I've had the entire week from Monday until today (I started writing this on Friday 6/29) to do whatever I wanted it feels like it's been incredibly busy. I guess there was a lot I wanted to do. And some things I found I needed to do as well, unrelated to covering races.

[I realized this could be a long entry as I look back on what I've started to write down so I've split it up into a few entries...]

Let 'er Drift summer ale

Back on Monday I was sipping coffee at Mont-Sainte-Anne and taking my time packing up. When I did head out I intended to get close to Liberty, Maine where I planned to meet Dake on Tuesday. I headed down through the Eastern Townships and into Maine at a small border crossing. Then it was onward until I found a spot to camp that satisfied me. The first couple of spots didn't make the grade, nor did the detours I tried while looking for a primo spot. Of course after all that the right spot just appeared in front of me; the Kennebec River Brewery (and campground) just south of the Forks. I popped in and booked a site, then sat down to sample their summer ale (Let 'er Drift). Delicious! I spent some time using the wifi there, had some food, and then headed down to the campsite to set up for the night. I had a couple of videos to edit and get online so I sat with a beer and took care of that. Then I realized I had no signal at the campground so the upload had to wait for the morning.

Tuesday was another wet morning (it had rained on and off since the previous Saturday) but there were hints of blue sky to the east and it had been quite a few years since I'd been on the Maine Atlantic coast so I ignored the GPS and made my way to Belfast. It's a pretty spot, and as it turns out it has a great VW shop & a healthy VW camper community. It wasn't more than a few minutes after parking that someone came up to say hi and talk Vanagonese with me.. loved it.

Parked at the Atlantic Ocean a little south of Belfast Maine

Lunch in Traci's diner, a stroll, a little tourist time along the coast and then it was time to head back inland toward Liberty. I was now at the point where I'd been using up my onboard propane for close to two weeks so I was keeping an eye open for places to refill. I was also without my stereo and the interior power was weak so I was starting to think about how to fix the "house" power (the battery and electrical system that powers everything related to camping vs driving).

On both counts I came up empty. I did reach Liberty though and found my way to Dake's place. To be honest it was actually an emotional moment and I felt a very deep satisfaction at having the honour. So I guess this is the time to tell the background story…

I'd never met Dake, didn't know him and he didn't know me. We both belong to a group that discusses Vanagons and the various things that need attending to. I had put out a question about the tiny ice cube trays they came with (mine didn't have any) and out of the blue came an offer from a stranger to send me one. I'm not sure what words to use to describe how I felt when I laid eyes on it, "cute" certainly comes to mind. I can say it's gotten a lot of use since then! And every time I put ice in my scotch from that little tray I have thought about what a generous gesture that was. So… I was kinda in the right area and I kinda had the time and I kinda wanted to meet this person so I definitely arranged a visit.


Dake and his lady-friend Mariah live on the edge of Steven's Pond, in a lovely house well down near the end of the road.It suits them well I think, and I know it made for a nice spot to park my camper for the night. After introductions, handshakes, a beer (from Kennebec of course!) Dake gave me the tour of the area. It involved a kayak (Dake) and a canoe (me) and an hour or so of just paddling about. Wonderful.

Some dinner and conversation, and then some bourbon (with tiny ice cubes of course!) to celebrate the moment. I'm sitting here days later writing about it and I still have a smile on my face when I think about the evening… we talked about all sorts of things, got to know each other a little, and had a blast. I look forward to continuing the conversations and the friendship that came about that evening. All thanks to a simple, generous gesture.

Thank you Dake.

Dake pulled out some glasses from the family campground for the occasion

Well, and then it was back on the road. This was a road trip after all. More to come.