July 10: Dark and Stormy Night
It was a dark and stormy night—literally! Today’s ride from Winnipeg started off uneventfully with reasonably good weather, decent roads, and views of a variety of pretty lakes. However, as evening hit, dark storm clouds blanketed the sky, covering any vestige of a moon. Thunder and lightening cracked, rain poured down, and fog wafted through the air. I guess it was appropriate given my destination for the night was Thunder Bay.
Over the last two days the topography has been rather flat. Starting out in Calgary the landscape was primarily agricultural. I passed livestock grazing on grass, bales of hay rolled up and ready to be moved, and a beautiful variety of green- and yellow-colored fields. The second half of the stretch yesterday became more industrial, with large metal factories spewing a variety of rather strong fumes into the air.
Leaving Winnipeg this morning the surroundings became woodier, with vast swaths of evergreen trees punctuated by a variety of small and medium dark blue colored lakes. A variety of marinas, RV parks, and resorts surrounded the lakes. Towns were few and far between as was any supply of gas, making it necessary to plan again for fuel.
Overall, the ride was rather pleasant as the road was in great condition and I was able to relax, think thoughts of gratitude, pray, and sing. I stopped in the town of Kenora for gas and decided to spend a few minutes relaxing in the sun at their picturesque lake.
Once night hit, however the tenor changed. The thick dark clouds covering the moon as well as the complete lack of any lighting on the side of the road made visibility poor. Once the rain started coming down and fog began to waft up from the road it became worse. Add to that the thick layer of dead bugs on my face shield and windshield as well as the absence of clearly painted lines in the middle or side of the road and what had been an annoyance became a hazard.
My options were limited as I could see no safe places to pull over and there were no towns with any businesses open for the last three hours of my ride. I decided upon a strategy I have used in the past – find a semi going at a good pace and follow its taillights from a distance – close enough to see the lights but not close enough to get hit by the water and mud spraying from its back wheels. Thoughts of dinner or a bathroom break went out the window and I just focused on arriving at my destination safely.
Now that I’ve made it to Thunder Bay, I have a little more time to slow down and enjoy what promises to be quite a few beautiful riding days. I’ve traveled through five different time zones in the last six days but won’t be losing an hour again for a few more days. I’m hopeful that I will be able to reach a total of 8 time zones this month between Alaska and the French islands of St. Pierre Miquelon.
