Day 3

July 22. Great day! Got a late start because of all the cleanup I had to do from yesterday. Everything (almost everything) was dry, but I had to refold and repack it all, this time in a way less likely to result in soggy underwear in the event of a hard rain.

While I was loading up the bike, a whole bus load of Chinese tourists were getting ready to saddle up. They were chattering away like a flock of grackles. One guy was doing his Tai Chai exercises in the parking lot. All in all the whole thing made me think of what the public ward room in an asylum for the convivially insane must be like.

What a ride! 503 miles finally landing me in Kenora, Ontario. Again with the last room at the inn. This is getting a little nerve wracking.

Canada route 17 (King's Highway 17) is now one of my favorite roads. Beautiful views off the highway of Lake Superior, deep blue as can be. Here's what you guys are missing:




It was cold when I left this morning (long underwear and chaps cold). The chaps stayed on until early afternoon, the underwear all day, and it was late afternoon before it was comfortable without a jacket.

Some construction, including a long stretch of temporary gravel. The headlights were intact afterwards, so either the guards worked or didn't get hit.

Tips and tricks. When they say take bug spray to the North, take it! I wouldn't have been able to get these pictures without (gnats big as house flies, I swear to god). And take a helmet with a face shield. I did by accident (a funny story I'll tell you all when I get back). And I'm glad I did. Big things keep hitting me in the face, big ugly things.

Once last neat thing. Saw a big dead moose along the side of the road, biggest mess of road kill I ever saw. I was going to stop and get a picture but when I started thinking about the size of whatever scavenger would take to that size meal, I decided to pass.