Claire, Tamara and Lucia made it to the coast yesterday evening after biking a momentuous 138 miles literally from the Quebec border to the ocean! Success!
We have agreed to write about different days and as we are all now in different places- it's unnerving but we're adjusting- they may be in a out of order. Apologies!
Lastly we want to thank all of our followers and readers for taking the time our of your own lives to check up on our adventure. We appreciate all of the support we've received, your interest, and we hope it was interesting to read!
Friday, August 13. Day 59 Rest Day in Ottawa City
I woke up at 7:30, prodded by an internal clock programmed for early mornings, and found myself alone in one of the upstairs rooms of Cathy's apartment. Claire and Tamara, who had stayed up watching Invictus, a flick about the South African rugby team post-apartheid, had abandoned me for the other room! I felt awkward and abandoned. They tried to convince me it was just so I wouldn't wake up. Even so I realized it was going to be rough to adjust to life not sleeping plastered between the tent wall and Tamara's butt.
Feeling only slightly miffed, I piled into the car along with the whole gang and headed to Parliament to watch the ceremonial changing of the guard. Any masculinity the officers might have gained from enlisting in the military was wholly negated by the large furred black hats included in the uniform. As the gold buttoned soldiers stepped stiffly across the lawn the hats shook. It was like watching over-sprayed 80s hairband coifs arranged in armed, marching rows. In a shout-out to Jarod, Chad and Chaz- negative man points.
We walked around Parliament for about an hour, trying on sculpture's hats, and checking out the view of the Ottawa River- Ottawa on one side, and the Quebec city Gatineau on the other. Afterwards, we walked down to the market area just passed the Chateau d'Laurier- a castle-like hotel I mistook for Parliament the day earlier. There we ate fresh raspberries, I bought excellent new suspenders, and we discovered Tucker's Market, an all you can eat buffet! Best. Salad Bar. Ever.
After stuffing ourselves with platefuls of veggies and stirfry, we payed, exited, and walked straight into a street performance on the corner. The performer, dripping sweat in Nike high tops and a red polo, shouted things like 'If you want to see this say oh yea!", explained that he'd been trained at Cirque du Soleil and then proceeded to twirl upside down in a giant hula hoop. It was incredible. It made Tamara giggle and say "Oh my god!" repetitively. Video posted above.
After donating to the street performer's life fund we explored the market shops, considered purchasing 'Jubblies' Cream' and spent about an hour in 'Lost Marbles'- the coolest shop I've ever been in. Not only did they have Tintin posters and a Michelle Obama doll, but also excellent bendable party moustaches and freezable ice-cube mold chili peppers.
This brings me to a brief point. Canada is obsessed with Barack Obama. They have Obama cookies, Obama photos everywhere, and well, action figures of his wife. In terms of celebrity status, he's giving Lady Gaga a run for her money in the northland.
That night we had lasagna for dinner, chatted with Cathy and took a few good looks at the map. We ambitiously planned to bike straight from Ottawa to Montreal, about 120 miles. We were debatably successful- a point Claire will elaborate on in her post.
Wednesday, August 18, Day 64 5 miles south of Quebec border- Simpson's Point (AKA THE OCEAN) Final day. 138.5 miles
The stars, a full Milky Way, and freezing weather were all out in full force when we sat up in our sleeping bags at 3:30 am. Claire listed off the various caffeinated beverages she planned to consume as we stuffed clothes, stove and pots into our bags and walked down the gravel path to the road. Fog hung above the lake, obscuring the mountains behind it. A logging truck drove by shaking with the force of its own speed, a high pitched whine from the metal tines on the truck bed slicing through the wind. We took to calling them death machines- almost ethereal, mythic in the billows of condensation that rose from their wheels, the eerie glow of tail and caution lights blurred to red and yellow colored streams as they rumbled past in the muted morning light.
Until about 8am our breath curled past our shoulders as we rode through the mountains. Construction workers in pickups and 4Runners drove to work as we climbed up to Sugarloaf. A cow moose munched slowly on the side of the road and then ambled back into the brush.
From the ski area we descended down the Carrabassett Valley- a good 30 or so miles to Farmington ME. Having arrived in Farmington at 11am we determined that we could in fact make it to the coast before dark, and breathed a bit easier. Claire ordered a coffee. The only thing that would slow us down at this point was our stomachs and the alarmingly fast rate at which they grew empty and then curled into hunger pangs.
The afternoon ride grew hot. We had left the almost fairytale feeling mountains- all wrapped up in the quiet of the morning and slanting light of the sun as it rose above the pine boughs. We conquered several steep rolling hills, bumping to an assortment of country and pop music from the antennae-less radio.
Exhaustion from the early start began to creep into my thighs and thoughts about 40 miles out. My hands ached from pressing against the handlebars. Just as I shouted to Tamara that I needed to refill my water bottles, I heard Claire shout "Miguel?", looked to my left and saw Miguel Reyes leaning out of a car window waving a bottle of Gatorade -- Wilson Dippo at the wheel. We pulled over at the side of the road and talked deliriously at them for about 20 minutes. I still don't think they know just how crucial their visit was. They had biked out just to encourage us. Seeing familiar faces made the coast feel closer and we pedaled on, re-invigorated.
We biked through Auburn-Lewiston, past Bates College campus and through the pot-holed strip mall streets of the city limits. A sign outside of Lisbon read:
Topsham 6
Brunswick 7
We rode silently then, too filled with anxious energy to talk to each other. Frankly, I was worried I would get over-excited and fall off my bike. It felt like we were on the edge of waking up from a dream, that vulnerable, liminal state where you feel that if you move to suddenly, jerk an arm or a leg, you will pull yourself out of sleep. The whole thing will fade from your mind as you lie there tangled in the sheets, grasping at the water-like memory of it falling from your palms. So we didn't talk. Claire bounced frenetically.
As we turned onto Simpson's Point road we biked three across, Tamara being insistent that we all arrive at the same exact time. At last the ocean appeared through the trees on our left and ahead we could see Shana, my girlfriend, waving from the boat launch in salmon capris, filming us on her camera. We wheeled our bikes slowly across the seaweed coated boatlaunch and whooped as Walnut, Rudi and Jamal touched the Atlantic! Then we stripped and ran into the water, and by ran, I mean stepped cautiously across the slimy boat launch, and then dove in all at the same time.
We had Thai food on the launch- Shana's treat!, Keith rolled up, stripped, and ran straight into the ocean to swim laps and deal with some pent-up excitement. We sat and talked for an hour, then packed up the bikes and headed for Gelatto fiasco- Keith's treat!
We are now back at school safe and sound. I don't think any of us quite know what to say about the trip yet. It was amazing, long and short. I know I, at least, have changed in some way since pouring a Nalgene of Pacific saltwater on the back wheel of my bike and starting this journey. But I can't quite locate it yet.
What we can say though, is it was epic. We met amazing people and saw the beauty (and the cornfields) of both the US and Canada. We learned our limits and a lot about each other. And mostly, we can say thank you, to our friends, our family and all of you who have kept up with our progress.
Special thanks especially to: the Beyond the Pines Fellowship, all parents, Amie and Danielle, Keith and Shana, the Asker family in Grangeville, ID , Chaz, Chad and Jarod, Dave and Agnes and Bob and Yvonne in Sudbury, Ontario, Coltin and Sam in North Bay, Ontario, Cathy in Ottawa Ontario, Jean Claude, Pascal, and Guiome in Montreal, and all others who wished us luck and safety or offered some other form of support. It wouldn't have happened without you.
We've had a great summer. Our final word- woop! woop! See you somewhere down the road.
Claire, Tamara and Lucia
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