Facts and Figures

The view out my window in Pitcon Harbor, Ontario


Elora, Ontario mill and falls


The new epitome of a "flowerbed"



Dennis leading the pack!


As we near the last week of the trip, here are some facts and figures.
I have ridden in two countries, seven states and two provinces. Three of the states begin with the letter M. I have been in four time zones and gotten wet at the beaches of three Great Lakes. I have put about 1600 miles on my bike thus far and only had four flats of my own, but have changed many tubes and tires over the past 6+ weeks. We have a two-hour dinner 5 out of every nights, as a group of 30 really wrecks havoc on some small town restaurants and kitchens. I think Dave and I have put about 7500 miles on the van and still have to get back to Denver. This part of Canada has many towns that were created in the middle to late 1700's.
The past two days we have followed the Waterfront trail across parts of Ontario, along the shores of Lake Huron. The following surfaces were varied and exciting, loose gravel, packed gravel, chip and seal, sand, asphalt, concrete, boardwalk, paving stones, and fortunately, there wasn't any glass or construction materials. The path also went through small towns, through forests, along marinas and harbors, through a fairly large city of Kingston, close to mills, manufacturing plants, prisons, state buildings and offices, near college campuses, a great deal of farm land, and along the lake and St. Lawrence Seaway. Quite an adventure and I guess that is why it is called Timberline Adventures.
We have seen a variety of resources being cultivated, wheat, corn, soy beans, potatoes, sugar beets, carrots, onions, alfalfa, hay, sunflowers, canola, lavender, malt, barley, grapes, blue berries, strawberries, raspberries, and many types of berries grown in a specific region, lumber, llamas, horses, cattle, sheep, goats, chickens, oil, wind, solar power, water power.

The following thoughts are from another writer, but do cover the gamut of the feelings I have. "Thought I'd comment on our group's in-the-moment thoughts about this adventure. Sort of a seventh inning stretch, if you will. Most of us clearly had major trepidations about signing up for a two-month extended pedal. While many of us had done long trips, this one will be the longest journey for all of us. First and foremost, is to state the obvious -- this is a great group of people -- accomplished in so many ways -- who are gracious to a fault making everyone feel a part of this great ride. The upbeat feel, the positive attitude has spread like a disease. We laugh, we kid, we help each other, we drink 3 milkshakes in a day, we ham it up for photos, we buy each other drinks, and we are having a blast. We are living 'in a bubble' and more than a few have expressed major trepidations about, you guessed it, having to rejoin the real world. Maybe this experience is teaching us that disconnecting, almost totally, from the day-to-day may be the big positive delight of the trip. Yes, it's refreshing to be recharged. Very!"

The experience has been a daily grind with early morning wakeup calls and an opportunity of a lifetime, which I will remember forever and friendships made that will last for many years to come. Thanks for the memories.

Best wishes to each of you and thanks for your support and encouragement.

Dennis