Day 4 – August 9, 2010 – Kenora update
I haven’t mentioned the wildlife in any of my post. I haven’t seen anything different than what I have in Toronto. There are a lot of crows. I stopped traffic on the way out of Sault Ste. Marie because an indecisive black squirrel stopped in the middle of road about 10 metres ahead of me. I held up traffic for a few seconds and then got tired of waiting for the squirrel to do something. I loud rev of my engine brought him back from his daydreaming and he scooted off the road. I saw a chipmunk play chicken on the Trans Canada. It has gone on to tell its tale to its kids, thankfully. And finally, I saw another chipmunk at the Terry Fox monument. Oh, and the hawks are always circling above farmers’ fields, open meadows, and sometimes over the forest. I have lots of moose and deer warning signs, but not a trace of them. I guess that's a good thing, though.
After last night’s storm I had dinner and a beer at the hotel restaurant. The beer meant that I couldn’t ride for the remainder of the day, so I haven’t seen anything of Kenora.
It will be a short ride today – about two and a half hours to Winnipeg. The forecast for Winnipeg is a comfortable 32 C and severe thunderstorms this afternoon. I guess I will start off the ride with my gear covered in tarp. Yesterday I wore my Gore-Tex (because of the wind) and my cooling bandana. That wound up being the perfect balance. Right now in Kenora it’s 18 C, so I will be cold on the highway without my Gore-Tex.
Check in time at the hotel is 3 pm, but I’m sure that if I show up early, in the rain, and wearing my helmet, they will let me check in early.
