Next Ride, South Shore Lake Superior

Check out our South shore ride in September 2014.

Click here to see South Shore blog

Maps of the Ride

Here are maps and links to data collected during our ride. Once and awhile data recording doesn't work as expected, or maybe user error, so don't be upset with funny looking numbers.

Day 1, Superior, WI to Tettagouche State Park

Day 2, Tetagouche to Grand Portage, MN

Day 3, Grand Portage, MN to Mirror Lake Campground, ONT

Day 4, Mirror Lake to Gravel River

Day 5, Gravel River to Neys

This is a case of missing data. The last several hours of the trip didn't save properly. I manually put in the time, distance and estimated elevation gain. However, the map ends short of our destination. This was our first of two really hilly days.

Day 6, Neys to White River

Day 7, White River to Wawa

Day 8, Wawa through Lake Superior Park to Pancake Bay Park

Day 9, Pancake Bay to Sault Ste. Marie, MI

Day 10 was a quiet car ride home.

Done

In case you were wondering, it is about 658 miles from the Holiday Inn in Superior, to the Holiday Express in Sault Ste Marie, MI.
It was a tough last leg.




Summary of our ride data follows:

Top of last hill

Downhill into the wind, to the border.

Lunch stop

No good photos. 25 to go.

Day 9, scattered showers, but sun

Looks like a good day on bikes. Leaving about 930.

Photos from Day 8

1. Pancake bay sunset
2. Shore line, I could hardly hold my bike up because of the wind.
3. Looking back downhill towards Montreal River.
4. Two shots from Montreal River bridge.
5. Three shots working up part of the hill North of Montreal River.

Pancake Bay, end of day 8

Made it. Long day. 91 miles. Near 5000 feet of climbing. Two of the three of us didn't think we would make it today. My knee may not move tomorrow for as much as it hurt earlier today. However after about 3 pm and raising my seat life got better. Mostly a tailwind, sometimes must have been over 25, that helped.

Lunch stop, Day 8, 1 pm

Weather has improved. About 50. 40 miles behind us and about 2000 feet of climbing done. Going to be a good day. Eating at Katherine cove, right on the lake.

Day 8, departure just after 8am

A kettle bike maintenance. Departing soon.

Day 8

For those who haven't checked out the garmin maps for Tuesday, this is why we are a little nervous. Some because of the hills, some because of the extra miles.

End of day 7

Today was easy and hard. The hard was just dealing with the light rain and mid-40 temps. We chose to stop about 15 miles short of our plan to dry off and have a warm place to sleep.

We completed 60 miles, with tailwind most of the way. Averaged 12.7 mph. Only 1500 feet of elevation gain.

Tomorrow will be our hardest day. If we meet our goal, we will be celebrating. Lots of climbing, all day. Won't have to worry about sweating because it will be cool.

Not many pictures because of the rain.

Rain

46 degrees and tailwind. 27 miles So far. Noon

Gray day 7

Not a great forecast. We'll see where the day takes us. Rolling out after 8. Pick up done supplies. Then departing.

Day 6, Night of comfort

We are staying at a motel in White River tonight. The room is a suite. Shower felt really good without having to worry about normal outdoor camp site stuff. Gear drying all over the room or just airing out. Actually rooms, there are about 4 or 5. Including kitchen, which we will using for icing joints.

Charlie

Rivers, lakes, woods

Endless road with lots of rivers and lakes today, crystal clear waters

Leah and amber

Girls, That's a ski doo, they make them in Canada...cool huh?

Making good time

If you look off to the left in this photo you can see the burnt out woods. The next 15 miles, for as far as you could see had been burnt down. Just small trees coming back up. Must have been tens or hundreds of thousands of acres burnt.
Glad we weren't here then.

Charlie mentioned the wolf earlier, but I thought it was incredible. It walked out onto the road about 50 yards ahead of us, saw us and went back in. It was big.

At a motel in white river, figured dropping temps and threats of thunderstorms tonight it was a good idea. Made our 74mi we needed to keep on track.

Dan now has my Achilles problem, Charlie a bit of a aching knee, I'm good on the bike, just not off it.

We all can see the end being a reality now.

Dad, ice in the sleeping bag made the difference....

John

Almost there

Day 6 lunch stop

White Lake Provincial Park. 50 miles behind us, about 20 to go. last photo from Cigar Lake.

Sunny day in the 60's. Some tailwind. Not too hilly. John is really cranking today, me just a little tired. Lunch will help.

Leaving for the start of day 6, 9:15

John and Tammy are great hosts.

Wolf

Dan and John saw a wolf head for the woods. I missed it so we have to find another.

Food

This is so much better than oatmeal...getting fueled up for the day. A climb out of here to start, but nothing like yesterday. 60s and s/se winds today.

Tomorrow they're calling for n winds at 15-20, and we're heading s tomorrow!

N wind here means cold tomorrow, and rAin though. Can't have it all, that would be cheating.

Iced the ankle last night, feels better already.

Gotta eAt, the guys have cleaned their plates already, we eat like its a speed contest every time..

John Dan charlir

Day 5 camp

Directly across the road from the provincial park. All the services we need.

Leaving day 4 camp site

Our location was Gravel River. Frosty temps rose quickly with the sunshine. We were toasty by mile 4 at the bottom of the first hill.

Fatigue

Really, we didn't put the name (Dan) on the sign officer.

Dan and Charlie gone

I had a bad end to the day and just suddenly could not go anymore. I told them to go ahead and rode a few by myself.... Probably good. Made our mileage with about 5000 ft of climbing and a 10 mph headwind.

In nets prov. park now. Showers/ food / laundry!

Tomorrow looks to be much less climbing and hopefully the nagging hamstring for me goes away.

No quitting now, only 3 full days left.

John

Delerious

Dan was a bit deleterious after the hills and misunderstood the sign, the locals were not impressed.

For Andy

Day 5 camp

Near Neys provincial park.
71 miles, lots of ups and downs, 4700 feet of climbing.

Snack stop

Needed a break at 50 miles.

Day 5, Coasting to the top

Dan and John just topping the hill, second one for the day.