Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Day 50 – Distance: 69.05 km
Shelburne to Holland Marsh, ON
Well, it’s hard to believe things could get better, but this truly was the best day of this trip. I slept in until about 7:20, and got up for a healthy cereal and eggs breakfast. Chris, Hilda and Doug arrived about 8:30, and we all decided we liked the sound of the “fast” hills route suggested by Bob, the friend of the Cruickshank’s. We set off, again to a perfect temperature, and wind in our backs. We were fairly evenly matched, pace wise (or at least the others let me think so), and we were often able to ride two abreast so we could do a bit of chatting. The roads were paved, winding and only somewhat hilly, but with a few great downhills (Chris reached 72 km per hour), and some challenging climbs. I thought I should make up some of my mileage missed previously by climbing up one of the most challenging hills in Ontario, but fortunately Doug said he was willing to do the first leg of it only. They were about a km ahead of me by the time we reached that section, and I was trying to figure out what in the world had got into me for suggesting it! I think it was the headiness of the fast hills we had just come down.
We stopped for a little break in Hockley, at a microbrewery, so of course had to try some of their beer. So what if it was only 11:00 a.m.! We shared one can only, so felt quite safe to keep riding…. Shortly after we left, John Maxwell found us. The poor man had driven to Shelburne, along the route I had said we were planning to take, and then had driven back to Holland Marsh to Joan and Harm’s house. He had decided he would come back to Shelburne one more time, along the route indicated, and had just about given up when he saw four cyclists coming toward him. It was delightful to see him, but I felt badly he had had to work so hard to find us. I had assumed he wouldn’t be leaving Orillia until later (even in the afternoon), and so had not phoned him back with the exact route. Sorry, John! However, we did have a good chat, and John joined us for lunch in Beeton. We also managed to arrive just in time to see the steam train pull in from Tottenham. Another serendipitous moment.
After we left Beeton, I started to get serious about wanting to get to Holland Marsh. We got onto some county roads, and as we got closer and closer, I felt more and more like a horse coming into the home stretch. I had tears in my eyes by the time we finally reached the driveway, and the others allowed me to go ahead so I could greet Joan and daughter Sarah on my own. We all enjoyed drinks and snacks, then Harm brought the others back to Shelburne to pick up their vehicle. Meanwhile, my parents arrived from Brampton, and I got to cry a little more. Finally, after supper, Nory arrived with her friends Tina and Shaye on their way home from Stratford, and then also Robin. Later, we all sat around the big kitchen table and helped Sarah make wedding favours, which I truly enjoyed as I won’t be able to be at the wedding on the 27th. At least this way I could participate in a small way. My day was complete; my cup was full
Shelburne to Holland Marsh, ON
Well, it’s hard to believe things could get better, but this truly was the best day of this trip. I slept in until about 7:20, and got up for a healthy cereal and eggs breakfast. Chris, Hilda and Doug arrived about 8:30, and we all decided we liked the sound of the “fast” hills route suggested by Bob, the friend of the Cruickshank’s. We set off, again to a perfect temperature, and wind in our backs. We were fairly evenly matched, pace wise (or at least the others let me think so), and we were often able to ride two abreast so we could do a bit of chatting. The roads were paved, winding and only somewhat hilly, but with a few great downhills (Chris reached 72 km per hour), and some challenging climbs. I thought I should make up some of my mileage missed previously by climbing up one of the most challenging hills in Ontario, but fortunately Doug said he was willing to do the first leg of it only. They were about a km ahead of me by the time we reached that section, and I was trying to figure out what in the world had got into me for suggesting it! I think it was the headiness of the fast hills we had just come down.
We stopped for a little break in Hockley, at a microbrewery, so of course had to try some of their beer. So what if it was only 11:00 a.m.! We shared one can only, so felt quite safe to keep riding…. Shortly after we left, John Maxwell found us. The poor man had driven to Shelburne, along the route I had said we were planning to take, and then had driven back to Holland Marsh to Joan and Harm’s house. He had decided he would come back to Shelburne one more time, along the route indicated, and had just about given up when he saw four cyclists coming toward him. It was delightful to see him, but I felt badly he had had to work so hard to find us. I had assumed he wouldn’t be leaving Orillia until later (even in the afternoon), and so had not phoned him back with the exact route. Sorry, John! However, we did have a good chat, and John joined us for lunch in Beeton. We also managed to arrive just in time to see the steam train pull in from Tottenham. Another serendipitous moment.
After we left Beeton, I started to get serious about wanting to get to Holland Marsh. We got onto some county roads, and as we got closer and closer, I felt more and more like a horse coming into the home stretch. I had tears in my eyes by the time we finally reached the driveway, and the others allowed me to go ahead so I could greet Joan and daughter Sarah on my own. We all enjoyed drinks and snacks, then Harm brought the others back to Shelburne to pick up their vehicle. Meanwhile, my parents arrived from Brampton, and I got to cry a little more. Finally, after supper, Nory arrived with her friends Tina and Shaye on their way home from Stratford, and then also Robin. Later, we all sat around the big kitchen table and helped Sarah make wedding favours, which I truly enjoyed as I won’t be able to be at the wedding on the 27th. At least this way I could participate in a small way. My day was complete; my cup was full
posted by BikingBabe at 12:41 PM
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