Day 11 Upsala to Thunder Bay, Ontario

Today I didn't derive a lot of pleasure from my ride but my sense of achievement more than made up for that. I didn't particularly want to stay in the dive of a motel in Upsala I was staying at so I inhaled a muffin and headed out into the rain at 6 am. The high today was only 12 degrees so my hands and feet went numb by around the 70 km mark. I stopped at all 3 rest stops between Upsala and Thunder Bay but the only way to stay warm was to pedal like hell, so that's what I did. The legs feel strong now as I was able to pedal through some intermittent headwinds. I may be 54 but I have the strength and stamina of a 53 year old!

I made it to Thunder Bay around noon and got myself a room in the stately old Prince Arthur Hotel for $15 more than the dive in Upsula. I have a splendid view of the lake, mountains, laker boats, city, marina, grain elevator, skateboard park and old train station. I might just stay here for July 1.

Today's milestones included:

- crossing into the Eastern time zone; I have crossed 2 on this trip
- passing the western extreme of the Atlantic watershed, which means that all streams and rivers east of that point flow into the Atlantic
- my first glimpse of Lake Superior. Impressive.

It was a bit rainy even for the wildlife; all I saw today was a fox.

Today's ride was dedicated to my employer, McGill University and in particular my boss, Louise Savard, for understanding how much this project means to me and for being flexible around the scheduling. Thanks a million.

Sorry about the late posting of Day 10. I have been unable to get a signal since Dryden. For those who may bother to check numbers (like my CA buddy Gil)please note that the trip distance may exceed the daily totals because at the end of each day I sometimes do short rides that add to the odometer's total.

Today's distance: 127.8 km.
Average speed: 24.4 km.
Trip distance to date: 1296.5 km.