Life On a Rim

2 pics to tide you over

2011-10-05T19:29:00.000-06:00

Until we all get back together and merge pics from our cams.

We made it!

2011-10-03T09:11:00.000-06:00

We finally have made it across the country! We're sorry for not updating more frequently in the past month. Not posting in awhile has made the idea of doing a picture upload or large post daunting. So we will be doing a large post when we get back into Calgary, instead of here on this little netbook.

St. John's has been pretty amazing so far. We have met some fantastic people and been shown a great time. We definitely have some good stories to tell people when we get home.

Sitting outside the maritimes

2011-09-20T08:03:00.000-06:00

Having breakfast with my two favorite travel companions. Okay, my only two travel companions. Looking out the window at our 7th province to conquer, New Brunswick! 6 provinces in 4 months. The last 4 in 2 weeks. No Problem. We took refuge in a motel last night to gain the strength for our last leg of the trip. Really I would call it a sprint. With no more days off till we hit Newfoundland we could be there by the end of the month. With the finish line almost so close I can taste it, about 1000 km's left, my wary legs have new vitality. The hills look less hilly, the road not quite as long and the air sweetened with the smell of the Atlantic.

One final advantage, crossing the bridge to N.B. also means we will once again be able to understand those around us. As well as, gain a little more information from the picture books, also known as "news papers", as English will once again become the dominant language.

With a look to the sky and hope for blue sky's and a tail wind, we ride.

Joe

2011-09-11T12:30:00.000-06:00

The boys have made it to Montreal. The land of the flowing poutine, the smoked meat sandwhichs, where the consumption of beer in parcs is normal, and everywhere one looks...there are foxy foxy ladies....and of course me, the lil Jess! Yep these boys sure do smell. I wouldnt have it any other way. Being on the road for monthsssssss and stinking up my house with their stench..ya i get it. they are allowed to be smelly. I strive to provide Joe with a smile on his face at all times, and following this i hope cody and bobby laughed lots too! I hope this short wee visit has refreshed them and to give them that lil extra uuump to get back on the road and head east east east! Now get the fuck outta here or as joe would say...gtfo.

love ya guys thanks for the visit that was clearly waaaay too long and yous overstayed your visit....

and for peoples who know me(Jess) and joe...there will be a fight to our deaths in 2 years. Joe has challenged me...and i will prevail and eat his heart....please stay tuned!

oh and mali says.....i woooooveeeeee wOOooOooOOOooooOos

To where we go and how we get there.

2011-08-30T21:48:00.001-06:00

Your three intrepid heroes; C-Dog, B Money, and I, Joe Fresh, have planned our escape from Toronto. With a Patriotic eye cast at our nations capital, we set our tires for go. An apparent yellow brick road is yet again laid at our feet. The sand trails of the TCT keep echoing in my mind. Water Front Trail to La Route Verte is rumored to be a cyclists dream. With such a great ride behind us. Starting at Velorution, a unique bike shop with an emphasis on community, we sailed to TO. The rest of the almost 4000 km left in our journey East look quite promising. Crossing a province every few days will also be a great moral boost.

Once again, people continue to surprise us. After rolling in to Espanola far to late, we were stuck for a place to sleep and appealed to the local EMS unit for a spot in their back lot. Not a moment hesitation on their part and a gracious offer of water and toilet, really made our night. Thanks again Zach and Nick!

And a final, and huge, thank you to our host in " The Big Smoke", Bobbi Dedman! We feel recharged and ready to hit some more hills.

Joe

Pics of Ontario so far

2011-08-20T22:07:00.000-06:00

More Here , Here and Here

Currently in Sault Ste. Marie at an awesome place called Velorucion. Will post about it soon

Tunder Bay [sic]

2011-08-12T08:57:00.000-06:00

We have been traveling in Ontario ( ie the center of the universe), for the past week. We have seen more and had more challenges than all of the prairies. With a hill every twenty feet, narrow shoulders seemingly at random and construction behind every turn, it has been exciting. After a much needed day off in Thunder Bay, we are preparing for bigger challenges to come. Evidently, all the hills we have been hitting haven't been big enough ( I think they have been). After hitting the half way mark across Canada, it has been easier to see the finish line. With such foresight we are able to re-think our gear. Leaving the uncertainty of B.C., and the bleakness of the plains, we can now discard most of the non essentials. A glorious day to be sure. Less weight also means less broken spokes, which I have busted two of already.
We start heading east again after our day off. I think I am going to enjoy cruising by the Lakes for the next while. Who knows, I might even get cell service again.

Joe

Half Way Or Bust...

2011-08-05T13:45:00.000-06:00

We have passed the half way across Canada mark! Only a few.. thousand... kilometers left. On the bright side, cruising through the prairies has put us back on schedule. We are maybe an hour away from the Manitoba and Ontario border, and couldn't be happier. The plains, though flat, were quite boring. With that boredom came a few records for our trip. We passed the 150 km traveled in one day mark. Also, we reached 55 km/hr on flat ground (with a "slight" wind at our backs). As well as, most amount of water lost from extreme heat.
We would like to thank Simone, our lovely host in Winnipeg, who put us up for a couple of days so we could rest and get a few things fixed up. And with that a thank you to Christine for for putting us in contact with Simone and swinging by on her way to Ontario.
We are looking forward to Ontario. More hilsl, yes, but there will also be more scenery!

Joe

Some Pics and Milestones

2011-07-27T00:01:00.000-06:00

Myra Canyon

The TCT messing with us

Pool in Osoyoos(we knew someone ;P)

Above Christina Lake on the TCT

Trail on the way to Castlegar

BC...finito!

Alberta Foothills

Joe+Alcohol+McDonald's

Enjoying the scenery in Saskatchewan

Stayed on some amazing people's property in Mortlach(read Bobby's earlier post)

Some pics and milestones from the last couple weeks. Might re size them later. We did a pic dump of Cody's and Bobby's camera. You can see them by clicking the links below

PICS(Cody)

PICS(Bobby)

Confirmation That Love Is All Around

2011-07-26T10:32:00.001-06:00

Over past couple of months there has been one recurring theme to me as myself and two close friends travel across this amazing country of ours. To me this theme is the inherent goodness of man (or woman if you want to get PC about it). I have personally never done much traveling outside of my Albertan bubble and had never really wanted to for that matter, not because I was ignorant to the rest of the world's existence but because I perceived myself to be happy enough in my day to day life that travel wasn't really necessary to look for something I hadn't realized I lost. After a lot of thinking time on this topic however (you have nothing but time to think when you ride a bicycle for 8 hours a day) I realized I had lost something in the dull routine of my particular day to day. I had lost my passion for exploration, my energy flow as it were, or as a very interesting group of people we met just the other day had put it, I had lost my synchronicity. Where for no reason at all a chain of events that may appear completely random as they are happening, are all conspiring together to lead you in a certain direction at just the appropriate time to meet a certain person or take you to a certain destination where your mind and heart start to expand to ingest this information and energy as it were to bring us to the realization of LOVE. This may sound cheesy and corny but there is not any other way I can describe the utter elation I feel when meeting these incredible people, listening to there stories of life and experience and sharing our own. Being in the moment and truly listening to what these people have to say, and almost feeling (even though you had just met this person) like you have known them all your life. Like catching up with an old friend you hadn't seen in years.

It has always been a dream for me to see the rest of Canada, I had never contemplated how I was going to do it and now could not imagine doing it any other way than on a bicycle. It is a ton of hard work and there had been many times in the early going, when if not for my two great travel companions I would have tucked tail and headed for home. Saying this is too hard, I can't do this. I think because it is so hard is what makes it so rewarding, knowing the universe is conspiring in your favor to help you succeed (even if you are not) sending exactly the right people at the right times to help guide you on your way, to give the good 'ol pep talk as it were to push forward and carry on with your dreams, to truly affirm what you are doing is special and will help in any way necessary, to help you complete your personal legend and dreams. LOVE is all around us! all we have to do is open our minds as well as our hearts to every moment to see it. I finish this post with a quote that I read yesterday which I believe speaks of how truly connected we all are and all we have to do is wake up and recognize it. Here goes.................

"There is no such thing as a 'self made' person.We are made up of thousands of others! Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us, or spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the make-up of our character and of our thoughts, as well as our success" -George Matthew Adams
In closing i guess what I'm trying to say is THANK-YOU EVERYONE for being who you are, helping in what ever way you can, and contributing to the greater good for every one's sake. God Bless

-Bobby

Herbert. Remember it!

2011-07-24T10:11:00.001-06:00

Sitting in the kitchen of a lovely couple, Ron and Kate. Letting a hardy breakfast settle and great conversation brew. How did we end up here? Great question. After another 130km day we roll in to a quaint little town with food on our minds. At what multitasks as a Chinese restaurant and everything else eatery, Kate befriends us, offering a spot in her garden for us to sleep. We had our eye on the local campground and decided to check it out first before accepting the local hospitality. A short, yet heated, argument over the price of a couple of tents, by the train tracks no less! Encouraged us to revisit Kate's generous offer. A few laughs, great conversation, a funny movie (a luxury on this trip) and the recognition of kindred spirits.

Walking around the house you would notice inspiring phrases like; Live, Laugh, Take the gentle path, Talk much, and Happiness. All quotes I view as important in my own life. I have no doubt we were meant to meet these people. Ron, soft spoken, sharp witted, shared his enduring battle with a multitude of cancers. Upbeat, no complaints and eternally grateful for what he has. He is an inspiration for me and should be for anyone going through the hardships of cancer.
A beautiful day, a full belly, and a re-appreciation for what I have. We set our sites to the Eastern horizon, is that Manitoba?

Joe

P.S. We are still accepting donations. Just follow the links on the donation page. It's quick, easy and helps make a world of difference!

Now we are cooking with bacon grease. Mmmmmmmmm bacon.

2011-07-20T10:44:00.000-06:00

We have finally hit our stride. Alberta will take us a total of 7 days of riding. Alberta-Saskatchewan boarder milestone hit! We had another proverbial summit. A 130km day ride in plus 40 degree heat, 55 degree radiant heat, no shade and boiling water in our bottles. If we can make it through that without wanting to quit, we aren't going to quit!
It's been wonderful crossing Alberta. A great turnout from friends and family. Such good food. Sooo much bacon and other deliciousness. Great support, and even more donations! My friends at ACS ( Allied Container Systems) have shined through with even more donations to our cause. The lovely ladies in Wardobe helped us out with a modification to a much needed tarp. I'm thinkin' of midday siestas, in the shade, to beat that relentless heat.
Thank you to the Hogg and Parks families for putting us up and feeding us like kings, and thank you mom. It was great to see you!

Joe

Fernie!

2011-07-09T23:37:00.000-06:00

Another 100+ kilometer day and we are now in Fernie! We should make Alberta tomorrow...finally. Anyways short post, need to get some sleep. Uploaded some pics you can browse our Picasa album by clicking the link below, or by clicking pictures from the panel above

PICS

New Record!

2011-07-07T12:53:00.000-06:00

We are GODS! Cooked it from Nelson to Creston in one day. 115 km, no big deal. Sure it is the first time we have hit the triple digits in a day. A big shout out to our friend the Mosquito. Without their support we would never have made to Creston in one day. What a great motivator.
After a relaxing 8 hour sleep we are off to the Kokanee Brewery for a delightful beer and maybe a tour.
Peace out Y'all!

Joe

Life Keeps Getting Better

2011-06-29T13:37:00.001-06:00

While relaxing in Kelowna I was wondering why I don't live there. Both tents set up backyard styles. Justin, our gracious host, gone for the weekend. We lounged on the "shitty" beach. Played 27 holes of Frolf. Life is going just fine, what a province.

We have seen more bears then we can shake a stick at, some even in stick range. Eagles, fish, marmots( a.k.a. Giant Gophers!), snakes (some with rattles), smelt many a skunk but have yet to see one...hmmm and several infestations. Taking the road less traveled is usually slower, but offers far more then any highway will give you.

We couldn't have made it this far with out the amazing kindness from strangers. After conquering the double summit coming out of Hope, Stephan and his lovely family gave us their camp site for the night and a fire to warm our drenched bones. Rolling in to Summerland John And Marcie shared their house and a fridge full of beer while swapping stories of adventure and travel. In Kelowna an old friend insisted we stay at his place and in Rock Creek a new friend to me, an old one to Bobby makes us feel at home. Perhaps it's our tired eyes at the end of a long day of travel, or perhaps Canada truly has the nicest people on the earth, or just maybe we smell so bad they believe they are humanitarians by offering us a shower! In any case we love them and the more people we meet the better this adventure gets.

Kelowna

2011-06-26T18:50:00.000-06:00

We are in Kelowna, we spent the weekend here as we had a free place to stay in the Okanagan with one of Joe's Good friends. It is really hard to turn down free accommodations in a place like this. That and we came down a huge hill to get here and the climb back up to the Trans Canada Trail on our bikes isn't very appealing. We will be leaving tomorrow though. We should be picking up the pace from this point on. A month and a half in BC is amazing, but it is depleting our money quickly and we need to get out of here and plow through the prairies to make up some time. Physically we have gotten a lot stronger so I believe we should be able to do it. Anyways, PICTURES! people love pictures!!

Climbing a summit in the rain, seems to be a trend with us

Tunnel on The Kettle Valley Railway

The smaller summit

John and his wife Marcie hosted us for a night, amazing people!

Trestles on the KVR

View of the Okanagan

Pierre and Caroline, also awesome people. Have been on a year long cycling honeymoon

Okanagan again

2011-06-22T11:42:00.003-06:00

We arrived in Summerland............ barely. After a game of chicken on a dirt/gravel road going downhill I found out that using the brakes on my bike is a terriffic idea! Too much speed and the lack of using said brakes ended up with me meeting the edge of a cliff and finding out that even a weighted down bike can catch some pretty good air! The bike faired a little better than myself, although the right side of my body is scratched up pretty good our spirits remained through the roof and we had an amazing day of riding. I found a great hiding spot behind a bushy tree, enough so Joe and Cody could only see my bike at the crash sight...........hahaha. We ran into some pretty amazing people in front of the local ice cream shop who offered us their basement for the evening so we ended up celebrating my survival at the local pub. Summerland, it seems is the capital of amazing people in BC and we would like to thank John and Marcie for all of their fabulous hospitality! Great ride, great people, great fun. Much more to come stay tuned for more exciting adventures..........................please. haha

Pictures!

2011-06-17T00:19:00.000-06:00

Sums up the last week

Service road at Chilliwack Lake

We've crossed way too much water on this trip

Hostel in Victoria

Camping along the river

Spent a day going up the pass and had to turn around

Hope or Die!

2011-06-16T19:36:00.004-06:00

At the moment Hope seems unattainable. A vortex has opened in Chilliwack that refuses to let us go. Spent three days, covering some 140 km of pure hell, just to arrive back in The Wack. All because of an impassable Pale Face Pass. Your intrepid heroes decided to bunker down and dig up a bit more info on this so called "Trans Canada Trail". The promise of no greater than 2.2% grades is enticing. The day long pushing loaded bikes up a dried creek bed on the other hand is a mean prank.

Pro Tip: Always enlist the knowledge of locals and more importantly, listen.

After resupplying, food, maps, hockey, beer, we were set for Hope. Bobby's foot on the other hand had other ideas. 1 low curb, 2 over corrects, a splash of sandal, stir for a blink of an eye and you got a two day delay. Don't worry! He's on the mend. A toe/heel injury is more unfortunate then fatal.

I also want to thank everyone who has helped along the way. Truly amazing people to meet in this country. A special shout out to The Vedder River Inn. Amazing people. I have never been treated so well.

Joe

We are Okay

2011-06-15T00:50:00.000-06:00

Having computer issues. Just thought we would try and let everyone know why we haven't been updating. Now to try and figure this out before it crashes again.

2011-06-06T22:29:00.001-06:00

Vancouver must have an evil power, expected to be here a night and it has progressed into 3. I can't wait to leave the city of Canuckle heads and there silly hockey team.(GO BRUINS GO!) Greater adventure awaits in the vast BC wilderness. We have finally decided to take the Trans Canada Trail and it should be a promising early exit from a hockey crazy city

2011-06-04T00:23:00.004-06:00

After a tough start in Nanaimo, horrible rains on the way to Tofino, there have been a lot of bright spots on the trip thus far. A great hill climb coming into Port Alberni.......... then my back rack falling off on the downhill on our way to Timmy's, which is still yet to be properly repaired (I did my best with zap straps), not great but manageable The highways were frightening on the way to Tofino, but the gelato in Ucluelet more than made up for the traffic that seemed to be mostly made up of porsches. The ocean waves were incredible on the Tofino beaches......... the wind however made playing Frisbee there a challenge.

Courtney was great getting to visit with Dean and Kelly before their pending nuptials in July, thanks a ton you two! We appreciate all the hospitality you showed our merry band of misfits. The ride to Victoria actually was much easier than expected, although we were not pushing ourselves all that hard. A wonderful couple took pity on us in Chimaneus where we spent the night on a beautiful ocean bay, in what they referred to as a cabin. I saw it as a Taj Mahal of sorts, our oasis in a time of need. Thank you to those who opened their hearts and home to us that evening. Mill Bay was a neat experience where we met a very nice elderly gentleman who informed us that we need not go over the Malahat (a nasty road on the way to Vic with a horrible climb on an almost no shoulder again). We took the ferry he suggested and feel great about the trail he had mentioned we should try. It was both beautiful and flat, so thank you random sir. The past couple of days spent in Victoria have been awesome with sunshine, pretty ladies and of course SUSHI! All we could eat and a three hour stomach ache later we recovered just fine. Absolutely fabulous! On our way back to Van tomorrow, not looking forward to leaving this great city but more adventure awaits..............Stay tuned.........................please =)

Victory!

2011-06-03T22:43:00.002-06:00

We have conquered the island! With our training ground finished we will head for the mainland. I now feel comfortable on the road and with the added weight to my ride. Mountains on the other hand, still suck. We have spent two days in Victoria. Enjoying some rare sun and the last we will see of the coast for the next 5 months.

Interesting note. Vancouver Island has gotten the most rainfall in recorded history this year.

A quick shout out to Sally and Mike who opened up their homes to us. We stayed in an awesome cabin overlooking a beautiful bay loaded with eagles and herons. Amazing and gracious.

Next stop. Van City and a butt load of mountains. Whoo mountains!

Across the Island

2011-05-30T01:05:00.001-06:00

We have made it to the west coast of the island! Took a little bit longer than anticipated with the varying levels of fitness amongst the three of us, but we did it. Highway 4 is a pretty intense highway to travel and we weren't anticipating how sketchy it would be. No shoulder, tons of blind corners and hills...lots of them. It was a pretty intense training ground. Anyways, we caught a ride with a friend to Courteny, because we didn't see a point in cycling the route twice.

Anyways thanks to our friend we have some steady wifi so we could make a post. Just need to figure out why we can't map our route. but, that is a problem for another day.

We will be leaving here in the morning to cycle to Victoria. Malahat here we come.

It's JCB,Joe, bobby, Cody...pervs

More pics here

2011-05-23T23:04:00.001-06:00

Holy cow! Lots has happened so I will keep it short and very sweet. Stopped in kelowna on the way to Van to see my grandparents. My grandpa isn't doing very well, so it was great to have a little visit before this epic journey. Van was a great experience with friends and our bikes officially way A MILLION POUNDS!!!!!!! Unofficially very [expletive deleted] heavy. All in all we are in good health and spirits and the bikes are performing thus far, stay tuned for our next wacky adventure ,please.