Heyden

[After meeting the Whitfords], the sun is high, getting hotter (33º) and we still have a few hills to climb, albeit much easier hills than the past 2 days. The combination of not totally recovering from yesterday’s heat and exercise, I was starting to feel it. We stopped at a restaurant for a break. The waitress, Penny Drimeau, was very sweet — she brought us a huge pitcher of water (I had 7 tall glasses!) and Marv and I shared a blueberry pie with two scoops ice cream. She kept coming back to talk about what we were doing. Then she reported that the manager, Wilfred Neyland, gave us the lunch free (Trapper Table, Pancake Bay).

Onward we went along the shores of Lake Superior. The huge rocks previously seen had now changed to lovely sand beaches and I guess the water is warmer in these bays.

I was feeling worse and worse. The legs kept on working but each time we stopped, I felt more tremulous and was getting a little worried about making it to the next motel which we had been told had a couple of hills, one being named the Mile High Hill. By this time, any little exertion left me puffing. We stopped in some shade and I knew I was in trouble.

Now around 5:30 and it didn’t seem to be cooling off. we stopped at a swimming area. I sat down and Marv asked a woman who came to a truck if she could help out.

She took charge. She put me in the air conditioned truck, she and her friend helped Marv load up the 2 bikes, her St. Bernard and we took off with her friend riding in the back. Dropping off her dog, she informed her husband who owns a tow service and she drove us approximately 17-20k to a motel. They were just wonderful. This woman used to work on CBC Radio, has many subtitles as a design consultant plus. would have loved to talk to her some more but all we could think of was getting in our room.

Later, we spent the evening trying to figure out how we could prevent this happening again.l Sure didn’t like feeling that vulnerable. One of the reasons we kept pushing it and passing up some beautiful spots to stay was an interview scheduled with a newspaper in Sault Ste. Marie tomorrow at 2pm. Somehow, logic was not functioning in this heat.

WHAT A DAY.

Marv’s version of the events.

The day began with a 5 km cycle uphill for breakfast. While we were eating breakfast, we met Warren Lees, an auto worker and Don Adolph, a former Bank of Canada employee. Great conversation. Later on the ride we pulled into a rest area and met the Whitfords. The morning saw plenty of conversation which delayed our start until about 11am.

As we began our journey for the day it was now very hot. A stop at 1:30pm produced another “random act of kindness.” The restaurant owner Wilfred Neyland of Trapper’s Table at Pancake Bay gave us a free lunch in support of our ride.

We struggled on. The sun beat down relentlessly. We stopped regularly consuming as much water as possible.

We stopped at a rock face for shade. We were both hugely affected by the heat. After a few minutes we cycled to a campground looking for a rescue truck to take us to the nearest motel.

We found one, Holly Hughes from Gaulois River. She took charge putting Loretta in the air conditioned cab, putting the bikes in the truck, and driving us to a motel. Another random act of kindness.