Back Roads and Byways: Day 53 - Stayner to Gravenhurst - And Then We Pedalled...... Cross Canada 2015

July 25, 2015

Back Roads and Byways: Day 53 - Stayner to Gravenhurst

Great ride today all on rural backroads. Saw ONE semi early in the day going the opposite direction, bike to car ratio of about 1:1 (a couple of groups of racer chasers and one other Trans Canada tourer, Brent from Ottawa).

The above para does not include the last 2.7 km entering Gravenhurst where you are FORCED into highway 11 and to take the Gravenhurst turnoff you have to cross three lanes of very heavy freeway traffic! Another department of transport design to kill or maim cyclists. Ok, rant done. The other 97.6% of the ride was fantastic.

We were packed up and riding out of the Bible camp at 7:30, pretty impressive for is! We rode for all of 5 minutes and then pulled into a cafe in Stayner for breakfast, so our real cycling started at our more normal 8:30.

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Turns out Stayner was a good place to stay at there were very quiet country roads heading east that would take us well north of Barrie. We took the Sunnidale, Flos, Old Second Road and Mill St roads for almost 50 km's with virtually no car traffic. We did see a lot of other road bikers out for their Saturday rides though so we were obviously on the right track!

We passed through a couple of small towns, Phelpston with a very nice church built in 1865, older than Canada, and Hillsdale where we stumbled on an amazing second hand bike shop. Rolly Hallyburton and his helper Travis are rebuilding and refurbishing bikes and getting the kids in the area out on them! Great stuff!

This bridge had a 14 ton weight limit - this means no semi's - wonderful

Guinea Hens - these are the watch dogs of the African savannah - not sure what they are doing here but they were announcing our presence to anyone who would listen

The bike shop in Hillsdale - lots of choice!

Travis and Kirsten at the Hillsdale bike shop

Once we left Hillsdale we continued north east on the Moonstone Road, once again no real traffic to deal with. After about 10 km we had an overpass to get across Hwy 400, three lanes each way with pretty heavy traffic. Hwy 11 was about another 10 km further east and would be busier than the 400. It was great that we could be on good, almost car free roads in between these two cycling nightmares!

Moonstone road gave way to the equally quiet Foxmead road. At the 65 km mark we took a 4 km section of the nascent Trans Canada Trail, which was a partly overgrown hard pack rail line, to connect up with the Cambrian and south Sparrow Lake roads that would lead us to Severn Bridge on the Trent Severn canal. It looked like we were getting into remote 'live bait' country again when we almost instantly popped out into built up cottage country at Severn Bridge.

Some goats for you Callum. They look like run of the mill udders though!

Very quiet Foxmead road. We managed to dodge all the rain that had come through. The roads were wet but we were dry

South Sparrow Lake road - equally heavy car traffic!

Severn bridge on the historic Trent Severn canal

The bridge swung into action to allow boats to pass

Proof I exist - thanks to the bridge guy for taking our picture

And what do we see once we get across the bridge .... Bait and ice cream .... Time for a late Lunch

A McLeod family favorite - Maple Maggot - extra protein!

After Severn Bridge we were on our final push to Gravenhurst on Canning, Southwood, Kilworthy and Bieres road. These again were all very quiet country roads. We had been talking about being off the 'normal' cross country cycling routes and how we hadn't seen any other bikers for several days when we see the flash of yellow panniers coming our way!

Brent from Ottawa. He started in Victoria about the same time we did and he was headed to Barrire for the night to see some friends. St. John's is his final destination too.

I think Brent was as surprised to see us as we were to see him. We swapped stories and tales from the road, turns out we've run across some of the same people, and then set off for our final destinations. Twenty km's and we're done. Only a small bit of 11 to deal with.

Highway 11, three km's to the outskirts of Gravenhurst. Why do secondary roads have decent shoulders and these freeways don't?

The ONLY way into Gravenhurst from the south. You have to take the exit on the right side of the picture. The majority of the very heavy traffic is continuing on in the two lanes to the left. Wait for a break in the traffic and make a run for the (sand) median! Nice safe way to enter town!

Ever try riding a loaded bike on a sand shoulder?

The two km's of hell on wheels negotiated and were now in Gravenhurst and within a few minutes at Millie's. We got together with long time family friends Bruce & Debbie and Bob & Carol for a great leg of lamb meal. A few brews and glasses of wine as well to wash away the road grime!

Millie and Debbie grazing on excellent charcuterie!

Thanks for the great dinner Debbie and Bruce

We'll be taking a few days off the bikes visiting Millie in Gravenhurst and my brother Blaine in Burlington.

Today's plan is to do nothing, other than adding some more stuff here.

Our last 'rest' days which were only a few days ago were actually reasonably active with sea kayaking, so we both need a few days of true R&R, and what better place than Muskoka!

Song of the day:

Personal Jesus .... Johnny Cash cover version

Had a biblical theme running around in my head all day .... Was it the Bible camp we stayed in? First it was another Cash classic "When the Man Comes Around" that was in the running but then Personal Jesus came on.

"Your own personal Jesus,

Someone to hear your prayers,

Someone who cares"

We were praying for good roads that would keep us away from hwy 11. Our prayers were answered, with a little help from Google! Which raises another topic for future musings.....And in true Old Testament style, we got a shot of brimstone and hellfire at the end just to keep us honest.

Historical monument of the day:

Severn bridge and canal. A small part of the very large Trent Severn waterway that was a major water transport corridor berween Lake Ontario and Lake Huron. It's still in use but mainly for recreational boats in Ontario cottage country.

Today's ride: 111 km (69 miles)
Total: 5,197 km (3,227 miles)

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