Biking for Breath Team - Cross Canada Journey

Day 71: Argentia to St. John's Newfoundland

2006-08-22T19:16:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Team We Made it!

We cycled a grand total of 136 km's today to the most easterly point of our journey St. John's Newfoundland. We cycled through some spectacular scenery. It's so hard to describe what I saw without comparing it to something I have already seen sooo here it is. We cycled up and down hills all day. Not the most strenuous of hills (well until we got to St. John's). The lakes here are called Ponds...This bewilders me since they seem big enough to be called lakes. On the plains entering into the city rock reminds me of hiking in the mountain prairies back on Hudson Bay Mountain (Smithers) as a child. The trees are notably stunted from the severe winds, and short growing season. Rocks are evident, jutting up in various, random, locations and mosses and low lying shrubbery fill in the remaining area. I imagine it to be something similar to the tundra in the northwest territories but a lot more trees.

We rounded the highway and cycled into the city of St. John's still together as a team after so many long days of riding. We headed for our final destination, a park in the center of town on Water St. with a memorial commemorating the beginning of Terry Fox's journey across Canada. Where his journey began our journey across Canada came to an end. We pulled into the park where we met Paul from the Newfoundland Lung Association who greeted us with celebratory bottles of Champagne. Hip Hip hurray! We made it all the way! Congratulations team we made it. Hugs all around.

After we accomplished our goal the gang was off to find accommodations for the next few nights. Cam and Christine stayed in a B&B while Alisha, Jennica and I stayed in a hostel. We thought we were done cycling for the day but then we had to climb the hill to the hostel. This hill was probably one of the steepest we climbed all trip. All three of us had to take a break half way up, either to change into a lower gear or catch our breath. I don't know how you would drive these hills when there is slushy snow on the ground?????

We moved our stuff into our rooms for the evening then the gang went out for dinner to celebrate our accomplishment and replenish our souls together.

KS

Day 70: North Sidney Ferry Terminal...

2006-08-22T18:52:00.000-07:00

Today was a much easier day than the last two. With only 30 km the team took it easy in the morning and set of for the ferry terminal at 11 am.

10 minutes later a loud hissing sound was heard as Alisha experienced yet another flat (but this time it was a fast leak....we didn't have many of those on this trip). By now Alisha is a pro at changing flats. In not time, a new tube was on and we were ready to roll.

With our metabolism running a mile a minute and ferries being notoriously bad for healthy food choices the team set off to stock up for the ferry ride and our following day's ride at the grocery store. Then we were off to check in at the ferry terminal: $100 for the ferry ride including our bikes then an additional $30 for a bunk in the dormitory (not the greatest bed in the world but we did get some much needed shut eye...It just wasn't a quality sleep).

On board the ferry, we bumped into a group of men from Moncton forewheeling across the rock one who knew Alisha's grampy. The gang was so friendly in the east coast way. Bill Searle even offered to make a few phone calls to helps us arrange transport to the airport in St. John's. Thank's sooo much.

Grand total: 32 km

Interesting facts:
The ferry operates on Newfoundland time (30 min ahead of Atlantic Time)
The ferry ride to Argentia takes 15 hours through open waters....apparently it can get quite rocky some day's.
We were luck to have good weather.

KS

Day 69: Cycling A Nova Scotian Mountain at Dusk

2006-08-22T18:15:00.000-07:00

Port Hastings to the KOA on the other side of Kelly's Mountain

After an exciting 200 km day the B4B Team totally needed a rest so rest we did but maybe a little too long.
We had a relaxing morning to recover from our previous days long haul, did some much needed laundry then departed for at 1 pm for a campground approximately 100 km down the road.

The afternoon ride traveling along the shoreline of Nova Soctia was definitely enjoyable but when we reached Baddeck, approximately 85 km down the road, at about 6pm and still had not conqured this Nova Scotian "Mountain" we had heard so much about I was getting a little ancy. I didn't really want to have two late nights in a row.

So half of us headed off to get supplies for dinner and the other half (Jennica and Cam) went to the visitors info to find the closest campsite. Well when you are on a bike 5 km in either direction is a big deal and the team definitely didn't want to back track 5 km to the nearest campsite so the other option was the KOA at the easterly foot of Kelly's Mountain about 30 km down the road.

Aware that another 30 km would set us up for riding in the dark we naively set out in two groups to attack Kelly's mountain. Alisha and I went ahead and started to climb the mountain at about 8:30pm. We joked as we past a sign anouncing the commencement of Kelly's assent " over the next 7km you will climb 240 km"..... and they call that a mountain. What happened to the 6 hour mountain climbs that we had back in BC. As the climb continued the shore line to the left shimmered with red and orange that quickly faded into darkness. By the time we reached the top of the hill it was pitch black. Out came the head lamps, tail lights and MEC turtles.... and on went another layer of clothes. Then we began to decend what was atleast a 7% grade (although in the dark we really had no idea). Takeing off with my normal confidence I decended a little faster than the rest of the team but I have to admit I was breaking! I am not one to scare easily but this decent was not something I would do again. Alisha and I were relieved when we finally pulled into the KOA at 9:30 pm in total darkness. We purchased camping for the evening then prayed for the safe arrival of the rest of the crew. An hour later everybody was safely in the campsite a little nerve racked but safe and sound.

The grand total for today: 122 km
Interesting advice: I don't recommend decending hills in the dark fully loaded.
Positive spin to the day: We were only 30 km away from the ferry terminal in North Sydney so we can sleep in (that is if our biological clocks don't wake us up at 7 am).

KS

A record Setting Day: Charlottown PEI to Port Hastings NS

2006-08-16T17:58:00.000-07:00

Day 68: Record Setting Day!

We Biked 207.8km today! Isn't that amazing. We left the Barretts (Bob and Elsie)this morning at 6am and arrived at the Frenchs (Florence and Gerard) at about 9 pm. This morning we all woke up at 5:30 and set a record for how fas we could leave (we do appologize for not staying for breakfast). About 30 minutes into the trip as the sun was rising and the mist over PEI was lifting Jennica got a flat. Alisha sprinted ahead to tell Cam and Christine of the unfortunate insident (4 flat in about 3 days of riding). Cam and Christine kept heading for the ferry so we could ensure catching the 9:30 ferry while I helped Jen(actuallly jen did most of the work which she does diserve a round of applause for!) and Alisha waited for us to catch up. Then Jen, Alisha and I sprinted for 2.5 hours to get to the 9:30 ferry. Fortunately, we made it just in time to load onto the front of the lower deck for a 75 min ferry ride to Nova Soctia.

We arrive in Nova Soctia at 11:15 am pealed off our layers and sunscreened up for one of the hotest days in a while (especially after the rainstorm that delayed our plans and forced the 200km journey today.)

Over all we biked 145 km fully loaded and arrived in Atigonish at 5pm, ate some dinner and made a phone call. We asked for some help the remaining 60km. Florence agreed to pick up our bags and help us speed up the remaining portion of the trip to Port Hasting on the lovely Cape Breton Coast. Horray!

Hopefully our bodies will forgive us tomorrow. The plan is to bike 100 km tomorrow and then the following morning ride ~45km before an epic 15 hr ferry ride. The end of our journey is quickly approaching and I am so excited!!!!!!

A special thank-you to the French's for their warm hospitality.

Day 67: Exploring PEI

Today we took the opportunity to explore the heritage and beauty PEI has to offer. After and amazing breakfast made by Caleb's Outlook's fabulous chef's (Jim and Betty) Betty drove us out to Cavindish to explore Green Gables and marvel in the captivating environment that enspired Lucy Montgomery's story Anne of Green Gables. My favorite was the strole down the path that started with Lovers Lane. I recommend walking the short 1.6 km walk alone breathin in the fresh PEI air and listening to the sounds of the forest that captivated Lucy. There are brief exerps from her diaries all around the walk and breathing in her vibrant quotes as you walk along is just invigorating.

After Green Gables we drove over to see the red cliffs and Cavindish beach then back to Caleb's out look for lunch before we headed off towards Charlottown and Northumberland Provincal Park. We stopped off for dinner in downtown Charlottown as the rain was just poouring down. As we sat a at our dinner the harsh reality of the PEI storm came over us and with only 36 km under our belt we decided that we had to seek shelter for the night. So we called Betty and Jim with a last minute request for help. We were so lucky! Betty contacted the Barretts close friends of theirs in Charlottown and they welcomed us into their home with open arms. Thank-you soo much for inviting us into you home at such a late hour and sheltering us from the storm.

A Quick Recap

2006-08-14T17:05:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the lack of posts in the past few days. Throughout Quebec and New Brunswick, Internet access has been difficult to come by. Here's a quick recap of the past few days!

Day 53: A day off in Montreal! Cam and Christine rented a car to visit Cam's grandparents while Jennica and Alisha toured around downtown Montreal with Jennica's friend from Canada World Youth, Lysanne. It was a really hot day (44 degrees once the humidex was added)! A huge storm that night made us really happy to be inside!

Day 54: Montreal to Louiseville

Distance: 120 km

This morning we rode out of Montreal, which took much longer then expected. As we were riding, we got another downpour which made camping seem not so appeasing. We therefore decided to hit up a motel room for a night. You never knew 5 people + gear could fit in a single room!

Day 55: Louiseville to Neuville

Distance: 132km

Today we were able to see the beautiful Quebec landscape!! There are so many cute towns along the way and they are all so historic. Some of the churches were built in the late 1800's!

Day 56: Neuville to Quebec City

Distance: 136km

This morning we slept in a little then rode into Quebec City to the University of Laval where we spent a couple of nights in the residence. After a little laundry and dropping off bikes at a bike store for a tune-up, we took in downtown Quebec City! We walked around the old part of Quebec City, looking in stores and getting authentic french food.

Day 57: Quebec City OFF

Today we took the day off to enjoy the "Fete de la Nouvelle France", a festival looking at Quebec's history before it became an English colony. Many people were dressed up in costumes of the period and there were performers, food, wine tasting and shows (too bad the shows were in French.....). As well, Cam, Christine and Alisha took a walking tour around the citadel, learning about some of the military history of Quebec.

Day 58: Quebec City to St. Jean Port Joli

Distance: 108km

After a challenging time getting out of the city, including a flat tire and a ferry ride, we got to tour more of the Quebec landscape. This time, we were on the south shore of the St. Laurent. An excellent ride, the landscape was flat and the houses were so cute! This evening we even camped along the St. Laurent.

Day 59: St. Jean Port Joli to St. Antonin

Distance: 110.4km

Today we headed East until Riviere-du-Loup then headed South towards New Brunswick. We met another cyclist today, Evelyn, who is a Masters student at the University of Laval and who is touring the maritimes. We even took in some of the TransCanada Trail tonight on the way to our campsite.

Day 60: St. Antonin to Edmunston

Distance: 115 km

Last night we had tons of rain but today was beautiful and sunny! Today we rode into New Brunswick and were re-introduced to some hills, as well as introduced to a new time zone. We are now on Atlantic Standard Time. This has been the easiest time zone to adjust to as we are all so tired....feeling asleep at 9pm is no problem at all....

A Special thank you to Bob and Tammy at Iroquis River Campground. This is their first year of running the campground, and they gave us a special deal as fundraising cyclists! If you are ever in Edmunston, check it out! The facilities are great (with recycling!)

Day 61: Edmunston to Bath
Distance: 135km

We took the scenic route on the old highway from Grandfalls and met some short, steep hills. Beautiful farmland.

Thank you SO MUCH to Pearl and Lloyd McNair (Jennica's friend, Nicole's grandparents) for putting us up at their house and feeding us a lovely meal in Bath.

Day 62: Bath to Hawkshaw

Distance: 101km

Visited Hartland where we went through the world's longest covered bridge!
After this, we were back on the #2 were we again experienced the hills of New Brunswick. Did anyone mention how cold it has gotten since we have been here? It has reminded me of our first couple of weeks in BC with showers, sunny periods and some cold breezes.

Day 63: Hawkshaw to Cole's Island

Distance: 156km

Our longest distance yet! A quick visit in Fredricton and then off to Cole's Island on the old highway. It was longer than we expected so we arrived really late, but the route was beautiful! Really flat for the first stretch along the St. John river and than into some little hills through the country.

Thank you to Nicole's aunt and uncle, Allan and Marg McNair, for looking out for us on our late ride, and making us feel really at home during our 14 hour rest! (And to John, their son, for his bike mechanic skills and his effort to give us free help !)

Day 64: Cole's Island to Moncton

Distance: 105km

Alisha's grandparents, George and Margaret came all the way to Cole's Island to pick up our gear - what a relaxing break! We leisurely left the McNairs about 1130, and headed out on the old highway which was pretty flat.

Jennica says she isn't superstitious but after saying at breakfast about her touring tires and having had no flats.... she ended up with a front flat in the morning and a rear flat just rolling into the house that evening! What luck!

We also visited magnetic hill, as all tourists must do - and yes it does work on the bike!

Day 65: Moncton

Distance: 0km

Alisha, Klara and Jennica went to Shediac with Margaret for "Summer Church". We were lucky to be there on the one day in the summer when a men's quartet comes to sing! They were fantastic!

Went out to Hopewell Rocks to see the flowerpots - these are in the Bay of Fundy where the largest tides are in the world (?) Of course the weather was unpredictable with a fair amount of rain throughout the day, but luckily it cleared up enough to take the little trail down to walk on the ocean floor at low tide!

Day 66: Moncton, NB to New Glasgow, PEI

Distance: 132km

George again drove all our gear out to meet us at Confederation Bridge (which i must says makes our day a lot easier!) A nice easy 85 km to the bridge where we hopped on the free shuttle (with a bike trailer of course) across the 12km bridge.

What a neat environment that met us on the other side! An open-air musician was "playing in the park" and the little village of stores was bustling with people. We looked around for a bit before we got on our bikes to head North the 45 km to friends of Alisha's family, Jim and Betty's bed and breakfast.

A beautiful dinner awaited us (they operate a certified organic farm ) with fresh, organic veggies! Delicious! Thank you so much!

If we don't have internet access for a bit....I'll let you in on the secret schedule....we plan to leave PEI on wednesday morning and head into Nova Scotia. If all goes well, we will be on the boat heading to the wonderful province of New Foundland on Friday (14 hours at sea!).

Before you know it, we will be at home, sitting drinking tea together and sharing photos and summer stories! Thanks for being so patient and checking in on how we are doing!

Day 52: Grenville to Montreal

2006-08-01T08:20:00.000-07:00

July 31st
Distance: 104 km

Another gorgeous ride! More flatlands and farms but also we passed a few little cities. Stopping in Lachute for lunch (not at a little cafe but at Tim Horten's........we are Iced Cappucino fans), we kept heading toward Montreal.

We are staying in Montreal at Cam's Uncle Anthony's house. We arrived here to a friendly welcome and a fabulous dinner, as well as showers.

After dinner, we headed downtown to do some exploring. More exploring tomorrow!!!

Day 51: Ottawa to Grenville

2006-08-01T06:49:00.000-07:00

July 30th
Ottawa to Grenville
Distance: 97km

Today we couldn't leave without seeing a little more of Ottawa/Hull area. Therefore we stopped at the Museum of Civilization in Gatineau. This is an amazing museum with tons of exhibits including exhibits on First Nations, African beading, Nursing, Skating and the History of Canada, to name a few that we saw. After lunch at the museum, we headed out of Gatineau on our way to Montreal.

The road here is so nice!! It is really flat and passes by several farms and towns. So many of the towns have old Catholic churches and lots of history. We were also cycling along the Ottawa river so we could see Ontario on the other side of the water!

Cycling almost to Grenville, we decided to stop at a campground along the water called "La Place Rouge". Throughout today, Jennica and Alisha have had many opportunities to practice their french, despite the fact that it is very rusty.

Day 49: North Bay to Ottawa

2006-08-01T06:48:00.003-07:00

July 28th
North Bay to Ottawa
Distance: 380km

This morning we finished our drive into Ottawa. Stopping in Arnprior for tea and a quick visit with Alisha's aunt, we drove into Ottawa to see Jennica's Great Aunt Lyndell and Uncle Stan. Unloading the van took much less time then loading the van - what was an intricate puzzle of bikes came apart quite quickly!

After a shower and some rest, the team decided to go out for a night on the town. We met up with Cam's 2nd cousin Kylie who took us to Hooley's for some dancing. Too bad we were too tired to stay up until the place got busy!

By midnight we were ready for some much needed sleep (oh we're big partiers here!) and ready to have some touristy fun!

Day 50: Ottawa!!!

2006-08-01T06:48:00.001-07:00

July 29th
Distance: 0km

Ottawa - our national capital. Home to way too much stuff to see - countless museums and galleries, an intricate series of locks, the Rideau Canal, shopping and of course the Parliament Buildings. It is impossible to see everything in one day but boy did we try!

We didn't even allow ourselves to sleep in this morning. Getting up at 8:30 (ok still a little sleeping in), we had a quick breakfast and headed downtown to see the Changing of the Guard ceremony on Parliament Hill. After a quick coffee break, we took a tour of Parliament Hill, learning all about the history of politics in Canada and taking in the marvelous architecture of the Parliament Buildings. It was so interesting to learn all about these buildings! We were also lucky to see the library, which has been newly restored! The team headed up the elevator to the peace tower, getting a birds eye view of the city.

After lunch at the Byward Market downtown, we decided to do a tour of othe Rideau Canal by boat!

Don't even think our day was done yet. After dinner with Lyndell and Stan, we headed back to "The Hill" for a sound and light show about Canada. It was an amazing show with music and commentary about Canada's proudest moments. Truely amazing!

After a hard day of walking and touring, we were all really ready for bed. Back on the bikes tomorrow!

Day 48: Sault Ste Marie to North Bay

2006-08-01T06:47:00.000-07:00

July 27th
Distance: 455km

How did we manage to do this distance in one day? Quick answers - we attached turbo boosters to our bikes! Wow no idea a bike could go so fast hey!

Ok a sad reality hit this morning while we were examining a map, distances and a calendar. At the rate we were going, we would not finish the trip before we had to leave to go to school. We had too little time....if only we had another week.......

With this realization, we decided to rent a van and drive the rest of Ontario, dropping the van off in Ottawa. This would allow us to finish the trip and see the maritime provinces, something that everyone wanted to be able to do. Although not ideal by far, it was what needed to be done in order to accomplish our goals.

If you think this was an easy feat, however, you would be mistaken. Lets see you try loading a minivan with 5 bikes, 10 wheels, 2 trailers, 10 panniers, and several dry bags, as well as 5 cyclists! There was not a spare inch left! Don't worry, we all had seat belts!

This evening, we were able to spend time with Devon, Jennica's friend from Canada World Youth. Although not a long visit at all, it was nice to reunite with old friends!

Day 47: Bum sores and leg rest in the SOO

2006-07-26T15:39:00.000-07:00

Zero kilometers except Alisha who biked about 5km to get her bike to and from the bike store!

A special thank you to Jeannie and Bob Fremlin who have opened their house to us for two nights, offering all that we need! Their sons even gave up their room and slept in a tent for us!

Movie Matinee : Click with Adam Sandler. Dylan and Wyatt, the kids of Jeannie and Bob joined us for a relaxing afternoon - worked out well as it was a rainy afternoon!

Laundry of course, emails and blogs, maybe a few postcards and phone calls?

Day 46: Awesome Beach to Sault-Ste-Marie

2006-07-26T15:38:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, July 26th

Total Kms: 98km

This morning it was so hard to get up and leave our beautiful new campsite. It was definitely one of our prettiest campsites!

Back on the road, we headed toward Sault Ste. Marie. We took a quick snack break at Pancake Bay and at Agawa Indian Center then we kept going!

We passed the half-way point of the Trans-Canada Highway!

Coming into Sault Ste Marie, we ate dinner at the Lonestar Cafe and met the owner of the WaterTower Inn, a fellow touring cyclist!! The owner had done the Tour d'Afrique and had toured around New Zealand. We also met two other cyclists who are cycling the country, trying to raise money for skin cancer!

After dinner, we headed to Bob and Jeannie Fremlin's house, where we have been invited to spend a couple of nights! It was great to meet new people, including their two boys Dylan and Wyatt, as well as sleep without fear of rain or thunder showers!!! Ahhhhh......so nice.

Day 45: Rabbit Blanket to a beach on Lake Superior, 20km past Montreal River

2006-07-26T15:37:00.000-07:00

July 25th

Total kms: 99km

This morning was a wet morning. There had been a wind and rain storm last night while sleeping and lots of stuff was wet. As well, it started to rain as we left camp, and we had to pull out our rain gear for the 1st time in weeks! It reminded us why we were carrying all the rain gear!

As the rain started to stop, we pulled into Katharine Cove, a beautiful sandy beach in Lake Superior Provincial Park. After a quick snack, Jennica, Cam and Christine went for a swim in Lake Superior while Alisha and Klara, still cold, looked on.

As we continued to ride, the rain stopped and it warmed up. Learning there wasn't much "official" camping between Montreal River and Pancake Bay, we decided to look for our own campsite. We found a gorgeous bay with access from the Highway on Lake Superior.

After a quick swim in the Lake, an awesome dinner and some fog rolling in, we headed to bed, definitely ready to sleep!

Day 44: White River to Rabbit Blanket Provincial Park

2006-07-26T15:32:00.000-07:00

July 23, 2006

Total kms: 127km

This park is the first of two campsites in Lake Superior Provincial Park, starting just after Wawa, ON and ending 83km later on HWY 17. Today was an interesting ride, after Alisha called her parents to wish her dad a happy birthday.

After a long ride, we rode into Wawa with a full view of a giant Canadian Goose statue. During a gorgeous ride through Lake Superior Provincial Park, we passed several bays including a beautiful bay called "Old Woman Bay", so named because the cliff behind the bay looks like the portrait of an old woman.

Day 43: Marathon to White River

2006-07-26T15:12:00.000-07:00

July 22, 2005

Total Kms: 92km

Leaving camp, we decided Christine's bulging tire would not make it...did a literal tour of Marathon's hardware stores which turned into calls to local cyclists to find a 700 x 35 size tire. We met a number of interesting people including Joe "Ironman", we call him (because he met us to see if he could give us a hand, but ended up talking about all the races he had done...) This made for a late start...

On the way out, Jennica stopped to meet the touring longboarders, who she had heard about from her friend Blake. They are longboarding from Halifax to Vancouver for breast cancer - awesome to hear others' stories and adventures (check out pushingforthecure.ca)

The hills continue!

We rolled into White River for free camping at the visitor's info center. Awesome Winnie-the-Pooh tribute! Did you know that Winnie was an actual black bear cub who was bought by a Winnipeg soldier, Harry Colebourn? He named the cub after his hometown (Winnie) and took him to the London zoo for safe keeping while he was at war. This is where he inspired A.A Milne to write his stories (with his son Christopher). Pretty neat!

Bike Blunders and Bike Mishaps

2006-07-26T14:37:00.000-07:00

Klara

- broken spoke (Rossport, ON)
- bent cog, needed to replace second ring (temporarily fixed with a hammer for two days!) (Ignace, ON)
- broken presta valve, not flat, but couldn't inflate (Calgary, AB)

Cam

- lost trailer hook, fixed with a washer and screw that actually work better! (Creston, BC)

Christine

- rear flat (Rock Creek, BC)
- tire bulge, probably as a result of uneven wear, pannier weight and braking - put on a temporary racing slick in Marathon, ON, but got two new tires today in the Sault

Alisha

- tire slice, resulting in a flat x2 (went through 5 tubes!) : one temporarily fixed with the slick, the other with a five dollar bill! (Replaced tire in Winnipeg, MB, and then Kenora, ON)
-derailer not working (probably as a result of the Manning Park crash), having a lot of difficulty shifting down - "fixed" multiple times: Grand Fork, Osoyoos, Regina, Winnipeg, Thunder Bay
- finally decided to get a new front derailer today in the Sault

Jennica

- squeaky bike: turns out that I rubbed off all the grease from inside the idler pulley (part of the rear gear system) or that it washed off in all the BC rain - "re-lubed" in Banff, AB
- broken or worn-out clips on my bike shoes....plus the sole of my shoe had half removed itself: new shoes (maybe my bd present?) in Thunder Bay, ON

Day 42: Terrace Bay to Marathon

2006-07-21T13:46:00.000-07:00

Friday, July 21st
Total kilometers: 84km

We decided to take the afternoon off, as realistically it will take another 4 days to get to Sault-Ste-Marie. It will be nice to make dinner and get to bed early.

The day again was beautiful but some good hills to get over, and I have only heard that it gets worse. I am thoroughly enjoying it though I must say.

Last night it was really cold for some reason, and getting up was really hard this morning. The trees and rock faces are definately helping to keep us cooler during the day than the prairies, which we are so grateful for.

Looking forward to checking out White River tomorrow (home of Winnie the Pooh!)

Day 41: Nipigon to Terrace Bay

2006-07-21T13:41:00.000-07:00

July 20th

Total Kilometers: 106km

Breakfast at a restuarant! We sure enjoy eggs and toast after many mornings of oatmeal for the past month!

Lots of long climbs - that is relative of course....long as in 3km not 30km like BC. It is up and down and around rock faces, and dense forest, often looking out over the lake. I just can't wait to find a nice swimming hole, although I imagine it is really cold...

We did have some bike repairs to do today. Something flew from a truck (perhaps a rock from under the tire?) today and wiped out one of Klara's spokes completely! We also had a fellow cyclist along for the help, Graham who has been riding with us for a couple of days. Alisha has enjoyed going fast with him ahead of the group for a bit!

Day 40: Thunder Bay to Nipigon

2006-07-21T13:35:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, July 19th

Total kilometers: 117km

Our campground? Still Water Campground - they wanted to first charge us 50 dollars but with a little B4B charm, we managed 29 (thats 10 dollars a tent, plus 3 extra adults for one site)

We had a great tailwind today which really helped move us along. I think this is because we are headed North around Lake Superior and there is a northernly wind off the lake. Wow! I have never seen a great lake before and it is UNREAL! It really does remind us of the ocean; Lake Superior is beautiful and clear, and often green coloured (stay posted for photos).

Alisha Mills is famous! She was interviewed by the TV station and we all met up at the Terry Fox Memorial (oh- us SFUites are so proud) for a photo.

We are definately getting into a hilly section of Ontario....

JR

Day 39: Kakabeka Falls to Thunderbay Ont.

2006-07-18T12:37:00.000-07:00

Distance: 35 km

Today was my kind of riding day!

Got up, had a quick breaky, packed up camp, took another quick look around the Falls and then hit the road.

Before my saddle sores had time to start hurting again, we were already in Thunder Bay!
We had a great day in Thunder Bay doing laundry, getting bikes serviced and we even went to see a movie.... at the Theatre!

It's such a welcomed break when we can put on 'normal' clothes and blend in to society even for a few hours.

Special thanks to Satusirkku Minor for being such an excellent host (ie. feeding us and putting up with our stuff spread all over her house, ohh and she drove us around!).

Satu is the mother of a friend of Jennica's from school, and she teaches belly dancing here in TB!

We (or at least I) tried to sneak a free lesson - but our day was so busy. Maybe next time...

www.satusbellydancing.com

CC

Day 38: Upsala to Kakabeka Falls

2006-07-18T12:16:00.000-07:00

July 16, 2006

Kms Today: 115 ish

Highlights:
When you are out in the wilderness your timelines are subject to Mother Nature. Today mother nature was on our side with a Great Tail Wind.

Big highlight - NEW TIME ZONE!! Yah Eastern Time! Problem is we keep losing time, which usually translates into losing more sleep. boo!

If you are ever cycling this route there is a small gift shop about 20 km outside of Upsala where they sell gourmet coffee. Of course, when they say 'gourmet' this means high quality drip coffee... Not quite the lattè Alisha was dreaming of!

Terrain: the hills start to get more frequent and steeper as you get closer to Kakabeka.

Interesting occurances on the road.
A bee flew into Klara's helmet and stung her while she was decending one of the hills.

Jen and Klara saw a black bear! Jen was really excited until Klara pointed out the mother could be close by....

This was followed by 6 rounds of singing the happy song, in hopes the sound of singing voices would scare away an angry mother bear.

The time to be happy is now
The place to be happy is here .
The way to be happy is to make others happy and have a little heaven down here.

Swimming at Kakabeca falls:
What happens when you take 5 triathletes on a cycling trip across canada?
They exercise even when they are washing up before they go to bed. Our evening swim consisted of an obstacle course, handstands, summersaults and a piggyback racing. Never ending excitement till we hit the pillow.

Day 37: Raleigh Lake to Upsala

2006-07-18T12:15:00.000-07:00

July 17th
Distance: 123km

This morning we rode into Ignace for grocery shopping and a snack at the "Chip Truck", a wonder f Ontario. We are going through prime moose territory so we are keeping our eyes peeled for moose but so far have yet to see one. Cam and Alisha have even tried calling the moose but to no good.

This evening, we camped just outside Upsala at a campsite of our own creation. No, we didn't cut down trees or anything, there were flat areas just off a service road and a large lake that served as both a drinking water source and a bath tub. Got to love the great outdoors (except the mosquitos that drove us into our tents relatively early).

Day 36: Vermillion Bay to Raleigh Lake

2006-07-18T12:14:00.000-07:00

July 15, 2006

Kms Today: 120

Highlights:
Today was a good ride out of Vermillion Bay. A very beautiful ride but a hot ride none the less. After a quick break in Dryden for lunch (yes Tim Horten's!) and grocery shopping, we were out on the road again.

We took a nice relaxing break including a swim in the afternoon at Jackfish Lake! It allowed us to cool off and feel really refreshed.

By late evening, we had found our way to the Cobblestone Lodge on Raleigh Lake. A big thank you to the owners of the Cobblestone Lodge for their donation of a campsite and showers. They were tremendously enjoyed including a night swim from Alisha and Cam!

Klara, Alisha and Jennica even found a little company tonight as a frog decided to make the fly of their tent home! They didn't even have to catch him and the camera definitely didn't scare him away.

Day 35: Clearwater Bay (West of Kanora) to Crystal Lake (Vermilion Bay)

2006-07-18T12:11:00.000-07:00

July 14, 2006

Kms Today: 118km

Highlights:
After another amazing breakfast from David and Darlene, we said our goodbyes and started on our way. After a day with them, they almost felt like family! After a ride to Kenora, we did our errands such as grocery shopping at a Safeway that you can boat up to!

This afternoon's ride was gorgeous! There are so many little lakes and we have gone back to rolling hills instead of flats! It is a welcome change from the flat prairies that we have had for the past few weeks.

Klara, Jennica and Alisha took a quick dip in Bee Lake to cool off and hopped back on their bikes to the Crystal Lake Campground just outside Vermilion Bay.

Day 34: Lake of the Woods Ontario

2006-07-18T12:08:00.000-07:00

July13, 2006

Km Today: 0 Km
Day off to tour one of the amazing lakes of Ontario.

Highlights:
Today we were the guests of David and Darlene Baldner. After a lovely sleep, and waking up without alarm clocks, we got up to an amazing breakfast! Thank you Darlene! A few loads of laundry later, we went out on the boat with David to explore Lake of the Woods. This lake has TONS of islands in it and is one of the unsung wonders of Canada!

A picnic lunch on Coney Island and a nice swim in the Lake, we continued our tour with a boat ride to Kenora and a little ice cream!

As we were riding back to Clearwater Bay, we saw a storm on the horizon and tried to get back before it hit. We were packing the boat away as the majority of the rain hit but thank goodness we weren't in the boat! It was such a treat to watch a storm from a safe distance and from inside a house where we weren't gettin wet!!!

A million thanks to Dave and Darlene for their amazing hospitality!!

Day 33: Whitemouth Campgr to Clearwater Bay

2006-07-18T12:07:00.000-07:00

July 12, 2006

Km Today: 95km

Highlights:

This morning was so hot! Even before we left, we were already hot! A ride into Falcon Bay, we stopped at the bakery for a snack! Everyone knows we love baked goods!

Today, we also crossed from Manitoba to Ontario! It is amazing that we are in our 5th province! This will also be a really LONG province.

David and Darlene Baldner, the people we are staying with in Clearwater Bay met us on the road! It was so nice to meet them! They were so nice and took our bags so we could ride unhindered to Clearwater Bay.

There was a real dinner party tonight and we met two other amazing couples: Garry and Gwen, and Tim and Deanna, both really interesting couples from Clearwater Bay. It was so neat to meet both couples and hear amazing stories, as well as learn a little about Lake of the Woods. After a great dinner, we were more than ready for a good sleep.

Day 32: Winnipeg to...Whitemouth Campground

2006-07-18T10:56:00.001-07:00

July 11, 2006

Km's Today: 95km

Highlights:
Wow was it ever windy today! We met up with representatives from the Manitoba Lung association just before we headed out of town and arranged to meet them at the longitudinal halfway point of Canada approximately 20km east of the city. We estimated that it would take us about an hour to get there and boy were we wrong. The winds were heading north west but they were so strong it felt like they were heading straight west. The winds were so strong that Jennica lost her brand new 2 L collapsable waterbottle and no one on the team heard it hit the ground (or saw it as we passed behind her). Thankfully it was found by the members of the Manitoba Lung Association! Klara also unfortunately tipped over at a light and managed to get some claw marks on her legs (from her cog, not from a bear although looks can be deceiving).

After the quick photo opportunity at the Longitudinal Center of Canada, we were back on our bikes with a goal to cycle to Falcon Lake where the Lung Association had reserved us a site. Determined to get there despite the winds we pressed on only to arrive at Lilac RV Park at 4 pm. We had been working so hard all morning yet did not feel we had gone far enough to stop for lunch. Well by 40 km we deffinately need a break to refuel, rehydrate and get out of the sun for a little bit.

Then we pressed on, still determined to get to Falcon Lake. With quotes of Its crazy we have never attempted to do 90km so late in the afternoon, but we have a campground so we have just got to try. So try we did. Finally, at 9pm as the sun started to set and a thunderstom quickly approaching we decided it was time to find a place to shelter for the night at Whitemouth Campground just past the turnoff for Hadashville.

KS

July 18: Fundraising So Far

2006-07-18T10:34:00.000-07:00

Thank-you to everybody who has donated to the Lung Association on behalf of the Biking For Breath Team's ride across Canada.

More than three million Canadians cope with serious respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, influenza, pneumonia, bronchitis, tuberculosis, cystic fibrosis and respiratory distress syndrome (1). More alarmingly, the top five respiratory diseases account for nearly one out of every five deaths in Canada (2). With the urbanization of our communities, use of chemicals on our foods, environmental pollutants in our work environments (e.g. second hand smoke, cleaning products, pesticides, and exhaust), and decreased physical activity the incidence of lung diseases is on the rise.

As a team we are cycling across the country one breath at a time to combat these staggering statistics. “Our quest this summer is to cycle 7,400 km across Canada to promote healthy lifestyles and raise $30,000 for critical research and programs funded by the Canadian Lung Association.”

Through our journey so far we have met so many amazing people who have donated to our cause and welcomed us into their homes with open arms. We are almost halfway done our journey and we have collected over $5,000 in donations so far. Please help spread the word about our cycling trip "Crossing Canada One Breath at at time" by encouraging others to follow our journey and donate to the Lung Association. Together we can truly impact the respiratory heath of our families, our neighbours, our province and our country.

A Birthday Thank-you

2006-07-18T10:22:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody,

Thank-you for all the Birthday wishes via email and through the Blog. We are almost halfway across the Trans Canada and it seems like we are so far away from home (so far yet so close...isn't it amazing how big our country is).

For a Birthday meal, the Thai restaurant we were hoping to go to ended up being closed so we went out for a fantastic Ethiopian Meal. It was delicious! Thank-you Team.

KS

DAY 31: dAY OFF - Capital of Manitoba

2006-07-10T18:16:00.000-07:00

Errands as always - even Jennica's course enrollement appointment magically ended up on a day with a computer accessible.

I saw my friend Coral from Canada World Youth that I haven't seen in over a year and a half - it was so awesome to see her, just wish it could have been longer

The team met up for the afternoon at MEC (as always- they even have a compostable toilet! so exciting) to head over the famous historic "Forks". This little district is very similar to Granville Island with a number of ecclectic stores, eating venues and gardens.

We are now getting ready to celebrate KLARA'S birthday tonight at a Thai restaurant ( I have convinced everyone that we need to eat ethnic as we won't see much more before Ottawa).

A Special thank you to John and Elaine, and their daughters, Tammy and Jillian, for their wonderful hospitality and opening up their home to us for two nights!

JR

Day 30: Portage la Prairie to Winnipeg

2006-07-10T17:58:00.000-07:00

75km to Winnipeg + 25km through the city to reach our lovely hosts, Elaine and John Hoogland!
Total kms: 100km

We planned for a quick 'jaunt' into the city today but the winds had another idea. My Manitoba friend, Coral, was right about the strong head and cross winds that sweep through the prairies, and today we experienced it! It was a bit slow going, but we eventually arrived about 7:30pm to food, showers, and beds! What a treat...

Note: Winnipeg city water doesn't taste very good...almost undrinkable - and I don't think we are normally very picky!

Note: They are wrong about the mosquitos! Winnipeg is not near as bad as I expected....

Our lovely hosts in Portage: Mark Harrison and Barb Rhind-Harrison and their dog 'Mr. Marcus'.
Mark got up at 5:30 to bake us muffins for the road!

Rita - this one is for you! Heading into Winnipeg, Jennica spotted this one.
Winnipeg - One Great City... and about the most boring city sign we'd seen!
July 9th

Day 29: Brandon to Portage la Prairie

2006-07-10T17:43:00.000-07:00

July 8th
Distance: 125km

This morning, after a great breakfast from Jack and Dona, we started toward Portage la Prairie. A warm morning, we enjoyed the tail wind tremendously!

Lunch was had in Sidney, MB, a really small town of 100 people. Everyone we have met so far along the way has been so nice and so encouraging!

Getting to Portage, we had dinner at Tim Horten's and while contemplating campsites, we met Mark Harrison, a nice gentleman who entertained us with his awesome stories and invited us to camp in his backyard. What a treat! There we met his lovely wife Barb and enjoyed their company tremendously.

With the friendliness of everyone we've met so far, no wonder its called "Friendly Manitoba"!!!

AM

The B4B squad saying goodbye to Donna.

Jennica's artistic shot of her bike in black and white.

Mid-day pitstop
Parting ways: Jennica off to Winnipeg, Jack and Donna off to a Shriner's Parade!

Day 28: Moosomin to Brandon, MB

2006-07-10T17:42:00.000-07:00

July 7th
Distance: 140km

This morning we got up early and headed to the Red Barn Restaurant for breakfast, which was a welcome break from oatmeal! After a large breakfast of eggs, hashbrowns, toast, bacon, etc., we headed into Manitoba. With tail winds at our back, we were excited to get on the road! After a few photo ops at the border, we kept going.

A hot afternoon with high humidity and little shade was quite challenging on everyone. Stopping for a snack break in the shade in Alexander, a town of 200, we were again met with kindness as strangers opened their doors to give us some much needed water.

In Alexander, we also met new cycling friends, Alex and Julian, who are also touring the country!

As we rode into Brandon, we were caught in a terrible thunderstorm. The wind was so strong it was pushing the rain sideways. There was lots of hail and rain, and even thunder and lightening right over our heads. We ended up taking refuge in an internet cafe until the storm abated a little.

This evening, we were able to stay with relatives of Jennica's, Jack and Dona McLeod. We were really appreciative of showers, warm dinner and a wonderful place to stay indoors!

AM

Day 27: Wolsely to Moosomin

2006-07-10T17:40:00.000-07:00

Distance: 130km

Changing our clocks ahead to Manitoba time, we set off this morning trying to reach the Manitoba border. Mother Nature was not with us however and again we had a tough time with headwinds and crosswinds. After a lunch in Broadview where we met people from Cranbrook (who knew Lynn and Steve, the people we stayed with!), we kept going, stopping in Moosomin for dinner and camping, just 30km shy of the border.

This evening, we were blessed with the kindness from strangers as the owners of the Prairie Pride Motel allowed us to camp in their back yard. A warm thank-you to the Prairie Pride Motel!!!

As we went to bed, we saw another Prairie thunderstorm (but this time in the distance).

AM

Day 26: Regina to Wolsely

2006-07-10T17:39:00.000-07:00

Distance: 63 miles (100km)

This morning, after a nice sleep-in at Leigh's house, we left Regina, sad to leave another friend but excited to go towards a new province! Unfortunately, although we had intentions to go for a longer ride today, headwinds held us back. Realizing the challenges of the prairies, we pushed on. After a quick lunch in Indian Head (yes an actual town), we pushed on to Wolsely, a town of 800 for dinner and camping.

We witnessed our very own car fire!

Dat 25: Day off in Regina

2006-07-04T21:06:00.000-07:00

July 4, 2006

Km Today: 0 km time to rest our legs and rejuvenate

This morning we all slept in and it felt soooooooo good. Then the rest of the day was spent doing various errands and exploring the city.

After a huge Blueberry Pancake feast and several loads of laundry the team went off in various directions.

Cam and Christine went to explore down town.
Alisha went to find a bike store to fix her rear derailer then explore downtown Regina with Cam and Christine.
Jen....went to find white pants and shirt at Value Village. She really hopes that decreasing the amount of bananas she is eating and covering her black spandex with white clothing will help to decrease the number of bites she is getting.
Klara: I stayed to update the web, attend to my list of media contacts and rest! The last thing I wanted to do today was go out in the heat or on my bike. I have been having a hard time with the hot afternoon sun and consuming enough fluids to keep hydrated. I am definitely all for getting as far as we can before noon.

Downtown Cam, Christine and Alisha managed to meet up with a friend of Cams dad who took them out for lunch and lent the team a car so we could all go watch the Sunset Parade at the RCMP training grounds. Wow, worth watching if you are in Regina.

Everyone watching the Sunset Ceremony with their cool new hats.

Pictures, Pictures and More Pictures

2006-07-04T19:53:00.000-07:00

I Love Canada!

Check out how amazing Canada truly is with our newly created picture gallery courtesy of Brett Jensen.

Check here to check out the pictures
or for easy access we also posted URL under the link column on the right.

KS

Day 24: Besant to Moose Jaw to Regina

2006-07-04T14:35:00.000-07:00

July 3, 2006

Km's Today: 111km

Highlights:
The Tunnels in Moose Jaw

Special Thanks to:
Leigh and his family for letting us stay at your house in Regina.

This morning we got going excited about exploring the tunnels of Moose Jaw. Since we weren't stopping there for the night, we decided to stop for a snack and lunch to check out the historic city. Downtown Moose Jaw was AWESOME!! It had tons of old buildings in good condition and the parks were gorgeous.

Taking the tour of the tunnels called "The Passage to Fortune". This tour illustrated the living conditions of the first chinese immigrants and the terrible conditions in which they lived and worked. Although not necessarily always pleasant, it is a true and sad part of our Canadian history.

Biking into Regina, the terrain started to flatten out a bit and low and behold, we could see Regina coming from 30km away! Even before a mileage sign, we could see Regina in the distance! So there's where all the prairie jokes come from.........

Arriving in Regina, we were treated to showers and a barbeque dinner from Jennica's friend Leigh. What a treat! After watching "Hoodwinked", we fell into a nice deep sleep (away from all the mosquitos)!

Day 23: Swift Current to Besant provincal Park (Caron)

2006-07-04T14:25:00.000-07:00

July 2, 2006

Km Today: 144km

Highlights:
Fresh Water and refueling in Herbert Saskatchewan:
Yep it is hot, so when you find a gas station that is kind enough to let five cyclists fill up their numerous waterbottles with water well you take it! We are soooo greatfull for the kind service at the Co-op and Coffee shop in Herbert.

Chaplin: The Salt of the Earth:
As we rolled up to chaplin a precarious substance seemed to line the lake. Powdery white stuff that really looked like layers of ice or snow from a glacier. So what is this powerys substance? Na2So4(Sodium Sulfate)- The ingredient that makes up 1/3 of your laundry soap. Really neat!

The realities of carrying fresh produce in the prarie heat struck a cord today as cam and christine pulled soggy spinich out of their panniers for lunch. They resigned to saving it for their Thai Curry Dinner, but I don't think it ever made it in the dish. We were informed that Chaplin had a small general store so natrually we decided to search the town to liven up our dinners with some tasty veggies. Yeah no luck! Thats Sunday in a small town for you!

50 km later we rolled into Besant Provincal Park just west of Caron to find a two peppers and a red onion to spice up our various meals. The girls added a pepper to our low cost refried bean tocos and Cam and Christine added the red pepper and red onion to their outback kitchen feast- a Thai Curry (coconut milk and all) that smelled amazing.

Klara taking a break on some abandoned paving equipement.
We found an old abandoned house too. Jennica was the bravest... she went right upstairs!
Another tasty lunch prepared on the go.
This is a moderate sized town... it has TWO grain elevators!

Day 22: Tompkins to Swift Current

2006-07-04T13:33:00.000-07:00

Distance: 75km

Several long days of cycling in the heat and Alisha and I (Klara) could sleep though anything. I awoke to a rather soggy camp and Jennica informing me of her unnerving encounter with thunderstorm number two. "The tent was shaking, the fly flew off and the lighting was really close. A couple times I was really worried about our safety." Cam who normally sleeps like a log even awoke during the storm - remember not even the bear (we think it was a bear) leaning over his tent in Kootney National Park could wake him.

I on the other hand am usually a very light sleeper so I was surprised to hear that I missed the storm. My only excuse I took benedryl for my allergies and bug bites so it has a tendency to knock you out...And leave you rather groggy in the morning.

Sure enough the campsite was rather wet and poor Jenny's trailer bag BOB got sprinkled with water when the fly was flapping in the wind.

After a slower start this morning recovering the storm we were off to dry in the Saskatchewan heat and enjoy the land of never ending skis.

Highlights:
Tim Horton's infomercial:
Okay I am not a coffee drinker but the rest of the gang are big fans of Timmy's Ice Caps. So in as we were entering the outskirts of Swift Current Jennica proclaimed a sudden urgency to get to Tim Hortons. "Guys I have to get to Tim Horton's before 3 pm so I can still have my Ice Cap" (Jen found out that she is slightly sensitive to caffeine the other night so she is limiting her evening caffeine consumption).

Swift Current Pioneer Days and Canada Day Fireworks:
The team really want to be in a larger center to celebrate Canada Day so we headed in to the fair at Swift Current. For the majority of the team this was the first time they had seen a Rodeo so it was definitely an experience.

Other than that we just had some good old fashioned fun at the fair!

Eating Ice Cream (The World's coldest??)

Snacking on mini donuts....

We even got to camp right on the fairgrounds with all the rodeo cowboys (and girls).

As Canada Day came to a close, we really appreciated what a diverse countrywe live in!

Klara managed to sit beside a local by the name of Colin, during the rodeo who not only informed me about the event, but also began to highlight the 5 wonders of Saskatchewan.
1) Wind Power (windmills that convert wind energy to electricity),
2) Twisted Trees,
3) The Largest Sand Dunes in Canada (9 feet high),
4) Home Steading (early Settlers moved to Canada and began farming in Saskatchewan-I know some my ancestors moved started here in the Canadian prairies including the Schwab and Zunti family tree.
5) The last wonder... We didn't quite figure that one out, but if you are ever driving through Saskatchewan do note that the rest stop signs have a picnic table and a tree with a slight lean-definitely unique to Saskatchewan.

TOMPKINS!

2006-07-04T10:40:00.000-07:00

We added 47km to the day and cycled into a little town called Tompkins....

It was super cool....to add it off, mother nature treated us with an amazing thunder storm- sheet and fork lightening, thunder and pouring rain! It was sweet. It was a bit unnerving though when we woke up at 1230 to a second bout thundering on our tent!

We found out the day after leaving Tompkins, that Christine actually had family living there! Ohh well, we'll have to stop in next time ;-)

Total kms for the day: 147km

DAY 21: Medicine Hat to ?

2006-06-30T14:43:00.000-07:00

Total Km's thus far... approx. 95 km

We are now in Saskatchewan!!!! Presently, we are at the vistitor's info just outside Maple Creek.

Our closet campground is 47 k east....we may keep going but are feeling the effects of the heat. Atleast we would have a shorter day to enjoy the celebrations in Swift Current tomorrow.

I guess we were quite a bit slower this morning with a slight headwind, but seems like it is changing direction....

We will try to keep you posted!

JR

DAY 20: Brooks to Medicine Hat

2006-06-29T12:25:00.000-07:00

Total kms today: 105 km

Great tailwinds....and overcast! Excellent for us, but also excellent for the mosquitos. It's hard to believe that they were landing on us and biting while we were riding 30km/hr. Lots of bites.

Arrived safely into town, getting in touch with some media, finding a campsite etc and wondering what we will do for dinner. At the tourist info, they told us that the mosquitos have only become bad in the last couple of days - it is all that rain this spring.

We are hoping to arrive in Swift Current for Canada DAY.

HWY Prairie NEWS

Klara, Alisha and Jennica have begun a cycling tourist choir which specilizes in 'camp' compositions. Today's show included "Found a peanut, " "My eyes are dim," "Hermie the worm," "Great Big Moose," "One day my rooster," and "I love my rooster."

The Cross Canada "Cyclist" composition (sung to the gambler) has been put on hold. Ask the girls about their BC edition of "I like the flowers."

JR

DAY 19: Strathmore to Brooks

2006-06-28T19:58:00.000-07:00

Total Km's TODAY: 134 km

This was a long day for us, but it wasn't too much of a push because we don't have any mountains to climb! We arrived into town about 4:30 pm

Our morning was excellent; Klara, Alisha and I were out of camp in a record 1.5hrs and on the road by 8AM. We had done 80km by noon. Not many towns to visit, so we made sure to carry extra water for when our bottles went dry.

The afternoon was a bit more of a push because of the heat. I would not doubt that it was 30 degrees + : to prove it?

The nice heat rashes on our thighs.

We really want to avoid the heat....so off to bed and hoping to leave by 730 AM tomorrow.

A very special thank you to Donna and Glenn Erixon in Brookes for putting us up in their house. The food, shower, beds and conversations are such a blessing to our tired bodies! Thank you!

Thanks for following us along the way - your support and donations keep us pedaling.

DAY 18: Calgary SW to East Strathmore

2006-06-28T19:38:00.000-07:00

Total km's today....approximately 60km
(Getting out of Calgary was its own challenge and took us close on two and a half hours!)

This is my summary - sorry no pics - maybe I should explain.

An adventure like this one does not happen without injuries and pain, which we have already seen in the case of Alisha's accident. Christine has developed Carpal Tunnel syndrome and although she was checked out, treated and decked out with some heavy-duty gloves and handle-bar padding, we all thought it was best if she listened to her body to ensure recovery quickly got underway. As a result, Cam and Christine are resting in Calgary and will be rejoining the crew tomorrow (June 29th) in Medicine Hat.

Oh yah...the explanation? Cam is our digital photographer.

This was our first day of needed adjustment to the prairies - the wind, the heat, the stretches of what-seems-like nothing....

For our first day out, we were pretty unlikely with a strong head wind, keeping us at a pretty slow pace.

We were happy nonetheless that we had reached a reasonable destination, keeping us on track to meet Cam and Christine Thursday.

A perfect little campground right off the highway with showers, toilets and a phone was our home for the night. Bonus? It was only $10! Brett (Klara's friend from Calgary) came out to meet us, and we sat around the camp fire enjoying conversation - an event that seems to happen less than I had anticipated.

My first take on the prairie sky is BEAUTIFUL

(We are however, becoming the mosquitos' favourite dinner....)

JR

DAY 17: OFF in the Big C

2006-06-26T22:53:00.000-07:00

kilometers today....ZERO...unless you count walking around the city

Klara and I slept until 930..can't believe it

We made a big breakfast, eggs, fruit salad, toast and hashbrowns..delicious.... you know we are going to be burning a lot of calories relaxing!

Laundry, errands and visiting friends was the essence of the day.

Now frantically packing, organizing and wondering how we leave the normal life once more to return to the cyclist, spandex wearing, calorie consuming, crazy adventerous person that we all love being!

Special Thank you to ...

John Gillis and the crew at the downtwon Calgary Milestones

Brett Jensen for being so gracious and generous to us...driving us around, feeding us and letting us take over his house for 48 hours...

and

Barb and Eric for the lovely swim in the lake, visit and dinner

JR

Day16: Canmore to Calgary

2006-06-25T22:15:00.000-07:00

Sunday June 25

Total Km: 106 km

HWY 1 was busy and a bit tiring..but very smooth and not very hilly in comparison to what we have been doing...

We said goodbye to the Rockies....man, it makes me feel a bit nostalgic leaving the mountains....

Picnic-ed under a tree on long grass. It was very nice to have a bit of shade after this heat on the highway!

First time for many of us to have actual burns! Don't worry moms, we ARE wearing sunscreen! We all put on SPF 30-45 atleast 3 times throughout the day! We are definately learning that is not enough....

Arriving into Calgary pretty early for us about 1530.

We toured the Olympic Park a bit, giving us a chance to stretch our legs and take a photo on the podium!

Our lovely host, a good friend of Klara's, Brett Jensen, picked up a few of us and we all ended up meeting us at his house for showers and laundry! Finally after 3 days of park camping...

The social butterfly that he is, Cam's waitering days have landed him some awesome connections...so we all had a dinner on the house at Milestones downtown. Brett said it was hilarious watching us - like we had been out of civilization for 2 weeks or something, or perhaps its the 6hrs of cycling a day... it doesn't matter. He said, "atleast I have entertainment for the night."

Ohh and we got to take out Alisha's stiches!

Finally off to sleep....dreaming about days OFF.....or cycling through the prairies....you decide

signing out
peace

JR

Day 15: Marble Canyon Campground, Kootney National Park, BC to Canmore, AB

2006-06-25T22:11:00.000-07:00

Total Kilometers TODAY: 80 km
Highlights: WE ARE FINALLY IN ALBERTA!!!!! 739 miles later (that is Cam's bike computer for yah...he loves doing the math - he says it keeps his mind active on the road....)

Entered into Banff National Park - lots of photos ops... the continental divide...

infront of Alberta's welcome sign...

Summitted Vermillion Pass : the highest point we have been at, about 1760m, but probably the easiest climb! Only took about an hour!

Huge Osprey nest at Castle Junction, lots of bird, deer, and exhibit signs to read on HWY 1A about the wildlife and surrounding area. We were definately surprised to not see more!!!

Lunch in Banff - very touristy

Super fun ride the last 20km to Canmore, smooth sailing, wide shoulder (but loud traffic!!!) We were probably averaging 30km/hr!!!!

Nice campground, really busy on a sunny weekend...this is the first day of consistent heat....we are noticing a change and recognizing the need to DRINK MORE WATER!

JR

Day 14: Radium to Marble Canyon (Kootney National Park)

2006-06-25T22:08:00.000-07:00

June 23rd
Km today: 85km
Highlights: Sinclair Pass 1477m, climbed 11% grades
Crazy Kootney weather again! This morning we woke up to tons of rain so we went back to sleep for another half hour. Bu the time we woke up again, the rain had cleared and it promised to be a nice day. After a quick breakfast and packing up all our stuff, we started up the climbs we previewed the day before.

Climbing up Sinclair Pass was more difficult and longer than expected.

Taking a few quick breaks for snacks and dropping several layers of clothes, we reached the top and saw how challenging the climb actually was.

Lunch was had in McLeod Meadows and we got to enjoy beautiful roads with beautiful shoulders and gorgeous scenery for the rest of the afternoon. Taking breaks to learn the history of the Kootney National Park, we kept our eyes open for wildlife along the road. Unfortunately, all the elk and moose appeared to be hiding and all we saw were some white-tailed deer.

The Rockie Mountains were so majestic! It was awe-inspiring to cycle the valley in between them. I know I will miss the mountains so much as we leave.

Tonight we stopped at Marble Canyon campground for its opening night. It is just before Vermilion Pass so we should be in good stead for tomorrow. Only a few more kilometeres left in BC!

AM

Day:13 Canal Flats to Radium

2006-06-25T22:07:00.000-07:00

June 22nd
Distance: 61km
What a great day! This morning we got up and got ready at the hostel/campground in Canal Flats. We woke up to the sound of logging trucks since it is a mill town. Getting up was difficult as we are still trying to get used to the time change. Being on the western side of the time zone, the mornings are darker then we are used to. The ride today was pretty easy with only a few small hills to climb.

Stopping in Fairmont for a snack and a cinnamon bun, we enjoyed some nice weather. However, nice weather was not in the forecast. We outran a storm cloud outside of Windermere only to be rained on as we left Invermere.

We arrived on Radium nice and early and ready to soak our tired muscles in the hot springs. After setting up camp and dropping everything but our bathing suits, we were ready to go. However, we still had climbs to do and a preview for tomorrow as we climbed the hill out of the campsite (why put a campsite in a canyon) and up the 11% hill to the hot springs. A quick ice cream break and we hit the hot springs. They were so nice!

There was a warm pool which was huge, a small hot pool of unfiltered hot spring water and a cool pool (definitely not a cold pool at all, warmer then the swimming pools in Coquitlam). It was a challenge to get out of the water but 2 hours later we managed to do it.

While in the grocery store getting food for the next two days, the rain reappeared. However, Kootney rains are short and by the time we got back to camp, it had stopped and we got to see the most brilliantly bright rainbow I've ever seen!!! Not only did the rain stop but we managed to get a campfire going and even had s'mores! Yum.

We are nearing the end of the BC leg of our trip and are heading towards Alberta. Beef country here we come!

AM

Day 12: Cranbrook to Canal Flats

2006-06-21T19:38:00.000-07:00

km today: 90 km

Highlights:
After our long day yesterday pulling into Cranbrook in two shifts one at 8:45 the other at 10pm Mountain time we decided to take it a little slower this morning.

We ate a hearty breakfast and attempted to satisfy our tummys which currently feel like bottomless pits. Alisha, Jen, Cam and Christine welcomed the break from oatmeal with sunnyside up eggs, peanut butter and toast and a bowl of cereal complimented with a warm cup of tea. I like my oatmeal such a good start to the day, nice and filling. Okay alisha does not share my sentimants... The new ports also had this really cool yogart Chocolate cherry fondue made by source. Uhmmmm delicious. Okay I am talking about food again but when you are cycling up and down hills all day long tugging twice your body weight you work up quite the appetite.

The day after we left Oyooyous the group happened to find a weigh scale that the group cycled over. Rough weights including bike and gear and trailers(cam and jennica):
Alisha-110 kg
Christine-110 kg
Cam-120 kg
Jennica-100kg
Klara-100kg
So you can only imagine.

Quote of the Day:
" I keep eating but I never feel full...the minute I start eating I just get hungrier"

We packed up our laundry that we had scattered all over the floor at the Newhouse residence. Then headed off to the grocery store for some lunch and dinner supplies then off to Canal Flats we went.

Enroute to Fort Steal Jennica and the gals (Alisha and Klara) began to compose a song to summerize our journey. I will wait till it's done to share the song with you all but it goes to the tune of 'the gambler' by Kenny Rogers.... to be continued...

At Fort Steele we ran in to a group of four girls cycling from Calgary. We are starting to see more cyclists on the road it is getting really exciting.

The shoulder on the road was really good compared to yesterday. (Yesterday there was the "wake-up" groves right beside th ewhite line then by that a lot of rubble over the majority of the trip). Even though the shoulder was better to bike on we somehow managed to get way more honks from vehicals passing by telling us to move over. We try to please the motorists but you can only mover over sooo far.

We stopped at Wasa Lake for a good lunch... meanwhile the mosquitos snacked on us for lunch.

For the evening we found a small hostal and RV campground in Canal Flats Called Columbia Lake Lodge. The place is established in an old school house, with a library attached i one of the old school rooms so here I am to typing away to share todays events with you.

Day 11: Creston to Cranbrook

2006-06-21T06:47:00.000-07:00

Km today: 110 km

We began this day a little later than usual since we all had to tour the Kootney Brewery. When are we ever going to be in Creston again?

So after the tour, a short interview with the Creston Advance (newspaper) we headed off to the Chocolate orchard (another bakery/confectionary) for a second breakfast and loaded our bikes with our gear. Then just before we leave the ...Cams hook for his trailer is no where to be found. With some kind help from the managers at th Kozy RV camp a new bolt to hook on Cams trailer is devised and off we go.

A small town called Yahk along the way had a really neat soap shop with goats on the roof!

So we ended up leaving the campground at 12:00pm. Thsi was deffinately a late start for a 110 km day and a time zone change so we pushed our legs hard all day.

The push was definately worth it. Lynne and Steve Newhouse in Cranbrook BC were kind enough to open their doors to us and feed us and provide beds for us to sleep in. Yeah, no mosquito filled campground or tent tonight!

Special Thanks:
Lynne, Steve and Dan thank-you so much for your hospitality.
After 11 days on the road, WOW a warm place to stay is truly appreciated.

Day 9: Castlegar to Nelson to Kootney Bay

2006-06-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

Today we cycled out of Castlegar and along the Kootney river to Nelson. We passed about four amazing hydro electric dams along the way. It is interesting to not that everything in this region seems to origionally been developed during the gold rush.

The first dam we passed was called the Brilliant Dam. They are currently in the process of expanding this dam.

As I was sitting at on of the pullouts overlooking a dam, slightly ahead of the group who were taking a picture, an individual pulled over to ask me about the cycling trip. I quickly learned that the man I was speaking to was driving the support vehical for a monk WALKING across the country. I had heard rumors of this monk as Cam had mentioned that he was in the area but non of us had seen him yet. I am amazed this will be the third spiritual walk that this monk has completed. In the past he has started from the BC coast in early April and walked for 6 months straight to end in Cape Horn(apparently this is the farthes point east in Canada) in late October. The driver mentioned that there were some pretty cold days on his last trip. Can you imagine walking in a robe (not sure what the name of these garments are called) in April at 1500 m. Kay I know I with skiing as a kid and various hikes at high elevation in the summer months this can be cold. This time the monk is breaking his walk into two parts due to various engagements along the way. He is walking to Toronto this summer and completing the trip next summer.

A Little bit further along the road I found the monk in bright orange robe and sandles walking along. I coasted beside him for about 10 minutes to ask about his journey and he encouraged us to try to go the extra 12 km to Cape Horn. We wished each other a safe journey and continued on our way to Nelson.

In Nelson we took the afternoon off to enjoy a beautiful Sunday afternoon in the area. We stoped at an Organic Coffee shop called Grouned for some delicious sandwiched etc. We also found a computer where $2 covered 15 min or longer till the next person came to use the computer. This is where cam managed to post the last set of blog updates.

After a relaxing afternoon in Nelson we headed off for Cinnimon Buns (Since we are always hungery Jennica has coined this trip the Cross Canada Bakery Tour). Then headed off for along the lake to the Balfor Bay Ferry.

Unfortunately, our timing was a little off and we just missed the hourly ferry. So we made dinner as we waited for the 7:50 ferry to Kootney Bay.

Apparently, this ferry ride is the longest free Ferry ride in Canada (35 min). So rather late we pulled into Kootney Bay and found a campground to crash(Pilot Bay Resort-yeah it wasn't an actual resort).

Day 8: Christina Lake to Castlegar

2006-06-18T14:26:00.000-07:00

Six o'clock comes all too early for a tired body.
Even after a day of rest my legs were still stiff and sore, and my back hurt.

But I rested a whole day - I must be fresh right?

We didn't have much time to dust off our 'rested' legs before we had them pounding us up another mountain pass!

The ride was a bit shorter - only about 76 km, and somehow knowing we didn't have too far to go helped motivate me up the hill.

The climb out of Christina Lake to Paulson Summit was our highest peak yet - over 1500 metres. We pounded hard, hoping to make the peak by lunch time.

Hunger eventually got the better of us and we stopped for lunch a couple hundred metres below the summit.

From the Paulson Summit, the descent into Castlegar was our best yet. The roads were smooth, with decent shoulders and it was dry!

It never ceases to amaze me how fast you can come down from a hill that took you nearly 4 hours to climb!

We got to Castlegar nice and early, got some groceries and settled in to camp. It was nice to have some time to see the town before nightfall.

Aside from the hint of pulp-mill smell, Castlegar was a beautiful city full of friendly folks. =)

Day 7:Christina Lake to .... nowhere! DAY OFF!!

2006-06-18T14:15:00.000-07:00

After 6 days of solid riding and 5 mountain passes - I think we were all ready for a break.

We crossed our fingers for sunshine for our day off. And we got it..... sort of.

The day started off beautifully. So beautifully that we were compelled to wash almost every article of clothing we had!

By about noon, some mean clouds rolled in but they were moving fast.

For the rest of the day we had 15-20 minute periods of rain, followed by intense sunshine.

Our day off included all the things a day off should: swimming, relaxing and ice cream eating!

But of course it wasn't all fun and games... we made time to get a core workout in on the dock!

Day 6: Kettle River to Christina Lake

2006-06-18T13:26:00.000-07:00

Today was our last day of riding with John, our honorary team member for the BC leg of the trip.
We were all sad to say good-bye - but he's a popular guy with many other commitments!

The ride was beautiful through the Kettle Valley and we enjoyed a number of stops in the small towns along the way.

After considerable debate and a subsequent investigation at the local grocery store, we determined that town 'Midway' is named so because it is midway along the Kettle Valley Railway.

Although some townies also claimed it was the exact midpoint of the province - this has yet to be substantiated. Anybody know?

Our trip has developed into an excellent culinary adventure. As of late, we have sampled baked goods from nearly every town in the Boundary Country/Kootenay Region.

Above is a picture of the B4B squad sampling some of the bounty in Greeenwood (the small town where 'Snow Falling on Cedars' was filmed... many of the buildings still have signs saying 'Amity Harbor' on them... but there is no harbour!)

After a great afternoon on the road, we reached Grand Forks where John was to catch his bus back to Vancouver. Alisha popped in to 'Chain Reaction' for some more bike repairs.

We arrived just in time for the weekly group ride for the Grand Forks Cycling Club. They invited us out for a 60 minute sprint workout - but we had a bit too much gear!

After a tearful good-bye to Sir John K. the Fifth, we did some grocery shopping before riding our last 20 km of the day to Christina Lake.

We got to the campground as the sun was going down and prepared to settle in for a couple nights. It was great going to bed knowing that we wouldn't have to be up at 6am to be on our bikes the next day - it was our day off!

Day 5: Osoyoos to Kettle River

2006-06-17T17:01:00.000-07:00

What a night we had in Osoyoos! We were able to replenish our glycogen stores after gorging on Pawan's (a friend from SFU) mom's good home cooking.

We needed it too. The climb coming out of Osoyoos is a doozy! Over 1000m up, which seemed to take us the better part of the day.

It was pretty overcast for the whole climb so it was cool, and the rain held off - until we reached 'Anarchist Summit'.

So far we seem to get fair weather heading up all the big climbs, and wet, cool weather on the way back down.

The decent into Rock Creek was fairly gentle, but we did stop in at Canyon Creek Ranch to get out of the rain for a bit.

The highlight of the day: staying in a yurt (a tent structure of sorts...) for FREE! The lattice work inside was great for drying gear too =)

Thanks to the Kettle River RV Park for providing!

Day 4: Bromley Rock to Osooyos

2006-06-13T22:31:00.000-07:00

Km's Today: 92 km
Distance so far: 4o7 km

Today we started a little slower to give Alisha time to get her cycling legs back. Trust me this didn't take long. After a short stop in Keromes for a snack and tour of the glass doam (a green house made out of glass)we headed off to Osooyos. The team did a really good job of trueing alisha's wheels but with a her left pannier bungied to her bike (broken pannier hook) and her rear derailer still making tonnes of noise and you could tell Alisha was keen to get to Double O' Bikes in Osooyos. The team decided to split up into two groups and make a push for town so we could get Alisha to the store before it closed. Well Alisha was quite determined and at the rate she was climbing you never would have know she was injured yesterday. Team one made it to the bike shop just as a down pour hit. Team two rode in a little soggy but glad to see Alisha's bike in working order and pressed on to The Deols for a warm hot meal.

Special Thanks to:
The Deol Family
Double O' Bikes

Quote of the Day:
Christine: " The horses are playing hey cyclist"
(Modified version of 'Hey Cow'- you yell hey cow as loud as you can and see how many heads turn.)

Day 3: Mule Deer Campground, Manning Park to Bromley Rock, Princeton

2006-06-13T21:46:00.000-07:00

Km's Today: 80km
Distance to date: 315km

Highlights:
Woke up to our very first day of climbing fully loaded (panniers and trailers).

We Climbed up Sunday Pass to an elevation of approximately 1280 km then after a short break began what we expected to be a long decent. So we bundled up (some of us with touques) only to find another hill and the sun peaking through the clouds, after a short 8% grade decent. After over-heating as we climbed the hill the crew stopped to delayer (touques, rain coats) then we began the real decent.

So Alisha and Klara took off at the front of the pack and as everyone knows they love to see how fast they can decend. Pannier bags tend to complicate this as they add another element of instability but the girls felt they could mannaged their bikes well at speeds of 45km/hr. Add on a narrow shoulder with cracks and loose rubble and this equals well three stiches and a tour of Princton Hospital. Alisha went down pretty hard so we flagged down a van who transported Alisha and her bike to the hospital.

The crew followed and caught up to find alisha a little shaken but doing well. We tracked down a $20 helmet (CSA approved and that was all we could find).
So our next task is to find a decent helmet, and fix Alisha's bike so we can get her to the bike shop in Osooyos.

Special thanks to:
Stephanie and Don Robinson - for transporting Alisha to the hospital
Dorothy and Dr. G -at Princton General.

Quote of the Day:
Klara:" Shaken but not Stirred"
-Alisha laughed pretty hard when I mentioned this to her.

Bike Maintenace:
Jennica lubing her chain while the crew take turns working on Alisha's bike.

Day 2: Hope to Mule Deer Campground (Manning Park)

2006-06-13T21:27:00.000-07:00

Km's Today: 80 km
Distance so far: 235 km

HWY 3 : Crowsnest Highway
Trying to stay limber...oh those muscles...and beautiful scenery (and history) at Hope Slide I told you there were steep climbs - there are even warning signs...

Highlights:

Allison Pass 1300+ meters, a lot of hill climbing to Manning Park
a few rainstorms and a nice camp site by a river at Mule Deer Campground
Trying to get up at 6AM for an 8 clock departure...so by 10 pm we are ready to sleep!

Day 1: Vancouver to Hope

2006-06-10T21:17:00.000-07:00

Meet the Team - Left to Right: Jennica Rawstron, Klara Schwab, Christine Stables, Alisha Mills and Cameron Cunningham

Distance travelled so far: 156 km

Quotes of the Day:
Cam: "Who is that Dewdney guy and what's with his trunk"
Alisha: "Yield to Spandex"

Our first day - June 10, 2006
Today for all of us was an early start with little sleep. Many of us stayed up late packing and trying to get ready for the remainder of the summer and woke up early to get to Vanier Park on time. After meeting the team, getting tons of pictures taken and starting with our tires in the Pacific, we were ready to go. It took a while to get out of the city as we were joined by many guest cyclists who wished us well and wanted to see us off. As well, we started making new friends along the way!

A long day - a relatively flat day but a long day. We were worried we wouldn't make it all the way to Hope but we did!!! The air was clear and we were definitely excited to be on our bikes. With the aid of Alisha's parents acting as sherpas and carrying all our gear, we were able to achieve the goal of making it to Hope.

Tomorrow, we will try to make it to Manning (and perhaps beyond?). It will be a challenging day with many climbs but we luckily have our sherpas for one more day.

Thanks to everyone who came out this morning to wish us well and see us off. In case you're curious, apparently we were on the news around lunchtime and perhaps at dinner so keep your eyes peeled to CTV and Global and see if you see us!

If you are interested in donating to the Lung Association, click here.

Join Us At The Beginning Of Our Journey

2006-06-09T00:06:00.000-07:00

Cross Canada Cycle Launch – Photo Opportunity

Date: June 10, 2006

Time:
8:45am Biking for Breath Team Ready
9:00am Guest Speaker (Executive Director BC Lung Association)
9:10 am Photo Opportunity
9:20am Departure

Location: the Boat Launch at Vanier Park (behind the Maritime Museum/Space Centre, West of the Burrard Bridge)

Directions: Stay right to the far right entering the Planetarium Parking lot and follow the road behind the building.

MEDIA CONTACT

For more information or to arrange an interview with the Biking for Breath team contact:

Katrina van Bylandt, Communications Coordinator
BC Lung Association
T 604.731.5864 x 237
E vanbylandt@bc.lung.ca

Donations will be accepted by the team at the Launch event or click here to donate today.

Cycling for The Nations Lung Health

2006-06-07T00:13:00.000-07:00

--Students cycling across Canada with a goal to raise $30, 000
for The Canadian Lung Association—

More than three million Canadians cope with serious respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, influenza, pneumonia, bronchitis, tuberculosis, cystic fibrosis and respiratory distress syndrome (1). More alarmingly, the top five respiratory diseases account for nearly one out of every five deaths in Canada (2). With the urbanization of our communities, use of chemicals on our foods, environmental pollutants in our work environments (e.g. second hand smoke, cleaning products, pesticides, and exhaust), and decreased physical activity the incidence of lung diseases is on the rise. This summer five young Canadians will be crossing the country one breath at a time to combat these staggering statistics. “Our quest this summer is to cycle 7,400 km across Canada to promote healthy lifestyles and raise $30,000 for critical research and programs funded by the Canadian Lung Association.”

The Biking For Breath Team is comprised of Alisha Mills, Christine Stables, Cameron Cunningham, Jennica Rawstron, and Klara Schwab five motivated friends who all met during their studies at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver BC.

The Biking For Breath journey begins at 9 am on June 10, 2006 as the team cycles out of the Pacific Ocean from Vanier Park in Vancouver BC. The team will be traveling through all ten provinces, encouraging everyone in the country to stand up for respiratory health. The team will be traveling all the way to St. John’s Newfoundland where they will reach the shores of the Atlantic Ocean in late August.

Support the Biking for Breath Team reach their goal by donating to the Canadian Lung Association today.

Together we can make a difference!

References:
1) Towards a national Framework for Respiratory Disease in Canada: Environmental Scan Report. February 15, 2006
http://www.lung.ca/media-medias/news-nouvelles_e.php?id=35
2) WHO strategy for prevention control of Chronic Respiratory Diseases

'The Breath of Life'

2006-05-18T21:54:00.000-07:00

Our most recent event benefiting the BC Lung Association called 'The Breath of Life' was a great success. The evening of entertainment included some top notch local talent including Big Black Dog, Coastal Sound Chamber Choir and many more amazing performers.

We are indebted to all those who gave their time to contribute to the cause. All the performers, our motivational speakers Mark Masongsong and Ash Dhanani, as well as local businesses who contributed silent auction items and the many friends and family members who prepared goods for the bake sale!

Katrina van Bylandt and Scott McDonald from the Lung Association came to show their support as well as to deliver our great new biking jerseys.

Now we'll really look like a team out there!

Shark's Club Thank You!

2006-05-08T23:09:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who made it down to our first organized fundraiser at Shark Club on April 22nd. The event was a huge success - we all had a great time and raised some much needed cash to support our fundraising ride across Canada. Jennica's birthday was the very same day so we had even more reason to celebrate.

Despite mother natures significant attempts against our plans, our fundraising Garage Sale turned out well. As rookies in this cut throat market we quickly got used to haggling, but many people became more generous once they knew all proceeds were for the Lung Association!

Finally, stay tuned for details for our Farewell Burger and Beer Event! We're looking at the afternoon of June 4th to get all well-wishers out for one last shin-dig. Tickets will be $12 and include a burger, beer and good times! More to follow soon.

Remember online donations are welcome 24 hours a day - just click the link that says 'D-O-N-A-T-E' on the panel on the right! Thanks =)

Join us in supporting The Lung Association as we cycle across the country!

2006-04-01T10:12:00.000-08:00

From the Pacific shoreline to the Atlantic coast, we are biking across Canada testing our lung capacity, to raise $30,000 for the Canadian Lung Association. We are promoting clean air and raising money to fund vital research for diseases such as Asthma, COPD, Emphysema, Cancer, Chronic Bronchitis, Tuberculosis, and Cystic Fibrosis.

As we challenge each mountain along the way we will be reminded of the struggles many individuals face every breath of their lives. With each breath we are asking for your support. Your donations will protect the lung health of your family, your neighbourhood, your province and your country.
Please Donate Today!

Click here to donate.

BIKE HARD, BREATHE EASY!

THE TEAM: Get ready Canada!

2006-03-22T20:10:00.000-08:00

Alisha Mills

Alisha Mills recently completed her first year of Medical School at UBC and has a sincere passion for... well everything! She loves the outdoors, her friends and family and she is constantly working to make positive changes in the lives of everyone around her. As a cycling commuter living in the city, Alisha appreciates the need for clean air and as a medical student she is always reminded of the detriments of unhealthy living. “That’s why I am taking on the huge challenge such as cycling the entire country and fundraising for such a great cause. I feel that through challenging myself, I can make a difference in the lives of others, even as only one person.” Alisha, is excited about the team's partnership with the Canadian Lung Association and is anxiously awaiting the June 10th departure date!

Jennica Rawstron

Jennica Rawstron recently completed her second year of studies in Kinesiology at Simon Fraser University. She is not one to limit her options, this past semester Jennica completed a specialized undergraduate dialogue program on the theme of social enterprise for sustainable community development. Her interest in sustainability first materialized during her Canada World Youth program, where she had the opportunity to volunteer both in Quebec and Burkina Faso, West Africa. From this experience, her passions of health and education have branched off to include sustainability, both personally and globally. Through her words and actions, Jennica inspires all those around her to 'be the change you wish to see in the world'. Jennica is excited to fulfill her dream of cycling across Canada demonstrating alternative transportation to advocate for clean air and health.

Cameron Cunningham

Cameron is just finishing off his Honours degree in Kinesiology from SFU will continue his education at the University of Calgary this fall working on a Masters in Neuroscience.
He is passionate about health, wellness and physical activity. As a Health Educator on campus through his undergraduate degree and a integral member of the Triathlon Team, Cameron believes in empowering people with knowledge to maximize their own health.
He has been a recreational cyclist since his tricycling days on the back porch. Cameron is extremely excited about seeing our beautiful country and singing the national anthem to keep himself going for 70 days on the road.

Klara Schwab

Klara completed her degree in Kinesiology in August 2005. As a triathlete/duathlete, snowshoe guide, dancer and avid outdoors enthusiast-Klara Schwab takes full advantage of all that BC has to offer. Klara is passionate about promoting health and wellness to others. With her education and work experience Klara is aware of the difference one person can make in the lives of many. With over 3 million Canadians suffering from serious respiratory diseases and the instances of childhood asthma increasing as the decades go by something needs to be done. "I am cycling the country to be part of a solution,so that every breath I take can make a difference in the life of another".

Currently she is applying to the Pole to Pole Leadership Institute for another remarkable human powered journey commencing later this year. Pole to Pole is a leadership program committed to shareing with the world the power of human potential. For more information please click on Klara's application webpage below.

http://www.poletopoleleadership.com/site/TR?pg=personal&fr_id=1030&px=1006063

Christine Stables

Christine recently finished her honours degree in Biology at SFU, and will be continuing her studies in medical school at UBC this fall.
Though Christine is relatively new to cycling, her energy and eagerness to embark on this adventure have made her a quick study!
The physical and mental well-being of all is a focus for Christine; she spends many hours volunteering in the community, working as a lifeguard, and doing scientific research in biology.
Now on to the Atlantic!