Day 48: 77.43km

June 23, 2012

Stonecliffe - Arnprior

Today was an interesting day. We spent the whole day across the river from Quebec. We started with a good shoulder out of Stonecliffe and knocked off a bunch of towns in a row, Mackey, Rolfton, and then Deep river. We stopped at Deep river at the Laurentien dairy place for lunch and giant milkshakes! It was delicious.

We kept trucking to Petawawa, and then the trouble started. After I had turned past the Petawawa exit the shoulder went from a foot wide to a foot wide with a rumble strip. So I had 3 inches to bike on. Then it got rid of the rumble strip and there was only 3 inches! Cars started being irritated with me being there. I got honked at and fists shaken at me. Three cars tried to push me off the road. I have gotten use to cars being right beside me, but these two cars and one semi went right beside me and then swerved so they were right in front of me and kept going. A little too close for comfort. The semi swerved so much that it had two tires in the gravel shoulder and it kicked up stones at me. 

 

The non-existent shoulder on Hwy 17

Mom pulled the plug. She made me get in the car. She was pretty proud of her risk assessment. She thought Deb and Trev would be very proud of her. We had dad on the phone as he searched for another path for us, and I was searching as well. Mom and I zigged and zagged north and south to find a good highway to bike on. Our expectations weren't high (I mean we are still in Ontario) but we needed something safe at least on one level.

 

Pembrooke

We found a path and I biked for a bit on highway 4, which ran parallel to Highway 17. Highway 4 was good but it had no shoulders, but it was ok because you could see quite far ahead. People could pass mom and I safely at least. 

 

We went right past this little gas station and we stopped to get ice cream. At this gas station a few people told us that there was a huge hill coming up. At first how they said it bugged me and i was like "ill be fine" but then enough was mentioned about this giant hill that i began to worry. This one lady was like "pfft, have fun on story book hill". Then as I biked I got nervous for it. Next thing you know I was at the top of the hill and hardly realized it! I thought it was just the beginning of the giant hill, but it was actually this tiny little hill. Its crazy how things are interpreted by perception. Highway 4 turns at highway 1 and that would take us 30 km to Arnprior. This road had no shoulder either but the lines of sight were non-existent. We had to pack it in again because people were driving so fast without seeing what was around the next corner, and I was in their lane since there was no shoulder.

 

Petawawa

It is so frustrating that I had to get in the car today. It's frustrating because tons of people do this trip! And I don't understand how they do. Today was scary and plain rude from those people. And yes, I realize that there have been fatal incidents and when I have the car I should be safe and do a proper risk assessment but I don't understand how all these people get through that without a vehicle escape. It's hard to let that one go.

Anyway, when we got into Arnprior mom and I got a room at the Quality Inn and then went to the movie Brave. It was so good!! One of my favorites! Then we had a nice early night. In the end it was good. I'm alive, and in bed. But I feel like I cheated more today than ever. I've been looking at peoples blogs who have biked this trip to find out what they did but so many blogs are the end result and stats. So I'll have to keep searching. 

 

Dinner at East Side Mario's