Day 48 - Sault Ste. Marie - REST DAY

June 30^th, 2026 (Tuesday) 

Start time: N/A 

Stop time: N/A 

KM Travelled: 0 on the Bike 

Elevation: 0 on the Bike 

Special Stuff: Great bike service

This is our first time staying at a KOA campground - it is so fancy for a campground. We feel a little out of place amongst the big rigs with outdoor televisions and stationary bikes hauled out for exercise. It is an interesting experience. The landscaping is nice...makes me think of a few things we could do to spruce up our yard back at home.

Now I have access to a computer, reality hits me and I need to catch up on some backlogged bookkeeping and pay some bills - the tedious things of our day-to-day lives. Without my computer I seemed to have alot more freedom (or probably more of a case of blissfully avoiding the inevitable). 

I drive the truck to drop my bike off to be serviced at 10:00 am. Driving the truck was something I have not done in a month. I find myself having to stop looking for potholes that I need to avoid. I only got one angry honk, but anyone new to the city might have gotten the same honk on the one-way street, that was not clearly marked (for the record, I was going the correct direction). 

I get to the bike shop before it is open, so I get a coffee that comes in a cool biodegradable coffee cup with a folding lid (and a hole cut out that I can drink from)! This is definately a highlight of the day!

The Algoma Bicycle Company in downtown Sault Ste. Marie provides absolutely wonderful service. They fit me right in and have my bike done by 1:00 pm. Amazing! I get a new chain (the cassette is still good), new back brake pads and the front light is tightened up.

I tell the Algoma Bicycle Company staff my concerns about highway #17 and they recommend the Great Lake Waterfront Trail and say they know people who ride it from Sudbury to Sault Ste. Marie often. My bike and tires should manage the gravel sections just fine.

I feel hopeful and a bit uncertain at the same time thinking that I will be riding off the highway. The heat and now this new route...are all unknowns. If I give in to my fear, it could be the end of the ride (which would be the easier choice). I decide that I want to give this a try - even if it means that progress is going to be slower. I need to make wise choices based on the information I have available to me. 

In the late afternoon/ evening, Brian and I get to experience Ontario heat and humidity – it is so thick and heavy! The only way to get relief is to find a place with air conditioning (AC). Our RV has two fans (that help with air flow through the trailer) - we don’t have AC.

As I start settling down to bed, I review the temperatures. 33 degrees tomorrow and there are heat warnings posted on all of my weather apps. I think again about the 75 km bike ride and reconsider my strategy.

My new approach will be:

• Book a motel room on the east side of Sault Ste. Marie for tomorrow night (July 1st)

• Tomorrow morning (July 1st) bike over to the motel (taking 14 km and navigation delays through the city off of the ride to Bruce Mines)

• Brian to pick me and my bike up and we spend Canada Day together

• Brian drops me and my bike off at the motel at the end of the day

• I leave early on July 2nd to do the 61 km trek to Bruce Mines using the backroads route.

This feels like a more sensible approach given the presenting situation and my experience riding in these conditions.

Note: It may seem excessive to have Brian and I stay in different places in the same town, but we have different needs. I am riding across Canada, and I need to make choices that help me to achieve this goal. Brian is a supportive listening ear as I consider and work through the options.

I fall asleep feeling MUCH better about the next couple days.