Day 54 - Espanola, Ont. to Sudbury, Ont.

July 6, 2026 (Monday)

Start Time: 6:00 am 

Stop Time: 1:00 pm 

KM Travelled: 87.2 km 

Elevation: +566/ -497 m 

Special Stuff: Neat ideas along the way, Little brick houses 

I continue to be surprised by what a rest day does to charge up my courage bank. I woke up yesterday thinking I maybe should have just pressed on, but I felt uncertain and I did not have a crystal clear picture of what the route was going to look like for today. Throughout my rest day, I did some research and had some little conversations with locals about the highway, and now I'm feeling in a better-ish place about what is coming up between here and Ottawa. It is not going to be easy, but I see some options. 

Given that we have a campground so far off my route, Brian gives me a ride back to where he picked me up two days ago. 

Espanola is off of Highway 17, down Highway 6 (I came up through the bottom on a gravel road, so I did not realize this until I planned my departure. Leaving Espanola, I don’t make a direct path back to Highway 17, but rather follow a route that zigs and zags around Highway 17 – with the occasional touchpoint with the highway. The touchpoints are paved with a nice shoulder. 

My ride does not take me through farmlands, but rather more of forested areas. I am taken through some cute little communities which I am glad to have seen – these are the little hidden gems of the off-highway experience. On these off-highway rides, like today’s, I often find some big industrial sites and I need to be alert for industrial vehicles. 

Along the way I notice a frame around hanging basket (like an exoskeleton) and realized there might be ways to create hanging baskets with more volume...I will explore this next summer. 

I come across an outhouse supplier - Jim’s Outhouses - and I laugh at the missed opportunity to call it "Johns" Outhouses. Another missed opportunity is that they do not have a public outhouse available for use – I would have been happy to test one just then. 

At some point as I was getting closer to Sudbury, I get to a blocked off road. My heart sinks, deciding what to do in these situations is difficult as I don’t have a clue why the road is blocked off (is the road completely washed out, is the bridge unstable, is there a rock slide risk, etc.) Alternate routes are often not quick or easy – and the dreaded backtracking may be required. While I research alternatives, a woman happens to come by on her bike - her music playing for all to hear. She is a bit hesitant, but takes a moment to let me know that the road is closed because of a bit of it is washed away – and that it's fine for bikers. I show her where I intend to go, and she says that she was going that way too. I thank her and she zips off over the bridge. This is my que to keep pressing on. 

I’m not sure why, but the ride goes surprisingly fast. 

I get to the outskirts of Sudbury. The city initially has an industrial feel, but as I approach the downtown core, I can feel the city vibes and enjoy the brick home esthetic (which I love). It has gotten hot, so when I get to Bell Park (which looks to be celebrating it's 100 year anniversary), I sit on a bench and come up with a game plan for the evening. I’m in no rush because I am on my own for the night – Brian has gone ahead to Sturgeon Falls to set up camp for two nights. 

Reaching Sudbury is a major milestone. From Sault Ste. Marie, it felt so far away and challenging to get to with Highway #17 to navigate. I need to pause for a moment and acknowledge this achievement.

I book a motel on the east side of the city and make my way over to it. I arrive an hour before check-in and pay the early check-in fee to get some shelter from the intense heat.

I order 3 people’s worth of food at Tim Horton’s (dinner, breakfast and tomorrow’s ride) and settle in for a lazy rest of the day to charge up for an early start before the sun rises.