At the beginning of May 2005, I cycled from mile 0 in Victoria to Swartz Bay. I took the ferry to Saltspring Island and through to Crofton. I cycled north trying to pick up the TransCanada trail south of Nanaimo I got offtrack on logging roads, cutblocks, and shotgun shells. I kept going, Nanaimo and further north and then on the ferry across to Denman Island, and Hornby and back to Denman and back to Vancouver Island. I cycled further north to Campbell River across by ferry to Quadra, and Cortez to Hollyhock and back again to Campbell River where I changed the knobbies on my mountain bike for road tires. The wind picked up and I cycled north with the wind all the way to Port MacNeil, Port Hardy, and Port Alice. From where I cycled into the land of cougars and camped out beside lakes. I cycled back to Victoria via the Malahat. I changed the rims (tires) on my bike. After sleeping wet, I decided to buy a small hammock tent. I shed a lot of gear. And, trimmed down to a small pack on the back fender rack, my winter sleeping bag, and the hammock tent.

From mile 0, Victoria, BC, again I proceeded to cycle back through Saltspring, Nanaimo and across by ferry to Horseshoe Bay, Vancouver, and out of the blue I crossed paths with my cousin in Maple Creek. At some point in there I took a short ferry across a river. I tried to follow the so-called Transcanada trail. I got lost. I got back on roads. I camped.

I cycled up the Coquahalla. On the way up, raining off and on, I met a family of five cyclists going across the country. Once, at the top on the way to Merritt and with some encouragement from the other cyclists, I realized I could probably do that too. I kept on cycling, slept under the stars beside a lake, Kamloops, Revelstoke, and on to the Roger’s pass where I was going really fast down the mountain. I probably cycled over 200km a day at that point, through Banff National Park, Calgary, Alberta and onto Medicine Hat where I stayed in the cheapest motel for $30. The next day, I met two Quebecois cross country cyclists, and I met other cross country cyclists along the way. I cycled with the girls for about three days. We separated before Moose Jaw and I went on to Regina and Moosomee. The next day the wind shifted right around out of the east, I think because of effects of hurricane Dennis. The mosquitoes were thick in Manitoba, the water flooded the fields right up to the Transcanada highway which was two-way paved rubble with no shoulder. Huge trucks would pass by giving me the entire lane when they could otherwise they would gently honk their horns well beforehand to give warning. I would move right to the shoulder to give room. On through flooded Winnipeg I went and into northern Ontario where I swam in the lakes and enjoyed seeing trees once again.

I ate blueberries. I camped. I cycled. Before Thunder Bay, I met cyclists from a club who wished me well. Onward, Terry Fox, Marathon, and Michipicoten River, and I arrived at Sault-Ste-Marie where I stayed in the hostel for a night. And onwards to the crossroads on highway 17, and down to Manitoulin Island, and across on the ferry to the Bruce. And, through Wasaga, and I arrived at to meet my brother-in-law. Fancy that riding all the way from BC. I relaxed a few weeks with relatives and then got on the trails in Ontario, for the roads were too busy. Orrillia, Coboconk, Peterborough, and tiny obscure beautiful towns all the way to Ottawa, to Gatineau, back to Ottawa and along the river to Oka, Quebec! And into a rainstorm from the effects of Katrina which I would not realize the news of until my arrival at relatives in New Brunswick. Across the bridge to PEI which I was one day after the Terry Fox walk across the bridge. From PEI back to the mainland Nova Scotia by ferry and onto Cape Breton. I took the last ferry of the season from North Sydney to Argentia, Newfoundland. I was ecstatic. I cycled to St. John’s and a few days later I arrived at Cape Spear.

I left Newfoundland taking my mountain bike on a plane on October 9th, 2005.