Cycle Canada 2010: Completed Provinces - BC - AB - SK - MB - ON - QC

BRITISH COLUMBIA - May 31st to June 11
The route through BC will start us at the Pacific Ocean (dipping a bike tire into the ocean...very cliche I know!!) and will send us along hwy 7 to hwy 3 to the Alberta border. Lots of small hills to climb along the way...can't wait!
Overview map (click to enlarge)

Day #1
May 31st, 2010
Vancouver BC to Mission BC

Starting at Jericho Beach (for some tire dipping in the ocean) and then off to Mission...only a 75km ride for the 1st day. We'll get the legs pumping the 1st day but ease into the trip.

Day #2
June 1st, 2010
Mission BC to Hope BC

A little bit more distance the 2nd day (91km), taking hwy 7 from Mission to Hope (very familiar territory for the H2H runners!).

Day #3
June 2nd, 2010
Hope BC to Princeton BC

OK a little ambitious on the 3rd day...139km from Hope to Princeton with a fairly long climb at the start...but why not!

Day #4
June 3rd, 2010
Princeton BC to Osoyoos BC

An easier start to the day with most of it downhill and a small bump to finish off the 115km day. We are crossing our fingers for some fantastic weather in Osoyoos, might say for a couple of days (only to prep our legs for the hill climb out of time!!)

Day #5 - OFF (recovery from 1st week of climbing mountains!)

Day #6
June 5th, 2010
Osoyoos to Greenwood BC

Ahhh, the Osoyoos hill climb! a good start to the day..wish us luck. But after we kill ourselves we can coast down for a while. A good start to the week ahead.

Day #7
June 6th, 2010
Greenwood to Gladstone Provincial Park BC (Christina Lake)

More hills to climb...but again when we go up we have to come down sometime! Then it's a flatter ride taking us to Christina Lake in Gladstone Provincial park.

Day #8
June 7th, 2010
Gladstone PP to Salmo (Castlegar) BC

This should be a fun start to the day... a gradual up hill to an steep climb! Then hopefully we can just sit back and relax down hill to Castlegar...JK we are going as far as Salmo to take some distance off the next day. We are driving up to Nelson for the night to stay with family, can't wait to visit!

Day #9
June 8th, 2010
Salmo to Creston BC

We start this day -35km from the map above so it's a flat start to the day and then...well...Holy Crap!! you can see why we took some distance away...wish us luck!

Day #10
June 9th, 2010
Creston to Cranbrook BC

One of these days the mountains will end...but for now we keep climbing! Hopefully we can get through this day...

Day #11
June 10th, 2010
Cranbrook to Fernie BC

I don't know why we keep doing these long distances....oh ya there's the rest of the provinces still to go, we haven't even made it out of BC yet... Not as much elevation in today's ride.

Day #12
June 11th, 2010

And now we are out of BC...that didn't take long! This last day before another rest day will surely go by quickly, I'm hoping the downhill will roll us right into the campsite...

ALBERTA - June 11 to June 16

A quick tour through Alberta.

Click on each map for a bigger view

Day 14 - Pincher Creek to Lethbridge
June 13th, 2010

It doesn't look like much but a downhill but I think the winds will start playing a factor...wind turbines everywhere! We are getting good at this riding thing, it shouldn't take long...

Day 15 - Lethbridge to Bow Island
June 14th, 2010

Again, you would think it's all downhill...but only a 150m elevation difference. I'm hoping that today we can race through the middle of Alberta!!

Day 16 - Bow Island to Irvine
June 15th, 2010

Going to Medicine Hat is just too short of a day...we need them longer!!! A camp site might be difficult to find but we'll come up with something this day. Again, not much of elevation change..we are getting into the flat lands of Canada. I vote for non windy days!

Day 17 - Irvine to Tompkins SK
June 16th, 2010

The hills look big on the graph but they are just little bumps in the road! Across the border today and into the wheat fields of Saskatchewan. Our destination is Tompkins, a small town rich with family heritage. Can't wait to go back and visit.

SASKATCHEWAN - June 16 to June 22

The flat plains through Saskatchewan should be very windy...we are hoping for sunny days!

June 18-10
We have revamped the schedule and towns a little bit...the thundershowers and rain fall warnings through the prairies this week have made it difficult to cycle...having a back tire blow out twice in one morning doesn't help as well.

Click on maps for a bigger view

Day 19 - Piapot to Herbert
June 18th, 2010

Piapot IS a little town in SK...we've been there already! Started there once already but blew 2 tubes and changed a tire at the side of the road on a stormy day and decided to hide for the rest of the day. Our day off just became a cycle day...

Day 20 - Herbert to Moose Jaw
June 19th, 2010

The change of schedule means a little further going for a few days...hence the 152km yesterday and the 127km today. The weather should have moved past by this day and we hope to take advantage of it.. I've heard of people riding 50km a day due to the winds in these parts...and we have scheduled over 100km each day...keep your fingers crossed.

Day 21 - Moose Jaw to Balgonie SK
June 20th, 2010

Staying on hwy #1 through the middle of SK and through Regina to friends who live in Balgonie.

Day 22 - Balgonie to Grenfell SK
June 21, 2010

Hopefully riding with the wind at our backs...that's why we cycle west to east! A lot of rain in SK this year so the scenery is mostly green fields and not brown wheat fields, a little strange to see.

Day 23 - Grenfell to Elkhorn MB
June 22nd, 2010

And now we start dipping south east for a little while as we cross the Manitoba border. A longer day to finish off Saskatchewan.

MANITOBA - June 22 to June 28

The highways in Manitoba are very tough to cycle on (so we hear), the route diverts off the main highway for the most part so we have a safe piece of mind.

Click on maps for a bigger view

Day 24 - Elkhorn to Rapid City
June 23rd, 2010

Trying to stay off hwy #1 through MB (shoulders are gravel and not much space for cyclists) takes us on some side roads. This gets us through some towns we wouldn't normally see.

Day 25 - Rapid City to Portage La Prairie
June 24th, 2010

We meet up with hwy 16 for a bit to stay north of #1 but meet up with it again in Portage La Prairie. A longer ride today, with hopefully winds behind us and the sun above us! What the heck is the bump in the road, up 7% and down 7% over 1km...should be interesting!

Day 26 - Portage La Prairie to Winnipeg
June 25th, 2010

Again, staying off hwy #1, we arc north a bit and drop into Winnipeg from the north. A big city for us!! We have to know people in the "Peg" where we can stay...anyone...anyone?

Day 27 - Off in Winnipeg

Day 28 - Winnipeg to Rennie
June 27th, 2010

Out of Winnipeg staying off the highway fairly straight east, we are banking on the fact the truckers won't use these roads. Another longer day but so close to the ON border.

Day 29 - Rennie to Kenora ON
June 28th, 2010

Cycling through the Provincial Park eventually meeting up with Hwy #1 (there is no other roads to take at this point). Into Ontario (1st of 20 days in the big province).

ONTARIO - June 29 to July 14

Ahhh...good old Ontario! We actually spend about 1/3 of our trip in Ontario, can't wait!
Click on the Maps to make them larger!

This is part 1 of our Ontario travels...we break for Junetoberfest when we get to North Bay. Wouldn't you? We start up again from North Bay and continue on east...Part 2 is coming shortly.

Day #30 - June 29th, 2010
Kenora to Dryden

We start in to the northern Ontario roads early on in the week, we have heard from sources that there are many bikers on these roads (thanks for the tip Tony). Getting into a little more ups and downs (any elevation is different than the prairies)

Day #31 - June 30th, 2010

Dryden to Ignace

The elevation chart is a little deceiving, it's not 1 big hill climb when we only go up 100m over the whole day!

Day #32 - July 1, 2010

Ignace to Savanne

Even more ups and downs through out the day, but nothing we can't handle. But it will be nice to get back into the wilderness...well maybe with a shower every once and a while!

Day #33 - July 2nd, 2010
Savanne to Thunder Bay

This day will be enjoyable, not only do we get to stop into Thunder Bay but we may have weeled and dealed ourselves a place to stay with a hot tub!! Very enthusiastic friends family in TB that are letting us in...do they realize what they are getting themselves into?

Day 34 - July 3rd, 2010
Day off in Thunder Bay

Day 35 - July 4th, 2010
Thunder Bay to Nipigon

Off to Nipigon today, a few "climbs" to get through (but nothing like the "passes" or "summits" in BC), I've driven this many times so it will be nice to cycle it and see a little more of the surrounding.

Day #36 - July 5th, 2010
Nipigon to Terrace Bay

OK...ok I did call them little climbs in N Ont but you didn't have to go and challenge us! not a long day but I think we will be getting our climbing muscles back in action!

Day #37 - July 6th, 2010
Terrace Bay to White Lake Provincial Park

A little longer of a day and more little hills. We are slowly getting through this land of Ontario...

Day #38 - July 7th, 2010
White Lake PP to Wawa

Looks like a little ride today, but it's hard to show the length of the ride when it's mainly south, we haven't ridden that direction yet this trip!

Day #39 - July 8th, 2010
Wawa to Agawa Bay

Most of the day we cycle through Lake Superior PP, in a south direction (again, new to us!) a few small climbs in the day and a long down hill in the middle.

Day #40 - July 9th, 2010
Agawa Bay to Sault Ste Marie

Keeping south with more climbing...but a nice flat section in the middle.

Day #41 - July 10th, 2010
off in Sault Ste Marie

Day #42 - July 11th, 2010
Sault Ste Marie to Iron Bridge

I think this week will fly by...only a few days and then we get a break. Getting back to heading east for a change..following north channel of Georgain Bay for most of the day.

Day #43 - July 12th, 2010
Iron Bridge to Massey (Chutes Provincial Park)

Day #44 - July 13th, 2010
Massey to Sudbury

Day #45 - July 14th, 2010
Sudbury to North Bay

When we stop in North Bay, we climb into the family van and head south for a little break. Junetoberfest is 2 days away and family will be at the cottage. But we will return after the weekend to complete the trip...

ONTARIO Stage 2 - July 19 to July 24

Stage 2
We pick back up in North Bay on July 19th and start heading out east. Cycling through some bigger cities in the early weeks and then back to the country side.

Summary Map of Ontario into Quebec (click on maps to enlarge)