I slept in until 7:30 to allow myself a little extra recovery time after yesterday's madness. I quite enjoyed waking up on the shores of the lake, and the water provided a nice backdrop as I ate and packed. I was on the road by 8:30, and it was already beginning to get warm.
My ride started with another huge sprawling hill that began right at the driveway into the camp, and that set the pace for the entire 110 KM day. The whole journey to Marathon was spent slowly climbing up one side of a monstrous hill, and then effortlessly gliding down the opposite side. There is no substantial lasting change in elevation around here, so I always had a descent to look forward to after every epic uphill struggle. This was an extremely tough day, and puts most other terrains Ive been through to shame. The difficult climbs seemed endless, and it was exceptionally hot out. By lunch I could already feel the strength in my legs failing from the last two days of strenuous work.
Almost from the instant I left camp, I was counting the roadside KM markers, making mini checkpoints with the promise of a break and a snack to keep me moving forward. I was quite the mental test.
KM by KM I slowly made my way to Marathon, arriving at camp just after 4 PM; the longest short day ever. I arrived just in time too; a large rain system hit just as I finished setting up my tent. Still no cell reception, but this camp has wifi.
The terrain continued to be spectacular today, climbing along lakeside cliffs and through forest vallies. More time was spent inland today, winding around forested hills, vallies, lakes, and rivers. Not quite as dramatic, but still picturesque.
At one point, I could see what appeared to be a man running up one of the giant hills toward me pushing a baby stroller. We were 60 KM from the nearest town, and it was pretty hot out, so I was wondering who on earth would bring their kid for a run like that. As I got closer I could see that the stroller was filled with luggage. We shouted to each other as we passed by, and it turns out he is running from Montreal to Vancouver pushing that stroller of gear. Now THAT is a crazy trip! That should help keep me humble haha.
No comments:
Post a Comment