Day 13 - Kenora, ON to Winnipeg, MB

May 29, 2010
201 km

Today was the best day for events, both good and bad. Just like Thunder Bay i was excited for a day off so my goal became a double day to achieve it. I am in Winnipeg two days early. As I was getting close to the end of Ontario I finally saw a wolf. The only animal I wanted to see in Ontario that I did not was a black bear. The day felt like any other until I crossed the boundary into Manitoba. I got so excited that I was sure Winnipeg was possible. When you get into Manitoba it is like someone flipped a switch and turned off the mountains. I had a slight tail wind and I was flying for the next 100 km. Around the 150 km mark another switch was flipped and the trees were gone and its true what they say you really can see the curvature of the earth in the prairies. This is about when the cross wind came in bursting my bubble and slowing me down to 15 km/hr. I stopped to take a picture of the longitudinal centre of Canada even though I was running low on time. When I turned onto highway 206 to get to Lockport, where i will be staying, I turned right into the wind and the rain started. It came down so fast and heavy that it hurt, plus i got even more wet then yesterday and I was starting to think I would see my first tornado, it was insane. When I got to Oakbank at 201 km I became stranded by a flood so bad cars were getting stuck. I only had 20 km left to go so I had no choice but to hitch hike. After being dropped off, ironically right across the street from where Jay and Joce live, I realized I had left my helmet in the truck that took me to town. Now I am waiting for Jay to get off work. I took a sweet bath and I am enjoying my favourite TV shows for the first time since home.