Archive for the ‘David Raithby’ Category

Snow, Trains and Bikes … Almost time to ride!

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

Winter in Muskoka does not provide good riding weather. I know that in many other places in the country there are brave souls who ride all winter but that is not here. It is not so much about the cold weather but more about the conditions of the roads.

When it does snow, the sanders and salters come out.  An enormous amount of grit is dumped on the roads to melt the ice and to allow traction. Nothing can ruin a bike quicker than salt and sand.

So we spend our winters in our dark basements on our trainers dreaming of dry asphalt. We also spend a whole lot of time cross country skiing which is pretty good cross training.

But spring is now here! Even though I still have snow in the front yard, the roads are finally drying out. One good rain will wash the salt and sand away and it is riding season again! By mid April, all things considered, we will be back in full riding season.

So now is the time of year to do some planning. Time to pull out the maps, check you camping equipment list and check out your bike and touring equipment. Is it the year to try a long touring trip or perhaps a long weekend trip instead? Are you able to just leave from you home and plan a looped trip? Or is a trip to a bike destination in the plans? My plans are not all together yet but I will be updating my site and blog at www.davidraithby.com.

There is an interesting way to get out biking being offered in Ontario. It may also be available in other parts of the country. It is called the Bike Train. On schedule days, you can hop on a train with your bike in Toronto and spend a few days touring around another region of the Province. The Bike Train has partnered with other tourism venture and accommodation so it is easy to plan your trip to your needs or to pick a planned trip. What a great way to explore the region next door! Some packages include supported trips complete with guides and transportation of your gear from hotel to hotel. This summer there will be bike trains for Niagara Region, North Bay, South West Ontario and a Toronto/Montreal trip. Plans are in development for an eastern Ontario trip as well as one in Muskoka Region. Visit www.biketrain.ca for more information.

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2 Months After the Dempster: David Raithby Update

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

Looking back and looking ahead.

Well it has been over a couple of months since I returned from my Yukon trip. I have been following the adventures of others on their Dempster rides since my return.

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I last saw Mary England at 4300 feet above sea level and the North Fork Pass. We shared a cup of coffee in the clouds. She did make it all the way to Inuvik some 10 days later while battling high winds and August snow on the Eagle Plains. Cool and wet weather followed her all the way to Inuvik.

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Mark Ooms, of Whitehorse, and a group of guys flew to Inuvik from Dawson in late August. Unfortunately, one in the group had a knee injury that flared up and they had to give up their tour around Fort McPherson. I can certainly understand their disappointment.

I also got a note from Ralph Krauss who drove to Dawson City from Chicago and successfully rode on to Inuvik arriving in early September. The Porcupine caribou herd had started its migration so he was fortunate to see a few hundred caribou and many following grizzly bears.

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I also have been communicating with Dave Cambon from Vancouver. He road his recumbent bike all the way from Vancouver to Inuvik. Check out his story and beautiful fall photos at www.crazyguyonabike.com. He took pictures looking up valleys from basically the same place I stood. What a difference when the smoke clears! Click Here to check out the photos.

I did learn a few good lessons on this ride. Firstly, if there is smoke…delay your trip. I ended up with a nasty lung infection…the consequence of riding when forest fires are around.

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When it comes to packing food, gear and clothing, I think I hit it right on. The Norco Quest was perfect for this trip. A light weight stove and a couple of fuel canisters worked well. A small 2 man tent with an inflatable sleeping pad took up little space. I ate lots of noodles, oatmeal and high protein quinoa and peanut butter. It was hot and dry so I didn’t need the raingear I brought but I would have been thankful to have it for both snow and rain. I took bug and bear spray and didn’t have to use either. I also think it is important to allow days for rest days….to give you body a day to recover.

It is raining in Muskoka and the snow is coming. There may be only a few good riding days before the bike has to go in the basement and on the trainer. We don’t do much winter riding here as there is too much snow and salt on the roads. Cross Country ski season is around the corner and as far a cross training, I can’t think of anything better. It is also a good time to research next year’s trip.

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Looking ahead to next summer….I think a family trip closer to home is in order. South of Montreal in the Eastern Townships of Quebec looks like the destination. Now this is an area that the rest of the country should look for in terms of developing relationships with cyclist. Quebec is miles (or kilometres) ahead of everyone. There are a variety of companies that do the planning for you. Pick your route, transport your gear and offer support throughout. There are a multitude of bike routes to choose from so planning is not that difficult if you intend to camp instead. And if you run into trouble, just call the Taxi-velo. They will pick you up and drive you to your destination. (I don’t recall this service being available on the Dempster.)

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It has been a stellar cycling season for me; lots of cycling firsts and many riding challenges. Some good family and friend tours and my first solo tour. Now the planning for next year begins…..

Cheers,

David

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Sometimes, all the planning in the world can’t stop Mother Nature

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009

Continental Divide

The smoke was so thick in Whitehorse last weekend that you couldn’t see the mountains. Dawson wasn’t much better. In fact, there are 32 forest fires burning right now…the result of a long dry hot summer….and there are countless more fires in Alaska too.

Consequently, it made for very tough riding. I had to stop every half hour just to catch my breath. It was like riding with a cigarette in my mouth. As Joel Plaskett would say, “smoke so thick you need a lighthouse”. The first day I hit the wall at only 44k. The second wasn’t much better. By the third day, I knew I was in trouble. My throat hurt, nose wouldn’t stop running and my lungs felt heavy like a brick.

In planning for this trip, I thought I had considered everything….good tires, good bike, raingear etc… But I never even considered forest fires. I talked to a group of tourists coming from Inuvik and they said there was smoke all the way to Fort MacPherson. There was also a new fire burning north of Eagle Plains on the Bell River.
Smoke so thick you need a lighthouse
So by the three day mark and at the rate I was going, I realized that I wasn’t going to make Eagle Plains before my food ran out. I even thought about hitching a ride but the traffic was light and mostly tourist campers. So I had to come up with a plan B. The trip then turned into a ride out and a ride back….less than what I wanted but the only reasonable compromise. This also allowed me the opportunity to explore a few sites along the way.

There were some highlights….hiking in the Tombstones, swimming in the north Klondike River, sharing coffee in the clouds at the Continental Divide with fellow rider Mary England (with younger lungs and more time, she was heading to Inuvik) and eating handful of small but sweet blueberries. I got to spend 7 days unsupported on my bicycle. I climbed 3000 feet to the Continental divide and enjoyed the long ride back down. Met a few cool folks along the way too.

I am disappointed after all that planning but Plan B was a whole lot of fun too.

Also, a trip to Dawson….nothing is better than Dawson City in the summer.

A humbling experience all the same. A little disappointed but sometimes, even with the best planning, we need to be adaptable.

As my friend from Idaho says….time to throw your disappointment in the ditch and celebrate your achievements. I also was able to raise $2500 for Cancer Research, build awareness for Cameron Helps and the Three Rivers Project. So…turning 50 has been pretty darn good! Wait ’till you see what I will come up with for the 60th!

It rained yesterday for the first time in three weeks. The skies are clear blue today…go figure.

Cheers

David Raithby

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Only a couple of weeks to go…

Friday, July 24th, 2009

Only a couple of weeks to go until the Dempster…..

I am leaving Ontario on Tuesday and heading to the Yukon in Northern Canada. It has been well over a year since this idea first crept its way into my head. I figured I should be doing something significant to mark my 50th year and that should be a bike ride. Plans for a reunion at an alternative high school I went to in Carcross, Yukon started to come together. So I thought….a trip to the Yukon and a Yukon bike trip. The planning has been fun and stressful at the same time. Over the past year I have asked for and gotten the time off work, convinced my family that this is a good idea, challenged myself to get and keep in some sort of reasonable shape (I know that round is a shape but not the one I am looking for) and looked at all the details and possibilities required for a trip like this.
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You see, I am not the super athlete type. I have never run a marathon, raced a mountain bike or battled in a downhill skiing race…I am just not that competitive. Besides, my body size is more middle linebacker than bike rider. Challenging myself and competing against others are two different things. The objective of the trip is not “get” to Inuvik but to “go” to Inuvik and there is a subtle difference in those words. I know I can ride 100 km in a day….I know I can get up and do that again the second day. It will be the fifth and sixth day that will be hard.

I have had a lot of help along the way. From sage advice given by fellow bikers to the good folks at Axiom lending support….it has already been quite a ride. There has been a great deal of interest generated through my website in support of the Ride to Conquer Cancer, Cameron Helps and the Three Rivers Project and I am happy to help promote these worthwhile charities.

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I am at the “counting sleeps” point now. I have even been checking the long range weather forecast even though I don’t really think they can predict that far ahead.

I know I have forgotten something….it is an age thing….but I am not sure what it is yet. I have scores and scores of lists prepared and the outstanding items are getting less and less each day.

I begin riding on August 4th I will try to check in at Eagle Plains and Inuvik.

Cheers,

David Raithby

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The potential for running into bears is also very high

Monday, July 13th, 2009

Three weeks to go and the planning continues….

Part of the fun and excitement of going on a bike tour is the preparation. Being properly prepared can make or break your bicycle trip. There are a lot of excellent resources available to help you along the way; most of them can be accessed from the comfort of your own home. The majority of States, Provinces and Regions have a website for camping, lodging or riding. Many places allow you to book in advance; a must when using the park system for camping in the busy summer season.

russ-anita-janes-bike-and-meYou can also find great information from bike specific sites. Previous tours, blogs or journals can provide the missing bike specific tricks and tips you won’t get on the general sites. If you are just starting touring or want someone else to do the planning, there are numerous bicycle touring companies that will help plan your trip for you.

I have found a bounty of useful information about the Dempster Highway on the web. This has helped considerably with my planning….especially because I am riding by myself. The information has aided me develop a plan for daily distances; I know where to find good water and have a decent idea as to what each days terrain will be like.
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Good planning lets you mitigate some of the unknown, and by doing that, I will have more time to enjoy the ride.

It is also good to recognize that there will be things out of your control….for me it will be weather, bugs and bears. Rain could turn the road into mud causing delays and affecting my daily destinations, meals and return trips. Pre-planning for this allows those blips in your travel to become small diversions instead of monster problems. The mosquitoes can be thick… but if the weather turns to too windy or too cold, they won’t be a problem, other issues will be created. The potential for running into bears is also very high, and in the Yukon the bears are big. I have already run into a couple of grizzly bears so I am hoping the quota is all used up. I will be packing bear spray all the same.

Good planning is not over planning. Planning to take in all the details removes all the risk. It is important to remember, that hidden within the risk is where all the fun lies!

Cheers!

David Raithby

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Happy Canada Day!

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

Manitoulin is located on the north edge of Georgian Bay, Ontario. It is an extension of the Niagara Escarpment and blessed with beautiful sand beaches and high limestone cliffs. Manitoulin Island is the largest island in a freshwater lake in the world. It is also our destination for a family bike trip as part of a pre-trip to the Dempster Highway . . . In fact, it is not just my family….there are seven families involved in this 3 day tour.

This will be a good opportunity to fine tune the unknown, test out equipment and to feel a loaded bike beneath me. Also it’s good family time.

We will be quite an entourage; with 25 riders in all varying in age from 10 to 54 it will be an eclectic mix of riders. We will be celebrating Canada Day at Providence Bay and heading out to Worsley Bay the next day. Some will take the lower south shore route of about 35 km while others will take the hilly north route of about 67 kilometres. The next day we will take a day trip to a provincially significant wetland and beach, the beautiful, but poorly named, Misery Bay.

It has been over 20 years since I was last on Manitoulin but it is an excellent location for biking. The traffic is light and slow and the roads are paved throughout. The only time the roads get busy is after the ferry pulls in…I imagine that this is also the case on many island communities. I look forward to riding in such a cycling friendly area.

The Active Transportation initiatives that are sprouting up around the country support this type of venture. Some areas of this country support the biking community by providing designated bicycle lanes and promoting cycling. They see the benefit to the health of the community and the economic advantages that follow. The community that I live in has yet to recognize that value but it is through the lobbying of the local governments that this will change and biking will be incorporated into the communities future planning. Even the little things…like convincing local business to have bike racks installed helps promote these ventures.

Happy Canada Day and good Biking!

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A Ride to Remember

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009

Hello all

Throughout the summer and across the country, there are a bunch charity rides to participate in.

Last week, I had the opportunity to participate in the Ride to Conquer Cancer; a 2 day 200 km event in support of cancer research at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto.  The first day started at the CNE in downtown Toronto, and rode along the flat lands of the southern lake to Hamilton. Day 2 took us all the way to Niagara Falls.

There were 3,530 riders in all. Riders of every age, size and ability were present. Grandfather and father, Mothers, daughters and sons all made the effort to complete the ride. Some on road bikes worth thousands of dollars, some on beater bikes just pulled out of the garage, but everyone had the same goal and destination in mind. I imagine that each rider had a special reason for participating as cancer has likely touched us all. Cancer survivors were provided bright yellow flags to display on their bikes and there were lots of flags flying. Living proof that events like this create results; the weekend raised 14.5 million dollars!

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Riding through the finish was one of those heart-in-throat experiences.

Because I am blessed with good health, I am able to participate in events like this. Canadians across the country are participating in walks, runs and rides to help others. It is the way we give back to our communities.

One of the other reasons I am riding is to support “Cameron Helps”. Five years ago, my best friend’s son committed suicide. As unimaginable as that event was, he was able to funnel his pain into positive energy and created a charity to help kids in crisis. That charity is doing wonderful work encouraging teens to become involved in running and offering support for families. His loss has saved countless other kids. On Father’s Day, there was a 5k walk/run to support this charity in Mississauga, Ontario. Another way people were able to help each other.

We are not just people who ride bikes. We are a community and we can all contribute to our own neighbourhoods to make a better place for everyone. Follow the links page on my website www.davidraithby.com for more information on Cameron Helps.

Cheers

David.

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David Raithby… Raising Awareness

Monday, June 15th, 2009

As I mentioned in my earlier post; part of the reason I am embarking on such an epic adventure is to raise awareness of the Three Rivers Region of the northern Yukon. I want to promote its preservation, hopefully bringing increased appreciation for this beautiful landscape and the need to protect it.

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The Dempster Highway crosses the continental divide three times; providing a landscape with drastic and brutal elevation changes.  During my journey’s I will be riding at the top of the two major watersheds; the Yukon River and the Mackenzie River watershed. Because I will be at the top of these watersheds, the source where these rivers begin, the water will be the cleanest, coldest, clearest possible and will be abundantly available.

In stark contrast, at the summit of the passes there will be little to no water available. In fact, once I climb up to Eagle Plains, the Dempster follows the continental divide for quite some time and is devoid of a water supply. Before I leave the Ogilvie River, to begin a long, grueling climb, I will have to load up with enough water to last a day and a half; adding a lot of weight to my set up. It is imperative I stay properly hydrated along my ride, and at times it may be difficult to find the necessary water. It’s funny how we as a society readily take a resource that is key to our continued survival for granted.

There is no more water on earth now then there was 10,000 years ago. It is really a wonder that we treat it so casually and give little consideration to the people who live downstream. Part of the reason I am doing this ride is to raise awareness of the need to preserve the health of our water supplies.  There is some excellent information from the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Yukon Chapter website about the Peel River Watershed. Decisions on how this region will be managed are being determined now and the opportunity to share your voice is now. Follow the links from www.davidraithby.com.

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