Day 23: Baby Problems

(expanded upon from barely decipherable notebook scribbles)

When I last left you, I was bathing in a euphoric figurative and literal tub of hot water, pizza and beer. The next morning, while relaxed, was unfortunately a harsh snap back to reality.

The wind was blowing in my face again. At this point, I almost began to feel as though I wasn't welcome around Lake Superior. It was as though the lake had simply decided that I did not belong and that it was going to do everything in it's power to try to turn me the other way.

Little did this lake know of the strength of a Saunderson's stubborness.

I realize as I write this that you're likely quite sick of hearing me mither and moan about the wind. I assure you, however sick you are about hearing it, I am FAR more sick to be still complaining about it. I realized today that since leaving Winnipeg, I have had 1 day of tail winds.

Otherwise, the day was quite pleasant, if a bit cool. I decided to ride with my shirt off for a bit, but put sunscreen on my shoulders, which have been known to burn in the past. I apparently bought very good sunscreen because my lower back is painful to the touch and yet my shoulders are still white as a ghost. It's actually quite a hilarious thing to look at; you can see the exact lines where my hands reached around my back to apply sunscreen.

The evening was an interesting one. To date, I have only seen 1 bear (roadkill near Dryden) however I have now heard a couple. As I began to drift off in my tent, I heard the most frightening noise I could possibly experience. It was not the expected growl or groan of a full grown bear, but little hoots and hollers of wee little babies.

Anything but babies.

Yes, what little I knew about bears shot to mind and I recalled the most important fact: never mess with a mother bear when the kids are near. I stuck my head out my tent and saw some russling in the bushes around 100m away. I sat in fear as the cubs slinked further and further away, and fortunately was never given my introduction to mom.

I still slept on pins and needles, alert and ready for action. Sadly, I even got rid of my leatherman, so the only weapons I had to defend myself were a can of bugspray and the scissors from a first aid kit. The bear may have killed me, but boy would his eyes sting.