It started raining Friday night. The sound of it hitting the tent was loud enough to keep me awake. Eventually I fell asleep...with strange dreams. 5:30 AM, and that's it..time to pack up in the rain. I'd done most of the packing the night before, so only sleeping gear and tent.

I was in a provincial camp ground, Frenchman's Cove, about 24 km from Marystown. And it was now pouring...

Tim's will help, so I go to Tim Hortons....drive thru only. Begged them to just let me stand inside out of the rain....nope...yup, got a little pissed...

Tossed coffee, and food in frustration and went to get gas. Filled up, debit card would not work....got that straightened out and hit the road....

It's 11 degrees, cool, with heavy rain...will take er easy.

The road was flooded over in some places, and all the ruts were filled. Had to watch ahead carefully, and slow.

Here's where things change. You see, I'm going straight north. Within 40 minutes the temperature has dropped to 7, and it's raining harder. I think the entire distance is 167 km to the TCH. In another 30 minutes it's 4 degrees, and the wind...the wind starts to pick up...and it starts raining harder...

Folks. I described the rain as horizontal projectile water bullets. Slows to a speed of 60km/h it took everything I had to keep it on the road...too far up to turn back...and nowhere to hide...there is nothing there for 147 km.

It got worse, the further north I got. Now soaked, hands frozen, and a little frightened...the mileage kept going by, and I was managing to stay upright and on the road. About 30 clicks away from the TCH, A line of cars appeared behind me. Managed to pull over and let them pass ...then rode in their tracks.

At the junction of the 220 and hiway 1, there is a gas station with a restaurant.... I got off the bike and just stood inside wondering if I"d arrived in heaven...

Some food, some coffee, and I was starting to feel better. Ok, so gota gas up. Leave a bit of my gear in the station, go get the bike, and pull up to the pump. As I'm getting the hose, the wind knocks my bike over, into the pumps....some fine folks see my problem and come over and help....they had to hold the bike up ...the wind was that strong.

After I was all ready and geared up, in one minute on the highway I knew that this was it for the day. 3 minutes up the road was a hotel, the Trailside...and that's where I got off the road. Frozen, wet, and totally exhausted.

2 days later, at the ferry, a lady who had seen me in the restaurant, and had come up the same road said in 40 years of driving they had never driven through anything worse, and could not believe that I'd done it on a bike.

Glad to be here to write this. I have photos, but on a different device. Will post later.

I wanted adventure, I got it!