Day 40 Cable to Cumberland

Monday 28th June
Daily mileage 73miles Average Speed 13.2mph Ride Time 5hr30min
Total Mileage 1404

We were awake to the sound of the dogs barking as they stretched their legs at 6.30am and we made it over to join Irv for breakfast shortly after. Unfortunately, the morning weather was overcast, windy and it was spitting with rain so our intentions for an early morning start went out the window. We enjoyed a leisurely chat over eggs on toast with bottomless coffee until about 9.30am when it seemed to brighten up a little. This is Irv’s second home and he lives in the twin cities which we just so happened to be visiting in a few days time and we have therefore taken Irv up on his offer of staying with him again. I debated whether or not to give him loads of my gear to carry there in his car but decided it was cheating!

We cycled 4 miles back to Cable and a further 17miles to Hayward where we took our first rest stop then carried on South on highway 63 for 18 miles through Stanbery and Earl to Trego. After another rest stop we decided to take a short 8 mile diversion on the secondary routes in order to bypass the section of route 63 that was dual carriageway. We rejoined it at Spooner and made use of the Northerly wind by carrying on for a further 22 miles through Shell Lake and Barronett to Cumberland.

We arrived here and enquired into the cost of the motel where the owner said it was $50, it was not that nice, we asked about camping to which he replied he has lived here all his life and there is no camping within 10 miles. We carried on approx half a mile to the Beaver Dam Lake and found a nice campground right on the lake for $20. We felt like going back to tell him what we thought of him but it was uphill so we did not.

Once we set up tent we realised we had no dinner and were hungry especially as this place reminds us of Cumberland sausages which is our favourite food shopping treat at home. As if by magic we got chatting to fellow campers Jack and Tammy who invited us to finish there left over bbq which just so happened to be hot dogs but with real tasty sausages and watermelon for desert, scary huh? Thanks to you both for dinner and the company.

As I sit here and write I am flicking little red spiders off me which reminds me that Kris had his first tick on his leg this morning, it was only a wood tick though which do not carry any disease and it had not had chance to dig its heels in thankfully!