It was as perfect a day as anyone could ask for - blue sky, warm temperatures, fantastic autumn scenery and sixteen smiling faces. What a day for a bike ride!

By the time we got rolling, the sun was already high and provided us with a great, warm tailwind to start our odyssey. The route took us on a leisurely loop around Chippewa Park, Brule Bay and Squaw Bay where we were treated to absolutely fantastic autumn scenery. The fresh pavement on the back side of Chippewa made the cycling all the better and allowed us to ride in a nice cohesive group.

After about 20 km. of this great riding however, we turned up Mt. McKay and this is where the real fun began. It wasn't long before the lower gears and beloved grannies were pressed into service and as expected, the jovial bantering trailed off as we focused on our pedalling cadence and breathing. The top of the first pitch was finally reached and we turned onto the more level road to Loch Lomond as we gradually managed to recapture our collective breathes. Phew! With the road being in reasonably decent shape, we made good time - until the next big climb came into view.

We managed to grind it out to the first valve station for a breather and a few pictures. The view of the surrounding area ablaze in autumn hues, with Lake Superior in the background was amazing to say the least. Hopefully the photos will do justice to the grandeur of this magnificent region.

All too soon it was time to depart so onward we pedalled - uphill of course! A few kilometers later, Loch Lomond finally appeared before us. What a spot! We rested on the flat rocks by the shore, ate our lunches and relaxed while listening to Fabio expound on the important things in life - something about empty mayonaise jars, golf balls, pebbles, sand and beer. What's up with that? A bike ride and philosophy lesson all in one. No extra charge.

Gorgeous as this spot was, we eventually had to leave. The return trip was just a crazy blur of orange, red and yellow as we bombed downhill full blast.

When we finally reached the paved road, we regrouped and meandered back to the Riverdale Restaurant where most of us stopped for a second light lunch. It had been an absolutely fantastic ride - better than the last one, but not as good as the next.

This was without a doubt the finest golf tournament that never happened. The good intentions were there and the clubs were there, but regretfully the weather wasn't. With the temperature barely above freezing and the wind howling at 35 kph, the decision was made to can the golfing, but proceed with the bike ride. It was probably a good decision.

Most riders departed the Stanley Tavern at about 10:10 under sunny skies, while a few late-comers didn't get rolling until 10:20 or so. Needless to say, the peddling into a full-on westerly wind was taxing, but as we progressed along the more protected rural roads, the ferocious wind became less and less a factor. The countryside through Gillies and Lybster townships is really pretty with rolling hills, streams and fields. Several older buildings in the Hymers area dating back to the turn of the century had been refurbished and reading the information signs posted, one could get the sense of a bygone era in this once-thriving area.

We serenly cycled through the countryside taking in the beauty of the leaves changing to autumn hues and idyllic farms and pastures while deftly avoiding the steaming mounds of bear #%%*!! which dotted the road hither and yon. Ahh, the beauty of nature.

After meandering through the backroads for about 25 km, we arrived at St. Urho's and treated ourselves to lunch. It's quite a nice place - this outing should definitely be repeated next year hopefully under more favourable weather conditions, perhaps in July.

Once we had our fill of soup and sandwiches, and after the obligatory photos at the St. Urho's sign, we departed poste haste with a terrific tailwind at our backs. Some took the 588 back to Stanley, while the rest retraced the gravel road in via Silvaggio Rd., Hymers Fair Road, Prouty, Main, Sitch, Connolly and Harstone Roads. Either way, we all arrived back at the venerable old tavern almost simultaneously.

Inside it's friendly confines we feasted on hamburgers and chips while re-hashing the events of the day. Life was good. This ride should definitely make the 'must do' list for next year. It's a beauty.

This perennial favourite just keeps getting better. Of course, the picture perfect weather didn't hurt either. Man, oh man, what a glorious day for cycling. No need for tights or longs sleeves as the temperature was already in the teens by our start time of 10:00.

It didn't take long to get the first 3 or 4 k's out of the way as the road is all downhill up to this point, but the hills soon introduced themselves and the pace slackened considerably. Ten kilometers later, we regrouped at the Mink Mt. turn-off and rode en masse to the newly re-opened chalet to check it out. Needless to say, with the bright sun beating down on us on the deck overlooking Lk. Superior, it was a fine place to be.

We only lingered for a short period before continuing on to the trailhead where we stashed our bikes and commenced the hiking portion. Due to a knee injury, Wendy stayed on the flat route to Picnic Point while the rest of us marched onward and upward to Lookout Point where we rested and had a brief lunch. What a neat place this is. Isle Royale is clearly visible in the distance, as is Pie Island and the Sleeping Giant in the foreground. Way cool.

All too soon it was time to proceed to Sturgeon Bay Lookout and eventually back to the start via the main trail. At the bikes, hiking boots were once again swapped over to cycling shoes and away we went uphill back to the chalet for a second lunch of french fries, chicken fingers and refreshments. We lingered on the deck as long as we could, but eventually we had to scram and tackle those long, arduous hills which had been so nice to us on the way in.

The first few uphill km's were a tough slog and several of us were on the verge of 'boiling over' as Dave Oja would say. Chunkage was contained and we kept cranking despite the wooden legs. Eventually we did reach the awaiting vehicles and everyone actually felt pretty good.

It had been a tough ride but we were happy and fulfilled. The day was way too good to end then and there so we regrouped at the Nor'Wester for refreshments and the usual ride post mortem. We all agreed that it had been a real fun day - this classic ride should not be missed.

It was probably poor judgement to host a bike 'n hike outing the day after the Oja-Fest, but we went ahead with anyway knowing full well the turn-out would be small. Oh well, size doesn't matter, right?

We warmed up by cycling the Riverdale Rd. area and passed the kilometers waxing philosophic about the great time had by all at the Oja birthday party of the night before, as well as the terrific bike ride of the previous day. This is not to even mention the fine food, bonfire at Pam's place and shared comraderie as we renewed acquaintances with our American friends from Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. Great times.

Our route took us onto Candy Mt. Road, Gillespie Rd. and eventually to Hacquoil and Boy Scout Rd. This is where things got interesting as we met up with the Bidnalls who had overslept the biking portion of the outing, but wanted to at least partake of the hiking segment. The access trail at first was hard to find as it had overgrown considerably due to lack of use, but we persevered and about 20 minutes later found ourselves at the boulder field which in turn led up a very steep incline in a valley between 2 towering peaks. Some considerate soul had left ropes in place to assist the climbers on this precarious section of the hike.

We all managed to top out in fine form and settled in at the smooth stone on top to enjoy the fabulous view and eat lunch. It's a great spot and splashes of blazing red and orange maples could be seen to the southwest. Neither Arnold, Jim or Doreen had ever been to this spot before, so that made the effort extra special.

The descent followed the same route and again the ropes were much appreciated. Back at the trailhead, it was decided the day was still young so more biking and hiking was in order. Those of us with bikes cycled another 9 km to Candy Mt. via McCluskey Rd. and again regrouped at the trailhead. This was another first for Doreen and Arnold.

The trail was wonderful among the aspens - it seems to get better each year. Good hiking boots were a real blessing especially on the last pitch as the trail gets very steep. Again, the view from the top exceeded all expectations and the cameras got a workout. The descent was fast and we were back at the bikes in about 20 minutes.

Jim, Doreen and Rosemarie drove back from there while Fabio and Arnold slogged up McClusky Hill and around the back side of Candy Mt. for some extra kms, arriving back at Riverdale about 4:30. With the great comraderie and picturesque countryside, it had been a most memorable day. Those who opted out of this outing, should take a few minutes to kick their own butts, as they missed a beauty.

The fall mountain biking season was finally upon us and we were all eager to go. The overcast skies, the cool wind and threatening rain could only mean one thing - yup, a perfect day for riding. We carpooled from County Fair to the Dorion area where we began our journey to Ouimet canyon. The initial few kilometers were quite pleasant as we warmed up nicely and made polite conversation as we watched the countryside roll by. As the terrain steepened, jackets and sweaters came off and it wasn't long before the sweat came pouring out. Conversation came to a scraggly halt as we all tried to suck in as much oxygen as possible before the ravages of hill climbing took their miserable tolls on us. Slowly, but surely we managed to keep the wheels turning before our tortured legs gave out. And then we got to the hills. Great - more pain.

By the time we topped out at the canyon entrance, we were toast, but a brief rest and some life-sustaining ju-jubes got us going again and we slowly biked to the viewing pods to take in the tremendous views. Awesome. A few photos were snapped and away we went to the second leg of the Triple Threat.

The ride down was a blast to say the least with speeds reaching 65 kpm. We cooled off real fast! We proceeded to Eagle Ridge to check out the longest, and highest suspension bridges not only of Ontario, but all of Canada. The owner, Harve Hamel, was gracious enough to give us a group rate after we plied him with cookies to boot.

We had a quick lunch before proceeding up to the ridge and this put every one if fine spirits as the goodies made the rounds. The uphill climb up the ungroomed road was too much for most of us, so the bikes got pushed to the top. The panorama that unfolded at the top of the ridge almost defied description. Fantastic. Slowly, we overcame our initial trepidations and one by one biked across the canyon on the suspension bridge. This was definitely high pucker factor stuff, but everyone seemed to be cool with it. What a crew. After a few photos, we proceed to the second bridge and traversed it as well and made our way back to the chalet via a different route.

Excellent. Great as the day had been thus far, the best (worst??) had yet to come. Upon leaving Eagle Ridge, our leader steered us up an ugly-looking side road that was to lead us to the third leg of our Triple Threat outing - the Dorion Towers. The initial portion of the road featured a steep climb, loose gravel, rocks and plenty of washed-out ruts that would test the mettle of a mountain goat. In other words, all the good stuff. By now, some talk of mutiny began to rear it's ugly head as the promised easy sections of the road somehow failed to materialize, instead yielding hill after miserable hill. All inquiries as to how much further to our destination were resolutely answered '...just over the next hill'. We stoically pedalled onward and further upward until at last we reached the top of the mountain where the hiking portion of the day was to begin. Due to some time constraints, Peter and Sophie were on the verge of turning around at this point, but some friendly persuasion from the others quickly brought them to their senses. We started hiking at a good clip along a seldom used bush trail and some 20 minutes later we crested a ridge and there they were - the famed Dorion Towers. What a sight! These jagged, rocky spires protruding from the valley floor were a sight relatively few people have viewed. Great stuff. A few more photos were taken and away we went back to our stashed bikes.

The ride back to the main road was fast, steep, dangerous and ugly but we all made it down in one piece with only our brains scrambled from the jarring. The rest of the ride back to our vehicles was relaxed and uneventful, but we were a happy bunch. It had been a terrific day.