Sun, Oct 9 2011 - Starkville to Rice Lake + Back (Approx 65km) (View Original Event Details)
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Thanks to Ken for composing the write up! Bright and early Sunday morning, the sleepy-eyed bike gang assembled at the Broadview Station carpool. With a 65 km bike ride ahead of us, we blindly groped for anything caffeinated to fortify ourselves for the Thanksgiving Weekend adventure. An hour later, we had left the city far behind and were unpacking our gear in the Starkville hamlet, deep in the countryside of the Kawarthas. Once again, our glorious leader David brought with him amazing weather. A beautiful Fall day, not a cloud in the sky and 25 C. Indeed, it was a time for thanksgiving. And about time to get in on lottery tickets with David Block, it seems. After pumping up tires, slapping on sunblock and gobbling energy bars, we were ready to go. One of our first encounters was a with a beautiful black stallion galloping through the field and easily matching our pace as we began our journey. Ken fearlessly led the riders through the first leg of the trip until getting distracted by a forest fairy and ending up completely lost. Fortunately, his faithful sidekick Cesar came to the rescue with iPhone in hand, leading them through the darkest malarial swamps back to civilization and the rest of the group. Starkville to Rice Lake proved to be a hilly, 35 km ride through farmland along quiet country roads. The day was warm, but the tree-lined roads offered ample shade and a display of burgeoning fall colours. Many of the houses along our route already boasted impressive Halloween displays. Front porches draped with cobwebs, lawns festooned with grinning jack-o-lanterns, skeletons, ghosts and the occasional coffin. Many of the hills were a tough climb and more than one of us would plead for a final rest in such a casket before the day was out. But the terrain was not without it's rewards as the group clocked speeds of over 60 km per hour, barreling down some of the bigger slopes. By two pm, we crested the highest hill and finally caught a glimpse of Rice Lake shimmering in the distance. After nearly 30 km of riding, our bellies were beginning to rumble and we practically jumped for joy at the sight. Frank was quick to caution us that this might, in fact, be a mirage. But by this point, there was no reasoning with the group in our state of giddy delirium. We descended on our perceived oasis like a pack of hungry wolves. When we arrived, we were greeted by the quaint little town of Bewdley, perched on the shores of Rice Lake. By now it was 3:30 pm and it felt more like a summer day than Thanksgiving Weekend. The dining options were limited so with little deliberation and without the slightest factional squabbling, we settled on the Rhino Restaurant. With the dietary discretion so characteristic of the TOC, we almost unanimously decided on Rhino Burgers and fries. Notably, Helene and Paul went straight for dessert, rustling up mouth-watering apple crumble and pumpkin pie. As we gobbled like underfed turkeys and the daylight hours waned, David shared an ingenious and diabolical plan to get us back to the cars before dark. So we bid our Rhino hosts adieu and set off on David's shortcut to race the last light back to Starkville. Like Ichabod Crane, we wildly sped over hill and dale, witnessing a spectacular autumn sunset as fiery as the pain in our legs as we tackled the 12 hills and 20 km between ourselves and the cars. We reached our destination just in time with the final light fading and full moon high in the sky. Although odometers differed, we rode anywhere between 60 and 70 km total for the day. With an air of exhilaration and rubbery knees, the group returned to Toronto to settle down to a hearty Thanksgiving dinner generously hosted by Helene and Paul and assisted by their charming friend Yoshiko. We instinctively settled around the dining table, the traditional location for the liveliest TOC conversation and good humour. Grace arrived, as radiant as a calla lily, unscathed by such cycling excesses, with a pineapple in one hand and a pumpkin in the other, which served as a thematic centerpiece for the table. Soon, the sound of laughter and uncorking wine bottles filled the air. We were then presented with Paul's home-made pea soup and bread, both of which were delicious. After unleashing such culinary feats on the group, we enjoyed a choice of vegetarian and meat lasagna, reaching the crescendo of Helene's chocolate fondue accompanied by fruit, marshmallows and sweet cake for dipping. Over steaming mugs of coffee, we recounted the day's adventures, sharing laughter and patting our bellies like satisfied hobbits. At last it came time to reluctantly exchange goodbyes while fondly casting our thoughts on upcoming TOC events that lay ahead. What a time we had! A day full of friendship, adventure, great food and hospitality for which we are all truly thankful.
Have some photos from this event that you'd like to share in our photo album? Please forward them to Erik Sonstenes at photos@torontooutdoorclub.com. Please note that we prefer to receive the photos in approximately 640x480 or 750x500 pixels - do NOT send original high-res photos. If you have a LOT of photos, please submit up to twenty of your favorites (only) for a day event, or up to forty of your favourites for a multi-day event. Thank you.