The geology as far west as North Bay is beautifully folded gneiss, as in the Appalachians. But just west of there, the hills disappear and you're on the Great Plains! I saw a field of live soybeans today for the first time since October... I expect I'll see them all the rest of the way to the Twin Cities.
The lunch I bought in North Bay didn't even hold me until I got out of town, so I stopped at a convenience store that advertised burgers and such. The young clerk told me they only run the grill on weekends, and I must have looked disappointed (and tired), because he pushed an armload of "energy food" on me for free. It wasn't what I would have chosen, but I was glad to have it. He said they get a lot of bikers along the highway, but you wouldn't know it from the way some of the motorists treat me. Maybe they're Americans!
The town of Sturgeon Falls had an informative kiosk for tourists listing all accommodations in nearby towns, so I could see there were no campgrounds between Cache Bay and Sudbury. The campground in Cache Bay is right on Lake Nipissing (which seems about the size of Lake Minnetonka) and is beautifully quiet. It's great to get away from the highway for a while! I'm only halfway done with Route 17... four more days to go.
47.7 mi
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