Derek Neary
Northern News Services
Fort Simpson (Jun 22/01) - Jeannine Gaulin isn't worried about the prospect of cramping up or getting saddle sore while cycling from Fort Simpson to Inuvik.
She just smiles and says, "We're not worried about it, we know (the pain) is going to be there."
Despite the physical effects of such a grueling journey, Gaulin and three of her friends left Monday on the 2,700-kilometre expedition. Even more extraordinary, two of her companions, Jerry Zaste and Lesly Andrews, have already been pedalling since they left Winnipeg on April 30.
Asked why they are making the trip, Zaste, who is in his 60s, simply replied, "Why not?"
He went on to explain that Andrews had always wanted to meet Gaulin and she came up with the idea of cycling the vast distance.
"She just needed someone stupid enough to go along with her," Zaste joked.
On this leg of the journey, they will be joined by Gaulin and Jerry's brother, Orville Zaste, who arrived from Chilliwack, B.C., Assuming they can make 60 to 70 kilometres a day, they should arrive in Inuvik by the end of July.
The friends have a history of ambitious exploits.
"We like physical fitness and a challenge ... we always like to plan some adventure in the summer," said Gaulin, a nurse who's been working in the Deh Cho for more than six years.
Getting on each other's nerves won't be a problem, she added. "We just have a respect for each other's space, and we laugh a lot," she said.
The cyclists will carry a food cache on trailers attached to their bicycles. They have sent a few boxes of provisions to Watson Lake and to Pelly Crossing, where they will load up again.
Andrews said the experience so far has been amazing. She and Jerry Zaste braved some horrendous weather at times, have changed a few tire tubes, survived highways with no shoulders in western Manitoba and have gained a greater appreciation for the geography and the inhabitants of this country, she said.
"We've met so many people along the way," said Andrews. "You miss so much when you're in the car ... when you're on your bike you see all the plants, all the animals, all the garbage. We actually saw the seasons change."
