Jim Coates' Guestbook

Wow. Off again. Fare thee well and thank you once again for including us in your odyssey. I am ready! (And not one overweight bag fee to be had.)

Winding down a wonderful non-adventure
As always, I love your photos and commentary. Very timely, as I just finished reading "As Told at the Explorers Club" which included (literally) chilling tales of Arctic exploration. Several writers referenced a quote by Canadian arctic explorer and ethnologist Stefansson that seems highly relevant to your life: "An adventure is a sign of incompetence.... If everything is well managed, if there are no miscalculations or mistakes, then the things that happen are only the things you expected to happen, for which you are ready and with you can therefore deal." It seems you're finishing up another wonderful trip with no unfortunate "adventures" to mar the journey!

Thanks!
Thanks for taking us along with you. Glad to hear you took the western route past Harrisburg. I took that last fall and thoroughly enjoyed the scenery and the absence of traffic.

Welcome home
Welcome home from another special adventure. I look forward to hearing more about the trip.

Moose Head
I speak-a English. I learned it from a booook.

Seriously
All kidding aside Jim, this trip, like all your others, is a wonderful adventure, and it's wonderful that you share it/them with all the rest of us. How you think them up, and,more importantly, how you pull them off, is hard to understand. But the result for you and us is some kind of miracle. I've known you for a long time in all kinds of crazy places, but each of these trips shows me a side of Jim Coates that I never saw before. Thanks for doing it and for surviving and for showing us things we might never have imagined. Harry

Is that a bird, Jim Coates or a native?
Maybe it's Tim Horton. If I ever go there I'll know the best places to hang out and meditate. Twillingate seems like the place to be.

Ice Pack in Straight of Belle-Isle
Hi Jim. Here is an interesting story about the Canadian Coast Guard IceBreaker that assisted us crossing from Labrador to Newfoundland ... http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/climate-change-study-1.4157216

A biking Viking meets his ancestors.
Probably his ancestors appreciate the arrival of their prodigal son. And would appreciate the class of his new ship.

Enjoying the journey
Jim, I'm grateful that you are giving us such a fascinating portrait of this corner of the world that few of us are likely to ever visit. It's so interesting to hear about the people you meet, as well as see the beautiful photos. And it's comforting to see that there is still pack ice in some parts of the North! I look forward to the next posts.

Sublime
By now you must be used to the views you are seeing. The views of the bike and nobody/nothing else convey the loneliness of the place and what, for you, must be an enchanted voyage. Only you can explain the impact it all has on you. In all these years I have never thought of you Jim as an extremist, but you certainly pick extreme places to view what few others feel comfortable in. I only hope, as Trump would say, that your next venture is not to the South Pole. Now we have to wait to see if you get on the ferry. Keep warm.

Along for the ride
Thanks Jim. I have been enjoying the view and commentary as you make your way.