It’s hot. It hasn’t been this hot in more than a decade, the news says, so we take the day off. We are tourists today and we explore Port Dover. At lunch our server tells us the local museum was worth seeing and she was right. The history of Port Dover is a history of Lake Erie; gun ships during the War of 1812, fishing, ship wrecks and miraculous rescues, and the Underground Railroad. We got a personal tour from a woman at the museum with facts about the origins of many of the museum artifacts as well as more in depth explanations of the displays. One thing that surprised me was to learn that Lake Erie is the shallowest of the Great Lakes, and because of this shallowness it is more tempestuous and unpredictable, and has a history of more ship wrecks than any of the other Lakes.
It’s a good day to review heat injuries. Heat cramps and exhaustion, heat stroke, and Grand Canyon syndrome. Bicyclists should drink plenty of fluids, take breaks and rest, get inside some place for a break if possible. Travel early, or late, to avoid the heat and replenish electrolytes. Grand Canyon syndrome, hyponatremia, is caused by drinking water without replenishing salt lost due to sweating, so also have snacks frequently that are salty, as well as having sweet snacks to provide energy.
Greg