Cabot Trail

Oct 6 2007

Today 102.2 Total 8150.2

I tend to have a bit of a jaded view of road based on what people tell me. It seems everyone I meet has the biggest and worst hill in Canada. So when I was have breakfast in Cheticamp and they were warning me about the hills I smiled and reassured them that I had done the Rockies and several other passes in BC.
The Rockies don't even compare to the Cabot Trail. The Cabot Trail wins hands down as the most intense ride I have experienced on the trip. I was riding down things that would have made ski hills jealous.

This is the warm up hill. The steep stuff is later.

Love that gorgeous helmet hair.

It was very windy most of the day. It seemed to be on my back going up the hills, which was a blessing but coming down you never knew which way it was going to slap you from. And did it slap you. I was coming down one section of road that was very steep and I was going way to fast when one of the gust slapped me. I was sure I was going down. All I could think was this was really going to hurt. I don't know how I managed it but I stayed up but in the process I whiplashed my neck. I was just so thankful to have most of my skin still attached to my body that I didn't care.
I had hoped to make it to Broad Cove but based on what I did I'm proud I made it to South Harbour. I'm staying at a little campsite called Hidden Cove very pretty right on the ocean. They have tried to give me a spot sheltered from the wind but it is still pretty gusty here.

Cabot Trail Here I Come

Oct 4 2007
Today 128.9 Total 8048.0
It rained last night so I was very careful riding along. the road was wet and with the morning light the glare was blinding me so I knew that I would be invisible to the traffic. The hills started today. Not much in the way of fall colours but a very pretty ride none the less. I found a beautiful stealth spot just off the ocean. I watched the sunset over the ocean as the waves pounded the shore below me. It was achingly beautiful.

I then watched the stars slowly wink into view. There was zero light noise as the moon is near new and was also late rising. It has been a long time since time since I slept under the stars but I spent most of the night out of the tent. It was finally the condensation on my sleeping bag that chased me in.

Nova Scotia

Oct 2 2007
Today 136.7 Total 7793.6

I learned my lesson in PEI. I made sure I got the biggest thickest tourist book for Nova Scotia. What's open and what's not. There are surprisingly few things closed here. I think it is because of the Celtic Colour's festival they are having in Cape Breton this weekend. I caught the last ferry off PEI and crept my way in the pitch dark to the campground it was only three km but the headlight does little more than warn cars that you are there and let you brace for the bumps Anyone who has skied with a headlamp knows the feeling. (Can you say December sweeps). I was whistling as I rode and scared something big back into the bushes. I could hear it crashing along. It was running away so I was happy.

Oct 3 2007
Today 125.5 Total7919.1

A beautiful day for riding. Warm with a good tailwind. I stopped in Pictou to do some blogging at a UPS store. I got all set up, camera card out, ready to go when the girl at the desk said, "You did see our rate sheet?" I looked up. $20 an hour. I'm glad she pointed that out. I thanked her and left.
I was in desperate need of a laundromat and luckily the campground at Linwood had one. I hate wasting two hours staring at the laundry go around in the middle of the day. I don't mind if I can blog at the same time but that is extremely rare. Two hours of riding that's twenty-thirty km. My life has been reduced to thinking of how many km I could have done while doing something else. It's getting harder and harder to stop in the middle of the day for anything other than food.

PEI

Sept 30 2007
Today 123.0 Total 7395.9

I'm not sure what we are looking for but I'd like the big guy behind us to climb up on my plate.

I woke to frost on the tent this morning. it was chilly so I dressed warm. I was heading almost straight south and the sun was up and warm on my left side well my right side was kept chilled by the morning breeze. Another nice day of riding. It was Sunday so I was really hoping to find and do some damage to a nice brunch but it was not to be. I really meant to spend one more night in New Brunswick but I saw the bridge and one thing lead to another and well then I was on PEI. I spent the night at a little campsite just off the bridge.
The Confederation Bridge
Oct 1 2007
Today 155.0 Total 7650.9
I would really like to come back here during the summer some year. I found it very frustrating place to visit on the bike. I had planned on using this a touring aimless day but everywhere I went all the signs would be up guiding me to a place only to get there and have a closed sign on the gate. I spent the whole day riding and saw nothing but trees and potato farms. It was a very tiring and frustrating day. I couldn't even find anywhere open to eat. I'm glad I carry so much food now.

Sooo I was looking around for an open sign and......

Chez Les Maury

Sept 29 2007
Today 150.7 Total 7272.9
I stealth camped last night. It was windy and rainy when I set up camp so I crawled right into bed. It was only about 7:00. I woke to bright light I felt well rested so I got up. It was the moon light. I checked my watch, it was two in the morning. I lay there for a bit wide awake I figured being a Friday night Flip would still be up so I called him. We talked for about an hour. When I hung up with him I called Sheri (she's working nights) and we talked for an hour. Sometimes cell phones are great to have. I kept hearing noises in the bush after that. Just me being a little spooked. So I was up and on the road by 6:00. It was still as dark as midnight. So I took it easy and every time I heard a car I jumped off the road.
It was a nice riding at that time of the day hardly any traffic. I had a skunk trot across the road in front of me and then a couple km later a red fox darted across and stopped a stared at me going by. I saw my first moose since Alberta. She saw me and gangled her way at a fast trot into the bush. Good girl was what I was thinking.
The area is very Accadian. Flags every where and the Accadian star on houses. I found a little campground that was still open. They also had a small winery called Chez Les Maury. Everyone here speaks French but they don't treat you like you've just soiled yourself in public if you speak English to them. A very friendly and open group of people. They had just had their grape harvest that day so it was very festive. They had different family members up singing and playing guitar. After some wine drinking there were sing-alongs and dancing. Unfortunately with my very early start to the morning I couldn't make it past 9:00 but I would wake periodically and hear them into the wee hours.

New Brunswick

I started the blog "Stranger in a Strange Land." in Campbellton. When I posted it just before this one it posted from the original start date not the post date. So you need to go back a couple post to see what i'm talking about.

After the events of the day before I figured I needed a rest day on Campbellton. I took the day off and basically got caught up on all my blogging. Did the computer shuffle all day two free hours in the library, some time at the visitor center and then I snuck into the employment center and got a few hours in there. If I ever do a trip like this again I'm bring something so I can type everything up ahead of time and then just download when I can. It seems like most rest days are spent on the computer.



Sept 28 2007

Today 129.2 Total 7122.2

I was still in a bit of a funk and the foggy misty day did little to improve my disposition. I usually like to ride with out my music but sometimes on long stretches it's nice. I love how sometimes songs can be the perfect catalyst to change a mood. I was riding along all melancholy was Fleetwood Mac came on. Soon I was laughing and bellowing along.
"If you wake up and don't want to smile, If it takes just a little while, Open your eyes and look at the day, You'll see things in a different way.
Don't stop, thinking about tomorrow, Don't stop, it'll soon be here, It'll be better than before, Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone.
Why not think about times to come, And not about the things that you've done, If your life was bad to you, Just think what tomorrow will do.
Dont stop, thinking about tomorrow, Dont stop, it'll soon be here,It'll be, better than before, Yesterday's gone, yesterdays gone.
All I want is to see you smile, If it takes just a little while, I know you don't believe that it's true, I never meant any harm to you.
Dont stop, thinking about tomorrow,Dont stop, itll soon be here,Itll be, better than before,Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone."

Picture me riding along literally hollering "whooooooooo Don't you look back, whoooooooo Don't you look back."

This is why I don't see moose.

Two Weeks Left

Hi all,
I'm having a hard time finding Internet connections and don't expect it to get any easier. I'm in Nova Scotia now and am on my way up the Cabot Trail so I don't expect to find any connections up there. I think it will take me three to four days to do the Trail. After that I head to Newfoundland. I figure it will take me nine days to go up, over and around. So two more weeks and I'll be done. I'm physically well but emotionally tired. I've really enjoyed my trip but I'm ready to be back with my family. Phil has been a great support group keeping me focused. I will update properly later.