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the cape24 Aug 2007 - 16:50
took the old bike out for one last jaunt today... to Cape Spear, the most easterly point in North America. of course it was a fight right to the finish... the very last hill going east before hitting the cape was aptly named The Wall. I hit 67km/hr coming back down some of these climbs today so I know they were the steepest yet. I guess now Im really done... Ive come as far east as humanly possible... time for some fun now... going down to George Street to party with some of the locals... cheers!
the end23 Aug 2007 - 21:08
i made it. thank you everyone for... well, everything.
the end of the road... almost22 Aug 2007 - 02:02
okay... so, lets try to catch up on the last few days... lots happening! well, after a great rest in Halifax (huge thanks to Gary and Heather for taking such good care of me!) I started out on the road again just on the other side of the city in Musquodoboit Harbour. After about a half hour of riding, I was passed by a couple on a tandem bike and they were wearing a Heart and Stroke sign on their back... Hey! I m riding for Heart and Stroke too! I said... I asked them their names and realized it was the same couple whose story I had read on the H&S website, who were biking from BC and who I had emailed a few weeks ago seeing if there was any chance of us meeting up on the road, as our schedules may just coincide. Funny how life sometimes just works these things out for you huh? So, Dave, Stacey and I biked together for the next 2 days from Musquodoboit Harbour to Liscombe, then to Antigonish where we parted ways. I was trying to catch the Wednesday ferry from North Sydney, while they had more time to kill, so were taking a more leisurely route. Both of them were great people and I was more than happy to have some company to ride with for a few days, however the running joke between the 3 of us was that from almost the minute I met them my luck had suddenly turned sour... only a short time after I met them, my iPod fell from my bike and was destroyed by one of the few cars that had even been on that quiet road that day... then the next day I busted a spoke on my rear tire and had to ride for a couple of hours with a wobbly wheel to the next town. (big thanks to Scott and Craig at Pictou Cycle for helping me out! I made it here in one day and one piece boys!) Despite the mishaps, I had a great time with both of them and was extremely glad to have met them. If you re reading this guys, ride hard and I may just see you in St. Johns on Saturday! So here I sit in the ferry terminal after what had to be one of the hardest, yet best days of the journey so far. It took some careful planning and a lot of determination to get here today, but I made it. 10+ hrs of riding, a 240m climb over a mountain and 20km of riding in the dark later and I finally reached the North Sydney ferry terminal. Killing time now until the ferry leaves at 7 30am, then a short 19 hr jaunt and I ll be in Newfoundland!
east coast hospitality... 18 Aug 2007 - 10:36
well, here i am in beautiful Halifax, where i've been enjoying a few days of well earned r&r... for those of you faithfully GPSing me, you'll see my last checkpoint was Truro, where I was well received by an old schoolmate and his wife for the night. the trip from Moncton to Truro was probably the longest day yet... about 180km that day, some long climbs, and of course rain for the last 30km of the day... all that kept me going that day was the knowledge that i would be rewarded with 4 days off this bike, and a chance to catch up with some friends! from Truro i was graciously picked up by my mother's friend Gary who brought me back to his beautiful house just outside Halifax in the Stillwater Lake area... he and his wife made me feel immediately at home and i have thoroughly enjoyed me stay with them... it's a shame i have to leave tomorrow after being treated so well here. thanks to Dan, Nathalie, Gary and Heather for all your hospitality on this leg of the trip! i really needed it! :) tomorrow we head back onto the road for the home stretch, which will now take me along the coastal road, up through Cape Breton, to Sidney where I will catch the Argentia ferry to NFLD. Almost there guys! thanks for all your messages, they're great for morale! can't wait to see you guys soon! Oh, i picked up a companion for the rest of the trip... i stopped into a local music shop and walked out with a little travel guitar to take the rest of the way... i think that should get me through to the end! ;)
by the time we got to Woodstock... I was exhausted!13 Aug 2007 - 20:29
The road into New Brunswick is like a welcome wagon... wide shoulder, easy cruising, fast, scenic... beautiful! This is gonna be a breeze! you say to yourself... then you get onto the 105, which is like the host that says Good... now that you re here, Im gonna put you to work... and you re not leaving until its all done! In all honesty, Ive never seen so many hills in my life. All i did yesterday for 6 and a half hours was climb and climb and climb some more. And by climb I mean 30 degree steeps... when you re at the bottom of one hill and you can already see the next one behind the top of the first... you know you re in trouble! Finally made it into Woodstock around 7pm... a nice little town which I believe is at the top of the world.
2 provinces down, 3 to go!11 Aug 2007 - 21:43
okay, so now that we're all up to speed on the updates, here i am in Grand Falls, NB at a nice little B&B... and WOW what a day! By far the best day yet... despite the gravel, the trail from Cabano to Edmunston, NB was spectacular! rode alongside a gorgeous lake and through big cuts with rock walls on either side... really cool... then got on the 144 from Edmunston to Grand Falls after lunch... and annihilated it! had the wind at my back and a nice wide shoulder to cruise on and kept up a good 35 sometimes 40km/hr all afternoon... rode alongside the Madawaska River and just let loose... again, amazing sites and just a sweet ride... have covered about 1240km so far and my legs have never been so fit! no more chicken legs... i could crack a coconut with these babies now!
gone loupy - from 10 Aug '0711 Aug 2007 - 21:30
late start this morning, plus got a wee bit lost trying to get out of Riviere du loup... so finally around 1pm I am on my way down the gravelly Route Verte bicycle trail toward New Brunswick... this morning's craziness only allowed me to get as far as Cabano, QC... about 80km from Riv. du Loup... found a campground and set up there for the night... maybe a nightcap will make sleeping on the cold ground a little more bearable... ;)
the south shore - from 9 Aug '0711 Aug 2007 - 21:21
as I get further east, the more it feels like i'm going back in time. the landscape keeps getting more stunning and cruising along, silently, no motors, sometimes not a car or soul in sight... makes you feel totally atuned to your surroundings... by the time i reached riviere du loup this evening, i had witnessed some of the most beautiful landscape on this trip yet... the sunset over the st. lawrence approaching the mouth of the Gaspe... well, let's just say it's good that noone was around, cause i think i might have shed a tear... wow, gorgeous!
uphill battle - from 8 Aug \'0711 Aug 2007 - 21:08
Today wasn\'t just an uphill battle, it was all out war. The skies, wind and road must have been out partying late last night, \'cause they all woke up foul and conspiring to keep me from getting anywhere today. Only made it about 60km today through headwinds, rain and uphill and finally called it quits in Montmagny, QC. Hopefully tomorrow will be better! On the plus side, my grade 11 conversational french is returning. Amazing what pretty, french waitresses can do for your memory! ;)
back online11 Aug 2007 - 20:59
sorry for the lack of updates lately guys, just haven't had any access this week... i'll try to make up for it now!