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Saturday 17 August 2013
Thursday 25 August 2011
Day 59 - Halifax!
Google maps said it was 160 km to Halifax, so I got an early start, snarfing down the free breakfast at the motel and heading out into the chilly 7:40 air.
The day had its share of surprises. I took the 104 to Truro and then turned onto route 2 there. Surprise number one came in Truro when I received a text message from Angela asking if I was going to be going through Bedford. I had been planning to go through Dartmouth but I changed my plans because she said she was making a sign.
Surprise number two was all the construction going on on route 2. I had to wait at a couple of construction zones, and after waiting there is always the exhilaration of getting through the zone before traffic starts coming the other way.
Surprise number three was all my former coworkers who came out to greet me on the Bedford Highway as I rolled through. How's this for a warm reception!
As I was talking to the crew, I was boasting about how my rear tire had gone the whole trip without a single flat. Well, can you guess what surprise number 4 was? Yup, about 5 minutes down the road, I heard the dreaded pffft of air escaping from my rear tire. But, surprise number 5 happened when Mark showed up on his mountain bike, having been tipped off my Angela that I was on my way. We chatted for a while as I changed my tire and tried to pump it up with my woefully inadequate pump. Surprise number 6 was that Mark had a real bike pump in his car, about 10 minutes down the road. I made it there with 40 psi in the tire and topped it up to the usual 110 psi to finish the ride. Thank you, Mark!
Coming into Halifax was great. Riding down familiar tree-lined streets like Connaught Avenue, I had a real feeling of being home. The final act was to take my bike to Point Pleasant Park and dip the wheels in the Atlantic. A curious bystander was happy to capture this fantastic moment on my camera.
So, that's it! There are a few things that were incredibly valuable on this trip. First, I would like to thank the makers of Zincofax for (literally) saving my butt. Also, I have to give a shout out to Subway restaurants. And, last but not least, thanks to everyone who read and commented on the blog and emailed as I made my way across the country. It helped a lot to share the experience on the blog, so I never felt like I was alone.
Today's track
The day had its share of surprises. I took the 104 to Truro and then turned onto route 2 there. Surprise number one came in Truro when I received a text message from Angela asking if I was going to be going through Bedford. I had been planning to go through Dartmouth but I changed my plans because she said she was making a sign.
Surprise number two was all the construction going on on route 2. I had to wait at a couple of construction zones, and after waiting there is always the exhilaration of getting through the zone before traffic starts coming the other way.
Surprise number three was all my former coworkers who came out to greet me on the Bedford Highway as I rolled through. How's this for a warm reception!
As I was talking to the crew, I was boasting about how my rear tire had gone the whole trip without a single flat. Well, can you guess what surprise number 4 was? Yup, about 5 minutes down the road, I heard the dreaded pffft of air escaping from my rear tire. But, surprise number 5 happened when Mark showed up on his mountain bike, having been tipped off my Angela that I was on my way. We chatted for a while as I changed my tire and tried to pump it up with my woefully inadequate pump. Surprise number 6 was that Mark had a real bike pump in his car, about 10 minutes down the road. I made it there with 40 psi in the tire and topped it up to the usual 110 psi to finish the ride. Thank you, Mark!
Coming into Halifax was great. Riding down familiar tree-lined streets like Connaught Avenue, I had a real feeling of being home. The final act was to take my bike to Point Pleasant Park and dip the wheels in the Atlantic. A curious bystander was happy to capture this fantastic moment on my camera.
So, that's it! There are a few things that were incredibly valuable on this trip. First, I would like to thank the makers of Zincofax for (literally) saving my butt. Also, I have to give a shout out to Subway restaurants. And, last but not least, thanks to everyone who read and commented on the blog and emailed as I made my way across the country. It helped a lot to share the experience on the blog, so I never felt like I was alone.
Today's track
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Tuesday 23 August 2011
Day 58 - New Glasgow
Today's route was almost exactly the reverse of yesterday. I feel like a shark circling its prey (Halifax). The winds were high again today and for the first half of the ride I seemed to be riding straight into it most of the time. That foiled my plan to catch a glimpse of the tour riders coming over the causeway. They were probably long gone by the time I got there.
Riding over the causeway was not the most fun due to the extreme crosswinds and no paved shoulder. Fortunately, a truck driver was kind enough to to wait, holding up a train of cars behind him (or her).
Outside Antigonish, I stopped at the Dragon Fly Cafe, as recommended by a secret inside source. I had the ham and swiss panini and pasta salad, and it could very well have been the best lunch I've had this summer.
From there I continued on the same old 104 I had traveled yesterday. The ride was about 10 k shorter than I expected and that always makes for a refreshed feeling at the end of the day. Currently I'm relaxing at the Tara motel (it's on the rustic side but it'll get the job done), hoping for an early start to the grand finale tomorrow.
Today's track
Riding over the causeway was not the most fun due to the extreme crosswinds and no paved shoulder. Fortunately, a truck driver was kind enough to to wait, holding up a train of cars behind him (or her).
Outside Antigonish, I stopped at the Dragon Fly Cafe, as recommended by a secret inside source. I had the ham and swiss panini and pasta salad, and it could very well have been the best lunch I've had this summer.
From there I continued on the same old 104 I had traveled yesterday. The ride was about 10 k shorter than I expected and that always makes for a refreshed feeling at the end of the day. Currently I'm relaxing at the Tara motel (it's on the rustic side but it'll get the job done), hoping for an early start to the grand finale tomorrow.
Today's track
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Day 57 - River Bourgeois
It was a day of goodbyes as I left the Tour Trans Canada group to finish my personal goals. The gang of four did one last ride together to the Linwood campsite, taking the shortest possible route along the 104, shaving over 30 km from the Bud route. That made my total about 140 for the day. Here we are, head-on for once:
It was extremely breezy today and whenever we headed south we got one of the stiffest headwinds we've seen on the whole trip. Overall, it felt like a long ride. That's probably also because the roads were mostly familiar and not too interesting to me. It was a great feeling to finally roll down Boyd's Lane to the old homestead. My odometer read 10,076 km at the bottom of the hill. That includes all my training and about 1,000 km from last year. When I get back to Vancouver, I'll be able to figure out how much of that was since the beginning of the trip.
Now, on to Halifax!
It was extremely breezy today and whenever we headed south we got one of the stiffest headwinds we've seen on the whole trip. Overall, it felt like a long ride. That's probably also because the roads were mostly familiar and not too interesting to me. It was a great feeling to finally roll down Boyd's Lane to the old homestead. My odometer read 10,076 km at the bottom of the hill. That includes all my training and about 1,000 km from last year. When I get back to Vancouver, I'll be able to figure out how much of that was since the beginning of the trip.
Now, on to Halifax!
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Sunday 21 August 2011
Day 56 - Lower Barney's River
Today we bid adieu to PEI and boarded the ferry for my home province of Nova Scotia. Before we got to the ferry, Rick collected this beautiful souvenir off an unfortunate fox on the road:
I must say, it's a nice piece of tail. After the frustration of not finding a "Welcome to PEI" sign, Nova Scotia delivered with this behemoth. If you look closely, you may see a happy Landon in the picture.
Isabel and I, the sightseers of the group, took a short side trip to downtown Pictou, which I had never visited before. It had some nice old buildings and a nice waterfront with a recreation of the ship, Hector, that brought in some of the first Scottish settlers to Nova Scotia in the late 1700's.
From there, we booted it to the campsite. It hit me that I was close to home when we got on the 104, a road I've traveled many times to get to Cape Breton.
At camp, I set up my tent for the last time. As per tradition, the girls got me a parting cake. It said "We'll Miss You Landon". I'll miss them too.
The girls, Chelsea and Nieka, have done a great job under sometimes difficult circumstances. Working a trip like this is no cake walk! Spending this much time with a small group, you get to see a few layers under the surface of people's personalities. We were tired most of the time, physically uncomfortable in various ways, bored sometimes and generally not at our best. We all had bad days, and that manifested in different ways.
Some people would retreat and lose the will to be social. Others might get fixated on certain details that weren't to their liking (e.g. powdered milk). Occasionally there'd be conflict over something trivial like who's turn it was for the shower. This would be a great trip for someone studying human social behavior. Unfortunately, at this point not everyone is talking to each other and I doubt that will change before the official finish in St. John's. I think we've all accepted that now and at the atmosphere is peaceful even if there is some underlying tension. I'll still miss the evenings at the campsite spent eating together and comparing notes about the day's ride - routes taken, animals spotted (dead and alive), people encountered, disasters narrowly averted, etc.
Although this is my last night with the group, I will be riding (and blogging) for three more long days. Tomorrow, to my dad's place in Cape Breton and then two centuries to my mom's place in Halifax.
I must say, it's a nice piece of tail. After the frustration of not finding a "Welcome to PEI" sign, Nova Scotia delivered with this behemoth. If you look closely, you may see a happy Landon in the picture.
Isabel and I, the sightseers of the group, took a short side trip to downtown Pictou, which I had never visited before. It had some nice old buildings and a nice waterfront with a recreation of the ship, Hector, that brought in some of the first Scottish settlers to Nova Scotia in the late 1700's.
From there, we booted it to the campsite. It hit me that I was close to home when we got on the 104, a road I've traveled many times to get to Cape Breton.
At camp, I set up my tent for the last time. As per tradition, the girls got me a parting cake. It said "We'll Miss You Landon". I'll miss them too.
The girls, Chelsea and Nieka, have done a great job under sometimes difficult circumstances. Working a trip like this is no cake walk! Spending this much time with a small group, you get to see a few layers under the surface of people's personalities. We were tired most of the time, physically uncomfortable in various ways, bored sometimes and generally not at our best. We all had bad days, and that manifested in different ways.
Some people would retreat and lose the will to be social. Others might get fixated on certain details that weren't to their liking (e.g. powdered milk). Occasionally there'd be conflict over something trivial like who's turn it was for the shower. This would be a great trip for someone studying human social behavior. Unfortunately, at this point not everyone is talking to each other and I doubt that will change before the official finish in St. John's. I think we've all accepted that now and at the atmosphere is peaceful even if there is some underlying tension. I'll still miss the evenings at the campsite spent eating together and comparing notes about the day's ride - routes taken, animals spotted (dead and alive), people encountered, disasters narrowly averted, etc.
Although this is my last night with the group, I will be riding (and blogging) for three more long days. Tomorrow, to my dad's place in Cape Breton and then two centuries to my mom's place in Halifax.
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Saturday 20 August 2011
Day 55 - Charlottetown
The day started with a visit from our old friends the mosquitos. Ah, nothing like taking down your tent in a swarm of blood suckers. A while ago I was thinking of writing a letter to a mosquito.
Here are all the bikes being towed over the bridge on a trailer (after unloading the bikes, the driver confided with a coworker that the trailer "shouldn't be on the road"):
In PEI, Isabel and I took the scenic route on smooth roads with little traffic. Some of it was familiar from my bike trip around the island four years ago. There were fields of green, yellow and beige, gently rolling hills with the signature red dirt and the Northumberland Straight almost always in sight. It was the kind of scenery that photos can't really do justice.
Today's track
Dear mosquito,The ride into Charlottetown was great. Here we are rolling towards the Confederation Bridge on the New Brunswick side:
I sense that you are interested in my blood. I just thought you should know that the space enclosed by my epidermis is private property and I am authorized to use deadly force on trespassers. This skin may seem like a nice place to spend some time, and yes, there is some sweet O positive underneath, but are you aware of the advanced defense system protecting it? These eyes will see you and this hand will smoosh you. It will anihilate you. In a matter of milliseconds, you will not know your proboscis from your postnotum. Your entire body will be reduced to an unidentifiable smudge. Your relative mosquitos will live out the rest of their days in grief, wondering whatever happened to you. Is that really what you want? Do you still insist on going forward with your suicide mission? I can't tell you what to do, but hope that this information will help you make an informed decision about your future.
Sincerely,
Landon
Here are all the bikes being towed over the bridge on a trailer (after unloading the bikes, the driver confided with a coworker that the trailer "shouldn't be on the road"):
Today's track
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Thursday 18 August 2011
Day 54 - Pointe du Chene
From camp, the gang of four headed out on the number 1 divided highway. This started out well with the large paved shoulder we had enjoyed yesterday, but before too long the shoulder disappeared, and with it my peace of mind. Although there wasn't much traffic, it wasn't my idea of a good time. I convinced the others to take the next exit onto a side road and was glad we did. All of a sudden, we could see more than just trees. There were houses, fields, rivers and other non-tree objects. Something to think about besides whether you were about to become a hood ornament on the 18-wheeler approaching from behind.
Owen led the way through the Moncton area since it was his stomping ground for many years. We even rode by his old house outside of Riverview, parts of which he had built with his own two hands. I think Owen's been having a good time through this part of the trip, catching up with family and friends in the area and indulging in his favourite local cuisine: the Pizza Delight super donair.
Through Moncton, we got on the 15, another divided highway, this time with a more shoulder but also more traffic. We made good time but I confess that I didn't enjoy the riding a ton.
At the camp site we had my ultimate meal: salmon (perfect cooked) with grilled potatoes and cauliflower with cheese sauce, followed by strawberry rhubarb pie. It was my second-to-last camp supper and one of the best.
After supper I took a short ride to the beach and dipped my toes in Atlantic salt water. The end is in sight!
Owen led the way through the Moncton area since it was his stomping ground for many years. We even rode by his old house outside of Riverview, parts of which he had built with his own two hands. I think Owen's been having a good time through this part of the trip, catching up with family and friends in the area and indulging in his favourite local cuisine: the Pizza Delight super donair.
Through Moncton, we got on the 15, another divided highway, this time with a more shoulder but also more traffic. We made good time but I confess that I didn't enjoy the riding a ton.
At the camp site we had my ultimate meal: salmon (perfect cooked) with grilled potatoes and cauliflower with cheese sauce, followed by strawberry rhubarb pie. It was my second-to-last camp supper and one of the best.
After supper I took a short ride to the beach and dipped my toes in Atlantic salt water. The end is in sight!
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