Fall 1999 (Cape Breton, Newfoundland) Vacation Comments

For this vacation I:

• Attended a week long dance camp with the band Wild Asparagus.
• Camped in Lake Superior Prov. Park - Aug 21 .. Aug 25
• Cycled Nova Scotia (Cape Breton), Newfoundland - Aug 26 .. Sept 16
• Attended the Michigan 13th Fall Dance Camp.

• Ferry Terminals in NovaScotia have showers!
• South-West NFLD coast info

Vacation Summary

This vacation my my introduction to the east coast. I had not done a cycling trip in years and wanted to get away. A friend in Halifax made me think of this part of Canada so I dug out some maps and figured that a bicycle would be the easiest way to get around.

Sadly it's not the best place to cycle. The minor roads along the coast are scenic but I could only take so much of the coastal ocean smell and biting insects as well as "parks" without showers or campsites. So I headed for the Cape Breton Highlands and then after blitzing thru there I went off to Newfoundland and returned for a tour of the Bay of Funds north shore.

The Highlands were fine for cycling. Some hills here steeper than any I've ridden in Europe since they don't use switchbacks over here. However, there really wasn't anything very high compared to the Alps and the 2 to 4 hour mountain climbs there. I was told that the water wasn't drinkable and never having found fuel for my campstove I decided to make a fast trip of the Highlands.

In the Highlands the camping was nice enough and I met plenty of other hikers. At that point in the trip the consequences of only packing for a cycling trip hit me. I had not come prepared for serious hiking - not with old, worn, running shoes. Within the first few days of hiking I'd blistered both of my feet deep under the surface. As a result hiking was so painful that I had to take it very easy.

After leaving the Highlands I met up with 2 other cyclists, one from Toronto and one from home (Waterloo). We continued together to the ferry terminal at Sydney. At that point I made a spur of the moment decision to go to Newfoundland on the midnight ferry.

I cheated by taking the bus to the town of Deer Lake just outside of Gros Morne National Park. When the bus driver dropped me off I was told that they do not take bicycles that are not in a box. That made me worried. I'd just taken a long trip across a good piece of Newfoundland and didn't really have the time to see Gros Morne and cycle all the way back to Halifax.

The scenery at the start of the bus ride was amazing. Upon seeing that I understood why they call Newfoundland "The Rock". I should have explored that part of the Rock on my bike! The ride into Gros Morne wasn't too bad but I still didn't have fuel for my stove and never found any grocery stores worth mentioning.

The next day I cycled out to the Tablelands into a hellish wind. I knew something was wrong when I was going uphill at over 30 km/h! I discovered that the hikes would not be easy to do with a bicycle and the wind was so bad that I had to put on everything I had and line my pants with plastic bags to try and keep warm. Going downhill and pushing into the wind I was only able to keep a pace of about 5 km/h. I was quickly becomming disenchanted and had a strong urge to leave the park.

That's exactly what I did - but I did come back the next year with my wife and a car and we had a great time. I did manage to pack my bicycle with cardboard boxs and tape and get a bus ride to the ferry and within an hour I was on the ferry back to Nova Scotia. I then cycled the Bay of Fundy to enjoy the last few days of my vacation.

East Coast Vacation Diary

Aug 26 (31.5 km cycling @ 21 km/h)

Royal Airlines started this trip with a very bad start. They required me to deflate my tires fully to board the airplane. This ensured that they rolled and pushed my bicycle in such a way that it was likely that the innertubes and tires would recieve dammage. After the trip I did lodge complaints and they apparently changed their policy since there is no scientific reason for partially or fully deflating bicycle tires!
I landed at 5:05 pm and left the airport cycling at 6:08 with the bicycle odo. at 1282.5 km.
7:38 pm - I'm at the Dollar Lake campground. Lots of hilly gravel roads! [bicycle odo. 1314 km for 31.5 km of cycling in 1:30 or aprox 20 km/h] Supper was chocolate, biskets some fruit and water from the airport as local water must be boiled. At 8 pm the sun was down. The showers here are nice but it is $14 / night.

Fri, Aug 27 (151 km @ 23.0 km/h to Moser River)

I'm up at 6am and it's cool and humid but still dark. Alas I have no food yet. At 6:50 I'm packed and cycling even though the sun isn't up yet. The Jeddore Sobeys grocery store was close by and I stocked up on food.
At 10:45 I've cycled 96.2 km @ 23 km/h and I'm around Lake Charlott. There are lots of trucks on the narrow roads. It's warm and humid but no great views.
It's 12:05, 96.2 km and time for lunch. I definately have a tailwind! Finding water and toilets around here is a problem.
3:30 pm, 151.5 km @ 23.0 km/h (1466.0 km total). There was no campground at Port Dufferin and I ended up camping at Moser River. I met up with another cyclist here; but that is it - there is nobody else. It's been a good hard cycling day and all the usual body parts are sore.
8:13 pm the biting insects are sheer hell. It's overcast but leaving the tent is not an option. The land owner and other cyclist talked with me for a enjoyable hour or two. The maps indicate that I have to be prepared to keep on cycling 140 km days.

Sat, Aug 28 (166 km to Antagonish, 7:06, 23.4 km/h, very hot)

6:15am and both of us are getting up. It's windy and there are bugs galore and it was showering all night. Both of us have given up on eating until we've cycled away from the bugs.
7:15am I'm packed with wet gear and going down the gravel road back to pavement. It's very foggy with a tailwind.
10:15am 57.7 km @ 23.3 km/h. It is clearing slightly and I'm thinking of not following the coast but going inland. I still have not found fuel for my stove (butane-propane) and my hands are numbing, there is lots of saddle pain and my right ankle is in pain.
11:45am 87.2 km @ 23.1 km/h. I've turned towards Antogonish. It's hilly, windy, overcast and quite hot. It should be another 35 km via roads 276 and 316. Sherbrooke was a dud village. There was nothing to see. 4:15pm I cycled 166.5 km @ 23.4 km/h in 7:06 and I'm at the Hyclass campground. It was a day of really windy, hot and harsh sun. I'm baked and utterly drained. There was a campground at Antigonish but I missed it somehow.
The 104 "transcanada" highway varied from a wide shoulder to none at all with and without potholes. It was no fun and I'd never get on that highway again unless necessary. I've eaten nearly everything and tomorrow, Sunday, I desperately need to buy food.
I found apple trees by the roadside to eat from, picked up water from some friendly people, passed old (1809'ish) churches but was too tired to take pictures. It's been a nice rolling countryside with lots of signs of clear cut logging.
8:15 pm Sundown, really bad wind and increasing humidity. I talked with a couple from the USA who were cycling on a tandom and averaged 100 km per day on the flats north of here. Everything hurts and bending my knees is quite painful. I'm pushing myself too hard.

Sunday, Aug 29 (121 km @ 23.5 km/h in 5:08 to Dunvegan) Cape Breton Highlands NP pictures and Dunvegan and misc. pictures

7:10am It's nearly sunrise and I'm ready to go. It was a humid and warm night. This should be an easy day - only 102 km to Inverness. I've taken Ibuprofin for the knee and ankle and it helps.
11:39am 85.4 km The morning has been sunny at times so not good for pictures. I met an assisted bicycle touring group (they didn't have to carry any gear) and cycled along a mini-triathelon event. There was a small grocery store at Mabou but I'm looking for something bigger.
1:00 pm - 110 km - I've cycled thru Inverness, am hot and sweaty, and have found not food stores to speak of. Of course I still have no fuel for my camp stove and I'm carrying food that has to be cooked!
1:55 pm - 121.3 km @ 23.5 km/h in 5:08 at Dunvegan. For some reason it became colder and windy in this area. It's been overcast for a while and there is a nice view of the ocean from my campsite. The water has big, meter high, waves and I went in till the water was at my knees - and got water in my mouth when a big wave came in! The ocean water is quite warm compared to Lake Superior back at home.
Crossing the Canso causeway was boring - no good pictures there. I'm only about 2.5 hours from the Cape Breton Highlands and my knee pain is much reduced. I am quite saddle sore and need an easy day. There is slight numbness in my thumb and index fingers on both hands. There have been very light showers several times but no rain and I'm back to chocolate and biskets to eat!
At sunset I took 4 pictures of the beach.

Monday, Aug 30 (70km @ 21.6 km/h at Corney Brook campground)

I'm up at 6am and cycling at 7:15. I spent much of the previous night talking to a couple from North Sydney and two from the USA. I used one of their stoves and cooked some of my food (pasta). It was a cool and clear night so I finally slept in my sleeping bag.
8:52am 35.3 km @22.1 km My right knee and left ankle hurt but there isn't much further to go.
12:30 pm 70.4 km @ 21.6 km/h - Camp is setup at Corney Brook. I took pictures while cycling and I'm very saddle sore. it was hot and cold but primarily cold with unreal winds. There are no showers here and the water isn't drinkable - even if boiled!
At 8 pm the sun went down and I took another picture. Unfortunately the camera was not advancing the film properly. I had to advance several frames before it would let me take a picture. The wind is utterly hellish and it's cold. My tent is getting blown about in this wind and I'm not really prepared for this sort of cold. The running shoes I have are painful for hiking.
For supper I had some meat, bread an apple and two chewy bars. Then I joned the women beside me for some soup and potatoes and I'm barely full.
The hikes here tend to have very large paths. It's likely a side effect of a park with short hikes where almost everyone is driving a car.

Le Buttereau hike This hike was short and not particularily good.

Skyline Hike Some women, camping beside me, gave me a lift to the start of the Skyline hike. It is a wonderful hike paralleling the road (the road does ruin the view) with some delicate areas. We saw a moose.
Corney Book Hike I took at waterfall picture along the Corney Brook. The trail was blocked at the half way point.

Tuesday, Aug 31 (90.2 km @ 20.7 km/h to Broad Cove campground)

It's cool and very windy. During the night I removed the fly from the tent - fearing that it might be blown away and it was keeping me up with all of the noise of it's flapping around. I'm still carrying lots of water with me.
It was 6.2 km up French Mtn at 9 km/h.

Bog Hike This hike is at a higher elevation and it's a nice short walk. I took one picture.

Benji Lake Hike This hike is also high with lots of bush. It's very short and boring.

MacIntosh Brook Hike This was a short hike, nobody was there and they had nice washrooms! I took a picture of the falls with a tree growing on a rock and a squirrel on a log.

I took at 3-wide picture just past Anse fishing cove and a shot of the Anse cove. I tried putting double socks on my feet but the pain while hiking is intense. Blisters deep by the balls of my feet are to blame. I was able to puncture and drain the blister on my left foot. What do I do now that I'm virtually unable to hike?
The descent from Mt. MacKenzie to Pleasant Bay at 60 km/h was a blast.

12:30 pm, 41.3km @19.7 km/h max speed of 81 km/h! i'm at Big Interval for lunch. It's quite cold and windy. I took pictures on the descent of North Mtn - it was beautiful with a valley merging into another valley.
I took a picture of the cabin at the Lone Shieling a recreation of cabins on the Isle of Skye. Then pictures at Black Brook and I finished a roll at Green cove with the next roll started at Lakies Head and Broad Cove..
4:30 pm - 90.2 km @ 20.7 km/h -I'm at the Broad Cove campsite. This place has showers, electricity (I can shave!) and drinkable water! The numb fingers and saddle sores are making me think of heading to Gros Morne on Newfoundland.
Broad Mtn. Hike I did this slowly, in 40 min. I took a 3-wide picture at the top. It's a short hike with a nice view but it was slightly hazy.
7:30 pm - Sunset.
Hiked Fench Mountain. The North Mountain descent was long and a shallow

Wednesday, Sept 1 (26.5 km @ 19.4 km/h cycling + hiking)

I'm up at 5:50 am and hiking at 6:35 am.
Branch Pond Hike It was 6.9km and 26 min. to get to the Branch Pond trail. It was a steady gravel road uphill at 11 km/h on bicycle. It's wide and I can hear the odd wolf howling. The rising sun is on my back.
I started hiking at 7 am and 55 min. later I'm at the lookout. The trail continues ?? It is quite desolate up here with very few trees. It's like being on a plateau. I took 2 pictures up top and one at a swampy area.
9:10 am and I'm back at my bicycle. It's now warm and sunny - quite a nice day.

Franey Hike 12:55 I started the hike. It's up a steep, slippery gravel road.
1:43 pm - I'm at the top of the tower. The tower ladder was partially removed and the door lock was broken. The view from the top of the tower is quite nice. I took a 4-wide shot.
2:44 - All done and back down the hill. I returned clockwise on a 4x4 gravel road. It was a nice even slope going down.

Then it was time for an afternoon nap and cutting open the blister on my right foot to drain it again. It's nice being near a real grocery store. The Kings of Nova Scotia carrots are all wonderfully sweet.
7:30 pm - The sun is setting and the temperature is droping nicely. I spent a while on the beach just watching the waves roll in. I had to cut the blister on my left foot open to drain it. It's amazing how quickly these cuts heal shut!
Cape Smokey is the highest peak in the pictures.
I'm worried that I'm rushing things. I'm 2 days ahead of schedule and that leaves me 4 days on Newfoundland (Gros Morne National Park). If I can catch the bus to the park that will give me some spare time to hike and cycle.

Branch Pond hike [desolate, no trees, plateau, swampy area], Franey hike [water tower at top, locked, wonderfull view from tower] 26.5 km 19.4 km/h

Thursday, Sept 2

I'm on the road at 7am. It's cool and for once not windy.
8:10am - I'm at a Provincal Park rest area at the top of Cape Smoky. The hike is at the back side of the rest stop by the washrooms.
9:25 I'm at the end of the trail. It has a nice view with the town of Ingonish to the left. I took a 3-wide picture at 70 mm. It wasn't a hard hike but boggy and steep in spots. The sun is now hot and bright without a cloud in the sky.
9:45 - I'm done the trail, my left foot has another blister and the trail was grown in heavily in places.
5:00 pm - 108.5 km @ 21.1 km/h - In North Sydney at the mall. I went shopping for food. and am thinking of the midnight ferry to Newfoundland. Kevin Hayes from Scarborough and ?? met up on this day of cycling. It cost $5.00 to use the shower in the one home but at least I felt clean. Of course later that night I discovered that the ferry terminal has a shower!

Cape Smokey hike - at top nice view of Ingonish on left - 3 tiled picture, cycled into North Sydney after hooking up with 2 other cyclists - took over-night ferry to Newfoundland - I could not sleep on the ferry.

Friday, Sept 3 (52.3 km @ 22.6 in 2:19 cycling from Deer Lake to Gros Morne)

It's 6:30 am, the sun is rising and my left foot is so badly blistered that I'm glad to not have to hike within the next day. It's a quick, short dash from the ferry terminal upto the hotel where I caught the bus to Deer Lake.
12:24pm and I'm at Deer Lake checking out the Tourist Info Center next door. The bus ride showed just how big this place is - and how desolate. There were 100 km stretches of nothing - no houses, no stores - just nothing! It'll be a long ride out with few places to get food or camp but this place is wonderfully scenic.
2:15pm - I'm now in Gros Morne National Park at the Lomond campground from hell. It was a 4 km steep gravel descent into this place. I don't think that I can ride out of here - I'll have to push the bike! The forcast was 40% POP but we've had no rain yet; although it is overcast.

Stanleyville Hike This is a rolling (up and down) hike with steep sections out to a beach where there are some old sawmill ruins. I took a picture partway and at the end. It was a so-so hike with nothing spectular to recommend it.

I took a picture from the campsite looking out. At 8:30 pm it's very cloudy, windy and cold. Tomorrow it's 60% chance of rain (POP). There we the odd very light showers during the day. I joined some people for supper and shared in some of their leftover food.

Saturday, Sept 4 (124 km, 20.0 km/h - returned to Deer Lake) The Tablelands (Gros Morne NP) pictures

Foxes ate the food that I hung! I found no big stores and still don't have fuel for my stove. I cycled out to the Tablelands. The wind was hellish, the temperature dropped and it drizzled at times. I resorted to shoving plastic under my jacket and pants in an attempt to keep warm. The ride back was very very slow - ie 35 km/h going out and 10 km/h going back. I was not prepared for that weather and the lack of food. When it was cold and windy I was only comfortable bundled in my sleeping bag.
The ride out to the Tablelands was going fine (I even hit 75 km/h going down a hill) until I realized that I was doing over 30 km/h going uphill. Sure enough I had a very very strong tailwind that I could barely do 10 km/h into when I was going downhill and pedaling hard. That shocked the daylights out of me. I feared that I would be cycling for many many hours back but all was fine when I changed direction at South Arm. It turns out that the prevailing winds hit in the morning and don't let up till later in the day.

The Green Meadows hike looked far too long. The Tablelands hike is terrible - just an old road. I met some people who had bush-wacked a hike to the top. That seems a terrible thing to do in this wilderness, given how fragile the landscape is. The Tablelands really need a hiking trail that takes you to the top!

4:00pm and I'm back at Deer Lake waiting for the bus. They made me wrap my bicycle in old cardboard boxes but they let me take the bus back to the ferry terminal at Port aux Basq. I'm running scared at this point. I still have no fuel for my stove, little food, I'm running out of time and this place is big. My fingers are still numb, the saddle sores are really bothering me and the cold is getting to me.

While on the midnight ferry I start making plans to cycling around Peggy's Cove, Lunenburg, Truro and some other places around there. I met 2 cyclists who spent 4 days in Gros Morne. They found it warm and sunny during their stay.

Sunday, Sept 5 (50.1 km @ 22.5 km/h in 2:13 cycling Truro to Elm River Park)

7:01 am and I'm on the bus for Truro. It was a mad dash, going the wrong way, to get up the streets to the hotel, then dismantling the bicycle and leaving 1 min. later! But I'm feeling much better now. I'll be fairly close to the Halifax airport and can liesurely enjoy the last few days. I'm quite hungry but in 5 hours I'll be in a town with grocery stores. The day is warm and overcast - what a nice change.

This bus has no steward; but the ones on Newfoundland did. At $40 for a bus ride it may seem expensive but if camping costs $20/night and a ride saves several days of cycling it's worth it. 11:00 am and we're stoping at Antigonish. I attack the Subway for some food. It's amazing, Antigonish seems like such a busy and bustling place - compared to Newfoundland!

1:25pm and I'm in Truro with the bike setup and ready to roll. What shocks me out here is how many kids are drug addicts (cigarette smokers). Even on the bus, everyone old and young seemed to smoke.
4:18 and I'm setting up camp at Elm River Park. I'm quite sleepy even though I think that I slept a bit on the midnight ferry. The soil around here is very reddish, much like PEI. I saw an amazing picture of a park - 5 Islands Provincal Park and so I'll head there. A shower felt great. Now I have to figure out how to slow myself down instead of grinding myself into the ground going around to as many places as possible.

Monday, Sept 6 (53.1 km @ 20.1 km/h in 2:38 to 5 Islands Prov. Park) Five Islands Prov. Park pictures

7:30am and I'm off cycling.
10:15am and I'm at 5 Islands Prov. Park. This place has a longgggg (4+ km) entrance.


Clifftop Hike This hike was quite nice hike. I was back at 3:45 pm. I scaled the cliff at low'ish tide to walk the beach. The view from the clifftop wasn't the best because of how grown in it was. But from below the view was a lot better! There are lots of people on the beach digging for clams. At one hour from low tide the water is wayyyyy wayyyyyy out. My goal is to be able to just sit here and watch it come in and go out.
I've discovered that my Pentax camera has the same problem as my other Pentax MEF camera. When I rotate the exposure compensation ring the exposure times go off to never-never land. That explains why I've had pictures severly underexposed when the camera was in automatic mode.
I need to start carrying more food. I only have a loaf of bread, fish kippers, 10 chewy bars and some chocolate left. This parking is getting to be nice and quiet now. Plenty of people have left and nobody has come in.
6pm - It's low tide.
7:20pm - The tide is coming back in. You can't see it easy but if you pick a reference location and turn away from the water for 5 min. it's pretty clear that it is coming in.
Red Head Trail I took this 7 km trail with 90m cliffs overlooking Minas Basin.

Tuesday, Sept 7

6:35am - I've been listening to the drone of misquitoes around my tent for 30 min. now. My right leg and foot are aching and I've still got 2 numb fingers per hand from the handlebars. My "touring" bicycle is really my mountain bike outfitted with slick tires, a rack and fenders. I'm used to riding my racing bicycle for 3+ hours several times a week - but not this bike. I know that the crank axle is slightly offset such that, typically, my right knee starts to ache with many hours in the saddle.
7:15am It was a hazy morning but the sky above is clearing although the fog has yet to lift. I have a strong feeling to go and do something but part of me figures that I should just stick a rock on the beach and watch the water come in and cover it. According to literature here the highest tides are 2m/hour with the water coming in at 2 m/sec.
This place is wierd. People seem to show up in the late afternoon and then leave at 10am. They miss most of the day! At 10 am the sun is now making my tent too hot to stay in. There seems to be lots of men out fishing - it doesn't look like women have taken up the sport.
1:30pm - I've finished off my chocolate and men are going around picking up falled apples to feed the deer with. Staff are going around and mowing grass.
3:30pm - I hiked the tail again, climbed down the cliff to the beach and walked back via the beach, taking lots of pictures. Some of the "5 islands" were out of the water at low tide and I climbed one a bit. The rock was very brittle volcanic type and extreamly unsafe to climb. The colorful beach cliffs remind me of the USA south-west parks like Bryce.
4:25pm - I've had a shower - gawd I love parks with a shower! The sun is high and the wind is picking up.
5:30pm - I finished supper and hiked to the viewpoint for a low tide picture but the glare from the sun was very bad. All I have left now is 4 chewy bars - tomorrow I have to leave here; even if it's to get food. This campground just doesn't feel friendly. While camping in the Cape Breton Highlands I met lots of friendly people - but not so here.

Wednesday, Sept 8 (134 km @ 23.2 km/h in 5:47)

6:30am and it's been drizzling rain for hours.
7:30am - There is some blue'ish sky and the wind is picking up. I'm passing time by mopping the tend fly dry.
8:05am - It's time to head out.
11:30am - I'm at the Masstown Market (#2 and #4 intersection). 53.4 km @ 25.0 km/h. It's now hot and sunny and I'm enjoying my favorite - chocolate milk.
12:01pm - I had to fix a flat tire punctured by a tack.
1:50pm - I reached my friend Kyle in Halifax. It looks like we will get to meet.
3:27pm - 86km @ 24.9 km/h. I've been pushing; but this is mostly flat cycling. At 3:05 I took a break at Stanwicke for lunch while it rained.
5:03pm - Now I'm at Elmsdale after 134.3 km @ 23.2 km/h in 5:47. I was lost for a bit but am now celebrating with icecream. The "Montreal Smoked Meat" earlier in the day made me feel bloated and really bad for about 2 hours. My right knee is sore and tender to the touch and the rain is picking up again. Kyle should be by soon and then I'll have a real bed for the first time in weeks.

Thursday, Sept 9 Halifax Citadel pictures

I'm in Halifax and it's 22C early in the morning. They're calling for showers so this is a good time to spend in the city looking around. So far I've been lucky in terms of almost never getting rained on while cycling. I spent most of the morning walking the city while it was drizzling. I had my first Donair and the taste stayed in my mouth for hours.
I spent 3 hours at the Citadel both on the guided tour ($6) and walking around. This fort is from a different era. One of the theories at the time was that night air made you sick and yet they used the urine pail to haul water for drinking.
Nighttime was supper in town with friends.

Friday, Sept 10

Ahhh, another day where I slept in a bit and then spent 4 hours walking the town. I've done some shoping - more food for cycling and books for reading. The walking is blistering my feet again. I really hate these running shoes. They called for rain and sure enough there have been three hard showers while I was walking. There was a great music store with a nice maple flute in D, only $110.
It's warm, muggy and sunny and I fell asleep after lunch. Later Kyle and I went out on a micro brewery tour and some beer tasting. The different beers sure have a different taste; but I don't like the stuff. Some fish & chips for supper should fatten me up for some more cycling.

Saturday, Sept 11

We toured the Sackville, a ship, thru showers and more rain. The rest of the day was lounging with some old TV shows (Battlestar Galactia) and Kyle introduced me to making pizza.

Sunday, Sept 12

Today we went rock hunting at Cheverie for anhydrous sandstone, tried to visit Oak Island (it was closed) and toured the coast a bit.
4:25pm and I've setup camp at Martin's River. This is a nice place to do some cycling from - some easy cycling; not grinding myself into the ground. I enjoyed a swim and have been thinking about the upcoming dance weekend in Michigan. Little does Heather know that a marriage proposal is in my plans.

Monday, Sept 13 (80.5 km @ 23.1 km/h in 3:28 to The Ovens and Lunenburg) (Lunenburg pictures) and (The Ovens pictures)

7am - The tend is damp and wet, inside and out.
7:30am - The sun is now visable and it's still humid and cold but the sky is clear and I'm packing.
9:50am - I've finally found The Ovens after 40.9km @23.0 km/h in 1:46. I lost myself in Lunenburg trying to find the road here. My right knee and tendon pain is back.
10:30 - I've hiked to the end of the trail. The tide is rising and the ovens booming. The ovens are underground holes that the waves ram water into. This compresses the air and then as the wave goes out there is a boom from the expanding air. A boat, the Bluenose II from Lunenburn, nicely passed the cave I was in so I shot a picture with the lens at 70mm. Lunenburn is quite small in the picture.
1:30pm - Back in Lunenburn I decided to spend time walking the warf. The coffee frozen yougert wasn't that good. I still have great memories of the frozen yougert on Vancouver Island. I spent a while talking to a guy collecting fish, snails and star fish for his aquarium. What floored me was seeing steel sailing ships.
3:20pm I'm back at camp for lunch/supper. On the way back I took a picture of Mahone Bay with boats and 3 churches in the trees. The day was only 80.5 km @ 23.1 km/h in 3:28. My knee and ankle pain is trying to tell me to do less cycling in the coming days. The water here is soft but has a strong iron taste. The swimming pool is closed because it's out of season.
I'm trying to plan the comming days. Peggy's Cove looks to be only 4 hours away and I'm thinking of a late start to the day.

Tuesday, Sept 14 (99.8km @ 21.9 km/h in 4:32 - Peggy's Cove) Peggys Cove pictures

6:30am - Late start. Ha! I moved my tent so that the sun could hit it and burn off the condensation.
8:50am - I am packed (wet tent and all) and eager to go. They're calling for 28C, hot and sunny.
10:20am and I've covered 29.7km @ 22.6 km/h. It's warming and I've had a headwind.
12:00 Lunch at 47.1 km @ 22.7 km/h in 2:06 of cycling. I stoped at a library and used an old Windows 3.1 computer to telnet into my servers at work and check email. There is quite a strong wind coming in from the ocean. I'm at Queensland and so have less than 2 hours to go.
2:30 - 90.1 km @ 22.4 km/h in 4:00 of cycling. I've at Neptune Campground ($16) just south of Indian Harbour. This place has lots of iron in the water too. I was worried about finding a campground but there were two at Hacketts Cove in addition to this one.

Peggy's Cove At 5:20 I arrived at Peggy's Cove and was amazed at the sheer number of tourists all over the place - bus after bus of them. I took several pictures but there is no place to get a nice shot of the whole town. It is a pretty amazing place, just rock and more rock everywhere. On the way here I passed the Swiss Air memorial for the plane crash. My first picture of Peggy's Cove was taken looking over the memorial grounds towards Peggy's Cove.

Back at camp after 99.8km @ 21.9 km/h in 4:32 another cyclist and myself shared fresh scallops. I'm glad that I decided to see this part of the east coast. The traffic around here is insane though; it just seems to be one tour bus after another. It'll be interesting to see how many people are at Peggy's Cove when I pass it early in the morning!

Wednesday, Sept 15

There was lots of drizzle at night. At 5am there is a break in the rain but thunder is rolling in the distance.
6:30am - No rain in an hour. The right knee tendon hurts, my fingers are still numb. This reminds me of the last trip to the Alps with this bike. I had the same problems!
7:20am - I'm all packed and ready to go. The storms have moved inland and the sky above is clear.
7:37am - 4.3 km and I'm at the lighthouse of Peggy's Cove. There is a sign Warning - Injury and Death have rewarded sight seers here.". I take a picture from the road and one at the lighthouse with the rising sun. Just past the cove I follwed a 4x4 track to old concrete footings and walls and took a picture looking back to town. The scenery is wonderful but I don't think that it quite captures on film.
10:20 - 53.4km @ 22.6 km/h in 2:21 of cycling to make it back to Halifx. There was an interesting round-a-bout coming into Halifax. The traffic into it was really backed up. My bike tools are missing! Drat they're probably back at the Oak Island campground. I only need enough to disassemble the bike for flying.
2pm and I'm back in a Halifax mall getting food and allen keys for the bicycle. My legs are tired from the cycling and it was only 53km. We went out for a donair at supper but it wasn't very good - very little meet and far too sweet.

Thursday, Sept 16

It doesn't look like a good morning. It's just just raining but pouring and they're calling for rain and more rain. I've changed my plans and gone to downtown Halifax and decided to take the bus to the airport. Luckily it's a big old bus and the bicycle fits easily.
I'm home and 145 lb. It's funny how I always loose a bit of weight on vacations.