Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Cabot Trail by Bike - Day 1 (July 22, 2005)
Ok, here it is, my retrospective account of my first big adventure in Nova Scotia
After getting a late start (how unusual for me!!), I finally got underway. I drove myself and gear out to Englishtown and left her parked at a campground for the duration of the trip. They didn't even charge me! Nice!
I got to bypass all the cars in line for the Englishtown Ferry, and I didn't even have to pay the $5 to cross the ferry. From then on, it was a bit of a slog. I stopped in several stores along to way but eventually (unfortunately) found myself at the base of Cape Smokey.
OMJ, was it steep! (OMJ = new Eastcoast saying: Oh My Jesus!). 221m assent in 2.1km. I biked... perhaps 200m up the slope and just couldn't do it anymore, so I ended up pushing my massively heavy bike almost the whole way up. And it was just the right time of day to have to glaring sun beating down onto my already overheated person. Sunstroke, hear we come!
But Newton was such a considerate man, and I certainly took advantage of his dictums, because although the "what goes up" sucked, the "must come down" was heavenly! A nice 6km coast down to Ingonish. I found a campground, got set up, cleaned up, then headed out for some food at a nearby restaurant. Oh, but my butt was not happy to get back on that bike though! I'd have to say the steak and prawns was worth it though, as was the sunset from my view in the restaurant. Not bad for a first day, but I (and by butt) was glad it was only a 1/2 day of biking because of the late start.
After getting a late start (how unusual for me!!), I finally got underway. I drove myself and gear out to Englishtown and left her parked at a campground for the duration of the trip. They didn't even charge me! Nice!I got to bypass all the cars in line for the Englishtown Ferry, and I didn't even have to pay the $5 to cross the ferry. From then on, it was a bit of a slog. I stopped in several stores along to way but eventually (unfortunately) found myself at the base of Cape Smokey.
OMJ, was it steep! (OMJ = new Eastcoast saying: Oh My Jesus!). 221m assent in 2.1km. I biked... perhaps 200m up the slope and just couldn't do it anymore, so I ended up pushing my massively heavy bike almost the whole way up. And it was just the right time of day to have to glaring sun beating down onto my already overheated person. Sunstroke, hear we come!
But Newton was such a considerate man, and I certainly took advantage of his dictums, because although the "what goes up" sucked, the "must come down" was heavenly! A nice 6km coast down to Ingonish. I found a campground, got set up, cleaned up, then headed out for some food at a nearby restaurant. Oh, but my butt was not happy to get back on that bike though! I'd have to say the steak and prawns was worth it though, as was the sunset from my view in the restaurant. Not bad for a first day, but I (and by butt) was glad it was only a 1/2 day of biking because of the late start.
