LEJOG - Day 1

 Land's End to Fowey (pronounced Foy) was a journey.

103 km (65 miles) of Cornish countryside that saw us climbing and descending on more than one occasion, in the sweltering heat too.

The team did well, encouraging each other to push that little bit more to get through the day.

I was certainly glad to be at the BnB last night after 7+ hours in the saddle.

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It is done

Vancouver to Halifax, 3 June - 23 September 2017

Total Distance: 7565.84 km
Total Time: 364:15:43
Total Height gained/lost: 49760m /-51253m
Total Calories: 234494
Average speed: 20.66 km/h

Day 114: Summerside to Oxford

Confederation Bridge

I said my final farewell to Dennis, Jane and Ursula and set off towards the Confederation Bridge, 25km away. This would be my only biking on PEI.
I had a massive tailwind pushing me, and hoped it would continue once I was over the bridge.

Yum.

While waiting for the shuttle to ferry me back to the mainland, I had a Cow's ice cream. It is a big thing on the island, and I can see why. It's delicious!

Once I was back on the mainland, I met Daryl going the other way. We had last seen each other in Montreal. It was good to see him again, and we had a quick catchup before he was whisked over the bridge and onto the island.

The tailwind pushed me to Port Elgin in no time, but as I was leaving town I got my first genuine puncture. A tiny sliver of wire had worked its way into my rear tyre and flattened it fast. While repairing this, I realised that my spare tube had the wrong valve, so didn't fit. It's a good thing I carry so many patches.

Once I was back up and running, I took the 970 and then the 366 towards Amherst. The roads were quiet and rolling, with a good surface. Forest and fall colours kept me company for most of the way.
The rolling hills kept coming, I was getting tired and I didn't know what facilities Oxford had. When I arrived in town, I was nicely surprised. It had everything, including many places to stealth camp.
I ate dinner (wings and a burger and fries and a chocolate milk) and asked the manager of the cafe if I could camp here. She replied, saying that there weren't any signs saying that you couldn't! Fair enough.

I pitched my tent next to the Information Centre, well hidden from all eyes, except a couple of kids who walked past once I was in bed. They hoped I would be warm enough as it gets cold in the mornings now.

I am now in Nova Scotia, whoop.

My legs were tired, so I hoped for a good night's sleep.

Distance: 124 km
Time: 5:41:59
Height gained/lost: 739m /-783m
Calories: 3949

Day 109: Fredericton to Coles Island

Hot and rolling.

Up early on a very quiet and misty morning, rolled out of the park to some very strange looks. Breakfast at Timmies then out along the 105 towards Moncton. We stayed on this road for a while, then would have options once we arrived at Jemseg.

Once again, the road we were on ran to a dead-end, with Google saying the path certainly existed. Nevertheless, Aaron and I explored the possibility of another path over the river. None existed, so we backtracked a few kilometres until we could cut across onto the Trans-Canada Highway.

Aah, bittersweet memories came flooding back as we spun along the shoulder, massive trucks hurtling past us at warp speed. The bridge over the river had a sign stating that bicycles were forbidden, but as we had no other option, we carried on pedalling. Jemseg, and lunch, awaited us on the other side.
Aaron had to fix a (yet another) broken spoke on his rear wheel too.

We had Donair's for lunch (Google them) and they hit the spot. Much water was consumed as it was now a rather toasty day.

A guy in the parking lot gave us directions along the river to a nice campsite, and the road would be quiet as well. Thanking him, we set off along this new route, and were soon climbing up little rolling hills. Around every corner, a new summit appeared, but no respite was offered. If we're doing all this climbing, surely there is a descent on offer?
What descents there were were paltry, hardly any whoops were hollered. Sad.

We soon saw the sign to the TNT Campground ahead, and we rolled in, hot and sweaty and ready for a swim in the river.
The river water was very warm, and felt great on tired legs. We even got a free "Garra Rufa" pedicure. While we were sitting in the river, little fish swam up and nibbled us, getting between our toes. It was hard not to twitch violently as it was quite ticklish!

A rather intense game of washer, or ring, toss was happening up near the office, so we popped in for a quick look. I think some of the players may have been at provincial level as they missed nothing.

Bed time was calling, so we headed back to the tents and crashed out.

Yet another interesting day on the bike.

Distance: 104 km
Time: 4:49:20
Height gained/lost: 625m /-600m
Calories: 3245

Day 107: Perth-Andover to Millville

Trust Google?

We did, and paid for it. Not that the detour we took was sketchy or anything, but we did an extra 15km's up a forestry road that went nowhere! And it was hot.

Today started like any other. A phone alarm would go off, get snoozed, ring again. We would get up, have breakfast, pack the tents and wheel out in a very lazy manner.
We had slept well last night, the campsite was quiet and the sun didn't come up until a bit later as we were behind a hill.
While eating breakfast I watched a fledgling Bald Eagle get fed by its mother, a majestic bird.

We were on the rail trail again this morning, and it was somewhat better than yesterday's stage. Smooth gravel all the way into Bristol, where we stopped for mid-morning tea/coffee. In these small towns, the elderly seem to gather in the Tim Horton's and discuss everything. There are no secrets in these small towns.

After Bristol, we rolled into Hartford, home to the world's longest covered bridge. Aaron and I rode it twice, once over the river and again to come back.
By now the sun was beating down, so we stopped in the shade of a tree and grabbed a bite to eat. From here onward, the road would kick up a little, so we wanted to be fuelled for the afternoon.

Trusting the map Google had supplied us, we spun down the road, and then headed up a forestry trail. We climbed higher and higher and then, suddenly, reached a dead end.
The trail just stopped.

We back-tracked and headed out on the 104, good old Pole Hill Road.
What an experience.
The road surface was a patchwork of fifty shades of grey, each shade covering, hopefully, a pothole. Some potholes were fresh and hadn't been covered, so our eyes had to be watching for the danger.

Our destination didn't seem to be getting any closer, so we reassessed the situation and decided we would try our luck in Millville.
Speaking to a farmer just outside of town, he said Millville wasn't worth the effort, and that we should push on.
Non-cyclists have a warped sense of what a cyclist needs from a town. We need simple supplies and fresh water, a place to sleep, and that is pretty much it.
When we arrived in Millville, it had all of the above, so we decided to try and pitch tents in the church yard.
While we were deciding this, a guy walking his dog approached and so we asked if it would be OK to camp in the church. He said yes and then said, "Why don't you come and stay with me, I have two spare bedrooms?"

Aaron and I looked at each other and nodded in agreement. This was perfect. We could shower and have a good sleep. We wheeled our bikes to the house, dumped our bags in our respective rooms and went down to the kitchen to talk to Andrew. He was busy replacing the windows in the house, so it was a bit a mess, a light layer of sawdust covering most of the lounge area.

Chicken soup and bread for dinner. Winner. Andrew's wife (she was at work) said he should make us granola bars for the morning, so he did that while we ate dinner.
Andrew then started telling us all the places we need to go in Halifax, as he had spent loads of time there. The list of places grew and grew, and soon we had days mapped out.

Our eyes were starting to droop, so we said our goodnight's and headed upstairs.

Once again, hospitality is found where none is to be expected.

Distance: 111 km
Time: 5:48:46
Height gained/lost: 999m /-956m
Calories: 3513

Day 102: Saint-Jean-Port-Joli to Riviere-du-Loup

Tents were down and packed early in case anyone came by and told us to move.
It was a cool and cloudy start to the day, but the tailwind was put to good use and by lunch we had done 70km. It was very flat with lots of wheat fields and dairy farms, but the hills were coming.

Stephen at breakfast

This part of the St. Lawrence was scoured out by glaciers millions of years ago, and as a result the hills run in parallel to the river, with the occasional massive boulder parked in the middle of a field.
The St. Lawrence is now salty at this point too.

Webber, the furry platypus Matt carries on his bike, turned DJ this afternoon and played us some banging tunes from his decks. That lifted the spirits a bit and got the pace going again.

Flat. Very flat

We arrived in Riviere-du-Loup, stopped at the usual Tim Horton's for the usual coffee and wifi fix, then went shopping for dinner supplies. Aaron phoned ahead to the campsite and reserved a site for us, and due to a clerical 'error' were only charged $5 each!

Laundry was done as a priority, then dinner.

It was another great day on the bike, but Matt is not happy with his. He needs to find a bike store tomorrow to get some more grease for his front hub.

My question is whether or not I should buy a new front tyre? Some say I should, others say not.

Distance: 99.2 km
Time: 4:48:28
Height gained/lost: 429m /-404m
Calories: 2885

Day 101: Levis to Saint-Jean-Port-Joli

Stealth camping continues

We were up and out of the fort pretty smartly this morning, then battled a light headwind all day. I tried to get the group working in rotation in order to give everyone a break from the wind at the front. It didn't last long.

We met up with Aaron, last seen in Quebec City, at McDonald's in Cap-Saint-Ignace and had lunch.

With 5 of us now riding, the pace quickened in the afternoon. I felt strong on the bike again, but the others were taking a bit of strain.

To break up the afternoon, we stopped at the Maritime Museum in L'Islet-sur-Mer and had a look at the various boats on display. 

Matt amused us with his various Monty Python sketches, all bellowed at us through a huge megaphone. We were crying with laughter when he recited the French Taunting scene, his accent spot on.

Our destination for the day arrived and we hit the supermarket for dinner supplies. Stephen found us a lovely park, filled with artistic sculptures, on the waterfront, where we watched the sunset. It was also the same park being used for a wedding reception. Oops.

We cooked dinner in the little gazebo as the party built up steam, all the while keeping an eye out for a camping spot once it got dark.

Behind the park was an Alpaca farm, so we wheeled our bikes into a grassy patch and setup camp, completely hidden from sight. We drifted off to sleep with the wedding dance music as background noise.

Distance: 86.1 km
Time: 4:29:21
Height gained/lost: 353m /-454m
Calories: 2348

 

Day 98: Ste.-Anne-de-la-Perade - Levis

Daytime

We were up and out of camp pretty smartly this morning, hoping to get out of the woods before any dog-walkers or joggers discovered us.

It was a cool day on the bike with scattered rain showers throughout, and a gentle headwind.
Small towns, once again, dot the route and the silent river is river far from us.

Railway trestles

Today we are aiming at Levis (Levi, like the jeans) and are hoping to camp on the lawn outside the Walmart.

Before we get to Walmart, we need to cross the Quebec Bridge, celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. It is a pretty impressive bridge, with some intricate ironwork all along it.
We dismount and walk our way across this bridge, traffic zooming past us and making the bridge vibrate madly.

Once across, tempers are fraying as hunger and coldness sets in, so we hurry to Walmart and duck inside to get dinner supplies.
We cooked up a pretty tasty meal on the park bench outside the store, attracting a few stares from passing shoppers.

We setup the tents at around 7 and were in bed pretty soon afterwards.

Distance: 89.8 km
Time: 4:48:02
Height gained/lost: 564m /-553m
Calories: 2713

Stealth at Walmart, shhh

Day 96: Boucherville to Louiseville

We said our extended goodbyes to our host family for the last few days and headed out on the trail once again. It felt good to be back on the bike, there is only so long that you can spend cooped up in an RV before fresh air is required...

Today was mostly flat with a assisting tailwind that pushed us along the river, on a bike path, past some beautiful old churches and towns.

We took a ferry across the St Lawrence at Sorel, had lunch on the other side, and then continued on the northern shore until Louiseville, which we made just as the torrential rain started to come down again.

The crew wanted to free camp in town but couldn't find a spot, so I found a campsite a little way out of town and subsidised the camping for the evening. The spot at the Marina was beautiful, but the noise from the nearby highway spoilt it somewhat.

The rain cleared enough for us to setup camp, but came down once again, and rained all night.

Distance: 103 km
Time: 4:45:16
Height gained/lost: 228m /-297m
Calories: 2975

Day 94: Montreal to Boucherville

Before leaving town this morning I took a (slow) bike ride through the Old Town again, stopping to see the Notre-Dame Basilica and the cobbled streets. While stopped I met a fellow South African who had seen the flag on my bike and came over for a chat.

I crossed over the river via the highest bridge I have ever cycled over. Needless to say I kept my eyes firmly on the path. It was quite a hairy ride.

Once over the bridge, I met Jean-Francois, a cyclist going to the same town as me. I was stopped at the side of the path, eating a muffin, when he arrived.

JF: "Are you lost?"
Me: "No, I am eating a muffin."
JF: "Oh, OK."

(When I told this story to Matt he cried with laughter for a long time)

JF worked for La Route Verte (the Green Route cycle path that runs through Quebec), and was on his way to be at the opening of a new section of the cycle path. He was great to talk to as we wound our way through the backstreets and pathways around suburban Montreal, and when we parted offered me his cabin to stay in a few days down the road.
Once again the generosity is overwhelming.

I made it to Boucherville and met Matt, Amy and Stephen, along with the family they were staying with. They had met back in White River and offered them accommodation, so extended the offer to me. We were put in the RV parked in the driveway, which beat a tent hands down.

Cycling gear was swapped for swimming gear, and Matt and I were soon in the pool, listening to tunes and tempting Gustav, the dog, to get in.

A brisket was being prepared for dinner, and the hours it took to prepare it were well worth it.
It was delicious!
Yet another item gets added to the list of things I need to cook when I end this trip.

Distance: 28.6 km
Time: 1:41:52
Height gained/lost: 359m /-447m
Calories: 955

Jean-Francois and I in Bouchervillt

Day 92: Beaconsfield - Downtown Montreal

Lots of flies again today as I cycled along the river... I am trying not to inhale as many!

Once again there is plenty of history along this stretch of the river, but being in Quebec it is ALL in French! I saw a lot of historical looking buildings, churches and windmills but didn't learn anything about them.

I made it into Montreal in good time, just before lunch in fact, as I was meeting a London work for lunch. I dropped my bike and bags off at the hostel and showered and met Brian for lunch and a few beers.

Brian and I parted ways and I headed back to hostel for a nap, followed by drinks downstairs in the bar. Drinks turned into beer pong, which then progressed to include fancy dress. Dinner was provided and was corn on the cob, as much as you could eat.

I think I ate 6 ears, and it was delicious!

Distance: 38.7 km
Time: 2:03:51
Height gained/lost: 219m /-254m
Calories: 1123