Nova Scotia!

July 25, 2018, Wednesday. Day 73

This heat wave just doesn’t end.  We get out of camp early to try to ride as many miles as possible before the heat.  By 9:30 in the morning it is scorching and the sun just feels so intense.  I put on my sun sleeves because I think my arms are burning to death.  When I bought them at Performance Bikes I saw that the same company made “knee sleeves” with UV protection.  At the time I thought they were stupid, but I sure wish I had some now.  It is a quick ride from the campground to Pictou where there is a nice wharf with this cool three masted ship.

Hector landed in 1773.  It is estimated that more than 50,000 Gaelic setlers emigrated to Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island in the following 100 years. 

Hector was a ship famous for having carried the first Scottish settlers to Nova Scotia.  Her voyage took place in 1773 and she was carrying 189 highlanders who were immigrating to Nova Scotia.  A gale off Newfoundland delayed the ship 14 days and some passengers died en route from smallpox and dysentary.  The vessel finally arrived in what is now the town of Pictou.  The ship pictured above is a replica of the original Hector and it sits proudly at the quay honoring those first immigrants.  Pictou harbor is a good place for a break in the shade reading historical signs.  

After riding across the very busy causeway we continue on to New Glasgow.  Once there we and find a coffee shop with air conditioning. We just drink water and gatorades and eat some of the tastiest homemade muffins I have ever had.  It is way too hot for coffee.  

A bit further on we encounter a closed road with a bridge out and have to ride up an entrance ramp to the big divided highway.  We get across the water and then climb over the guardrail and lift our bikes and gear down the hill to get back on our route.  We convince the cyclist whom we have met on the road to join us as it turns out we are headed to the same campground for the night.  

Christine follows us over the guard rail and over the enbankment.  We figure this move saves us about 15 kilometers.

Tom wheels my bike down fully loaded.  I am in charge of documenting the descent.

Other highlights of the day include:

• awesome salt water pool 
• too many deer flies, mosquitoes and horseflies to count
• cold New Brunswick beers and fish and chips 
• a nice sunset over the Northumberland Strait
• another cyclist, Christine,  to share stories with 
• beautiful wind to keep the bugs at bay
• plenty of sunshine and blue sky

Our campsite is huge with plenty of room for two tents.

We can see the sunset over the Northumberland Strait from our tent.   There is no chance of rain so we leave the tent fly off and it is nice and cool.

sunset coast lives up to its reputation

Here we are Thursday morning ready to conquer the day while it is still cool enough to ride.

Tom, Julia, Christine from Halifax

July 26, 2018, Thursday. Day 74

Same heat.  Same high humidity.  Same game plan.  We get out of camp at 7:30 and by 11:00 in the morning we have ridden 30 miles.  We spend a full half hour at a road construction area where the road surface was patched and being replaced.  For the first 20 miles we have a strong tailwind.  The final 10 miles are in to a headwind so strong that we have to crank hard just to go down hill.  One gust slows me to 4 mph on a descent!  

Arisaig Harbor

Our goal is to stop in Antigonish at the Highland Bike Shop where we have made an appointment to get the bikes checked over before we do the mountains of the Cabot trail and the remote wilds of Newfoundland.  Then, we plan to go another 30 miles to Port Hastings.

We have a look around town while the mechanic, Matt, has a look at the Surly Long Haul Truckers.  Tom’s rear disc brakes have pads so worn they are see-through.  The necessary replacement part is not common, but the shop owner has a friend back in Pictou who has what we need.  That same friend will be coming here tonight for a group ride with the Highland Bike Shop and he offers to bring the part to Matt.  Yay!  Small business is the best!  
www.highlandbikeshop.ca

Matt's assistant checks out my bike

We have some amazing waffle sandwiches for lunch at another local business and try to find a place to stay for an unexpected night in Antigonish.  While we are searching for a hotel room, Christine comes riding into town.  She had split off from us after the construction zone and she rode out to Cape George.  She looks exhausted and mentioned those same winds we experienced.  And, quite a few hills.  She heads to her (planned) airbnb and we arrange to meet up at a nanobrewery for beers in the evening.  Apparently, a nanobrewery is even smaller than a microbrewery.  This one only brews two beers, a stout and an English style bitter.  I think I will be ok with a night in Antigonish.  

Our mapping for our first days in Nova Scotia are below: