Timing Is Everything

Last night’s free camping behind the school went well with one minor exception. I set up my tent before dark so I didn’t notice the giant beacon high up on the wall next to where I was setting up. I of course noticed the beacon when the rest of the province got dark and my tent was still lit up like Times Square. I considered relocating but I was so tired that I figured the light wouldn’t have much impact on my sleep. It didn’t. Although, it did cause a bit of confusion when I woke up to the bright sun illuminating my tent – only to realize it was 3:00 and the “sun” was the aforementioned beacon.

When morning actually came I was reasonably well rested and, well … also in need of some washroom facilities. With none available, I packed up early and headed into town. It was only 6:45 so my first options were still closed. Fortunately, it’s a small town so it didn’t take long to find alternatives – in this case, I ended up at the Highwheeler Cafe & Bakery. I was all set for washrooms and breakfast – in that order.

With the essentials taken care of, there really weren’t any reasons not to hit the road. And so, at 7:20 I was back on the road.

My goal for the day was Port Hastings – a modest 90 km ride. If the weather cooperated and I avoided any canine encounters, I figured I might be there by noon.

At the risk of getting an “I told you so” from certain people back home, I have to admit that Cape Breton is pretty nice. As I pedalled along, I had a similar feeling to the one I had when I was walking around Quebec City. It turns out that Cape Breton is pretty scenic. Who knew? Ok, yes … I realize that everyone knew except me. And I wasn’t even on the Cabot Trail. It was truly a beautiful morning for a ride. The sun was shining, the winds were calm, the scenery was beautiful and then there was the unexpected. At about 7:50 I finally saw my first roadside moose. I’m sure it couldn’t be seen by the passing cars, but on a bike it was hard to miss. It was startled a bit as it passed but fortunately it retreated back along the road and not back into the bush. We certainly didn’t have a moment like I did with the coyote, but it did stick around long enough for me to get a photo.

The rest of the ride was pretty uneventful. But in a good way. There was little to no wind. The sun was shining. The hills weren’t particularly intimidating. And somewhat to my surprise I found myself arriving at the Port Hastings Visitor Information Centre at noon. At this point I was a little unsure of what to do. I mean, I had reached my planned destination for the day and it was only noon. As I pondered my options I had a couple conversations with people curious about my bike. During that time, the sun that had followed me all morning was gradually being overrun by clouds. And about 15 minutes after arriving at the centre the rain started. Heavy rain.

I decided to hideout in the Information Centre to hide from the weather, charge up some electronics, and try to figure out what I was going to do for the rest of the day. I ended up staying there for a couple of hours before finally deciding I would bike a little further. There was a campground about 20 km away and they had a rate for cyclists. I figured I’d go there instead of free camping tonight.

The sun that I enjoyed during the morning portion of my ride had completely vanished and my afternoon ride was cloudy and rainy. But it was a light rain. And it stopped when I arrived at the campground. And then sun even came out for a few minutes. Barely a few minutes. With the dark clouds returning, I wasted no time in getting my tent set up. With my shelter secured and my gear safely stowed I figured I’d push my luck and fire up my stove and make some dinner. I was almost finished eating when the rain started. I grabbed what I could and took shelter in my tent just as the downpour started.

The downpour continued for about 25 minutes before it eased up a bit. I took that as my opportunity to make a run to the laundry room where my computer was charging up. And that’s where I am now. I had a fairly lengthy chat with the woman that works here before she offered me a glass of ginger ale and left me to work on this update. The friendly people of the east coast strike again.

Today’s Totals:
Distance travelled: 108.49 km
Time on bike: 5:00:45
Maximum speed: 60.44 km/h
Average speed: 21.64 km/h
Moose encounters: 1
Downpours averted: 2