New Brunswick

Gateway to the Maritimes...sun, sand, and salt air. Or rather in the case of New Brunswick; covered bridges, fields of potatoes, and the beauty of the St. John River valley.

July 2nd - Edmunston, NB  Today I turn south and head for New Brunswick, though it won't be until later in the day that I bid 'adieu' to PQ. After leaving Riviere du Loup the majority of the day's ride will be on a dedicated bike path, much of which has been designated as the Petit Temis Interprovincial Linear Park. It starts out by paralleling hwy 185 and later follows the shores of Temiscouata Lake and the Madawaska River; running along an old railbed with at most a 4% grade.

I discovered my 'new bike' along the path today.

Hmm, my guess is that for the first 3 hours I have been gradually climbing the 4% grade as well as battling a persistent wind. However, being on the bike trail is a definite treat as there is no traffic to contend with, though I can often hear the trucks cruising on the highway nearby. The day heats up quickly and I find myself taking in quite a bit of water and then when the opportunity arises, I stop to get additional cold items to drink to help quench my thirst. Early on there are only a few other cyclists on the trail but once I draw nearer to Cabano and Lac Temiscouata I find the trail growing much busier. Such a civilized concept to have the bike trails and associated services available to cyclists and it is gratifying to see just how well used these trails are.

Cabano is a charming little town and given the sunny, warm conditions it is buzzing with activity, especially along the lake where there is a beautiful beach, an attractive campground, and many homes/cottages scattered along the lakeshore. I manage to locate a nice restaurant not far from the bike path and position myself on the patio to take advantage of the breeze and enjoy a tasty lunch. The young waitress responsible for my table was interested in hearing about my trip thus far and while she practised her english I took the opportunity to use my french; giving both of us a chance to polish our second language skills.

The trail provided an abundance of enjoyable scenery and this stretch near Degelis passed through numerous locations where the railbed had been cut through rock outcroppings.

After Cabano the going became much easier and my speed increased; the trail was no longer climbing and the wind had shifted a bit and was actually helping me along in places. At one point, the path took me through the heart of a well-manicured golf course, with spectacular views of some of the holes as well as barricades to help protect cyclists from errant golf balls.

Upon reaching Degelis I knew that it was time for icecream so I left the trail and searched until I located a cool treat to satisfy my craving. It was only about 40 km to Edmunston from here and the day was wearing on so I cut my stay short and carried on with the last leg of the trip. At the 125 km mark I reached the New Brunswick border and left PQ behind. I certainly have appreciated just how bicycle friendly the province of Quebec has been.

Here I am after 125 km in the heat trying to look good for the obligatory 'entering a new province' photo.

 The NB tourist information center was not far from the trail so I paid them a visit and loaded up on information on the road ahead and also discovered that the time had changed and it now was an hour ahead so instead of 4:30 it was now 5:30 (time flies!); no problem, as there is only about an hour of riding remaining. I passed through St. Jacques and into Edmunston and was soon able to locate a place to stay where, once suitably cleaned up, I satisfied my hunger with good food and quenched my thirst with a couple of Alexander Keith's Red beer. What a great way to conclude a perfect day; I shall certainly sleep well tonight.

July 3rd - St. Basile, NB  Hmm, I didn't see any rainclouds on the horizon when I got to the library around 10:00 so I didn't concern myself with parking my bike in a sheltered spot. However, after 3 hours on the computer I decided that it was time to get up, clear my head  and locate something to eat and that was when I discovered that it was absolutely pouring rain. Since I was in transit from Edmunston to St. Basile, a short distance, I had parked the fully loaded bike outside but had neglected to put on the rain covers. Therefore I expected to find a wet bike; however in addition to finding everything drenched, I discovered that someone had opened and gone through my panniers. The rain was coming down hard and things were quite wet inside the panniers. After pulling out my rain jacket I did a quick inventory and found that most gear appeared to be intact; however, I was missing my emergency kit (firestarter, bandages, etc), my leatherman knife, my headlamp, as well as my bicycle multitool. #$%@#&;^%... more than 5000 km travelled thus far and this is the first problem I have had with theft!

July 4th - Grand Falls, NB  Ah, the sun was my constant companion today; first as it worked to burn the morning fog off the river and later as it gradually warmed the day. Today's ride seemed quite brief by my usual standards as I was done by noon after having ridden along the St. John River for the morning. From a previous trip to the area  I recalled a motel/restaurant in the vicinity of Riviere Verte that served great coffee and tarte au sucre so I kept my eyes open for a likely location; however fortune did not favour me on this day and it may be that the place I am thinking of is on hwy 2 while my route took me down the #144 .

My 'oops' moment came in St. Leonard when I was exploring the town. I was heading for the bridge which I thought would take me to the rest of the downtown on the far side of the river as I was in search of food (of course), when I realized that I was instead heading for the border! I don't want any fuss, just an early morning snack if you please!

The falls at Grand Falls / Grand Sault are the second largest east of Niagara Falls and are a spectular sight located right in the heart of town. 

When I got to Grand Falls / Grand Sault I stopped at the gorge to view the falls which are situated right in the middle of town. These falls on the St. John River are said to be the second largest falls east of Niagara Falls and have a drop of 24 meters. The interpretive centre located adjacent to the gorge was kind enough to provide me with a local map which helped me locate the various businesses that I need to visit in order to replace the items that I lost in Edmunston the day before. Oh yes, I also found the library and an available computer but I was unable to fully catch up on the website posts as it turns out there was a one hour time limit for computer use and after I had been happily working away for an hour and a half I was approached by a library clerk who politely informed me that 'monsieur, you have been on the computer for more than one hour and we have people waiting'; no problem, this must mean it is now time for icecream. As I enjoyed my capuccino cone at Dari Delite I got to observe a motorized ballet as the steady stream of traffic moved back and forth along a packed Broadway, the main drag, on this sunny Friday afternoon. It was only later on that I would realize that the traffic was not just because of the nice conditions but it was also the start of the 48th Annual Regional Potato Festival; and there was even a carnival in town for the ocasion. When I went to the campground in town to find a spot for the night I learned that the entire park had been rented by a single group and there were no spots available; this meant a 6 km cycle out of town to Rapid Brook Campground where I found a spot after first spending some time chatting with the older french gentleman who was in charge..'sure we got a spot, real nice right by the water, how much you usually pay for camping...' After setting up camp it was back on the bike and into town to do the laundry thing and then eat. As is often the case with the more out of the way campgrounds, places to eat are often located at a distance.

I had originally thought that Grand Falls/Grand Sault were twin communities but it turns out that there are 2 names for this one town as it is an officially bilingual community located withing NB which is an officially bilingual province. Oh by the way, there is also a local legend about an Indian princess and how she led invading warriors over the falls, thus saving her people; very similar to the story at Kakabeka Falls.

Oops again - This came when I was purchasing items at Canadian Tire and when reaching for the debit machine I accidentally knocked a stapler off the counter and onto the cashier's foot; I winced and then felt even worse when I peered over the counter and saw that she was wearing sandals - ouch!

July 5th - Woodstock, NB  Another sunny morning with heavy dew and fog rising out of the valleys. I worked my way up the steep hill out of the campground and then on into town for breakfast, cycling past the endless potato fields with the rows of green stretching off into the distance. Speaking of potatoes, it was potatoes and the frozen french fry which served as the beginning for McCains, which is now a global food company with corporate headquarters in Florenceville. As I made my way through Florenceville later in the day I noticed just how many buildings and businesses are adorned with the McCain name and how the main street is very attractive and well-kept, perhaps due in part to bequests from this local family.

My route today followed the river along hwy 130 and then when I reached Perth-Andover I crossed to the east side of the river to follow hwy 105. There are multiple routes to choose from now, as in addition to the main route (hwy 2) there are secondary roads on either side of the river. As well, I located the 'NB Trail' and rode it for about 15 km, but found the surface to be generally rough and loose, which made for difficult cycling with my loaded bike and narrow tires. During the short time that I was on the trail I did not see any other cyclists but did encounter numerous ATVs, very different from my Route Verte trail experience in Quebec. Given the day's warmth I stopped often to find cold drinks to supplement the water I was carrying, as I am trying to be quite conscious of staying well-hydrated.

Here I am later in the day in Hartland NB, at the world's longest covered bridge. The bridge in Hartland has 7 spans and extends for 391 meters.

Ah Hartland, home of the world's longest covered bridge at 391 meters. Begun in 1899, the bridge was officially opened in 1901 as a toll bridge; 3 cents for pedestrians, 6 cents for a single horse and wagon and 12 cents for a double team. This bridge, which has now been designated a provincial historic site, has undergone many repairs and restorations over the years. While I was at the bridge and readying myself to take  a 'timer' picture, one of the workers came over and offered to act as photographer. As we chatted, he informed me that the current restoration is intended to reinforce the support deck, remove the asphalt, and replace it with a lighter surface. Five of the seven spans have been completed and the bridge was only recently reopened for tourist season. According to him, the tourists actually prefer when the bridge is closed to traffic as it frees them to wander inside and take pictures. The pamphlet I read also said that the bridge is also known as a wishing bridge (hold your breath while crossing the bridge - not to be tried on a bike!) and as a kissing bridge where it is said that in the days of horse and buggies, young men would train their horses to stop halfway across the bridge so they could steal a kiss from their sweetheart.

The last 25 km into Woodstock had some good 'rollers' (short steep hills and valleys) to contend with and then the added fun of riding across the high bridge to reach the town on the west side of the river. (don't look down)

Firsts - Riding along in the heat of the afternoon and hearing the continuous 'crackling' as my tires burst the tar bubbles on the road's surface which had been raised by the days heat.

July 6th - Fredericton, NB  It's hard to keep track of the numbering for the different roads along either side of the river that I have to choose from these days or to be sure which is the best choice; I think the key thing is that these routes are all less busy than the main #2 highway and therefore are good options for cyclists.

Today was a hot day with not much in the way of communities or services along the road between Woodstock and Fredericton so when I reached Meductic and its gas station/store, I stopped to refill my water and get additional cold drinks. I was enjoying my ride as there was very little traffic along route 165 and it came as a surprise when a few kilometers past Meductic the road ended and I was forced up to hwy #2; and when I say 'up' I mean UP! The Charlie Lake road which connected the two routes was one of the steepest roads I have ever encountered -  in fact, even though I was geared down as low as possible I soon came to a standstill and had to resort to pushing the bike and load in 50 meter increments up the 700 meter length of the hill; I was absolutely beat by the time I finally reached the top and was probably wetter than if I had been in a downpour.

The potato crop is a cornerstone of the NB agriculture industry.

Anyway, the 40 km I spent riding on the #2 hwy were just fine; nice wide shoulders to keep me away from traffic and manageable grades on all the hills. At Kings Landing I cut off to the #102 which would take me back to the river and the rest of the way into to the provincial capital of Fredericton. However, I first took advantage of an available restaurant at the intersection and also visited the Information Center where I procured a map of the city; at least now I'll know where I'm going.

July 7th - Youngs Cove Road, NB  What a gorgeous day awaited me as I mounted my bike and rolled toward downtown Fredericton; the sky was a pale blue colour with no trace of clouds anywhere; and the air seemed to wrap itself around me like a silky blanket with more than a hint of the heat that was to come. It was 30 degrees when I arrived in the city yesterday afternoon and today promised to be every bit as hot. I located the Fredericton Information Center in the historic city hall building and was able to get a map of Moncton as well as make accomodation arrangements for today's route. There's not much between here and Moncton and I feel that Sussex would be too far (140km) to ride in the heat, so I am instead aiming for Youngs Cove Road at the intersection of hwys 2 & 10. Knowing where I would be staying, I then turned myself over to the charms of downtown Fredericton, exploring the historic garrison district and watching students in period costumes raise the Union Jack and sing 'God Save the Queen'.

As I rode along the east side of the St. John River south of Fredericton I couldn't help but notice the remnants of the spring floods that hit the area as there were piles of debris and driftwood everywhere.

As I was relaxing at a local coffee house I met David, a cyclist from Australia, who was travelling from Brooklyn NY to Vancouver BC. His bike seemed to be packed quite lightly (compared to my load anyway) and he admitted that he doesn't cook or camp; and on the occasions when he hasn't been able to to find accomodation he continues to cycle through the night...crazy! He seemed quite interested in my bike tires and the fact that I was getting such good mileage out of them and as well he was intrigued by the fact that I didn't use a GPS but instead used only maps. The map that he showed me was a 8x14 folding laminated map of Canada with a route drawn in black marker. His route through Quebec went way north of Quebec City and I advised him that he might want to consider a more southerly route to take advantage of better roads and more services.

I knew the Fredericton Library opened at 10 so around 10:15 I wandered over to use a computer (internet cafes have been hard to find thus far in NB) but discovered that all 14 units in the computer lab were in use AND there was a waiting list. Evidently people line up before opening in order to get a computer. Oh well, Plan B is more wandering around as I'm not in a hurry to depart; I checked out a bike shop, a bookstore, and then had something to eat. When I finally left around 11:30 I crossed the river on the trail bridge (old train trestle) to access hwy 105 which would take me southeast along the St. John River to Jemseg where I would then meander along Grand Lake until I reached Youngs Cove Road. The first 60 km along the river were flat, easy riding and I got to see lots of evidence of the spring flooding with driftwood and debris pushed up to the shoulder along the edge of the road. After Jemseg it was getting quite hot and the hills started so I eased my pace a bit and took advantage of a helpful wind. I had gone through almost my entire supply of water by the time I reached my destination, where the first thing I did was have icecream.

I met some other cyclists who were almost home as they were travelling from Montreal to Moncton and I also saw a solo cyclists riding west with a loaded bike AND wearing a pack on his back - how hot must that be!?

July 8th - Moncton, NB  As I was riding along today I began thinking about how our perception of the world around us is to a great degree coloured by circumstance; more specifically, I was thinking about the scenery I've seen along the way and how on cold, wet, windy days when your head is down and you're just trying to put in the distance to make it to the destination, that I didn't really get to see some areas in their best light; how much did I miss; what would it be like were I to cycle that same route under different conditions. It's easier to appreciate one's surroundings while the weather is good and conditions are favourable. I guess this goes a long way towards explaining how two people can have such different perceptions of the same location. Hmm, I'm not sure where that came from; the glory of the early morning sun has turned me philosophical.

Another thing I got to thinking about, and I'm not sure how many people will be able to identify with me here, is my daily ritual where I record my odometer readings (trip distance, trip duration, average speed, top speed) and then reset each of these categories to 'zero' in preparation for the next day. For me there's always a bit of hesitation before wiping out the day's achievements as I know how hard I had worked to attain these numbers and that the next day I'll be starting all over again. Probably seems silly, doesn't it?

Today was a hot day for riding and while I can usually sustain my energy  level for the morning by the time the afternoon rolls around I can feel fatigue setting in regardless of how much I eat and drink.

A mid-afternoon accident while riding in a section under construction left me bleeding and sore as I landed hard on my wrist and knee.

Images from the road today include: leapfrogging the milk tanker truck ('Got Milk?') as it stopped to load up at dairy farms along the way and would then pass me again only to stop at the next farm and repeat the process - by the way, how do they keep those tankers so shiny and clean?; watching the slow march of people as they walked the full length of their driveways out to the mailbox and then back again - all triggered by the passing of the rural mail delivery vehicle; getting an 'odd' feeling from the bike and then looking down to see the back wheel out of true again - another spoke bites the dust!; noticing that the house decorations of choice are colourful banners and flags - gone are the painted wooden butterflies from years gone by that used to adorn the sides of houses; and suffering the accursed 'icecream brain freeze' as I drank my iced cappucino far too quickly.

Here I am at Shediac beach with my Mt. A. friend Diane. We had walked down to enjoy the evening breeze and watch the sunset.

Oh, I'm almost to Moncton I think to myself as I ride the last 20 km; the ride had been going well when I encountered a construction section where the pavement had been chewed up in preparation for a new layer of asphalt. No problem I thought, I'll slow down so as not to get bumped all over the place. And that's when it happened, a major 'oops' moment. I'm not sure if it was caused by riding in the heat of the day and a momentary lapse of concentration or perhaps an errant bump I didn't see; but I ended up too close to the edge of the pavement when my front wheel kicked out and into the loose sand/gravel where it slid out from under me, throwing me and the bike down onto the rough road surface - OUCH! I was able to pick myself and the bike up and move off the road to a grassy area to take stock; bike's okay, Christopher needs repairs - my knee was bleeding freely but more troubling was my wrist which was already growing stiff and sore after getting jammed on the pavement. I cleaned up my knee and did the first aid thing; but later I would be quite sore in both the knee and wrist. Note to self - whatever I did wrong this time to cause the wipeout, don't do it again!

This is me working on updating the website at Blair and Diane's house.

Anyway, I made it the rest of the way safely and soon was rolling up a beautiful street lined with mature trees to Blair and Diane's house. What followed included getting reacquainted after not having seen each other for many years; meeting Alex, Ian, and Mia; heading up to the Shediac cottage for a swim and supper; more visiting; and then a restful night's sleep.

 

 

July 9th - Moncton, NB  A necessary rest day to take care of the bodily injuries. As well, a trip to Bungays bike shop  to replace 2 broken spokes. Wandered down the street to Hynes Restaurant to kill time where I sat on a stool at the counter and chatted with the waitress about cycling - she'll be doing the Confederation Trail in PEI later this summer. Back to the house to work on the web updates, check e-mail, rest, and more care for the bodily injuries.

Later it would be time to sit on the deck in the evening breeze with Blair and Diane; enjoying champagne and good conversation many years in the making; and later a delightful family supper topped off with a tasty treat from a local bakery in Shediac.

Now it is late but there is still packing to attend to. It has been a truly delightful visit!

July 10th - Sackville, NB  Well, here I am, ready to head off to Sackville and Mount Allison University, where I spent 4 years as a student quite a few years ago. My last visit was 3 years ago for our 25th class reunion where I remember being somewhat surprised at just how much I enjoyed being back. What would today's visit bring?

Here I am with Diane before setting off from Moncton after a great visit.

After puttering around and getting my gear ready it was time to say farewell to Diane and the kids (Blair had returned to the cottage late last night) and to thank them for welcoming me into their family. I sincerely hope it won't be as long between visits for the next time. I took Diane's recommendation and departed Moncton on the bike path, cycling past the muddy tidal flats at low tide and out onto highway 106 which I rode to Memramcook. As I was making my way towards Sackville I took stock of my injuries and found that my knee seemed fine but the wrist was still sore as I had trouble pushing on the shifter to upshift on the front sprocket. After Memramcook I headed up to the #2 as the highway I had been on had no shoulder to ride on and had more truck traffic than I had anticipated. The rest of the ride was made in anticipation as I encountered more and more signs that indicated Sackville was drawing closer.

It was Elton John theme day at the Bridge Street Cafe in Sackville which meant Yellow Brick Road playing in the background and the waitresses wearing funky glasses made from pipecleaners.

As I rode along Main Street I took in the sights and all the familiar buildings, including the 3-story brick structure at the corner of Bridge & Main, where I had lived in a top floor apartment during my 4th year. The Bridge Street Cafe was my stop for lunch, a great wrap with curried hummus, peppers, and carrots; as well as a smooth cafe latte. The 2 large rooms in the cafe were filled with interesting decorations and large classic rock posters including a life sized Bob Marley; and as an added bonus it was Elton John 'theme day' with all the waitresses sporting funky glasses crafted from pipecleaners and Elton John songs playing in the background.

After arriving in Sackville I participated in an interview for the alumni magazine and then had my picture taken in full biking gear.

Next stop was 78 York Street, which was the Canadian Studies building where I used to meet with my thesis advisor when I was at Mount Allison, in order to this time meet with Sheila Blagrave, director of Marketing and Communications, about doing an article for the alumni magazine. I then had the pleasure of being interviewed by Allison Smith, a recent graduate who was doing a summer internship in communications before heading off to UBC to continue her studies. We chatted at length about my travels and then later went out onto the campus to take some photos. It was a neat experience and I felt honoured and quite special that there was an interest in what I was doing.

Well, now to find a place to stay, so I went over to Campbell Hall to check in to a room in residence, which for this visit would be a room on 3rd floor Windsor. Once I had stowed my baggage and cleaned up, I headed off for a walk around campus and back downtown; visiting the bookstore and then back to the cafe for a homemade oatcake. With dessert out of the way I then had supper, or my version of supper, at Joeys on Bridge Street; bruschetta and a mega-sized glass of sangria. I know what you are thinking; this guy has odd eating habits.

Time to head over to the Swan Pond for the opening night performance of 'The Tempest', part of this year's 'Festival by the Marsh' cultural festival. Given the 'iffy' weather the performance was moved inside to the Brunton Auditorium in the Music Conservatory. It was an energetic and colourful performance and I'm glad that I had the opportunity to attend. Walking around campus in the fading light after the play I found myself automatically heading to the pub where I now sit and pen this update, many years removed from when I worked in this campus watering hole, enjoying a cold beer and the lively atmosphere. Tonight happened to be 'Trivia Night' at the pub; I played along and did okay.

NB - second time around.

July 27th - Sackville, NB (beginning in Summerside, PEI) Off I go into the early morning of a sunny summer's day; but what's this - there's some excitement in an empty parking lot off to my right. I watch as hundreds of seagulls lift into the air, squawking and flapping, as a car drives slowly through the lot while a big, black dog with its head thrust far out the window, barks happily at the mass of birds.

Enjoying the ride along the Confederation Trail on my last day in PEI.

Further on I encounter a building which houses the 'college of piping' (nothing to do with plumbing) and a sign advertising a local radio station, 'SPUD FM'. I have really been struck by the variety and intensity of the floral scents here in PEI; perhaps I am lucky to have been here at just the right time and with the right conditions; but in my opinion, the smell of the flowers has the same 'magical' quality that I experienced in Hawaii. The ride to the bridge was the perfect conclusion to my time on PEI as I was able to ride the Confederation Trail, in perfect weather, no traffic to contend with, and music playing over the headphones. PEI really does seem to be a 'gentle island' as advertised in tourism material.

Waiting for the shuttle to take me across the bridge to the NB side.

From the Borden side you don't really get a view of the bridge as it angles away to the left but there is an interesting display on the building of the bridge in the visitor centre. Construction on the Confederation Bridge began in October 1993 and the bridge was opened to traffic in May of 1997. The bridge is 12.9 km long, 11 m wide and rises up to 60 m above the level of the water. According to the driver of the van that shuttled me and the bike across, the bridge is not usually subject to weather closures though in extremely windy conditions they do restrict access to high-sided vehicles.

 

One gets a good view of the bridge from the NB side.

After being deposited on the NB side I repacked the bike and headed off, straight into the wind, toward Sackville; after first being treated to a spectacular view of the bridge as I cycled beneath its southernmost spans to rejoin the highway. Along the way I again met up with the Vancouver couple that I had met in Cavendish; they were now on the return portion of their trip and anxious to get back to the west coast.

It was nice being able to spend a being able to spend a bit more time in Sackville, though I must confess to growing anxious to getting home after so long on the road.

One final picture for NB, the 'world's largest lobster' located in Shediac. It took a bit of waiting to take this picture as the lobster is usually covered with kids climbing, playing, and posing for pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

Next entry - see NS page.

NB route summary - I crossed into New Brunswick on the Route Verte bike trail, then from Edmunston to Fredericton following the St. John River and the 'River Valley Scenic Drive' which uses the old highway and runs on both sides of the river at different times (# 144, 130, 105, 165, 102), then on to the #105 to Youngs Cove Road , then #112 into Moncton, #106 and #2 to Sackville and the NS border.

New Brunswick kilometers cycled - 725