XCAN Day 91 Nimrod Park to Hyclass Campground Monastery NS

Distance:        84.85
Time:              3:35
Elevation:       617 m
Bathrooms:    7
Flats:              0

Day started of  a bit overcast but warm.   We started this morning with the arrival of the second tow truck to jump start the truck that Greg had left the key on the day before. He had called for a tow truck and it arrived at 9 the night before.  They hooked up the charger and it didn’t work. So of course Greg didn’t sleep much wondering the logistics of how to get things done and get to our next stop. Anyway the fellow who arrived this morning had the same charger.  Seems the guys last night had hooked the charger up to the auxiliary battery and not the starter battery. Truck started the fellow left and we packed to get on our way.

I started to leave and realized there was something wrong with my derailleur.

Seems the hanger got bent.  Maybe from the bike falling over. Anyway I couldn’t ride it and didn’t want to spend time trying to fix it so we dragged the Cervelo out of the back of the truck and set it up to ride.  We all brought our second bikes for this exact reason and I am the first to have to use it.  With only 4 days left of riding.   Not bad actually for all of us.

Nancy and Dave left camp before me but I caught up with them about 20 k in.  Seems they turned left out of the campsite and realized 3 km in that they were heading to Sherbrooke before they realized it. So they added on an extra 6 km just for fun!

There was only one hill today at 4% grade so it was fairly easy just a bit longer than we have had for a while.  But the down on the other side was nice!

According to Mr Google Maps At 38 km we had a right turn.  Onto 14 km of a dirt road.  It wasn’t great and even bumpier on my Cervelo without the suspension of my sworks bike.  But right got after the dirt road there was nice smooth pavement through a little town called Saint Andrews.  Nancy and Dave stopped for a snack.  Then a nice paved quiet road down to the highway which we were on for 15 km.  When we reached  the highway you could see the north coast of Nova Scotia. So we have traversed the mainland of Nova Scotia again.

Pink Roads

Looking at the map afterwards if that darn Mr Google has led us 400 m a little further along after 5 km on the dirt road we would have been on a nice paved road for the last 9 km.

Another 7 Km on quiet back road and we were at the Hyclass campground on the waterfront.

About an hour after we arrived it started to rain so we had great timing for our ride!   The rain didn’t last long but was off and on drizzle throughout the late afternoon.   Showers, a load of laundry and dinner by Heidi and Greg. Dave and Nancy watched a movie during the afternoon and we watched the same movie, a Hologram for a King after dinner. Then a bit of reading and lights out. Greg slept tonight!!

XCan Day 92 - Monanstery to Saint Peters NS

Distance: 71.4 km
Time: 3 hours
Speed: 23.76 km/hr
Ascent: 623 m
Weather: perfect for riding. Sunny but not too hot or humid
Bathroom Rating: 10. A provincial park.  Only downside is no laundry facilities.

We are on Cape Breton Island!  A bit of a shorter day but what it lacked in distance was made up for with elevation and headwinds.  So even though it was a bit cooler and not as humid, it was a tough day.  For the first 10 kms we were climbing - not steep but a constant uphill slog.  It was  pretty ride.  With the elevation gain we got some good views of lakes and river ways along with the ocean in spots.  We descended to sea level and crossed the causeway into Cape Breton where, all of a sudden the accents changed!  We have been told that Cape Bretoners consider themselves as Newfoundlanders who got lost on their way to Toronto.  Super friendly people!  Unfortunately, once we got in Cape Breton, we had to take the Trans Canada Highway which was busy but the shoulders were wide, the pavement was smooth and the hills were manageable.  Dave and I stopped for a late breakfast in Port Hawksbury while Heidi took her bike into town to get the rear derailer hanger straightened.  We then met Heidi and Greg, they were going out as we were going in to a bakery in Saint Peters. Then a final up hill climb to our campground and a great view of the ocean.  A good day! One more day in Nova Scotia before catching the ferry to Newfoundland!
Cheers,
Nancy and Dave

XCan Day 90 - Sheet Harbour to just north of Sherbrooke NS

Distance: 87 km
Speed: 25 km/hr
Ascent: 782 m
Weather: stinking HOT!  A bit overcast later in the ride was nice
Flats: 1 (Dave front) which took 1/2 hr to get the little wires out
Bathroom Rating: 8

Today started off hot and sunny and got hotter but a bit overcast.  I have to say, the heat is making this more difficult.  We started off in Sheet Harbour and worked our way along the south coast of Nova Scotia. The route took us through quite a few little villages but none that offered coffee or food until we hit Sherbrooke at the 80 k mark.  It was beautiful riding along the coast with lots of views to the water.  At one point we were taking a break on the side of the road and I looked up to see an osprey nest with some babies calling for food.  Before long both the mom and dad arrived to keep them happy but as I rode closer to get a picture the adults left.  So no picture opportunity.  After we had ridden approximately 60-65 km Dave noticed he had a flat on his front tire.  It took us awhile to find the culprit and even longer to extract it as the length of the wires were about the thickness of the tire.  We then rode on to Sherbrooke without incident.  Dave and I stopped at the liquor store to get our final wine provisions and then Beanies Bistro for lunch.  I wish I could show you the lobster sandwich I had for lunch but, trust me, it was delicious!  As was Dave's club sandwich.  The owners of the restaurant were pretty impressed when they found out we had biked from BC and even gave Dave his Latte free!  If you are ever in Sherbrooke Nova Scotia it is a great place to stop.
Pretty exhausting day for everyone.  I'm blaming it on the heat, Heidi's blaming it on the gusting wind that started out in our favour and quickly turned nasty.  We are hoping for a better ride tomorrow.
Cheers,
Nancy and Dave

XCAN Day 89 Dartmouth to Sheet Harbour NS

Distance:          117.37
Time:                4:39
Elevation:         1096 m
Weather:            16-30 c.  Perfect
Bathrooms:       6
Flats:                0.  Loving the new gatorskins!!

Woke up to a beautiful day after yesterday’s day “off” and was raring to get on the road.  It was a fantastic day yesterday touring around Halifax with Dustin before we had to take him to the airport.

Anyway. Today. Started off a few road winding out a bit to get on Highway 7/107 and then when Hwy 7 separated off I went on that. It was great to be on a quieter highway even though it did not have a shoulder.  Nova Scotia brought in the 1 meter rule a year ago, where cars/trucks have to be 1 meter away when they pass a cyclist.  To me it seems that 99 % of the people follow that rule so not having a shoulder is not to bad.    I find when the road is busy and if you move over as far as you can the drivers appreciate it.  I always wave at cars on merging roads who stop for me as well as those who sit behind me going slow until they can pass.

The road was twisty but around almost every corner there was another beautiful sight to see.

Lake Echo...Not sure it if echoed but the reflection was perfect!

 For most of today we followed the coastline and through so many little towns and harbours.

  A bit of the route was away from the ocean but was a lot of ups and downs to keep it interesting.

Again today I had to turn off Mr Google Maps as it lead me down to Blueberry trail which wasn’t a trail for my bike.  I was actually quite pleased how she handled on the very dirt bikey trail.  About 1.5 km along the “trail” I came to a big ditch washout and had to hit the trees and walk around.  I have a video and once I download it I will post the url here.  At that point I got smart and took the next road out that I could to the paved road and turned off Google.   The Patterson’s were lead to the same spot but turned around when they saw the trail.

A bit after that on my water break I got a text from Greg who was 7 Km down the road so I met him for coffee.

A great photo op spot as you can see.

Greg met a "maid".

A quick break and then back on the road for the last 46 km to camp.

Cormorant Rock!

The Patterson’s had stopped in the shade at one point for a rest and a woman who lived nearby brought some ice out for them.  That was nice!

Folk Art!  You Think?

But is there going to be a moose there?

River just outside of Sheet Harbour.

I arrived at the campsite and Greg had just gotten back from a run to the store for a few items and water refills.  So we sat down and had a drink together as he was hot from trailer setup and everything.   Poor guy.  We get all the fun and he gets all the work, but I make sure I tell him every day how much I appreciate every thing he does for all of us.

Bromley’s were on dinner duty and then cleanup.  Greg and I headed out for a walk down to the bridge on the highway.  Nice new bridge with some nice memorial banners on it!  We were able to look across the bay to a loading dock at the port.  Also the RV park we are in was the site of the first sulphite pulp Mill in Canada 1885.  Interesting!

I think some reading and bed is in my near future. We are down to our last 7 days!  6 riding days and 1 ferry to Newfoundland day!  All I can say is WOW!

Mike update:  We talk to him at least once a week and Yes he is back on his bike 🚲!!  Go Mike!

Cheers!  (That is for Mike).   Heidi

XCan Day 88 - Rest Day in Halifax

Today was an opportunity to play tourist in Halifax, however before any sights were seen Dave and I took our bikes into a bike shop in Halifax for some TLC.  Finding our way either to the campsite from the bikeshop or the other way around proved to be quite difficult for us technically-challenged old people.  We did find it eventually and left them there for the day.  After lunch D&N did a quick tour of the maritime museum where we thoroughly enjoyed the 35 minute lesson on crime and punishment on the waters of Halifax.  The guide was very entertaining!  We then climbed the hill for a guided "free" tour of Halifax.  We started doing these free tours when we were in Europe a number of years ago and found them to be excellent with a few exceptions.  The way they work, for the uninformed, is the tour guide relies entirely on tips.  If you think they did a good job you tip them accordingly; if not you leave without tipping.  Our guide of Halifax certainly knew his stuff.  The only down-side was starting at the citadel and walking DOWN to the water for the finish.  We then had to walk back up the hill to get back the the bike shop.  After picking up our bikes we went to arguably the best restaurant of the trip, so far.  We both opted for the fixed-price dinner where we had different starters, entres, sides, but the same desserts.  Half way through the meal we decided to go for a second glass of wine and take a taxi back to camp.  Wise choice.

This was Dustin's last day on the tour and the Bromleys spent the day together. They took in a tour of the citadel, Peir 21 (where all immigrants were processed including Heidi's father-in-law), and walked around the waterfront before heading to the airport. 

It was a busy day, certainly not what would be called a regular "rest" day but very enjoyable.

Tomorrow is a longer ride to Sheet Harbour on our final leg of Nova Scotia.

Cheers,

Nancy and Dave

XCan Day 86 - Rest Day in Lunenburg Area

Busy day of sightseeing.  We left early in the morning to drive out to Peggy's Cove for a coffee, some pictures and a visit to the memorial for a Swiss Air flight that crashed off Peggy's Cove in 2001. We had heard good things about BlueRocks so we also paid a visit there thinking we could get lunch at one of the quaint restaurants the guide book talked about. Not to be!  There was an ice cream truck and that was about it.  It was pretty though.  Next stop - Lunenburg!  We opted for a walking tour of the town which was lead by a tenth generation Lunenburger.  Very interesting and informative!  At the end of the tour our guide recommended a book that covered the fishing industry challenges in the area from 1926 and 1927 where many fishing boats and sailors were lost at sea.  Once I work my way through the book, I can fill you in on the exact numbers!  At this time, one fishing boat could hold a number of men from the same family but after 1927, they changed to rules so that only one man/person per family could work a boat because whole families could be devastated.  In fact, in 1926 or 1927, the entire adult male population of BlueRocks was lost on the fishing boats.  Afterwards, we walked around the town and checked out the shops, visiting the Cranston art shop where various works by Toller Cranston, his brother and sister in law were displayed.  We had an interesting chat with Toller Cranston's sister in law while admiring the pieces. Finally we met Heidi, Greg, and Dustin for dinner at Dustin's choice which served delicious seafood while overlooking the Bluenose.  For dessert we took a stroll on the upper deck of the Bluenose.  Can you walk on a dime?  You betcha!
While we were taking out tour of Lunenburg, the Bromleys were checking out the maritime museum and the hill opposite the downtown of Lunenburg where the early settlers dried their cod. It was a really interesting and busy "rest" day.  I only wish I had the ability to post my pictures to better show what I've tried to explain.  Good day. Tomorrow- Dustin's last ride.
Cheers,
Nancy and Dave

XCAN Day 85 - South Mountain to Martins River, NS

Distance: 71.8 km
Time: 2:53
Elevation: 666 (OMG!)
Weather: Sunny with a bit of overcast later on
Bathroom: 7
Flats: 0

What goes up, must come down! Of course I'm referring to us.
After scaling the North side of Blue Mountain yesterday, we were able to cruise down the other side toward Nova Scotia's South Coast.
We still worked up a sweat with some climbing here and there, and were rewarded each time with casual coasting.

Dustin, being a coffee addict, made Heidi stop at the first decent looking cafe (called Vittles) about 30km in for a fresh mug. Dave and Nancy rolled up and inspected the joint, but opted for C Squared bakery down the road where Dave worked his way through a piece of carrot cake roughly the size of his head.

The top of Blue Mountain was covered in various Christmas tree farms, and (maybe not so) coincidentally, the town of New Ross holds a Christmas Festival each year, and has a rather large store dedicated specifically to "tree farming supplies". Seems they've found their niche.

Once at the bottom of the hill,  around the Chester area, there were a few possible routes to take. Nancy & Dave opted for the Chester Connection Trail which made for a good ride, with only a couple sketchy spots and mud puddles. They said it wasn't labeled as well as it could be, and they ended up on a bridge about 40 feet above the road they were supposed to turn off on.

These shots are from a few days ago, but I forgot to post them then!

Heidi & Dustin took Highway 3 along the coast where Heidi kept exclaiming she loves looking out at all the islands. Probably because it looks like home. They called Greg and met up with him on Oak Island which still, apparently, has a buried pirate treasure which no one has been able to successfully reach for 200 years or so because of the tides constantly flooding the tunnel. They think it was buried by Captain Kidd or Blackbeard. This is true – look it up.
Sounds to me like their diggers are lazy bums. Give me a snorkel and a shovel & I'll have that gold out in a fortnight.

In either a stroke of brilliance or lack of creativity,
they called the treasure shaft "The Money Pit".

After Oak Island, the Bromley clan stopped at Island View Restaurant in Western Shore for a seafood lunch, and split an obnoxiously sized brownie sundae for desert.
Stuffed full of sugar and seafood, they struggled through the last 8km to camp where they met up with Dave and Nancy.

Before

After

Everyone had a relaxing afternoon before enjoying the fresh haddock & corn Nancy & Dave had picked up at a local market.

Day off tomorrow. Looking forward to taking that photo at Peggy's Cove and exploring Lunenburg.

As a bonus, here's a behind the scenes of the wild world of blogging. Oooooh! Aaaah!

Thanks for reading! Leave us a comment, won't ya?
Dustin