BikerAl Across America 2018

One thing I forgot to mention about PEI was the red soil we saw.  All the fields were a bright red.  Really pretty but I wondered what nutrients were in the soil to produce the corn and potatoes we saw.  PEI is known for its potatoes, a rival for Idaho.

Our group of eight divided into two groups soon after a bridge construction area.  The road was closed but we were able to ferry our bikes across the construction area.  Reminded me of that time in NE, I think, where I crossed a bridge and had to carry my bike across a three foot wide bridgeless area.

Our ride was beautiful today, mostly along the coast with a few rolling hills.  There was a five mile stretch in the middle with the worst road conditions we have seen in Canada.  Pot holes, cracks wide enough to lose a tire, gravel at the bottom of hills where they had been working on bridges, and in general, just bad conditions.  Otherwise, the road was great.

We stopped at a cafe for lunch and it had all kinds of info about lobsters.  Couldn’t resist these signs on the wall.

We cooked dinner outside our motel rooms again tonite.  Fresh fish from the farmer’s market.  We have had some really good meals that riders have taken turns to cook rather than going out and spending lots for a meal at a restaurant.

Tomorrow we lose rider Paul and gain rider Karen back.  So we will still be hanging at 11 riders.  A good size group.  A driver and co-pilot are in the van with another driver in the car so we take turns not riding.  Has worked out well.

49.5 miles today.  3502.5 total

First, I have to say how much I liked PEI.  The bike paths were the best we’ve had.   So many flowers and other vegetation made the bike path rides enjoyable.  Saw many, many ferns. Even the fiddlehead ferns which are edible.

So today, Kendy and I left at 7:30 to ride to the ferry.  I tho’t we all agreed to that time last nite but all the others decided to start later.  No biggy.  We took our time, checked out a winery that wasn’t open yet but had a great chat with the owner.  Arrived plenty early but spent time in the visitor center.  Just a leisurely ride.  No stress (except for the constant head wind).

Everyone arrived in time for the 11:15 ferry to Nova Scotia.  Once we disembarked, one of our riders could lead us to the inn by way of back roads to avoid the traffic.  Three of us said, yes, let’s do it.  Back roads , yes, detours, no.  At one point, we came up with a new book title,” Murder in Pictou.”  Our leader said he knew the way but a couple times he took us down side streets that circled around to go up the same dumb hill we went down.  Not impressed.  I said, “Paul, I tho’t you knew the way”.  Didn’t faze him.  So later we get on a less than friendly bike path where near the end, he takes us off into a weedy 4 wheeler track with tall grass and muddy conditions to get to the main hiway where we need to cross the causeway.  None of us have mountain bikes and I was not pleased.  Once we get to the hiway, we are then expected to lift our bikes over a guard rail or walk them under the over pass with a 12 inch muddy space to walk our bikes and a 45 degree angle of concrete under the overpass in which to try to walk in our cleated shoes.  Not impressed.

I guess one of the girls decided to walk in the mud and put her bike on the concrete.

We finally get to our accommodation after more miles than we planned on.  I’d rather take the main hiway, a shorter route and not the round and about way.  But arrive, we did.  Once everyone was there, we sat in the shade, drank beers, and reminisced the day.  A good time was had by all.

We have been trying to cook for ourselves as much as possible.  Des has been our barbecue chef.  Does such a good job.  Always awesome food.  Tonite we had grilled chicken, pork, and sausages with baked potatoes, corn on the cob, and pasta salad.  Way more than I needed to eat.  But so good.

35.3 miles today.  3458.  Total

 

 

 

Woke up to 100 % chance of rain all day starting at 9 am.  We all left at 7:15 but the rain started at 8:30.  As it was, we only had two showers, good ones, but then it stopped and we could take the rain gear off.  It was cloudy and a perfect temp all day even tho it was very muggy.

We rode out of town on a road route that Janice, our fearless leader, found.  It connected to the Confederate bike path after about 6 miles and we stayed on the bike path the rest of the day.

The bike path varied from nice packed fine gravel, to inch to two inch thick gravel, very hard to ride in, to almost graveless paths.  Part of the trail looked like it didn’t get used much because it had lots of grass and weeds over the entire path.  Easy riding tho.  I think the vegetation solidified the gravel a bit.

At one point in the thick gravel area, we had lots of 90 degree turns.  I was going slow but I almost lost it on one turn.  I said a few words and my bike stood upright.  I swear I was at a 45 degree angle.  I was just sure I was going to be a road rash zombie.  I hate that stuff.   It would be more pleasant if the path were consistent but stretches of it changed constantly.  Really hard to get any sort of rhythm.

We are staying in some nice cabins along a finger of the ocean.  My turn to cook tonite, and, of course, it is raining now.  No room inside for 12 people and hard to sit outside in the rain.  Maybe it will clear up.

Our cabin was uncomfortably warm when we got here, so I cranked up the AC.  My roommate apparently tho’t it too cool so put on a fleece and stuffed her feet into her clothes sack.  I tho”t this was pretty funny.

Tomorrow we head to Nova Scotia by ferry.  We ride to the ferry and then ride after the ferry to our accommodation.  Another discombobulated day.

Dinner was good.  Some leftovers but I can eat those for breakfast and lunch.

50.3 miles today.   3422.7 total

 

 

 

We were all going to ride early today but only five of us ended up going.  Then we split off into three groups soon after we started.  Maureen and I hung in for 27+ miles until we got hot and decided we’d had enough. I consider myself to be a long distance, destination rider and I don’t like riding from point A to B and back to A.  Boring!   Our six days here in Charlottetown has been a hub and spoke time and it is really hard for me to get excited about that.  Plus it had been so bloody hot.  (I’m starting to talk like the Aussies.)

I cleaned my bike when I got back and tomorrow we move on.  It is supposed to be a high % of rain and thunderstorms tomorrow.  Really hope not.  I want to ride a real ride tomorrow.

Our stay has been good but not the best for what we paid for this place.  When we arrived there was only one roll of toilet paper, no dish soap, no laundry soap, no bath soap, and no instructions as to what was expected. We did contact the owner and he came with supplies and blamed his housekeeper for the lack of supplies.  I think he needs to fire the housekeeper.  I slept on the floor which was ok, since I don’t sleep much anyway.  Kitchen utensils were sparse and the thing that really bugged me was there was no broom to sweep the floors.  Yuk.  I finally found a window squeegee and put a towel on it in order to sweep.  And, obviously, the window squeegee had never been used because the windows were very dirty.  Lots and lots of finger prints etc.  Now the worst of all, were the flower beds as you walked up to the front door.  So much grass and weeds and deadheading hadn’t been done.  Being in the business. I couldn’t let that go so I did spend two hours making the beds better.  Not perfect since I wasn’t getting paid, I didn’t feel the need to sweat and suffer.

So when we leave our comments, we will be sure to mention these things.

27.9 miles today .   3372.4 .Total

An early ride but frustrating ride.  Only 17+ miles and one of our worst rides so far.  We had to cross a big bridge with a dirty shoulder and lots of traffic.  Then went onto the bike path with loose gravel, lots of 90 degree turns, and winding through subdivisions.  Not a pleasant ride.  We went 8 miles and ended up in a dead end twice.  Really frustrating.

We were scouting  the route out of town for Friday and glad we did so as to avoid this frustration on a long day.  We finally figured out where to go.

When we got home. It was actually cooler outside due to some cloud cover than it was inside so I decided to weed the front beds some more.  I did the left side last time and 2/3 of the right side this time.   So much more inviting.  It still got hot and once the thunder started, I decided I had had enough.

Tonite the other house bikers came for dinner and we had Janice’s fish stew.  So good.

Sounds like most of us might ride tomorrow.  Leaving at 7:30 to beat the heat.

17.9 miles today . 3344.5 total

 

In Charlottetown, our group is housed in two different bnb houses.  Five in one and six in the other.  First time we have been separated.  So each house cooks for themselves.  We have had some scrumptious meals prepared by Des and Janice.  I’m a little concerned about gaining weight.  Oh, well.

Most everybody in our house sleeps in til 8.  I am awake at 5 or 6 and ready to be on the road by 6:30 to beat the heat.  Drives me nuts.  Because I wanted to ride with Maggie, we didn’t even get on the road til after 8:30.  First thing she said was, “geez, it is HOT already”.  I didn’t say anything .  Just kept my comments to myself.

We were on the Confederate bike path that goes all across PEI.  She stopped after 20 km and returned.  I went on til I couldn’t stand the heat any more and then returned.  I prefer to go from point A to B, not do an out an back on the same route.  But that’s what we have to do here.

Part of the track today turned into what I call a tractor path.  Pretty.

The bike path was interesting.  Went through farmland, sometimes right through a barnyard.  The prettiest thing of all was all the blooming thyme along the path.  Several times there was tall fireweed in the back with some goldenrod in front and then a carpet of blooming thyme on the ground.

Part of the path had picnic tables with a shelter for shade.  One even had a clivus toilet.  These were the only things for several miles sometimes.

It was really hot by the time I got back to town.  Treated myself to a Wendy’s sandwich and fries while I tried to cool off.  Brutal heat.  Hoping to get on the road early tomorrow and back home before I melt.

35.5 miles today.   3326.6 total

It was forecasted to be a very rainy day today so we decided to do a car trip to the far western side of PEI. Two days ago, Paul joined us and today Angelica is joining us.  So Paul wanted to ride back from a point and I tho’t I’d join him, thinking the rain would have stopped by then.  But, alas, it didn’t.  So my bike rode on the bike rack all day.  And I mean all day.  We left at 9:30 this morn and didn’t get home til 5:30.  But Paul got off and rode back in the rain.  Tough guy.

We drove from Charlottetown to North Cape, the furthest point north in PEI and back again a different route.  We drove the North Cape Coastal Drive.  Saw much country.  Beautiful rural farmland.

One thing I saw today was lots of potato fields.  Many had white blossoms but many also had purple flowers.  Once I decided to get a photo, the purple flowers disappeared.  Go figure.

On the ride, we stopped periodically and this was a shot I took, thinking it looked like a dance.

Maggie and Michael on the left, Janice and Des on the right.

So when we got home, I felt bad about not riding today that I decided to weed the flower bed that led to the front door of our rental.   I Couldn’t believe how weedy the beds were.  Really disgusting for a rental.

Made me feel good to do something worthwhile.

 

Woke up early but slept very well even though I had to sleep on the floor.  We rented two houses by air bnb and I got the sofa bed which was only a couch with non-removable cushions.  It was so hot in here that I couldn’t possibly sleep with thick cushions on one side of me so the floor was the better option.  I have all my camping gear so it was fine.

Maggie and I went for a short ride today.  Everyone else took the day off.

One of the interesting things along the trail was a bee hive display.  They had two wierd shaped buildings that each housed one bee hive with honey supers on it.  One side had an entrance for the bees just like a regular bee hive and on the opposite side, there were two plexiglass windows you could look in and see the bees in the hive.  Quite different.

Our front yard has three bush-trees that are different.  One is a weeping caragana (pea shrub), the one in the middle is a smoke bush which I really love but can’t grow in Idaho, and the other a salix maculatum (willow).

It threatened rain all day and after lunch time, got really hot and muggy.  Glad we weren’t riding this afternoon.

15.4 miles today . 3291.7. Total

 

I was the co pilot today and glad because it was a long  day.  The riders had to ride 40 km to the bridge, then take a shuttle across the bridge, then ride another 60 into town.  It was HOT.  Not sure I would have fared so well.

This doesn’t show the bridge too well but it was impressive.  Finished in 1997 and spans over 6 miles.

We are at staying in two Air bnbs tonite and they are less than what we expected.  No air conditioning and it is HOT.  No Wi-Fi and just less than what you’d expect for what we had to pay. Must be the going rate in this city.

We are divided into two groups which  should be fine.  Our group  is two couples and two singles.  It was so hot inside, we carried chairs outside and made a makeshift table for our houredeurves.  Prob not spelled right.

 

Notice the wheelbarrow and ironing board.  It worked.

We are here for the next 5 nites and will ride out from here and back on PEI.

More later.

 

 

 

Today’s ride would have been beautiful except we had rain for the first hour and headwinds and sidewinds for the last two hours or more.  A really hard day.

We all left together early, 7 am to beat the heat.  Well, we had no heat, only rain and clouds.  Once the rain let up, we had nice cloudy skies and nice temps.  But when the head winds picked up it was brutal.  I won’t even say what most of us had to say at the end of the day.  It wasn’t nice.  And, now, I worry about my rte 66 ride in Sept.  I know I’ll have headwinds and that is really hard for me.  I hands go to sleep, my knees hurt, and my shoulders ache.  How will I handle 100 miles of head winds, flat or not.  Time will tell.  I’m already worrying about that.

Our road conditions were anything and everything.  Right out of town we hit a detour which put us on a major two lane road with lots of traffic and trucks.  Of course, just as the rain hit.

We went from really rough, shoulderless roads to nice roads with a shoulder to a road with no shoulders and everything in between.   Really kept us on our toes.  And just as the head winds hit, we were back on a major two lane road with lots of trucks again, but with a good shoulder.

We were all whipped by the time we got to our motel out on a point in the boonies.  No food for miles around.

So we drove 12+ miles to a town for dinner.  Our room is really nice, as was our room last nite.  We never know what we are going to have til we get there.  Some have been really small and cramped and I insist that my bike sleep in my room with me.  Last nite I carried him up a steep flight of stairs to my room and tonite I just wheeled him in.  Not leaving my bike out of my site.

Our lunch stop today.

54.5 miles today .   3275.7 total