Cycling Toronto to Halifax : 2015: Deseronto

I'm writing this at the United Restaurant in Deseronto. The only one open aparently. Doing good business tonight.

I left Peterborough at 8 with fruit, sandwiches and juice for the road curtesy of Gord. I worked my way through town and picked up the Canada Trail again. I found an online post last night that said the section to Hastings had been recently upgraded. The ride was really nice. Overcast but warm. The only company along the trail were the many snapping turtles that find the sand and gravel of the trail a perfect place to bury their eggs. After Hastings the trail is not quite as good and the last 5 klm in to Stirling were brutal and I decided I was done with trails. Too punishing on me and my bike to ride at the pace I want to. Earlier in the day i had to stop because a screw holding my bike rack on the bike had shacken loose and disappeared. Managed to steal a replacement from one of the bottle holders.

I switched to roads and started with a huge climb south out of Stirlimg on 14 but not so steep that i had to walk. The next 60 klm winding south east to Deseronto was really fun. But I arrived at the Mohawk campground feeling tired after 140 klm but not as tired as yesterday. I set up my tent beside the water just before it poured. A couple with one of those permanent trailers invited me to wait it out with them under the awning. Had a nice chat and a mug of tea. When the rain eased up I was finally able to have a shower! Words fail me. My packed lunch sustained me to this point but for dinner I walked in to a too quiet town and was happy to find a place open; and a beer.