Edmundston 120 klm

Last evening and this morning I could not help but be preoccupied with thoughts of black flies.

Just a small example of my black fly bites. They drove me to bed before I wanted to and when I got up at 6 they were ready for me again.  I packed up quick and headed to the Irving station on the highway for escape and breakfast.  After eating I started riding about 8.  Initially I stayed on the highway. It had a huge wide paved shoulder and I was making good time but eventually realized I was avoiding the rail trail because the traffic felt like company.  So that was an interesting revelation and I switched to the rail trail at the next chance. 

And it really is the best rail trail I have ridden. Smooth and hard; I could do 25+ on the flats. The only bumps were from moose tracks.

Within a few klm I met Andy Sward. He is heading the other way from St Johns Nfld to Vancouver on foot; pushing a runners cart of gear. Raising awareness about waste, garbage, recycling by collecting tons of garbage along the way.  He was finishing breakfast when met him. I wish I had continued yesterday after afternoon so as to meet him and camp at the same spot on the trail.  It would have been a much more rewarding evening than the one I had. We exchanged info about the routes each of us had passed and parted ways. I hope to catch him as he passes through Toronto in July.

The trail is kept in great riding shape because they are serious about keeping cars, motorcycles and atvs off of it.

After about 60 klm the trail picks up the shore of Lac Temiscouata which it follows for another 40 klm.

At Cabano we stopped for café and petit pain au chocolat. Yes, I am saying we. Scary.

 

I rode about 100 klm along this beatiful and fast trail. Along the lake there was bike traffic from day trippers  After the lake the trail went across country and soon in to New Brunswick.   Immediately the trail became loose 3/4 inch un-rideable gravel. Andy said the trail as far as Edmundston was good. I stuck with it for 2 hard klm and decided to switch to the highway. But I waited for an oncoming cyclist and he said the gravel ended in another 200 m. It did and I continued on good trail. I arrived at a campground I was considering only to find that the store and restaurants were not yet open for the season.  For that and because I did not want another night chased in to my tent by flies I booked a room at the "Happy Motel" in Edmundston.  It's fine; more importantly I can see Tim Hortons from my window and a pub serving a grand local IPA is right across the road.  Been chatting with the waitress and she mentioned a friend doing a cross canada bike thing as a result of a suicide in his family. So there is her friend, and Andy, and many more. What is it about a trek in respose to something that you are trying to come to terms with,  trying to put in its place? What's my treck about?

On my way in to town I met the Edmundston beagle club out for a walk. This one's for you Laura.

Well, the name says it all.