June 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th: I’m alive, I’m back, I’m resting!
Wow, the last few days have passed in a blur of lactic acid and exhaustion. The road went up and down like an elevator with no regard for my seriously waning energy levels. My legs burned at the top of every hill and felt like lead across every flat. I kept looking down at my tires to make sure that my breaks weren’t rubbing on my rims since it felt like I had a parachute pulling against me.
That being said it felt great to be traveling through such fantastically beautiful landscapes. My burning legs were offset by the wonderful views that awaited me every time I raised my head. We have been traveling through some of the best that Canada has to offer. With the land pot-marked by more national historic sights and parks than I can count, it is like I am taking a riding tour through history.
We have found ourselves in some of the most fantastic spots at night. We stopped in Battery National Park one night and we had a wonderful panoramic view of the Strait of Canso and Bras D’Or Lake. Lying back and relaxing in my chair, overlooking such fantastic scenery is all I can ask when I am done riding for the day. Not to mention we were up on the hillside and we had a bit of breeze sparing us from the bug and the heat.
Speaking of heat, the temperature range through out the day has been huge. The fog and cool air of the mornings has brought out the sweaters and long sleeve jerseys again. Then by the afternoon the sun has burned off the fog and the heat flows over the road in waves. I have been getting an early start in the morning and stopping for a long lunch so I don’t have to ride in the worst of the mid-day heat, but I still find myself taking in a lot of water during the last half of my daily ride to keep up with the rivers of sweat that flow as I climb every hill.
With all the pain and all the effort behind me, pulling into North City was a fantastic. The wind blew with me for the entire afternoon, as if Mother Nature was finally allowing me to finish. North Sydney is my final resting place in Nova Scotia, from here I have to wait for the ferry to Newfoundland and then I am all but finished. My mom has left me in North Sydney while she goes back to Halifax to get ride of the RV. There was a bit of emotion for me as we packed up the van, but mostly it was the sledgehammer of realization that I am actually at the end. My universe has been my bike and the RV for the last three months with only a couple of short breaks. I have pictured the end for so long that it is hard to separate the images in my head from the reality of it actually happening (no you don’t need to call the men with the padded rooms, I am still in touch with reality).
To celebrate the near end of the tour and our time in Nova Scotia my mom and I treated ourselves to a fantastic feast of lobster. I have been looking forward to that wonderful east coast delicacy for the entire trip and we didn’t mess around. Of course on the east coast, lobster is a little more affordable than in the west, so I was nice to fill our stomachs without emptying our wallets.
The next time I write to you I will be in St. John’s Newfoundland I will be officially done my cross Canada journey!
Activity Tip: I don’t care who you are, or what your goal is, all I care is that you never give up your dream. With hard work and perseverance anything is possible. Working hard and staying healthy will open the doors to possibility.
Sincerely,
Tyler