Home for the night: Fundy National Park, headquarters campground
Distance: 36.9 km
Weather: sunny, SUPER DUPER WINDY, mild
B: scrambled eggs, homemade zucchini/chocolate chip muffins, coffee
L: some glorious sandwich with all sorts of tasty things on it on homemade bread, trail mix
D: homemade spaghetti bollanaise, sticky buns from the bakery and tea!
Spotty
off to Fundy Park!
a place I've yearned to travel
Footpath here we come!!!
I woke early to spend time writing before the inevitable departure hustle began. Breakfast 'round the table and we were STILL finding questions and things to check in on about family, friends and projects. I could stay with Rebekah and Johnathan for at least another four days!
I put air in Black Beauty's tires and greased her chain while Rebekah sewed a pannier that had blown some stitches. I would cheat a little today, Eric was on his way from Dartmouth to join me for the hike and would actually stop by the farm to collect most of my cycling gear. This would mean I could be lighter and travel faster to the park...which would compensate for late(ish) departure.
The plan was for Rebekah and Johnathan to meet Eric and I in Alma at the edge of the park boundary before I would finish my ride to the trailhead. We spent one final hour walking their property visioning and mapping out the flow of all the discussions over the previous few days. It felt like the perfect parting gift for their momentum at the farm and it will be amazing to see what they run with.
I flew along the road, unaccustomed to my bike being so whippy and light! Wow!!!! And then, I turned onto the main road and smack into a headwind that would slow me right down to not actually travelling much faster than if I was fully loaded. Still, without the weight it wasn't as difficult and I made good time, rolling into Alma just as Rebekah and Johnathan cruised by!
They pulled into The Holy Whale, the local brewery, I followed and a minute later Eric arrived. Hooray!!! Four wonderful people together in the sun on the deck for locally crafted beer. I highly recommend stopping at The Holy Whale if you're in the area...fantastic staff and a great choice in beverages. If beer or cider isn't your thing, they are ALSO a coffee roastery! If that isn't enough to entice you in, you have to at least go see their wallpaper by the washrooms!
Time for goodbyes as the beehives were waiting to be combined and I had another 45 minutes of riding to the trailhead to complete my self-propelled route. We all hugged and waved each other off....and then there was two! Eric went to set up camp at the park while I made my way up some seriously serious hills, ones that certainly were related to those near Five Islands. Which I think, geologically they are!
It was a beautiful ride to Point Wolfe where the access trail to the Fundy Footpath officially starts. The campground right there was sadly closed for the season due to Covid, so we couldn't stay right there. I learned about the logging history of the area and soon enough was waiting in the sun for Eric to pick me up, who completely understood and supported my commitment to my contiguous human powered loop around the Bay.
I have been trying to access this trail for years! For many reasons it has eluded me, either due to freak spring snowfall or life circumstances. Finally, the trip had all come together and I was SO excited.
Dinner, gear sorting and an early night for us so we would be ready to start the trail in the morning. Just before falling asleep, I realized that I had been enjoying the clanging of a bell buoy just off shore. The sound of waves and the bell were sounds of my childhood...for when the sea state was right I could hear the same from my bedroom. Wait a minute.....I hadn't heard crashing waves since Chignecto!!! I hadn't really seen rock since then either, and all lapping waves around the Bay since leaving Advocate Harbour were muffled by the shore being made of mud. I had made it to wide open, blue ocean with rocky headlands!!!!!!!! I hadn't really thought about the significance of this for the past many days....but reaching Fundy symbolized a geological shift in the landscape and I couldn't wait to see firsthand the wilderness that awaited.
On that note, once again I will be leaving the internet behind and diving deeply into the experience, privilege and honour of traveling through one of the remaining remote outposts of this corner of the world.
I'm looking forward, as always to sharing what I discover and painting a picture of what we encounter along the way. The next dispatch will be arriving in roughly 55 kms, 4.5 days from now...coming at you from St. Martins, NB!
Love and hugs to you all, take care and be well!
Awesome, say hi to 'Bruce' if you bump into him on the trail! I had tears rolling down my cheeks watching this documentary, featuring Bruce, about the Fundy Footpath: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRCSXR6Km0o