Where ever I may roam

Summing up yesterday in a phrase, it would be ‘A series of bad decisions.’ I left Saint John easily enough and headed towards Saint Martin to go on the Fundy Trail Parkway. There were plenty of lookout points and small trails to walk on, some leading down to the ocean, others providing fantastic views of the cliff faces.

Rock Beach – Fundy Trail Parkway

Fundy parkway

I quite enjoyed strolling through the woods, taking photos and video, however it was hot and I was wearing all my gear, including the jacket. As I progressed along the trail the winds increased, as did the gradient of the roads. I was getting less interested in stopping as I was being blown all over the road and I was hungry, which never improves my mood. Heading out of the parkway I took a wrong turn because I didn’t check the maps and ended up in the sticks. Thankfully it wasn’t that far out of the way. After getting back on course I had lunch at ‘The Castle Restaurant’ in Saint Martin. The fish and chips were fantastic, some of the best I’ve had in years.

Having improved my mood through food intake and fueled up the bike, I thought I’d follow a road on my maps as it looked like a shortcut to the next highway I needed. The road turned into a dirt road, which then turned into a single track running through the trees alongside a stream. The problems started to appear when it turned into a snowmobile trail and then an ATV trail. I got through the first washout o.k. but it was the second one where I became stuck and dropped the bike. After getting the bike upright, out of the washout and turned around I eventually got back to where I started and I took the now extra long way around. I improved my handling of the bike and was quite happy with how far I got it. It would have been easier if it wasn’t fully loaded.

Finally I got to Fundy National Park and saw the campgrounds in the park tI was really tempted to stay there but I was looking for some place I could camp for free. There were heaps of hiking trails and sights in Fundy Park and in hindsight I should have stayed. It would have made the day much nicer. I can re-visit Fundy Park on the way back through New Brunswick as it’s not that far from where I’ll be. It remains to be seen if I do or not.

Instead of camping at Fundy National Park, I continued on to Hopewell Rocks. The ‘park’ was closed, yet visitor access was still permitted, so I wandered along the pathways and saw the rocks from the viewing platforms. The tide was coming in so walking on the beach was a bad idea.

Hopewell Rocks

It was about this time I should have eaten some more food as the handful of so of almonds I had at Fundy Park weren’t cutting it any more. Instead I kept on riding, looking for a place to free camp. It was about this time that I came to the conclusion that I’m not going to free camp unless I have to; i.e. bad weather or an emergency. I also spent a hour going around in circles as I wasn’t looking at my maps. Not good when the sun was going down and I had no idea where a campsite was.

Passing through Sackville I asked someone out walking his dog where the nearest campsite was and found out that it’s in Nova Scotia, 2nd exit. Crossing into Nova Scotia on the Trans Canada was horrible. The wind was being funneled up the bay of Fundy and across the road. I was being blown across both lanes and had to ride at 60km/h to stay in the lane. As it was around 10pm by this time, the traffic was minimal, so that made the crossing somewhat easier. It’s not an experience I want to repeat any time soon.

I saw the signs for the campsite and followed them, only to discover after half an hour of checking maps and exploring all the roads that there wasn’t a campsite. I spied an old man out walking his dog (at 10:45pm!) and found out where there was one. It was a bit further down the highway. I managed to find that one and get checked in. It was a good nights sleep.

Going forward, I’ll be taking it easier. Yesterday was a lot of riding. I’ll also be seeing how a choice feels before plowing ahead with a plan of action. Something I didn’t realize when I was planning this trip was how much energy it takes, especially being buffeted by the wind all the time and being pushed across lanes. It makes riding a lot harder and way more stressful. It’s not something that you tend to experience in a car any where near as much or as often.

I don’t think I’ll be free camping mainly because I don’t feel safe.A car adds a lot of security that a tent just does not have. A car is also a lot quicker to get set up for sleeping and then set back up for driving. At the moment it takes me about 45 minutes to pack up, if I don’t eat. I may change in the future and just start camping but for now campgrounds and hostels are fine. They allow me to stop a lot earlier and leave a lot later, giving me more time to relax.

The two major things learned yesterday:

• Eat More.
• Check The Maps.