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St. John's in photos: Sunny views of signal hill; Whale watching tour on the Atlantic; Dinner at Adelaide Oyster House followed by family fun at Breakout escape challenge; Another sunny day trip to Cape Spear, the most eastern point in North America, before heading to the airport.
So that just happened. After 10 weeks, 7165km, 10 provinces, 57 nights of camping, 10 galley duties, 1 fall off my bike, and a whole lot of beautiful scenery, I finally made it to Newfoundland! The day itself was filled with anxious anticipation. A slow start to the morning had me chomping at the bit to get to the finish line but we had agreed as a group that we would finish what we started together. After a badly needed refuelling break at a Subway (unfortunately no cute cafes along the route today), Vicki and I set out together to knock out the last 40km to our group meeting spot at Tim Hortons, 10km from Signal Hill. It was fitting that we would ride this last leg together and as we approached the city of St. John's I was overcome with emotion knowing that after all this time, we were going to make it. After regrouping at Timmies - and some high fives from local residents - we set out to complete the final 10km of our cross-Canada journey to Signal Hill. True to Newfoundland form, it started to drizzle just as we approached the base of the hill. I like to think it added to the drama of the moment and was symbolic of our true mental and physical battle to get there. As we biked up the hill, I could see blurred figures waiting at the top waving their arms in excitement and I couldn't hold back any longer. I immediately started to pedal as fast as my legs would allow with the chants of my family carrying me towards the finish line. Although the finish itself was a blur, I remember smiling from ear-to-ear through tears of joy (confirmed by the photos) as I hugged one person after the next in celebration. The mixed feeling of immense pride, relief, excitement, love, and strength, is something I will remember for the rest of my life. After the ceremonial wheel dip in the Atlantic Ocean it was time to celebrate our accomplishments with a final banquet and a night on the town, complete with getting "Screeched in" at a local pub. With my cross-Canada journey finally behind me, it is with mixed emotion that I head home to start writing the next chapter. Regardless of where I end up, I now possess a new sense of confidence knowing that absolutely ANYTHING is possible if you are willing to work for it. Life is too short for self doubt. Be curious. Be brave. Explore. Never settle. A simple thank you does not even begin to express how grateful I am for all the love, generosity, and support I received from family, friends, and even strangers throughout my ride this Summer. Your kind words and acts of kindness meant more to me than you know and I could ever express. It was your positive light that helped keep me going through my darkest days. An extra special thank you goes out to my parents, who despite thinking that I was insane for doing this, never wavered in their love and support for me; Scott, who encouraged me every step of the way and believed without a shadow of a doubt that I would make it, even when I doubted myself; Heather and Ken, my second parents and enthusiastic cheerleaders who made the trek to be there at the finish line; and finally to my Bicki, whose emotional support helped get me through my toughest challenges. You were my home away from home and we jived in a way I never expected, to the point where we could anticipate what the other was going to say or do before it even happened. I could not be more grateful to have shared this experience with you. Xx
Day 71 in photos: Beautiful shots from a morning side trip to Brigus; Climbing the last stretch of Signal Hill to the cheers of my family; My amazing support team; Signal Hill selfie; Terry Fox memorial reminding us that anything is possible; A candid moment caught on film with Vic post wheel dip in the Atlantic Ocean - we did it!!!
71 days ago I dipped my rear wheel in the Pacific Ocean in Vancouver, BC and today I dipped my front wheel in the Atlantic Ocean on the other side of the county in St. John's, Newfoundland #madeit #accomplished #coast2coast #tourducanada
So I just rode my bike across Canada #thatjusthappened #coast2coast #thighsofsteel #finishline #signalhill #noflats #tourducanada (at Signal Hill, St. John's)
Parting is such sweet sorrow (for the most part)
As my ride across Canada comes to a bittersweet end tomorrow, I thought a lot about the things I will miss most from the past 2.5 months on the road, along with some others I will be happy to leave behind. Here they are in no particular order... What I'll miss most: - being outside all day, every day - always exploring new places - my TDC family - chatting with the locals - eating everything in sight (especially sweets!) - the rock star status that comes along with telling people you're biking across the country (including free stuff, discounts, and extreme hospitality) - feeling accomplished at the end of every day - campsites so close to the water I can practically dive in from my tent - toned legs - Arlen's laugh - morning shammy butter application What I won't miss: - waking up at 6am - constantly being damp - galley duty - other people's snoring - only having one basket of clothes - peeing outside / being far from the campsite bathroom - Wonder bread - trying to keep up with my blog - 140km+ rides - the road conditions in Manitoba & New Brunswick - wearing bike shorts ALL day - trying to decipher Bud's cue sheets - the bugs, especially the biting kind
Our ferry arrived in NFLD shortly after 9:30am and Mother Nature had blessed us with some wicked tailwinds. It was only 94km in to camp and we flew most of the way despite some pretty hilly terrain.
We stopped in the small fishing village of Dildo (yes, it is actually a real town) for lunch to try our first taste of Newfie fish & chips. It did not disappoint.
The last 33km to camp took longer than expected when we turned in to the wind for the last 10km.
Tonight we are having spaghetti for dinner which is fitting since it’s the same meal we had on our first night together. It’s weird to think that this will be the last night I sleep in my tent and go through our usual post ride routine. A bittersweet feeling for sure.
Day 70 in photos: We've arrived in Newfoundland!!! Amazing landscapes as we arrive in Argentia; Unloading from the Atlantic Vision; St. John's is finally in reach!; Confirmed that NFLD is absolutely stunning; Lunch stop in Dildo, which is a actually real town
After 70 days on the road, I've finally made it to the home stretch!!! #madeit #10 #onemoreday #tourducanada (at Argentia, NL)
While I'm not entirely sure how it crept up on me, today is the day we take the overnight ferry from Sydney, NS to Argentia, Newfoundland to ride the last 2 days of our trip across Canada. Wowzas! It was a short and sweet 40km ride to the ferry (ie. We climbed a mountain first thing out of camp) which meant we had lots of time to explore Sydney before boarding the ship at 4pm. The Atlantic Vision felt more like a cruise ship than a ferry complete with a bar, live music, movie theatre and dinning room. Duncan, Matt, Vicki and had a platonic adult sleepover, sharing a super tiny but cozy cabin. After stuffing ourselves silly at the buffet, we watched the world's worst movie, Blended, before hitting the hay for one of my deepest sleeps of the trip. Thought of the moment that is blowing my mind: When I wake up tomorrow, I'll be in Newfoundland with less than 200km to the finish line 😐
Day 69 in photos: Beautiful views on our ride to the ferry; Boarding the ferry through the car hold as walk-ons; Our tiny cabin for 4; Setting sail from Sydney, NS; The view from our cabin window; The boys on deck; The bow of our ship, as we leave land behind
Last night was a doozy of a thunderstorm with booming thunder, beating rain and torrential winds that drenched everything in its path and even took Vicki's tent with it (fortunately she wasn't in it at the time!). It was still raining when we woke up which made it difficult to get going knowing we were headed out in to the storm. I was thanking my lucky stars that the wind was at our backs today! As soon as Duncan and I started riding, I realized that I may have underestimated the amount of climbing left to do before putting my official stamp on the Cabot Trail. There was definitely lots of fun downhill but we paid for them on the way up with legs that felt like lead after yesterday's painfest. The big climb of the day was up to the summit of Smokey Mountain which was long but a much gentler grade than we saw yesterday. Part way through the climb up, Duncan's gears seized up and he lost the ability to shift in to his lowest gears. Since he is an animal (a very light, small, agile one), he was able to power through to the top. The descent down the backside of Smokey was epic with turns so quick and sharp, I felt like I was skiing. Duncan and I separated shortly after the descent and I rode the rest of the way to camp (on much gentler roads) by myself. After a short ferry ride to Englishtown, I couldn't resist a stop at the fish and chips stand just outside our campground, which were the best I've had yet in Canada. Tonight was my final galley duty of the trip (aka. The last supper) and I couldn't have asked for a better crew in Arlen and Ken. We pulled off a flawless pork stir fry despite a last minute deviation from our perfected spaghetti recipe, but I am definitely happy to be done with cooking for a group of 14 after a long day of cycling!
Day 68 in photos: A rainy morning turned in to a beautiful sunny afternoon for our second day on the Cabot Trail.
I must admit off the bat that despite our months of preparation for this day, I was quite apprehensive based on what I had heard about the Cabot trail and the crazy, hilly terrain I would encounter. I had every right to be nervous but the day exceeded even my wildest cycling dreams in terms of challenging terrain, breathtaking views and absolutely perfect weather. I spent the day with my old crew - Vic, Matt, and Duncan - and we started off with some pretty hilly terrain. At 30km we reached the beginning of the Cabot Trail which took us along increasingly picturesque roads along the coast with colorful houses and quaint shops. We stopped for lunch just before the entrance to the national park at a delicious boulangerie to fuel up on baked goods for the big climbing portion of the day. Although the morning had been great, as soon as we entered the national park, I knew the day was going to be my favorite so far. The views were absolutely spectacular and so unbelievable that a camera lens doesn't even begin to do it justice. On our first descent (which wasn't even from a mountain summit) I was in a full out cryfest from the overwhelming beauty of the moment. Then the real climbing began with three mountains to summit - French, Mackenzie, and North. French was a loooooong climb up from sea level to 455m that started with a pretty steep, short grade followed by 6km of 11% grade. It was a good challenge but I felt strong and in the zone with my music pumping. Once we all regrouped at the summit, it was on to Mackenzie, which was in the highlands and not much of a climb at all (it actually felt like more of a downhill which it probably was at 335m). The descent that followed in to Pleasant Bay was perfect in every way - winding switchbacks with views of the ocean, valleys and rocky cliffs, although my wrists hurt from holding the brakes trying to dump speed to get around the corners! After a quick pit stop for more fuel, it was on to the infamous North for the final big summit of the day. All I can say is that this climb took every ounce of mental and physical strength I had to get to the top with an average of 13% grade for over 4km of winding road up a mountain. Many screams later (both out loud and from my legs), I was at the top, totally exhausted, but feeling super proud the group's accomplishment. The rest of the ride was relatively easy by comparison and within another 10km we had arrived at camp. A shower, some wine and leftover birthday cake and I was feeling refreshed but I will definitely be packing it in early tonight to try and maximize my recovery time before riding the remainder of the Cabot Trail tomorrow.
The whole crew turnt up
Day 67: The photos from today don't even begin to do the spectacular beauty of the Cabot Trail justice. You just kind of had to be there to appreciate the wonder of it all but here goes...Great views from the beginning of the Cabot Trail before we even knew what we were about to experience in the national park; The long and winding road with amazing views of the coast, rocky cliffs and lush green valleys everywhere you turn (Photo credit goes to Vicki); The summit of the first peak, French Mountain at 455m; Duncan excited to reach the top; Someone beat us up here and left us a message in the sand...who could it be?; Posing for the camera with views for days; The amazing views didn't stop after the ride was done. This is a shot from just outside my tent at our campsite tonight.
A snapshot from one of the best days of my life #cabottrail #natureonsteroids #happyattack #cycling #tourducanada (at Cape Breton Highlands National Park)