Sunday, 16 July 2006

Charleston to Newman Sound Campground, Terra Nova National Park (Newfoundland)

It was grey and drizzling when I first got up, but a big patch of blue sky with the moon in opened up as if to encourage me. It soon disappeared but by 8:45 I was on the road. The wind had moved back around to the south west and luckily was fairly light, but by 9 am it was already 2 degrees warmer than it had managed for the last couple of days. It was also lucky that I hadn't had too early a start to the day as I turned off the route 230 following signs for the Old Barracks Cafe and Gift Shop, arriving just as they opened at 10 am. They served me one of the best breakfasts I've had in a long while, with a huge pot of tea. I don't ever remember having strawberries with a fry-up before. Cutting the warm runny yolk from a fried egg is for me becoming a ritual akin to drinking the blood of a virgin sacrifice.

The Bonavista Peninsula is more wooded and less barren than other parts of Newfoundland I've seen. there is also some agriculture here - some dairy farming and fruit growing. From Musgravetown there wasn't too much to see as most of the time the road was lined with trees though there was the occasional view of Clode Sound. I was just happy that it was staying dry and relatively warm at 18 C. I arrived into Port Blandford just after noon; as I cycled across the causeway I was dive-bombed by a couple of terns. I tried to get some photos (keeping my cycling helmet on) but they were just too quick. I had the occasional wing, or nothing, in the frame.

From Port Blandford I was back on the TCH (TransCanada Highway) and for the rest of the day would be cycling through the Terra Nova National Park, so I figured that there wouldn't be much, if anything, in the way of services on the road, so I stopped for lunch at a little gas station restaurant. The TCH was hilly, but the hills were never too steep so it was fairly easy-going. Again the views were mostly hidden by the trees, but there was the occasional glimpse of Clode Sound - this time from the other [north] side - I'd cycled most of the way around it.

It got much warmer in the afternoon and as I arrived at the Newman Sound campground (Camping $20.80 + Adult park fee $5.45) there was even a brief flash of sun - the only one all day. I decided to stop even though it was only 4:30 as it would give me a chance to dry the tent and check the bike over. While I was servicing the bike I found that I had another broken spoke on the rear wheel. It may even have broken as I was testing the spoke tensioning. Damn. Again it was on the freewheel cassette side which I don't have the tools to fix. There were bear warnings in the park, so again I had my front panniers suspended in a nearby tree. (Of course I forgot I had some sweets on the front of my bar-bag!)

In the campsite I met Jean and Fiona - from Newfoundland and Scotland (but living in Newfoundland for the last 19 years) - who were also cycling and had a book on the TransCanada Trail in Newfoundland (i.e. the T'Railway) The book breaks the trail down into sections and rates them from A to E. A being Good, B = Okay, C = Do-able, D = bad, E = only for the die-hards or suicidal. ('Sense of humour required' - or bones of rubber) The section I'd cycled near Arnolds Cove was rated D/E. No wonder I'd found it so hard. The book also told me that the nearest bike shop was in Gander. Part of the route I'm cycling tomorrow, Gambo to Gander, (40km) is rated as 'A', but with a broken spoke I should probably stay on the TCH... I'll decide tomorrow.

Distance: 90.7 km
Cycling time: 5:12
Total distance: 3893.1 km