Two more provinces to go. I've made it through rain, ice storms, abnormally cold temperatures, shoulder-less two-lane highways and brutal headwinds.
Turns out I will get all of the above except the cold in one day.
CRAP.
With 15cm of snow overnight, more during the day + 15mm of rain and freezing rain, the only thing that could make this worse was the headwind and lack of rest stops on the highway.
Welcome to New Brunswick.
With the road covered in slippery ice I had to go on the snow covered shoulder. With the headwind and the snow, I wasn't moving fast. But I had to keep going.
Only thing that was missing was rain. I was soaked for the last two hours and the only thing that kept me warm was pedaling into the wind. Some of the logging trucks passed so close to me that made me wonder if they saw me at all.
I was miserable, but there was something about fighting the weather and moving forward no matter what.
There was something about bicycle travel, the places you see and the people you meet.
That's it. I am going from Alaska to Argentina. My decision was made on this day.
Water? I shouldn't be seeing water...
I had gone the wrong way for two hours. Great. It was noon and I now had 160km to go.
Then I pulled over to the shoulder, hopped off my bike and stuck my thumb out.
Why not?
Another cop car pulled me over.
"You can't ride your bike on the bridge."
He asked me to hop on the sidewalk. Ahead of me lay about 1km of narrow sidewalk, right next to a two lane highway with gusting sidewind.
It took significant effort to push my bike and to make sure I don't get blown into traffic. It was cold, my jacket was in my bags but I couldn't stop to take it out, it would probably just get blown away. I stopped once. To take this photo of the sun over the Miramichi bay.
I sat at a small restaurant shivering from the bridge experience. I was running behind schedule and Charles, with whom I am staying tonight offered to give me a ride for the last 60km.
At the end of this bridge a UPS truck from the opposing lane pulled off to the side and stopped. I thought he wants to say hi, so just before crossing to the other side of the road I looked back.
An Oversize load truck whizzed by me at the same moment. WOW.
I have been fed and welcomed by strangers on this trip, more than I would like to admit. I've made it for 20days on less than 150$.
This guy was walking on the road so I gave him some of my food.
I have also been reading Rob Lilwall's Cycling home from Siberia book and while eating lunch I read a part where he took off from the main highway and rode on the smaller roads and was rewarded with better views and less traffic.
WHY NOT?
And the reward: an amazing view of the horizon before night took over. Which reminded me, I have still 20km to go.
