Day 87: Back to the Trails
I woke to the sound of the neighbour
toddler complaining in French about something and soon got up for a day on
the trails. I had a bit of cereal and then laced up the hiking boots
- even though my shins were still complaining.
I decided to start slow and went to a 7km loop hike that passes a
series of waterfalls. The first few were nice but while trying to get
a good shot of a late one, I slipped and took an impromptu walk along the
stream bed. For the record, the rocks were well polished by the stream
and quite slippery. The trail back to the car was uneventful if a little
squishy.
After a change of footwear and some lunch, I decided to continue with
a gentle 7km walk along the shores of a few lakes. There were no steep
hills (or waterfalls) so I figured it would be an uneventful hike. I
was right - even the scenery wasn't that exciting - but it was still an enjoyable
stroll through the forest. My legs and shins had had enough
for the day so I picked up some ice and
returned to my site to relax a bit. I did a bit of planning for the
coming days and then stopped in at the grocery store in Alma for a steak.
I set it to marinate in some teryaki sauce while I took a nap. When
I woke, I made up some rice to go with the steak and had a nice dinner. I
had a good supply of dirty dishes so I took the time to clean them (well
it was either then or in the morning before breakfast).
I headed off towards the hills this time in search of a sunset shot.
I was again thwarted in my attempts so I headed off to the park
amphitheatre to listen to a story about the formation of the park and it's
features. It was geared more towards children but was still a nice
was to pass the evening.
Back at my site, I watched the stars for a bit and then headed to
bed with some more reading.
Day 88
I got up and decided on pancakes
for breakfast. Nicely filled, I registered for another night on my
site and then headed out to a few more trails. I started off at another
falls trail whose parking lot had emptied from the crowd the day before.
I didn't see anyone on the trail out to the falls and not too much
water there either but was pleasantly surprised by the nice brook along the
way. Its rocks were mostly covered with moss and it had a nice series
of little waterfalls to admire. I met a few more people on the way
back as well as spotting an osprey (or similar) gliding gracefully through
the forest.
Next up was a trail to an abandoned copper mine. The climb up
was fairly steady so I didn't climb the tailings to see the old water tank
or try to find the shaft opening. The day was moving along and I was
getting a bit tired so I decided to cut the next trail a little short.
Instead of doing the whole loop, I planned to do just the last section
of the trail. I found out soon after setting off that the map didn't
accurately show where the trail ended so I continued along and did the whole
trail anyway. It wasn't too tiring and I got a few good views of the
Bay of Fundy thrown in.
After refreshing myself at the
campground, I headed into Alma to see about their CAP site. I was greeted
with a sign indicating that their web server was down and that someone was
checking every half hour. I headed off to pick up some salmon for dinner
and then went back to wait for the next check up. I asked the attendant,
when he arrived, if I could use a phone line to connect my Libby. He
said sure but he was leaving for the day in a half hour so I quickly checked
email and sent off a few quick replied before heading back to my site.
I had ordered some salmon with maple syrup glaze in Lunenburg and
I wanted to try it for myself. I succeeded fairly well although I should
have used more syrup and/or reduced it ahead of time. It tasted quite
nice with some rice on the side so I'll be sure to try it again. The
rest of the evening was fairly uneventful as I listened to the radio and
reviewed my plans.
Day 89
Awakened
by the pitter-patter of rain, I waited until a break came along and got up.
I did up my dishes and packed up my wet tent for another move. I headed
out of the park to Sussex for some breakfast at Tim's. I continued
back down to the coast and stopped in at the Quaco Head Light in West Quaco.
I took a few pictures and then continued along the scenic route into
Saint John. I drove around downtown for a bit trying to decided where
to sleep when I came across the Rockwood Park campground. It had mostly
stopped raining so I decided to stay the night and set up my tent. I
needed a few things at the mall so I went off in search of one. I picked
up a map at the nearby Tourist Chalet and headed off to McAllister Mall and
had found some lunch and most of my items when the power went off. As
everyone closed their doors, I headed off across the road to Future Shop.
I picked up a portable AM/FM radio and then stopped in to check the
movie times.
Continuing back towards the campground, I stopped at DQ and then found
a grocery store to restock my cooler. I picked up some ice at the campground
and considered a nap or some dinner but soon realized that the movie I was
interested in started in just over a half hour. I tried to pick up
some KFC on the way but they didn't have any white meat so I had a quick
snack at the car and headed in to see The Others. It wasn't exactly
what I expected but was still quite interesting.
I drive back to the campground was a bit interesting since darkness
had fallen and the fog had moved in. I would have had some difficulty
had I not already travelled the route that afternoon. I was still a
bit hungry so I had some Triscuits with cheddar and italian sausage - quite
tasty. I moved to the car for a bit and made a call or two and then headed
to bed.
Day 90
I got up shortly after 9 and was soon having some Cream of Wheat for
breakfast and packing up for a drive north.
I had
thought of going whale watching in nearby St. Andrews but the humpbacks hadn't
arrived yet so I decided to head for the highest peak in the Maritimes. I
took the scenic drive along the Saint John River most of the way, passing
Fredericton along the way. I turned off after a while and headed up into
the Canadian extension of the Appalacians. I stopped for gas in Plaster
Rock (as well as some KFC) since the peak is quite isolated.
I soon arrived at the Mount Carleton Provincial Park and registered
for two nights. I set up my tent and started looking over the trail
maps. Since I still had some light left in the day, I headed off to
do a few short trails. The first one was a short stroll to a nice set
of waterfalls and the second was a leisurly hike around a point covered with
red pine. I wasn't really hungry after my KFC snack but I decided to
make a bit of pasta to give me energy for the upcoming hikes. It took
three pots to actually get the stuff cooked (slanted picnic table and slippery
stove top) but I soon had a late dinner as the stars were coming out. I
wandered the campground a bit admiring the stars along the way and soon retired,
reading some more Walden and being occasionally serenaded by a distant loon.
Day 91: Mountains Ho!
I could lead you to believe that
I was up at the crack of dawn and on the trails by 9 but nobody would buy
it so I'll just say that I almost got to the trails by 11:30. I registered
my hike at the Main Gate but then realized that I had forgotten by bike so
after picking it up, I headed to the Bald Mountain Brook trailhead. I
left my day-pack and hiking stick there while I drove down to the Mount Carleton
trailhead. I then biked the 7km back to my stuff and headed off into
the mountains. The first section paralled a brook up the mountain with
a few waterfalls thrown in for variety. This brook was also quite moss
covered so it was nice to look at when the constantly ascending trail was
a bit too discouraging. I soon reached the end of the first section
and travelled along a ridge towards Mount Head. I took a short side
trip to the 792m summit of said mountain and had some lunch. I could
see my next peak, Mount Carleton, as well as the next day's target, Mount
Sagamook. After cooling down a bit, I headed off for my next peak.
I descended a bit of a valley and soon joined the direct trail for
the final ascent to the abandoned fire-spotter's cabin on the summit. At
820m Mount Carleton is the highest peak in the Maritimes, just beating
Newfoundland's Lewis Hill at 815m. I enjoyed the view and had a snack
before starting my descent. I lost the trail for a bit but, after wandering
over the rocks for a bit, I soon found it back and proceeded back to the
car.
I cooled
down a bit and then went off in search of some milk and ice. I found
them at a nearby lodge for the bargain price of $7. I didn't ask which
cost more but headed back to the Main Gate to log my return and then head
back to the campground. After a shower, I took a nap as the rain clouds
moved in. It rained on and off for a while and I finally gave up on
the rain stopping long enough for me to cook my steak. I had to dry
out my stove for a bit but soon had my dinner cooking. I seem to have
finally found out the correct setting for fairly tender steaks - nearly off.
I skipped the usual rice side dish and enjoyed my steak from the back
of the car as the rain continued to fall.
Pleasantly filled, I moved to the car to do some pictures and web
stuff and to plan some more of the coming week. Between showers, I moved
over to the tent to be serenaded to sleep by the rain on the tent
Day 92
With a dry morning to wake up to, I cleaned up my site and started
packing up my wet gear. I still had a mountain trail to complete so I headed
off to the base of Mount Sagamook for a mid-morning stroll. The ascent
was quite constant and I was soon overlooking some of the lakes in the area.
A little farther and I had reached the rocky summit at 792m. I
stopped for a snack with a view and then descended by a more gentle route
back to the car.
I was soon back on the highway, this time heading east to Chaleur
Bay separating New Brunswick from the Gaspe Peninsula. Soon after emerging
from the trees I could see the noticeable presence of the French/Acadian
culture. Although still in New Brunswick, I was greeted by signs in
French only with an occasional bilingual sign on a business. I drove
along the coast to the town of Caraquet where I had noted a cheap motel.
After the wet night before, I felt I was entitled. I found the
place easily and registered for a night. I felt in the mood for pizza
and headed out in search of Pizza Delight. I couldn't find it so I
headed to Greco Pizza instead. Turned out well since they had a $10
special that fit my needs nicely. I returned to my room to dine as
well as check email and surf the internet. With the TV going as well,
I absorbed another week's supply of modern conveniences before turning in
for the night.
Day 93: Three Months and Counting
I slept
in a bit since I had a noon check out time and managed to get on the road
just before 12. I continued my trek along the coast and was soon bordering
the Northumberland Strait. I continued along to Escuminac and headed
out on a long and bumpy dirt road to the lighthouse on the nearby point.
I took a few pictures and had a bit of lunch before taking the long,
bumpy ride back to the highway.
I soon found myself entering Kouchibouguac National Park. I
decided to drive through since I already had a bunch of info and continued
to St-Louis-de-Kent to find a campground. I decided on Evergreen Acres
and registered for two nights. I set up my tent and then went to find
some groceries. After getting a few things at the local Co-op store,
I decided to stop in at the Park to see what activites were on the schedule
for the next day. I looked over some of their interpretive displays as well
and then returned to my site.
I took a nap and then did a bit of planning for some hikes. I
made some pasta for dinner and then wrote up some web stuff. The campground
has a phone jack in the laundry room so I headed there to connect and upload
an update. Soon after, I was in my tent reading myself to sleep (hey,
somebody's gotta do it).
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