|
What's New!!
| |
| Other Log Books : March, April, May, June,
July , August,
September, October |
Nov 30 (Tuesday) - Day
259 - Ditch, NF to Corner Brook, NF (30.9 km - 4:17 travel time - 7370.5 km total)
The flurries were busy last night as the Coyote rises to a few cm accumulation. Not much, but enough to make
this a Vasque Boot morning that never gets over the Zero Degree Threshold (ZDT). But it's gorgeous scenery
amongst the rolling hills as Kevin changes to New Balance Runners at Pinchgut Lake. He runs into Corner
Brook under alternating sun and blowing snow, like a weather yo-yo. Juanita Break at the Best Western
Mamakeet Inn takes care of Kevin's "6 Day Aroma" and the Coyote smiles like he's insane... |
Nov 29 (Monday) - Day
258 - Marble Mountain, NF to ditch, NF (53.3 km - 6:19 travel time -
7339.6 km total)
The Coyote rises early to jubilantly discover there is no freezing rain. And since he was totally embarrassed
about his puny day yesterday, he gets busy and posts a big K day over a 500 metre gain/400 metre loss
gorgeously rolly route. It's a steady single (but amazing) celsius degree all day. The winds are light
and the shoulder is sweet. He pitches by his 2:30pm deadline on a logging road and enjoys some scenic
flurries. |
Nov 28 (Sunday) - Day
257 - ditch, NF to Marble Mountain, NF (19.2 km - 3:18 travel time -
7286.3 km total)
After an entertaining evening of 100 kph winds howling above him, Kevin rises to a gushing and throbbing
downpour that lasts all morning. But the wind had subsided, so the weather dome was brought into play.
He creeped up and down the hills arriving at the restaurant which was supposed to be about 10k further.
He opted for an early stop since it's 80k of nothing until Corner Brook, and big winds with freezing rain
are in the forecast... |
Nov 27 (Saturday) - Day
256 - ditch, NF to the ditch, NF (41.6 km - 4:44 travel time - 7267.1 km total)
Rain to start, but the mild 3 degrees rose to a HUGE 8 by noon and cleared up. The wind made Kevin do the
Michael Jackson dance (you know - the foot swinging thing?) in gusts up to 80 kph. The rollies are in
place as Kevin scooted up a total 360 metre gain and tumbled down a 380 metre descent over the course of
the day. Once again, he finds himself in a ditch pitch niche. Two hunters named Clyde ambled upon his camp.
They gave Kevin some awesome local knowledge to plan his next couple of weeks. It's a good day with a
happiness theme... |
Nov 26 (Friday) - Day
255 - Doyles, NF to the ditch, NF (39.2 km - 5:03 travel time - 7225.5 km total)
Kevin contiues his pleasant autumn journey enjoying the mild 5 degrees over rolling scenic hills. The
paved shoulder has returned! Newfoundland is a bit less populated along the Trans Canada Highway than
other provinces, so he finds himself in a dirt pit for the night...but a very nice dirt pit... |
Nov 25 (Thursday) - Day
254 - Port Aux Basqes, Newfoundland to Doyles, NF (38.6 km - 4:44 travel time -
7186.3 km total)
The Coyote and RoadRunner are the last to disembark MV Smallwood at 07:00
(NFLD time). They are greeted by darkness, light rain and very mild conditions amongst
the rocky cliffs and solitude of pre-dawn. The highway is smooth and wide for 20k as Kevin soaks in the
mountain scenery, then the shoulder is Houdini-ized (disappears) which is not a good sign of things to
come. He saunters through "The Wreckhouse" (which is a windy area that has de-railed trains in the past - but
no wind this day) and lands his tent in the back of a restaurant, on schedule and loving the Rock...so
far... |
Nov 24 (Wednesday) - Day
253 - North Sydney, NS to Port Aux Basqes, Newfoundland!
Newspaper interview (a very fun time with Julie), administration (confirmation of inclusion in St.
John's ceremony!), laundry and re-supplying day. Catching the 23:30 ferry and launching into the final
phase... |
Nov 23 (Tuesday) - Day
252 - Bras D'Or, Cape
Breton, NS to North Sydney, NS (21.9 km - 2:19 travel time - 7147.7 km total)
In typical Coyote planning, the last day of the big stretch is a tiny day - Jubilantly, Kevin strides into
North Sydney in rain and overcast conditions. He is beaming. That's 9 provinces with only 1 to go! Gordon
Heading at the Best Western North Star Inn shares Kevin's excitement and sets him up in luxury to
celebrate the moment... |
Nov 22
(Monday) - Day 251 - Baddeck, Cape Breton, NS to Bras D'Or, Cape
Breton, NS (38.5 km - 4:55 travel time - 7125.8 km total)
Kevin is dutifully warned about "Kelly's Mountain"
that is on his route for today. They say it's "quite a bump!" and they laugh amongst themselves. The day is
gorgeously 8 degrees on the happy side of zero with skies as blue as twelve's a dozen. The Coyote takes a
pause at the foot of the beast to psyche himself up for the ascent. An hour later, he's on the top of this
little 240 metre rise over 7k reflecting on how little most people know about the geography of Canada.
Everyone seems to think their mountain is the hugest, probably because they haven't seen any others. But no
matter, really. It's a wonderful travelling day with a 420 metre gain in total under grand conditions. After
the classically structured Bras D'Or bridge, he pitches next to a friendly motel and restaurant. |
Nov 21 (Sunday) - Day
250 - Whycocomagh, Cape Breton, NS to Baddeck, NS (40.8 km -
6:00 travel time - 7087.3 km total)
After a summery warm night, Kevin is treated to some rainy moments for most of the day. He sees his first
and second east coast bald eagles as he comes upon the Trans Canada entrance to the famous Cabot Trail. The
sun comes back into play in mid-afternoon as Kevin tours Baddeck. After a brief visit to the Alexander
Graham Bell Museum, Kevin pitches at the Bras D'Or Yacht Club and pauses for the night. |
Nov 20 (Saturday) - Day
249 - Port Hastings, Cape Breton to Whycocomagh, Cape Breton,
NS (48.8 km - 5:26 travel time - 7046.5 km total)
Winter has been repealled! A sweet night of sleep is followed by a +9 degree morning. A mosey to nearby
Smitty's Restaurant sees Ann provide a nice gift of pancakes then it's a delightfully large day of sweet
travel for the Coyote. He catches a CBC interview with Robert Garside who is currently running around the
world. People are amazing... Under sunny blue skies of 15 fantastic degrees, Kevin is wearing a t-shirt and
making great progress until finally stopping to camp behind Vi's Restaurant who also set him up with free
calories! Such a yummy spot to camp... |
Nov 19 (Friday) - Day
248 - Lower South River, NS to Port Hastings, Cape Breton (46.5 km -
5:44 travel time - 6997.7 km total)
Looks like a new record low temperature for this date in Nova Scotia last night.
Yowza! The Coyote stays snuggly warm in the -10 night until he tries to get
packed up. Hubba Hubba! Once underway, he warms up and begins to enjoy the gently rolling terrain to the
causeway leading to Cape Breton Island, under cloudy skies with sunny smidgens. The Tourist Info Centre was
open! That's the first one since Quebec City. They let him pitch behind their building for a view of the
Strait of Canso and they assure him it's warmer here on the island at night...right... |
Nov 18 (Thursday) - Day
247 - Antigonish, NS to Lower South River, NS (10.9 km - 1:54 travel time -
6951.2 km total)
It's a casual day for the Coyote as he scrubs his gear, gets his skiis installed (courtesy of A.J. and
Robert at Eastern Auto in Antigonish) and generally gets ready for the 200k jaunt to North Sydney. As he
checks out the sights of this bustling university town, he of course runs into someone he knows; Sonja
who he had met in Kakabeka Falls, Ontario. The wandering continues a ways down the highway to camp
out across from a wonderful famous restaurant and enjoys a super (but chilly) night of civilization. |
Nov 17 (Wednesday) - Day
246 - French River, NS to Antigonish, NS (41.9 km - 4:53 travel time - 6940.3 km total)
Even though snow is forecast, it's only a frosty blue sky morning. Kevin didn't measure the temperature but
he dropped a tupperware container and it smashed like glass. Sounds fairly chilly. Clouding over, but never
dropping anything, the day allows Kevin a smooth and pleasing journey into town. He does a 6k loop to find
Gary & Anne Cusack at the Chateau Motel who set him up with a cozy room (and the bed is even level!). Kevin's
childhood buddy, Wesley Hogan tracks him down for an evening of re-connecting as the snow finally settles
upon Antigonish. |
Nov 16 (Tuesday) - Day
245 - Pictou, NS to French River, NS (43.8 km - 5:14 travel time - 6898.4 km total)
Nova Scotia is offering up some decent shoulders and so far, very nice weather for the Coyote. He scoots
into New Glasgow for a library visit, some groceries and the odd Big Mac. Then he hits the barren country
to find a slanty piece of pasture on Hugh Browning's Holstein Dairy Farm. These things always work out... |
Nov 15 (Monday) - Day
244 - Pinette, PEI to Pictou, Nova Scotia! (29.7 km - 3:38 travel time - 6854.6 km total)
It's a breezy day with big mama headwinds for the last 20k of PEI. But there are 5 friendly celsius degrees
hanging about as Kevin reaches the Wood Islands Ferry. He pauses at the weigh scale to see that RoadRunner
has gained a few pounds (new weight: 235), but it's due to some good winter gear, so that's okay. The
ferry was almost cancelled due to winds, but it went it's bouncy way dropping Coyote & RoadRunner onto Nova
Scotia's shores - Province #9. The wind and rain stops and the sun peaks out for a delightful jog into
Pictou, where Donny at Town Hall allows a campsite next to the shoreline and the restoration project of
the good ship Hector. A scenic camp to enjoy his first Nova Scotian evening. |
Nov 14 (Sunday) - Day
243 - Charlottetown, PEI to Pinette, PEI (42.8 km - 5:04 travel time -
6824.9 km total)
Back to normal temperatures around 8 degrees under blue skies. It's a sweet day that ends in a picnic
shelter - one of Kevin's favourite camping situations... |
Nov 13 (Saturday) - Day
242 - Charlottetown, PEI (Rest Day) |
Nov 12 (Friday) - Day
241 - Cornwall, NB to Charlottetown, PEI (16.3 km - 2:55 travel time -
6782.1 km total)
Just a wee bit of snow last night, but enough to make the shoulder slushy. So Kevin did a boot walk into the
fine city of Charlottetown. Andrea, nancy, harry and Deputy Mayor Roger Birt welcomed Kevin and helped him
with his little details. David Rooper at the Best Western set kevin up in a kitchen suite with heating!
No more rubbing his toes together to stay warm tonight. isn't life grand sometimes? |
Nov 11 (Thursday) - Day
240 - Borden-Carleton, NB to Cornwall, NB (44.3 km - 5:26 travel time -
6765.8 km total)
Just a we bit of snow last night, but the flurries kept trying to accumulate all day today. The wind gave
kevin a nice rosy complexion as it combined with some chilly temps to equal an exciting 17 celsius
underneath nothing (below zero). The Coyote was very pleased to maintain as 8kph pace in these conditions
as he tested his layering, sweating, eating, hydrating and other issues for sub-zero running. All is well.
Even pitching his tent is getting smoother as he sets up in local resident Carmelita's backyard to enjoy his
long wintry evening in cozy comfort...brrr... |
Nov 10 (Wednesday) - Day
239 - Cap Pele, NB to Borden-Carleton, NB (45.2 km - 4:53 travel time -
6721.5 km total)
The 5cm of snow didn't show up, so Kevin had another rockin' day. As he approached Confederation Bridge, he
could smell the salt air of Northumberland Strait - a nice moment. At the bridge, Scott Selby shuttled
Coyote and RoadRunner to PEI. Within 20 minutes, Kevin had tented in the back of a motel where he made a
tight camp for the night's forecasted storm... |
Nov 9 (Tuesday) - Day
238 - Moncton, NB to Cap Pele, NB (47.4 km - 5:17 travel time - 6676.3 km total)
It's a crisp blue sky day. With wind chill it's 132 degrees on the wrong side of zero, but Kevin enjoys a
homemade pancake breakfast with his new friends, Jacques & Dorothee in their
motorhome. Jacques is finishing his cross Canada walk in 6 days when he arrives in Halifax. Kevin will still be pounding the
pavement for a while later, so he gets on his way. Lots of honks due to yesterday's newspaper article.
it's a nice travel day all the way as he gets further than planned. With the 5cm of snow expected, he's very
pleased to be allowed to pitch his tent in the town's
covered band stand. |
Nov 7-8 (Sunday-Monday) - Day
236-237 - Moncton, NB (Rest Days)
The Moncton Wildcats hockey game, the City Hall visit, the city tour (thanks to Councillor Kathryn Barnes)
and a whack of internet time thanks to Barb & Charlene. Kevin thanks Art Powell at Rodd's Park House
Inn for 3 delicious nights and Susan Killam at City Hall for setting everything up. A sweet visit indeed. |
Nov 6 (Saturday) - Day
235 - Petitcodiac, NB to Moncton, NB (36.9 km - 3:38 travel time - 6628.9 km total)
For the first time in the trip, Kevin puts up an average speed of over 10kph for the total day. Sound
the trumpets! It`s another beautiful day. The shoulder is elusive, but the traffic is light on this blustery
and warm t-shirt day. Just before Moncton, Kevin meets Jacques Gauthier who is walking across Canada. He`s a
60 year old Quebecker who was expected to be in a wheelchair, but gave up drugs and took up stretching.
It has certainly worked for him! Check out
www.thehealthyself.com to learn about this fantastic fellow. Constable Rick of the local RCMP escorts Kevin
into Moncton for the last 6k to Rodd`s Park House Inn where Art Powell and Susan Killam had arranged some
relaxing shelter. Councillor Kathryn Barnes and Millennium Man Stan McGrath were on hand to welcome
Kevin to the city. After an interview with the Times & Transcript, Kevin settles in for a scrubbing and a
happy night of rest... |
Nov 5 (Friday) - Day
234 - Sussex, NB to Petitcodiac, NB (45.3 km - 4:48 travel time - 6592.0 km total)
Another fantastic blue sky day on big fat shoulders. This is getting too easy for the Coyote. On his way
out of Sussex, he visits the Kings County Record for a wee interview, then it`s a sweet travel day to
Petitcodiac on the spanking new 4-laner. A visit from Marie Galbraith on the highway was a nice surprise.
Then he finishes up at a roadside restaurant where he finally gets back to the camping scene... |
Nov 4 (Thursday) - Day
233 - Hampton, NB to Sussex, NB (38.6 km - 4:18 travel time - 6546.7 km total)
In 10 degree temps for the whole day, Kevin enjoys a huge shoulder over sweet terrain under sun & clouds. A
sandwich truck stops to hand out some snacks (courtesy of Gilbert Boyce). He's now back on track from his
diversion to Saint John, and fully on schedule for a successful conclusion in St. John's. In Sussex, the
Coyote meets the Symington Family (Dave, Jane, Kalie, Lynn & Neil) who put him up for a cozy night. It's
been a long time since Kevin did any camping, isn't it? What a wimp... |
Nov 3 (Wednesday) - Day
232 - Saint John, NB to Hampton, NB (33.8 km - 3:42 travel time - 6508.1 km total)
Kevin says goodbye to the Miller Family (Mark, Sheila, Abby & Ben) who endured him for 4 days! But for every
goodbye, there's a hello. Indian summer says hello in 15 glorious celsius degrees. The wind says hello in 80
exciting kph gusts. Kevin says hello to the open road. Lynn-Ann and Mark Duffley say hello to Kevin for
dinner. Kevin says hello to their 4 girls: Rachel, Vanessa, Mariah & Kirsten. Ann & Jamie say hello to
everyone and take Kevin to their new house for the night. Everyone says hello to a nice night... |
|
