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Dec 31 (Friday) - Day
290 - St. John's, Newfoundland FINALE
Kevin's parents arrive (finally meeting Jane) and much hugging is exchanged. The visiting friends wander over
for a pot luck pre-Millennium dinner. Time moves quickly as 10:11pm comes around to find Kevin on stage
delivering his greetings from across Canada to the assembled crowds on the St. John's waterfront. The
final part of the trip is complete. Time to fade into the crowd itself and celebrate the countdown into the
year 2000.
A dream come true. |
Dec 30 (Thursday) - Day
289 - Mount Pearl, NF to St. John's, NF (11.8 km - 1:19 travel time -
8078.6 km total)
The snow has stopped, and the tempy dropped, but it's a blue sky into St. John's. The media is sprinkled
across the route and Chris Mager (Kevin's ultra-running mentor) jogs in the last few k (with a
broken toe...). Constable Campbell Fiennes uses sirens and lights to guide Kevin into City Hall for
11:00am. Friends and media gather to cheer him in as
he reaches kilometre "0" of the Trans Canada Highway. Bernadette Walsh of St. John's City Hall had arranged
a meeting with Mayor Andy Wells, a snack session and an official Guest Book signing for the whole gang.
Coyote Kevin and the RoadRunner have arrived. It is done.
On Hand: Paul Shore & Rochelle Todosichuk from Vancouver (via France), Rob & Cathy Gionet from San
Francisco, John Kean, Carolyn Kean and Dave Whittaker from Ottawa, Chris Mager & Owen Davis from Vancouver,
Louise Bungay from Dildo, NFLD, and Sweet Jane Miller from Vancouver.
Kevin receives a surprise message at City Hall that informs him that his parents will be arriving
tomorrow.
Time for a night on the town! |
Dec 29 (Wednesday) - Day
288 - Mount Pearl, NF (Holding Pattern Day)
It's a day of pause to allow Kevin's friend's to arrive in St. John's. Jane & Kevin catch up on life in
Vancouver as Chris & Owen stay with their new Newfoundland friend, Louise in Dildo, and they all go
completely wild. The NFLD weather takes a dive into deep winter... |
Dec 28 (Tuesday) - Day
287 - Butter Pot Underpass, NF to Mount Pearl, NF (25.1 km -
4:23 travel time - 8066.8 km total)
Kevin's cozy underpass sheltered him perfectly until 3:00am this morning when the wind took a disappointing
turn for the worst. For the next 5 hours, Kevin enjoyed the sensation of camping in a wind tunnel.
Sounds like fun... It's a short jaunt into town in blowing flurries and as he's leaving the highway, a
small car pulls up to ask directions. It takes Kevin a few moments to register that he's looking at Chris
Mager & Owen Davis from Vancouver! That's quite a
surprise. They all head down to the Crossroads Motel then spend some valuable re-connecting time. For
dinner, they meet up with Louise Bungay at Jungle Jim's where silliness is the sport of choice. Finally
after midnight, Sweet Jane arrives from Vancouver... A very good day. |
Dec 27 (Monday) - Day
286 - Gushue's Provincial Park, NF to Butter Pot Underpass, NF
(26.8 km - 4:43 travel time - 8041.7 km total)
Yowza. That's a windy day. According to the RCMP, the winds were gusting over 100kph, and empty transport
trucks were not able to travel on the highway. Kevin kept his head down into the headwinds, crosswinds and
tailwinds. Everything was okay until it started to rain. Zoiks. Fortunately, he was able to pitch on a
sidewalk in the Butter Pot underpass. Which is how he met Constable Ed Rossiter of the RCMP. Ed had seen
Kevin on television, so he let him stay for the night. |
Dec 26 (Sunday) - Day
285 - Whitbourne, NF to Gushue's Provincial Park, NF (23.9 km -
2:53 travel time - 8014.9 km total)
The Coyote & RoadRunner broke the 8000 kilometre mark on this sunny and chilly day. It's just short hops
these last 3 days as Kevin totally enjoys each & every road moment. He sneaks intot he closed park and sets
up a sweet winter camp as the mercury begins to tumble. NOTE: Tent poles may snap when
brittle...oops... |
Dec 24-25
(Friday-Saturday) - Day 283-284 - Placentia for Christmas!
Russ Newhook of Placentia thought it would be totally inappropriate for Kevin to be alone at Christmas. Russ
took Kevin back to his home (Fo'c's'le B&B) to spend two nights with his family & Friends. The Coyote
couldn't have planned a better Newfoundland Christmas if he had tried. Bess & Jim Pretty served up a roasted
moose dinner (as wellas directing Santa Claus to Kevin's location!), Lori & Chris Newhook stuffed up a
stocking full of treats and hosted a huge turkey dinner, and Rodney served up some fancy guitar picking
as they all sang the Mummer's Song. But best of all, new friendships were made and the spirit of Christmas
is strong as ever. |
Dec 23 (Thursday) - Day
282 - Dirt Pit Road, NF to Whitbourne, NF (27.1 km - 3:23 travel time -
7991.0 km total)
By gum, she's a bit crisp this morning, but Kevin warms up once underway. It's a bit breezy again on
this hilly day, but it's only a short distance with only a few seasonal flurries to distract him from the
scenery. Jubilantly, he comes upon the Moorland Motel, where Vern Reid offers up some indoor heating, laundry
facilities and protection from the -6 night. Sometimes, these things just work out... |
Dec 22 (Wednesday) - Day
281 - Goobies, NF to Dirt Pit Road, NF (47.4 km - 5:44 travel time -
7963.9 km total)
After a restless night of 80kph gusts in his marginally prepared tent, Kevin rises to cheer the
calmness. His waitress, Lorraine buys him breakfast and the Coyote gets rolling. Today he reaches the
Avalon Peninsula and sees the rocky landscape he was promised. The day is good for
travelling, just a bit breezy but he gets the distance he wants and pitches
on an old dirt pit road. Today, he took extra time to firmly secure the shelter to the tundra... |
Dec 21 (Tuesday) - Day
280 - Clarenville, NF to Goobies, NF (29.8 km - 3:45 travel time -
7916.5 km total)
A beautiful sunrise welcomes Kevin back to the road. He scampers a scant 30k to Goobies in seasonal
temperatures, a bit of wind and 400 metres of hills. Arriving in Goobies, he pitches behind a gas station
just before the blowing snow sets in, and the winds get itself into a tizzy, reaching the "Holy Smokes"
level... This is fitting for the first day of winter, but that doesn't make it any more fun... |
Dec 20 (Monday) - Day
279 - Clarenville, NF (Rest Day) |
Dec 19 (Sunday) - Day
278 - Port Blandford, NF to Clarenville, NF (32.9 km - 4:00 travel time -
7886.7 km total)
It's a blue sky morning and that can only mean one thing: snow. But it never appears. So this is
Kevin's first fully sunny day in Newfoundland. Which doesn't seem to make it any warmer as he
enjoys a -5 degree morning with the windchill in the "We don't want to know" region. It's still
rolly terrain out here with a 300 metre up and down, but he's happy to arrive in Clarenville's
Restland Motor Inn where Desiree Lane takes him in from the chilly willy day. It's his last indoor
shelter until reaching St. John's so he soaks it up huge. |
Dec 18 (Saturday) - Day
277 - Terra Nova Park, NF to Port Blandford, NF (34.7 km - 4:45 travel time -
7853.8 km total)
The Terra Nova Park Ecologist Renee Wissink, drops by to escort Kevin out the emergency exit to
the highway (which is how he should have come in). Renee invites the Coyote home for a family breakfast with his wife Lea. Then it's a
rare blue sky moment as Kevin departs. Not a cloud in the sky on any
horizon. 60 minutes later, it's snowing like crazy. What a province... Over 400 metres of up and down as the headwinds and flurries entertain Kevin to Port
Blandford. Rhoda and Ken Parsons set him up in
their Terra Nova Hospitality Home (John Cabot Room) and all is well... |
Dec 17 (Friday) - Day
276 - Gambo, NF to Terra Nova Park, NF (41.8 km - 6:59 travel time -
7819.1 km total)
Another very long day, but this one had some wild weather with hail, freezing rain, snow and very
exciting headwinds. Just for fun, there was a 450metre gain and when Kevin finally reached Newman
Sound Campground in Terra Nova Park, he had to go through 2k of crusty snow, downhill, to get to his site. It took 1 hour. It's the hardest day of the trip...so far... But the picnic shelter was sweet as he concocted a fire and cozied in... |
Dec 16 (Thursday) - Day
275 - Gander, NF to Gambo, NF (43.7 km - 7:43 travel time - 7777.3 km total)
Hooray! Back on the Road! It's a bit slushy and slippery, but no rain or new snow falling, so it gets
better every kilometre. Kevin walks the entire time making for a very long day. Reaching the Gambo
exit, he unexcited to see it's still 3k to his desired location. He pitches at Sheila's Restaurant and
relaxes for the evening in his cozy tent. |
Dec 15 (Wednesday) - Day
274 - Gander, NF (Rest Day)
Storm Day in Gander
La, la, la...sitting in Hotel Gander
La, la, la...waiting for the blizzard to fizzle
La, la, la...finally found a room in St. John's!
La, la, la...sitting in Hotel Gander... |
Dec 14 (Tuesday) - Day
273 - Gander, NF (Rest Day)
Resting in Gander Other than a meeting with Terry Morrison of the Newfoundland
T'Railway, it was chores day in Gander... |
Dec 13 (Monday) - Day
272 - Glenwood "Park", NF to Gander, NF (17.2 km -
2:58 travel time - 7733.6 km total)
Sunshine! The first clear blue sky morning in Newfoundland. But it's icy on the highway, so Kevin boot
tromps his way to Gander as the sky clouds over anyway and spits out flurries. But Dianne & Debbie welcome
him at the Hotel Gander where Henry Gallant (first Trans Canadian walker) stayed in 1967, and more
recently, John Davidson of Jesse's Journey this past summer. |
Dec 12 (Sunday) - Day
271 - Welcome Centre, NF to Glenwood "Park" (29.4 km -
3:46 travel time - 7716.4 km total)
It's a drizzly, cold and windy morning, but Kevin is pumped for Gander. He slows up near Glenwood so as not
to arrive there a day early. The Glenwood "Park" is a bit rustic (and closed), but a tent spot is selected
and the Coyote stirs up a whack of pasta. Alone, as usual... |
Dec 11 (Saturday) - Day
270 - Grand Falls-Windsor, NF to Welcome Centre, NF (52.1 km -
5:34 travel time - 7687.0 km total)
The forecasted snow was a no-show, so Kevin got busy. He's obviously anxious to reach St. John's, but he'd
better slow down or he'll arrive way too early. This sweet travel day had perfect conditions over the 300
metre gain of the 50k jaunt. The Coyote is getting in pretty good shape for this type of travel. He pitches
behind a closed welcome centre and revels in his progress... |
Dec 10 (Friday) - Day
269 - Grand Falls-Windsor, NF (Rest Day)
These rest days used to be restful, but now Kevin is mostly restless as he gets anxious to complete his
journey. It's a sunny day of zero kilometres and the forecast calls for 3 days of snow for his trip to
Gander...wonderful... |
Dec 9 (Thursday) - Day
268 - Badger, NF to Grand Falls-Windsor, NF (27.3 km - 2:34 travel time -
7634.9 km total)
Eagerly, Kevin pounces upon the revived shoulder to zoom into Grand Falls-Windsor in a lickety-split pace
of 10.6kph. That's eager. He is welcomed at the Highliner Inn by Mike Walsh who sets him up in a HUGE
room to dry and sort his gear. His shipment from home contains a homespun newsletter complete with photos,
stories and silliness regarding former "Carpe Diem" members. It is a special treasure. |
Dec 8 (Wednesday) - Day
267 - Logging Road, NF to Badger, NF (25.1 km - 4:39 travel time - 7607.6 km total)
After a noisy night of freezing rain, Kevin rises to pack up his frozen tent and tarp then heads back onto
the shoulder-challenged "highway". An endless water cycle of gush, drizzle, pause entertains the Coyote
all the way to badger. He pitches behind a diner and cozies in for the night. |
Dec 7 (Tuesday) - Day
266 - Burnt Berry Lodge, NF to Logging Road, NF (37.3 km - 4:38 travel time -
7582.5 km total)
Nice enough day to start - a bit overcast and cool, but a good shoulder for 10k to South Brook. Then the
shoulder says good-bye and freezing rain says hello. It's wet and cold traveling
with no good campsite options until Kevin declares enough to be enough and
pitches right on a logging road to get himself into the warm and dry side of life. |
Dec 6 (Monday) - Day
265 - Logging Road, NF to Burnt Berry Lodge, NF (27.5 km - 2:59 travel time -
7545.2 km total)
Waking to a minor bit of snow, Kevin slushes into The Junction Inn where new owners Val and Roger treat him
to some fancy hotcakes. The paved shoulder holds on under mild temps all the way to the Springdale exit.
It's a bit gusty but no big deal as Kevin reaches the Burnt Berry Lodge. Al & Elaine suggest he take a
shower and enjoy a cozy indoor evening... |
Dec 5 (Sunday) - Day
264 - Highway 420 Exit, NF to Logging Road, NF (50.2 km - 5:42 travel time -
7517.7 km total)
"Making K while the sun shines" - It's an aggressive day for the Coyote as he enjoys the big shoulder, no
wind, no precipitation and a mellow 0 degree day. From tent down to tent up, he didn't speak to a soul today
in this remote section of Newfoundland. But he saw a fox and he's still on schedule, and there's no bugs!
So all is well as he pitches on a logging road just prior to the 410 junction. |
Dec 4 (Saturday) - Day
263 - Deer Lake, NF to Highway 420 Exit, NF (46.6 km - 4:59 travel time -
7467.5 km total)
As forecasted, Kevin rises to a superb travel day of overcast skies and 2-4 delightful
Celsius fellows. And the paved shoulder has returned! It's a happy time for
Kevin. The day is uneventful and he reaches a restaurant at the junction who let him pitch in their
dirt parking lot. He hangs out inside watching the sun go down and stuffing himself to the brim, as he learns
about outports from Phoebe... |
Dec 3 (Friday) - Day
262 - Pasadena, NF to Deer Lake, NF (23.0 km - 2:51 travel time -
7420.9 km total)
After a mild night of rain, Kevin rises to find most of the snow and slush gone. Maxine at the Family
Restaurant fuels him up with French Toast and he hits the drizzle. While still in Pasadena, Stewart from
Town Hall pulls over to hand out some souvenirs. Back on the highway, Kevin notices the big shoulder days
are now a distant memory. The Newfoundland Beach is now his route. Yuck. It's a slow haul into Deer Lake
where Daphne Russell pulls over for a photo, escorts him into town and presents him with a book of short
stories by local authors. Perry at the Driftwood Inn sets him up with a cozy room and he explores the town. |
Dec 2 (Thursday) - Day
261 - Corner Brook, NF to Pasadena, NF (27.4 km - 3:39 travel time -
7397.9 km total)
The freezing rain warning is called off at 7:00am so Kevin packs up and hits the 4-laner heading NE. The
northeast winds conspire to force Kevin into a slow push on flats and even
downhills. Holy smokes. But he loves the rock formations and he also loves making a
map error in his favour. Just prior to Pasadena appearing 10k earlier than
expected, the Mayor of Steady Brook (Trevor Bennett) tracks down the Coyote
and presents him with a bag lunch, a welcome poem, and a souvenir of their town. Upon arriving in Pasadena,
Jean & Maxine at the Pasadena Family Restaurant set Kevin up with a hot meal and let him pitch in the
nearby woods. While relaxing in his tent, he was spirited away for a huge and scrumpcious
home-cooked
meal with Georgy and Larry McCarthy who entertained him for the evening. Pasadena rocks... |
Dec 1 (Wednesday) - Day
260 - Corner Brook, NF (Rest Day
A nice snowy day for resting as a nor'easter blows through the Maritimes and sneaks into Newfoundland.
Kevin passes time with Ken Regular of NTV news who does a wee piece for the evening news. For the
remainder of the day, it's prepping for 8 days to Grand Falls and a bit of exploring Corner Brook. |
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