Day 64 Petite Rocher to St. Louis de Kent

 

100.2 miles, 3,210 ft ascent  Another Imperial Century Ride!

Knowing that rain was once again forecast, I dressed for bad weather today,   donning every article of warm clothing I brought, except for the rain jacket, which I stowed in the handle bar pack until needed.  My compression shirt was under my cycling jersey, and I wore arm warmers, bike shorts, knee warmers and high socks.  I had a waterproof helmet cover, but it was too small to use over the helmet.  However, I did manage to put it on under the helmet, and it kept my head dry.  The bike shoes have toe covers to shed rain, but I added plastic bags over my socks, hoping to keep my feet dry, based upon recommendation by our British cycling guides, who thankfully, continue to act as guides and cycling advisors, despite their being guests on the tour.   

 

 

Close up view of shoes and plastic bags.

This Catholic Church was adjacent to our campground.  Churches in new Brunswick are not nearly as ornate as the churches in Quebec, and I am not sure why.  This particular building was more decorated than most we have seen in New Brunswick, but it paled in comparison with some of the churches we viewed in Quebec.

 

McDonald's fried chicken seemed to be a local favorite.

 

Viewing these Acadian flags should give you an appreciation of our wind today.  Below is some information about the Acadian flags and the term Acadia.

The Acadian flag, also called the flag of Acadia or the starred tricolour, consists of three vertical stripes of blue, white and red, with the star of the Virgin Mary in the blue stripe. In 1884, during the second National Convention of the Acadians in Miscouche, Prince Edward Island, the flag was chosen as one of the Acadian symbols. Today, the star and the colours of the flag can be found in the logos of a number of associations and groups linked to Acadians or their language. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/the-acadian-flag

The term Acadia today refers to regions of North America that are historically associated with the lands, descendants, or culture of the colony of New France in northeastern North America which included parts of what are now the Maritime provinces, the Gaspé Peninsula and Maine to the Kennebec River. It particularly refers to regions of The Maritimes with Acadian roots, language, and culture, primarily in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, the Magdalen Islands, and Prince Edward Island, as well as in Maine.^[7] It can also refer to the Acadian diaspora in southern Louisiana, a region also referred to as Acadiana since the early 1960s. In the abstract, Acadia refers to the existence of an Acadian culture in any of these regions. People living in Acadia are called Acadians which changed to Cajuns in Louisiana, the American pronunciation of Acadians, even though most Cajuns are not descendants of Acadians but French-Americans who lived in southern Louisiana in the US.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acadia

 

 

 

Once again we were reminded that one is never too far from a charging moose in Canada.

Apparently, the moose situation is even more serious here than in other locations we have traversed.  I rode down 10 miles of Hwy 8 with an 8 ft. tall metal fence on both sides of the road, along with  many moose warning signs.  The land behind the fence appeared to be prime moose habitat.  There must have been numerous moose "encounters" in this stretch of roadway.  

Here is another view of the moose abatement fence.  More importantly, however, please note the quality of the newly paved Hwy 8 for cycling.  The shoulder on each side of the road is 12 feet wide without cracks or debris.  Canada encourages cycling.

This is the Mirichimi River from a bridge we crossed, and looking beyond you see the Atlantic Ocean.

 

 

If you weren't aware of Tim Horton's hockey prowess, you could guess his sport when entering one of his restaurants through the front doors.

These stores for the ladies are everywhere.

Miracles do happen!  After riding in the rain and getting soaked through, we arrived at our campground to find that it had covered areas in which to set our tents! 

In addition, there was another covered area in which to prep and cook food.  The tent  set up on the picnic table on the far right was that of our youngest rider, Julian.  He planned to sleep there in his tent on top of the table.  His choice.......

Better yet, take a look at tonight's lobster tail dinner, a reward for another Imperial Century Ride!  

 

 

Today's ride was long, and it felt even longer, due to a headwind of about 10 mph.  The rain in the afternoon, coupled with a temperature in the 60sF resulted in a very cold ride.  Today I felt warmer than previous journeys under similar conditions.  I believe that the main factors contributing to more comfort  and warmth were: a) being able to keep my feet dry with the plastic bags over my socks, and b) keeping my head dry with the waterproof head covering under my helmet.  It has been said that a person loses considerable heat through the head and feet, and I am now a believer in that statement.  The "foot bags" probably made the most difference, and I am indebted to the British cyclists  for their excellent suggestions.  

After tomorrow's rest day, we have 8 remaining days in the tour.  I will use the rest day to prep for the final rides, and perhaps take a nap.  Join us again on our journey.  You are welcome to stop by tomorrow to see what we did with our rest day too.