For the next four days the TCT is mostly road-walking, so I contacted Trevor, of the St John Outdoor Enthusiasts, to see if there is a better route.
Trevor went out of his way checking out alternate routes. He pre-hiked routes that seemed promising, redirecting around obstacles like missing bridges. Then he assembled a packet for me with maps with the route drawn on them, printed directions, tide tables and anything else I might need! He even arranged places to park our RV! Lastly, he's going to hike with me through this section. Pretty amazing.
On Saturday I hike from Grand Bay - Westfield into St John and on to Rockwood Park. I get a late start as we finish sorting our the kayaking gear and resupplying my pack. I'm also dreadfully behind on the blogging so when I find Wi-Fi at a Tim Hortons restaurant, I take the time to catch up and to download new audio books. But the miles go quickly on flat roads anyway.
My timing is fortunate as I cross over the mouth of the St John River - the Bay of Fundy is near high tide so the falls are completely flooded and flowing backwards. Pretty cool to see.
On Sunday, we start with a hike through Rockwood Park, one of Trevor's favorite haunts. Spirit joins for the first hour, and we all get drenched in rain but love the Park. Later, June, another St John Outdoor Enthusiast, joins us for the rest of the day. They both hike faster than I normally do, but the route is easy so I push hard to keep up and the miles fly by.
Trevor has arranged that we can park the RV at Peggy's house. A wonderful, kind hearted person, she is a delight to get to know. She and Spirit spend Monday together visiting yarn stores and the coast line. For Tuesday he has arranged parking at Bill's house in St Martins.
On Monday Trevor has a few improvements to the TCT route, reducing road walks a little bit. Again we bang off the miles quickly, though we make stops for pastries and for ice cream! I'm below my desired weight again so am eating everything I can get my hands on. Trevor was a bit surprised that I ate my lunch and then bought three pastries to eat as dessert on the spot!
Trevor and I make good miles. He is a master of side routes, earning him the Trail-name "Detour".
I am now way ahead of schedule. I haven't taken a day off for six weeks, and my daily mileage is also a little above plan (gee, I wonder why my weight is below target?). The combination has improved my arrival date in Halifax from late October to the first week of October. I've basically erased all two weeks lost to Lyme Disease. There are still uncertainties in route and weather, but it looks like we will be well ahead of our target of Canadian Thanksgiving Day (October 14). Yeah!
I am now way ahead of schedule. I haven't taken a day off for six weeks, and my daily mileage is also a little above plan (gee, I wonder why my weight is below target?). The combination has improved my arrival date in Halifax from late October to the first week of October. I've basically erased all two weeks lost to Lyme Disease. There are still uncertainties in route and weather, but it looks like we will be well ahead of our target of Canadian Thanksgiving Day (October 14). Yeah!
Sep 7 - 16.0 miles (25.7km) to Rockwood Park in St John, NB
Sep 8 - 18.5 miles to Perry Point on the Kennebecasis River, NB (4.4+18.9+6.4km)
Sep 9 - 17.9 miles to south end of Titusville Rd, NB (28.8km)
Sep 10 - 17.1 miles to St Martins, NB (27.5km)
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