Annapolis Royal to Creignish, Saturday, 9 June 2012, Day 5

Campsite before it started to rain

Wet, wet, wet and wet grrrr wet. I woke up and it was raining so rolled over and went back to sleep as I was snug as a bug in my sleeping bag. It kept on raining or so I thought as I was camping under some trees so the rain dripping on my tent made it sound like it was pissing down when in fact when I did get out it was only spiting so I had to break down a wet tent and gear in in the damp which was not to enjoyable a very slow morning especially with the multiple trip that I did to the shower complex first time I found out that you need change for hot shower so went back to the tent to pick up some change but then I forgot my shower bag so I had to go back and get that all this is in the wet so folks where starting to stare.

I hit the road and basically it rained all day so just put my head down and headed for Cape Breton in the hope that the sun would come out. It did not so spent all day on the bike getting soaked so by 6pm in the evening I was a damp squid and I had no desire to camp as it was still raining so I went to the tourist info who directed me to a great cheap little BB in Creignish more on this later. I took no photos today so one from the day before my campsite before it started raining.

Creignish Bed & Breakfast is run by Sandra, which is an old school house converted into a BB from the outside looks overgrown but inside a very cosy fascinating place with an interesting owner. In the sitting room it overlooks a feeding table where there are squirrels, chipmunks, humming birds and all sorts of other colourful birds so after a long wet day on the bike a dry little haven its so nice that I have decided to stay 2 nights and use this as base to do the Cabot Trail (I have I already gone of camping I am not sure I can afford to do that!)

BB Creigish

Comments on my kit on how it stood up to the wet

Rukka Gloves are actually waterproof I do not recall ever having a pair of gloves that kept my hands so dry for so long how long will these last before they start to leak (Cynic)

Rev-it Boots also kept me feet dry

Damen Waterproof trousers also worked so on the whole very happy with me new Kit lets hope they stay waterproof for a while longer as I am guessing I will be needing them

And my faithful 7-year-old Rukka jacket still keeping me warm and dry and seems to take whatever the weather wants to throw at me had some wet arms today but that was my own fault for not tucking the gloves in correctly.

Creignish Cabot Trail, Sunday, 10 June 2012, Day 6

Cabot Trail Coastline

Good to be back in a proper bed not I am not sure I am cut out for this camping malarky anymore but I am going to have to persist or this is going to be a very short trip. Huge breakfast like I said I like this little BB. Not sure what the weather is going to do but I decide to do the Cabot Trail which is just a short circuit of Cape Breton of about +-400kms 🙂

Cabot Trail Cold

Cabot Trail Warmer

 

Cabot Trail

It started of cold and wet so I was not having much fun however at around 3pm the sun had decided to come out which made the rest of the trip very enjoyable. So it went from 10 degrees C riding through the mist and clouds not been able to see much to glorious sunshine and 20 degrees C so again serious wardrobe issues on with the waterproofs of with the waterproofs, on with the winter gloves, off with the winter gloves, on with the in between gloves off with the in between glove on with the summer gloves etc.choices choices choices!

Bike trying to escape

At the end of the day I found a nice little pub which had live Gaelic music so had a big bowl of chilly to warm me insides and spent a nice meal tapping me foot to the music.

Cabot Trail Musicians

Back to the BB where I did some quick repairs to the bike. Mechanical issue 2 the tube that runs from my chain oiler to the chain had rubbed a hole into itself after the last bodge job I had done to fix this so as per all my fixes out comes the duct tape and the zip ties and hey presto the job is done chain lube now functional (How long who knows) I also adjusted the chain while I was busy at the back end. And then I watch the sun go down and spent the rest of the evening chatting to Sandra the elderly lady who runs this joint an American schoolteacher who came out here during the Vietnam war and never went back. All in all a nice day just updating this blog which is turning out to be quite a chore so this could get less and less or shorter and shorter who knows. I am Of to Louisbourg tomorrow for some Canadian history or maybe I will go somewhere else who knows? 🙂

BB Craigish