Part 1: Bike Trip
Apr 22nd, 2014 by Heather Verdin
For the exercise of writing 4 blog posts for GRS, I have decided to reflect on the 4 events that made up my fall 2013 and spring 2014 year. A year of constant change, upheaval, and growth.
The first event was a bike trip which began at the end of August 2013. I flew east with my friend Panthea in to Halifax where we started our ride. Our first time riding with bikes fully loaded was the journey from the airport. A terrifying two hours on a tiny shouldered road, with crazy traffic. We spent a few days with friends in Halifax, then began riding up the south east coast, through Antiganish, and up to Belle Cote, a tiny town at the start of the Cabbot trail on Cape Bretton Island. Here we stayed for a week at a house owned by Panthea’s grandparents before continuing. A week of rain spent comfortably in a wood stove heated house with lots of books which overlooked a river, and 40 km by bike from groceries. A tiny tiny firsthand lesson in food security for two city girls. Onward. The Cabbot Trail took us about 5 days, with some killer hills (mountains), some killer rain, a bear sighting, some killer views, and some amazing kindness from strangers. After tackling a mountain in the rain and rolling into a campsite soaking wet and freezing to find no firewood, we debated about offering to pay the one other campsite resident to drive to the nearest town and buy us some. Before we could, he offered up his own supply on his own accord. Amazing. After the Cabbot Trail, we caught an overnight ferry to Newfoundland. Upon arriving we were met with fog so thick we could only see 3 feet in front of ourselves, unsafe for biking, we were encouraged by the little old ladies in the visitor’s center to hitchhike. Throughout the day we caught rides from several different guys all with pickup trucks. One looked 80 but bragged about being 60, and smoking 120 cigarettes a day. Another lesson in humanity and kindness.
Over all the bike trip pushed my physical limits, expanded my understanding about what I could accomplish, and inspired me to push my self further in the future. After returning to Halifax, I parted ways with Panthea and few home to Vancouver, only to embark on part two of my epic year, only 4 days later.