Last night I fell asleep to the sound of waves lapping against the shore; this morning I woke up to the soft patter of rain on my tent. I was up and at it quite early because I wanted to be gone early just in case anyone took issue with my choice of camping locale, so 6 AM found me already trekking down the highway.
It was a cold and rainy morning, the fog hovering over the water and riverside cottages, making me feel as if I was on the coast of Nova Scotia, not the shores of the St. Lawrence. I faced a direct headwind harder than any Id faced since the prairies as I made my way north to Riviere de Loup, the cold raining soaking me as it blew in my face. It was a slow, grudging 40 KM, but I dutifully trudged along, making it to my first rest stop at a Timmy's in Riviere de Loup just past 8:30.
From Riviere de Loup, it was time to head east and south into New Brunswick. The winds were marginally more managable now, but it was still raining. This section was extremely hilly, and I painfully dragged myself up each rise, exhausted from the manic pace I had set for myself since leaving MP's house in Valleyfield. The riverside cottages and farms slowly gave way into dense boreal forest, sprawling across the hills and river vallies. Eventually the rain stopped too.
The KMs absolutely crawled by all day as I wearily inched closer and closer to finally arriving home to the Maritimes. I finally reached the New Brunswick boarder at about 5 PM Atlantic time, and I couldnt be happier. Not only am I glad to be nearly home, but having reached the Maritimes is another proud moment; I have come so far now, and I am entering the final legs of my journey.
Though I had begun to feel lighter and more energetic, I still stopped in a campground just outside Edmundston for the night. Tomorrow I will ride all the way to Woodstock, and then the following day into Fredericton and home!
No pictures today because my phones battery was critically low all day since I camped on the beach last night.
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