Day 75- Trail's End

After yesterday's feverishly long day, I relished the luxury of a comfortable bed, not rising until past 9. Both Lori and I took our time preparing to depart, relaxing and sharing accounts of our journeys with Matt and Susan. I was pretty happy just doing so, but we had plans to complete the 15 KM ride tp Cape Spear; the most eastern point in North America, so we eventually took our leave at around 1 PM.

The 15 KM to Cape Spear was some of the hardest terrain of the trip. With nary a warmup, we launched into one giant hill after another; dragging ourselves up one side before flying down the opposite. Some parts seemed practically vertical. It was a beautiful ride though, with fantastic views over the city at the start, rolling forested hills in the middle, and rugged coastline at the end. We even found a few comfortable chairs to relax in overlooking the ocean.

We were both extremely excited to arrive at the cape. We were greeted by the deep blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean crashing against the rocky shores in either direction, and cliff faces curving around the bay, where the city of St. John's was visable on shore opposite from us, kilometers away. It was an absolutely stunning vista, added to by a pod of whales periodically exhaling sprays of water into the air as they briefly surfaced before submerging once more. Lighthouses and military installations were visable ahead on the cape itself. We took our time, soaking in the beautiful place as we followed a path along the edge, stopping to pose with our bikes for posterity's sake. This marked the official completion of my bike tour, which excited me, but by this point I was so wrapped up with enjoying the adventures with my new friends that I barely registered it. I wanted to keep going in that moment.

We spent several hours walking along the cliffs and bays, talking about all manner of things as we explored the beautiful location. It was getting late, and we had a bbq with Matt's family to attend, so we made our way back home. The ride home was just as fierce, but ended with a crazy fast downhill descent into the city. Upon arriving ay Matt's, I discovered my wallet was missing, and entered into panic mode. Matt and Susan drove me back out to the cape, but to no avail, there was no sign of my wallet and no staff left to ask. I resigned to wait until tomorrow to check with the park staff, and did my best to not worry, telling myself someone must have turned it in.

Once back, the four of us went to Matt's family's house, where we met his parents and three siblings. They were extremely kind and entertaining people, and we shared another great meal full of conversation. We enjoyed their hospitality for several hours before heading back. Our last stop was to a local pub to watch Keiren, her mom, and her sister get screeched in. It was a hilarious spectacle of silly words and silly acts hosted by an enthusiastic man in a rainsuit with a paddle. We all left pretty enthused, and it was now time for another satisfied sleep.