Nova Scotia Bicycle Tour - Day 5 Barrington to Sable River

Nova Scotia Tour

Day 5 Barrington to Sable River

I awoke to a beautiful clear blue morning. My tent was covered in dew. I ate breakfast and packed up. After securing the dry bag into the trailer, I noticed several important pieces of gear lying on the picnic table. Being my first full day of touring, I was more than slightly disorganized. By the end of the tour, I became very organized.

Highway 103

I rode along Highway 103 to Clyde River. Highway 103 is hilly and very desolate with miles and miles of nothing but pine and scrub. Traffic was light. The few cars that passed gave me plenty of room.

I left Highway 103 a few miles later at the town of Clyde River. I stopped and took off my wind breaker. Heading South towards Route 309 got this nagging feeling that something wasn't quite right. Three miles later I figured it out. I had left my Camel Bak hanging on a guard rail where I had taken off my jacket. I rode back to Clyde River to retrieve it. It was like I had taken a stupid pill this morning. I was incredibly disorganized.

The wind blew hard out of the North again today. I enjoyed a nice tail wind as I rode South through the towns of Port Saxton and North East Harbour. It turned into a head wind as I turned North shortly after the town of Roseway. The road here was desolate and ocean views were infrequent. I saw a deer shortly before reaching the town of Gunning Cove where I stopped for water.

Gunning Cove

Welcome to Shelburne

I continued on to the town of Shelburne founded in 1783 by "United Empire Loyalists" (these folks were not enamored of the American Revolution). I stopped here for lunch and groceries.

I climbed some big hills getting out of Shelburne. I got back on Highway 103 and headed towards the town of Sable River. I camped at Pine Hills campground. This place was really just a field in someone's back yard. It wasn't particularly scenic. But the hot showers were most welcome. The place was also loaded with black flies.

After dinner, I rode a short way down the road to a pay phone to call home. Nobody was around. I left a message with my in-laws. I rode back to my site, built a camp fire and listened to CBC radio. A while later, I crawled into my tent and started a paperback novel that I had brought along. My total mileage for the day was 62.2

Continue to Day 6.