The day started out cloaked in fog, thick enough, that riding would not be fun, and that you would get soaked from the micro moisture droplets that make up the cloud. And it was cold. We packed the bikes and while standing and surveying the scene, Jonathan announced that we're staying one more day because he would rather watch the football game and read his book, than travel half blind, cold and wet. I don't blame him, we covered a lot of hard driven km, and I was a bit tired as well.
I took the advantage to explore. There was a "road" that I saw on the 3D map at the park entrance (the norther tip of the Cape is a provincial park), so I headed back to the tip of the cape. Used the opportunity to explore all the coves that we blew by yesterday. I also took some of the back roads, off the main highway trail that big the cliffs and lead to what I can on only assume are cottages, cause they can't be regular homes or else their inhabitants would be cut off during winter storms. Also, I would never want to drive one of those roads without chains and an all wheel drive. It doesn't make sense - way to much effort to live in a remote location.
Near the end of one of those roads, I found a 30 foot tall Buddhist shrine dedicated to an individual (didn't write down his name). The things you see while travelling.
On the top of the cape, after hiking the boardwalk that surrounds a bog, I had just got the bike to speed, and was doing my customary scan for moose and bear (we were warned at the gate that moose and bear were active on the highway - the rules are stop for Moose, I don't know if I would stop for a bear), and I noticed that there was a boulder awfully close to the highway, on the shoulder. As the bike came closer, the boulder moved and turned into a large wolfe. This guy was the size of a large German Sheppard with a grey/light brown coat. He was staring at me as I approached and then just before I passed him, he burst into a full run … to chase me! Is that what all wild dogs are conditioned to do? Do I look like food? Perhaps he was defending himself? Either way, at 90kph, he had no chance of catching me and I caught him in my rear view mirror heading back to his spot. He hadn't travelled more than 10 feet. I remember thinking that if that wolf is going to sit there and chase vehicles, there would be a reddened pile of fur at the side of the road on my return trip. Fortunately, that was not the case.
Interestingly, it was warmer and sunnier on this side of the coast. Even the mountain top was warmer than Ingonish.
I got to blast up the steep survey roads that transitioned from the coast to the plateau. Second time around allows a little more speed as one corrects for errors made the prior day.
In another stop along the way, there was a pebble road that lead to the rouge settlement that was established by these red cliffs. A Portuguese community settled here because the fish stock were massive. They set up a fish canning operation and a ward, but abandoned it after 50 years. On the way back to the highway, check both ways for traffic, and accelerate on to the highway. My visor was still up and as I was reaching to lower it, a farking MOOSE bolts across the highway, right in front of my, and bolts through the thick bush on the other side. I know that the BMW makes a loud barking, snarky sound, as the parallel twin winds through the power band, and that probably startled the moose. Not sure who was more scared, him or me. What a trip - at least I didn't hit him. He would have had my antlers (pick you trophy parts) on his wall.
Got the the visitor centre and, to my disappointment, the road, which cut right across the point and finished from the park gate, to a location near the Keltic lodge, was not a road, but the park boundary. LOL, that means I am going all the way back around. This time, with no stops, I made it in 35 minutes - made so much good time, that it was spent exploring more.
A satisfying day. Had dinner with Jonathan in the restaurant in town (great seafood) and then returned to the Lodge to watch the sun go down (the clouds need to clear for that - good news). Got some interesting shots of the sun set and moon).
Tomorrow, back to Moncton to see about a new tire for the bike and the 10K service which is now overdue.
No comments:
Post a Comment