Sunday August 16 Penobsquis NB

(Photo; the r/r bridge converted to a bike/ped bridge)

Difficult time sleeping last night due to the heat and humidity. It was still hot in the room in the morning but rather pleasant outside so I got rolling as quick as I could. Took the abandoned r/r and bridge to the other side of the river and got onto the #105. Not long after a woman on a road bike caught up to me so I drafted her as we chatted for about an hour. If only I could do the entire trip drafting someone at 30 - 32 km/hr. I then took some back roads from Jemseg to Sussex. The map said taking the main highway it is 115 km. Taking my short cut it was 114 km. Ha! The shortcut was basically a paved logging road, or at least paved at one time and now patched every year with the occasional section of tar and gravel - chip seal I think they call it. Pretty rough but traffic light so I could ride on the driven portion most of the time. Absolutely no services or houses along that route. Hydro poles only near the ends. It appears they log here just like in BC - clearcuts with one or two lone trees left standing and viewscapes - where they leave ~10 m uncut along the sides of the road so you don't notice the clearcut behind. Got to Sussex spent some time at the InfoCentre, ice cream shack, last chance grocery store and found a liquor store! Open on the Sabbath!! Bought 2 cans of beer (Slurpee size) Also found the best place to go on hot days - the walk in cooler at the liquor store. Didn't think I could make it to Fundy National Park so I stopped here at a campground. Apparently I am lucky I didn't arrive 1-2 days earlier as there was a big flea market in town wrapping up and they had taken nearly every motel and campsite around. Settled by 4:30 so lots of time to read up on the attractions ahead, clean my bike and such. Heat wave may be ending - when I called Dawn I could see some dark clouds covering half of the sky and hear thunder in the distance. Amazing how 100+ campers can quickly and quietly make everything secure and move inside their trailers. Two drops of rain fell on me and that seems to be the end except the humidity is now higher, the temperature too probably and the mosquitoes have forced me inside the tent where it is even hotter still. Will get to Fundy early tomorrow but may go Hopewell Cape/ Rocks.

OD 6398.7 km, 6:21:39, 137.50 km, 21.6 ave, 65.2 max