Day 105: Pictou, NS -> Halifax, NS

Date: Monday, August 28, 2023
Start: Pictou, NS (Caribou/Munroes Island Provincial Park)
End: Halifax, NS (Staying with a friend)
Distance: 173km

I woke in my tent to find that everything outside was sopping wet.  There was no rain overnight, it just cooled down and the 99% humidity in the air dropped to the ground soaking everything.  I packed everything in my tent and pulled it out before trying to tear down the tent.  I would need to wait for the sun to get a lot higher if I had any chance of drying the tent.  Thankfully, the sky was clear!  And the sun was bright!  But I didn't have time...

I was going to push and try to get to Halifax today.  This meant about 175km of biking.  And when I checked, there was a headwind.  Not strong, but stiff enough that it was going to slow me down.  I was also going across the province through it's center and I knew this meant plenty of hills!

Rather than waiting to dry my tent I simply packed it all up in a separate plastic bag and set off.  I suspected I was going to need everything I had to make it to Halifax before sunset today.  Immediately I realized the first problem...a tent that is soaking wet is FAR heavier than a tent that is dry.  I'm pretty sure I could feel the extra weight on the back.  Water is just...heavy.

The second problem also reared its ugly head right away.  I felt really tired.  I have no idea why, but my legs were sore and it felt like my joints were filled with sand.  It was going to be a loooooong day!

The third problem of the day was just down the road...

But before I reached it I biked along the water and into Pictou proper.  My only relationship to Pictou is that I'd once picked it out as a random town in Canada as the butt of a joke about government tries to create industries in places it doesn't necessarily make sense.  "The Government never misses an chance to turn any program into an economic development opportunity and so while it would make sense to build an industry in a major city it instead gets put in Pictou or Wawa or Wainright."  When my talk was done someone in the audience came up and very bluntly said, "I'm from Pictou and it's pronounced 'Pic-toe' and not 'Pic-two'."  Not only had I insulted his town, but I'd botched the name.  That was insult to injury.  But he didn't complain about me punching down at his town.  Instead he made sure that if I was going to punch down, that I at least said the town's name right.  But I could sense his frustration at having some stranger take a shot at the place he was born, raised, and probably loved.  And riding into  Pictou I realized why.  It was a lovely little town.  Nestled on the water and surrounded by hills, it is full of old buildings.  The town is incredibly charming and there is no hint of putting on airs.  I still feel the shame of naming randomly in that joke, and the person who I'd insulted by not knowing better.  Pictou is a beautiful place and I want to return to explore it more one day.  I hope you consider doing the same.

Unfortunately, the one diner in the town was closed for renovations from water damage.  My breakfast plans were shot.  The only thing left was a Tim Hortons or McDonalds...and I wasn't THAT hungry.  But with 170km still to bike, I knew I was going to bonk early if I set off with an empty stomach.  So I ate some trail mix and promised I would stop at the first gas station or store I passed.

As I rode out of town I passed the Pictou war memorial.  The plaques had so.many.names on them.  I took a picture and also a moment to consider this.  Osoyoos, British Columbia had a war memorial with fewer than a dozen names on it.  The towns aren't comparable.  Osoyoos is far too young and Pictou is one of the earlier settlements in Nova Scotia.  But it was incredible to think that hundreds from this small town had died in the two world wars.  So many had marched off and never returned.  What kind of a place might it have been had they lived?  What does it do to a place like this to lose so many?  More than just the "what if?" thoughts....how many generations have felt the ripples of pain and loss caused by so much death?  Are those ripples still felt today?  Or are they just names on a plaque?

So many things to consider, but I didn't have time for quiet contemplation...I had to get to Halifax!

I set off out of town and continued on a back highway along the water, but the water quickly disappeared as I headed further inland towards Truro.  The road was quiet and wide open, but the wind kept pushing back and I pushed forward.  I noticed I was having a difficult time keeping up 20km/h.  This was either the wind or I was on an upward incline or both.  And I think it was both.  And it went up and down.  The landscape for the morning was mostly forests.  Nothing spectacular, but a pleasant mix of needles and cones and broad leaves.  There wasn't much to tell.

After about 30km I found a country store and stopped.  I grabbed a sandwich, chocolate milk, cheese, pepperoni stick, and a coffee.  I sat outside in the sun and enjoyed it all quickly, because I had to get moving!

Back on the road I pushed further and further.  The hills weren't steep, but they were long and gradual.  Just enough to make sure my average speed stayed below 19km/h.  I knew I wasn't going to get a break.

I listened to podcasts and audiobooks as I rode, but I couldn't pay attention.  I just kept thinking about how much everything ached.  And I kept pressing on.

After almost 70km I finally caught a break and dropped downhill and into Truro, Nova Scotia.  This marked the point where I would turn South which I hoped would stop the headwind and allow me to move faster.  I had set myself a deadline of 2pm to reach Truro if I had any hope of reaching Halifax by sunset.  And I had made it by 1pm!

I stopped at a cafe and ate a chicken wrap and poutine.  I was....far from Quebec...but the calories hit the spot.  I hit the road again at 2pm and started towards Halifax.

And now a tangent...

Speaking of disappointing poutine experiences, Skipper made it back to his cottage in Maine the day he left Summerside and ordered a poutine.  He had been talking about his determination to find a decent one in Maine or somewhere in New England.  Unfortunately he was met with shredded cheese and now he knows what a cheap imitation of poutine tastes like.  Absolutely bush league.

Another fun note, he found the Toppables equivalent in the United States!  They're called "Club Crackers" and I'm sooooo curious what the actual differences could be.

Back to our regularly scheduled program...

I wanted to look around Truro a bit, but I had a goal for the day!  With the wind now coming from the side, I rode out of Truro and back into the countryside.  I had 100km left to ride.  I stopped twice for Gatorade, but otherwise kept myself from stopping as I pushed on.

The old highway I took passed by and through many small towns.  As I came closer to Halifax I noticed that the signs welcoming me to town were uniform and had the Halifax logo in one corner.  I'd reached the Halifax Regional Municipality...which meant that I still had almost 40-50km before I would reach the city proper!

But the closer I came, the nicer it became.  The road reached Shubenacadie Grand Lake and from there the road followed the water into Halifax.  It was also getting later in the day, and the sun was starting to change to yellow and golden hues.  It was now past 5pm and I was hoping to make it before 7!

A note about Nova Scotia drivers: they are - thus far - the scariest drivers I've encountered in the country.  There are always a few bad eggs, but overall the drivers here gave me far less room than other places.  On multiple occasions dump trucks went by me at full speed without moving over in the lane and frequently when there was oncoming traffic.  One of them flew by only to stop 200 meters ahead and pull into a driveway.  It happened over and over and over...and I'm ready to say it's been some of the scariest cycling yet.

As proof of how car-centric it is, here are the flags they give pedestrians at crosswalks in Halifax to try to make sure that motorists see the pedestrians.  Pedestrians are literally given an flag and expected to keep themselves safe from the vehicles.  This is a REALLY bad sign for how entitled or unskilled your drivers are.

I was running out of energy.  At times like this I usually turn to the playlist that you all made for me, but as I was arriving in Halifax I already had some local music in mind!  A prolific musician, a Canadian, and a Haligonian (that's actually what you call people from Halifax!): Joel Plaskett.  I think he's chronically underrated and underappreciated for his music, and he is so talented it scares me.  His self recorded and produced album Three has some of my favourite of his songs.  Two of my absolute favourites are Rollin', Rollin', Rollin' and Through & Through & Through.

They say that good things come to those who roll
(Back to the place where you belong)
Back to someone beautiful

I won't lie, as I started entering the city I had a grin from ear to ear.  I was happy that I'd made it all the way in one day.  But I was especially happy to be in Halifax.  I've visited Hali only once but loved every minute of it and was excited to finally be back.  Even more, I was very excited for the reunion that was coming up!

I rode into town on an old highway that unfortunately turned into a REAL highway for about two blocks.  The bike path disappeared and I mistakenly thought that the sidewalk next to me meant this was still a road.  It wasn't.  For about 3km I was that idiot on a road I should NOT have been on.  I finally realized what was happening when a car tried to merge into me from the right side.  I did the thing I hate to do...I jumped onto the sidewalk.  The sidewalk...on the highway...?  I don't know what was happening with that road but it felt terrible!

Shortly thereafter, I was on a residential street and biked to my friend's house.  He was at work and so I was welcomed by his partner.  One of the reasons I had pushed to get to Halifax all day was that there was pub trivia at 8pm.  I had arrived at 7:10pm!

I showered, changed, and walked to the pub!  This was all happening so quickly.  I was suddenly in a major metropolitan area again!  One of Canada's best cities (in my opinion) and I was feeling VERY happy to be off the road, in Halifax, and off my bike.

What music do you think of when you think of Halifax?  Probably some East Coast jigs or high tempo and high energy stuff.  And you're right, that is the traditional music of this region.  It's all over the place!  But that's not what I think of when I think of Halifax.

I think of Plumtree.

I don't think many people have heard of them, but they're a favourite band of mine.  An all female Canadian band playing indie garage rock from the 90s.  These are things I like in music and having all at the same time is rare!  I have to admit though, I came to Plumtree late.  I discovered them the way most people might know them: the film Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.  What's the connection you ask?  Turns out the title character of that series was named for a song by Plumtree of the same name.  Bryan Lee O'Malley (the Canadian who created the graphic novel) liked the song and named his main character for it.  Want to hear the original Scott Pilgrim?

Go back and watch the movie Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and you'll notice he wears a Plumtree shirt in several scenes.

All of this - of course - leads to the music of one of the greatest fictional Canadian bands of all time: Sex Bob-Omb.  Without Plumtree we might not have had Scott Pilgrim, and that means no Sex Bob-Omb!  So thanks Halifax!

So yeah, when you walk around Halifax you might hear east coast music.  I hear Plumtree.

I walked along those beautiful neighbourhood streets lined with the hundred year old houses that typify the architecture of Halifax.  Like Montreal, the architecture of the neighbhourhoods speaks volumes about the place and the culture.

I arrived at a local pub - a real gem called The Stillwell Freehouse - and found Adam and his friends.  I was introduced and quizzed about my trip.  I was exhausted and constantly worried that I wasn't making a good impression because I was fighting to stay awake.  I ate dinner and made sure to drink plenty of water as I also had a beer.  Pub trivia was happening and I also fought to remember facts...err...trivia.  Sure enough, we ended up coming in first place overall!  A big thanks to Adam, Meagan, Dave, Jill, and Colin for the wonderful welcome to Halifax!  They're an awesome crew and I was glad for the opportunity to share in their time and energy!

After it was done, Adam and I walked back to his home.  I still hadn't see the person who had invited me: Adam's husband - and whole human being in his own right - Stephen.  He wouldn't be arriving till a little later and I was a zombie so I apologized and called it a night!  My reunion with Stephen would have to wait until I could keep my eyes open!

I'm not sure if biking to Halifax in one day was the right choice.  Skipper and I had done a 170km day and promised one another not to do it again.  But here I was alone with no one to keep me accountable and I'd pushed to make it and felt like I was paying the price.  But I HAD made it!

If you're following the map you may notice that Halifax is a bit out of the way if my goal is to get to St. John's.  You're right, it is.  But missing out on Halifax would be such a waste.  Without going on too much, I really love this city.  I encourage you to visit and make sure to go to the neighbourhoods and side streets rather than just the downtown.  It is also giving me a chance to reconnect with someone who I have wanted to see for a LONG time!  And so here I am, in Halifax!  Despite the fatigue, the journey continues!