September 1, 2003
Day 3: East on the Marine Drive to Sheet Harbour
Early in the morning the temperature was 12C (54F) with heavy dew. I packed up my wet tent and wet laundry and got on the road at 9:01 AM under bright cloudy skies, wearing long sleeves and tights.
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I stopped for an early lunch of salad and fish & chips at Salmon River Bridge. I was finally getting back to the coastal area and saw the first of many bays I would see in the next few days.
The coastline is very serrated with bays and the Marine Drive road mostly connects the inner parts of each bay. So the road goes alongside a bay for 1 or 2 km, crossing a major creek or river at the innermost part of the bay. Then the road goes inland for 5-10 km, climbing hills of 50m before dropping down to the next bay. Most of the time I couldn't see water and when I could see water it was always the inner part of a bay with little or no view of the open ocean in the distance. I was surprised how much traffic was on the highway considering the sparse population.
I stopped for another fish & chips in Murphy Bay, then continued on to the turnoff for Taylor Head Provincial Park. After 5km of gravel the road ends at the trailhead. I got to the trailhead at 4:30 PM and hiked 7 km along a fascinating variety of landscapes: beach, barrens, freshwater marsh, saltwater marsh, meadow, peat bog, forest, and rock outcroppings. The skiy was overcast but I got some nice photographs and thoroughly enjoyed the hike.
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I got back on the road at 6:30 and pedaled 5km of gravel back to the highway. Then another 11 km to the campground at Sheet Harbor, arriving at sunset. It was cool and cloudy all day but the wind was light. I wore long sleeves and tights all day and only got sweaty on a couple of the biggest hills. I felt strong and was glad that my back wasn't sore today. It was a long strenuous day. I don't think I can do this every day.
Distance: 113.0 km (70.6 mi) (11km on gravel)
Average speed: 18.6 km/h (11.6 mph)
Maximum speed: 61.1 km/h (38.2 mph)
Climbing: 705m (2327 ft)
Hiking : 7 km (4.4 mi)
Today's ride: 113 km (70 miles)
Total: 203 km (126 miles)
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