2016 Cape Traverse PE Revisited

I hadn't thrown my leg over the Versys since I finished my 4000km trip to Ontario last thursday, and with the added weight of my camping gear and touring luggage removed, I felt like a noob on this machine as I rolled it out of the garage, and down the driveway out to the main road, ostensibly to grab a coffee at Tim Horton's in Borden-Carleton, then the notion hit to ride the coast line along Route 10 through Cape Traverse and beyond, stopping at Harvey's General Store in Crapaud and home. I'd also thought to try a new Android App called 'ESR' short for 'Eat Sleep Ride' which I'd installed on my phone over the weekend. It records your track, which you can then post to ESR as a ride. Sort of a social media and 'Best biking roads' for motorcyclists. While I think it's still in it's infancy and not quite fully fledged, the devs responded quickly to a comment regarding in-app notifications and GPX logging, so I'm sure there will be more development in future.

I'm @rottenronnie in the app, so feel free to follow or message me.

Campbell's Way opposite Cape Traverse Landing

With the rear tire pretty much bald, I resolved to take it easy, and ensured that there was Zero chance of rain in the afternoon's forecast, and off I went.

Kinkora PE thru Cape Traverse PE to Kelly's Cross PE

The coffee went down well, and the 24/7 Esso & Tim Horton's was seeing quite a few two wheeled visitors to the island. I suspect many day trippers from the Digby Wharf Rat rally in Nova Scotia that was running this long weekend, had the island as a destination for there were a number of people just off the bridge topping off their tanks this side of New Brunswick and bound for the interior.

Confederation Bridge as seen from Cape Traverse Landing

 I found I was stopping and making u-turns for 'the shot', which is my usual riding mode. I had a great time, and hope you enjoy the pictures.

You can see more of Cape Traverse PE in this blog post.

Cheers!

They were desperate to get to the main land I suppose. To think of those conditions though, crossing the ice in the middle of winter... Scary. 

Cape Traverse Landing

Campbell's Way

Looking towards Lord's Sea Side Cottages

Richard Point PE

This beach is spectacular at low tide

The Versys is enough of an Adventure Bike to take you out to the end and back. (Watch out for mud and deep sand!)

Boat for sale

Tryon Point Road looking south

Heading down into Tryon PE

The view from the bridge

I snapped this one quickly, can you see the two cranes in flight? You might need to view it in full resolution. 

Victoria-by-the-Sea

The Wharf in Victoria

I was quite taken with the contrast in colours

The view from Old Post Road in Crapaud. I call it Stewart's Pond, but I could be wrong. 

2013 The Cape Traverse Ride

Richard Point PE

Here I found myself with a bike in the parking lot at quitting time. Simply riding home just wasn't feeling right, and as my sister is a vegetarian, I thought perhaps I'd head into Summerside or Kensington and hit up a Grecos for one of their donairs. You know the ones that are easy to find in Atlantic Canada, but back in Ontario where I'm from, I know of only three outlets, and all of them are an hour away or more. 

That was the plan, but when I headed out on The Trans Canada highway, I thought perhaps I'd make it a shorter ride and simply take some back roads along the coast into Borden-Carleton and hit the Subway sandwich store in the Visitors Centre, or so I thought.

Crapaud PE to Borden-Carleton PE

While my Garmin 60Cx may be old, but it's rugged, waterproof, and armed with a topo map of Canada, can be a great tool for following the coastline of the Island. I found myself stopping for this picture seconds after I'd turned onto route 10, I found the Tryon River at low tide and just waiting patiently to be noticed. It's a beautiful area, and with spring, just beginning to come to life again after a cold, windy winter season.

Tryon River at low tide

It's a fixer upper...

Garmin said that this was a road, and Google Maps claims it's there too, but people respectful of farmers skirt the perimeter of the fields, and folks, when it rains, you are going to need a four wheeler or some good knobbies.

The Suzuki is running well, and brilliant for these stop n' go photos.

Try to get your GSX-R down this "road". :)

I think I'd best stop here at Cumberland Cove PE

Richards Point PE at low tide

Richards Point PE at low tide

You need a bridge to cross this baby, unless you know something about hydro-lock

Cape Traverse United Church

Wharf Road view of the bridge

Engineering test area for the bridge?

Confederation Bridge. Cape Journiman New Brunswick is on the opposite side of this ribbon of concrete

Confederation Bridge

The Confederation Bridge joins the eastern Canadian provinces of Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, making travel throughout the Maritimes easy and convenient. The curved, 12.9 kilometre (8 mile) long bridge is the longest in the world crossing ice-covered water, and more than a decade after its construction, it endures as one of Canada’s top engineering achievements of the 20th century.
More about Confederation Bridge here

A hotel named for the MV Abegweit? It's for sale if you were wondering...

The MV Abegweit was an icebreaking railway, vehicle, and passenger ferries which operated across the Abegweit Passage of Northumberland Strait, connecting Borden-Carleton, Prince Edward Island to Cape Tormentine, New Brunswick. There were two vessels named Abegweit that serviced this route between 1947 and 1997.

The word Abegweit is derived from the Mi'kmaq word for Prince Edward Island, Epekwit'k, meaning "cradled (or cradle) on the waves."
More on the MV Abegweit aka Abby here

Confederation Bridge as seen from Borden-Carleton PE

Yet another Adventure by Garmin©

I came home to find my nephew Tyler had been out with his brother Ryan as well.