One of the main reasons for choosing to ride east to west was to avoid facing the Rockies within a few weks of starting out. Well, did Newfoundland have a surprise for us!!

Our first real day of riding involved leaving the Terry Fox Memorial in St John’s midday at TCH Mile zero, and beginning our ride west. By the time we got to Conception Bay South in the late afternoon, we had covered 39kms, BUT had also done a cumulative climb of 1,211 feet (Highest point was 711 feet)!! Next day was even worse – 94 kms BUT with a total cumulative elevation of 2,713 feet!! I don’t think we will be climbing that much per day even in the Rockies – and all this immediately after getting off the plane! Yesterday was a bit better – “only” climbed 2,008 feet!
If you read Maxine’s Blog below, what she forgot to mention was that while she was busy blogging and watching that snowfall from the window, I was out riding in it!! (I was looking for a bike shop to get even more repairs thanks to Toronto and St John’s Airport Baggage Handlers!) Cycling in snow was not in our plan – ah well, an urgent visit to a sports shop and I have yet another tuque to add to the collection when I get home! No other cyclists in sight – wonder why?
A piece of advice to other cyclists heading this way – when a Newfoundlander tells you the weather “will be nice today”, he means something quite different to the Vancouver Island version of “nice” weather!!!
PS It is still snowing!!