Title: Day Five – Getting longer and more fun
Date: August 21, 2007 3:48 PM
Category: Bike
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Todays ride was to take me onto Cape Breton Island, to a small town called Inverness. The route was a curious one. The old route 4, which ran all the way to the Cape was supplanted by the 104 and so for sections the 104 was the 4. On others, the 4 continues usually from one junction to the next.

Heading out of Truro, I had to take the 104 before heading onto the 4. However, even then, the 4 isn’t that great. It’s another stretch of bolt-rattling, suspension hammering broken surfaces. Even if it were fixed however, it wouldn’t be much of a ride with long(ish) straights and gentle turns.

After about 70KMs you hit New Glasgow and while the GPS threw one of it’s usual hissy-fits on the way through town and made me loop the center twice, it’s a much more interesting prospect afterwards. The countryside seems to really change after New Glasgow, becoming more undulating. The turns tend to come much faster and thicker too and so from here up to Antigonish, some 70KM further, it was great fun, with lots of opportunity to work the gearbox and see just how hard the Daytona can accelerate. It’s made even more fun by the fact that being supplanted by the 104, few people use the 4.

At Antigonish, I needed gas. I pulled into one of a cluster of gas stations only to find my truck there. It had taken my family the same amount of time to reach antigonish on the highway as it had me on route 4. Maybe I needed to slow up somewhat? Never…

So we had lunch at a wonderful place called Sunshine on Main, in the main street which serves the best smoked salmon I have ever had.

With both the bike and myself fully fueled up, it’s time to press on and staying with the 4 whenever possible, it just keeps getting better. Past Antigonish, it seems to be called the Sunshine trail, I guess because the sunrise is great there, but it has no value at 1pm. Press on. The sunshine trail is however a fun road. Lots of twist, few cars and good, smooth surfaces. A complete joy to ride up all the way to the Canso causeway.

After the causeway, I’m finally on Cape Breton and making good time. While The highway continues East, I head almost due North, up the 19 toward Inverness. This road is called the Glooscap trail, named an indian tribe. However, it looks truer to the name Nova Scotia than anywhere I have yet seen. This looks like Scotland. The Sunlight is weak, the colors consequently muted and set harsh cliffs on one side and barren moorland on the other. The road snakes up the coastline before turning slightly inland at Port Hood. From here it’s a straight through to Inverness. The road itself is good, but sections are in poor health. Still, it undulates and provides a wide range of corners, both long and short, uphill and down to give most riders a decent work out.

Arriving at Inverness, it’s a set of cottages atop a cliff, somewhat exposed looking. It certainly does not look a winter place. On the plus side, the place was clean, modern (except for the 12” TV set which had only four channels) if a little overly scottish – Tartan drapes are always a no-no in my book. However the sunsets were sublime as the sky exploded with color.

285KM today and I need a good nights sleep tonight. Tomorrow is supposed to the highlight – Cape Breton itself and more specifically, the eponymous National Park.

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