Wednesday November 14 2007

90 min of asphalt
Martinville, Coaticook

Speedometer still not working, so forty-one miles is just a guess - I'll check later for an old trip like this.

Went 141 to 143 (gassing at Burroughs Falls) to get to 208 and I definitely noticed that every little crack in the asphalt is now accompanied by a bump - mini frost-heaves. What's surprising is it happens so soon with all the mild weather we've had.

208 through Hatley, Compton, and Moe's River, always resisting the siren call of those beautiful slender curvey gravel roads off to every side and disappearing up twisting hills, calling and calling...

But I resisted, knowing from yesterday what lay in store should i go there.

Pressing on instead to Martinville, mostly snug and warm except forgot to pull up a shirt collar under jacket and cold air is getting in there.

I hear St. Malo calling me, but knowing that a loop down to East Herford and back to Coaticook would double my remaining time before arrival I'm not sure this is a good idea, thermally speaking.

Anyway, I'm getting worried about getting home and getting off to class on time so I take 251 to Ste. Edgewidge and branch off on 206 to Coaticook.

Rte 206 going into Coaticook is called Cote d'Avignon on my map and features those two great sets of S-curves down the hill into downtown Coaticook.

I think these are actually more fun taken in the opposite direction, going up - especially as in coming in Rang 15 from either Mount Hereford or East Hereford and taking the longer countryside trip, as opposed to boring old 141 from Coaticook to Ayer's Cliff, as I opted for today, obviously.

Now, it is a sad and rare day that one passes through Coaticook without taking notice of at least one or two comely country lassies, but today was so gray that even the fair and sunny maidens of Coaticook were nowhere to be seen shining.

The wind was very strong after I left Compton and its intensity seemed to pick up even more as I left Coaticook. Now I was being blown sideways regularly and tipping radically to compensate.

All in all I was quite happy and satisfied to be back in the Bonnie Castle after 90 minutes and (est) 41 miles.