Day 6 | Sussex to Moncton | 130 km

It’s difficult to part with my warm sleeping bag this morning. Cold mornings are becoming the norm.

As I dismantle the tent and collect what I need for the day, my legs don’t seem to have much get up and go. I sure hope that’s temporary.

The first 35 km are all hills, and the closer we get to Fundy National Park, the worse they become. It seems we’re doing a lot more climbing than descending, and it isn’t long before we’re removing our extra layers.

Jim and I make a quick stop in Alma after 45 km, just long enough to top up the water bottles. Then the road flattens out for a bit and we benefit from a slight tailwind.

After 70 km we’re running low on water again, so we stop at a corner store in Riverside-Albert. Leftover sweet potatoes and a Larabar make for an easy lunch.

The hills get longer and closer together as we approach Hopewell Rocks. We take a short detour to get to them but after hearing that it costs nine bucks to see them, we abandon that idea and head back.

At this point, with 90 km done, all I want to do is sit somewhere, anywhere other than the bike for at least ten minutes. We find a restaurant off the main road and sit outside at a picnic table. Mike and Mark arrive a few minutes later.

We get to Hillsborough about 10 km later, and is it ever aptly named. We climb hill after hill into a stiff headwind. By now I’m really hurting and I want to get off the bike more than anything. I can tell I’m starting to unravel but with 20 km still to go there’s no room for negativity.

The hills just won’t let up and then the headwind gets worse. With just 10 km to go, I dig into whatever remaining energy I have and ride hard. The faster I go, the sooner I get there. And at this point, all I want to do is get there.

Tonight’s accommodations are unique in that we’re staying at a hotel downtown instead of a campground. Jim and I are the first to arrive at 1:50.

After climbing over 1700 metres today, sleeping in a real bed is going to feel rather luxurious.