Fredericton to Upper Gagetown   |   Campsite: 45.85126° N, 66.23009° W

After three great relaxing days in Fredericton, I wake early to prepare for the morning walk of 22 km into the small town of Oromocto. The pack is ready and organized by 5:40, and I leave the motel by 5:45. On the walk out of town via Highway 105 I drop off the old Patagonia rain jacket at a clothing bank that Kaylee from “Backtrails” recommended. For the first few hours, the walk is peaceful and quiet, but by 7:00 traffic begins to move along the road. I reach the bridge by the small town of “Burton” by 9:30, walking the three km into the town of Oromocto by 10:00. A coffee is acquired, and a picnic table behind the restaurant is used to cook rice and ramen as I journal and map the afternoon’s walk. By 10:40 I am packing up, refilling the water bottles, and walking out of town toward the small town of Cambridge-Narrows along Highway 105. The scenery improves the farther I walk. The road has many turns, with very few long straight stretches, so the walk is lively. By 2:00 the muscles begin to become sore, and by 3:00 I am looking more desperately for a place to camp. I eventually find one that will suffice, and far enough away from the road to provide cover and dampen the volume and noise of traffic. By 4:00 I am inside the tent with the journal and post-walk snacks. Today’s distance of nearly 46 km is a great start on this section toward the city of “Moncton” even though 3 km was walked into the town of Oromocto for supplies (plus 3 km retracing my steps out of town). The lunch, water, and coffee that were enjoyed made the distance worth the effort, and the rest was needed, so I consider the effort expended worthwhile. There is 24 km left to walk before arriving in Cambridge-Narrows where refilling the water bottles should be available. Another 40+ km day tomorrow should place me within 35 km from the town of Sussex which is an important point along this section. It includes both food and water refilling resources. I feel as though once I arrive in Sussex I’ll feel more confident about this difficult segment of the walk. By 4:30 I am reading from Coelho. 16 pages are all I am able to finish, as I keep drifting off to sleep and having to reread lines over and over again. I organize the tent, secure everything into dry sacks, close all windows, and burrow into the quilt and liner for warmth and sleep.

Today’s distance walked: 45.81 km    |    Total distance walked: 1,693.47 km