Sutherlands River to Antigonish   |   Campsite: 45.60983° N, 61.95801° W

Today I will walk 54.98 kilometres through rain, drizzle, and wind. I will wake at 4:30 and be walking by 5:30. I will primarily follow Highway 4, a small, quiet road snaking alongside the four-lane split Trans-Canada Highway. I stop at 8:30 to cook food under the T-C, and then realize that both east and westbound traffic are driving over one side of the split. So, I will climb up to the T-C, realize that the westbound two lanes are closed due to construction, and I will walk five kilometres east over two lanes of my own personal highway. I will exit onto Highway 4 when the construction zone ends, walking the rest of the distance into the town of Antigonish. The last ten kilometres feel as though they will never end: tired, sore, deflated. I will walk by the small University of Antigonish St. Xavier. I will buy cheese, dry meats, yogurt, and fruit. I will sit on a picnic table outside the grocery store and eat a full meal. The next chore will be walking 2.5 kilometres to buy some necessities at the Shoppers Drug Mart downtown, followed by a 2 kilometre walk to Canadian Tire to buy a fuel canister for the stove. I ask the manager if it would be alright if I tented out back where a little patch of grass has been kept. I gain approval. My final chore is to cross the parking lot to acquire a few pints for the evening. The wonderfully-bearded man working at the liquor store who would sell me beer was refreshing and calming to talk with, and sets a comfortable mood for this section walking Nova Scotia and Cape Breton. Then I proceed to set up the tent. Within thirty minutes, a truck drives out onto the grass to where I am standing, stopping, with the passenger window lowered. I am confronted with an angry face from a man in the passenger seat, and the mistrustful eyes of the driver sizing me up. They are the owners of the worn-out strip mall I am attempting to camp behind, and they tell me I cannot because—they say—it will only attract more of the same (campers I suppose is what he means). I pack up and move on. The land was mosquito-infested anyway. So I leave the only town, Antigonish, where I have been refused a helping hand in the form of a night of camping throughout this entire walk. I’m not sure what that says about this town… I find a good place to set up the tent about five kilometres outside of town and immediately sink into a deep, full sleep.

Today’s distance walked: 54.98 km    |    Total distance walked: 2,106.99 km