Brockville to Cardinal   |   Campsite: 44.79883° N, 75.36493° W

This morning I wake sometime after 5:00 am. My sleep last night was quiet and deep, and I woke this morning feeling refreshed. This camping spot was really good—well hidden, level surface, with a soft layer of wild grass to sleep upon. I eat, get my stretching in, and put all my gear into the pack. By 6:00 I am walking eastward into Brockville. I take a few photos on the way. Make my way to a coffee shop where I back up files, brush my teeth, charge the battery bank, and will also refill all of the water bottles. Good news on the weather: the rain projected for later this afternoon has moved to tomorrow. This means that with the eight kilometres walked getting me into town, I should have another 40 km by this time tomorrow. The battery bank is charging quicker than I thought it would, so I am hoping to be back out walking by 8:30 / 9:00. I also do a bit of mapping from the city of Cornwall into Montréal which is 124 km. For now, I am concentrating on the upcoming 35 km to Cardinal. All walking today will be along Highway 2. A man at the coffee shop this morning tells me that it is a good, picturesque walk along the river. I calculate when I will be in Montréal, and I find a good deal on booking.com on a room downtown for two nights in the city—from Sunday night to Tuesday morning. This will give me some time away from walking to rest and to look around. I confirm the room, then prepare to get back out. East to a small town called Maitland where lunch is made and enjoyed while sharing a grassy patch of beach with a family of geese. Continue on to a very small village called Blue Church—at the centre of which is a very tiny blue church. The walk is quite scenic and lovely up to a larger town called Prescott, where I buy a few pints. Down the highway, in a place called Wexford, I enjoy one while sitting on an Adirondack chair on the patio of the presently closed Windmill Brewery. From here, the walk into a town called Johnstown gets uglier and uglier, with massive port facilities and industrial grain elevators situated along the water. The final 8 km into the small town of Cardinal are tough—sore, achy, and a bit slower in pace. The cemetery is another 1.6 km east of town. I reach it by 7:00 pm, and the mattress is instantly inflated once the tent is raised. I put some journalling down. As I am resting inside the tent, I hear a few cars slowly drive through the cemetery. Hopefully, I will not be reported. I read for as long as my eyes will allow, gaining ever more weight with each sentence surveyed. Today was another great day walking. A lovely day—it was breezy, mild, sunny with clouds, and not overly bright but with enough light with which to see far. I think I will sleep well tonight.

Today’s distance walked: 45.38 km    |    Total distance walked: 418.77 km