Day 6 Tip to Tip

Alex & Scott Clark

Alex & Deputy Mayor of Summerside, Bruce MacDougall

Day 6

Alex
8:30 morning at Wellington. A sunny day on trail. Workers, airplane from air base and power lines. Ran 100km mark of trail from Tignish. Stop at Miscouche, daily bar at Linkletter, meet Scott Clark to check from Clark's Toyota and ran out and back of 1/2km Summerside beach boardwalk. Walk to City Hall, meet Major of Summerside to tour, signing and photo on newspaper.

jypsy
Sunshine & blue sky in every direction today. The humidity of the last few days was gone and, as always, a gentle Island breeze was blowing. The temperature must have been mid to high 20's C. We saw people today too, most strangers said they'de seen us on TV.

We set off from Wellington after taking a picture just up the road of a long farmer's fence with an old boot or shoe nailed to the top of (almost) every fence post. Wellington to Linketter (on the edge of Summerside) is the straightest stretch of trail there is. When they built the rail bed the contractors were paid by the mile and not given a specific route so going around obstacles (hills, valleys, water) was doubly advantageous to going straight. We would have a shorter tip to tip trek if we took the roads.

For all the wetlands we've been through we saw our first water lilies today. Never saw a yellow bird today but heard a lot of different songs being sung.

A very big army transport plane (Hercules?) was flying very low circles over us for a while. I saw them drop wind flags but nothing else. Roger had watched them dropping stretchers on target when he was working in Slemmon Park on a job. Slemmon Park was once CFB Summerside.

We passed the 100K trail marker before stopping in Miscouche for a picnic lunch. There we met a trail officer (not on duty, just walking by) who had been talking to the CBC reporter who had told him about my not having my helmet (and his filming of me without it). We saw our first couple of bikers there, a guy by himself and later a woman hauling her baby behind in a bike stroller.

In Linkletter we met Scott Clark as we crossed one road, then took a detour to the Dairy Bar to wait until 100, our planned departure time from there. Scott gave a Alex a cheque from Clark's Toyota then the two ran on to Summerside. Scott pointed out when we were at the narrowest point on the Island. We stopped at the Shipyard Market on the waterfront and, with time to kill until our 200 City Hall arrival, Scott and Alex ran down the boardwalk and back.

We were met a City Hall by Deputy Mayor Bruce MacDougall and Brian Hawrylak and given a tour of City Hall. We were interviewed by the Journal Pioneer. We signed the guest book & Deputy Mayor MacDougall presented Alex with a cheque. A couple of people came by to see us and plansd were made to leave Summerside where we had left the trail tomorrow at 8am. Scott may join us again as well as others. Mayor Ivan Gallant of Kensington will be running from Kensington at 830 (with others?) and meeting up with us and running back. I hear we are getting a Police escort & all...

Day 6 Photos Here