28 Aug 2023 – Days 21-25

Thu: Day21~12+k/7+m, 4+hrs Tracadie-York on the ConfederationTrail including rest stops and a nice long informative chat with 2bicyclist, Beth/Brackley and June/Charlottetown. Started with a cool morning when the mosquitos were in full force! after last night’s rains, but turned out to be a lovely day. Karen&Nancy went exploring in the afternoon while I stayed back to chill&relax…

Nancy: PEI- Day 21 – Aug 24 – York to Tracadie – 12k/7.8 miles. The day started great when Tiger Lil cooked us all bacon and we each cooked a fresh egg. Karen hiked alone today and dropped Tiger Lil and I off in Tracadie. Our start was miserable. It rained last night and we were literally swarmed by mosquitoes. The area was very swampy. We almost ran the first 3 km. or at least we made it in record time. After the sprint, we were lucky to find a composting toilet but couldn’t stay long as the mosquitoes were still chasing us. It wasn’t till we met Miss Wiggy at the halfway point that the sun had heated up enough to calm the pesky beasts and give us a moments rest. We met two very nice bikers in their 70s who stopped to ask us if we were doing the Island walk and had an interesting conversation with them. Because of our speedy walk from the mosquitoes and short mileage, we finished around 12:30 and got back to our cabin around 1:00 after stopping for ice cream. Tiger Lil spent the afternoon resting and Miss Wiggy and I drove through the nearby PEI National Park visiting the beaches, a lighthouse and a national historic site – Dalvay by the Sea.

Karen: Beautiful day once again on The Confederation Trail for 12k with intermittent mosquitoes & a trip to the PEI National Park including a National Historic Site.

Fri: Day22 TGIF and a good weekend to all. Day22~13+k/8+m, 4+hrs Route323/CherryHill-Tracadie(first picnic table seen that is elevated from the ground) on the ConfederationTrail including rest stops+

yummy coffee ice cream@MtStewart – like this stretch up to MtStewart. After that too much road-works and too near the highway!

Made time for a short visit to StPeter’sHabour and lighthouse

Glad to get into our accommodations@Siren’sBeachMotel/NorthLake before the sky opened up.

Nancy: PEI – Day 22- August 25-Tracadie to Mt Stewart to Rte 323. About 14 km or 8.5 miles. A little confusing because I take pics of the km markers but I missed 195. I started near 196 and ended just after 208. Oh well. Beautiful day – a few less mosquitoes but I wasn’t hopeful when I saw that most of the trail was next to a marsh. Tiger Lil and Miss Wiggy alerted me that there was an awesome bakery in Mt Stewart. Our day started with bacon prepared by Tiger Lil and an egg I scrambled just before we left our cabin this morning. At the bakery, they had ice cream but since the bakery didn’t have chocolate ice cream, I opted for a second one egg breakfast. Yummy. After we met up at the finish, we searched for a good ending on our next day. Then, we stopped st a visitor center and got directions to the lighthouse at St Peters Harbour. A beautiful setting and there happened to also be a pretty beach area with few occupants. Finally, we headed to our motel on the East end of PEI. What a difference. For miles/km, we saw no stores, gas stations, or any commercial establishments. Our new motel is located on a point and we were quickly told to go make a reservation for dinner next door as it’s the only place to eat within 20 miles (or did they say km?). I had salad and a baked potato but both Tiger Lil and Miss Wiggy had the Friday Fish Fry – haddock, mashed potatoes, veggies, biscuit and bread pudding for dessert. It’s supposed to rain all day tomorrow so we are sleeping in and taking a rest day. Woohoo.

Sat: Day23~8+k/5+m, 2hrs Route302-Elmira on the ConfederationTrail including rest stops. Glad that we got this shorter mileage done today when the rains were still light – Fall might be soon in the air with beautiful yellow mushrooms. Elmira where there are definite signs that this was once a railway+railway station marks the ending of Tip-Tip-CT but the sections we are doing are not always going to be in order.

Nancy:PEI – Day 23 – August 26 – 8k/5 miles to Elmira. We slept in. I actually slept from 10 pm-9 am. I believe I had a large sleep debt, to put it mildly. We just made it to our 9:30 reservation for breakfast-fortunately, the restaurant is only a few steps away. We were shocked it wasn’t raining as predicted when we got up and then we discovered our motel does shuttles so we decided to get in 8 km. It started lightly raining when we left but we did our 8 km during off and on light rain and we’re happy to get ahead with our mileage. We drove through Souris to check it out but it was raining too hard to stop and enjoy. Back to the motel for laundry and a quick rest before dinner. Everyone at the restaurant is so nice and friendly- we enjoyed talking with our waitress and the owner. Karen purchased a beautiful carving of a whale on a wooden stand, carved from Hurricane Fiona downed trees. Awesome piece

Karen: Once again catching up on yesterday & today. Fri25Aug2023: TGIF and a good weekend to all. Day22~13+k/8+m, 4+hrs ‘Route323/CherryHill-Tracadie’ on the ‘ConfederationTrail’ including rest stops+yummy strawberry ice cream@’MtStewart’ & nice weather with our persistent mosquito nemesis. Glad to get into our accommodations@’Siren’sBeachMotel/NorthLake’ before the sky opened up…

Sat26Aug2023: intended to be a zero day but with heavy rains predicted in upcoming week we decided to hike a Nero day @ 8k in slight drizzle again before the skies opened up.

Sun: Day24 ~8k/4m, 2hrs Route302-305 on the ConfederationTrail including rest stops. Another shorter mileage day done today in misty weathers with froggy which did not turn into a prince despite being in King’sCounty!

A visit&climb up to the SourisLighthouse. https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=18696

Today’s yummy lunch@LobsterShack/Souris at low-tide, one of the best clams tasted.

An afternoon of gospel traditional Bluegrass&CelticMusic @KingsboroBaptistChurch/Souris by a talented group – Stiff family.

Nancy: PEI – Day 24/ August 27 – 8k/5 miles. Once again, we needed to move our accommodations. We left our motel and I had breakfast at the Boat House who gave us ice for our cooler. Dave from the motel shuttled us so we could all walk together. The rain stayed mostly away and the mosquitoes were out (no wind) but we stayed covered. We saw lots of storm damage from Fiona. Apparently, the East end of the island suffered most from last year’s hurricane. The big advantage to short mileage is free time to explore. We went to the Souris lighthouse, ate lobster at the Lobster Shack, and attended a bluegrass/ gospel performance at a local Baptist church. We then found our new accommodation for the next six nights- a delightful funky house.

Karen: Misty 8k hike today after a hard rain last night, outing to the Souris lighthouse, The Lobster Shack & local Bluegrass/Celtic music.

Mon: Day25~14k/9m, 5+hrs DingwellRd-BarryRd on the ConfederationTrail including rest stops and a long lunch break@StPeter’sLanding. Glorious blue-sky day by StPeter’sBay crossing paths with many cyclists…

Nancy: PEI – Day 25/August28 – appx 14 km/9.5 miles- a glorious day – sunny, wind, no mosquitoes, and walking alongside St Peters Bay. Boy were the bikers out- I was passed by over 80, but some likely passed me twice going in either direction. I met Tiger Lil and Miss Wiggy for lunch at the Black and White cafe – pricey but tasty. A biker from Colorado joined us. He had biked from Denver to Toronto and then flew to PEI. He’s been out over a month and still going. Quite the adventurer. The shoreline today was very scenic – clear water, ducks, and great views. We ate dinner at our lodging in a feeble attempt to reduce the food we’ve been transporting week to week. So nice to have a roomy, comfortable space with a well appointed kitchen and laundry facilities.

Karen: Another day in paradise…along the shore of St. Peter’s Bay a nice breeze by St. Peter’s Bay crossing paths with many cyclists & we met a guy (Dennis) from Denver, CO who joined us for lunch

Accommodations from 25-27Aug: Siren’sBeachMotel/NorthLake with BoatHouse, the only eatery within walking distance – ie next to it!

Accommodations from 27Aug-2Sep: Serendib/Southampton, best accommodation so far…

To be edited and updated when energy permits…

23 Aug 2023 – Days 16-20

Sat: Day16 zeroK/zeroM on the trail~2hrs driving from Gaudet’sByTheSea-Cavendish. Watched a brilliant performance – Gaslight@WatermarkTheatre/N.Rustico, charming&delightful place to visit. Delicious seafood dinner@OnTheDockEatery

Beautiful drive along the coast with miles&miles of ocean view which would have been part of the IslandWalk and probably the most scenic part of the IslandWalk despite the road-walk – fortunate to be able to drive this route with clear blue sky.

Nancy: PEI August 19 – We moved from Tignish on the North Cape to Cavendish in the central area – about a 2 hour drive. The car was almost as full as when we had 5! Cavendish is a shock – like a touristy beach town. So many people! Fun parks, water parks, many, many tourist traps. Thankfully, our motel is set back from the main road and very near a coastal national park. We had seen a flyer for the play “Gaslight” and purchased tickets to the Wstermark Theatre in North Rustico, a quaint town. We took a walk along the boardwalk then proceeded to the theatre. It was a great show! The term “gaslight” has been overused recently but the play that coined the term is quite dark and really explains the term. Only 4 actors but they did a wonderful job. It was a small, intimate setting. We were able to purchase alcoholic drinks and snacks. Dinner was on the pier and we again had great seafood selections. Lobster, oysters, fish tacos, and salmon for me. Afterwards, we drove along the shore which is actually part of the Island Walk (it would probably have been the best day of the Island Walk for about 6 miles). The lady who checked us in told us we should go to the fire pit and make new friends so that’s what I’m doing. Apparently, I missed the fox sighting. Beautiful weather today and we did get in a mile walk.

Karen:Traveled today from Gaudet to Cavendish/N Rustico so it was a fun zero day & back on the trail tomorrow

Sun: Day17~14+k/9m, ~5+hrs from Kensington-Emerald on the ConfederationTrail including rest stops&brunch. Finally got to see some old railway tracks@Kensington. Crossed paths with a fly-fisher who got himself a lovely rainbow trout on WilmotRiver and someone walking his 2dogs.

Karen&Nancy decided to go into the HauntedMansion while my preference was outside in the fresh air.

Nancy: PEI August 20- Kensington to Emerald Junction. What a beautiful day (although it did spit rain occasionally). The part of the Confederation Trail we completed today was in mostly wide open spaces, not a tree tunnel and the mosquitoes were not nearly as troublesome. I got to walk with short sleeves most of the day. Met a couple of talkative guys walking dogs and listened to the first few chapters of American Prometheus (about Oppenheimer). The book is very engaging. It’s interesting that he had such a liberal upbringing. He attended a high school that was very open minded and used the Socratic method to teach and discuss social issues such as race relations, social justice, environmental issues, etc. The book covers some mistreatment he received as a young boy at camp that I personally felt was intrusive into his life and could have been left out. He confided this event to a close friend who should have kept his secret. But otherwise, the book is quite good, although I’m totally lost when it starts discussing the quantum physics work he and others completed. After the hike, we ate at a pub in Kensington that is located in the old train station. Miss Wiggy and I then toured the Haunted Mansion. A huge, musty old house that had room after room of scary displays. We liked the kitchen best with the blood running faucet, bones and skeleton in the oven, baby in the pot on top of the stove, clanging pots and other staged items. Today, I got both a cool sunrise photo (half a rainbow) and a nice sunset picture.
I forgot potato facts yesterday..I have sort of mixed up my slides so I know some of the facts are repeated. Skip if you aren’t interested in potatoes. But PEI is all about potatoes!
Historians have established that the Spaniards were the first to bring the potato to Europe from Peru, in about 1550. The conquistadors discovered that potatoes were nutritious, heft well on long sea voyages, and were an effective measure against scurvy.
NEveRTHELEss, for hundreds of years,
it was believed that potatoes originated in Virginia and had been introduced into Europe by Sir Walter Raleigh, the Elizabethan courtier and adventurer. Raleigh was said to have brought the “Virginia potato”to England from the colony he sponsored on Roanoke Island.
-Virginia (now North Carolina) In fact, he never set foot in the colony which failed after ten months..
In an era when it was not unusual for at least half a ship’s crew to die from scurvy and malnutrition during extended sea voyages, the Spaniards discovered that the potato was the ideal shipboard food.
After observing how the native slaves in the silver mines were able to survive for long periods on a potato diet, the Spaniards were quick to realize the potato’s value.
BEING HIGHLY NUTRITIOUS and rich in vitamin C, two potatoes a day were enough to provide each sailor with his daily vitamin C requirement and so prevent scurvy. In addition, the tubers were easily stored and kept well in the cool, dark holds of the galleons.
ThE SPANIARDS in the colonies adopted the Inca name baba for the potato although this name was never adopted in Europe. The English word “potato” is derived from batata, the Caribbean Arawak Indian word for the sweet potato.
Though botanically unrelated, the sweet potato was confused with the potato by Europeans. The sweet potato was introduced into Europe more than 50 years before the potato, by Columbus after his famous voyage to the Caribbean in 1492

Mon: Day18~18k/11+m ~6hrs from Emerald-HunterRiver on the ConfederationTrail including rest stops&brunch on a drizzly hike crossing paths with trail-maintenance. Beautiful pastoral landscape and Beethoven6thSymphony on my mind.

GreenGablesHeritage – a 19th century farm and literary landmark in Cavendish and served as the setting for the Anne of GreenGables novels by LucyMaudMontgomery. https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=11370

Good fresh mussel dinner@TheLostAnchor/Cavendish

Nancy:PEI-18 km/9.2 miles, Emerald Junction to Hunter River. It rained a lot today and I don’t have many pictures from the trail. We passed 6 picnic tables, 12 or 13 benches, 2 bridges, 7 lady walkers (in groups of 2 or 3), a few bikers, 2 on ATV (not allowed), several maintenance folk, a horse ring, and many cows and crops. Afterwards, we visited the Green Gables Heritage site and learned a wealth of information about Lucy Maud Montgomery who wrote Anne of Green Gables and many other books. She put PEI on the map as Anne of Green Gables is based on some of her experiences and her knowledge of the Island and is read worldwide. It has also been the subject of movies and tv shows, more recently a Netflix series called “Anne”. I loved these books and read them several times in my youth. Some of her quotes collected by the museum speak to her love of the outdoors and nature.
Montgomery found great comfort, peace, and inspiration in Prince Edward Island’s natural beauty. Her journals and novels are filled with detailed, loving descriptions of the Island’s forests and shores. When world events or personal challenges troubled her, a walk in the woods and fields around Cavendish restored her spirits. Montgomery’s sense of belonging to the land of her Island home endured after she moved to Ontario. She visited Prince Edward Island as often as she could, revelling in the Island’s uplifting beauty.
“This evening I went for a walk -all alone but not a lonely one. I am sometimes lonely in the house or when walking with uncongenial company but I have never known a moment’s loneliness in the woods and fields. I have rich, rare good company there”.

Karen: Catching up from the last 3 days with beautiful days on Sunday & today sandwiched with a rainy day on Monday.

Accommodations from 19-21Aug: ShiningWatersInglesideCottages/Cavendish

Tue: Day19~13+k/9+m 5hrs from HunterRiver-LoyalistRd on the ConfederationTrail including rest stops&brunch on beautiful warm day in perfect conditions. Crossed with more trail maintenance, a couple geocaching, literally a trail-angel and even a baby-snake!!

Learnt something new – Geocaching is an outdoor recreational activity, in which participants use a GlobalPositioningSystem/GPS receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, sounds fun, like treasure hunt.

Nancy:PEI- Day 19/August 22 – 9.3 miles according to my phone and watch. 12+km according to trail markers- does not compute. Oh well. Hunter River to Loyalist Rd. Great weather today and very few mosquitoes. At least 23 bikers passed me along the route but I know some of them were people who passed twice. Only 3 other walkers and they appeared to be a family walking a dog. A number of people were looking for geocaches. We are beginning to see a lot of trees down on the trail and especially near the cabin we are staying in – remnants of hurricane Fiona, I think. Our new cabin is rustic and comfortable and very near water.

Wed: Day20 ~14+k/9+m, 5+hrs LoyalistRd-York including rest stopss, long lunch and meeting with the same trail-maintenance person for 3consecutive days on the ConfederationTrail on another warm beautiful day.

a long yummy lunch stop@WinsloeFarmMarket

where all the produce there are from the own farm@NewGlasgow – their fresh CheeseBiscuits are to die for…

Nancy: PEI – Day 20/August23 – Loyalist Rd to York – 9.7 miles, appx 14 km. Good weather but very warm. Started at 57 degrees and ended at 70 degrees. Weather was similar to yesterday but today seemed much hotter. I think yesterday’s cumulus clouds provided more cover. We had wispy clouds today and this heated up the trail making our feet hot as well. Few mosquitos so that was a plus. The trail was busy – at least 23 bikers, 2 runners and 2 walkers passed. Lots of signs to read. The highlight was meeting Karen and Amy for lunch at a little shop that sold prepared meals and fresh cheddar biscuits. We split two chicken teriyaki with rice and 2 biscuits between us and went back after our hike to pick up dinner. A stop at the fresh veggie stand made our meal especially delicious.

Karen: Back on the confederation trail for 14k/8.7m and another stunningly beautiful day – really warmed up this afternoon but cool evenings & mornings.

Accommodations from 22-25Aug: TracadieCottagesQueensCounty/York

Day1-10 ~188k/116m+Day11-20 ~104k/65m=~292k/182m

To be edited and updated when energy permits…

18 Aug 2023 – Days 11-15

Mon: Day11 drove to Northcape with a lighthouse on this misty morning – https://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=930

Interesting WindEnergyInterpretiveCentre,VisitorCentre&GiftShop

There is even a NorwayWindFarm, but did not go!

Low tide here is the longest natural rock reef in NAmerica where the seals were sunbathing today.

Pleasant ~3+k/1+m walk on the BlackMarshNatureTrail

Yummy seafood pasta lunch@FamilyTraditionRestaurant/Tignish

St.Simon&St.Jude RomanCatholicChurch(1860)-nice to be a tourist

https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=1642

Nancy: PEI – Day 11 – August 14 – My first day off of hiking! We visited the North Cape where a wind research center is located, a lighthouse, and a beautiful short trail. This is the northernmost point and we were able to observe the sea rolling in from 2 different directions. I’m not sure you can see it in the video but I’ve attached it anyway. The museum offered much information on the island history, including native tribe, wind turbines, and the effects of global warming. Some of the earliest Irish settlers, pre-potato famine, included McGraths- my husband’s mother was a McGrath and her parents immigrated to Canada from Ireland but I’m not sure where. We also visited a beautiful Catholic Church with an Irish Celtic Cross on the lawn. We ate a delicious lunch at a local family restaurant and picked up veggies for dinner – again prepared by Lori and Glenda. Weather was cloudy but only a few raindrops throughout the day.

Karen: Fun day off the trail on the North Cape learning more about large wind turbines & Canadas environmentalism efforts, saw & heard seals from a distance, great lunch & visited a Celtic Catholic Church & gardens

Tue: Day12 ~13k/9m, 5+hrs walk from Alma-Tignish(CT). Pleasant walk passing a fir tree ready for Christmas! FluorescenceCaterpillar(first for me) and the site of 1932Train-wreck.

Excellent concert with amazing acoustic @St.Simon&St.Jude RomanCatholicChurch/Tignish by Soprano RobynPerry&Organist LeoMarchildon. https://www.pressreader.com/canada/journal-epioneer/20170722/281530816082753

Ending this wonderful day with one of the best soft-ice-cream tasted.

Nancy: PEI – Day 12 – August 15 – Back on the trail again, but this time not the island walk but the Confederation Trail instead. 9.3 miles, 8 picnic tables, 6 benches, at least 7 bikers, 3 walkers, and nice trail. A few too many mosquitoes but today we all brought headnets and it was cool enough that I could keep myself covered with long sleeves and long pants. In fact, nights are getting very cool. I had to ask my husband Joe to send me some warm clothes. (Bad planning on my part). We had a few interesting sights and listened to a lot of tunes while walking. We met one lady who had biked the tip to tip trail in 9 Saturdays with a group in 2002. After meeting up with our friends, we visited a grocery and another vegetable stand to pick up items for dinner in our cabin. Tonight’s menu included squash and onions, beets, hot dogs/sausages, tomatoes, cucumbers, and leftover carrots, succotash, potatoes, and olives. Plenty filling. We finished early enough today that we had energy to attend a concert at the church we visited yesterday. A very talented organist/composer and a local soprano, Robin Perry, who has won many awards, performed. They were both excellent and the acoustics in the church were amazing. The pipe organ emits beautiful notes. (I attached a couple of very short videos of the performers). Our last stop was for ice cream. We have arranged for a shuttle tomorrow so that we can all hike together. It will be our last day as a group as Glenda and Lori are returning home on Thursday. (Sad). Only three will remain to complete the tip to tip walk. The overwhelming mosquitoes have resulted in us canceling our plans to camp and we have booked a motel for 2 nights and a funky house for 6 nights in between our other accommodations.

Wed: Day13 ~17+k/11+m, ~6+hrs walk from Piusville-Alma on the ConfederationTrail including rest stops, lunch&rescue work!! Another beautiful day hike where we could all 5 hike together. Glenda&Lori will be flying back to the US tomorrow and they will be missed.

Another good dinner@NorthportPierRestaurant/Alberton.

Nancy: August 16 – 9.5 miles or 11 miles if you count detours. Nice weather day. Loving the Confederation Trail. Since it is a rail trail it goes into towns and we pass good eating spots. I had the best one egg breakfast with bacon and fresh baked and buttered bread. As Amy summarized-11 miles, 6 hours, rest stops, lunch breaks, 4 picnic tables and 10 benches, and rescue work – a great day! Lots of open views as well as canopied trail. We passed some huge agricultural operations. We arranged for a pricey shuttle today so that we could all hike together on our last day with the full group. That made the day especially fun. 

Karen: Today 17+k/11.3 miles & yesterday 13k/9 miles + with 2 beautiful days on The Confederate Trail. Another great veggie dinner followed by a soprano vocalist & organ performance last night. Assisted a woman from Nova Scotia on the trail today who suspected her boyfriend had a heat stroke while cycling. Gives me an opportunity to remind everyone of the importance of hydration when outdoors and/or exercising – please don’t take this lightly.

Thu: Day14 a misty day to start zeroK/zeroM on the trail, but ~2hrs driving Glenda&Lori@the airport. Turned out to be a beautiful&productive morning with errands&shopping in Charlottetown.

First time visiting an informative&interesting Canadian PotatoMuseum+AntiqueFarmMachineryMuseum/O’Leary. https://canadianpotatomuseum.com/

Yummy ice-cream who were just packing up to leave, but was fortunate to get 2 rich chocolate-scopes, good&valid excuse to start with dessert-hahaha! Delicious lobster on baked potato lunch+the best natural potato chips tasted.

Delightful&entertaining evening of Ceilidh(PEI social gathering highlighting traditional music)@StMarks. 

4generations of talents@Burton(pop of 50! including the twin sisters who are 82, born&bred here and have never left the island. Lovely star gazing to end this day, hoping&praying for NO rains tomorrow despite of the forecast!

Nancy: August 17-rest day. Sadly, we dropped off 2 friends at the airport, so we are now three. We then proceeded to Sam’s Diner for a sit down breakfast then back on to the road (2 hour drive back to where we are staying). On the way, we stopped at the Canadian Potato Museum. I am so full of potato facts that I can hardly think. Expect a few tidbits every day. At the museum, I discovered a flyer for music at a local church hall. No one knew for sure what type of music, maybe country, but we went anyway – just to experience local color. Wow! Were we impressed. It started with two guys singing Irish tunes and Credence Clearwater Revival, one playing a guitar and the other playing a mandolin. Then, they brought up their children – a son playing fiddle and a daughter step dancing. What fun! At the intermission, we were treated to lunch- homemade sandwiches and snacks brought in from a local community-Campbellton. I asked for a restroom and was sent through a door with the sign overhead (4U2P). Haha. The second act included many favorites sung by 4 generations of a very talented family- the grandfather, then the mother, the son, and the granddaughter and then all of the kids. A delightful evening including many beloved songs (If I Needed You, Coat of Many Colors, Silver Threads and Golden Needles, Have You Ever Seen the Rain, and many more. ). Country Roads was the finale with all of the two families singing.
Potato fact: The Aymara Indians, who live near Titicara high in the Andes, have been cultivating potatoes for more than 5000 years. HERE, according to legend, the Sun
God created the first Incas. Potatoes were a vital part of Inca diet and culture and, by the time of the Spanish conquest in 1532, the Incas had terraced vast mountainside areas for the production of maize and potatoes. POTATOES of all shapes, sizes
and colours are still grown in the Peruvian Andes, their varieties numbering in the thousands. The language of the Quechua Indians has at least 1000 words for potatoes, including names such as “scab face” for potatoes with red skin and white spots, and “black ostrich-mother” to describe black-skinned potatoes shaped like ostrich eggs. In Canada, 80 percent of the potatoes harvested come from only six of these thousands of varieties.

A few more notes about last nights concert. The gathering was called a “Ceilidh” a fun evening of traditional Island entertainment (from the flyer) or one lady translated it as “Irish kitchen party”. The audience was questioned about where they were from, naming all of the Canadian provinces. US was mentioned last and we, of course, said we were from Virginia. Karen then piped up and said Amy was from Singapore. One of the guys came back with “We singa and we are poor”. Cute. We had a nice conversation with the lady next to us and then we met two 82 year old twins who have lived on the Island all of their life. They were quite awed when Amy asked to take their picture

Fri: Day15 ~12+k/8m ~4+hrs walk from Piusville-O’Leary in light rains&drizzles with some local inhabitance but too many mosquitoes! 2nd solar-composting-toilet on this path. Thank goodness for a shorter day as the rains started when we were done. Laundry&packing as we will be leaving this area tomorrow.

Edited: tkx to David Jenkins for this info: Nests of Fall Webworms (Hyphantria cunea) along roadsides and forest edges. Each nest houses caterpillars that hatched from an egg mass laid by a Fall Webworm Moth. The caterpillars build their nest at the tips of tree branches and consume leaves within the nest. Fall Webworms feed on a wide range of hardwood trees and, despite their abundance, rarely cause more than cosmetic damage. They’re native to the United States and southern Canada. Good to know that they do not cause any harm to the trees.

Nancy: PEI – Day 15 – August 18 – Piusville to O’Leary – 8 miles. Connecting the dots. We have finished the North Cape and have, over the last couple of weeks, hiked all the way to Kensington on the Confederation Trail or 123 km (76.4 miles), but we’ve also walked considerable Island Walk miles. We had intermittent rain all day. The highlight of the day was a composting toilet that was mosquito free. Some pretty views, 5 picnic tables, 10 benches, 2 bridges over creeks, 2 bikers, and zero walkers. We thought we were doing 15 km but it only turned out to be 8 miles. The km markers aren’t at road crossings so it’s hard to estimate how many you are going to pass. I finished before the others so I kept walking down the road and found someone about to get in his car and asked if I could sit on his porch until my friends arrived. He agreed and even swept away the cobwebs for me. The folks on the Island have been exceptionally nice and welcoming. We picked up dinner at the local Kwik Mart and headed back to our cottage to pack up for our move tomorrow. We will have tight quarters in one motel room for the next 3 nights.
Potato facts:
LURED BY TALES of realms of gold and
silver and sustained by a sense of divine mission, the Spanish conquistadors of the 16th century crossed the western seas to seize riches and convert the heathen.
However, history has demonstrated that the real treasure that the Spaniards appropriated from South America was the lowly potato. It has benefited the human race more than all the gold and silver pillaged from the Inca people.
IN 1532, Francisco Pizarro swiftly subdued the Peruvian Incas and conquered the richest domain known to Europeans at that time. The Spaniards merciless greed for gold puzzled the native people who wondered if the Europeans ate it! The Incas used precious metals for sacred obiects and ritual purposes only; in a self-sufficient society, they had no coinage and no need to buy anything. To them, the potato was far more valuable than gold and silver. It was both the staple food of their great civilization and mystical spirit, it was a deity to be worshipped.
TO ThE SPANIARDS, the greatest single asset in South America was a mountain of silver in the Andean hills of Peru at Potosi. To feed the native slaves working in the mines, the Spaniards confiscated the Incas’ store of chuno, or freeze-dried potato, and forced the Incas to produce even more. Many Spaniards returned home rich men by dealing in chuno alone.
FROM ANCIENT TIMES, South
American Indians have produced dehydrated potatoes called chuno.
Potato tubers are spread on the ground to freeze overnight and then to thaw in the morning sun. The natives tread on the potatoes to squeeze the water out of cells that have been ruptured by freezing.
When dry, they become chuno. This freeze-dried potato will keep for months or almost indefinitelv if ground into meal. During the Incan empire, the surplus chuno was stored for use in time of famine or war.

Karen: A shorter hike today @ 13k/8 miles with many mosquitoes & intermittent rain

To be edited and updated when energy permits…

13 Aug 2023 – Days 6-10

Wed: Day6 with Nancy&Lori, Glenda&Karen had a rest day ~18k/12m ~7+hrs including lunch&rest stops. Wellington-Summerside, rainy start, but pleasant after lunch mainly on the ConfederationTrail+road crossings ending@JollyRogers/Summerside for lobster roll+potato salad dinner.

Nancy: PEI – Day 6 – Wellington to Summerside – 22km says the guidebook. The sign said 18 km. I believe we got a break today and walked just a little over 12 miles. Three of us hiking and two resting. Glenda provided support. Pouring rain when we started and predicted to continue throughout the day. That didn’t happen either. The morning shower stopped within the hour, we might have had a quick shower or two but most of the afternoon was cloudy but dry. Good hiking trail. The footpath was entirely on the Confederation trail which is a rail trail and very flat. We even took time to sit down for lunch in a cute restaurant. We all had breakfast- egg, toast, bacon, potatoes and tea or coffee. Dinner at the Jolly Roger in Summerside – between us we had shrimp, scallops, fish sandwich, and lobster rolls- all yummy, including the hand cut fries and potato salad.

Karen: today have not been on the trail due to shin splints that I’m treating with the RICE method. 

Thu:  Day7 ~22+k/14+m ~8+hrs including rest stops. Wellington-McNeillsRd on the ConfederationTrail+road crossings with nice picnic benches to rest – hiked with Glenda.

Nancy: PEI- Day 7 – 23 km- about 14.5 miles- all on the Confederation Trail. A delightful day even though we had a little rain here and there and I felt as though I was constantly taking my rain gear on and off and trading one of my hiking poles for an umbrella. We had cloudy weather and some sunny weather most of the day, including blue skies in the afternoon. This rail trail is nice to walk on! (If just a little boring.) I hiked with Lori today and we tried several Spotify playlists but decided we liked 70s road trip the best. The Confederation trail has lots of benches and picnic tables so we always had a nice place to rest and took advantage of many of them throughout the day. Mosquitoes were occasionally a problem and other times we were thankful for dragonflies (who reportedly eat them) or wind. We stopped at a Kwik stop that offered little in the food department but half the store had paint and hardware. I (borrowed) a screwdriver to tighten my poles so they would stop shortening on me. The coffee shop we were aiming for closed just before we arrived so we headed for the Esso gas station with a deli. At the end of the day, when we met up with Glenda and Amy, we headed for a farm stand for fresh veggies- just picked corn, green beans, carrots, garlic, and onions. Then, we stopped by a roadside stand for potatoes (PEI is renowned for their potatoes!) Dinner was cooked by chefs Glenda and Lori and exceeded all expectations! And, finally, the guy who wrote the Island Walk book returned my email and gave me hints on how to make the Island walk map interactive on my phone and how to download his book that has some helpful hints. Yay! I shouldn’t get lost again!

Karen: another day off of trail recovering from shin splints but took a walk from our cottage to beach. Also had fresh local vegetables for dinner that were delicious including the PEI new potatoes thanks to my hiking companions.

Fri: Day8 ~12+k/7+m ~4+hrs including rest stops. Kensington-Summerside on the ConfederationTrail+road crossings. Breakfast@ StarlidDiner&Dairy/Summerside. and a cab to shuttle us to start@Kensington. TGIF and a good weekend to all – managed to all walk together despite of the rains. Had fun with our masks, tkx to Karen…

Nancy: PEI-Day 8 – just under 7 miles. We shortened our day as the schedule involved re-hiking a large portion of the Confederation Trail which would only be necessary if we were without a car and walking the island totally on foot. We got up half an hour later (not late enough), ate breakfast at our favorite diner, and found a shuttle to our furthest point so we could all hike together. We needed a place to leave my car in a neighborhood that didn’t appear to have street parking. We approached a homeowner who told us we could just park on his lawn – what a trail angel! As soon as we started in Kensington, we took a few pictures of the historic markers and the train station, and then it began to rain, and rain, and rain more. We were again on the Confederation Trail so we had a couple of nice picnic tables for resting and snacking. Most of the sights were agricultural- either processing plants or fields of crops. 4 hours later we reached the car. Once we got in, the rain quickened and it poured buckets. We stopped by Walmart and next a cell phone store to get help for Karen’s phone (it had gone black and needed a hard restart (?)), and then the thunder and lightning began. So thankful to no longer be outside. We ate dinner at our cabin – handpies (a local specialty) and potatoes and carrots plus a variety of leftovers.

Sat: Day9 ~23k/15m~8+hrs including rest stops. O’Leary-McNeillsRd on the ConfederationTrail where the first(for me) solar panel composting toilet was located on this beautiful day. Dinner@Vinny’s/O’Leary.

Nancy: PEI- Day 9 Approximately 14.5 miles on the Confederation trail. A beautiful day for hiking. We got up early and stuffed my car with as much stuff as possible. Everyone but me (the driver) had stuff in their laps and at their feet. It took over an hour to get to the starting point. Three hiked in one direction and myself and Lori in the opposite direction. We had shade sometimes and sun others. I saw 14 bikers and only one other walker who had a dog with her. We passed 15 benches and 9 picnic tables, plus one composting toilet during our 23km walk. Pretty nice! The path went through a lot of marshland the mosquitos were definitely plentiful and obnoxious. The Confederation Trail has km markers so it was fun to watch as the km passed by. Our whole group got lunch together today at the midpoint when we passed each other. Dinner was at a local eatery in O’Leary then we moved on to our new accommodation. In some ways it is nicer than the last but there are fewer bedrooms and we miss access to a nice washer and dryer- the ones here are ancient.

Karen: Day #9 – approx 23k & close to 15 miles shortening my stride & using KT tape for shin splints – a beautiful sunny day.

Sun: Day10 – got up and my world was spinning! Time to listen to the body and a rest day for Karen&I while Glenda,Lori&Nancy walk ~17k/10m on roadwalk/Route12 and was back early for us to explore together.

Local dried&fresh produce on Route12.

ChristChurch(former MontroseMethodistChurch) is an Anglican church located at KildareCapes overlooking the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The Gothic Revival style building features a rectangular sanctuary with four rectangular windows on the side elevations. The entrance tower terminates in a cross and has pointed arch windows and decorative hood moulding.

https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=9880

Shopping in Alberton. Change of plans to Tip-Tip- ConfederationTrail ~273k/170m. Not feeling comfortable or safe with too many road walks to continue on the IslandWalk –

voted unanimously by all over delicious dinner&drinks@NorthportPierRestaurant/Alberton.

Nancy: PEI – Day 10 – Aug 13 – Gaudets by the Sea to Provincial Park – an 11.3 mile road walk. Only 3 walked today (including me) and we did not complete a full section of the Island walk. It’s becoming clear that the amount of road walk is exhausting and causing both major and minor injuries amongst us. We have decided to switch our objective from the PEI Island Walk to completing the “Tip to Tip” hike along the Confederation Trail. This will qualify us for a nice certificate and allow us some rest days and time to see the sights. Our old schedule is a bit too grueling and our new schedule will be fun! I am excited that we will have time to visit some lighthouses, museums, and Anne of Green Gables. We have been missing a lot! Otherwise, I’m not sure how I would explain to those who have visited PEI that all I saw was roads and trails. The highlight of today was a few glimpses of the sea, a very old church, and a veggie stand where we picked up some fresh carrots, garlic, onions, beans, blueberries, and spices. Mostly, we saw houses but a few were particularly interesting especially the house with a plane in the hangar and a grass airstrip. We had a wonderful dinner on the pier and I even chanced drinking a margarita! Good friends are, of course, the best part of this trip and changing plans will keep us all safe. Road walking is definitely hazardous and the Confederstion trail is off road with plenty of benches and picnic tables for resting tired feet. Our only rest today was sitting on the church steps. I think we have found the perfect solution to keeping this trip memorable in a good way.

Accommodations from 12-19Aug: Gaudet’sByTheSeaCottages

Day1-10: ~188k/116m

To be edited and updated when energy permits…

8 Aug 2023 – Days 1-5

Fri: Day1 ~21k/13m ~7hrs including rest stops+haircut. Started in Charlottetown@JoeGhizPk on the ConfederationTrail; thru’ the city continuing to Cornwall

where I managed to get a needed haircut.

Well deserved seafood dinner@Lobster on the Wharf.

Nancy: PEI (Prince Edward Island) – August 4- Day 1 – 12.9 miles. Beautiful day. Trail was not tough but pavement walking is brutal. Because we are shuttling ourselves, I’m hiking opposite the direction of the others and today I was accompanied by Hi Hills/Glenda. I was a little confused at times so we did a few circles trying to line up the trail with google maps. Even so, we finished in 7 hours, including stops. The rest of our group was a little faster. My beginning was along small roads with beautiful scenery. Then we hit a long stretch of navigating main roads through Charlottetown. Finally, we got on the Confederation trail for a few miles to the finish where we all reunited. Then, off to a wonderful dinner at Lobster on the Wharf.

Karen: First day on PEI island walk completing 12.9 miles or 21k

Sat: Day2 ~24k/15m ~8+hrs including rest stops. A long&hard day from Dunedik(red clay paths), ArgyleShore(beautiful flowering potato fields with the sea on the background…

You never know what peace is until you walk on the shores or in the fields or along the winding red roads of Prince Edward Island in a summer twilight when the dew is falling and the old stars are peeping out and the sea keeps its mighty tryst with the little land it loves – LM Montgomery

thru’farms and ending in Victoria with heavy rains at the last section getting us all us soaked to the skin. Pizza&chicken wings dinner delivered.

Nancy: PEI – Day 2 -15 miles. Long day. We dropped our friends off and found our starting point in Victoria. A beautiful little town. We started out making our way across a causeway. We had various road types, including a long stretch on a dirt road before reaching an even longer stretch along a back road that was fairly busy with traffic. We stopped at a community center for a break- just sat on the steps- no picnic tables or porch. A few raindrops started falling so we got back on the road. I have to say that the road shoulders are fairly generous if a little uneven. We experienced heavy rainfall off and on for the rest of the day. It was rather miserable. Our other friends took a little longer so we were faced with the possibility of standing under a tree for at least a half an hour in the rain when we finished – not a good way to end the day. I knocked on the door of the house across the street and asked if we could stand in their garage. They generously agreed and as soon as we got in, the rain became heavy again. We were really lucky!

Karen: Whew – what a day w 24k & 15 rainy wet miles w long red clay roads.

Accommodations from 3-6Aug: CityModernApt/Charlottetown

Sun: Day3 ~20-k/13m ~7+hrs including a long lunch break+rest-stops. Started@Victoria-Tyron

AugustineCove, tkx to our first TrailAngels Garlene&Norman for gracious hospitality with T&biscuits+poetry reading in the beautiful gazebo made by Norman.

Tkx to Lori for lemonade.

A nice picnic table across the road from the IceboatAntique shop which was probably a church originally, did not have time to go inside the shop.

Distant view of ConferderationBridge along Route10 towards BordenCarleton where the car was. Drove back to Victoria to meet with Glenda&Nancy and it was oyster dinner for me@Richards.

Nancy: PEI – Day 3 – 12 miles. What a difference 3 less miles and no rain makes. We had sun most of the day, wide shoulders, and beautiful farm country. And trail magic! Just as we were meeting up with our friends hiking in the opposite direction, Tiger Lil spotted a beautifully landscaped home and asked if we could rest in their gazebo. Turns out, they actually watch for PEI hikers and love to visit with them. Norman and Gailene provided us with tea and cookies and told us stories about island living. It added so much to our day to meet these lovely folks. Glenda and I headed off and reached Victoria with no problem, loving the glimpses of the ocean we were provided. Our friends found trail magic again when a local lady saw them, drove home, and came back with lemonade! At the end of the day, we all met up in Victoria and ate at a local seafood place. All of our menu items were very delicious. We then proceeded to a new accommodation- a cute little cabin with 3 bedrooms where we will stay the next 6 nights.

Karen: PEI Day #3 with 12.5 miles/21 k – beautiful day w Trail Magic

Mon: Day4 ~24k/15m ~8hrs including a late lunch break+rest-stops. BordenCarleton-Summerside, too many road walks, especially on TransCanadaHw1 where it was too close for comfort. Good milkshakes@StarlidDiner&Dairy before hitting the final stretch @ConfederationTrail. Dinner@RedRooster.

Nancy: PEI – Day 4 – 21km. Nope- I think it was much closer to 24 km. I was counting on a 13 mile day and got almost 15 instead. Not a happy camper here but I still had fun. Sort of. I dropped three hikers off in Borden- Carleton and proceeded to Summerside. I took note that they had a long road walk ahead and then promptly forgot. Lori and I started in Summerside on the Confederation trail (beautiful trail) for a couple of miles and then another mile through a neighborhood. We stopped at a cute diner where I ordered a sandwich to go and then we moved onto Route 1 – a four lane highway with lots of traffic, including huge trucks. 5 miles. Pretty horrendous. Thought we’d never make it. We then went through a nice hamlet and had about a mile or a little more on a red clay road through farmland- the highlight of the day! We finally reached a 2 lane busy highway and I forgot we had a long trek ahead. After several miles and thinking we had gone 13+ miles and should be nearing the finish, I checked my map and found we had another 1.5 to go. Oh my! Our group is feeling a little overwhelmed with a few minor, hopefully, repetitive use injuries. Too much walking on road shoulders with little variety in terrain. We plan to carry on though. Hope tomorrow is better! (At least I didn’t get rained on today. Very thankful for that!)

Karen: PEI day #4 when 21k turned into 24k (14.5 miles) with a long road walk

Tue: Day5 ~24k/15m ~9+hrs including rest stops and straying from the trail ~3+k/2m! Northam-Miscouch passing by oyster farms along GrandRiver. Long&tiring day ending with dinner@StarlidDiner&Dairy/Summerside. Karen&Lori took a rest day from hiking.

Nancy: PEI-Day 5 – 21km – Nope, not 21 – another day when we walked much further than the stated amount. However, this time it was totally my fault. I misread the street signs, passed up a clearly marked road that looked like a weed field and took us on a long walk into a town where we purchased a nice lunch before discovering my error. We learned all about garlic fingers, bennys and Donair sauce. On the way, we saw a parked airplane with no runway. My thought was that they could just use the road as a runway. The walk back to my mis-turn was long so I tried getting someone to give us a ride. After a few tries, we found a trail angel to help us out. Even so, we had a 9 hour day – I won’t mention how many miles I think we did. The happy parts of the day – no rain even though there were threatening clouds, lots of red dirt roads, even the road walks were nice-not much traffic, beautiful scenery along the coast, and good fellowship. Dinner at Starlite Diner was delightful. Karen and Lori took the day off and visited the bottle house, a machinery museum, a church, and a fox museum. They also did our Walmart shopping and dropped us off in the morning at the trailhead and picked us up at the end of the long day.

Karen: today have not been on the trail due to shin splints that I’m treating with the RICE method. Nice to see some local sites yesterday with Lizard. Chapel built by Edouard Arsenault who developed this hobby at the age of 66 recycling glass bottles from local restaurants, dance halls & candles from local Catholic Churches many years before recycling was in vogue (1980-1984)

Accommodations from 6-12Aug: AgyleCampgroundCottage

3 Aug 2023 – Hello Aug

Mon: more problems with ticket to be filtered out of the memory, but had to buy another one-way ticket to IAD.  SAS flight on schedule via CPH to arr safe&sound to sunny IAD. Appreciations to Nancy for picking me up at this busy airport.

Needed a ground sheet+mozzy repellent@REI and TexMex-dinner@Uncle Julio’s/FairFax,VA 

Tue: tested the Nemo tent in the garden and so far so good – packing the car to head northwards, tkx to Nancy&Joe for their gracious hospitality. Karen&Lori drove from VA and met us here in DC to drive together.

~9hrs drive thru’DC,MD,DE,NJ,NY,including rest stops+one night@Newington/CT with heavy traffic shirting round NYC, but otherwise smooth driving and an interesting hotel check in experience@HolidayExpress!

Wed: started later than planned due to my hotmail being hacked, tkx to Leonard for helping. ~6hrs drive into ME to arr ~1600hrs. Appreciations to Nancy for the stay in her friend’s house in Belfast,ME

and for recommending Young’sLobsterPound for dinner.

Nice view with ppl bringing picnic lunches to accompany the lobster mussels, oysters, clam chowder, etc. Lori was too hungry and could not wait, thus only one claw on this lobster = hahaha

https://www.youngslobsters.com/

Thu: off 0700hrs from Belfast/ME with a rest stop@Cloud9Hotel! and then to crossing the Canadian boarder without any issues or wasted time.

By passing StJohn’s to a long bridge connecting to PEI to arr ~1600hrs, long long day of driving, tkx to Nancy. Glenda arr safe&sound by air with a slight delay from NCviaToronto. Dinner@SwissChalet to celebrate that we fianlly managed to get together.

PEI’s motto is parva sub ingenti meaning the small under the protection of the great. PEI is Canada’s smallest province. Its location, along with the island’s fertile red soil, has given PEI  2nicknames – Garden of the Gulf(referring to the Gulf of St. Lawrence) and Million-Acre Farm. It is also sometimes referred to as Spud Island because of its significant potato production.

2Aug– Happy Bday LAM ChengEn
9Aug – 56th SIN National Day
10Aug – Happy Bday LAM JenWee&Alvin NG
21Aug – Happy Bday LIM SiewChin
26Aug – Happy Bday Cindy LAM
29Aug – Happy Bday Sean KENNEDY
30Aug – Happy Bday Michelle ANG