Dunes and fields

Cavendish Grove in the national park on Prince Edward Island was our starting point. We unpacked the bikes and headed to the Homestead Trail which my husband and I have cycled before. The trail passes beside New London Bay with a view of the Cavendish sandspit on one side and farmers’ fields on the other. It was a perfect spring day, with a breeze which made the ride interesting.

The trail begins through mixed forest 

where a young chipmunk went about her business, unaffected by the seniors cycling by. 

A ride down slope leads to sea level where a view of the bay opens before you. Gulls were busy on and over the water.

MacNeill Loop travels along by the water where we noted a perfect picnic spot, sheltered from the wind. Next time! 

The ride around the Loop provides views of the nearby Cavendish sandspit 

and the community across the bay.

Further along the trail, a farmer was preparing his fields for the spring planting. 

The experience of land and sea so intricately intertwined is one of the reasons I love this island. 

We completed the Homestead Trail and rode to the Cavendish Beach area along the Dunelands Trail. The dunes along the length of beach are a pretty backdrop for the pond.

Lunch back at the Grove with our friends the Canada Geese was a treat as usual. One of the females is nesting on a island across the pond, 

and her partner stands watch along the bank, but ignores us. He doesn’t see us as a threat.

It was another great day at the park.

Uphill both ways

For one of our recent cycling experiences, my husband and I went to the Confederation Trail in the central part of the island, a bit further from home. The trail is on the old rail bed which was left after the track was removed when the trains stopped running in 1989.

The track ran through the center of the island rather than along the coast. At the various stops along the way potatoes from the farms were loaded into boxcars to be shipped to markets through Borden along the South coast of the island.

Though the island is relatively flat, it doesn’t feel like it when you’re cycling. There are long grades with a gentle climb which don’t feel particularly downhill on the way back when you are tired. To this person new to cycling, the trail feels uphill both ways. But fun!

We went further again this time which is our goal with each outing. We passed fields of wheat 

and potatoes ready for harvest, crossed two rivers 

we had never seen before and fields with irrigation equipment.

Around one bend the light through the trees shining on the birch trunks caught us by surprise. We stopped for photos. The green on the path with the strips of red earth, shadows dancing over them and the stately highlighted birches, made us want to stay and watch. However the trail urged us on to see more of its beauty.

Along the way, lots of pale green butterflies lifted into the air as we rode by and in several areas small brown grasshoppers hopped around us as we passed. Even though you ride by quickly, you can notice the little things when there’s just you and the bike in nature.

Every now and then we see birds, such as robins, among the trees or on the trail. By the time you stop, they are gone of course. You can hear them among the trees sometimes and familiar ones like blue jays or chickadees are easily recognizable. I like the idea of the countryside around us filled with the unseen avians though I would like to photograph them. However, the beauty of the trail and the countryside suffice.

On another outing closer to home, we watched as a crew harvested a potato field. Never ones to miss a scavenging opportunity, dozens of gulls staked out places in the newly ploughed earth. They don’t miss much going on in the area.

Question and answer:

Red at http://hiawathahouse.blogspot.com/  who cycled himself until he was eighty, asked if we wear helmets.

My husband and I both wear helmets. Neither of us would dream of cycling without them. We were like children at the store trying on helmets and selecting our favourite colours.