Distance: 750 km (approx. 465 miles)
Duration: 5 days
Terrain: gentle, rolling with some intermediate hills in the upper Gatineau Valley
Scenery: farms, lakes, villages, mountains
Roads/trails: Bike trails in Ottawa and Montreal areas (total approx. 115 km). Bike trails on two former railway roadbeds (approx. 300 km). Secondary highways most with paved shoulders and quiet tertiary roads with little traffic.
Bikes/gear: Two modestly priced touring bikes - Norco Alta and Jamis Aurora. We each carried two rear panniers and a handlebar bag with a total of 10 kg (approx. 25 lb.) of gear.
Victor and I left at 8:00 a.m. in a light drizzle. After crossing the Ottawa River from Ottawa into Quebec, we followed bicycle paths beside the Gatineau River for a few kilometres and then took Highway 105. After some 10 km of travel the paved shoulder ended and we had to contend with heavy traffic until we could turn off onto the old road only metres from the east side of the Gatineau River. This we followed into the lovely town of Wakefield which we reached about 10:00 a.m. By now the rain had stopped but we faced a stubborn headwind for the rest of the day.
Again on Highway 105, now with a fine wide paved shoulder, we proceed north to Low where the 80 km (approx. 50 mile) bike path follows the former rail line to within 10 km of Maniwaki. The first 20 km of the trail were composed of a fine gravel making riding tough and slow. We got off the trail at Kazabazua; had lunch (12:30 p.m.); and returned to Highway 105. The paved shoulder ended and we contended with heavy truck traffic for about 5 km. In Gracefield we returned to the bike trail which was now better packed with courser gravel (stone dust). Here the trail passes through some lovely country, lakes, bridges, farms and forest. The trail is well-maintained with many rest stops, toilet facilities and is well signed. While on the trail, we saw no more than a dozen other cyclists. Curiously, the trail ends abruptly and one is left without directional markers some 10 km from Maniwaki, the administrative and market centre of the upper Gatineau Valley. We had a good map of the region so we easily found our way into town (5:00 p.m.).
We spent the night in an inexpensive motel. (We wanted a non-smoking room and all of those were on the upper floor. Because the motel was far from full, we were given a second room - downstairs - for our bikes.)
After breakfast the next morning we left Maniwaki about 8:00 a.m. We noted that the main road north (still Highway 105) was very busy with huge logging trucks usually travelling in pairs at something above the speed limit.There is no paved shoulder. In conversation with locals (NOTE: some ability in French is an asset) we were advised to take the much quieter Highway 107. This we did. While less well maintained that the 105, we encountered no logging trucks and only light local traffic. This highway has been less "groomed". It tends to follow the terrain without shaving off mountain/hill tops and spanning the valleys with high level bridges.
The hills slowed us both down - though I rather more than Victor. It was 11:00 a.m. when we hit Highway 117 running south to Mont-Laurier. There was an indifferently paved shoulder for the 20 km into Mont-Laurier where Le P'tit Train du Nord begins.
The Parc Lineaire Le P'tit Train du Nord, to give it its full name, follows the former railway line through the Laurentian Mountains north of Montreal from Saint-Jerome for some 200 km (approx. 130 miles) to Mont-Laurier.
See map: http://www.laurentides.com/anglais/parc/renseignement.html
The railway is said to have been the inspiration of a Catholic Priest, Father Labelle, who saw economic benefit to the region by bringing Montrealers north for summer and winter sports and recreation. The line opened in 1901 and was eventually acquired by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). The last train ran in 1967.
At the Mont-Laurier Station - many of the old stations have been preserved and now serve to provide information, food services, shops and bike stores - we bought our tickets. Cost: $5.00 per day or $15.00 for the season per person. (NOTE: All prices are quoted in Canadian dollars.)
Because it was a later start on the trail than we had anticipated, we decided to begin and have a late lunch. The path is in very good shape. It is paved for almost half of its length from Mont-Laurier to Labelle. Lunch was at Lac-Saguay, about 35 km from the start. This northern section is cut through medium forest and does not afford many views. We reached Ville de Riviere-Rouge about 4:00 p.m. Here we decided that Labelle (20 km away) would be our stopping point for the night. In the former station at Riviere-Rouge is a Quebec Tourist Office where we inquired about accommodation in Labelle. The agent recommended a room in the old station there. She called; found that one room remained; and, after finding the price to be a reasonable $60.00, it was reserved. An hour later we arrived. The building - at the midpoint of the railway - is two storeys and the five rental rooms were sleeping quarters for train crews. The room was charmingly furnished with memorabilia from the railway and early twentieth century. The five rooms shared two showers and three toilets. On the ground floor was a bar and an excellent restaurant. The prix fixe for appetiser, main course (bison) and desert with coffee and a decent bottle of wine was about $75.00 for two.
DAY THREE Labelle to Montreal Friday, July 29, 2005
Because we wanted to leave at 7:00 a.m., we did not eat at the station as breakfast did not start until 8:00 a.m. We had some juice and croissants, bought the previous evening. The plan was to cycle for 30-35 km and stop for a full breakfast. At Labelle, the paved path ends and a very good packed gravel path runs south. About 25 km into the ride, we came to the only moderately steep climb of the trail. Speed slowed due to the grade, gravel and increasing hunger. A stop at Saint-Faustin (9:30 a.m.) cured the hunger problem and shortly after that we reached the high point of the route. (In a distance of about 5-6 km there is a 300 metre rise, i.e. 1000 feet over 4 miles.)
The ride from that point is a pretty steady down hill. As the southern half of the route is more heavily populated, there are more villages to see as well as lakes and the ancient mountains which are the Laurentians. With one rest stop along the way, we reached Km 0 (Saint-Jerome) at about 1:00. Lunch was a relaxing affair in a pleasant plaza near Le P'tit Train du Nord's station with a view of the Cathedral. A twenty km (12 mile) southern extension to Le P'tit Train du Nord (Parc Lineaire des Basses Laurentides) ends at Blainville. We arrived about 3:00 p.m. And here began some hours of being confused and lost!
The bicycle trail at Blainville ends abruptly at a busy two lane road. We had a map from tourist information showing a route to a bridge across to Laval but, unfortunately, a major road was misnamed and the map had no scale. When we finally reached the bridge, it took a surprisingly long time to find a) the bike path ; and b) how to get on it. Although this is part of Quebec's extensive Route verte, signs are few; they tend to be in places cyclists don't look - up high; and, at intersections with local bike routes, it is often not obvious which route is which. (These observations hold true for the Route verte in Laval, Montreal and those trails we followed on our return trip. Once you get used to signage conventions and practice, life gets easier.)
In Laval and we followed the Route verte but turned onto a local bike path without knowing it. While we were going generally in the right direction, we were not on the route which would lead us to the appropriate bridge across to Montreal. It was then that we discovered another "issue" with our Route verte map information. We had a copy of the official guide to bicycling on Quebec's Route Verte, "Take a Ride on the Green Side". This has 150 pages of maps, tourist information, phone numbers, accommodation, bike shops, etc. The book's maps show the Route verte trails quite clearly but nearby streets are poorly marked and usually not named. It is therefore difficult to find where you are and then get to the Route verte if you are not already on it.
We did find the Route in Laval and cycled to the bridge leading to Montreal. After crossing onto the Island, we missed one more key turn because signage was poor (and, let's be honest, by this time we were not as sharp as we had been earlier in the day). We sailed past the turn to the south and went 3 km (2 miles) out of our way - 6 km in all, as we had to return to the north-south route, Rue Christophe-Colomb. Within about half an hour we had crossed most of the Island of Montreal and, once south of Mount Royal, headed west and reached our destination. It was now 8:30 p.m. We were tired but exhilarated having done 200 km that day. During the rest of the trip, we were never again lost!
MONTREAL Saturday/Sunday, July 30-31, 2005
While this is a report about a bicycle trip from Ottawa to Montreal and back, the weekend in Montreal must be mentioned. Montreal a great and fascinating city for many reasons. Its history, setting, culture, cuisine and liveliness are each a good reason to visit. But it is also a wonderful bicycling city - named North America's greatest by Bicycling Magazine.
On Sunday morning we cycled along the Lachine Canal. Opened originally in 1825, the canal allowed shipping to bypass the Lachine Rapids which prevented navigation above Montreal on the St Lawrence River. The Canal, a Canadian Historic Site, has now been restored and all locks are open to pleasure craft. As well, an 11 km (7 mile) recreation trail runs along the length of the Canal. There is plenty to see from Nineteenth Century industrial buildings converted to modern condominiums to markets and cultural offerings.
From the Lachine (upstream) end of the Canal we rode the bicycle trail beside the St Lawrence River through LaSalle and Verdun. This is part of an extensive system of bike paths which follow the periphery of the Island of Montreal for about 150 km (100 miles). At the eastern end of Verdun, we crossed to Nun's Island and then over the ice control barrier to the south shore. From there, a connection to the former Expo '67 site leads to Montreal Harbour and the Seventeenth Century heart of Montreal. It was a glorious day - sunny, not too hot, and with a pleasant breeze. We did 60 km (approx. 35 miles).
DAY FOUR Montreal to Hawkesbury Monday, August 1, 2005
Rain threatened but never developed. After a coffee and croissant at a cafe, we began, about 8:00 a.m., our return journey. We followed the bike route which crosses the Island of Montreal - the one we had used to enter the City but this time we were heading north. The path is a practical transportation corridor and hundreds of cyclists were coming towards us as they entered the City's centre to work. We crossed the bridge to Laval and, now knowing the trail, we had no problems. Well, I did have a puncture but that was soon repaired. Along Laval's north shore we rode west and crossed to the bridge to Saint-Eustache. It is a pretty village with an historic church - a refuge for rebels during 1837 and, more recently, the recording venue for l’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal. While there, we had an early lunch about 11:00 a.m.
There is a bicycle trail (partly regional, partly Route verte) from Saint-Eustache to and then through the Parc national d'Oka, where there are a couple of big hills. From the town of Oka, best known for the cheese that is produced there, The Route verte is a wide paved shoulder on Highway 344 west from Oka for about 25 km. After a refreshment break at Saint-Placide overlooking the Lac des Deux Montagnes, Victor discovered a flat. (The two flats that day were the only mechanical incidents on the trip.)
Although the Route verte officially ends a few kilometres past Saint-Placide, the shoulder continues for five or six more. By that point, there was little traffic on Highway 344. At Carillon there is a large hydro-electric dam across the Ottawa River. West of Carillon the south shore of the River is Ontario. We continued along the 344 which, for the next 20 km, is one of the worst roads I have travelled, though some repairs are going on. The condition is terrible; pot holes, broken pavement, and large cracks across the width of the road. Add to this a strong head wind and the 20 km seemed to last forever. We reached Grenville and crossed the bridge into Ontario where we had reserved a motel room in Hawkesbury. The place appeared to be all but empty and was mildly creepy.
DAY FIVE Hawkesbury to Ottawa Tuesday, August 2, 2005
After an early breakfast at the restaurant where we had dinner the previous night, we began cycling our final leg of the tour. We followed Highway24 along the right bank of the Ottawa River through L'Orignal, a village with a number of the oldest structures in Ontario. The road was very quiet with fine views of the River and the hills of Quebec on the other side. These are in contrast to relatively flat Ontario. About 25 km (15 miles) beyond L'Orignal, Highway 24 ends at Treadwell. From there we used concession roads and old Highway 17 in order to avoid the current Highway 17. This latter road, like far too many Ontario highways, is without a paved shoulder and is very busy with much truck traffic.
We stopped for lunch in Rockland - about 40 km (25 miles) from the centre of Ottawa. Very strong head winds signalled a change in the weather after lunch. We avoided busy roads for the most part by following Old Montreal Road through Cumberland and once in Orleans, we made use of the bicycle trails along the Ottawa River which lead right into the heart of the City. During the final half hour of the trip, there was a moderate rain storm. A wonderful bicycle tour ended, as it had begun, with a little rain.
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