Ride Report: Ottawa-Montreal-Ottawa via Gatineau River Valley, P'titTrain du Nord, Ottawa River Valley

*Distance:*
750 km (approx. 500 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.
*_________________________________________________ ________________________________________________*

*DAY ONE Ottawa to Maniwaki Wednesday, July 27, 2005*

We 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 shoulder paved 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 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 these we on the upper floor. Because the motel was far from
full, we were given a another downstairs room for our bikes.)

*DAY TWO Maniwaki to Labelle **Thursday, July 28, 2005*

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 that 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 my partner. 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. 150 miles) to
Mont-Laurier.

http://www.laurentides.com/anglais/p...eignement.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 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 in this report 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 was a Quebec Tourist Office where we inquired about
accommodation in Labelle. The agent recommended a room in the old
station. 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 charming 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 there is a pretty steady down hill. As there are more
villages in the southern half of the route, there is more of these to
see along with 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 at
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 along 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 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 building 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 (25 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 our return following the bike route north across the
Island of Montreal about 8:00a.m. This is a practical transportation
corridor and hundreds of cyclists were coming towards us as they came
into 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 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, my partner
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 is, like far too many Ontario
highways, without a paved shoulder and 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.

Richard Rodgers


--
_________________________________________
R Rodgers Ottawa ON CANADA

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Sounds like a great trip. Thanks for sharing.
Ken

Richard Rodgers wrote:

*Distance:*
750 km (approx. 500 miles)

*Duration:*
5 days

etc
Ken Brown, Toronto Canada
Ontario Rail Trails: http://webhome.idirect.com/~brown
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