Day 3 - St-Zotique to Ormstown, QC

60.7 km - Total so far 257.7 km - https://ridewithgps.com/trips/9721005

Before you read the blog for today, have a quick look at the GPS data above. Suffice to say, it was not easy to navigate the bike trails and get onto the right one for Ormstown.

One of many herons seen on this trip and Helene got very close to it

What to do but rest on a garbage can when Helene is looking to
capture a heron picture!

Start of Beauharnois Canal behind Helene

This is what Helene was looking at. Shame it was left to rot away.

We found the bicycle path maps very confusing. This is why I am seen
heading in one direction and Helene's bike points in the other

Beauharnois dam is part of the bike path

A little hint of Gaspesie just outside Montreal

Helene having a rest. In the background we see a bridge that is closed to cyclists.
Once in a while, you have to break the law when it is an ass!

We had a great day and easy ride.  We did write much about since we spent all of the evening catching up with fellow "Encadreurs"/friends that we only see in the summer.  For the next three days we will be busy with Velo Quebec but we will try to post pictures.

HL & DW

Day 2 - Near Morrisburg to St-Zotique, QC

91 km - Total so far 197 km -  https://ridewithgps.com/trips/9721004

What a difference a day makes. After kilometers of fields and farms yesterday we now got to enjoy waterfront for most of today. Helene had been down this stretch of Hwy 2 before but it was my first time. We followed the Great Waterfront Trail to its start point on the Quebec/Ontario border. The trails runs almost 1,500 kilometers along two of the Great Lakes all the way to the United States. It is a nice easy ride most of it on either a bike path or a marked shoulder on the road.

We were both surprised by the bike paths in Cornwall and the number of lovely parks along the way. Well worth a trip down here.

Did I mention we got a bit wet. We were fortunate enough to ride between two storms for most of the day. While it was not raining the roads were wet and we got wet from the spray of cars and the water coming of our own wheels. We got rained on for a solid 30 minutes but that was the only soaker we experienced.

On a bike trail in Cornwall, ON

An Eastie about to get caught in the rain 

Citizen of the Year Pathway...reminded me of a similar picture
last year at the start of the Bow River Parkway

A great place to wait out the thunder storm

Helene got an early start on supper as we waited out the storm

The border marker...I had never seen one of those before in Canada

A bike path (La Route Verte) along a provincial road...so much easier to pedal on

We were really looking forward to arriving at our campsite and setting up camp. Once there we were told the camp ground only caters to seasonal campers and not drop ins. Helene sweet talked the owner and he relented. We were offered a tiny piece of ground next to the bathrooms for $20. When you are wet you will take anything to get out of the rain and stay dry.

It started to rain again as we put up the tent...so we took a break and enjoyed some libations. When the owner showed up to sort out the music in the bathrooms (that is another story), we asked if we could use the deck on the lot next to us. As the camper was up for sale and the owner away, he said yes.

As we were doing dishes, the new owner of the deck and camper showed up, He was kind enough to let us stay overnight.

At the campground squatting next to the bathrooms

Soup almost made from scratch on our new alcohol stove....delicious

Tomorrow we have a short 60 km ride to Ormstown but it might take the entire day as we plan on taking in the sights (Soulange Canal and the power plant in Beauharnois).

That is all for today and a good night to all. We cannot keep those mosquitoes waiting any longer!

Helene et Daniel

Day 2 - Waiting for the thunder storm

We are about 1 km from the Québec / Ontario border waiting for the thunder storm to go by.

We followed the Great Waterfront Trail route to get here and really enjoyed the scenery along the St Lawrence River. As the Waterfront Trail ends, we will pick up La Route Verte in Québec in a kilometer or so.

Hélène is taking advantage of this stop to rehydrate vegetables for supper tonight.

Hélène et Daniel

Day 1 - Ottawa to EAST of Morrisburg

106 km - Total so far 106 km - https://ridewithgps.com/trips/9721003

We loaded up the bikes in the garage of the Blackburn building and eventually made it out 
at 8:30. We could not leave right away because my GPS could not locate satellites. When downtown my GPS takes for ever to pickup satellites signals because of building interference. By about 8:40, we were ready to roll down Somerset Street West on the way to the Rideau Canal Pathway.

It takes more luggage for 9 days then it took for 9 weeks last summer...go figure!

It was pretty easy going with the trailers tracking beautifully behind us. It takes
a bit longer to stop with the trailers but otherwise you would not know they are
there. That is until you reach you first incline and then you can feel trailer
holding you back. Fortunately, we had the gears on the bikes changed to enable us to 
pull trailers up a long and steep hill. All we had to do was change gears until
the pulling got easier. With the bikes geared the way they are we can't reach fast speeds
but we can sure go up hills.

Once we left the pathways, the riding on the road with all those stop lights and stop signs gave us a good workout with all that stopping and starting. How soon one forgets just how much much fun it is to ride loaded bikes in the city.

We had lunch in a nice little park in Winchester (South of Ottawa). Helene observed 
that had we been in a car we would probably have not stopped there. Soon we were joined 
by a number of locals, who were there with their lunches.

Downtown Winchester

Our wheels having a rest

A quick lunch and we were off to Chesterville to pick up a few items for supper. 

Chesterville mural

Under Afghanistan at the War Memorial are listed the names of six of our finest - that is a lot for
for such a small place 

Listed on MLS for $350,000

We saw tons of farms and fields on the way down but did not take any pictures. 

The topography is very flat making it impossible to find any sort of vantage points.

We made it to the camp ground at a decent time and quickly set up the tent and got
ready for supper. Our alcohol stove doesn't have the same output as the stove
we had last year, so cooking is gonna take a while longer. On the positive side, there
is no sound coming from the burner...everything is so quiet.

Well that is it for now. Tomorrow we will let you know how we spent the night on our new air mattresses.

Helene and Daniel 

Day 1 - Arrived near Morrisburg

We are at an Ontario Provincial Park and there is no WiFi access to the Internet. Blog for today will be posted as soon as we can.

We had a nice ride here and enoyed being on the road again.

Hélène and Daniel 

Day 1 - We are off / C'est un départ

D-1 The day before we go

Just had a look at the Environment Canada 7 forecast and it looks like we might be challenged by the weather this time around. Funny how it has not rained for a least three weeks and now the forecast is for rain during 3 of the next 6 days. 

Oh well, I once heard someone yell at us "It's an outdoor sport" as many of us were huddled under an overpass on the Ottawa Parkway during a thunder storm. 

Hélène and I would most certainly have kept on pedaling but it was a group ride so we had to stay with the group.

As long as we can keep the Cheezies dry we will be okay!

Hélène et Daniel

Day 0 - Pre Departure

This blog is to record small trips and adventures between our larger/longer trips.

Well the time has finally come to go on a small trip.

As you can see from the pictures below, we have have more stuff than we had last year. We each now tow an Extra-Wheel trailer equipped with a pair of panniers. This will enable us to carry the extra food and fuel that we will require on a future trip. The trailers can carry 35 kilos (77 lbs). We have been out a few times with them around Ottawa and suffice to say they attract puzzled looks and generate much interest.

This past Sunday on our way to Leonard, ON another cyclist, André Marier caught up to us and the three of us had a nice chat, about bicycle touring. Turns out André is a very experienced touring cyclist and has pedaled more than 180,000 km. What is even more amazing is that last year, at age 79 he pedaled over 9,500 km. We learned a lot just talking to him. We were also somewhat very envious of his custom built touring bike. 

The up coming trip is from home to Ormstown, Quebec a distance of 220 km. Ormstown is the start point for 'La Petite Aventure' an annual 3 -day family event organized by VéloQuébec. We will be there as Encadreur(e)! in support of the event.

We will be gone for a nice and relaxing 9 day road trip. In addition to the trailer, we will be trying out our new Trangia alcohol stove and our new double sleeping mattress from Exped.

We will try to keep you up to date in our daily blog.

Hélène et Daniel

OUR OTHER BLOGS

         2014 - Tour de la Gaspesie 2014
         2015 - Vancouver to Ottawa