Day Sixty One - Saint Louis de Kent

The wind was very calm this morning. Last night I got a really good sleep partly because the campground is very quiet, no train whistles or highway noise. At 5:45 I was up to pack my stuff up before staring breakfast for the group.  Matt, Viki, and I prepared eggs to order with toast.

Sam and I were one of the last people to leave camp. In Bathurst we took a little time to ride around the city and rural area. Well really we took a wrong turn or turns and ended up adding 15 km to the planned 149. 

Approaching Mirimachi we had to cross a  large bridge. There was an alternate route around it but I don't think anyone took it. There was a side walk that was a foot or more above the bridge surface. There was no barrier between the sidewalk and the road. We road on the sidewalk and didn't have any problems with the wind. 

For lunch we had an extended lunch at Tim Hortons. They always have very good internet and air conditioning. I tried the new steak chipotle. I wanted to try it the other day but they were out. It was good but I like the chicken one yet. 

The rest of the ride was really uneventful. The scenery was also not anything special either. The only services past Miramichi was a restaurant that I learned some of our riders stopped at and said that the ice cream was good. 

Tomorrow is a rest day and I am looking forward to putting my feet up and taking it easy. 

Matt's tent requires 12 tent stakes

Bridge into Miramichi

Rarely scene phone booth at campground

Day Sixty - Petit Roche

Last night was very quiet at the campsite when people finally went to bed. I was hoping to go early because we are now in the Atlantic time zone. We had all set up our tents under the dense forest of pine trees. When I took my tent down it was very dry compared to when it is set up on grass.

Sam, Laura, Kerry, and I headed into Atholville to find a bike shop. We found one but had to wait for a hour in a Tim Hortons until it opened. When it did, Kerry purchased two new Ultegra rims as he was having problems with the bearings on the rear. He already is very fast and now it will be even harder to keep up to. 

We road the 100 km together until we reached camp. The route was rolling and there was a pretty strong headwind. Drafting really helped conserve energy or in my case allowed me to keep up to Kerry and Laura. We made a couple of quick stops but no extended relaxed lunch. 

Even though we didn't leave town until 11:30 we arrived at camp at 4. I had enough time to set up my tent, shower, and put a load of laundry in before it was time to cook diner. 

Diner was vegetarian pasta and bean salad but was suprisingly good and all seemed to enjoy it. 

Most of the tents that the riders set up were right on the waterfront. During the day it was really windy and I was wondering if it was going to rain. 

Kerry with his new Ultegra wheels from bike shop in Atholville

On the causeway in Charlo, NB

Salmon sculpture on Andrews St in Atholville

Day Fifty Nine - Atholville

Last night a lot of riders had problems sleeping because of the karaoke that was going on until 2 am. I am lucky not to have been effected too much. Ear plugs and noise cancelling head phones worked pretty well.

Despite the late night a lot of people left camp early. I left before Sam and when he caught up he was with Matt. We rode together for the day. 

Early on the cue sheet we weren't sure which way to turn but confirmed with my phone and it was correct. Parts of the road were obscured by fog on some downhill portions before we turned on the main highway. 

On the cue sheet said that today was a payback for yesterday. I'm not sure what that meant exactly. It wasn't too bad although the headwind was effecting others quite a bit. I found the day long and a little hit but not too bad.

At 67 km we stopped for lunch at  nice place that was at the top of a very steep hill. As we were leaving the town at Causapscal I passed a convenience store and thought that I should get some water but didn't. The cue sheet said the next town was the last place for services but when we got there everything was closed. 

At Routierville we went off course to drive over the beautiful covered bridge. It apparently had had some work on it lately to lift it higher above the river to prevent it from being washed away when the river is high. 

On the other side of the bridge we hoped to get some water but there was only an art gallery so we checked it out. The gentleman there was very nice and showed us his wife's art and the magazines that it had being published in. He offered to fill out bottles and we accepted. 

We continued on the route and stopped once more at a gas station to eat a couple of PBJ's and get a cold drink before we left Quebec. After that and before we crossed the bridge into New Brunswick we stopped at the Quebec sign and I got a picture at the sign because I didn't get one when we entered Quebec. Then crossed the bridge and got a picture with the New Brunswick sign. 

Morning fog after leaving campsite in St Damas, QC

Gallery tour guide in Routhierville, QC

Province number 8, New Brunswick

Day Fifty Eight - St Damas

I'm glad the forecasters were correct. The rain stopped shortly after 7 last night and didn't start up again. Even though I set up my tent when it wasn't raining my tent was very wet this morning. The humidity was still very high. Sam and I left camp with Matt and Viki as when the truck was packed up at 8.

We rode as a group which was nice for a change. The road was busy but not too busy. There was a bit of a tailwind which helped. There were some side routes on the cue sheet but we didn't take them.  Farmland was the scenery most of the way to Rimouski. 

We rode on the waterfront trail in Rimouski. It was very nice and reminded me a little of Dallas road in Victoria. We stopped at the Empress of Ireland memorial but none of us paid the money to check out the museum. We did take time to eat a sandwich and enjoy the sunshine on the banks of the St Lawerence. 

Past there we rode by waterfront houses and or cottages that were very nice. About 30 km past Rimouski I broke my rear derailure cable. I spent the rest of the  50 km using only two gears. 

With 14 km left I turned off the main highway on the road that leads to the campsite. In the cue sheet it talked about this part being hilly. I turned on the road and couldn't make it up on the easiest gear I had because it was on the smallest ring on the cassette because the broken cable. 

On the hill I flipped my bike over and rigged the bike to be in the 3rd easiest gear. I made it to camp an hour or so later and even enjoyed a really steep downhill. 

Once at camp Sam and Duncan helped my replace my broken cable. 

Arlen taking picture beside HMCS Onondaga in Rimouski, QC

Matt on bike trails through waterfront in Rimouski

Campsite just outside St Damase

Day Fifty Seven - Trois Pistoles

This morning I woke to the smell of fresh cow manure that had been spread on the adjacent field to our campsite. The temperature was 20 and even though it was raining it was to come in the afternoon. It was John, Kerry, Sam, and I first out of camp this morning. 

The cue sheet said that the terrain was easy today and it was right. It was a very pleasant ride especially with the strong tailwind that we had for most of the day. Equally as strong as the headwind that we had traveling to Youngstown. 

Most of the terrain was farm land. There were some small villages that had very beautiful houses. Kamouraska at 24 km was on a hill that overlooked the St. Lawerence. Notre-Dame du Portage was 28 km later and also had very nice houses that lined the street at shore level.   Both towns I would like to spend some more time in to visit the restaurants and spend a night. 

We stopped in Riviere du Loop for a break. It was still early but Matt was getting hungry and I knew that it was going to be a short day with the tailwind. Sam had plans to visit his family and meet us back at camp. 

It started raining very lightly off and on after our stop and at 100 km it started to fall more frequently. We took refuge from the weather at Fromagerie des Basques. It was a bakery and cheese shop. Matt and I were there for 45 minutes when Arlen stopped in. The three of us spent 3 hours there before we decided to brave the weather and make our way to camp. 

It was only 11 km to camp but during that time we were drenched. The plus side of it is that our tents weren't getting wet. Just before diner the rain stopped and after I put my tent up. The food was good and chocolate cake especially. 

The sky still has clouds now but they are pink. "Sailors delight". The forecast for tomorrow does not call for rain so it should be a really good day. 

Accidental selfie near Riviere-Ouelle, QC

Field near La Malbaie, QC

Colourful house near Saint-Andre, QC

Day Fifty Six - Riviere Ouelle

I skipped breakfast in the caf today as yesterday's wasn't so good. I opted for a PBJ from the truck. After loading my gear  and eating the sandwich I changed my front tire. Yesterday I had bought the match for what is on the rear of my bike, a Shuable marathon plus 700X32.

Once Sam and I started on the route I noticed a difference in the ride immediately.  When I went over cracks in the pavement it was much less noticeable. Something that I could have used weeks ago. We will be in Quebec for still a couple days and my hands and bike will benefit from the tire change. 

The route took us down a steep hill to the waterfront and then along a trail along the river to a ferry dock. The ferry takes us across the water to Levis. Sam and I were the first to board the ferry and we didn't see anyone behind us. Just before the ferry was to depart Arlen, Kerry, and John boarded. 

Once docked we ride as a group for the most of the day. We followed a trial off the ferry for a while until we got in the highway that we kept on for the remainder of the trip. 

During the first part of the day we had a strong headwind. We took turns in a pace line to help conserve energy. Our speed was suprisingly fast considering the wind. 

Our first stop was at 45 km at a cheese and bakery shop. They produced both right on premises. Arlen as seen below had his first ice cream of the day and eat a pastry at the same time. It was once of the best places that we have stopped at so far. 

We stopped for lunch inL'Islet-sur-mur. It was a bistro in an old house across the road from another huge church on the banks of the St Lawerence. 

Past there we saw a lot of carvings and sculptures around St-Jean-Port-Joli. It must be where a lot of artists live here on the Gaspe. 

We got into camp in good time at 4. Only two riders were there before us. Just after diner we felt the wind temperature change quite quickly from cold to warm. It was from the wind shifting directions from coming from the river and coming from the land. 

The closer we get to the Atlantic we can feel the effects of the cold water. 

This was another very good day despite the headwind. 

Quite a few rivers had very rock bottoms within this region

Arlen double fisting an ice cream and a pastery

French humor

Day Fifty Five - Rest Day Quebec City

Today being a rest day I slept in until 7. I was expecting my roommate Ken to wake me up earlier as he is a early riser normally. Breakfast is in the cafeteria one building away. Ken and I walked over together and were the first of the group to eat. The food was a real disappointment and most feel that a meal off the truck would have been better. 

Others filtered in shortly after I finished my rubber omelette. We were discussing what we were doing for the day. Matt and Kerry decided to join me for the hop on hop off bus tour of Quebec City. Other had errands to do and some where visiting friends for the day. I had never been to the city before. 

We boarded a city bus for the chateau Frontenac. The bus tour starts there. The city buses do not come into the old city so we got off and walked at the closest bus stop. 

Quebec City is the only fortified in North America. We passed a beautiful fountain on the way to the entrance to the old city.   As we approached the walls I was amazed at the size and that an entire city was inside the walls. The walls of the city are 2.7 km in length. 

We boarded the bus but couldn't get a seat on top.  We got off and on a couple of times and managed the last time to get a spot on top. The old city is very beautiful and worth a trip anytime of year if you haven't seen it. 

We left the bus tour to meet Duncan at a bike shop and after we had lunch. Duncan had a rabbit sandwich and we had more conventional sandwiches. We got back on the tour which happened to be the last bus of the day so we couldn't get off anymore. 

When we got back to the chateau we watch some street performers juggle. While watching we got rained on even though there were no clouds in the sky. On our way to the city bus stop to go back to the campus we saw a large rainbow. 

We got back and shared our stories of our day off with the other riders. 

Bon Homme and me in Quebec City

Kerry and Matt with a giant pigeon in Quebec City

Old Quebec city, only fortified city in North America.  Amazing!!