Cobden to Ottawa, Ontario

I finished off cycling across Ontario at 10:00 this morning as I crossed the Ottawa River into Québec east of Shawville.

I still had another 100 kilometres to get to Ottawa, however (where I would re-cross the river). I could have stayed in Ontario for the whole day, but I was excited to ride on Quebec's Route Verte #1. I actually got really lucky, because due to COVID-19 the Quebec/Ontario border has been closed for weeks, and only reopened today!

I had to cycle on Highway 303 for 15 kilometres to reach Shawville, but from there it was beautiful, forested trail for 17 kilometres.

Unfortunately, soon after I resumed riding on rural roads, I had a puncture in the rear wheel. I checked the tire pretty well as I changed the tube, but failed to check the rim. Anyway, I cycled on, occasionally along Highway 148 when the Route Verte joined it, but often on rural, sometimes gravel, roads as well. 

In Aylmer I was able to join the multiuse trails along the river, which were wonderful. When I stopped at one point, however, I realized I was losing air again in the rear tire. I assume now that something must have been in the rim and punctured the new tube as well. I pumped it up and hurried on, hoping to avoid having to change the tube again. I still had 12 kilometres or so to go.

Soon I was across the river from Parliament Hill.

I crossed the Alexandra Bridge and at 16:00 reached the Auberge des Arts where I am staying. My wife had amazingly sent over a couple of beers and a piece of cheesecake to help me celebrate!

The tire was flat again when I checked on the bike after a shower, but I opted to simply wheel it back to Escape Cycle instead of deal with it myself. I was done!

With the North Bay to Ottawa gap closed, I have now biked from the Pacific Ocean to Moncton, New Brunswick, and probably just have one summer left to get to the Atlantic Ocean!

Whitney to Cobden, Ontario

While all restaurants in Whitney had been closed yesterday afternoon, this morning the gas station across the road had a restaurant that opened for breakfast. I ate a burrito and packed another before taking off east on Highway 60.

I reached Madawaska about 20 kilometres east around 9:30, and stopped at a beautiful riverside park to finish my breakfast.

There were some serious hills along my route today, especially in the first half.

I was not making particularly good time, but it was a pleasant day and the highway was mostly good and the scenery was lovely; plus, I had the three sandwiches from yesterday which meant I was well fed!

I passed through Wilno, "Canada's first Polish settlement" (but failed to stop for a photo), skirted the north side of Golden Lake, and passed through Eganville (where I stopped to buy a beer). Soon after Eganville I left Highway 60 on Highway 8, which had an even more rural feel than Highway 60.

Then, just before meeting the dreaded Highway 17, I headed south on gravel for a few kilometres.

I then joined Highway 17 when I could no longer avoid it, and arrived just after 15:00 at the Logos Land resort where I am staying tonight. Yes, the front office is supposed to look like Noah's ark.

It was a 130 kilometre ride.

The resort has a few motel rooms behind the Noah's ark, and that's where I stayed. But further down they have camping spots by a lake, and a laundry hut, where I could do my laundry. I sat by the lake and read a book and enjoyed my beer while my laundry washed.

For dinner, I had to bike north on Highway 17 five kilometres to Cobden, where I bought some groceries, some takeout dinner, and an ice cream cone!

Huntsville to Whitney, Ontario

I began my day with a walk in the rain to the laundromat several blocks away to get my laundry done. Not only did I want clean laundry, but I was also hoping the rain would let up some if I delayed starting. That only sort of worked, and it remained a damp day for my whole ride. 

Despite the rain, I was excited for this stretch of riding, all on Highway 60, because it included 60 kilometres through Algonquin Park, which I reached at noon.

Just a few minutes into the park I encountered my first wildlife--a snapping turtle!

Just over an hour later, about halfway through the park, I joined a crowd on the side of the highway watching a moose.

The rain was intermittent and it was not cold, so while it certainly could have been nicer, I was not going to complain, and the scenery was spectacular even with the cloud cover.

I stopped for the day just past the park's east gate in a place called Whitney, for a 105 kilometres of riding. I checked in at the Rolling Rapids Motel, where my host was kind enough to take my wet riding clothes and wash them for me. 

Apparently all dining options in Whitney are closing on Mondays at the moment, so I had to raid the small grocery store for food. I suppose you could say my eyes were bigger than my stomach, as this is what I cam back with!

Needless to say, I filled up, and had plenty left over to make some nice sandwiches for tomorrow's ride.

Callander to Huntsville, Ontario

Sunday is my "big day," the only imperial century I intend to ride this year. I rolled out of Callander at 7:33 and started off on a pretty good clip. Highway 11 connects North Bay and Huntsville fairly directly, but it is limited access, which means no bicycles. 

So, the route today involved a lot of secondary highways and back roads, crossing Highway 11 several times, and the route looks more like a zig zag than a straight line! 

I was on highways 654 and 534 for the first stretch, both of which were quiet and nice to ride on.

Around a place called Wolfe Lake I left the highway and started out on some gravel back roads. I was anxious about what this would be like, but after a kilometre or two I was feeling as if this would be the nicest part of the ride!

Things became a bit more hairy, however, when Google told me to turn down what is really just a snowmobile trail. In fact, I ignored the directions at first, since it did not seem to be a road. However, I realized this was in fact what Google wanted me to do, so I started down the dirt path.

At the point I took the photo it was not especially awful, although certainly slow. But eventually the trail narrowed, and descended into a swamp where it was flooded out in places. I was too focused on getting through the mud/water/stones/swarms of bugs to take pictures, but in retrospect I should have. What is now a snowmobile trail was once a stretch of the Rosseau - Nipissing Road--referred to as a "ghost road" in places (http://www.nipissingroad.ca/)! The stretch I was on is described as "abandoned," and certainly only a very rugged, narrow 4x4 could get through nowadays. Thankfully I knew from Google maps that I only had 3.5 kilometres on here, so even when I was forced to dismount and push my bike I was not too distraught. I did take a tumble descending over some boulders at one point, but I was going so slow that I landed without any injury. My only souvenirs from this experience were some nasty bug bites, including blood running down my left calf!

As I came off the trail, I was back on a gravel road, and passed this Catholic church.

A few kilometres later, I briefly joined Highway 522, before once again heading south onto gravel.

These stretches were always beautiful, although the condition of the roads I was on varied widely, and in many places it was hard to maintain 20 kmph.

At the intersection above, I stopped to eat the last (fourth!) of the muffins I had brought. I was a bit surprised that I was finishing these off and it was only 11:00! I photographed the nutritional information to note that I had consumed 1,760 calories of muffins in four hours!

I reached South River, where I joined Highway 124, at noon, and I was halfway done. I had to buy more water here, as I was nearly out of the three litres I had left Callander with. This surprised me as well. 

I continued more or less parallel to Highway 11 from South River down to Burk's Falls, where I crossed the Magnetawan River . . .

. . .  and straight along Main Street.

Shortly after Burk's Falls, I headed west, back into the woods!

This time the stretch on gravel was minimal, and I joined Highway 518 to go west to a place called Sprucedale. At Sprucedale it was south again, on what turned into Huntsville's Municipal Road 2. I was getting close now, but also getting very tired! Somehow I also ran out of water, which feels like a really rookie mistake. I was also surprised that there were no chances to buy more for the last 20 kilometres or so. 

Anyway, almost nine hours after leaving Callander, I reached Huntsville. I was feeling very weak as I rolled through town to my hotel, but happy to have made it! My Comfort Inn was near a Starbucks and a grocery store, so I bought a large iced coffee and lots of water!

North Bay to Callander, Ontario (again)

In 2018, I had intended to ride from Sault Ste Marie to Ottawa, but only got as far as North Bay. The problem was the shoulder, or lack thereof, on Highway 17. For the most part, past North Bay, there is no paved shoulder whatsoever or, where there is, it is all rumble strips so impossible to cycle on. At that time I spent a couple extra days in North Bay planning an alternative route, including cycling south of North Bay to explore. I concluded the best option was to head south, not east, from North Bay to Huntsville, then head east on Highway 60 through Algonquin Park, across the Ottawa River into Quebec, and south to Ottawa. This is certainly a longer route, but the piece that makes it most challenging is that from North Bay to Huntsville, while easy on the freeway Highway 11, is much more complicated by bike (bicycles are not allowed on Highway 11) and involves a lot back road riding. So, to make it work I not only needed more time, but a bike with bigger tires than I was using in 2018. 

I decided 2021 would be the year I would close this North Bay to Ottawa gap so started booking for around the May long weekend. Although I have now equipped my bike with tires adequate for the riding I would be doing, I opted to rent a bike in Ottawa, since I would be flying in and out of YOW anyway. The friendly and helpful Maria of Escape Bike Tours was brilliant in arranging what I would need.

Unfortunately, COVID-19 lockdowns made May travel impossible, but a few weeks later, here I am. I flew into YOW yesterday afternoon and picked up a rental car at the airport. This morning I visited Escape to pick up the bike.

I took it for a spin and all seemed well, so loaded her into the Jeep.

Four hours of driving later, or so, I was in North Bay. I dropped the Jeep at Enterprise, loaded up the bike, and rode the 17 kilometres southeast to the town of Callander. This was along the same route I biked in 2018 when I was exploring options. 

I am spending the night in a lovely suite at the Terrace Suites, just across the road from a lookout over Lake Nipissing.