This is my third annual account of the June Ottawa Hub & Spoke and I hesitate to write about it. Too much publicity. The locals, who do all the work, are being overwhelmed by visitors from the Pacific Coast --10 this year. In 2006 we enjoyed the prime cycling country up and down the Canadian side of the St. Lawrence River and in 2007, nearby Quebec and the Eastern Townships.
The 2008 ride was on the New York State side of the St. Lawrence River, south of Ottawa, on the campus of St. Lawrence University at Canton. It was scouted and planned by Geoff Kennedy, Deanne Ryan, and Peter Wood and Ed Weber, and Don Taylor, all of the thriving Ottawa branch of the CCCTS. The tour planners used Ottawa's most famous administrative skill-- delegation-- and obtained assistance of 3 members of the small but active Canton Bicycle Club, some of whom are associated with the university. Canton Cycle club member Will Joyce, who moved from Vancouver to upper New York State a few years ago, was eager to hear epic tales of Vancouver rain, readily provided. We were very grateful for the help of the Canton local cyclists, and they in turn were happy that such a large group of cyclists raised the profile of cycling in their Upper NY State community, even in the media. CCCTS members were also interviewed on the local NPR radio station. Here is the NPR promotional clipping:
Canadian tourists continue to flex their strong dollar in the US. Almost 40 cyclists from north of the border are also flexing their calf muscles this week in the North Country. On today's Heard Up North, we hear from a couple of members of the Cross Canada Cycle Touring Society who are spreading the word about great riding and great people here in the North Country.
All of which was true, although our paying $32 for a double room on campus probably didn't substantially raise the Gross Domestic Product of St. Lawrence County. We were liberal with our inflated Canadian dollars at the local restaurants during our 5-day visit. Most of the 37 participants took cars, thanks in part to the generous offer of car-pooled rides to out-of-towners, and a special thanks to Don Taylor for our ride and en-route horticultural backgrounder. A small contingent led by Ed Weber braved the heat on Sunday and Monday (Day 1) to cycle the 120 k. from Ottawa to Canton, NY. Heat took its toll on that ride and shortened some rides later. The temperature hit the mid-30s, with high humidity. The first two days of heat were tough on the whimpy Pacific Coast crowd, but even the locals were panting.
On Day 2, riders had scattered and meandered in all directions because of the relaxed and friendly roads and friendly drivers. Any back road was a good road; it was summertime, and if you kept hydrated, living was easy. Within an hour, things changed. There was a weather break with a tornado alert, and in various locations we were taken aside by locals and warned to hurry home. With sunny skies and heat in the mid-30s not showing any sign of storm, a local nurse 15 k east of Canton pulled me aside after she received an alert on her cell phone. The storm arrived as predicted but no tornado was spotted, but it cooled considerably after thundershowers. On Day 3, we could see trees toppled by high winds in nearby Colton, on our route where the Hideaway Restaurant managed to feed over 30 hungry cyclists without major disruption. The weather cooled for the next three days to the mid-20s, or high 70s in the local Fahrenheit dialect.
We Canadians tend to crowd close to our side of the border, but once we cross to the U.S. side, the landscape becomes very rural-- rural enough to attract some Amish families, but not in the large numbers found in Pensylvania. At least one rider noticed that either poverty or at the very least dental neglect was evident among some Amish children. However, on a solo ride I encountered an Amish family, in horse and buggy, obviously in a hurry to get to town. No chance to inspect the teeth of either the horses or the children, but horses, buggy, and passengers looked prosperous in a very traditional way. The same rural countryside that attracted early settlers and the Amish is equally attractive to cyclists. Nothing unpleasant about sharing a road with a horse and buggy, but while climbing a gentle hill, my bike couldn't keep up with the smart buggy pulled by two speedy trotters. After being left behind by the horses, I reminded myself to eat more oats for breakfast.
Since the rural countryside is at the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains there was a good contrast between the older riverside settlements (starting in the 1820s) and the more recent population closer to the mountains. Thursday was, for both "cruisers" and the "pacers" a tour of historic churches and a gentle downhill meander to the shores of the American side of the St. Lawrence River and the town of Waddington. Since the area was settled early, the churches and their surrounding villages dated from the 1820's.
Although there were hotel options, all riders were happy with the accommodation at the Gaines College residence at St Lawrence University, especially the $32 double room rate, The washrooms were college dorm style, communal, and special concessions were provided to the aging bladders of the male population when the women voted for (or tolerated) unisex washrooms from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. We all had to walk down the corridor but the unisex designation meant those on the wrong floor didn't have to walk up or down a flight of stairs at 5 a.m.
No H&S would be complete without a wind-up dinner, and a "roadhouse" establishment, the "1844 house", was a good choice. We discovered other good restaurants in Canton and also noticed that we were not in prosperous surroundings, nor in the busy season. Our patronage was more than welcome, and one downtown Canton restaurant opened early for breakfast at our request. The owner mentioned Canton's slow business and said we made a difference to the balance sheet.
After three consecutive years on the Ottawa H&S, Jane and I have come to know many of the Ottawa regulars, and have been made to feel very much at home. And we travelled a good distance this year to meet a number of CCCTS members for the first time -- almost all from the Pacific Coast!
James Spears
Jane Purdie
Eleven of us started off from Langley, cycling to Fort Langley and then to Harrison Hot Springs on the north side of the swollen Fraser River. The country-side is very lush and green - far different near my home close to Perth, West Australia.
We cycled 96km to the hot springs, with a few hills, the last one steep and long, but what a ride down!!!! A lot of us enjoyed High Tea at 4pm and then relaxed in the hot pools.
My friend Ted from Langley had a bad day, finding out his reservation for a room was not at the big hotel with the hot pools, where most people stayed, but down the road. He also arrived late for "happy hour" at The Pub, sat down quickly and knocked a table, spilling beer everywhere.
The next day was bleak, with light rain falling as we set off on the return leg. We were grateful an RCMP officer held the cars/trucks off our backs as we cycled over the Agassiz Bridge. We wound our way through picturesque farmlands on backroads through Chilliwack, Abbotsford and 102k later we were back at Langley.
I really had a good time, but found it very cool and had 5 layers of clothing on, unlike the hardy Canadian riders.
Many thanks to Ernie Schmidt for arranging and leading this tour.
There was some concern as we headed east from the Seattle area, up and over Snoqualmie pass in the Cascade Range with its heavy overcast sky and snow, piled high where the plows had moved it off the highway, gave a chill to the air. Was it perhaps too early in the year to be cycling in the mountains? But any concerns soon evaporated in the enthusiasm of meeting the other cyclists at Cle Elum where we abandoned our cars and readied our gear for the first leg of the tour - cycling to Ellensburg. There was 20 of us: six from the Vancouver area, six from Vancouver Island, one from Ottawa, and seven from the Seattle area. We were supposed to carry our own gear on the bikes, but thanks to the offer from Roger and Marilyn we were able to have our panniers transported in their van, for which we were all thankful. In the eleven days of activity we had no rain whatsoever, although our rain jackets were handy to wear in the chilly morning air, and many days were filled with glorious sunshine.
Robin and Dan ingeniously devised a tour of three segments, which included a wide variety of scenic, cultural, historic, and culinary interests while looking after our comfort and accommodation. The first was a four-day circuit to the Columbia River, Cycling down it for a bit then turning west to Yakima, and back to Cle Elum. The first day was a short 40 km and we hadn't even got out of Cle Elum before we had to visit the historic bakery with its huge oven and adjacent bakery house, all brick buildings.
The route along the Yakima River was scenic and included the old water powered grist mill at Thorpe where the turbine turned a generator, and the mill owner allowed town folk to run their washing machines one day per week and people to read and do homework in the evening; it turned out to be one of the first electrical distribution systems in the state. That evening in Ellensburg, we all ate at the Yellow Church, a former Lutheran church built in 1923 but now a fine diner. The second day included a visit to the old Olmstead homestead, a climb up over a height of land with a wonderful long downhill run through Schnebly Coulee, and a visit to the Ginkgo Petrified Forest Sate Park with it's elaborate interpretative centre overlooking the Columbia river. There was a bit of concern when we had to cross the Columbia on the I-90 bridge sharing a lane with the trucks, but they were respectful of cyclists, giving us lots of room and moving to the left lane when they could. We spent the night in Desert Aire, a small golf resort community.
The next day was all blue sky as we cycled along the Columbia then crossed it and headed through sagebrush country over the Yakima Ridge and through the fertile Moxee Valley with its farms, orchards, hop yards and vineyards to Yakima. The Cinco de Mayo was being celebrated by the many Mexican immigrants living in the area. Next day we headed up the scenic Yakima Canyon to Ellensburg and retraced our route, into a fierce headwind, to Cle Elum. Then it was into our cars and over Blewett Pass to Wenatchee.
The second segment of the tour was five days from Wenatchee to the north end of Lake Chelan and return. We started by cycling along the bike path, which runs the length of both sides of the Columbia as it passes through Wenatchee, and crossed the river on a utility bridge for cyclists and pedestrians as well as water pipes. Then it was up the east side of the Columbia through dry country with irrigated orchards, and a few places to stop for snacks including fresh apple cider. We crossed the river again and cycled up the high steep bank to the town of Chelan on the southerly end of Lake Chelan
Next day we loaded our bikes and baggage onto the "Lady of the Lake", a boat carrying passengers and cargo, for a four hour cruise to the small settlement of Stehekin at the north end. This narrow lake, scoured out by ancient glaciers, is about 80 km of superb scenery long by about 3 km wide and 450 metres deep (it's deepest point is 170 metres below sea level), which makes it the 3rd deepest lake in the nation. It stretches deep into the Cascade Range where at the north end there is about 5 km of paved road then 12 km of gravel to the Pacific Crest Trail. We stayed two nights at the Stehekin Landing Resort, cycling a bit on the few roads at the end, hiking through mountain forests and meadows with their freshly blooming flowers, to Rainbow Falls, and enjoying the fine breakfasts and dinners at the lodge.
The boat returned us to Chelan in the late afternoon of the third day, and next morning we cycled along Lake Chelan for about 14 scenic km then up and over a hump and back to the west bank of the Columbia and to Wenatchee. Along the river we stopped for a tour of the Rocky reach hydroelectric dam and its huge turbine room and sophisticated fish ladders where large salmon could be seen swimming up-river. Another stop was at the beautiful and unique Ohme gardens, built over 42 years by a Wenatchee orchardist family on the banks high above the river.
The third segment was a two-day hub and spoke out of Leavenworth, a mountain town that transformed itself from a lumbering and agricultural community to a recreation and tourism destination with a Bavarian theme. We started by driving to Leavenworth then headed down the Wenatchee River Valley on side roads through orchard filled countryside to Cashmere where we visited the specialised candy factory of Aplets & Cotlets, who produce fruit and nut based candy. The tour was interesting and the samples delicious. Then down the valley a bit more to a busy bakery for lunch. On the return we stopped by a winery for tasting and supplies. Our last cycling day took us up the Chumstick Creek valley to Plain, then a meander through the pine tree forests bordering Chiwawa Loop Road to Lake Wenatchee. After lunch at a 50's type caf� we headed down hill through Tumwater Canyon back to Leavenworth where our leader's cousin owned a bakery-ice cream shop and we had our final reward. Well, almost final, that last evening we all gathered at a German restaurant for food and music.
We had cycled about 650 km through varied terrain and land use, many hills and some flat country, with the wind sometimes on our back but more notably into our face. But there was not a drop of rain; there were no accidents, and no flat tires. Robin and Dan have shown us another interesting area of their home state, arranging comfortable lodging for us, and guiding us on good roads and pathways through picturesque scenery. It was a terrific amount of work but it is very much appreciated by all of us. Many, many thanks indeed, Robin and Dan.
For photos of the ride, see the photos page.
Another great tour organized and led by Robin and Dan. The weather cooperated. The routes were gorgeous, and the company stimulating. There were some 100k plus days. We cycled along the banks of three major rivers in the area: the Columbia, the Yakima, and the Wenatchee. There were tour-hosted meals at well-chosen venues, and spot-on guidance to other places en route where our hands went happily into our pockets. Only a curmudgeon could grumble.
I took a brief census of the twenty participants. There were nine women and eleven men. Ten were born in Canada, seven in the US, and three in other countries. Rounding up or down to the nearest birthdays, the average age of the participants was 66.5. Average age of the women was 64.6 years, ranging from 49 to 75. Average age of the men was 68.0, ranging from 57 to 77. Marj and I were the oldest woman and man. Robin and Dan, our laid-back leaders, were the youngest.
We were all unashamed bikeaholics, judging by the number of bikes we owned. Sixty five in total. The women individually owned between 2 and 5 bikes; the men between 2 and 7. The most common make of bike on the tour was Trek, with 7; then Marinoni, with 3. A measure of our addiction to serious cycling is the average number of years we had been members of CCCTS: for the group as a whole, 8.3 years.
The Fraser Valley Group inaugurated their first overnight ride in April, a ride from a traditional start place in Langley to the Skagit Valley in Washington, during the spring tulip festival. A total of 18 of us enjoyed the cycling routes and the flowers.
It was a very windy Tuesday as thirteen of us headed from Langley to Bellingham across the fertile farmland of the Nooksack valley. We arrived at the Colophon Cafe in the Fairhaven suburb just in time for lunch, where Janet and Mary joined us, having cycled directly from the Peace Arch. The cafe shares space with a bookshop in a former hardware store, amid the rejuvenated brick walls and timber beams and columns, where they serve a delicious and nutritious variety of soups and other calorie laden items guaranteed to keep the pedals turning. The Chuckanut Drive was next, about 18 km of undulating road through Larrabee Park and with spectacular views over Samish Bay. The hills gave way to the flat plain of the Skagit delta as we passed through Bow-Edison and on into Burlington.
Wednesday is our usual cycling day and the tulips were at their peak because of the cool spring. Doug led the group of eager beavers on the long route while the rest of us did a more leisurely study of the tulip farms. We visited a farm where part of the barn was used as an art gallery and the farmer offered cider from his apple orchard. Another had developed display gardens with many varieties of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths.
We all met for lunch in La Conner; a tourist oriented town along the canal separating the mainland from Fidalgo Island. The delta of the Skagit river spreads flat and fertile between La Conner and Mount Vernon so there are a number of scenic routes available with quiet roads and picturesque farms and river views. The frequent sunny breaks made a very pleasant day of touring and picture taking.
Thursday we started with a hearty breakfast and headed back north. The roads included an old railway route, which helped climb the heights to the east of Chuckanut mountain, then down to Whatcom Lake for lunch. The little rain there was had stopped and the SW wind pushed us along the rural roads to the Canadian border and back to Langley.
This trip is worth repeating, so the Fraser Valley group will probably try it again in future years. The over-night concept worked well too, and we'll be trying another, from Langley to Harrison Hot Springs on June 17th, and returning next day
For photos of the ride, see the photos page.
Mike Daniels gave us "The Gears" last night, followed by supper and camaraderie.
On Monday evening, 12 November, a number of us (33) met at the Carsonby Hall, just south of Ottawa, for some very helpful instruction on how to maintain and tune the gears on our bikes. Mike set up his stand, with bike in place and took us through the requirements of cleaning, lubricating (engine oil is best) and adjusting the Derailleur transmission, so that the changing of the gears is smooth, quick and quiet. Now we can check our bikes, with various degrees of know-how and skill, before putting them away for the winter and follow his expert instructions. Thank you, Mike.
Carsonby Hall is a warm, wooden building which accommodates and suits us well. The ladies of the local church provide us with a delicious variety of lasagnas, salad, homemade rolls and pies which we enjoyed along with our beer and wine. Many of the original stalwarts were there along with new faces, which is indicative of the growth of the club. The relaxed atmosphere was conducive to sharing stories, ideas, suggestions, plans for future rides and trips and everyone participated.
Thank you to James and Geraldine for organizing our "wrap-up" and for your leadership over the last 6 months of cycling.
Dan McGuire's photos from this tour can be found at photos/BigSky2007/index.html
Once all participants had arrived in Missoula, the tour officially started. During what would be daily briefings we introduced ourselves with a little blurb whether we had visited Montana before. I vaguely remembered I had as a child coming back from Yellowstone National Park. We lived in Alberta then, so Montana was the natural way home. Each of us received a packaged itinerary, complete with maps (thanks to Dan McGuire) describing the route each day. Distances were provided in miles and kilometres, for us Canadians which were the majority.
Most of us left Missoula following our leader, Mary Lou who knew the way out, even though we were given extensive instructions in our pack up. We used bike paths as much as possible. They were quite evident in Missoula probably a result of the Adventure Cycling Association which has its head office here. Spent a little time on a major highway but then took a very quiet old highway to Hamilton
Our first rest day came after our first ride of 87 kilometres to Hamilton, a town with a population of 3,705 and founded by the 19th century copper magnate Marcus Daly. The accommodation was excellent especially if you were a gambler for the casino was part of the hotel. Gambling is legal in Montana and as a consequence there is no state tax. Several activities were arranged for this layover day. There was a tour of the Georgian Revival Marcus Daly Mansion, the riverside estate of Montana's copper baron. We had a hearing challenged docent and her responses to some of our questions were hilarious. After the tour many proceeded up Sleeping Child Road along a river with a scenic canyon to find a place to eat our lunch. Hamilton would be the largest town for several days.
Sula, was next on the agenda with a ride of 72 kilometres. Not much there but a service station and campground, RV park and cabins. These cabins were better suited to the fall and winter season and lacked air conditioning. Supper had been arranged at the Broad Axe Restaurant, 10 kilometres from Sula. No one wanted to cycle in the heat (100�F), so the van made four trips to get us there and back. Sula is a hunter and fisherman paradise. The restaurant had several sets of binoculars lying around and sure enough wildlife was spotted on the opposite mountain. They originally told us they were sheep but closer inspection made them out to be elk. Unfortunately one of our members developed a health problem and had to be taken back to Missoula. This was the end of her tour. Our leader was hoping that we would be able to get a good rest for our climb the next day. The cabins were like ovens and many members, undaunted by mosquitoes, slept outside until they were forced back in by wind and rain from a sheet lightning storm.
The nightly rain cooled things off considerably for our climb up two passes; the Lost Trail Pass at 7014 feet and Chief Joseph Pass, the Continental Divide at 7,241 feet. The Lost Trail Pass was thought to be an easy passage to the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean for the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Instead it almost was Captain Clark's party demise with the steep terrain, deep rapid rivers, scarce game and snow covered paths. For us the climb was long but not particularly steep. Our starting elevation was 4429 feet. The descent to our packaged lunch stop at Big Hole Battlefield National Monument was exhilarating. This site commemorates the battle fought August 9-10, 1877 between U.S. troops and the Nez Perce Indians. They were trying to escape confinement to an Idaho reservation and thought they were safe in Montana. They were victorious but with losses between 40 and 90 men, women and children were forced to surrender two months later. Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce were then only 50 miles (80 kilometres) from Canada. Apparently a lucky 150 or so Nez Perce made it to Canada.
The long climb lengthened the ride so by the time we left Big Hole it had warmed up considerably. We had now officially entered what is known as Big Sky country. It seemed like the mountains had spread out leaving large flat valleys. I found this last section the toughest of the trip. After ten miles (16 kilometres) we arrived in the "one horse town" of Wisdom. A stop for refreshments in the local tavern brought a few stares. Men in spandex I guess. Another eighteen miles (29 kilometres) to Jackson was one of those routes that never ends; one more turn, one more hill. Finally at 6475 feet we arrived at the hot spring resort. The van had arrived and was being emptied in preparation, as was the proprietor's truck, to pick up those that were also finding it difficult. This day ended after 92 kilometres and the only saving grace for me was soaking the tired muscles in the hot pool, so scalding hot you had to force your way in. But it was worth it. The Jackson Hot Springs Lodge provided us with an incredible supper and breakfast. During happy hour a short thunderstorm provided some cooling relief so the lack of air conditioning was not a problem.
The high elevation made for a cool departure with some of us wearing jackets. Today's ride would be 63 miles (102 kilometres) to Dillon, established in 1880 by a group of businessmen who bought out a rancher who refused to give up his land to the railroad. It was another day of climbing. First the Big Hole Pass at 7360 feet, then a possible side trip of 7 miles or 13 kilometres to Montana's first major gold strike and first territorial capital, Bannack followed by a climb up Badger Pass at 6760 feet. However, because of the heat and chipseal surface, those wanting to visit Bannack returned by van. A few took up the challenge and did it by bike. Dillon was definitely larger than the last two overnight stops. We were back to air conditioning and the usual thunderstorm including a cloud burst which flooded streets. Mary Lou had prepared us for these storms and what action we were to take had we been on our bikes. Luckily all of them occurred after our rides.
Our scheduled 9:00 am departure was never really stuck to. An earlier departure was a good thing because it was still relatively cool in the morning. It was best to get the ride over before two in the afternoon and preferably before noon. The ride to Whitehall was a relaxing change with mainly flat roads and a tail wind. We were able to average 30.3 kilometres per hour over a distance of 89 kilometres, even with a flat tire and historical stops. Tomorrow's ride to Three Forks includes a side trip to the Lewis and Clark Caverns. This involved a 5 mile / 8 kilometre ride up a steep and windy road. It was decided that those not wanting to ride up could get a ride in the van once the luggage was dropped off in Three Forks. Five of us rode up and by a stroke of luck we were able to get an earlier time for our tour. The lighting in these limestone caves were still being upgraded so the full effect was not experienced. Since there was an ownership battle between several entrepreneurs and the Northern Pacific Railroad, preservation of the cave suffered. Consequently many stalactites ended up as souvenirs. It was a hot tough undulating ride of 17 miles / 27 kilometres to Three Forks for it was now early afternoon. Intermittent cloud cover did cool things off a little.
Three Forks would be our home for two nights. It is near the headwaters of the Missouri River, formed by the junction of three rivers, the Jefferson, Madison and Gallatin. It was discovered in 1805 by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Our hotel, the Sacajawea, was a real classic on the National Registry of Historic Places. We soon found out the procedure to get cold water from the tap and not get scalded in the shower. It involved running the taps and flushing the toilet several times. The hotel was named after the Shoshone Indian woman who contributed to the success of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The layover day included a trip to the Missouri Headwaters State Park, a visit to another "one horse" town, Willow Creek, for lunch and to see the tandem which was written up in the book Blind Your Ponies, by Stanley Gordon West, and for some laundry.
The trip to the Boulder Hot Springs involved retracing some of the previous route. It was a 55 mi / 89 km ride up several hills and long hot straight sections. The 100 year plus Boulder Hot Springs Hotel serves as a holistic centre and had many foreign guests. The hot springs and cool pool were very relaxing. This was also a non-alcohol facility but Happy Hour was still happy and we each received a memento of the trip, a specially minted Montana quarter. Dinner and breakfast were provided as organic and vegetarian as possible.
Boulder to Helena, 37 mi / 60 km, again involved a pass of about 6200 ft / 1890 m but once over the top it was downhill to Helena, the state capital. Highway construction led to a detour but first class instructions got us right to the hotel, past some of the scenic highlights of the city. Helena was the largest metropolis since Missoula but it was not as cycle friendly. It did have several Starbucks though. We would spend another layover day here exploring the sights, including touring a renovated friend's house in the Mansion district and taking in a night concert by the Helena Symphony, complete with fireworks.
Helena to Drummond was the longest day of cycling (107 kilometres) and involved another pass, MacDonald Pass at 6320 ft / 1926 m and another Continental Divide. A side trip to the Grant-Kohrs Ranch was another option. Because of the distance it was once again decided to take the van. It was one of the first Montana ranches established by John Grant, a Canadian, in the 1850's. It was bought and expanded by cattle baron Conrad Kohrs and to this day serves as a working cattle ranch thanks to the work of his grandson. This section of the trip freaked out some riders because of some very narrow shoulders and non cooperating motorists.
The final ride into Missoula was a breeze. We were now heading to the lowest elevation of our trip, 3223 ft / 982 m. Mary Lou had scouted out the least travelled routes by using frontage roads as much as possible. This was again the case here. A farewell dinner was arranged at a first class restaurant and presentations were made, followed by goodbye hugs.
This was Mary Lou Johnson's first CCCTS tour as a leader. She led a super tour and her years of experience as an administrator was evident everywhere. She was ably supported by Roger Ehret and his wife, Marilyn. Many thanks also to Sonya Ward and those other drivers who made it possible for me and several others to cycle the whole route and provide us with the necessary water and refreshments. Well done. Too bad the weather wasn't more normal.
Participants: Mary Lou Johnson, Marilyn Nelson-Ehret, Roger Ehret, Dan McGuire, June Gallagher, Johannes Klein, Ken Rogers, Les Hudgins, Gino Salamatian, Sonia Ward, Frank Ward, Henk Blouw, Jim Burnett, David Clark, Jake Tremblay, Jan Johnson, Michael Goldberg, Charlene Dorward, (Marion Orser)
Towns with names like Almira, Cheney, Davenport, Odessa, Ritzville and Wilbur are not on most people's vacation destination list, but Robin Howe and Dan Carey led us to these places, and more, in the area west of Spokane and south of the Columbia River. For nine days we had a wonderful time cycling through this picturesque land. We stayed in three of these towns. One interesting B&B, which housed about half our group, had a large dining room which they let us use for happy hours then served dinner for the whole group.
Near the end of the first cycling day, they had arranged we meet with a local farmer. Mr. Sheffels eloquently explained to us the techniques and difficulties of "dry land" wheat farming. He spoke to us in a wheat field, part of the 9000 acres he farms, surrounded by massive equipment, alongside a road named for his ancestors.
You might think that all this cycling around wheat fields would be boring, but the fertile fields were interspersed with deep ravines, interesting rock formations, and the valley of the Columbia River. The landscape has an amazing geological story. About 15 million years ago there was a massive outpouring of basaltic lava covering the whole area. Then during the latter part of the last ice age, about 13 thousand years ago, some of the largest floods ever recorded rushed across the area. This was caused by the sudden draining of Lake Missoula, a lake with a volume comparable to a present day great lake but contained by an ice dam in present day Idaho, which suddenly gave way and the lake water swept across eastern Washington. In a few days the area was eroded into the formations known as the channelled scabland. These ravines became the channels for the present day rain and melting snow fed creeks, and the route of many good cycling roads.
The cycling routes started from the various towns (some we drove to on the morning of the ride) and offered a new vista and beauty each day, plus a few challenges. All the routes were loops so we had maximum opportunity to explore the countryside. Some routes combined wheat land and scablands, some led down to the mighty Columbia River now tamed by many dams, some led to other towns with particular interests, such as a factory making German sausages, some led to wildlife refuges, no two rides were alike and all had prairie wildlife, meadow larks singing, hawks soaring, water fowl swimming in ponds, and many more birds to view. Robin led a few of us on a nature walk around some deep potholes scoured out by ancient floods and pointed out the variety of flowers including large yellow Balsam, and Bitter Root. It was early in the year so still a bit cool and the wind was always there, but there were no flat tires. It only rained on two day, for a few hours one day and briefly during the lunch stop on the other day. The last full day of cycling was wonderfully warm and sunny, through lovely countryside, so it left us all happy.
Thank you so much Robin and Dan for another wonderful tour.
Jaaaa....Marj and I are now back a day or two from the ten-day cycle tour of the Eastern Washington State wheatlands. And an excellent tour it was. Some attachments for fun.
There were twenty two of us, with women in the majority. The planning, organization, leadership, and just plain attention paid to our comfort, was superb. Even the constitutionally grumpiest and most demanding could find very little to chew on or stew over. Operating from three plus hubs provided rectangular rides over varied terrain. We had special access to a museum, and a most informative session with one of the local wheat farmers. Not much wild animal life but plenty of big and small birds to be seen.
There were strong winds, steep hills and descents over generally rolling farmlands. Someone with an altimeter noted that we had climbed over 16,000 feet during the tour. The wind received the most mention: it was always strong and steady. By definition, each ride faced a headwind, two crosswinds, and a glorious tailwind - not always in that order. In the mornings, the winds required warmer clothing and wind-breakers. Two days of rain were refreshing. About one inch of an annual rainfall of 12 inches fell during our longest ride - of about 100k. We also saw a lot of sun, and took it all in our ?stride?.
For our money, the tour was one the club would do well to consider repeating.
It's always exciting starting off on a new tour, with high-spirited companions, twenty in all. It was Sept. 1, Airport Inn, Halifax, our destination Grand Pre, some 100 K "down the road" as native son Les Hudgins would say.
Surviving the gusty, rainy day, an initiation rite, made us very thankful for all the remaining sunny days-well maybe there was the odd spot of fog. At the Evangeline Inn that night, we had the first of many fish chowders (haddock, scallops & lobster) & homemade pies.
On the Evangeline Trail, the sunniest part of Nova Scotia, our route was through the Annapolis Valley, and from Digby to Yarmouth, "the French Shore". The area offers 400 years of history and many scenic delights starting with Grand Pre (Great Meadow) National Histo ric Site, commemorating the expulsion of the Acadians starting in 1753.
In the centre of the landscaped gardens, in front of the interpretive centre & church stands the famous bronze statue of Evangeline, the heroine of Longfellow's epic poem. Unbeknowns t to many of us, Martine Donahue, a Vancouver member, is stongly connected to this work of art. Her mother, Pauline Hebert, then a young 20 year old, posed for the statue, the sculptor being Martine's grandfather, Philippe Hebert. Martine's uncle Henri He bert, finished the work when her granfather became ill. The face of the statue expresses two contrasting emotions-one a young, happy Evangeline,-the other a tired, worn woman mourning the loss of her love Gabriel, separated at the expulsion.
We cycled to Wolfville, home of the Acadia Univ. & on to Kingsport for crab rolls (lunch) on the beach of Minas Basin. Marge Johnson befriended a local man with low-cut, scissored rubber boots-his "piss-quicks". Apparently while tenting, he can make quick exits, fully shod & hence his invention.
A challenging ride followed, partly unpaved-up 2000' to a view point, charmingly called "the Look Off".
Next day from New Minas, Kentville to Middleton for lunch. En route rolling hills, headwinds, off the beaten track. W e saw older houses with wrap around porches, gingerbread & imaginative paint jobs. By lunch, starvation pains were so acute, some tablemates could not wait for the Lunenburg fishcakes to cook, so quickly gobbled down their banana cream pie. As I watched & learned, I made a decision to do the same next time.
A quick tour of the town's heritage houses, then double speed to the Bridgetown Motor Inn for a nice cold swim. We all walked to the "End of the Line Pub"-aptly named (old railway station) for more fish chowder, dark ales & the ubiquitous Alexander Keith.
En route to Digby, we stopped at Annapolis Royal & toured the tidal generating station where extreme tides (up to 50 feet) have been harnessed to produce electricity.-the only one in N.America & the world's largest straight-flow turbine. This is due to the Midas Basin, at the eastern extremity of the Bay of Fundy, having the highest tides on earth. (I sound like a Texan)
Also visited Fort Anne National Historic Site-first built by the French in 1643-with many changes since by the English.
On to Digby on Hwy #1 (scenic) & Hwy. #101 (freeway)-some steep climbs but blew in by 3 pm. to the Siesta Motel. Digby has the largest scallop fleet in the world, Guess what we had for dinner? Bikers were in town enjoying the waterfront rock concert. We milled about the extensive promenade, tide out with an amazing drop to the rocks & sand below.
Day 5-Digby to Yarmouth. Our first stop-a coffee break at Weymouth, a pretty village at the mouth of the Sis siboo River. As with Digby, it had a different character as it was originally populated with United Empire Loyalists.Then to St.Bernard on Hwy #1 beginning the French shore, with outstanding churches, houses flying the Acadian flag, and names like Grosses Coques & signs for "Rappie Pie"-a hearty whole meal of potatoes-moisture removed, replaced with broth & beef. At Church Point, visited St.Mary's-the largest wooden church in N.America, adjacent to Univ. Sainte-Anne, the cultural centre of the Acadian Univ ersity.
Lunch at Smuggler's Cove, a picnic site with a tidal cave said to be used by the rum runners in the Prohibition Era.
A day off in Yarmouth. Many of us took the walking tour of the harbour, cemetery, and heritage district of stately homes. A little tweaking of our bikes, a change of pace, and we were ready for stage 2-the Lighthouse Tour to Halifax.
First stop was Bar rington Passage. We followed the shoreline where weathered, shingled buildings perched on the rocky edges of the sea.En route we visited the oldest jail & courthouse from 1830 . Lobster was the common fare for prisoners-poor people's food Also went off ro u te to visit a reconstructed Acadian Village complete with people clad in homespuns, dried fish in the shed & pigs in the pen (true descendants of the originals). Loved our accomodation in the "Old Schoolhouse" where we had dinner & breakfast. Slept in spa cious A-frames.
On to Shelburne-visited the Barrington Knitting Mills-waterproof fishermen's mitts along with Harris tweeds. Side trip to the Sandhills Prov. Beach-very fine white sand. After Cape Negro-a black community we found the elusive turnoff to the Barnacle Restaurant-a real treat. Shelburne, an old Loyalist town has historical walks along their waterfront. I would recommend the Charlotte Lane restarant-all charm & tasty food.
The cycle to Brooklyn/Liverpool was spectacular along the seaside ro ute, once the fog lifted.Liverpool is noted for unique museums such as the Hank Snow Country Music Centre which drew Jim Burnett. Another museum had an extensive section on bicycles, including one made entirely of wood. Most interesting was a unicycle ped alled around the world by Thomas Stevens carrying only a gun & a blanket. How times have changed! One can learn more about his journey in the book "Around the World on a Pennyfarthing".
To Lunenburg only 72 K so had time to tour the world heritage site including the rebuilt St.John's Church which literally rose from the ashes. Lunenburg always brings to mind the sailing ship "The Bluenose" which for 18s years won sailing races over the Americal rivals. We later saw the replica in Halifax.
At breakfast we gave a cheer to David Clark for his birthday. It was a treat having morning lattes in picturesque Mahone Bay. Photos do not do it justice. Rolling to Chester dockside for lunch, we saw the sleek yachts, some of which may have participated in the Augu st "Chester Race Week"-Atlantic Canada's largest regatta. Stopped to visit the Swiss Air Memorial to the crash of 1998. Local residents were involved in the recovery of bodies.
At the long-awaited Boutilier's Point, we ordered in pizza then slept like the just. Just in time.
Our last big day to Halifax, but first to Peggy's Cove. A great photo- op spot.Fun sitting around having our coffees amidst busloads of tourists. On our way again we were met with incredible headwinds & hills. Suddenly there was a scream ahead, & in slow motion Marilyn came down, chain off, shoe stuck to pedal. Dusted off by Roger, Marilyn then led the way, bruised but not defeated.
In Halifax, the whole gang celebrated at McKelvies for dinner. Glenda & Sandy were leaving the next day.Our day off we visited Pier 21, where between 1928 & 1971, more than one million immigrants arrived in Canada. .Betty D. went to the research dept. on the 4th floor giving the date-July 4, 1966 of her arrival on the Hanseatic cruiser & up came photos of the ship with lots of details. I'm sure that brought back lots of memories being on her own with three kids and a dog. Lots to see & do. Of note the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and the Art Gallery with a special section for Maud Lewis.
Next day, the ferry to Dartmouth across the harbour, a rural route along a cottage-dotted lake, then 9K of noisy freeway -soon done-to the Airport Inn. Another last happy hour and a last dinner with farewells to early risers.
The whole trip was exceptional due to Dan's careful, experienced planning, and his professional,detailed, large coloured maps.Also the chemistry of the group-all different and all blending-with good humour and support when needed. I enjoyed having a new roommate each night amongst the sing les-a good idea.
Special thanks to Ken & Annette Meleskie for allowing us the use of their car as a support vehicle. Also to Sharon Schnare who joined us in Yarmouth, while recovering from pneumonia, & cheerfully drove the Lighthouse route to Halifax.
Thank you, Dan-another great tour and thanks to all who participated.
A Toast To Fellow Cyclists
May you always have trips to share, Health to spare And friends that care.
Sally Svensson
WHERE YOU WENT: Ottawa via Air Delayed [Transat] to Marseilles. From Marseilles we grabbed a train to upper Rhone; then we toured by bike: Ardeche; Vaucluse and Provence
WHEN YOU WENT: 5 September to 5 October.
TYPE OF SUPPORT: We took our own bikes plus camping equipment and we went entirely self-supported.
COMMENTS: Try to get through France without collecting much wine, olive oil, and, and...!! We had a good time. the weather was variable [southern France had a serious storm the night we arrived-flooding; roads closed; rail delayed; but later we had a less dramatic variety of good and poor weather. We found that a disadvantage of traveling by bike in Sept. is that the days are only 12hr long; friends had traveled these parts in May-June when days are longest. Thus we had to plan our days to arrive at the next campsite not too late or we cooked dinner in the dark. We visited most of the areas/features that we hoped to see and we have many fond memories.
WHERE YOU WENT: France: Loire Valley; "Vineyards and Chateaux" Blois, Amboise, Montrichard loop, a commercial trip available through 'World Expeditions', offices in Ottawa @78 George St. www.worldexpeditions.com
WHEN YOU WENT: We started the trip July 7th. Flew to Charles de Gaulle, then bus to catch train to Blois from Austerlitz Station, a tiring journey.
FOR HOW LONG ( DAYS AND KMS.): Distance about 250 Kms in 7 days easy riding , great for beginners.
TYPE OF SUPPORT: Fully supported, baggage transported to next destination Gitane European-style bikes provided: panniers, lights, big map holder, 21 speeds.
ACCOMMODATIONS: Comfortable 2 star hotel/ inn accommodation with breakfast and dinner, food generally excellent.
COMMENTS: Advertised as a Group Tour but we were the group! Very good self -navigating route card and 1:200000 Michelin maps provided, routes well planned, virtually no traffic. Flexible itinerary, i.e. can add extra days within the schedule if desired, we added a couple of extra nights to the trip so that we could do more sightseeing We started the trip July 7th a bit before the peak season, no crowds, no queues at main attractions. Cost for 8 day's $1200 CDN each. All in all very enjoyable! We are planning to take their Danube trip next year .
WHERE YOU WENT: S. W. England tour with 2 friends. Flew from Ottawa to Gatwick, via Thomas Cook Airlines (Canadian Affair) Bikes cost $100 return Much easier to bike from than Heathrow, and more convenient for South coast. Pre planning was done with the help of resource material from the U.K. Cyclists Touring Club (CTC) which I have joined.
WHEN YOU WENT: starting mid September
FOR HOW LONG ( DAYS AND KMS.): 2 weeks about 750Kms total
TYPE OF SUPPORT: self organized carrying own gear (2 full rear panniers)
ACCOMMODATIONS: Stayed in B&B's booked one day ahead using "Tourist Info Centres" worked well although it can be a time consuming process and none opened before 9:30 am.
ROUTE: Gatwick to Southsea (nr. Southampton ) onto Isle of Wight , then mainland to New forest (Brockenhurst ) followed south coast to Exeter, across estuary on "Starcross ferry (good short cut) to holiday resort Torquay then on to Plymouth. Serious hills west of Exeter up to 16+% even on main 'A' roads. Many of which we walked up.!
We had planned to go further west into Cornwall but given the tough terrain decided to shorten the trip. Took excellent fast Virgin train back to Exeter, (with good bike accommodation), and then connection to Barnstaple on N. Devon coast, (bikes in carriage with us).
Rode from Barnstaple over Exmoor (1500ft) to Lynmouth on the coast using the recently created National Cycle Route (NCR) #3. Mostly quiet back roads which have many 15+% grades, again tough riding, fortunately a tail wind. The climb out of Lynmouth is the famous 'Countesbury Hill'. again 20% grade, this on the A38! required about 2kms walking, Descended back to sea level at Porlock via toll road, superb 4miles downhill with magnificent views of the S. Wales coast 20 miles away.
Then headed round coast over the Quantocks and Mendip hills (more serious gradients) heading inland for Glastonbury, and Wells visiting the magnificent Cathedral. From Wells to the Roman Spa city of Bath to complete the bike ride. The 3 hour train journey from Bath to Gatwick was uneventful, good rack accommodation for bikes but only room for six, fortunately we had reserved 3 of them.
COMMENTS: Overall: Tough cycling, I wished I had a lower granny gear (needed 24F 28R) 90 Kms per day was hard going, 65Kms was comfortable, distances seemed always to be 20% longer than estimates! The rewards were: Some of the most magnificent old villages, scenery and views, lovely old pubs with excellent beer and food, Very good value B&B's with 'real' fry-up breakfasts ($55-65 pp/pn) and friendly-to-cyclists hosts. The traffic: sometimes fast and dense, driver skills far better than in N.A. in general recognize bikes as vehicles with a right to be on the road, Back roads were quiet but narrow, i.e. overall 'bike friendly', it's definitely not France though! The weather was cool mostly dry and cloudy/sunny quite good for cycling.
WHERE YOU WENT: Brittany, France Started in Auray approximately 120 Kms west of Nantes ended in Mont St Michel.
WHEN YOU WENT: First two weeks of September
FOR HOW LONG ( DAYS AND KMS.): 14 days - 800kms
TYPE OF SUPPORT: Unsupported, we carried everything on our bikes,
ACCOMMODATION: At 2 and 3 star hotels in generally smaller cities
COMMENTS: Fabulous trip, great food, good weather, friendly people who tolerated our bad french, quiet roads polite drivers, super panorama views of the ocean, nice seaside resorts, excellent beaches.
WHERE YOU WENT: Quebec City along south shore to Rivi�re-dy Loup, Ferry to St. Sim�on, North on 170 to Jonqui�re, on 172 to Alma, counter clockwise around Lac St-Jean.
WHEN YOU WENT: 31 May June to 12 June - inculdes days driving - one day to Quebec City and one day back from Lac St-Jean
FOR HOW LONG ( DAYS AND KMS.): 11 Days - 550 kms
TYPE OF SUPPORT: Two types - Self supported to St-Sim�on, Station Wagon support for rest of trip.
ACCOMMODATIONS: Small hotels for first part and camping for Lac St-Jean.
COMMENTS : We had fantastic weather. Very warm for June. The South Shore of St Lawrence was great as we rode the Route Verte. Small Hotels were lovely. Good meals and many small restaurants along the way. Route 170 north of St-Sim�on was our longest and hardest day. The ride around Lac St-Jean was fantastic with amazing rides on a wooden board walk and on a paved path through a woods. We followed the Velo Route des Bleuet around Lac St Jean. www.veloroute-bleuets.qc.ca
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