There were 23 of us on the 8:00 am bus, including two families and a rowdy group of middle-aged women who didn't stop talking (or eating!) the entire two-and-a-half-hour ride.
We arrived in Mont-Laurier, retrieved our bikes as they came off the trailer, and attached our saddle bags. Most of the others had arranged for baggage service and had left their suitcases in St.-Jérôme to be transported to their overnight accommodations each day. Ron and I are carrying our things with us. The longer we do this, the more we learn, and the less we need!
One last stop before we jump on the trail: a photo at the "end of the line" kilometer marker km201 in front of the old train station.
It didn't seem right that the photo failed to include our noble steeds: my faithful Trek, and Ron's sexy Specialized. And because they are going to be instrumental in this adventure, one more photo is necessary:
And we are off! Wow. What a beautiful trail and what perfect weather. Farmland and forest competed for the brilliant sunlight,
and everywhere there was water.
Tall evergreens created a canopy of glorious shade and cool air, opening occasionally to stunning views.
The land whispers to me to slow down, to notice the brief summer before the harsh winter blankets the forest floor with snow and freezes the playful water into stillness. Look. Listen. Inhale. Pay attention. "You too are a fleeting bloom..." I seem to hear in the breeze.
We pass a field with hay rolls, suggesting there are farms and livestock nearby, but we have yet to see either. Only forest, lakes, streams, and the seemingly endless trail.
Our ride today would be one of the longest of this trip, 55 kilometers, from km 201 down to Nominingue at KM 146. We started the day with many unknowns. How long would the bus ride take? How difficult would the trail be? Would it be gravel, paved, or mud? How many miles would we be able to pedal? Would we reach our B&B? Would we find our B&B? Yes, we were understandably anxious when we started. But as the day unfolded, there was simply no room for fear, doubt, or worry. All of our concerns melted away, and we never doubted again. We knew we had made the right decision to come. We were exactly where we were supposed to be.
The middle section of the first day's ride (between about km 180 and km 165) was a gradual uphill climb, which felt longer (and steeper!) by the 25 pounds of gear we were hauling. We stopped for lunch
and stopped again at a particularly stunning lake for a photo op. I never got the picture. We were startled by a couple of cyclists at a nearby picnic table who welcomed us with a friendly "Bonjour!". We bounjour-ed back, and within moments, they had switched to English and an hour later we were friends. We shared stories about our favorite cycling routes (we had a few in common) and then shared plans for our next big trips. Ron and I have met many fellow travelers over the years, and we have figured out that if they are doing what we are doing, then they have probably been to places that we would enjoy, and they may even be planning trips that we might like to take. As a result, we have two favorite questions for chance encounters like this: (1)what is your favorite place on Earth, and (2) where are you going next? The answers to these questions have proven instrumental in our travel decisions. Our new friends (who live in Quebec) are planning their third trip to Norway, their favorite place to explore. This time, they are heading to the north, above the Arctic Circle. Hmmmm. We haven't been to Norway. Yet...
Finally, it was time to get back on our bikes. When our friends heard we were staying at the Auberge L'Ile de France in Nominingue, they recommended the "Hôtel Golf" restaurant for dinner. It would prove to be a superb recommendation.
We discovered that most all of our fellow bikers on Le P'Tit Train du Nord are surprisingly friendly. Most we meet are Canadian, from Quebec and Ontario. On that first day, we encountered two of the couples from the bus who peddle at about our pace. We leapfrog when one or the other of us takes a break. Drew and Bridget are from Boston. Jan and Sherry Anne are from a place in Ontario whose name we don't recognize and cannot pronounce (and we have tried several times). "It is west of Ottawa" Jan explains. "There is a lot of Canada west of Ottawa" Ron notes. And then there are the women from the bus, the rowdy crowd. We have seen them in pairs and spares at the occasional comfort stations. Who are they? Bridget mentioned that two of them are sisters. Sorority sisters? Fraternal sisters? Nuns? No one knows. I decide that nuns on a habit-free holiday would make a fun back story, so I dubbed them the Nuns on the Bus.
Mile after mile, km after km, the Canadian wilderness did not disappoint. There were no towns or villages, not even farmhouses were visible from the trail through the thick forest and lush undergrowth. As we drew near Nominingue (which is NOT a French word at all, but rather a First Nation word for "Red") we saw our first sign of civilization: a farmhouse and barn.
And then we were in Nominingue, a tiny village with a good-sized campground and a handful of Bed & Breakfasts.
We found our B&B and were greeted by our host Jay, whose wife helped us store our bikes in the shed. After THE BEST SHOWER EVER, we enjoyed a ten-minute stroll up the only street in the village to "the big white house, you can't miss it", as described by Jay who had kindly secured us a reservation.
Four delicious courses culminated with cheesecake, each slice tipped with a thin sheet of chocolate, drizzled with an out-of-this-world sauce, and surrounded by kiwis and strawberries. We were lingering over coffee when who should arrive but the Nuns on the Bus! All twelve of them!! Ron graciously helped them with the French menu; I showed them how to load Google Translate onto their smartphones, then hold the camera over the pesky French to instantly translate.
We finished this perfect day with a walk back to our B&B, crossing on foot the trail we would resume on our bikes in the morning.
Bonne nuit, y'all!
Bike Talk
Mont-Laurier (KM 201) to Nominingue (KM 146)
Distance: 35 miles (56 km)
Biking Time: 3 hours and 30 minutes
Average Speed: 9.9 mph
Top Speed: 24.1 mph
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