Ottawa to Montreal 1999
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After sitting around home for a week or so after the Vancouver to Ottawa tour, I was getting
antsy for something to do. While hanging out with my friend Rob, he mentioned that he
wanted to ride to Montreal. For lack of anything better to do, we decided to hit the road
a few days later.
Tue Aug 3 - 152 km - Ottawa to Voyager Provincial Park
Rob came over around 0830h. I forgot to purchase a new rear tire, so I am stuck with a bald
38mm knobby tire, dug up from the basement. Rode out of Ottawa on the Rockcliffe parkway
which was nice once we were out of the Urban sprawl. Stopped at a donut shop in Blackburn
Hamlet where a really annoying kid behind the counter kept trying to sell us a mega size
cappuccino. Rode through Orleans and then spent the rest of the day riding through farmland.
Rode along the Ottawa River for the last half of the day. We made really good time as the
terrain was dead flat and we had a nice tailwind. Stopped at a junky bar in Hawkesbury
for a beer before riding to the provincial park where we paid for a site. Ate a supper of
beans, tofu, and Kraft Dinner and relaxed for the rest of the evening.
Wed Aug 4 - 103 km - Voyager Provincial Park to Montreal
Got going early. We found a road which parallelled hwy 417 so we decided to take it and
see if it went to the next interchange, where we could get a ferry across the river to
Quebec. The road turned to gravel at one point, but we kept going. Got to the interchange
and rode to the ferry. This was the smallest I have ever taken. It could only fit about
seven or eight cars. It cost us $1.50 each. At the other side, we got coffee and grilled
cheese sandwiches at an outdoor cafe. We rode hwy 344 along the river which was nice with
little traffic. Stopped at the top of a hill at an abandoned gas station for a break. Rob
found a $20 bill in the grass. Bought some awesome cheese curds in Oka, fresh from the
factory there. A portion of the highway was closed for construction and we rode the detour.
We saw a bike path heading the right direction, so we took it and rode this all the way to
the outskirts of Montreal. Some ambulance drivers stopped while we were examining the map
and helped us plan a route into Montreal. Traffic got a little hairy as we travelled
through the city. It was only 1400h when we got to our friend Dave's place, so we went for
a few beers before calling him. Rode downtown to his work place to pick up his keys and
then back through rush hour traffic. Went out for beer later that night with Dave and some
other friends.
Thu Aug 5 - 16 km - Rest Day
Rode around town looking for record shops. This city requires quite a different style of
riding than Ottawa. Traffic is generally slow, so weaving between cars and dodging other
cyclists is the norm. Rode with Rob up Mount Royal. We took the road, and then the gravel
bike path to the summit. On the way down, Rob hit a pothole, crashed, and scraped himself
up pretty bad. At least that was the only damage.
Fri Aug 6 - 10 km - Rest Day
Rob and I biked down to the waterfront. Walked around for a while and then rode around for
another while. Stopped for lunch at a pizza place. It started pouring as we ate and both
of us got completely soaked on the way back to Dave's.
Sat Aug 7 - 114 km - Montreal to Red River
Got up around 0700h and packed up. Spent a couple hours riding out of Montreal. Traffic
was not too bad until the end as it was getting later. Stopped at a cheap greasy spoon for
breakfast, where we got exactly what we paid for. Found the bike path and we rode this all
the way to the Oka park and through. Traffic on 344 was not too bad after we had cleared
Oka. We had a gentle headwind which slowed us a little, but we took turns drafting, so the
pace was reasonable. Many dead cats were seen alongside the road. One of them even looked
like my cat. After the Hawkesbury bridge, we had to ride on hwy 148 which is extremely
busy. It sometimes has a paved shoulder, so the traffic can be dealt with. Stopped at a
crummy campground near Red River. Yahootees seem to be everywhere so we shall have a
good
night for sure.
Sun Aug 8 - 105 km - Red River to Ottawa
The yahootees kept us up until 2100h. Then it started raining. That shut them up for the
night. We had a good sleep but it rained all night. Stopped raining just before we got up.
As we were cleaning up after breakfast, our neighbour came over and invited us to his site
for a coffee which we accepted. Finished packing up and hit the road, just as it started
to rain again. Rode for a while, got soaked, and then stopped at a diner for french fries.
Hit the road again for a brief period of no rain which quickly changed to rain again.
Traffic got a little hairy, but then we gained a paved shoulder which stayed with us all the
way to Gatineau. Stopped for shelter in a bus stop when the rain got really hard. It
slowed as we had a snack. Got a little lost in Gatineau as neither of us are familiar with
the city. Saw a bike path heading the right direction, but it turned into an off road trail.
Pushed our bikes for a while, hoping it would get better, but it ended in a swamp so we had
to turn back, Took another path which took us to Hull and back to familiar territory.
Stopped for a beer at home before Rob took off. My computer konked out half way through the
day, so the distance has been estimated.
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