Day 6: to Gatineau

The anti bug diversion was mostly a success. Who knows what the other route would have been like, but this one was pretty good.

From our campsite we went to a grocery store and bought some breakfast and lunch. We then did about 25 km on a minor country road that was strangely bug free.

In Kazabazua (had to include this place name) we stopped at a store for some drinks and a snack. Then onto the cycle path. For about 45 minutes it was terribly buggy but it cleared up after that.

And the trail got pretty nice from there. We stopped for yet another rest and snack in a lovely trailside pavilion. If you are thinking this is a lot of eating you wouldn’t be wrong.

The break was a good call because some steep hills and yet another downpour followed. Pretty sure the grade on one of the hills was 20% or higher. And the rain was very heavy and fairly cold. Neither lasted too long.

Just before the entrance to the park we stopped at what looks and tasted like heaven. It was a poutine stand with pogos(!) next to an ice cream shop with covered picnic tables and outlets to charge things. Yes, I am that easy to please.

Inside the park the bugs came back. We were a little panicked that we’d be fighting bugs as we set up camp and would have to hide in our tents all evening, but it didn’t happen that way. Our site was virtually a backcountry site though not particularly nice, and the park doesn’t currently have potable water (Brian will nod his head knowingly here). A little disappointing to be honest, but what can you do.

Off to the other side of Ottawa and our last night in a tent.

Chris’s version

In order to avoid more of the bugs we created a new route to get us back to civilization. The first 25 km followed the original route.

As expected it was steep and buggy. When it wasn’t, it followed the river and was great. The temperature wasn’t bad and the skies were blue. 

We stopped at a shop for a snack. It was then I discovered my crocs, my wool mat and my new, less than 24 hour old bug proof leather gloves, were no longer strapped to my dry bag. I think it happened on one of the rough downhills while out running the bugs. 

No use crying over lost crocs, we had mileage to make. Turning south on the the same veloroute we went north on yesterday, we made good time. We stopped along the way a couple of times to enjoy the infrastructure that was there for us to enjoy. 

As we got closer to Gatineau Park we turned  off the veloroute and back onto gravel roads. The first was amazingly steep. Chad powered up while I pushed and pushed my bike. The temperature had risen  and the climbs were steep. 

We had our sights set on poutine at a place just outside Gatineau park.  As we got closer  the clouds got dark and the rain begs to fall. Like the day before it was during a road section with traffic. Also like the day before it came down hard. It was also short lived ending a few minutes before our destination.

Soaked through and through we ordered our early dinner. Poutine for me, pogo and poutine for Chad. Filled with cheese gravy and fries we went to find our home for the night. 

Getting to the park we discovered there was no potable water in the park, luckily they had 4 litre jugs for sale at a reasonable price. We got two and headed for camp. 

A couple kilometres later we came to the 3 km road to the campsite. The gravel was great but the flies made a return. We found our site, pitched camp, hung our food bag and turned in early to get away from the you know whats. 

We’re set to make a quick escape in order to have breakfast at the beach back a few kilometres without having to sip coffee through a mesh head net. After that, the big city.