September 18, 2023
A final night under the stars
Montreal QC to Oka QC
My second night in the hostel was over but I wasn’t totally ready to finish the trip yet. I had to finish some errands like finding a box for the bike and getting it shipped off (or flown with me) home.
instead of doing that, I asked a local bike shop where I should go for a quick 2-3 loop and would deal with the rest when I got back. The two options I considered were Le Petit Tren du Norte, which is a path that goes northwest from the city up towards Mont Tremblant. The suggestion was to take the EXO commuter train 90 minutes out then do a 80-100 km ride. I’ve heard it’s stunning.
The second option was Parc National d’Oka, a 30 mile ride mostly city roads.
Given I planned to call around for a box on my lunch break and was facing spotty service, I picked Oka, a simple overnighter. I’m sure I’ll get back up here for Mont Tremblant another time. I also wasn’t in the mood to juggle a 50 lb bike+luggage on a commuter train and bother someone who actually had somewhere to be.
Logistics aside, the ride was quite pleasant. It was a cool day and dry. I headed along during the morning rush hour on what seemed to be a set of popular commuter roads. It was great, I was on bike lanes the entire 8 miles to the City of Laval, the city/suburb directly northwest of Montreal.
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After the City of Laval I was again following Route Verte 1. What an extensive set of paths in and around Montreal.
The national park of Oka is a small park with some camping and located next to the town of Oka. It has both a high speed road and bike path to get to. From what I gather, bike packing is a time honored passion of people in Montreal, given this and le petit tren du Norte.
I got to camp pretty early hardly 14h (using the notation on all the signs here). So I made camp quickly, broke a few of my stakes (excited to shop when I get back for new gear…), and went off for a mini hike to their beach.
Unpictured, an older gentleman on his bike with panniers rolled by saying he was headed to Oka. He was interested why I was walking around in cycling gear (I was cold and using my bike jacket as a jacket) and pedaled alongside while I walked. He weaved in and around caterpillars on the road saying if you squish one it means it’ll rain the next day. More on that later…
Then with a smile he headed off.
The beach was silent. It was just me. I sat there for a bit and watched the birds do bird things.
Today's ride: 30 miles (48 km)
Total: 573 miles (922 km)
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