Cycling le P'tit Train Du Nord Trail

I wasn't sure if I was in shape to do it. At best, I thought it would take a lot longer to complete each leg, with lots of stops along the way. At worst, I thought I'd have to find a way to be shuttled from wherever I stopped to our destination for the night.

You see, I didn't train (no pun intended) for this ride. Not much. I had ridden a couple of times to Bruce Pit but those rides weren't particularly long, at just over 20 kilometres.

We did a 40K ride between Osgoode and Metcalfe, and I did one circuit of my usual Barrhaven to Kars ride, which is 42 kms. We cycled from Carleton Place to Stittsville and back, once, at another 40K. And DW and I rode from home to the NCC River House, along the Ottawa River, in Rockcliffe, which was our longest ride, at 50K.

But that was it before we left for Saint-Jérôme. Six rides in two months, totalling about 214 kms, just over what we were planning to do in only four days on the Petit Train du Nord. And only one of those rides involved us loading up our bikes with panniers and carriers, though not to the weight that we ultimately carried.

I was worried that I was out of shape and wouldn't be up for this challenge. I was concerned that I'd let DW and our friends, Wendy and Peter, down.

And then there was the weather forecast that warned of heavy rain on Day 2, followed by off-and-on showers on the final two days. We had prepared for that weather but nevertheless, I dreaded it.

My fears, however, were for naught. The Petit Train du Nord trail was an enjoyable ride and didn't prove to be a challenge; or, at least, not a challenge that I couldn't easily handle.

On each leg of the ride, we took breaks, but those were either because we wanted to take in the scenery, we wanted to stretch, needed a bathroom break, or were hungry and wanted to eat. Never did we stop because we were exhausted and needed to rest or catch our breath (I even sang as I pedalled, on a climb, at one point).

Take a half-hour break and see for yourself.

When we finally reached the finish line, back in Saint-Jérôme, I felt great. I was energized. I never worried, after we packed up the car and had lunch, that I'd be too tired to drive home.

And once home, DW and I were able to unpack the car, hang up our bikes, start the laundry for our clothes, put our packs and equipment away, and watch a movie before calling it a day.

Would I do this ride again? Maybe, but any reluctance comes from a been-there-done-that perspective, rather than the fear of actually doing it again.

There is a 32-km segment of this trail that runs south, from Saint-Jérôme to Bois-des-Filion, just across the Rivière-des-Mille-Îles from Laval. Perhaps we'll try that route, going there and back in one day.

And maybe spend some time in Montreal, which we haven't visited since before the start of COVID.

Last year, we had planned a cycling-paddling trip with Wendy and Peter, and our Paddlefolk, Nina and Brian, where we were going to cycle around Lac Saint-Jean and paddle in the Saguenay River. Unfortunately, Peter and Nina injured themselves and had to cancel, which resulted in DW and I spending time in Jacques-Cartier Park before hitting the Saguenay region.

We'd still like to do that cycling trip: maybe, next year.

My concerns over this recent trip were unfounded. We had great weather and an awesome ride, shared with great friends. It was perfect.

DW and I now start training for our next adventure, which is in August. We'll be kayaking on Lake Superior and we need to hone our skills in our boats.

Stay tuned.