June 2019

When I arrived in Montreal a couple of months ago, someone suggested I cycle Le P’tit Train du Nord trail. At the time it was still closed, then it was raining, then I had other things to do, but over the weekend I finally managed to cycle it.
The trail runs on a former railroad track that transverses the Laurentians region of Québec. It starts in Saint-Jérôme and ends in Mont-Laurier. I, however, went in opposite direction: I took a bus to Mont-Laurier and cycled back to Saint-Jérôme.

Surprisingly, despite it being a long weekend, the trail wasn’t busy at all; I enjoyed a practically empty road, free of motorized traffic, in a fairly good condition that weaved through the woods, skirting various lakes.

I somehow was able to avoid the forecasted thunderstorms and arrived at Mont-Tremblant, roughly the halfway point, unscathed. I stopped at a youth hostel; I like to think of myself as young, but only in spirit. Furthermore, you can’t beat a $25 CND price tag. This price comes with ramifications: people coming and going in and out of the room for the first half of the night and snoring for the second half.
The second day’s ride should’ve been shorter but once I arrived in Saint-Jérôme, I thought: “Hmm, can I cycle another 60km, all the way back home?” And so I did.

I haven’t cycled long distances at a robust pace for a while and my legs were shaking by the time I arrived. The worst tough was the fact that I forgot to bring my anti-chaffing cream and my butt is thoroughly sore.
Julie was back in Brooklyn so she couldn’t join me. Although, I suspect she left just to avoid cycling long distances with me.

This weekend in numbers:

265 km – distance cycled
200 km – length of the Le P’tit Train du Nord Trail
22 000 sq km – size of the Laurentians region