After biking 46 miles against the wind yesterday, the last thing that Ted and I want is another long day. But that is what we get with today’s 50-mile effort. Still, we are enjoying the ride and how our bodies are adapting to biking life.
Leaving the MacNamara B&B, where Ted and I had a wonderful breakfast, we add another layer as a slight breeze, overcast skies, and chill in the air calls for more than a single skimpy shirt. A black squirrel crosses our paths as we exit and soon we find ourselves on the Algonquin Trail (in the county of Renfrew) surrounded by vegetation. Yesterday’s sound of the wind is gone replaced by the crunching of gravel against our tires.
The Ottawa River soon appears to our right, extending for miles, appearing more lake-like than river. Pulling off the trail to a landing, we spot a white, shingled lighthouse shaped like a truncated pyramid. A plastic owl stands watch nearby. Lovely houses line the river and I consider how lucky their owners must be to have such idyllic surroundings.
A slight whiff of burning wood tickles my nose as we pass though groves of white and black birch, locus, ubiquitous maples, various conifers and a few other tree species that are foreign to me.
After 10 miles along the river, we come back to farm country and its attendant fields of grasses and corn. Approaching Renfrew, the air is filled with the perfume of pollen from wildflowers along the trail. The Algonquin trail takes us on a long loop around the town and we make a turn off at the K&P trail so we can have lunch in Calabogie at the Redneck Bistro.
The first thing we notice about the K&P is pothole proliferation, which thwarts Ted and me riding side-by-side. This trail is more remote than the Algonquin and thick with vegetation: If we are going to get attacked by bugs, it will be now.
Dragonflies and other insects follow us along the trail but have yet to land for a bite. It’s obvious that we are moving away from the river valley as the K&P slices through cuts of rocks that are home to ferns, lichen, moss, and other plants that wedge themselves into tiny cracks.
In a couple of miles, we enter a cathedral of white-birch trees that line and tower over the K&P trail. These are some of the largest white birches I have ever seen. The overall silence is occasionally broken by the cawing of a crow or the tiny chirp of a goldfinch. A lone monarch flies across the path near a scented grove of pine trees.
The bugs have increased in number and annoyance. They are bouncing off my face and glasses and any desire to stop is governed by not wanting to deal with these hungry, tiny predators.
After we are about half way to Calabogie, we dismount our bikes and hike up a washed out area. Loose and deep gravel as well as rock-filled ruts make pedaling impossible. This poorly maintained area continues for nearly 3/4 of a mile. And now we are tired and hungry.
But in the next hour (and 34 miles from Arnprior) we make it to Calabogie and a very filling meal. But now we need to bike 15 miles back to Renfrew to our B&B for the night. Biking back along the same route can be boring but not if you keep your eyes peeled.
There are many snakes, mostly garter, sunning themselves on the trail. We take a break on a bridge overseeing a flooded wetlands filled with lily pads and hundreds of bugs skating on the water surface. No fish or amphibians appear looking to snap them up.
The next discovery are two large clumps of the rare showy lady’s slipper orchid. I linger considering their delicate nature and the privilege of finding them.
We finally arrive at the Lochiel Street B&B after a long 50-mile day. We shower and treat ourselves to a unique and wonderful dinner at the Manitou Bistro, which specializes in foods by the Indigenous people of Canada. And now it is really time for bed.
