May13-15 Quebec-Sainte Anne de la Perade-Louisville

                              
May13 M-12.59,T-1.33.48,AVG-8.06,El-355. Quebec City
May14 M-70.67,T-6:51:49,AVG-10:29,El-1965 Quebec-SainteAnn de la Perade
May15 M-55.45,T-5:12:51,AVG-10.63,El-440 SainteAnn-Louisville

I left Quebec this morning after a entertaining and memorable evening listening to the 4 Sopranos randomly assembled on the esplanade in old Quebec. A free concert and a good finale as I exited the city and started my ride up the St.Lawrence river to Montreal. The road I'll be traveling on is the Chemin du Roy or some call it the Kings Hiway.  Heres some info. on it.  http://www.lecheminduroy.com/ 
 Today was quite breath taking seeing the St. Lawrence expand into Lac Saint-Pierre. The St.Lawrence is rather large, huge,grand,is it really a river and hard to describe being from my back ground of Washington State rivers. Strait of Juan de Fuca comes to mind as a comparison but it's not a river. With the strait you get the back drop of the Olympics or Vancouver island to help with framing the size. But out here there is no depth of field,nothing on the horizon, to help frame the St. Lawrence.Well worth seeing and one of my must sea's of the ride.

Another good link for some of the great routes I've been riding is http://www.routeverte.com/ over 4000k of designated bicycle paths in Quebec. 

May12 St.Georges-Quebec

Entering Quebec.

M-71.40,T-7:49.39,AVG-9:12,El-1904

Almost there with Quebec in the fore ground.  A great day of riding pristine country roads along   the Chaudiere River Valley which I had all to myself, again.With one last obstacle to go, this challenge in the pic, and I would be in Quebec. A city I always wanted to visit and the scene above happened to be  the end of one of my attempts to finding my way across the St.Lawrence, as I could see my goal.  But I wasn't worried to much as I still had 1 1/2 hours of daylight left. I just stepped back for a minute and read the map and shelved my beeline method of navigation which works the majority of the time.

Across at last whilst floundering with a street map on the corner again when Guy, a local, stopped and asked if I need some assistance.  Of course, I said, giving him the directions to my nights lodging. He bettered the directions and upped it to a lift to the motel as he seen where I needed to go. It was a fine ending to a great day.

This day of riding, beyond my expectations, totally offset my dinner escapade the night before. I always find the first few days in a country or province with a different language challenging or intimidating till I see where my language navigating skills take me or parameters. So anyway I decided to brush up abit on my french right before dinner last night using my 1988 berlitz european phrase book covering 14 languages in 299 pages. Needless to say its not to thorough and it wouldn't of probably made a difference anyway.
 A glass of red wine was going to be my first attempt at french in this fine establishment. Vin rouge pronounced "vang roozh" by berlitz as I practiced in the safety of my hotel room as someone might here me. Finaly the moment came as I walked into the dining area of the Grand hotel. The waitress obviously seen I was language challenged with my American "Bonsoir" a dead giveaway.  "Vin Rouge"my first attempt and then repeatedly to no avail as I could see the young waitress was getting more frustrated the more times I  repeated it, vin rouge, and a tipping point was coming I sensed . Finally one more time, "Vin Rouge" ,and she snapped and marched off then followed by a new waitress who helped me with the universal pointing method as I got my glass of wine finally. She also reccommended the english menu.   

Chaudiere Valley

May 11 Jackman-St.Georges

M-47.1,T-5:16:45,AVG-8.92,El-2581

Another excellent day of riding from Jackman to the border. Even less car traffic then yesterday and I wasn't dissappointed and spotted a moose before I departed Maine.

May 10 Skowhegen-Jackman

M-74.79,T-8:39:21,AVG 8.64,El-4772

A chewy Clif Bar day today with the temperatures hovering around 46 and a slight headwind As the day progressed they slowly worked there way down to a balmy 29. Luckily I had a extra pair of socks I could use as mitts to keep my hands warm and bearable.

What I like about touring.

It was a great day despite the temps and 201 was as I expected.Wide shoulders, sparse traffic and couteous log trucks. From 4 on I was pretty much by myself enjoying the panoramic vistas and fresh blacktop. Things you appreciate on a bike.

May9 Belfast-Skowhegen

May 9

M-64.5,T7:08:07,AVG-9.03,El-3866

Firewood Mountain

A great impovement in the weather today but still cold and blustery with some strong head winds going down the hills so much so I was looking forward to climbing up the next hill which was sheltered from the oncoming wind. I did part of a tour today which was in a book Val gave me  back in Belfast. I bagged the tour after a few miles and instead just road north on 201.Which is the best Hiway I've ridden on so far.Nice wide shoulders and  thigh burning climbs these Maine country roads seem to  have. It was sunday to which helps for low traffic volume though I don't think there will be much traffic the rest of the way to Canada. Only 2 days til "Tim Horton's".

A rare sign.

May8-Bike Shoe!

M-8.81,T-37.52,AVG-10.55,El-214

The ol'steed is now easily identifiable in the corral and this day we  happened to be at the Belfast Co-op on a cool NW rainy day. I was debating on bringing the horseshoe of which I had 4  of them laying around my shop on the bench when the idea came to mind. They must of been remnants of a slower time on Camano Island. Yes, it would add some flavor to the trip but how will I get it on the airplane if I only have a carry on bag. What the heck! I'll give it a shot and hopefully it will skate by the TSA inspector.
 Off goes the shoes, bag on the conveyor belt as I walk through the metal detector watching the TSA scanner employee start to get a one eye open,cocked head, confused look on his face with a slight pause. Questioning what he was seeing on the monitor. Maybe to embarrassed to say anything, I don't know but I was home free shoe and all.
 I took a day off today following yesterdays  Long Haul on my Surly the Cadillac of bikes and a joy to ride. Pick one up from Mark at Stanwood Velo sports today!!

While staying at the Penobscot Inn a warm  friendly establishment I asked Val the proprietor for some route suggestions heading north being I'm winging it with little planning and he obliged with some great suggestions and even bettered that and through in a map and a book he had stashed away in his file cabinet . Yippee for me.... exploremaine.org the map and  Explore Maine by Bike a book with 28 routes which I'll incorporate 3 of them on my trek through Maine to Quebec.
I had the same helpful experience with Noreen the Acadia Park Ranger to offering me up a scenic and quieter route off Desert Island  and some touring tips to being a XC vet  herself,2X at that.

May 7- Bar Harbor to Belfast

M-78.11,T-7:46:05,Avg-10.05,El-4160

Bar Harbor is behind me now. Crab cakes,Lobster rolls along with a pleasurly pint of Maine crafted brew to wash it all down. Why leave?
Great cycling around Desert Island and Acadia park to. I'll have to return someday.
A full day today.A steady 5 to 15 knot head wind for most of the ride, accept along this one 3 mile stretch in Trenton.
 While riding today I noticed after a stop for nature and returning to my bike I was making better time, cruising right along..............this is GREAT, the wind shifted!. I'll get to Belfast before dusk......hmmmm......2 IGA's in Trenton, it must be urban sprawl. Two airports to.................this looks awfully familiar........deja vu...I've been here before,perhaps a 1/2 hour ago,  I think I'll  turn around and head into the wind again.
 So anyway I rewaved the locals out mowing and ended up getting a extra 6 miles in today and if your keeping track just add it to the AC(AdventureCycling) N. Tier trip total and I'll be home a 1/2 hour later.
All types of road conditions today to. 6' shoulder,4' shoulder,no shoulder,no shoulder with curb,thats fun. A wrong turn on Crooked rd. which slowly dwindled and led me into some nice single track till I came across a tree across the trail and decided this wasn't it. A about face and a quick stop at the PO and a helpful clerk set me on my way again and I promptly called the restaurant I ate at the night before and told them about the mistake on there "Map of Maine" placemat?

May 6 Cadillac Mt.-Acadia Park Loop M-35.3,T-3:22.49,Avg-10.44,El-2623

M-16.19,T-1:48:54,Avg-8.92,El-1653

I got the bike together yesterday with only a few snafus and the usual forgotten items at home.Mark of Stanwood Velo Sport did a excellent job of truing the wheels up before I left. Only to have Magilla at UPS realign them on the trip out east. The local Bar Harbor bike shop amiably assisted with a second dewobbling to get me off on my adventure west.  

I did a short ride up Cadillac Mt. yesterday. A good warm up for the bike and I which  helped to get the bugs out of both. I enjoyed the familiarity of riding to and the confidence it brings being so far away from home.

Elation describes  my latest new equipment upgrades from REI. Sleeping pad and compression bag for my sleeping bag have helped to  increase my pannier space by 20%. The first tour I've been on with space to spare. It's like moving from a Apt. to a house and you don't know what to do with the space.

Riding Acadia Park today and it looks like in the rain. Then off west towards home tomorrow.

May 5

I'm here in Bar Harbor this morning after my long awaited departure date and flight east. No problems as usual after all that worrying and packing and panicking. My usual progression I go through when I plan a adventure and especially when it's one of this magnitude. Morning Joe at the Randonee Cafe brings me back to the comfort and routines of home and it looks like as I'm gazing around that I'm the only cyclist in here,yes, I guess the rest are working : ) today. It's a week day.

It was a looong day yesterday,traveling east, and a loooonger taxi ride out from the airport as I've changed the title again. A constant work in progress. I happened to pick the 82 LTD while hanging out front of the baggage claim area, with the original driver to. A nice guy who contributed allot to our conversations through his knowledge of local history As we cruised by various intersections on our way out to Bar Harbor he always had a comment to share and one of them was the local fatalities ( Just what I wanted to here about). and he knew them all. Cove intersection was the worst. Four fatalities and still no stop sign he mentioned while cruising down the road with the steering wheel rubbing his t shirt beer belly as we glided on a shock less, listing ride east.  

I guess he use to cycle to he commented as I observed it must of been few years back as he could barely fit behind the wh.eel of the LTD.

Today or this morning it's getting the bike together and getting the bugs out. Then going for a ride around Acadia N. Park and wrapping myself around this feat.  Removing the sweet coating from my gear to as I had some Nuun tablets that escaped while transiting east

May 4 Departure

With a nice rise'n shine time of  1 AM for a departure flight from SeaTac and a 3 stop over flight to Bangor Maine I'm thinking this should make for the most challenging part of the trip. John a friend  of mine offered to drive me down to SeaTac hoping to stop in Seattle for a couple cups of secret wine but I just wasn't in the partying mood whilst anxiously awaiting for the start of this cycling safari.Lions and Tigers and Bears. Oh my!  As I only had the ride on my mind.
Whilst hang'n at the airport waiting for my departure from Seattle I had a couple of hours to kill. So I got out my notebook to look busy and important like everyone else here and along came Tom a riding friend of mine heading to Florida.  Deja Vu .He's raced and toured and helped to plant the seed of touring  in my head back in the 80's. Small world. We chatted abit and reminisced till he had to leave to catch his flight.
About 5 pm tomorrow  upon arriving in Bar Harbor via Bangor by some mode of transportation I should be at my hotel cutting the strapping tape on the bike box and assembling for a 4000 to 5000 mile ride back home. Sounds easy!

I recently had a sign of whats to come to while stopping in for dinner, authentic Chinese at Hagen's after a day of logistics and planning for the ride back west. As leaving I had the Good Fortune of picking the right chinese cookie in the mandarin wicker basket along side the display case. "Prepare for an exciting trip soon to come your way" ............It was meant to be!!