A Douze Pouces Day

Auberge Le Tangon

Last night’s stay at the hostel went reasonably well. The concerns I had when I first stayed at the hostel back in Quebec never really came to fruition. They did last night. Obviously the biggest problem with sleeping in a dorm-style room is you never know who else will be in that room. And yes, I’m talking about the snoring issue. Now I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know if I snore – but I’m going to assume I don’t. The same can’t be said for everyone in the room last night. It’s kind of funny that I was able to sleep through a train passing right beside my “bed” back in Portneuf. Then again, I think the train was quieter! Anyway, it wasn’t the worst sleep I’ve ever had and by morning I was rested enough for another day of cycling.

The biggest difference with sleeping indoors last night was that I didn’t wake up at sunrise but instead actually found myself sleeping in until about 8:00.

As I mentioned in my update this morning, I didn’t really have much of a plan as to where I would be spending my night. I then had a bit of a chat with someone else staying at the hostel which concluded with me thinking that perhaps Sheldrake would be today’s destination. Sheldrake is about 115km from Sept-Îles and while I really don’t need to go that far today it also seemed like my best option for food and accommodation when the time comes.

Knowing I wasn’t going to have many food options along the way, I once again headed over to Subway for a couple of “douze pouces” subs. I figured that should cover me for most of my ride – plus I still had a bit of fruit left from yesterday … and of course, I always have my peanut butter and tortillas in an emergency.

I was finally on the road east again by about 9:50. Much later than the last couple of days – even though today was shaping up to be a longer day.

This wasn’t on the map.

Everything was going well until the 14km point. Then two things happened. Nothing life threatening but both were certainly inconveniences. The first (and more significant) was the realization that I was about to have to cycle through what appeared to be a pretty big construction zone. The second was that as I rode onto the unpaved surface my bike computer completely reset itself. Again, it’s wasn’t a big deal – I just like to monitor the numbers of the day throughout my ride and now today’s numbers were going to be a bit skewed.

This is not going to be fun.

The construction was going to have a bigger impact on my ride. For the next 6km I had the pleasure of riding on VERY uneven roads – although, not as bad as some of the roads into the campgrounds. The roads are being completely redone which means next year this will likely be a great place to cycle. However, that’s next year. This year it means single lanes of traffic being escorted each way by a pickup. With only one lane moving at a time, this was going to take awhile. Fortunately, they let me though on my bike so I was at least able to keep moving – albeit very slowly on the rough terrain. In total the construction zone lasted for about 10km and after two hours on the road I was only at 24km. This could be a much longer day than expected.

After the construction was comfortably behind me, the ride improved immensely. However, it was turning into a tougher ride than expected. I think the last couple of easy days have spoiled me a bit and I forgot what a day of hills is like. I was reminded today. I stayed patient though and just kept a moderate pace, reminding myself that it wasn’t a race. I also reminded myself to eat regularly. I didn’t do very well with the “20km/break” routine but when my stomach started grumbling I actually stopped and ate 1/4 of the two “douze pouces subs” I had stashed away.

In addition to all the hills, today had some very scenic moments. Lots of river crossings which often included the requisite waterfalls. There was a fairly long stretch where I lost sight of the St. Lawrence but when I got back to riding alongside it, the views were again beautiful. I even stopped to have lunch down by the water.

Nice spot for lunch.

The way things were going I was staying hydrated, fed, and on pace to arrive in Sheldrake by 5:30. Of course, I wasn’t really sure if there would be any places to stay once I got there – so I pedalled on and figured I’d find out when I got there.

Sheldrake, nice place to visit,
but I guess I won’t be staying here.

Well, when I got there my suspicions were confirmed. There’s not much there – other than it being a very scenic town along the shore. I had been told there was a park along the way out of town where I could set up my tent but I wasn’t sure if that’s what I wanted to do.

The next town was only 10km down the road and I had it on good authority that there were a few accommodation and food options. I decided to keep going. Part of that decision included the fact that I was really enjoying the day’s ride (okay, maybe not the construction part). There were plenty of hills but none of them unbearable. There was a bit of a headwind but again, reasonable. By the time I got to Sheldrake it was getting later in the day so the sun was starting to set behind me – it actually reminded me of the final 15km going into Kingston.

Nice place to set up a tent.
And the price is perfect!

As I neared Rivière-au-Tonnerre I knew I had made the right decision to pedal on. There were signs for a “Village-Relais” which means there would be food and accommodation options available. As I pedalled through town there was a sign for Le Gîte Chez Marjo – a hotel with camping options. Perfect. Except that it was closed. Apparently for “reparations”. I found this out when a guy on a four-wheeler rode up to see what I was up to. After another non-English conversation (which included my usual sad face), the guy indicated that I could set up my tent in the field behind the motel. I’m not really sure if someone will be coming around to get paid for said space – I suspect not, but either way I’m happy to have a place to spend the night (sans snorers).

Across the street from my current lodgings is a small restaurant which I felt was a better option than cooking pasta in a field while being attacked by flies. Well, it turns out it was a MUCH better option. In completing my “douze pouces” theme of the day I ordered a “douze pouces pepperoni et frommage pizza” which was SO incredibly trés bien. Although, the waitress again seemed a bit surprised that one person was ordering a “douze pouces pizza”.

Today’s totals:
Distance travelled: 128.55km
Time on bike: 6:44:18
Maximum speed: 49.00 km/h
Average speed: 19.04 km/h

Oh, and the restaurant has WiFi!