Little Train of the North

     Yesterday, my sister and her hubby and I crammed our gear, bikes and ourselves in their Toyota Sienna to start a 45 mile bike ride on the "P'tit train du Nord". This trail is one of those wonderful rails to trails projects all over the North American continent; abandoned railroad tracks (never more than a 4 percent grade, perfect for folks who hate hills) are converted to trails for bicyclists, walkers, joggers and others.

We began in the little town of Lac Saguay

This beautiful ground cover wildflower grew in profusion everywhere . . . .

     Every couple of miles or so was a picnic table, and a billboard explaining the ecosystem and wildlife in that area.

     And a respectable distance from each picnic table was a toilet with a clear fiberglass ridged roof to allow sunlight inside.

     We had the trail mostly to ourselves all day, except for these four recumbent bikers and two other bicyclists. All of us were over 55 years old.

Every eight miles or so we'd pass through the old railroad station which caters to tourists on the trail.

Plenty of ponds, lakes and wetlands on both sides of the trail.

And lush crops and a tree plantation . . .

Across the Rouge River on a long wooden bridge . . . .

The well maintained beautiful trail was too good to be true!

     And then disaster struck on this beautiful perfect trail in the middle of nowhere, my brother-in-law had a flat. My sister and I helped him fix it. And just as we were inflating the new tube, another biker (who also appeared to be over 50 years old) came by to ask if we needed help. He was the trail patrol! "For real?" I asked him incredulously. He showed me the back of his shirt to prove he was there to help people. I asked him if he was a volunteer, and he said "oui".

Back on the trail again . . .

Destination . . . Mont Tremblant.