The Rail Trail

Sept. 24 2009

This picture was taken the day before I was diagnosed with

Non-Hodgkins lymphoma. I remember it well as I had remarked

feeling unwell but at the same time elated to be on this trail with 

a good friend.  Cycling has saved my life in many ways and

this blog shares my passion for it.




The Rail Trail

Most of the time, I ride on the road, staying away from the gravel trails with my thin, slick-wheeled road bike.  I love the road, and the  endless possibilities for a day ride, weekend ride, cycling vacation...

.....And of course pavement lets us go that much further....

On the other hand, a few times a year, I am drawn to the variety of off-road trails that exist thanks to forward thinking planners who have seen the potential of turning old rail trails into cycling paths.  And there are a plentiful amount of trails to choose from.

Soulanges Canal Path

The rail trail allows the cyclist to experience the countryside from the vantage point of train engineers leading their locomotives from town to town, leaving one to imagine the romantic notion of rail travel from bygone days while cycling on sparsely populated paths, safely away from the road but never too far from the next hamlet of population.

On these days, we are not in a hurry like we may be on our road bikes. The trails are meant to be enjoyed with frequent stops to take a picture of an old covered bridge, a lake that you have only seen from the vantage point of a passenger  car, or a corn field cut through the middle by the path of majestic locomotives once used to haul grain and supplies to the small villages lining the tracks.

North of Montreal, the 'Petit Train du Nord', or 'Small Train of the North' cuts its way from the lower Laurentian mountain range all the way to Mont Laurier, some 220 kms. north.  During the summer, many cyclists will embark on day trips covering portions of the trail, others take on the challenge of doing it all over a few days. It is wonderfully maintained and varies in folia and terrain as you head north, or perhaps south as one can access the trail from numerous entry points.

Petit Train du Nord:  http://www.laurentians.com/parclineaire/

One of my favourite rail trails lies just south of the Canadian border in upstate Vermont.  The Mississquoi Valley Rail Trail runs 26 miles from its start in St. Albans and runs gently along the Mississquoi river east and north to Richford, Vermont.  Along the way, most of the time, there is an unobstructed view of Jay Peak, and some stunning scenery through forests, streams, farm fields and small quaint towns that long for the railroad of another era.....

A corn field along the Misissquoi Valley Rail Trail

It is on this trail that one can really get lost in thought, grateful for the wonderful land that lies so close to the bustle of the city. I usually go on a weekday, rarely seeing more than a handful of riders pass by.

With Jay Peak, Vt. in the Distance

It is truly wonderful...and peaceful, and on these days, I am never rushed for time, or in need of the thrill of speeding down a sloping descent on my road bike.

Mississquoi Valley Rail Trail:  http://mvrailtrail.com/

Just west of Montreal, there is an old canal that was once used for shipping before freighters started to use the the St. Lawrence River seaway.  Along the canal, a trail follows its length all the way to the Ontario border, roughly 35 kms. Using the same philosophy as the rebuilding of rail trails, the Soulanges Canal path has reinvigorated a once-decrepit length of waterway long past its useful prime.

It is a scenic trail, and superbly maintained.  Along its way, you get the impression that on these quiet paths, life at one time fluorished from the railway.   The towns along its entire stretch, long ago having had their heyday, now sit quietly as bedroom communities, or meeting places for farmers.

These are but a few of the hundreds of rail and canal trails across North America.
  Try one someday.  You don't need much - a hybrid bike is perfect, and of course,
a boxed lunch, a camera.....

and an imagination for what once was......

On this day, I saw few people

Interesting Links:

The Route Verte is an extensive Network of road and path trails in Quebec connecting virtually
the whole province for the enjoyment of cyclists.  Its 4000kms. of trails make it the largest
cycling trail network in the world.
http://www.routeverte.com/rv/

Canadian Rail Trails:  http://www.railtrail.com/ca/index.htm

Rails to Trails Conservancy:  http://www.railstotrails.org/index.html

Never Far Away

We see each other perhaps once a year, and like all true friendships, the conversation picks up effortlessly from the moment we greet, no sign of that uncomfortable silence one feels when seeing an old acquaintance after many years. Inevitably, it takes just minutes to spark up a conversation about cycling, and from that moment on, we make the best of every precious minute we have together, fiercely debating which brand is better , which frame suits what type of riding, carbon vs. titanium, tubulars vs. clinchers.... how to carb up before a big ride...  It's all there. It is truly a wonderful time and we both cherish those moments...

Richard lives in the U.K. now, having first met him while he was on contract in Canada.  We met because I had an old Triumph TR-6, long before I had taken up the sport of cycling.  He was a car lover, and his curiosity for my vintage 1976 British roadster was enough to make that initial connection. How little did we know then the interests we shared....

That old car is long gone now,  replaced in the garage by a bike stand, tools, a variety of tires both narrow and wide, and of course.....bikes. My own personal Cycle-Pathic Shangri-la!

Richard and I have remained friends over the years, but it was his love for cycling that contributed to my curiosity in the sport. The old car connected us as friends, but it is the passion for the two-wheeler that has cemented our long friendship.

We have spent some marvelous times together while cycling - any cyclist can attest to the bounty of experiences one shares while riding alongside a friend on a cool, bright August morning with calm western winds helping to give that extra push...

A favourite place of ours to cycle is in Cape Ann, Massachusetts, a short drive north of Boston.  It is here that we have shared the most on our coastal rides.  Amusing in a sense that while riding, we talk music, culture, cars, work, family....food... but very little about bikes.  It's off the bike that we talk about bikes.  It feels like there is never an end to the banter we so deeply enjoy.  Why would anyone want it to end? That's really it.  Any cyclist understands the endless bounty of ideas to explore...

Rockport, Mass.

We have a song we sing in the absence of riding together.  Named after a street we cross frequently on our rides, Tregony Bow is not just a street, but for us the image of riding together....

Oh oh oh, Take me down to Tregony Bow....

And while the Atlantic separates us for most of the year, it only takes the thought of a short espresso at the Bean and Leaf Cafe to bring back the flow of memories from our rides, in anticipation of our next ride together...

The Bean and Leaf Cafe
Our Espresso Stop

http://www.beanandleafcafe.net/Bean_%26_Leaf_Cafe/Welcome.html