Escaping Quebec proved very easy! After two or three turns, I was back on Le Chemin Roy(ale), the old road that led along the St. Lawrence in colonial days.
I had only 100 km to go today, but with almost 1000m of climbing I was commited to a slow and easy pace. The Chemin Royale took me away from the busy highways and up into the hills above the river, winding through a series of small towns. I passed on visiting what seemed to be a very nice waterfall, as there was gated entrance and a fee. Shortly after I was getting hungry and cafe deprived and to my surprise saw a sign that read "Halte velo" outside a cafe and pie bakery. Perfect!
Looking over the vista, a breeze off the river brought a hint of salt and sea.
I sat on the terrace drinking coffee for about 45 mins, studying the tourist guide before I felt the pedals calling again. I am on my way to Saguenay, one of the last detours of the trip, to visit the Devinci factory where my bicycle was made.
Cycling along, I passed more cyclists than autos until I reached the small town of Beaupre, where I rejoined the highway. With a steep hill looming in my line of vision and Google Maps forecasting 900m of climbing in the next 30 km, I stopped into a small bakery tucked into the side of a gas station for a top up.
Ordering un mille feuille and a bear claw, I soom considering ordering more. It was by far the best pastry I have yet had on this trip. Exercising my will power, I turned onto the highway and began the grind of the day.
The first bit ended up being the hardest. I was technically not on the cycling route and the highway shoulder was definitely not accomodating. Adding in the relentless 9% gradient, the midday sun, and the 10 km of uninterrupted climbing and it drained a lot from me. A break in the climb led to a small, mountaintop village where I procured water and a massive, calorie bomb of a maple-walnut muffin. Back at er.
The remaining 20km of climbing wasn't so bad, with the exception of construction. The gradient eased off and I got my legs in, sprinting to 30 km/hr as I went over the summit with arms raised. Passing autos honked appeciatively and waved as they went by. Between the moral support and the 15 km long descent, it was actually worth the effort.
I stopped in at Baie St. Paul for some groceries and an atm top up (Quebec City was not kind to my chequing account) and then cycled a short ways north to a lovely, cyclist friendly campground. Showers, soup and some writing before I scared myself by seeing that tomorrow will be even more mountainous. Just like being back in BC I guess.
Waking up early, I was breakkied and on the road by 7:45 in order to avoid the heat and give myself lots of time for the mountains. As I started out, my legs were feeling the strain of the previous days hills and I was hungrier than usual. After a quick snack break I went around the corner and was immediately confronted by a savage 15% gradient for a kilometer. That would set the tone for the rest of the day.
Apparently Quebec has yet to realize the utility of the switchback, and when a road must needs cross a hill, the road goeth straight up the side of the offending hill.
This leads to the unfortunate situation where unwary bicycle tourists riding 65 lb steeds must crank their way up a series of 12-20+ % hills for four hours on a Monday morning. It was probably the most barbaric and physically challenging bike ride of my life. I ascended 900m to the mountain peak in less than 30 km, lost count of the number of 15% gradients I endured, and actually had to stop halfway up a hill for the first time in my life.
Eventually though, a final murderous slope yielded le sommet, where a new set of challenges began. Namely, descending from 900m down a series of ultra steep hills, on potholed highways with no shoulder, without melting my brake pads or crashing at 65 km/hr.
I survived. The bike survived. I limped into Baie, and made a grocery store trip to help offset the extreme calorie amount needed to do 1400m of climbing and 125 km in a single day.
Arriving at the campground I plopped down, set up shop, ate an entire bag of corn chips with hummus, and began cooking dinner. An unusual amount of sweat seemed to be leaking from me and I soon located a thermometer that indicated it was +35 in the shade. How did I even survive in that heat, on those hills?
The next day I woke up feeling alright. The first hill of the day soon disavowed that notion, and I toyed with the idea of a short day on my way into Saguenay. Picking up speed along the flat plateau, I felt better after rolling into town and grabbing a coffee and some patisserie. I took a quick trip to the industrial park, snapped some photos of my bike out front of the Devinci factory and popped my head in the door. Greeted by a vacant reception and rows of offices, I decided not to make a nuisance of myself and headed out to do the full 115 km option to the fjords.
After a lunch break back in Baie, I took off and immediately ran back into the feet of the Laurentians. Grinding up a (thankfully not 15%) slope for 5 km in the brutal heat of midday, I began to wonder why I force myself to do these long, hard days. As I see the cars effortlessly drift by, some offering encouragement, others grazing my elbow despite the passing lane to their left, I remember something important about myself. Namely, that I am a tough, stubborn bastard and that doing really hard things that other people wouldn't even contemplate is just what I do.
After another day of 1000m of vertical gain, some close calls with semis, and some incoherent yelling whilst confronted with a 15% slope in the last 10 km, I finish at the fjords of the Saguenay River.
Technically, this is a tidal river. The waters of the Atlantic weakly mingle here. Dipping a finger in the shoreline, I can barely detect the salt. I will have to wait until Halifax to dip my tires.
My French has improved to the point where I can negotiate camping with the attendant who only speaks a few words in English. I take a quick detour 50m down the road for a patio beer before setting up camp.
With a hard day behind me, I will easily make it to the start of Gaspesie tomorrow. I have heard legends of some steep hills there, but after the last 3 days I am ready to crush any resistance the landscape has to throw at me.
Second hill: definitely bad
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