Pete and I decided to make an excursion on Monday up north to the Mount Tremblant area to take a ride along the P'tit Train du Nord rail trail. This is a 200km long path that follows the rail bed of the old train which used to run from Montreal up to the Laurentians. The trail has been upgraded significantly over other rail trails I have seen. More than just a stone dust path (a number of km are asphalt), the bridges have been upgraded to allow cyclists to cross and there are a significant number of "stations" along the track that have been set up with information, water, bathrooms and parking etc. to provide access and rest stops along the way. There has also been a boom of restaurants and hotels/B&B's at/near these stations to provide riders a chance to have some lunch or stop for the night before heading on along their way - a real full service route.
It is always nice to have a nice long path that is traffic free. The rail trail is of course devoid of steep hills and occasionaly it has long straight boring sections where you can see your path for some distance but I found this route to be a little more interesting than some other rail trails I've been on. It wound its way through the woods a little more following ponds and bogs or cottage lined lakes. There were also frequent villages along the track so there's lots to see. After riding north for a stretch we decided to make the detour to the Tremblant ski station which was quite a contrast to the peaceful trail we had just been on. Then it was back (along a busy road - oops) to pick up the rail trail and head back to the car. This was an interesting outing and I think I'll head back to check out some more of the trail again.
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