Madawaska!

Madawaska, in the Lakota language, translates to “the world is good” or “the world is beautiful.” It reflects a positive outlook on life and is a First Nations word commonly used in Quebec and New Brunswick. It also encapsulates our bike touring experience.

A cold start to the rail to trail bike route out of Riviere du Loup

Today, we left Rivière du Loup after waiting out a storm that lasted two complete days. We were happy to get back on our bikes, although the weather was overcast and the winter cold was still in the air. We thought our entire ride would be on a well-maintained “rail to trails” route, all off-road and without the annoyance of any traffic. It started out that way, and the trail was excellent as we rode through pristine landscapes and wilderness. The morning was relaxing, although a bit cold, since we were crossing the northern section of the Appalachian Mountains. Our “world was good” at least for the moment. Then, we saw one of those nasty little orange detour signs in French, and I recognized the one word we feared—“ferme,” which translates into “closed.” Not a good sign since we were pretty much out in the middle of nowhere, and the closest road to access our destination was a freeway where bikes are not permitted.

Instead of what appeared to be a pretty straightforward ride, it was time to problem-solve and figure out a way out of what was starting to look like a pretty bad situation. Our Kamoot mapping app gave us one option: a route up and over a pass designed for snowmobiles and ATVs, but definitely not bicycles! We had little choice but to take that route and hope for the best. It was about a 12-mile stretch that started fairly smooth until we came to the sign “continue at your own risk.” Not at all interested in turning back at this point, we continued, and the road, or more accurately the trail, turned into a muddy mess of steep ascents and descents. It was one of those stretches that feels like it will never end, but slowly the road improved, and we were able to reconnect to the open section of the “rail to trails,” which took us easily to today’s destination, Degalis, Quebec.

Near the end of the ride.

It was a tough 63-mile ride that lasted almost 7 hours—definitely the most demanding ride of our trip so far. We were relieved to get to our hotel, which happens to be in the exact same location as the Madawaska Brewery and Restaurant, where we enjoyed a wonderful meal, several excellent beers, and a great appreciation for the bike touring journeys that allow us to experience the beauty of this wonderful world that we are all so fortunate to be a part of: Madawaska!