I was a bit
disappointed when I found the lake to be glassy calm Wednesday morning and knew
I had blown my choice of days, as far as prime cycling conditions, but this weather
would make for some great kayaking! We were heading over to St. Joseph Island,
which is one of the largest freshwater islands in the world, sitting at the mouth
of St. Marys River near the North Channel of Lake Huron.
The island is
also home to Fort St. Joseph Historic Site, the location of the initial attack
in the War of 1812. The fort was not only an important British military
outpost, but also a significant spot for trade and commerce in the region. Once
the British Empire's most westerly outpost, Fort St. Joseph is operated today
by Parks Canada.
We stopped at
the north end of the island in the town of Richards Landing to do some internet
catch-up, and then drove to the public boat launch at Gawas Bay. Sue had read
it was a good area for wildlife watchers, and although we didn't spot the elusive moose for which she was hoping, we did see some small and large fish, osprey,
cormorants and a family of mergansers (I had to do some research for those) during our 3.5-mile
circuit.
Little mental
“trips to dreamland” occur when we spot lakeside homes like those in the photos
below, many with only boat access – sure, shopping would be inconvenient, as would
the bike rides, but I could deal with it somehow.
The island
has a reputation as an ideal cycling destination, as it features rolling hills,
forested side roads, picturesque views and friendly services, all along roads
that have light traffic. We decided to return the next day to try out Route
538, which circles St. Joseph Island.
I’m sure
you won't be shocked to hear that another fantastic day of cycling weather
was on tap – low 80s and dry! We parked at the little library in Richards Landing
and started counter-clockwise, with intention that Sue would cut across Hilton
Road, which pretty much bisects the island, leaving me to finish the
40-ish-mile loop on my own.
She certainly
picked the right portion of the loop, as it was dominated by flat farmland. A
short, sharp incline was near Mariner’s Cove, the site of a very narrow passage
of the Great Lakes shipping lane, and a longer climb led up to Gilbertson’s,
which is the largest maple syrup producer in Ontario. Near the top, I met another
cyclist who had just finished climbing up in the other direction.
He was
straddling his bicycle, taking big gulps from his bottle and said, “You’re
making me look bad – looks too easy for you.” I explained that we were from a
very hilly area of Pennsylvania, and he replied that he was from Windsor,
Ontario, where they have “none of this stuff”. He must have felt doubly bad
when Sue came peddling up behind me, and he admitted to having walked a portion
of the climb.
The road made
a sharp left and after a brief downhill, Sue split off onto Hilton Road, and I
faced the (unexpected) rest of the climb. I had the mistaken impression this
would be a relatively flat piece of land, but the profile of the route would
tell the true story:
I did enjoy
the very long, gradual descent off of that first mountain, speeding along at 25-30 mph
for about three miles, but keeping any kind of pace over the successive 50-100-foot climbs that followed was
quite a challenge. My friend Mr. Wind showed up when I turned to head along the east side of the island. Sue and I had stopped briefly at Hilton Beach
after our kayaking expedition, and I anticipated the tough climb up from the
marina, but not how wasted I’d feel by the time I’d reach that spot.
I also didn’t
expect the long drag heading away from Gawas Bay, where we had launched our kayaks the day before – I guess sometimes you just
don’t notice it when you are driving in a car! I sure was feeling it now, and
despite being nearly out of gas, I received a pleasant break from the
wind when I turned toward the southwest along the main route back to Richards
Landing.
My heart sank
a bit when I saw a sign stating town was still 6 away, until I remembered this
was Canada, and the number would be kilometers, not miles. The remainder of my ride was
fairly flat, so it passed quickly, and I was really happy to remember the ice
cream spot in Richards Landing and the proportions they tend to serve in the
Great White North!
We had a
wonderful Friday of pretty much just sitting around, reading, listening to
music and playing some games. On Saturday morning, instead of taking on the
gnarly, steep path that led to/from our cabin, Sue and I decided to save our legs
and drive out into town and park there. A farmer’s market is held at the
Desbarats hockey rink during the weekend, so it was a bit busy there, but
nowhere near enough that there was a problem at all finding a space for the
van!
Sue wanted to
take a relatively short ride and check out some of the area west and south of
town, while I intended to try the around-the-lake route again, since the
conditions were a bit calmer. The light breeze that was coming more from the
north this day was only in my face on the leg of the route that was mostly a
gradual downhill, so it wasn’t much of a factor.
Some clouds
rolled in and gusts picked up in the afternoon, but by that time I was moving
in a direction where I wasn’t being affected adversely by the wind. It seems
rare, no matter where I am, that I happen to have a tailwind on the return
portion of a ride, but this was the case, and the last couple miles were an
absolute blast, flying through the flat farmland back to the van. It was a
little humorous pulling into the parking lot to find Sue sprawled out in the
back of the van (empty without the bikes inside), with the side doors wide open
to let in the refreshing breeze.
Sunday was another
scheduled day for loafing/lounging before we would head back over the border to
spend a few days in Buffalo.
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