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Has anyone done the veloroute des bluets (the blueberry trail) around Lac Ste Jean in Quebec? I understand there are luggage transport services available, etc. Sounds like an interesting trip for 3-4 days (256 km) of B and B, etc. Am trying to find out how much is paved/ gravel etc. Road or hybrid best?
Interesting that you mention this because I've been toying with the idea of riding there as a part of a tour in eastern Quebec. If I go there I will probably stick to the roads though (as opposed to the bike paths). But if you follow the trail and the mapped out bike paths it looks like there is definitely some gravel. I'm having a problem figuring out how much though based on the web site. When I look at the overall map it looks like the entire circuit is possible on roads.
You've probably already found this site, but just in case... http://www.veloroute-bleuets.qc.ca/i...id=66&lang=eng
I find it very interesting that the Bicycle Information Center mentioned on the site is only open until the middle of August. I wonder if they are trying to tell me something (like I should not tour in that area in September?).
When are you thinking of riding up there? I'd be very interested in hearing how the riding is/was.
--- Denise
Here is another source:
http://www.routeverte.com/ang/index.lasso
and
http://www.routeverte.com/ang/voyage...&code=saguenay
on the Véloroute specifically.
It's almost all paved now.
I didn't do it but many friends have. The bike-path parts are nice too so you may want to stick to it, unless you come with a road bike and want to stay away from the gravel. It's quite pretty.
The Saguenay region tends to be colder than southern Québec in the Summer (think 20-25 more than 25-30 - Celcius of course) so plan accordingly, for cold starts in the morning especially.
A few hills but lots of flats.
Just be careful if you drive up to there. The road is better than it was but still treacherous, especially at night (lots of wildlife running around). There is a way to cycle up but not on the main road that starts from Québec city. It's a nice ride, but a very difficult one (think HILLS for 300 km).
Maybe you should also look into:
http://www.velo.qc.ca/voyages/index_e.lasso
and make sure you check out the Grand Tour. It's a different kind of adventure, but a wonderful one. I'll be there this Summer.
Cheers!
September can have very cold nights in Saguenay, and there can be snow in the mountains, so I guess it starts being trickier. There is not much tourism in that region in the in-between season...Quote:
Originally Posted by DeniseGoldberg
Thanks for the replies. actually I had checked out all those websites and found general, but not much specific info. I also have called Quebec tourism and requested printed material (1-877-BONJOUR for those interested). My plan is to take a cyclocross bike, rather than road or mt, and it should cover most surfaces OK. As a western Mainer, believe me I know about lousy roads!! (and snow- at least this year, it is pretty much gone with perhaps a patch or 2 left in the woods!)
Plan is to go in June or maybe July, depending on who I can get to go with me.
I will post a tale after the trip! Any more input is welcome.
If you're there around the 23rd of July let me know, I'll probably be in the Saguenay Triathlon!Quote:
Originally Posted by oldbikah
Will do, Grog. Good luck!
I realize this is an old thread, but just a warning. Do not underestimate the road quality in Quebec. Although I ride in the Montreal area, I've driven around plenty and must say the infrastructure here isn't great. If you bring a road bike just be prepared for flats, b/c the roads are Bumpy... yep that's with a capital B:p
The bike paths in Quebec, both paved and gravel, have a tendancy to be better maintained than the roads. At least in my observation that is the trend that I've noticed.
Hi everyone: My husband and I are just two weeks back from the Veloroute des Bleuets. I was "blue" (post-vacation letdown) when I found this thread. All you bikers, if you are considering the Blueberry Bike Trail, consider no more. Just do it!
A word of caution: the route is not as flat and benign as the literature would have you believe. Even my husband's diligent reviews of topo maps and satellite photographs misled us because the route does not always follow the roads. The route designers have an unfortunate habit of building really incredibly beautiful trails on terrain better suited for mountain goats. Not for a recumbent rider pulling a trailer (i.e., me). Especially around Alma, the biggest city on the route, the trail follows a series of power dams. They are breathtakingly achingly beautiful (waterfalls that, as my hubby said, would be national parks in USA but are "oh, well, just another waterfall" in Quebec) but the trails plunge a few hundred feet to cross the damns, then crawl up the other side to get out of the canyon. I was frustrated . . .
My only other complaint is the route designers' other unfortunate habit of taking you around most business centers. Consequently you aren't always passing through a business district where you'll find food and other necessities. But that's part of the adventure, I think! The available guidebooks don't include important information like grocery stores but anywhere you find yourself in the vicinity of a Metro supermarket, go in. We lived on the wonderful Jeannois cheddar and baguettes FRESH AND HOT from the Metro bakeries. After the first one, I came out of the store, shoved the baguette in Bill's face and said, "Good God, it's still warm." I thought he'd swoon right there.
The route is wonderful. I can't say enough about it and anyone who wants more detail and rapturous promotion about it need only let me know. I could go on for hours and pages.
I was so pleased to find your report. Currently I am trying to recruit some friends to go with me (they are suspicious when I say it isn't too hilly) but so far no committed parties!
Trailgoddess, how many days did you take to go around the lake? Did you have all your overnight reservations made ahead?
I can't believe that I lost track of time and my limited brain power and never looked back at this forum. :eek:
Oldbikah? Are you there? Did you ever succeed in recruiting biking buddies?
To answer your question, we took six days to go around the lake. We took the train up from Montreal and as it only runs every other day, we planned accordingly. WHEN we go back we're going to take a few more days and stay an extra day here and there. The only "extra" day we took was at the Pointe de Taillon national park. We'll do that again, as well as a few other places we especially loved.
The park was actually the only place we made reservations ahead. We were camping and in looking at the website it seemed like the campgrounds were spaced out evenly enough that we would be able to find something pretty easily. But that national park would be, I figured, very popular and as we had a particular campsite in mind from THEIR website, we decided to reserve it in advance. Little did we know that the website was completely misleading and the campsite we reserved so carefully was the absolute worst spot on the entire trip! The national park website leads one to believe that (a) the campgrounds at either "end" of the park via the trail were car accessible and close to "amenities"; and (b) the campsites at the far end of the park were therefore more private and would provide access to the water for swimming, sunbathing and relaxing.
In reality, the entire park is off limits to cars! It's absolutely amazing. Once you arrive, you get on a bike (your own or one you rent from the concessionaire) and ride it (along with, perhaps, your rented trailer full of gear) to one of the campgrounds. We arrived late the first of our two nights and were able to snag a spot at one of the campsites closest to the parking lot. It was still about a mile in from the parking lot, right on the lake and positively gorgeous. Unfortunately, we had to vacate it because it was already reserved the second night. No matter, we thought. We will just ride on up the island to our already reserved perfect site. Ick.
It was high above the water on the inland side of the peninsula, and so mosquito-infested that we could barely leave the tent. At dark, some kind of party started in the town directly across the river and it went on all night! As it turns out, it was the annual swim across the lake by a lot of absolutely insane people. They're up all night drinking and then they plunge into the freezing cold water the next day and swim 28 miles. I don't get it, certainly.
Anyway, now we know.
Neither my husband nor I speak French and I was really worried about that. I will say that most people up there do NOT speak English but I was able to commmunicate reasonably well when it came to getting the night's campsite and foraging for food. It became kind of a game--can I get in and out of the grocery store without the clerk ever realizing that I didn't understand a WORD? "Merci," I'd smile. And if I got caught, "Pardon, je suis American" and scurry out the door. In the post office in Mashteuiash, the clerk and I had a wonderful game of charades so I could buy stamps!
The one and only meal we ate in a restaurant was pretty much a disaster because of the language barrier and we just decided from that moment on that we could live quite nicely on fresh fruit, warm baguettes, cheddar cheese and ... blueberries. Blueberries. Blueberries.
Do this trip, folks. Really. There are some hills and I did some whining but I don't think I remember any vacation I've ever taken anywhere with as much real fondness as this one!