Parc Bic

Days 36 & 37

June 18 & 19, 2018

On to Parc du Bic 

Route Verte  from Trois Pistoles toward Bic was once again primarily a winding, narrow, dirt path.  Every so often it would follow a quiet paved road and then the pavement would end and it would  become a path again.  After covering only six miles in the first hour, we left the route and decided to ride on Route 132.

Did I mention the rain?  It was 48 degrees and raining steadily when we rolled out of our nice, comfy bed and breakfast room in Trois Pistoles.  132 is the only road up the coast.  It is a busy road with plenty of truck traffic.  The berm is wide, though, and the drivers are very aware of cyclists, and they always move over and give us lots of room.  There are lots of hills to climb and I don’t know if my raincoat is failing, or I am just sweating a lot, but I am soaked.  And cold.  This feels like a repeat of yesterday’s ride to me.  Tom thinks today’s weather is fine for riding, though.  He isn’t cold at all.  We find a city park and take a break in a pavilion with some hot tea and cheese and crackers and lots of nutella.  

I do not want to leave this pavillion

Eventually, the rain stops and the sun comes out.  The rest of the day’s ride is uneventful except for this ridiculous hill.

If we encounter a steeper hill, we will have to break out our climbing gear.

At Parc National du Bic, we decided to camp at La Coulee campground which is accessible only by foot, bike, or sea kayak.  There are just nine platforms for tents, a fire circle, and a (very clean) pit toilet.  Firewood is provided, but there is no drinking water.  Only three other sites were occupied by cyclists and backpackers.  

The tide is out when we arrive and the fog is lifting.

The fog comes and goes

The black flies and mosquitoes were terrible, but with a head net and long pants the evening was survivable.

I feel like we are winning the battle against these black flies.  The fire helps. 

Another thunderstorm passed through in the evening, but the sun came out in time for another beautiful sunset.  Our camp is about 50 feet from this beach.

We are up early the next morning and the woods are ringing with the song of the white throated sparrow and some kind of very noisy wren.  Just as we get ready to leave, Tom notices his flat rear tire.  

First of two repairs to this tire today.  Notice the head net.  

We decide to move to a campground which actually has drinking water and showers(!) for our second night at Bic.  The park is small and we are able to explore most of the bike trails in one day. 

The beautiful bike trails connect most areas of the park.  They are wide and similar to the carriage paths  in Acadia National Park.

Day 38
June 20, 2018
Parc Bic to Metis

We fly along the flat section with a 20 mph tail wind.

We leave Bic at 7:30 am after a quick oatmeal and canned  peaches breakfast.  Let’s just say there are still a lot of hungry mosquitoes and black flies and it’s time to move on.  There is a 20 mph southwest wind behind us today and it blows us along for 42 miles.  The day is perfect and the sun is out.  Route Verte is an actual bike trail at times and is otherwise on quiet smaller roads. It is a great day to ride. 

We stop to tour Pointe-au-Pere lighthouse, the second highest lighthouse in Canada.  Climbing 128 steps seems like a great break in the day.  It’s actually a very cool guided tour and it’s free with our Canada National Parks pass!  We learn a lot about the dangers of the St. Lawrence to ships.  Even today, every ship entering the seaway is required to allow a local river captain to pilot the ship through the river from this point on to its destination.  The pilots have a tough job  because of the shallow waters, the rocks and the unusual river currents.  The seaway is perilous even to experienced captains.  There is a pilot house just south of Pointe-au-Pere.  

It is a clear, blue sky day today.

The huge Fresnel lens refracts and focuses the light.  Each lighthouse has its own unique flashing code.  

A view from the top of the lighthouse reveal the hills and bluffs in Bic National Park to the southwest

We end up primitive camping again at a tiny little park which has only ten walk-in campsites.  Ours is overlooking the big river (it may be the gulf by now) and we are literally the only people in the entire park when the gates close at 5pm.  We can watch the sunset from our site.  It is an unusual park run by a tiny nonprofit organization and includes an art museum and a shell collection donated by a University professor.  It is very artfully arranged in showcases.  To learn more about this park, follow this link.

Funky cloud patterns abound

After dinner we explore the park.  There are some beautiful trails and a big lookout tower.  This park is definitely a hidden treasure.  

The Metis River as it quietly enters the St. Lawrence.