The Harvest Ride - Itinerary
The ride starts in Ottawa, known as Bytown before it became Canada's capital city. Bytown was a rough and ready lumber centre before Queen Victoria changed its status as a compromise to settle bickering between politicians in Toronto and Montreal.
The Ottawa Valley route heads up-river on the Ontario side to Pembroke. There we cross to Quebec for a downriver section along the Ottawa River. Then we head into the Gatineau Hills to reach the Gatineau River and follow it to its confluence with the Ottawa River across from Parliament Hill.
The Ottawa River has always been a passageway to the Great Lakes and the interior of the continent. Native North Americans travel
led the river in seasonal migrations. Early European settlers saw it as a freeway of the fur trade. Later, it was a big chute for moving logs to mills. It's a wild river and even now after the construction of hydroelectric dams in the last centruy there's plenty of opportunities to raft, kayak or canoe.
Early in the nineteenth century settlers recognized the value of the thick forests that covered the lands surrounding the river and its tributaries. The development of the timber trade led to an unprecedent period of prosperity. On the Ottawa Valley bike ride we'll catch glimpses of the remaining structures from this properous era on both sides of the river. The Pontiac region on the Quebec side of the river is recognized as once having the largest stands of pines in British North America. Humble, sturdy century old log cabins dot the landscape and you'll visit the stone houses and farm estate, now a museum, of one of the families of lumber barons that prospered in the region. We'll spend one night stepping back in time staying at a classic Canadian summer cabin resort.
We'll visit the delightful town of Wakefield, known for it's enchanting mill, excellent cuisine and steam powered train.
On our final day we'll ride through Old Chelsea, known for its artistic community and environmentally concious inhabitants. We'll travel through the famous Gatineau Hills, a 363-square-kilometres reserve, where the Prime Minister has a summer cottage. Riders can also visit the Mackenzie King Estate which was the retreat of Canada's 10th Prime Minister in the heart of Gatineau Park. The ride through Gatineau Park will be some of the most challenging terrain on this trip.
From Hull (now Gatineau) we'll cross back over the river again into Ontario and end our trip near Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
