Category: 2025 Laurentians

Another beautiful start to the day; however, the early sunny skies would be short-lived as Mother Nature was set to bring rain for the duration of the long-weekend. We had unwittingly chosen to camp during the nicest four days we’ve had this year to-date.

We packed up and left our campsite before 9:00am. A quick stop to dump the van tanks on our way out and we left Labelle both saying that we would return again as the stay had been relaxing and quiet.

The drive home followed the same route back towards Gatineau. The hills have greened up considerably over the past few days and it’s really now looking like Spring has arrived.

The drive into Gatineau and then Ottawa provides the nicest overview of our nations capital as you arrive at some elevation above the city which affords a fabulous view of the city. Crossing back into Ontario, also presents a great view of Parliament hill; however, it is currently under renovation and has two tower cranes attached which detract from the view somewhat.

Another adventure complete, we returned home and spent the afternoon unpacking the van and getting settled back in the house. Thanks for reading along and following us on our journeys. Hopefully we’ll be back on the road again shortly. 😎

The day started with pancakes with real Maple syrup, eggs and bacon cooked on our outdoor griddle. Coffee accompanied the food in preparation for our second day of cycling on the P’tit train du Nord trail.

We again started at the old Labelle train station but headed North this time towards Macaza and Rivière-Rouge. We expected the trail in this direction to be a little quieter as we were heading further away from the Mont-Tremblant area and its tourists.

Today’s planned route was about 20km each way which would be about 10km longer than our first day of cycling, as such we were both hoping that our bodies would not complain too loudly at our efforts.

Arriving in Macaza we came across a wonderful old railway bridge that spanned the Rivière Rouge. It was a perfect spot for a few pictures.

Further up the trail we passed under the power lines that delivered electricity to the city of Montreal from the James Bay power stations in the Quebec north country. A few kilometres later we arrived in the town of Rivière-Rouge where we sought out and found La Boulangerie de Rivière-Rouge. Time for pastries!!

We sat at a picnic table adjacent to the trail to enjoy our freshly acquired Choclatines and Almondines. This is the purpose of cycling, right?

Our ride back to Labelle was enjoyable, but my body was complaining a lot by time we arrived back at the Bar P’tit Train du Nord where we once again enjoyed a beer and this time a sandwich as our ride ending reward.

Our two-day cycling adventure was now complete and a wonderful success. We both are looking forward to returning and riding other sections of this trail in the future. Riding in the shoulder-season (before or after Summer vacationers swarm the area) is relaxing and allowed us to really enjoy the scenery that nature offers us in this area.

For now we return to our campsite and rest ahead of our steak dinner which we have planned for tonight. The day after once again ends with us enjoying a movie on Netflix, this time ‘Back in Action’ starring Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx. A lighthearted spy movie that kept us entertained throughout. 👍👍

An early rise and light breakfast starts our first day of activities. Our plan today is to ride from Labelle to Mont Tremblant and back along the P’tit train du Nord. This is a 200km rail trail between St Jerome and Mont Laurier that is a very popular trail due to its ease of access and slight grades.

We would not be cycling the entire length of the trail; however, the nearly 20km each way today should be plenty for us to start with.

We headed out at about 10:30 and rode from the campground up to the old Labelle train station that acts as a waypoint along the trail.

My first surprise was that the trail is paved! I was expecting a stone dust trail but this section is freshly paved and 2.5m wide with great signage and wayfinding boards along the route telling you exactly where you are within the 200km route. Good job Quebec!

The ride was easy as it’s fairly flat and it was nice to be cycling away from traffic and the associated stresses and noise. We saw deer, turkeys, sheep (and companion dog) and a few other cyclists along our route to Mont Tremblant. As we passed along the shore of Lac Mercier we admired the homes/cottages that lined the lakeshore. A nice place to live if one could afford to do so.

In Mont Tremblant village we enjoyed a smoked meat sandwich at La Sandwicherie Cafe & Bistro while sitting outdoors on the patio in the sunshine. A perfect day for a bike ride through the mountains.

Our ride back from Mont Tremblant seemed easier is some ways and more difficult in others, not that it was a technically challenging ride at all; however, our out-of-shape bodies began to ache at the extended time in the saddle. We used the conveniently placed rest stops along to way as ‘butt breaks’ and we’re both looking forward to our reward awaiting in Labelle.

It was slightly uphill returning to Labelle, but our e-bikes (yes, we were cheating for all of you purists out there) easily handled any climbing required.

Once in Labelle, we stopped at Le Bar du P’tit train du Nord for a refreshment and ‘snack’. The resto/bar is located in the old Labelle train station directly adjacent to the trail with lots of bike racks for securing your rides while you enjoy some food and refreshments. There are also picnic tables for those carrying their own lunches as well as a playground for the kiddies.

We chose to sit on the deck and enjoy a draft beer and some Poutine as a snack, right. The beer was perfect & as I wrote above, a nice reward after the cycling. The poutine was delicious but not a snack, the serving was large and they did skimp on the cheese curds. Yummy!!

Returning to our campsite, we unpacked from our journey and spent the remainder of the afternoon relaxing and napping. I cooked dinner on our outdoor grill and we retreated to the van early to avoid the ever growing number of biting black flies that were appearing.

If you’re interested in riding the trail, the following article describes the trail and amenities far better than I can. Go biking.ca – P’tit trail du Nord

Tomorrow? We have plans to take it easy and possibly try something new.

So, here we are, it’s May 2025 and we’re heading out on our first van adventure of the year. Our destination, Labelle, QC. Specifically, the Camping Chutes aux Iroquois campground where we will be staying for four nights.

We headed through Ottawa, ON and into Gatineau, QC before heading East on Autoroute 50 towards Montebello and then turning Northwards on Rt 323 towards Mont Tremblant. Once reaching Mont Tremblant we turned Northwards onto Autoroute 117 for 15 min and arrived in Labelle, QC. The drive was wonderful and relaxing with the trees showing their early Spring colours as the leaves strain to open in the warm Spring air.

Arriving at the campground we entered using the key code that had been provided and drove directly to our site bypassing the registration office. Our grassy site, C5, is next to the Rivière Rouge and has a great view of the waterfall. The ground was a little uneven and it took a few attempts to level the van tour satisfaction.

After setting up we relaxed at camp for the afternoon before enjoying chicken wraps for dinner whilst discussing our plans for the next day. Early to bed as tomorrow is all about cycling.