Bike Ride: July 18, 1998

Loop up through Oka and across Ferry to Hudson

With Special detail on Two-Mountains-Oka Bike Trail

This is not the first time that I have taken this route. I made the ride last year, after having spoken with Claudia and Gilbert upon their return from this route (I met them by chance at Ste. Anne de Bellevue.) I have ridden up via the Oka trail many times. Once I took the trail with Sheryl. I have also been to Hudson several times. This is only the second time I have completed the loop with the ferry. This time I brought my camera!

It was day 2 of my summer vacation. I was anxious, no "hot" would be a better word, to get in a bike ride. Day 1 of my vacation had been spend writing. Sheryl was taking a course and would be busy all day.

This day I would get a late start, but would end up cycling for 13 hours in total. I made many, many stops, however. I took loks of photos and made lots of notes.

On the Way to Two Mountians

08:45 I got a late start. I had announced the night before that I would be getting up early and getting an early start. I had initially set the alarm for 05:00, but during the night I re-set it for 06:00. In the morning, I slept right through the alarm and did not get out of bed until 7:30. All of this caused Sheryl to begin singing a laughing song about my getting starting, with the refrain ending in "Ha, Ha Ha"...

So, at 8:45, I set out for my morning ride...

09:45 or so.. I reached the "Back River", having followed my normal route up past Blue Bonnets, past the Kraft factory in TMR, under the Met, up through residential streets of Ville St. Laurent, to Cote Vertu. Along ?? for two blocks then east to Grenet, which I followed to Gouin.

I crossed the Pont LaChapelle [photos # 1,2] and caught the Laval bike path on the far side [photo #3]. I decided this time to follow the bike path, even though it seemed to go out of the way. Last time I left the bike path when it turned down towards the "Islands", and I ended up on a long, boring stretch. This time I made the turn and followed the bike path down along Promenade des Iles. It actually was not so bad, and did not take me that far out of my may. A quick run down onto the Islands, across a tiny bridge, and then back up to the mainland, across another tiny bridge, and I was on my way again. The bike trail went along Boul. Rene Levesque, which seems to be the old river road. It stops at the Hwy 13. There, the bike trail climbs up to Boul. Samson through the open fields next to the 13 [photo #4].

10:40 I am on the bridge overlooking the 13 [photos #5,6]. Coming down the far side, I turn right to find Bord de L’Eau. I imagine that, before the 13, this was the same road as Boul Levesque on the far side [photos #7,8]. As I rode along this bit of country left in Laval [photo 9], I could not help but notice how the onrush of development had increased, even over the previous year. What had been farmers’ fields on both side gave way to "Projets domiciliaires", each a separate collecion of cracker boxes. A bit of history was still to be found, in the form of an old roadside shrine, only slighly displaced to make room for a housing development [photos #10,11] At a certain point, the Bord de L’eau reaches Boul. Samson, and turns onto it, the new road retaining the name of Bord de L’Eau. Looking south at a certain point, one could see the apartments of Pierrefonds [photo 12]

11:10 I reached Ste. Dorothee, having just gone past the exit for Ile Bigras. At Ste. Dorothee, the road goes under the railway bridge, and then there is a commuter rail station. [photos #13,14]. As the road enters the exclusive, one anglo enclave of Laval sur le lac[photo #15]. One passes by the ferry to Ile Bizard [photos #16,17]. In times past, I have come via the ferry.

11:25 I have reached the Barrage Grand Moulin, at the very entrance to the Mille Iles River. I have cut across the western tip of Lavel, across Laval sur le lac, on ?? street. They have now built a proper bike trail along this street, which parallels the train tracks. I had gone under the arch on the road at the entrance to the posh Ldr neighbourhood. On the other side of the tracks is the golf course. I ride by a place where they was a station of old called Laval Links.

The Barrage Grand-Moulin, built in the early 80’s for flood control, provides a connection between Laval and Two Mountains for those on bike. [photos #18-22]

Once onto the Two Mountain side, I decide to follow the official bike path to the head of the Oka Trail, rather than my own route. The bike path takes me west to 18th street, before cutting north and across Oka Road (the Hwy). Then I have to double back.

Oka-Two Mountains Trail

11:50 I am at the trail head, which is at 16th and Guay. All the streets are torn up and being rebullt, as a whole section of woods bites the dust, the trees to be replaced by more cracker boxes. [photo #23]

The trail starts in such an out of the way place. Down in a forgotten corner of residences, next to the rail line. [photo #24,25] For a short distance the trail follow the train tracks northward. Of course one is separated from the tracks by a high steel fence. On the other side it remains wooded, but for how long, who knows? Across the tracks one can see the school where the trail used to end, before the rail renovations (in thos days it crossed the tracks).

Then the trail turns to the left (west) and goes through a short section of deep woods. Hopefully this is a park, which will remain as the whole area is built up.

Very quickly the trail comes upon the crossing of a main street. Fences now prevent one from crossing directly. One is forced to go down to the corner, where a new train station has been built. One joins what is now. the "main trail", leading to St. Eustaches. The original ending has now just become a spur.

I was lucky to catch the commuter rail just leaving the "Oka" station. [photo #26]

The trail re-enters the woods, flanked on both sides by at least a hundred feet or so of dark forest bed.[photo #27] Still, one can see the houses on either side, through the trees. The trail comes to another major street, descending the hill, which it crosses, and then plunges into the woods again.

Then the trail comes out of the woods into an open section, where it runs alongside a short residential street. [photo #28] Off to the north, one can see a large shopping centre, just across a major road. This is Les Galeries des Deux Montagnes (?). [photo #29]

I left the trail and rode over to Zellers, where I bought some more film. This took me about 15 minutes.

The trail, leaving the smal residential area, becomes a corridor, with open green space on both sides. Off to the the north one can see the road. [photo #30] There are no traces of any houses off in that direction now.

Then there is a curve, around a small kiddy park. Now there are houses again to the left (south). [photo #31] It is open for a ways...

Then the trail plunges back into the woods. [photo #32] After a ways, one passes a large gravel pit to the right (north). Then there is a spur leading off to the left, a shortcut to the Chemin d’Oka, which the road will cross soon.

12:35 (with 15 minutes stop at Zellers!). I was at the crossing, where the bike trail comes down out of the trees and crosses Oka Road (Chemin d’Oka). It comes down at about a 30 degree angle to the main road, and crosses at an intersection, complete with traffic lights. [photo #33]

[It was by this crossing that I had first discovered the Oka Trail. It was in 1992 or so that I took a bike ride up to Oka, via the highway. I got up to the top of the mountain, by the trappist monks. Only on the way back did I notice the crossing of the bike trail. On my camping trip to Carillon, I picked up the trail in Oka and came that way for the first time.

Oka Trail:

1992? discovered

1992: first time, w to e

1995? did solo, then came back w Sh. We parked at Zellers

1997: foggy day: Tour via Hudson. Day of big rain storm

1998: return with camera]

There is a small iced cream stand, well situated, right at the intersection. I stopped for an iced cream sundae. [photos #34,35]

As the trail leaves the intersection and iced cream stand, it is in the open, following along the road amidst a grassy expanse about fify feet wide. [photo #36]

After a few blocks, the trail swings over to the right, to right along the fence behind a trailer court. A bit further on, The road is lost to view as the trail becomes a narrow corridor between the fences of back yards.[photo #37]

Then the trail enters a wooded section, where there are no houses. A barbed wire fence along the north side hides a small lake. [photo #38]

Then it comes out of the woods, to another open section where it runs beside the street, along Louise Street, from 34th street to 45th street. There are houses all around. [photo #39]

Then the bike trail plunges once again into a wooded corridor [photos #40, 41]. It goes along a raised embankment, like that of a railway. Down below, on both sides, it is swampy under the trees. There are no houses until eventually the trail crosses a slow, muddy river. Then there are some houses on the left (south). The rigtht side (north) is still empty.

Pretty soon the comes to another open section, where it goes alongside the street. [photo #42] At this point, taking the bike trail is obligatory. One has reached the town of Pointe Calumet, and the street is 38th street. This section runs from 7th to 13th. Along the way, the houses finally give way to a marshy park, complete with a pedestrian boardwalk (closed to bicycles). It is wooded to the south, but the north side is open marshland, with reeds and pretty purple flowers (Purple Loosestrife).[photo #43]

The Trail plunges once more into a dark, wooded section.[photos #44,45] It is straight at an arrow, and still on a raised right-of-way. [At some time in the past, there must have been a railway here, perhaps a streetcar line?] At the foot of the embankment, on either side, below the trees, there is standing water. This section is quite long. It finally opens out. On the left (south) there is a big artificial lake, with a waterpark. One passes tall waterslides. There is a beach, paddleboats, etc. On the rigtht, the woods open up to marshland. One can see the highway and the Two Mountains.

The trail crosses a road, Monte’e de la Baie. [photo #46] The road provides access to the water park and to lots of houses down by the lakeshore. Across the road, on the left, is another artificial lake, almost completely encircled by a campground.[photo #47] A barbed wire fence separates the campground from the bike trail. On the right is another small lake, walled in by dense trees on the far side. A sign at the road crossing indicates that the Oka Ferry is 11.5km distant

After a couple of curves, to get past the lakes, the trail continues on straight again, through a basically wooded section. Every once in a while it crosses a road which has houses on it. Otherwise it is basically empty and densely wooded on both sides. Sometimes the woods part and one can get a good view of the nearby mountain across the farmer’s hay fields.[photo #48] It is no longer marshy.

Suddenly, the trail reaches a new development. A new school and schoolyard appear on the left. The trail re-enters suburbia for a distance of two blocks. It goes along 38th street, from 58th to 60th.

Crossing 60th street, the trail enters Oka Park. [photo #47]

1:45: It was 1:45 when I made the park entrance.

The trail continues on straight, through open fields of wildflowers. Another mystery trail leads off at right angles to the left, towards the lake. It is unmarked.

A bit further on, the main trail takes an abrubt right turn, heading up the hill instead of along the distant lakeshore. It begins a gentle climb up the hillside.[photo #50] Soon it reaches the park road. The trail now becomes a painted shoulder on the main entrance road. [photo #51]

There is a short, hard climb, then a long section of softer climb, as the road curves slowly. Another hard climb section, near the car toll cabins, marks the top of the climb. [photo #52]

2:05: I reached the top. One can stop at the top if one wishes. The main park office is there. There are washrooms and an interpretation centre. On previous trips I have stopped there. On the other side of the road, to the right, is the entrance to a long pedestrian trail, which I have never taken.

From the top, the road races downhill and one can get up quite a speed. It is quite a thrill, and quite welcome after the long climb. After a while it levels off, and there is even a small climb.

One comes to a decision point: The trail turns off to the right, just before the reservoir, and plunges into the woods. A sign indicates that Oka Beach is 3km that way. Another sign points straight ahead, along the road, whose shoulder is still painted like a bike path. [I went that way in 1997 and know that it entails another big climb, almost equal to the one just finished.]

I turned to the right. The trail dropped down from the level of the road and was open and sunlit as it went straight for a while,below the reservoir, and then makes a large curve around a marsh. [photo #53]

The trail plunges into woodland, where it undulates in a series of short ups and downs. [photos #54,55] These woods, unlike those earlier, a pine woods. A fine carpet of pine needles carpets the forest floor and there is little underbrush.

The trail comes out at a road. On this day the road was quite busy. A sign indicated that the beach was 1.5 km to the left (south?) and Oka was 4.4km to the right (north?).

It seemed different from during my previous visits, when the trail came right out at the beach. I realized after a bit, however, that this WAS the old way. Only now the road was in use by traffic. In the past it had been closed to all but bikes. When I follwed the "to beach" direction, the road came out at yet another road. This latter had been the "road" on previous occasions.

It was 2:35 when I got to the beach.

The beach was packed! I had passed a sea of parking lots. Some were parking so far away they had to take a special shuttle train to the beach. The beach, too, was a sea of people. I spent a while studying the crowd with my binoculars, and watching the boats on the lake. I checked out the far shorelines. I never went far from the main entrance road, however. [photos #56,57]

Done at the beach, I followed the park roads towards Oka. At the park gate, I saw a trail across the highway, leading to "Chemin du Calvaire". This looked like it climbed right up the mountainside. I decided it would be a good trail to try later. [photo # 58]

At the park gate, the Oka bike trail begins again. [photo #59]. It starts out as a paved track through the open fields parallel to the highway. When it clears the edge of Oka Park, however, it takes a turn to the left (south) and descends through fields of low wheat until it nearly approaches the lakeshore. The open fields give way to trees and marshland. There are lots of flowers. Just as it would come to the lake, the trail turns right, parallel to the lakeshore and comes out at the end of a waterfront street in Oka. [photos #60,61,62]. For quite a number of blocks, one continues along this quiet street. While there are houses to the right, there are no obstrutions to a great view of the lake to the left. There are only trees, and lawns and docks. It is very cool along the lakeshore, after passing along in the heat of the open fields. The Street is at first St. Sulpice. then it makes a crooked little turn behind one lakeshore house, moving one block inward, and becomes St. Jean Baptiste. The trail ends at the church. There too is the ferry terminus.

I stopped at the ferry and had lunch in a small restuarant: hamburger and fries. It felt good to sit out on the terrace and relax, as I watched the comings and goings of the ferries. They were operating three separate ferries, as there was a huge crowd wanting to cross from the other side. A ferry arrived about every 10 minutes.

This would be only my second time across this ferry, having seen it for the first time only the summer before. Unlike other ferries that I have seen, this one consists only of traffic barges, which are pulled by ropes drawn by small boats. It is amazing to watch the skill of the boatman as he manouevres the big, square barge into the slip with only a few deft pulls of the cable.

4:00: I finished my lunch and boarded the ferry at 4:00. As I crossed the lake I looked back at the church in Oka, receeding from me and giving way to wider and wider views of the mountain behind. I looked upriver, in the direction I had come back when I overnighted at Carillon. I looked out upon the Lake of Two Mountains, where dozens of sailboats were skitting back and forth under the sunshine. I looked towards the Hudson shore as we approached, seeing the vast estates which are hidden from the road.

(Last year, the first year that I came this way, the morning had been very, very foggy. The sky cleared only as I was crossing the ferry. By and hour later, a huge, black cloud had formed over the lake and a violent storm came wafting in, catching me in the open along the Senneville shore..)

I reached the Hudson shore at 4:15. To go into the town of Hudson, I would have had to turn left (west) and ride for a couple of miles. (I did this last year, and had lunch in Hudson.). This year, I decided it was already getting late and that I should be heading home. I turned left (east) and headed towards Montreal.

The lakeshore road in Hudson is a quiet, country road with not too many cars. On the lake side are large, country houses set back amidst enourmous grounds. Often one sees only the gate of the estate, the house being hidden behind the trees. The other side of the road is mostly farms, with occasional farm houses and barns..

The town of Hudson sits amidst the hills. Where I came in, it was almost at the edge of these hills. Very soon I was into the flatlands..

Soon after I crossing into the town of Vaudreuil-Dorion, the road starts around a vast cove. Here the road is right next to the water, atop maybe a thirty foot embankment. On the landward side is a single thickness of houses, behind which are farmer’s fields. Far off in the distance, now, can be seen the uplands.

I stopped at a certain point and looked back on Two Mountains across the lake. With my field glasses, I could easily make out the beach, sitll packed with humanity. I could see the Trappist Monastery up on the hill, as well.

Near the end of the cove, modern, ticky-tacky houses replace the farmers’ fiields as the backdrop for the shoreline houses. Then, suddenly, the road turns a curve and one is abruptly out of the country and into suburbia.

(I think I first came this way back in ‘92, on my way to Carillon. I remember how surprised I was as the abruptness of the change, in reverse. I believe I have been by this way by bike four times now: A return ride to Hudson, my 1997 round trip via Okay, and this trip.)

I road the shoulder of the broad boulevard, St. Charles, past the one high-rise, some research company, and then up over the Hwy 40 overpass. I paused there to look both ways. Away from the city, one could see the houses of suburbia sprouting up where only fields had been before. Towards the city, the main landmark was the Chateau Veudreuil..

I continued on, coasting down from the overpass and riding through the suburban section of Vaudreuil. It was not too interesting.

At a certain point, however, a bike path begins on the northbound side of the road. I crossed over to it and followed it around the small cove, the baie de Vaudreuil I could look back and see the Ile aux Tourtes bridge beyond the small bay. There were lots of flowers [picture].

The bike path ended all too soon, at a city park and cultural cenrre.. I stopped in to get some literature.. It was 5:25

The bike path vanishes as soon as one comes into what was Dorion. I road along the road for a ways, until it curved away towards an underpass. I continued straight along what was now the tiny sidestreet, until I road through a small pedestrian tunnel under the railroad tracks. In between the tracks was this small, quaint community of a dozen or so houses and a couple of small streets. It seemed like something from another era. Then I rode through the second pedestrian tunnel and was out at the main road, Hwy 20. It was 5:40.

I headed east along the Hwy 20. Thankfully, it has a wide shoulder. At the first bridge, over to Ile Perrot, there was a bike path, separated from the roadway. I paused at the top of the span and looked out over the shoreline to the south. (On my overnight to Lancaster, I had gone along that coast by bike. It leads to the old Solange Canal and what Alex refers to as the "Anchor Park". I’ve been there many times by car, of course.)

(Sai Exxa Vera Ja Nm Vera-Srsrn Ish Exxa Vera Vese Ish Mmra Jorl Salma Barx-en, Ver Pra Etran. Les Exxa-s Sintra Srs Ish Emedr-alm, Patn Ta Xwi Sai Exxa Vera Ll Nish. Sai Na Exxa Xwe Vera Ln Vixxin, Mu Sai Inton Ta Gn Exxa-s Sesseda. A Tama, Mmra Exxa Apra Rn Shems Ish Sai Exxa Vera Rn Marman.)

Coming down off the bridge, the bike path emties into a small road behind the Canadian Tire shopping centre. It does not follow the main road. (This small road is the road around the island. I came up that way once by car, following my visit to Quinn Farm.). One had to ride to the intersection, wait for the light, and then ride up the entrance ramp to get back onto the Hwy 20.

This time, I decided I would try to find another route. Instead of taking the ramp, I continued under the Highway and went north into Terrasse-Vaudreuil. There was a small section of bike path or sidewal to ride on, and then it joined the small road which had a level crossing over the tracks.. I rode down the other side and east along the residential streets, shadowing the train tracks. I went for quite a ways, easily half-way, and I was building up hope that there simply had to be an exit at the other end. Alas, I came to a dead end at a line of houses, backed by tall trees. I could see no way to continue, and so had to backtrack all the way. (I would later learn that I had missed, by just a few blocks, the one road that did go through. It was the road along the shoreline. I’ll try it next time.)

Back at the level crossing, I was lucky enough to catch the Rigaud commuter train on its run into town.

I went under the underpass and turned up the entrance ramp and joined the 20. While the highway has a nice wide shoulder for bicycles, the ramp itself is quite narrow and riding up it with cars whizzing by is quite harrowing.

I rode along across the northern tip of Ile Perrot. When I saw a tourist info on the other side, I took the time to cross the road and ask whether there was another crossing. Looking on the town map, she found it for me. (Of course, I have such a detailed map. I should have brought it with me!)

I crossed the second bridge, onto the Island of Montreal, into Ste. Anne de Bellevue. On this bridge, one has to ride on the sidewalk of the old bridge. I think, however, that there is a segregated bike path on the far side of the new bridge. I took it once. Had I found my way throught Terrace Vaudreuil, I would have been able to take it. (the old bridge takes the highway eastbound and the new bridge takes it westbound.).

I stopped at the top of the bridge to watch all the boats waiting for their passage through the locks below the bridge.

It was 7:45 when I rode down into Ste. Anne de Bellevue. As it was late, and the boardwalk was very crowded, I decided to just ride along main street and head home.

At the edge of town, a short bike path leads across the campus of Macdonald College. One can escape the traffic for a ways as one rides across the green campus strewn with trees.

This bike path comes to an abrupt end at the Town of Baie D’Urfe’ line. Across Baie D’Urfe’, one must ride on Lakeshore boulevard, and it is fairly narrow. Still, there is not much traffic, and there are lots of nice houses to look at, and lots of trees. The Lake is in the background. One goes through a large park as one rounds a cove. Past that is the quaint Town Hall, an interesting sight.

At the edge of Baie’ D’Urfe’, as one enters Beaconsfield, there is a fork in the road. The main road goes to the left and becomes Beaconsfield Blvd. This is not a very interesting way to go. The fork to the right follows the old Lakeshore Bldv, along quite a number of quiet residential blocks. It is one way the opposite way, but the town had painted a bike path along half the road’s width (A secret one, I might observe. There is no indication or signs leading to it. When coming from the east, it is easy to miss.)

At a certain point, the bike path and road end. One must turn left and ride up to Beaconsfield Blvd. For a mile or so, there is no choice but to follow this main road, as nothing more to the lakeward goes through.

At St. Charles Road, one can turn right again and follow the old Lakeshore Blvd. As it reaches the lake, there is a very nice, quiet park, right along the water.

At the end of this stretch of Lakeshore Blvd, it rejoins Beaconsfield Blvd as the latter end, and one enters the old time village of Pointe Claire. I tried to get some good shots of the church, but they did not turn out.

I rode out to the point to get a look at the lake. Though my binoculars I could see a freighter crossing the lake. Looking east, I could make out the Mercier Bridge, which one could hardly see with the naked eye.

I rode on. Soon I was rounding Valois Bay. Valois Bay curves far inland, to the point where Lakeshore Blvd is almost right next to the 20 for a few blocks. Then it curves back out.

On the far side, as one goes by Sources Road, one enters the town of Dorval. Dorval has a nice lakeside park at that point. It was 8:30 when I got to Dorval, and I stopped at the park to watch the sunset over Valois Bay. The church in Pte. Claire was now a very distant landmark.

The sun having gone down, I was racing home so I would not have to ride too much in the dark. I rode across Dorval in about 15 minutes, and got onto the bike path which starts at the Lachine line. I reached the old lighthouse in Lachine and called home to give my 30 minute warning, so that Sheryl could order the take out.

I took the inland bike path, which starts right next to the Dairy Queen. Since I discovered this path last year, I have used it a lot. It easily shaves ten minutes off the trip. It follows what was once a rail line down through the centre of Lachine.

I came out at the end of Notre Dame, rode through Ville St Pierre, up the hill into Montreal West, and along Sherbrooke to Monkland.

I was home about 9:30.

I had ridden for 13 hours. It was not a fast day, as I made constant stops. I’ve done this route in far less time. But it was an intersting day.

August 1998