August 24, 2026
After a comfortable night in our lovely hotel, we went for our gourmet breakfast which was included. It was delicious, but it took a while. Finally we were ready to head out, but Ed’s electronic shifters indicated low battery. Alas, new batteries did not cure the problem. We rode into town to the charming general store (Ed in a low gear), where we spent some time swapping batteries, verifying they were good, and experiencing shifter frustration. Time passed, and it was a late start. Finally we headed out, knowing Ed could only upshift. A downshift required fiddling with the derailleur.
We pedaled up to the scenic Rivière Gatineau which we crossed on a historic covered bridge. Then we headed upstream on a good gravel road, passing houses with large porches and windows facing the river and floating docks out over the water across the road on our left. At this time of year they all looked amazing. Our road periodically turned inland to go over small hills. Here there were farms with hay out in the fields in round bales. Some roadside apple trees had fruit. Ed found he could reach his derailleur and downshift without getting off his bike.
We crossed the Rivière Gatineau at a scenic hydroelectric dam with a reservoir to our right and a rocky river far down to our left. After crossing a small wooded island, we crossed a second dam and pedaled into the town of Low. It was close to noon, but the expected pizzeria seemed to be gone. We turned onto a rail trail which took us all the way to Gracefield. Periodically there were pit toilets, picnic tables, and at on place an old train station. At on such stop, Ed was finally able to get his shifters working. Near the town of Kazabazua, the trail turned to smooth asphalt that was so new we could still smell it. We cruised along this easy, scenic path all the way to Gracefield.
Because of our late start and delays, we decided to stay near Gracefield. We bought a picnic dinner at the local grocery store, then we rode to the Pickanock campground. It’s a rustic riverside place that mostly serves long term, seasonal visitors in RVs, but the host was welcoming. We set up our tent, took hot showers, and explored the area before sitting down to dinner at a picnic table.
Our short day puts us a little off kilter with our travel plans because there’s a nature reserve on the trail ahead where you cannot stop. We will take another short day tomorrow to make it work out.
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