58.6 miles, 4682’ climbing
August 27, 2026
Resto Pub Auberge 1939, La Concepcion
We packed up our camp site and headed to the nearby town of Duhamel for breakfast. The restaurant where we hoped for breakfast was closed, so we stopped at the general store. It had a mess of disorganized items around the store: cat toys, fishing lures, candy bars interspersed in half stocked aisles. We did our best to pick out supplies for the day. It gave an uninspiring first impression of Duhamel which later seemed charming and upscale. Almost immediately after leaving, we passed a little shop/bakery where we stopped for croissants, pastries, and coffee, staffed by a friendly pair of ladies.
We left town on a snowmobile/bike trail, and soon turned off onto a series of forest roads which wound around lakes, ponds, wetlands, and forests. We were in the Reserve Faunique de Papineau Labelle again, and on full moose watch all day, but we didn’t see a single mammal. The forest roads wound around, sometimes sandy or rocky, or with murky mud puddles. We probably were passing water bodies for 75% of the time, and it rained intermittently, too. It was a hilly day, a little tough.
We popped onto a stretch of pavement around mile 36, and we took a detour into a town of Vendée to stop for a snack and cokes at the local market. The sun came out just long enough for us to enjoy our break at an outdoor picnic table next to the market.
Returning to the route, we found ourselves on a good gravel road. Whenever we passed large lakes, there were lovely, large homes with decks leading down to docks. In towns, there are lovely homes but also some humble places.
About half a dozen miles before our destination, we came out onto a paved road. It rolled and climbs around a few lakes until we landed at our destination: a room above an upscale pub n the town of La Concepcion. Our space is small, but it is comfortable and conveniently located for a tasty dinner. We left our bikes locked up outside and carried our bags to our room.
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