We're having a heat wave...a Tropical heat wave..

 It what was going to be one of the hottest days of the year, and on a day when even the Via Rail trains were being cancelled due to the heat, the stalwart Montreal Bicycle Club members, A.T. Lane, Birdie Munger, Louis Rubenstein, G.T. Bishop and, still on a search for a sobriquet, Johanna, embarked on the EXO train for St. Jerome.

Well, it turned out A.T. had a different saint in mind and we disembarked at Ste. Therese after a stimulating discussion about the Lac St. Jean train and tour, the history of navigation and missing helmets.

To bolster us for the day ahead, A.T. had scoped out an excellent café near the train station that served excellent coffee and nibblees, and then we were heading towards the start of the Seigneurie des Plaines bike path.

The early start gave us a chance to get into the trees before the day started to heat up. We stop at Lac Fauvel for a short description of birding in the area by A.T. and then we made another excursion to see the amenities at a Cabin a Sucre just off the path.

G.T. decided to try a painted horse instead of his steel one.

The site seems to cater to all event needs.

Carrying on, we passed the maple stand with the modern form of sap collection.

It is evident that a lot of work has gone into this new path.

New this year, and much appreciated, is a rest stop right on the bike path as you enter Ste Anne des Plaines with toilets, a water fountain, a shaded picnic table and a nice view of the local church.

Refreshed, we headed towards the eastern section of the path. At least, we tried but there are so many bike paths in the town we seemed to go in circles (actually, looking at the route followed, it looks like we did!) before we finally got to the right spot.

The day was definitely heating up at this point and Louis was starting to question the logic of a ride on such a hot day.

But, finally back amongst the trees, the temperature was noticeably cooler and the view was certainly worth the effort.

After connecting up to the TransTerrebonne path, A.T. suggested the group head over to Vieux Terrebonne via a new route. Louis was somewhat hesitant but, in the end, we all followed our leader into the unknown.

A number of twists and turns later, we were heading through a dog-walking path in a small forested area amongst the suburban homes until we emerged into what appeared to be the Terrebonne desert.

We managed to trudge through the sand and pick up a real bike path that eventually led us back to the TransTerrebonne.

We stopped for lunch at the park in Vieux Terrebonne and tried to stay cool under the shade of a tree. Louis' spirits perked up when, having forgotten his wallet in the toilet, he was pleased to discover a good Samaritan had turned it in when he went back to look for it.

Somewhat refreshed, we continued on westward on the TransTerrebonne.

Keen birder, A.T. spotted a Great Blue delicately wading in the river.

A bit further along, we had a choice between continuing along a unshaded path beside the road or heading up a short hill into the woods. The promise of shade won and an excellent choice it was.

Just before the bridge into Laval, we stopped at a Dep for some much needed fluids. Then, we were across the bridge into Laval where a road closure was directing us away from our route. A.T. decided to forge ahead and the other members followed while G.T. decided to follow the detour signs. Somehow, the two groups re-united fifteen minutes later just before the North/South bike path through Laval.

At rue Ste. Rose, A.T. and Louis decided to part company and head for the EXO station while G.T., Birdie and Johanna continued on the path towards Montreal. Given the blaring sun at this point, it was a miracle that we were still able to smile as we wished each other well on their separate journeys.

Louis' smile appeared at the EXO station just before the train arrived and he was all smiles as the train pulled into Montreal West station some minutes and a gentle snooze later.

The three remaining members zipped down through Laval and across the bridge into Montreal where Johanna and Birdie carried on towards NDG and G.T. made his way to the Plateau.

The totals for the day were around 77 kilometers for the train takers and around 98 kilometers for the remainder. Number of bottles of liquids consumed: lost count but not enough.

The consensus was that, even with the hot weather, it was worth the ride to enjoy the cool shade of the forest sections of the ride.

G.T. Bishop