May 19-21, 2025 (276 km)
Windy, hilly, and not much sun…
Nevertheless, to prepare for my 1800 km summer bike trip in Europe, I set off for a 3-day ride to test my gear and physical fitness.
Day 1: Left Brockville (parked my car at Walmart) and biked up to Murphy's Point Provincial Park — 77 km. Very windy and cloudy. My butt started hurting after just a few hours. I couldn’t seem to warm up at the campsite: too much wind and temperatures below 10°C.
Wildlife seen today: a hawk, deer, swans, and plenty of other birds.
Day 2:
Raccoons tried to snatch my food in the middle of the night, but I ended up hanging it at 11:30 p.m. inside a wooden cabin with two separate hatches (racoons were able to open both!)
Clear blue skies in the morning. I’m on the bike by 8:15 am., feeling strong.
I head to Westport to pick up lip balm—my lips are burned from yesterday, even though there was no sun!
From Westport, I don’t take the shortest route. Instead, I try a section of a bikepacking route I found online. Most of it is on gravel roads—remote, hilly, and without cell reception. I rack up over 1,000 m of elevation gain in just 3 hours. My legs are holding up well, but by 1 p.m. I’ve only done 65 km, with 115 km planned for the day.
I spend the afternoon riding the K&P (Kingston & Pembroke) Trail. I end the day just past Kingston—116 km ridden, with 1,300 m of climbing. My legs are sore. I sleep next to a swan nesting by the lake.
Day 3:
Rain is expected by mid-afternoon, so I'm on the road before 8 a.m. I slept well, but my butt still hurts.
The morning ride is beautiful—mostly farmland, with lots of cattle. Along the way, I spot hares, deer, snakes, and (once again) plenty of swans.
I spend most of the ride on the Waterfront Trail, following the Great Lakes and passing through the Thousand Islands region. I make it back to Brockville by 1 p.m.
82 km done today.
