Gatineau Park

I remarked after Mont Tremblant that there wasn't any particularly long or tough hill there.  The Monte Ryan downhill section on the return is definitely the one which I remember most fondly.  On Monday the day after volunteering at the Ironman, I visited what I think of as a big hill.  

Road to the summit

Behind the parliament buildings, looking into the distance across the Ottawa river, rises the hills of Gatineau park.  

When I lived here for the summer in 1986 my favourite thing to do on a Saturday was ride off into those hills.  It's been that long since I've biked up to the Champlain Lookout.  I parked at the Visitor Centre and unpacked the Fiori.  I see some of the reasons it made such a great ride.  It's a long climb, but really shallow.  The roads have little traffic, and are posted for slow speeds.  There's plenty of other bikers out.  Most of all, it isn't a great distance.  From The Hull river crossing to summit is only 25 km or so, which makes for an easy light day.

Champlain Lookout.  Red drink for the red bike.

One of the locals