TRANS-ZEC ADVENTURE
reaming about possible bike treks flipping through the pages of our Quebec backroads atlas or soaring over Google Earth virtual paths, Janick and I quickly realized the richness and vastness of this forest road network: a magnificent dendritic maze formed by thousands of kilometres of dirt tracks of all shapes and kinds that criss-cross the province amongst its most spectacular, wild and pristine landscapes! Stretching in all directions beyond the frail and modest ribbon of urban and rural bubbles we inhabit — and molest — alongside the Saint Lawrence River and some of its tributaries, these gravel roads, dirt tracks and trails mainly created for the exploitation of Quebec’s natural resources open the doors to a true Eden that abounds in luminescent and lively forests, nourishing lakes, crystal-clear streams and venerable mountains. For nature lovers and outdoors addicts, amongst whom “cyclocamping” riders are certainly part of, it represents a vast playground. And our backyard’s playground is so vast that we had to wait for an extended stay “at home” to enjoy a first real session in the woods. A temporary “de-nomadization” period decreed in January 2009 upon completion of our “cyclovolcanic” quest, some two decades after the “Road” had become our home and nomadism a way of life, provided us with the perfect opportunity and time window required to organize a worthy reconnaissance patrol. As we had to start somewhere, on our faithful mounts we decided to cross one of the most important and accessible territorial divisions of Quebec — the natural province of the Southern Laurentians. Since this immense conglomerate of ecosystems stretches from west to east between the Ottawa River and the Saguenay Fjord, we chose, somehow haphazardly, to link the picturesque villages of Fort-Coulonge and L’Anse-Saint-Jean, a 1,000+-kilometre and almost 100%-dirt transect via 15 ZECs (zones d'exploitation contrôlée/controlled ecological zones), three wildlife reserves and one Provincial park. Do you see where we are going with this Quebec Trans-ZEC cycling project? Temporary “de-nomadization” dictates that we can’t abandon our base camp for too long and one of us has to hold the fort. So Janick, who will join me later and ride the final segment of this crossing, drives me to the starting point in the heart of the peaceful Pontiac region. I prepare my bike and review my gear and supplies list. I plan on being able to fill up every two or three days in depanneurs (convenience stores) along the way and even a supermarket in the town of La Tuque, the only urban stop of the transect. That’s not counting the odd trout I might catch with my compact Shimano rod during break times! So on June 18, 2010 under a clear blue sky, Janick and I say our goodbyes at iconographic Marchand Bridge, one of La Belle Province’s longest covered bridges and Kilometre “Zero” of our Quebec Trans-ZEC project, and I start hauling myself out of the Ottawa River Valley riding upstream alongside the Coulonge River on the Davidson Depot gravel road, gradually sinking into a world of beauty, grandeur and peace . . . and the woods! Twelve days later (having crossed six administrative regions and the headwaters of the Gatineau, the Saint Maurice, the Batiscan, the Jacques Cartier and the Malbaie, amongst other major rivers flowing out of the Laurentians and following many an adventure and encounter with hearty people, solid bush dwellers and liberated trout-fishing enthusiasts), we got to the Saguenay Fjord in the village of L’Anse-Saint-Jean, coincidently by riding through another covered bridge — Pont du Faubourg.
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Cycling Quebec’s Outback Photos and story by Pierre bouchard
The longing to explore Quebec’s outback, our own backyard, and to probe its potential for off-road longdistance touring had been haunting us for years. While “at home” between cycling expeditions in our Charlevoix base camp, we seized every opportunity to take our bikes into the backcountry of this region endowed with stunning vistas and dizzying topography, returning to our base camp after each ride.
Pierre getting ready for another glorious day at Lake Dodd campsite, Pontiac Zec (2010). 34
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PEDAL Spring 2014
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Spring 2014 PEDAL
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