Day 13 – Granby to Eastman – 44 km
Trail: moderate uphill with steep inclines and declines; 338 m up, 186 m down; 35 km paved, 9 km unpaved, A.
Last night I stayed at the La Maison Collins B&B. This was a first class B&B, a modernized yet charming old home. The floors creaked but not as loud as my joints. Indoor bike parking was provided, which included power outlets for e-bikes. It was super clean and the bed was comfortable with one exception. I found the bed to be too hot causing me to sweat. The kitchen was closed on Mondays so they paid for breakfast at a nearby bagel restaurant. Highly recommended.
The trail changed today and introduced steep hills. The scenery included a beautifully manicured rail trail followed by hilly countryside with beautiful views. This provided the opportunity to get off my saddle to pedal.
Leaving Granby the trail forked. I stayed to the right which kept me on the TCT (the left would have taken me on a reservoir tour).
A couple bikers passed me yelling and waving. It was difficult to hear them as they rode by. I was pretty sure that they said “détour” and I immediately thought “Oh *#@!, I’ll have to turn around and go back, find another route and waste 1.5 hours”. As I was coasting, ready to turn around, I saw a turtle on the path. They were yelling “tortue” (turtle in French). It’s nice when things work out.
Trail maintenance was stepped up a notch with rest stops at every former train station stop, which included picnic tables, often supplemented with art and sculptures. The trail itself was really beautiful. It was like riding along a path with ribbons of white, yellow, and pink to my left and right.
People seemed to be really happy today. As they passed, most would say "bonjour". If not, they would just smile and nod. The trail greeting in Quebec, "Bonjour", has the same intent as “Buen Camino”.
With a short ride ahead of me, I spent the day as a “bikehiker”, stopping a lot, taking in the sites, and taking photos along the trail. (I tried to come up with one of those mashed up words for riding a bike while progressing at the pace of a hiker. Bikehiker seemed a bit long, but when I tried to shorten it to bihiker the new word just seemed to give the wrong impression.).
Waterloo was a nice halfway point for the day so I stopped in this quaint town for a second breakfast. Waterloo is designated as a Coeur Villageois (charming town).
The last 14 km of the day were like a roller coaster with steep ascents and descents. My bike has 27 speeds and I needed to use every gear. I found the steep descents to be exhilarating. At one point, while decending a steep hill, I was sure that my checks and ears where flapping, like a cartoon character.
Exhausted, I stopped to talk to a couple at the top of one of the the hills. They told me that the ride from that point on was very good. They were also riding e-bikes and they went out of their way to tell me how much they liked them.
Arriving in Eastman early allowed me to enjoy a nice lunch and wander around a bit. Eastman is a Coeur Villageois. It is at the foot of Mont Orford and is famous for its literary heritage and festival. For me, the lake was a big attraction.
The TCT went through a number of local name changes today. La Montérégiade became Estriade on the edge of Granby, which became La Montagnarde on the edge of Waterloo. The pavement ended on the far side of Waterloo and lasted for 9 km until highway 112.
