Two Wheels in Transit: Cycling the Gaspe: Burning Off The Belly Fat!

We were a little bit sad this morning as we packed up our gear to leave the Riotel Perce. It was a really nice place to spend 2 nights so much so that we had our dinner in our room last night enjoying our amazing view of Perce Rock.

We were on the road by 7:05. No that is not a misprint. We planned an early departure as we knew that today would be a tough day. We were correct. After riding 2 kilometers through town we went for our first walk of the trip. We pushed our bikes up the 17% grade for about a kilometer. It was so steep that even pushing our bikes was a tough task. Throw in a 25 kilometer head wind and we struggled to say the least. This climb was far from over, however. The road dropped into a tight switchback and then continued for the next 10 to 12 kilometers with us climbing and descending climbing and descending. And did I mention the wind! It continued to pound us. It made descending a lot less fun than normal. We would pick up speed and then get slammed with a cross gust and have to hang for dear life. I normally enjoy descending but not so much today. Then again, it does beat the heck out of climbing! Any flat riding was spent mostly into a headwind making for a tough day in the saddle. I am sure that this was a good day 'to burn off the belly fat'.

As we rode along today we realized just how depressed the economy of the area must be. An awful lot of places were for sale and many more had simply been abandoned. Businesses were boarded up. It appears that the economy is based on nothing but tourism and we all know how 'fickle' that can be.

We are set up in Camping Gaspe which is located about 4 kilometers before Haldimand. It is another example of someone trying to make a living off of about 60 campsites. It is actually a nice little place and kept up really well. Most importantly it is really clean. We are in a wooded area (sort of) looking out onto a tidal flat. We have camped in far worse places.

Daily Distance = 66.95 km. Time on the Bikes = 5 hours 4 minutes. Average Speed = 13.19 km. Maximum Speed = 53.34 km. Wildlife Sightings = Ground Hog, Great Blue Herons, Black Guillemots, Juncos, Black Backed Gulls, Gannets.