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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Creating your own Trans-ZEC
This pedaled transect having fulfilled our wildest expectations during our temporary “de-nomadization” session that is still dragging on, during the summer of 2012, we embarked on another mission into the woods, scouting more valleys, groves and mountains of Quebec’s outback. This time, we rode from the source of the Malbaie River in Charlevoix to the shore of Gaspe Bay, an epic sortie during which we absorbed some 1,500 kilometres of dirt and 15,000 vertical metres in 18 days for even greater bliss! Relying mainly on a GPS device loaded with topographic maps and a well-researched multi-stage itinerary, either traveling alone or with one of three different partners, I found myself less isolated at times and the logistics less of a burden as supplies in great selection and amount were available in the towns of Saguenay, Forestville, Les Escoumins, Trois-Pistoles, Squatec, Causapscal and Murdochville. But Quebec Trans-ZEC, Part Two was no less wild and challenging. On the contrary, the course hit 11 ZECs, four wildlife reserves and two Provincial parks, giving us the opportunity and privilege of meeting a representative of almost every species found in these forests! Blown away by the wealth of possibilities and applications that Quebec’s outback offers for offroad touring, we came back with dreams of a marked network of dirt roads, tracks and trails to make it easier for other cyclists to explore and enjoy this paradise. We submitted our data to folks at Velo Quebec, creators and caretakers of famed La Route Verte, SEPAQ, the provincial government agency managing parks and wilderness 36
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(top) Janick skirting Floating Bridge Lake on the way through Chez Pelchat outfitter, alongside Les Escoumins River (2012). (middle) Map of our route: Phase 1 (blue) in 2010 (1,050km, 14,500 vertical metres); Phase 2 (red) in 2012 (1,300km, 22,000 vertical metres) (bottom) Pont du Faubourg at l'Anse-Saint-Jean and the Saguenay Fjord, the conclusion of Trans-ZEC part 1 (2010).
reserves, and Zecs Quebec, the body overseeing this federation of 63 wilderness “controlled harvesting zones,” themselves nonprofit organizations governed by boards of trustees. Although everyone involved loves the idea, and meetings have already taken place while others are scheduled, resources of all kinds have yet to be found in order to start connecting various segments and loops of La Route Brune (Brown Road), a not-so-appealing expression we coined as a code name for this extended, organized and organic labyrinth of cycling pathways in the woods! But since these forest roads, tracks and trails already exist and the various territories that are opened for travel are not forbidden to cyclists — except when deer and moose hunting seasons are on in the fall — essentially we’re good to go! Save for pure Crown Land sectors — few left nowadays — one has to register in and out of National and Provincial parks, wildlife reserves and ZECs. Access fees are in effect for all of these zones, but for most ZECs, which just wave cyclists through, all outfitters, in Quebec technically the owners of these “inns in the woods,” have no rights over road access. There’s also a cost to camp and, of course, for fishing rights — note that an annual fishing licence in Quebec, available in many businesses neighbouring the mentioned zones, is a prerequisite to fish anywhere in the province. Until La Route Brune materializes — and receives a sexier name! — planning is necessary for a trip into Quebec’s interior, be it a long-weekend getaway or a month-long epic ride. www.pedalmag.com
The two journeys we embarked on across Quebec’s amidst its wild outback were accomplished in total autonomy, with camping gear, food, supplies and tools strapped onto the bikes or carried inside panniers hooked to sturdy chromoly racks. While designing both itineraries*, we made sure that we were going to pass through or very near a food-and-supplies outlet of some sort, whether it be a depanneur or the back door of an outfitter’s kitchen! Some parks, wildlife reserves and zec service centres or entry points also carry basic supplies for sale: pasta, canned goods, protein bars and marshmallows. This said, there are other ways to enjoy the woods on a bicycle: one can ride with a lighter load, not carrying camping gear for example; linking outfitters lodges and/or cabins that can be rented in all of SEPAQ parks and reserves and most ZECs; and when traveling in a group, why not arrange to have a support vehicle that meets riders at designated spots for meals and camping spots, taking advantage of the motorized vehicle to carry all of the load? Driving could be a “chore” performed in turns. To design our itineraries*, we first drew a draft on electronic topography maps with either Garmin Mapsource or Basecamp softwares. We then exported the files into Google Earth to see if these theoretical paths corresponded to some existing roads and tracks on its satellite imagery. We then made the relevant corrections. Finally, we compared the results with maps of every single territory involved in the project (some available online, others on paper and ordered by mail), be it a park, wildlife reserve or zec.
JUST THE FACTS SEPAQ: www.sepaq.com 24 parks and 15 wildlife reserves (66,000 kilometres) Zecs Quebec: www.reseauzec.com 63 ZECs (48,000 kilometres) Please note that an English version of main portal will be online this spring by the time the fishing season opens. It’ll be up to each zec to provide information in English about its own particulars and to take part in the online self-registration system.
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Outfitters Quebec: www.pourvoiries.com/en/ Sustainable Development, Environment, Fauna and Parks Quebec (hunting periods): www.mddep.gouv.qc.ca/faune/reglementationen/chasse/impression/index.htm Toponav Quebec: www.gpsquebec.ca/index.php/fr/ Garmin-compatible, it’s the GPS topographic map of Quebec that’s most accurate with forest roads and tracks. We used v.3, and v.4 is now available. www.pedalmag.com
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