Day 4: Kingston - Newboro Lake (32 mi)


A detour to Rideau Lakes.

After the 1812 war, Canada sought to develop a supply route not as vulnerable as the St Lawrence River between Kingston and Montreal. A series of canals and locks were utilized to connect the Ottawa River with the Rideau River and a series of lakes between Ottawa and Kingston. Though tensions between the US and Canada never necessitated the use of the Rideau Canal for military purposes, the 250 Km waterway is one of the best recreational boating systems anywhere.

The old road between Ottawa and Kingston (Rt 10) was once a trail between the two cities. It winds around hills and lakes, is quite hilly and very narrow. There are no shoulders most of the time and the traffic was often very heavy. I was honked at offensively once and was forced to ride off the paved surface and onto the gravel shoulder once.

Then when I got to my turnoff, I had a 3 mile ordeal on loose gravel. Three or four times, I was forced by the steep grades and loose gravel to dismount and push my bike uphill.

When I got to my friends' cottage, they weren't there, so I took a swim in the lake. Oh, that was wonderful. I'm sitting in the cottage now drinking an Alexander Keith's ale. Life is good!

Here is the view from the deck.

Posted: Fri - June 27, 2003 at 06:47 PM      

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