Mr. and Mrs. Pants Canadian Adventure, Summer 2025

[bungie4]

Those rocks are likely erratics. They are left behind by glaciation.

[raYzerman]

Time flies when you're having fun!!

[Hppants]

8/21/25

Continued sunny, cool, and dry - the weather here in August has been incredible. We started packing 2 days ago - just a couple of hours to get things going. Yesterday, we hit it for a solid half day, and this morning, we basically wrapped it up except for a few last minute things. Honestly, we kind of dreaded packing mid-summer, but I didn't think it was all that bad. It takes basically 2 full days, but if you break it up over 3 (or even 4) days, then it doesn't seem so burdensome.

The truck is hitched to the trailer and all the toys are packed away.

After lunch, I felt like doing something and so I walked up the neighborhood street to a trail head that All Trails calls the Wolverine Loop.



This is a shared trail for mountain bicylists and hikers. I stopped at this ledge and waited for a while just to see if a bicylists would come and try it.



Basically, this entire mountain is laden in solid granite, and the bicycles have worn down the top soil. Mother nature's sidewalk.





These kids on these MTBs are insane!!



I climbed a while (pretty steep), and then broke off to a hikers only trail that ran along the side of the mountain. Every once in a while, you get a view.



Not many people walk this trail. In case anyone is interested, the All Trails App is really (REALLY) good. I've used it for years. the map is extremely accurate, you don't need cell signal to use it, and they do a great job of describing the hike in terms of difficulty (length, elevation gain, unusual obsticles to prepare to navigate, etc.)



I get back to the ABB, and for dinner, Tammy and I had what we call "Cafeteria Night" - just put out whatever is left and everyone pick whatever they want.



We took one more walk around the lake.





We sure are going to miss this place. In 10 weeks, we've made memories that will last a lifetime. Tomorrow, we move on to the next place, and undoubtedly, new memories to come.

Stay thirsty, my friends....

[bungie4]

You guys left a scar on that place. Good job!

[FJRoss]

Can't wait to hear about the next place near Magog. Lac Tourbillon may be a hard act to follow.
You are there until sometime in October?

[BikerGeek]

Just getting caught up on this thread...

There is a park around Akron, OH, where you can feed the birds. The first time you do it, it's a little odd-feeling, but it's pretty cool.

[Hppants]

August 22, 2025

Moving day - today comes with mixed emotions. After we got home last summer, I suggested going forward, if a basic goal is to escapte the south Louisiana heat, then we need to leave in June and we need to stay gone for 4 months (not 3). With that, I further suggested that we try two places (perhaps 2-ish months each) to allow us to see more of the region. We weren't crazy about having to pack the crap 3 times (instead of twice), but we agreed to give it a shot.

At the same time, we had no idea how much we'd love Lac Tourbillon. Truly, this was the perfect spot. The ABB itself was by far the best one we've ever had. Perfectly stocked, all boxes checked. Having the lake in our front yard was incredible. Frankly, we didn't want to leave.

But decisions were made and so, off we go. As we taxied out of the neighborhood, I could see Tammy's despondent face. Much more so than me, when Tammy finds something she likes, she wants to stick with it. She's always weary of "change". We talked a bit and decided that at this point, it's done and we are going to a new adventure that will be great in it's own rite. Onward and upward we go.

A couple of weeks ago, while riding on the FJR, I stumbled upon this bird sanctuary and had such a great time there. Since it was basically on the way, I stopped there so Tammy could see it. I knew she would like it.



I bought some bird seed earlier in the week, and it didn't take long for the little hungry critters to come.







They are very comfortable perched on your hand - taking a second or two to find the exact seed they want before leaving with it.



Sometimes they check out the situation before approaching.





The whole thing is on an elevated walkway above the flood plain of the St. Lawrence River. It's very well done - we had a very nice time.



We walked to the end and did a little beach combing.





My girl likes the water.



In the village of Port Saint Francis, there is only one eatery. BBQ, it is. Semi-savory sauce. I prefer sweet, but the chicken was flavorful.



Two hours later, we arrived in St. Denis de Brompton in the Magog area. Our ABB is nice and quite sufficient for our needs. We started unpacking a little and stopped before sunset to check out the lake.

Lac Petit Brompton.



We got groceries and called it good enough.

Stay thirsty, my friends.

[Hppants]

8/23/25

Our bed is comfortable and we slept good. However, a lot of our new ABB needs "help". The kitchen is a disaster - clearly whoever owns this house doesn't cook. I took a hour to re-arrange the cabinets and storage. We also moved the living room furniture around to our liking. We used our storage boxes to hold some of their belongings that we will never use. Nesting, sort-o-speak.

No garage here, so I used this tailgating canopy to store the motorcycles. I got it staked and tied down pretty good - hopefully some severe weather doesn't blow it away.



This is the first ABB we've rented with a basement. I can see a use for this - makes a nice gym setup.



We got everything basically unpacked in the morning and after lunch and a nap, we decided to explore our lake. Our ABB is located one lot off the lake shore, but we have use of a dock and a place on the shore to store our kayaks. Very convenient.



This lake appears to be about 4 times the size of Lac Tourbillion (where we were).







Powerboats are allowed on this lake, but we feel that many of the people here are "weekenders" - during the week, things should be very quiet.



While waiting for Tammy to get ready for dinner, I realized that I forgot to check the cabinet above the refrigerator to see what's in it. That revealed a nice surprise. I'm a long way from Tennessee.



We were going to try the place on Lac Brompton (the big lake) but on this Saturday evening, it was stupid packed. So we ended up at this Greek Restaurant in the middle of no where. The food was good, but the service terrible. Oh well - no big deal.

Tomorrow I hope to explore the area.

Stay thirsty, my friends....

[gixxerjasen]

You two going to give the SUP's a try?

[Hppants]

You two going to give the SUP's a try?

I don’t know what that is.

[bigjohnsd]

You two going to give the SUP's a try?

I don’t know what that is.

A "SUP" is an acronym for Stand Up Paddleboard or Stand Up Paddleboarding, a water sport where a person stands on a board and uses a paddle to move across the water. SUPs are essentially large, flat boards, similar to surfboards but typically thicker, which can be either hard or inflatable (iSUP). This activity is popular on oceans, lakes, and rivers, and can be used for a variety of purposes, including touring, fitness, yoga, and even surfing.

[Hppants]

Oh - yeah - we have use of those and I thought I'd give them a try at one point.

[fontanaman]

Pants and Tammy are living large. Enjoy! You earned it.

[gixxerjasen]

Oh - yeah - we have use of those and I thought I'd give them a try at one point.

Please have Mrs. Pants film that.

[Cav47]

Oh - yeah - we have use of those and I thought I'd give them a try at one point.

Please have Mrs. Pants film that.

I was thinking the exact same thing.

[Hppants]

August 24, 2025

Kind of rainy this morning - it's that little nit picking drizzly shit - just enough to piss you off. I took Tammy to church in St. Denis. Again, out of the 75 or so people in the congregation, we were the youngest. Wierd.

I had some pork ribs defrosted in the fridge, and while I wated on the weather to fully pass, I cooked those on the grill along with some sweet corn. We'll eat good tonight. Tammy took the truck to go adventuring on her own (read... shopping). About 12:30, I jumped on the Bush Pig, and off I go.

There's plenty of gravel and dirt to ride here.



Some of the better looking stuff is unfortunately off limits to me, though. I'd have to join a club and it's expensive and kind of convoluted. One club cost $165 (CAD) for the season, but it only gets you access to its trails. Another club cost a bit more, and allegedly gets you access to "multiple club grounds", but in reality, that is not true. For now, I'll stay clear of the "club tracks". However, the rural farm roads in the region are still quite nice.

Amber waves of grain.



The wheat here is beautiful.



I'm finding plenty of gravel roads all throughout the region.



This looked interesting. It was shown on the garmin map, and there was no signage preventing me from going (be it at my own risk)



This is pretty land. Overall, less mountainous, but more rural and agricultural, but with plenty of woods sprawled throughout.

Mont Orford in the distance.



I ended up riding about 150 kilometers, about 65 unpaved/35 paved. I never got more than about 35 KM from our ABB - there's plenty of gravel to explore here.

Stay thrsty, my friends....

[Hppants]

August 25, 2025

Partly cloudy this morning and seasonal. After stretching and lifting weights in the basement, I'm itching to try out the bicycle. I'm concerned about the grades here, but my road riding app showed me a 25-ish mile route, all paved, with a grade of no more than 5%. Let's give it a shot.

It turned out to be one of the worst bicycle rides I've ever had.

First, the local roads in and around our ABB are SO BAD - I can hardly find a way to dodge the road defects. Second, the route takes me on RTE 222 toward Sherbrooke. This is a 90 kph busy highway.



To be fair, the motorists gave me room, but I was really nervous.

About halfway through, I get to an area that is actually kind of pleasant.



There's no traffic here, and the farm land is pretty.



However, this area revealed the third issue - my app lies like a rug!



I had to pull 3 grades of at least 9%. I was able to push through 2 of them (barely), but this third one simply kicked my ass, and about 200 meters from the top (shown here), I dismounted and walked it to the peak.



I finished the ride through the goat trail into our neighborhood, and was a bit disappointed.



As a workout, I really don't care for higher grade hills - you bump your threshhold heartbeat climbing, and then it falls too much while you coast down. Never the less, I could endure that for the short visit here, but these roads are just not gonna cut it. I'm going to bend/break a rim - and that's a very expensive single point of failure. I'll have to come up with something else for the bicycle. First world problem.

Stay thirsty, my friends....

[Hppants]

August 26, 2025

Another nice day - feels a bit cooler this morning, and looking at the forecast today, it's gonna take longer for the temperature to come up, and thereafter, it will only stay there a few hours. All definitive signs that it's happening - the short summer here is waning off, and it's happening very fast.

I've had a few days to play with some of my toys. Today, Tammy and I have a date. When we were searching for places to stay in this region, the small city of Magog was in our sites. The ABBs available there that met our needs were very limited, and the few possibilities were very expensive. We chose elsewhere, but vowed to tour the city.

I really like how every community in Quebec values urban landscaping.



The short drive south got us there right at lunch time. Tammy picked a nice place on the main street. Our lunch was delicious and quite honestly, reasonably priced.



After lunch, we walked the main street so that Tammy could do some browsing in the local shops - that's one of her favorite things to do.



I was content to wait outside the shops and take it in.



This is a unique style of city seating bench. You could choose which way you wanted to face (street or store view), and the angle of the upright section is very comfortable. This is a cool piece of urban archetecture.



Just up the street is this museum, which is the oldest house in the community - built by a founding family in 1821.



I have amased quite a collection (dozens) of these type of pictures with Tammy from all over - one day I'll go through them and put together a college for the kids to laugh at.



The exhibits were simple, and we got through the museum in about 30 minutes.



The story of this city is very familiar for it's age. You can plug in the name of hundreds of communities throughout the northeast and this is how it goes:

The indiginous people welcome the europeans and trade with them. The europeans start collecting the resources in the region (fur, timber, minerals, etc). As those resources get thin, the industrial age finds the area. Specifically, they learn how to harness the power of the water, and a new boom (textiles and electriciy) ensues. The railroad simultaneously arrives and tourism blossums. By the middle of the 20th Century, everything is falling apart and the community holds on by a thread with some agricultural support. Then around 1980, a new wave of tourism comes in, and that's where they are today.



I bought myself a souvenier!



We had a good date and got home in time to sit in the hot tub a while and have a nice dinner. It's quieter here than at the other place. Magog is very nice, but it's too touristy, busy, and noisy. Sometimes things happen for a reason - we are glad it worked out the way it did.

Stay thirsty, my friends....

[fontanaman]

Regarding cycling on public roads, I am just not willing to accept that risk. Carry on with the excellent documentation of your Canadian Adventure. I enjoy every post.

[Hppants]

August 27, 2025

Nice cool crisp morning - I actually finished my second cup of coffee. I haven't ridden the FJR since we got here, so today, I'll jump on that and see what's out there.

Kind of cloudy in the morning, but I'm bundled up nicely and enjoying the wind.



I rode to the Mont Orford National Parc northern secteur to grab a map and talk with the ranger about possibilities. She directed me to the southern secteur. I had to mingle through some road construction to get there, but once in the parc, everything got real nice.



I rode the paved parc road to the other end, just to get a feel for the place. It's Wednesday - hardly anyone here.



Already, I'm liking the vibe.



I parked the bike, took off my gear, picked a trail, and started walking. At this first point of view, I heard and saw 2 loons playing in this pond. I wish I had my binoculars with me.



The Pekan Trail is a beautiful walk in the parc. Plenty of places to take in the views.





The birds have been at it with this tree for a while.



This trail is very well maintained, and I really enjoyed the walk. With temperatures in the mid-60s, I wasn't even sweating. In places, the tree needles (cedar, pine, and some fir/spruce) on the ground were fairly thick, and it reminded me of walking on a nice medium pile carpet.



The trail generally follows the lakeshore, ocassionally spurring off into the woods. The climbs are gradual and easy.



I found a rock to contribute to this.... whatever this is.



Another great day in souther Quebec!





I took the "Serpentine Spur" to see the overlook. It was a steeper climb, but only for a few hundred meters. Definitely worth it, IMO.



You can't see it in the pictures, but there is no doubt. A few trees in the upper elevations are clearly changing color. In a few weeks, this place is going to be gorgeous.



Nice place for a snack, when Ice Cream is not available.



I backtracked to the main trail, and continued through the woods.



This is a beautiful parc - I will be spending a lot of time here.



They are doing maintenance on the last part of this loop trail, so they directed me to a bicycle path that led me back to the motorcycle. That was just fine - plenty to see regardless.



6.3 miles for the trail - and when I get back to the FJR, it's only about 2:30. There's plenty of daylight left to wander a bit.



This is the Bolten area, very close to the US/Canada border - the roads and views here are quite nice. I'll come back another day to explore this area some more.



I turned north heading generally in the direction of "home", and found a lot of beautiful farmland.



By far the predominent crop here is sweet corn - and it's ready for harvesting.



After around 225 km total, I got back to the ABB about 6:00 pm. Our neighbors are away on vacation this week and next, but they generously offered their floating dock for us to use. Tammy and I walked over, just to sit and enjoy the show.



Some of the roads here are actually in good shape, and they are more than curvy enough. I'm looking forward to branching out further, and learning more.

Stay thirsty, my friends....