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You missed quite an enjoyable Empire Loyalist 200 in Prince Edward
county this year. We had a bit of everything. Some sunshine, some
rain more like a Scotch Mist, some wind and fluctuating temps. It
went from 20 at the start down to 14 as we crossed on the Glenora
Ferry back up to 23 in Napeneen and then settled between 15 to 19 for
the rest of the ride.
We had participants from 3 chapters. Dave McCaw, Peter Grant Jim
Morris and Real Prefontaine from Ottawa. Thien Tran, Steve Rheault
(organizer), Mike Maloney, Peter Leiss and Peggy Howorth from
Toronto. Pat Little came in from Huron.
We also ran a variety of bikes. Peggy and I rode our tandem Mike rode
his recumbent and Thien rode on his fixie after riding to start from
Toronto.
We started in the typical Rando start at about 8:20 form the Tims in
Picton. The group had waited for a while for Peggy and myself as
Peggy had forgotten her cycling clothes. A local, Glen, indicated
that the Bloomfield cycle shop would be open. So Peggy and dashed out
while Glen phoned the shop to warn of our arrival. After many thanks
and a not an inconsiderable number of dollars we managed to find our
way the start and set out. We spied the group climbing the first of a
number of climbs out of Picton and soon caught up.
We sped through the country side to Millwood and down to the Bluffs
conservation area under greying skies. We then headed back to Black
Creek for our first control at the cheese factory enjoying curds and
cookies. Up out of Black Creek we encountered one to the prettiest
climbs in Ontario through a forest on a winding road with a sting in
the tail. The group split up with the faster riders heading up the
road. Pat decided wisely not follow the pace as he has had limited
time on the bike due to a serious knee injury. Real and Jim rode at a
more moderate pace with everyone else stringing out on our way to
Lake on the Mountain. We re grouped there fro the most part and
enjoyed the view of the lake juxtaposed with Lake Ontario about 200
feet below. Down the hill we went to ferry. This is when the cold
front blew in. Many of us added rain wear arm and leg warmers to our
clothing as the temperature dropped to 14 and we joked about snow
coming with increasingly grey skies. The ride out to the power plant
was into a cross wind along the Lake that would turn into a head wind
as we rode up to Napeneen. This is when it started to rain. We
stopped in Napeneen at a Pizza palour and enjoyed cheese burgers and
fries. It seems that there are limited options in Napeneen with a
number of establishments closed. We noticed Thien riding the wrong
way. We found out much later he went to Tims. The faster riders Dave
Peter and Mike went on a ahead. Steve Peggy and myself left a short
time later. We spied Mike's bent at the cycle shop out of town. He
caught Peggy and myself as Steve increased the gap up the rollers
through to Deseronto. Up and over the ugliest climb of the ride the
Bridge over the bay of Quinte. Nice view but a really unattractive
climb. Down the other side to Green Point and up the second nicest
and longest climb of the ride to look out over Hayward Long reach.
The through some really quite country roads into Bloomfield for next
control. This at 166 k or 100 miles. This were Thien re joined Mike
Peggy and myself. Thien mentioned that he saw us up the road but
could not catch on. It might have been the 235 k to the Picton start
the day before that sapped his energy.
We then rode out through Bloomfield into West Lake and into the
sandbanks Park. This is where there is a minor navigational
challenge. That I mentioned to mike and Thien. While the directions
are clear, Southeast straight through park past Outlet River and all camp sites
to exit through fence 2.7 TR 184.1k This is not intuitively what someone who has not been there would do.
However everyone seems to have got through. Both Mike and Thien
agreed that local knowledge is an assist here. Pat Little mentioned
later that he had trouble and needed help through this point.
The rest of the route is straight forward through Cherry valley and
back into Picton to the Tims.
We enjoyed a BBQ at Steve's mothers place in Picton afterwards and
reminisced of our adventures this day. This is ride you should mark
on your calendars for next year. Hopefully we can get representation
from all the chapters one day. Hopefully others will also report and
share the photos of the ride.
Peter Leiss
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