A Plan to roll The Log Drivers Waltz near Ottawa Ontario in 4-5 Days. Log Drivers Waltz 2023 - Panel Responses… from the Back of the Pack!
I have been lucky enough to complete the LDW twice - both around the 4-5 day mark. I was very proud to have been asked to be on the discussion panel for this year and enjoyed learning from all of the other panelists. In case you wanted other information as well. Here are my reflections for the outline Eric had sent out ahead of time. They may be of value to someone trying to set some 4-5 day goals of similar ambitions. Here are the responses and a rough 4-5 day plan. If you have any other questions - don’t hesitate to contact me for info [email protected] I’d like to thank Jen and Eric for all of their hard work on the development of this route and acknowledge BT700 route developer Matt Kadey for all of his tremendous work in trail development in Ontario and Canada wide! Tailwinds to you all! Why the LDW? It is an amazing route and it is hosted at the Grand Depart by wonderful people. The route is relatively quiet and - depending on your plan of riding - relatively easy to make your way around either camping or staying in Motels. My experiences camping for the most part. The route is do-able for a mediocre recreational rider, like me, in about 4-6 days depending. How would you describe your approach? Long Haul Trucker…. I would describe myself as a focussed recreational rider. I prefer to ride all day and set up camp at night. I’m not too fast and have become friends with climbing - but not a fast climber by any means. To that end - most of my planning is focused on daily milestone surrounding distance and places to camp and resupply. Interactions with Community Members along the way? We had a tremendous experience with the owners of an outdoor outfitters in Gracefield QC. It was pouring with rain and we stumbled into their coffee shop / outfitters and without hesitation they hooked us up with some hot coffee and treats. It was only near the end of the visit that we realized they were CLOSED! As well - there is an incredible stop outside of Campbells Bay where they make the best sandwiches! Just make sure you go to the BACK where the Deli is - and not buy the pre-packaged by mistake like one of my riding partners did! The trail angels are few really - but just past Ladysmith there is the Mother of all trail angels where two neighbours battle it out with kindness! Did you have a GPS Tracking Device? I have a ZOLEO - but all the cool kids had SPOT trackers and went on Dot Watchers. While I love to Dot Watch - I’m not really much for being “Dot Watched” Ha ha! I also am not a big fan of being called a “Ghost Rider” so…. This year - if you can’t beat them, join them. Re-supply and what a 4-5 day Plan looks like ….. This course has some long sections without any services so you have to do a little planning. For the most part if you are doing 4-5 days you are looking at something like this….. Day 1 - Go go goooooo! Don’t stop! Get the jitters out with a quick start and then settle in for a LONG day! Your goal is somewhere in the 140-200km range. Load up at the start and skip the stop in Lanark unless you need water or need a bathroom there is one at the library. You are only 75k in and you have places to BE! Your goal is Sharbot Lake BEFORE 3pm! There is a coffee house there the Cardinal Cafe &Shop Inc. https://www.facebook.com/cardinalcafeandshop/ Great for a sit down meal and coffee and ice cream if you like but they CLOSE early so watch it. Everything else in Sharbot Lake is out of your way on a busy street. Sharbot Lake - you can get a late lunch here but be careful - they close early Next stop is the “Back Forty Artisan Cheese” https://www.artisancheese.ca/ My first year I wasted a lot of time here dorking around wondering if I should eat and stay there. Get something to drink and bail for Sylvania Lodge of you can.
Day 3 - Vive le Quebec!
Day 4 - Up and Down and Over the Bridge!
Day 5 - Open the Stable gates Mr. Naismith Sir!
Camping I set my goals up so that most of the time I was camping in a spot where I was “supposed to be” Im not gonna BS you about some sort of “Grizzly Adams” commune with nature. I’m not really a big camper and do NOT really ever sleep very well - BUT - I do see it as part of the challenge and it has grown on me. Bring EAR PLUGS if you are going to camp at a Provincial Park or NEAR other campers BTW. It can be noisy and “snorry” out there Peeps! My second go to is Church Yard, (and ya, its creepy or graveyard edges) School Yards or Public fields where there is likely to be little traffic anyway. I’m not a huge fan of wild camping but have done it in the BT700. Just find a place out of the way and enjoy - if you can. Even more important - see if you can get close to a spot you can use a bathroom and / or resupply in the morning. The Trail Tires and Walking I’m not gonna lie - when I BIKEPACK - I like to RIDE my bike. Alas - with the blessed demon spawn that design these routes - some walking is typically required - or could we more positively consider it - a rite of passage? I learned from Ultra Distance Guru Sarah Caylor (as she was passing me WALKING on a technical hill) - that often you blow through WAY more watts, redlining a hill when hopping off and fast walking it, gets you there faster, stretches your legs and lower back and generally takes less out of the tank. I still announce “I’m Cayloring this one” when those moments approach! The whole family does!! Ha ha! I run a 2.2 Travail Rutland on chunky routes like the LDW and BT700 and LOVE it. I have run a Rutland 42 as well last year and it was fine. I switched back to my 2.2’s because I worry about flatting on the roots and rocks. I am also a huge fan of Panaracer Gravelking SK’s and run a 42” on my gravel bike on stuff that isn’t as chunky. You do NOT need suspension on either the LDW or BT700 but I did install a REDISHIFT suspension stem this season - GAME CHANGER! What was the low point for you and how did you mentally overcome it? Everyones experience is different and it always amazes me the spinning wheel of emotions and ENERGY levels I can go through in a day! One minute you feel like you can’t turn another wheel and the next - LOOKOUT Lael Wilcox or Lachlan Morton! Low points don’t happen to everyone but when they do - it is important to realize - they are just that - ONE point in a very LONG event. I typically am good at facing low points head on and re framing - goal is to keep moving forward as Jay P says! The lowest points for me - typically have both happened in SINGLE track areas like Gatineau park. It can be quite technical and on a loaded bike I find the progress slow and frustrating ( although I quite enjoy MTB and the scenery is beautiful) Knowing this - I am kind to myself and approach with patience. Last year I had a very close encounter with a Bear on a detour in the park. I startled him or her in some tall grasses and they started the shit out of me. It was getting dark and I felt tired, frustrated and a bit at risk. I just reminded myself to keep moving forward - AND made lots of NOISE. What was your High Point? I would say - ahem… both years, clearing Gatineau Park! “You stumble out of the woods, all squint eyed and confused” (Thanks Gordie) and there is OTTAWA! Our Nations Capital in its splendor across the river!! A bridge to cross and a 100+km flat / downhill - whats not to feel “highpoint” about! Other stuff: Tent and Sleep System I use an affordable “Naturehike” one person tent with SIDE entry - very important as - seeing as I stay pretty well hydrated, I am up a FEW times a night! Guys over 50…If you know, you know! I also have a bivvi type thing by GEERTOP that is pretty good. I mean - the first LDW it rained solid for 4 days and it kept me dry so….. I have an affordable mattress by Ecotech ecotekoutdoors.com/our-gear/hybern8-sleeping-pad/that and a quilt by One Tigris Down www.onetigris.com/en/foldable-camping-blanket.html?___store=en&___from_store=eu that is new to me this season. Works well enough but I still wear a Merino layer. Cooking vs Cold Soak? I am sure that “cold soaking” is a very efficient use of resources and weight - and if I was in a position to WIN anything by doing it - I would likely be “all in.” ALAS - I am only after winning the “Back of the Pack” award and my body doesn’t really ask much of me. Hot coffee in the morning (even if its instant) and an emergency macaroni and cheese don’t seem to much to ask! PLUS - my little cooker and cup weigh NOTHING compared to the comfort. Clips or Flats? Some people wrestle with conspiracies about vaccines. I struggle with conspiracy theories about marketing dopes at bike companies. I had “Flats” on my bike. In 1979!! They literally have NOT changed! AND - you will be happy to read - function quite similarly as a “shin skin removal tool” - especially on short punchy climbs! Clips were invented for a reason. They were all the rage - those weird looking SPD’s with their lovely little “CLICK” connecting you to your steed for better or for worse! Loving them since 1982! (Take extra shoe clips and bolts in your kit) Recharging and Cell Service MOST of the LDW and a good deal of the BT700 are within cell range - until the end of the LDW near Carlton Place for some bizarre reason. I use TWO Anker charger packs and plug all my crap in anywhere I can - but have never run out of charge for my Wahoo, backup Wahoo, tail light and iPhone. Trail Luxury
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Hope this helps! Tailwinds Peeps! Swarbs
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The Log Drivers Waltz
www.logdriverswaltz.ca "Pure Gravel Gold with a Five Day Goal" ridewithgps.com/routes/36762908 Quote of the trip…. “Evvvvry THING is FARTHER than you think!!!” ~Matt Kadey Day 1 – “Looking for a place to happen, making stops along the way…” Distance: 182km - Almonte to Silvana Lodge Elevation: 1850m Stay: Silvana Lodge camping spot Avg Speed 19km/hr Ride Time: 9:32 Re-Supply and Water: Lanark / Sharbot lake / Cheese Factory Stop Notes: The first day of this ride the goal was 200km to Lavant Station and I am glad I fell short of it. The riding is absolutely beautiful and the elevation is rolling and doable but the distance will start to weigh on you after about 8 hrs. The first real re-supply is at Lanark at about 80km. There is a small grocery place there that I passed over for a sub at the local pizza joint..... Go to the grocery... Across the street in the library there is a nice, clean and - obviously - quiet public bathroom. Fuel and go - awesome! Next stop was Sharbot Lake around 130km - where there is a great little coffee shop. Depending on the day - it can have some weird hours where it closes early so plan ahead. Hit the trail out of town and take a selfie at the train display for fun and head to the Cheese Factory Beck Forty Artisan Cheese) at around 160km. It was VERY tempting to stay here but I had a hunch I should make headway while I could so I pressed on! Around 180km - Silvana Lodge located just off the course to your right is located. Some of the trail notes mentioned there was wild camping near the lake but, if there was, I couldn't find it. I wandered in and asked if they had any camping spots and they offered me one. It was a little steep at $40 but it was getting dark and I was hungry. THIS was the best part. There is a restaurant there that had the MOST amazing "Chinese" food and they were VERY hospitable to me. The reason I was so glad I stopped short is because - from the 180km point - the distance to any other resupply place was SIGNIFICANT and all the Crown Land Camping spots were taken up! BONUS decision for me. I would do this again! Day 2 – “New Orleans is sinking and I don’t wanna swim….” Distance: Silvana Lodge to Renfrew - 150km ! Elevation: 2050m Stay: Days Inn Avg Speed: 17.2km/hr Ride Time: 8:42 Resupply / Water: Calabogie - IMPORTANT - From Silvana Lodge to Calabogie (92km) - there is basically NOTHING - at least not that we saw - in the way of services. In fact - we rode what I think is the most beautiful and remote 80km on gravel - I have ever ridden! Load up on water at Silvana Lodge. Although you can get to lakes closer to Lavant Station to filter water - if it hadn't been POURING with rain - this would have been one DRY stretch. At Calabogie - there is an awesome bar to have lunch in ( The Redneck Bistro) and great places to put your bikes while you eat. I'm not gonna lie - the weather was a drain - so by the time we got to Renfrew - even the most hardcore of us were reaching for the credit cards to book rooms at the Days Inn. Renfrew has all sorts of places to eat and get supplies. Day 3 – “Jacques Cartier, right this way…” Distance: Renfrew to Low - 180km Elevation: 1722m Stay: Creepy Picnic Stop off HWY (wildcamp) Avg Speed: 18.3km/hr Ride Time: 9:42 Resupply / Notes: One of my fave sections for some reason. As you cross into Quebec - it seems like there are MORE places to resupply and get water. Starting with Portage du Fort - variety store and water. Shortly after that you roll into Shawville at about 60km and right at the main street there is an aweome café ( Café 349) and a grocery just down the street (Joanne’s Value Mart) Save some of your appetite though for the AMAZING SANDWICHES at Campbells Bay at the little variety store. It is hidden away on Rue Leslie ( SAQ Agence-Epicerie Kluke) Just after Matt bought one of those pre-wrapped sandwiches like you get from a vending machine – I noticed a HUGE sign at the back DELI – ha ha… blame it on Riders Haze – but don’t miss the home made sandwiches! The are - Awesome!! After that there wasn't much until Low - and even then just a variety store. Ladysmith and Danford lake are two good ones. We wild camped at a truck stop outside of town that had these little pavilions over picnic tables. It was last resort but was ok. Day 4 – “It’s a good life if you don’t weaken…” Distance : 160km Elevation: 1751m Stay: Lac Phillipe Campground Avg Speed: 17.5 km/hr Ride Time: 9:31 Resupply / Notes: This day was probably the best for re-supply. Gracefield is at 40km, Lac St. Marie is at 70, STOP here for stuff – climb day starts here! The riding is brilliant with a rest stop lunch stop – in our case RAIN avoidance at about 106km. After that you are on your own until about Wakefield where you can get supplies, see the cool covered bridge and have lunch as well. We stayed at Lac Phillipe Campground. There was ample space – I booked ahead but I don’t really think we needed to based on the population of the park. Day 5 - “I feel I’ve stepped out of the wilderness all squint-eyed and confused…” Distance: 156km Elevation 1447m Average Speed: 17.4 Ride time 8:59 Re-supply / Notes: Can we call this the “easiest day?” GIVE yourself extra time on day 4 and 5 for navigating and enjoying Gatinueau Park! Jen has it on her route notes and she is spot on. To add to the fun – I actually got lost leaving Lac Phillipe - and did a HUGE loop around….yep…just like on Gilligans Island…to ….. where I started the day!! Onward from there Gatineau Park, is of course, wonderful, but on a fully loaded rig, it can be slow going and even….sorry…tedious at times. Before you know it, however, you are on the bridge from Hull snapping shots and feeling touristy. There are numerous places to get food and water in Ottawa and an impressive series of bike lanes and paths to navigate the city. From there is pretty much a straight shot into Almonte with a hard right at Carleton Place. I stopped in Stittsville for a double shot at Ritual On Main for a stiff coffee and was off to Almonte. Overall Notes / Reflections: This route was amazing! The fact that it is named after a slice of Canadiana only serves to make it more charming if not deceptively mundane sounding! Alas, it is anything but! I think it is the Upanishads that state “the sharpe edge of a razor is difficult to pass over” – well, let me tell you, the slippery side of a floating log ain’t much easier - and THAT my friends is where the similarities of this ride and THAT song really resonate with me. The nature of the route, the scenery, the variety – keeps a rider off balance, just enough to keep things flowing most, if not all of the ride! The route is impressive in the sheer quantity of remote gravel, not to mention the scenery and winding nature of the roads. The climbing is actually ever present and the single track portion through Gatineau Park comes to the party late but punches the dance card in all the right places. Four days would have been tough on this route for me to enjoy and appreciate the essence of the ride and the effort put into designing it, given our weather, in my opinion only. This ride could have easily lapsed into a 6 day ride IF it had rained any more. (3 of the 5 were ridiculous) And we were all pretty happy with 5. I will do it again #1 because it was awesome and #2 I really do think we missed a lot of really cool scenery on day 2 and 3 due to the volume of the rain. Thanks to Eric and Jen for creating such a great ride!! Tailwinds! John |
AuthorJohn Swarbrick is an adventure gravel rider, bikepacker , carpenter and teacher in Waterloo, Canada ArchivesCategories |