Newsletters

(Requires Adobe PDF Reader to view newsletters.)

Read the latest Tales from the Trail Newsletter

Volume 9 - June 2009

Tales from the Trails Volume 9 - June 2009

 

A Ride on the Trans Canada Trail

Featured in Tales from the Trails Volume 6

Recently, three cycling travelers made their way from Elkford, BC through Alberta and Saskatchewan on a trip following the Trans Canada Trail (TCT) route. The first two travelers, Lynn and Donnamae Wilson, have been avid cyclists for years, while the third traveler, Jeannette Klein, has been cycle touring since 1997, when she and the Wilsons started their TCT project on the Kettle Valley Railway TCT route in BC's Okanagan Valley.

During their ten years of cycling on the TCT, Donnamae and Jeannette have made donations, each in their fathers' names, to the trail that they so thoroughly enjoy. The trio has traveled nearly the entire trail, except for parts of Ontario.

This year, they decided to do a major part of the Saskatchewan portion of the trail. Their journey consisted of a route that took them from Paradise Hill to Madge Lake. Averaging about 100 km per day, the trio took a train back to BC once they reached Madge Lake.

When they are cycling, they take rest breaks to visit tourist sites and enjoy the scenery. In Saskatchewan, they took to Lake Diefenbaker for sailing. They were also quite impressed with the quality of the Saskatoon trail network. In addition to recreational activities, the trio also has a particular fondness for stopping in communities marked by famous people. In the past, they've stopped in places such as Neepawa, Manitoba, where Margaret Laurence was born. Last year, they visited Gambo, Newfoundland, the birthplace of Joey Smallwood (the province's first premier).

When asked which part of the Trans Canada Trail they think is best, the trio said that Quebec was especially well done. They were impressed that the towns were often connected by paved trail. Quebec serves as an inspiration for what the trail could be throughout Canada.

In their experience, they have discovered that the people along the trail are wonderful and kind to strangers; the trail truly connects communities, and communities connect the people. After traveling across the country, they have a renewed appreciation for what the country was like during the construction of the Trans Canada railway.

In addition to Quebec, the trio has found Newfoundland to be remarkable both for its trail and its people. Near Gander, the trail is made of crushed rock, which makes for good cycling. Klein and the Wilsons also recall a time when they phoned a town office in search of somewhere to stay and some way to get to a rental car office. The receptionist not only offered to drive them to the rental office about 40 km away, but also invited them for a marvelous dinner at her home.

When planning trips, the trio looks at the general route to the trail, consults accommodation and vacation guides, conducts research on the internet, and books some accommodations ahead of time. They've found that by not booking all of their accommodations, they have more freedom in case they are waylaid by weather or a special interest. They suggest, when looking for accommodations, calling the town office for ideas.

Ultimately, Jeannette, Lynn, and Donnamae have discovered that traveling that country by car is not the same as cycling. They have met so many wonderful people while cycling and learned so much more about the country.


The trio reach their destination at Madge Lake, Saskatchewan,
where they also began a Manitoba TCT trip in 1999.


For more stories about the Trans Canada Trail, check out the Trail Talk e-newsletter of the Trans Canada Trail Foundation.