We were so lucky to have found near Ormsby a picnic shelter to sleep under last night as it saved us from being washed away in the torrential rain storm that lasted most of the night. Of course I didn’t sleep much with the rain pounding on the tim roof! I made coffee in the morning to get us going.
Hal told me that his leg ligaments were hurting too much for him to continue on the approximate 2,000k eastern part of the ONXL route. Therefore he decided that in Gilmour he would leave me and head south toward Lake Ontario and back along the Waterfront route. So in Gilmour at the Rustic Roadside Restaurant we had a great last breakfast (veg omelet and two veg wraps to go) together before tearfully parting ways.
I continued on the ONXL route southeast towards Sharbot Lake. The route mostly followed dirt and some paved idyllic back country roads. I did have some tougher sections…one where the road had been freshly graded with a plow, and another section where the steep hills had been freshly covered with large rocks to help the huge lumber trucks climb. The worst section was the Trans Canada Trail into Sharbot Lake, which had lots of large pools of water to skirt around.
After 130k and 1,447m of climbing about 5:30pm I arrived in Sharbot Lake. Instead of continuing on to my 150k daily target and try to find a stealth campsite, I decided to stay at a place recommended as being cycling and bikepacking friendly…the Rock Hill Bed & Breakfast. I now highly recommend it also. Greg and Arlette Rodgers have created a charming extremely hospitipal b&b in the heart of Frontenac County. It is on the beautiful large Sharbot Lake on the Log Drivers Waltz and Sharb Echo Scramble bikepacking routes, and the Trans Canada Trail and K&P Trail. Greg Rodgers is working with cyclists and bikepackers to develop Frontenac Trail Tours. Great hosts and place to stay on your trail ride!
My blogs from this 2,000km bikepacking trip and others are available at:
https://gregbikingwithoutborders.blog/
https://www.facebook.com/GregBikingWithoutBorders
https://instagram.com/gregbikingwithoutborders
http://www.bikeswithoutborders.org/ Please donate. For ~$100 we provide a repaired used bike, lock and helmet to a marginalized person, empowering them with mobility.
Happy Trails!
Greg Andre-Barrett
#BikesWithoutBorders, #AmsterdamBeer, #CyclepathOakville, #HoopdriverBikes,
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