“It’s more wild today,” our guide Philippe tells us as we sit down to breakfast, heaping our plates with eggs, fresh fruit, and pastries. It’s our third day cycling through the forests and gentle hills of Quebec’s Laurentians region, a pre-summit adventure before the Adventure Travel Trade Association’s 2026 World Summit in Quebec City. Briefing our group about the Corridor Aerobique, the trail we’d be riding that day, Philippe says, “It’s a gravel path through the forest. I like it so much. It’s wild.”
“Wild” is not my natural state, I think, nervously fortifying myself with another cup of coffee. I’ve long been an enthusiastic traveler, touring dozens of countries and all seven continents. But I’m a recent convert to outdoor adventure, and this cycling trip is my first multi-day guided biking experience.
Among my nine cycling companions, who come from across Canada, the US, New Zealand, Australia, Croatia, and Thailand, several run companies that offer biking holidays and other active tours. As we introduced ourselves earlier that week when we met in Montreal, I was a little intimidated, listening to their tales of epic cycling trips in far-flung corners of the world. Like several others in the group, I would be riding an e-bike, which I knew could give me a boost when I needed it. Yet I was clearly nervous about anything “wild.”
Pedaling Le P'tit Train du Nord
Our first day had started gently, as we pedaled along Le P'tit Train du Nord, a 234-kilometer multi-use trail that winds through the Laurentians between the communities of Saint-Jérôme and Mont-Laurier. On this gorgeous autumn day, with the trees beginning to show off their fall reds and yellows, we would ride about 50 kilometers along this mostly smooth path. As the group picked up our rental bikes and set out along the trail, it quickly became clear that my pace was slow, and I was trailing behind the pack.
But as I pedaled, I remembered that cycling had been my first taste of freedom. As a child, once I learned to ride my bike, I could go places on my own. I had been allowed to walk to school, but biking, even at my leisurely little girl’s pace, was faster, and I could go farther – to friends’ houses, to the neighborhood swimming pool, and to my favorite destination as a bookish youth, the local public library.
I caught up to the group for our lunchtime picnic in Parc des Amoureux – Lovers’ Park – in the town of Val-David. Returning to the paved path after our lunch break, an increasingly strong headwind made pedaling somewhat more challenging as we continued to Sentier des Cimes Laurentides, a nature park. The park’s highlight is an elevated walkway through the trees that leads to a 40-meter-tall tower, where we climbed up to a lookout for views across the entire region. When we were pedaling in the forest, we couldn’t really see the rolling hills that surrounded us, so the tower vistas helped us appreciate more of the area where we were cycling.
Our overnight destination was Hotel Uniq, near Mont-Tremblant. The lodging wasn’t a “hotel” at all, but a glamping camp, with spacious tents set in a field surrounded by evergreen forests. We assembled in the communal cook tent for a long-table supper of squash soup, salmon with rice and vegetables, and slices of cheesecake. The group gathered for an evening campfire, too, though I found that after a welcome hot shower, my tent was calling to me, its comfortable bed piled with woolly blankets to combat the evening chill.
The Colorful Day
Over breakfast the next morning, Philippe briefed us on our upcoming ride, dubbing it “the colorful day” for the diversity of its terrain. We’d be cycling a mix of trails and rural roads along several lakes and the Rouge River. We’ll stop for snacks by a covered bridge over the water, pedal through several small villages, and ride along forested pathways.
Sixty-three kilometers later, we came out of the woods at Selenia Lodge, where we’d overnight in comfortable condo-style chalets. Swapping cycling gear for bathing suits, we crossed the street to soak our tired legs in the chilly waters of tree-lined Lac de la Mine. A few of the more intrepid dove in for a brief swim, while a trio set off to see the lake by canoe.
As we sat on the dock that afternoon and later that evening over a barbecue supper that guides Philippe and Krystel prepared, our well-traveled group shared more stories of our adventures. While my own narratives may not involve epic bicycling trips or scaling mountain peaks, we were all keen to hear each other’s tales. Listening to my companions, I mentally added several new ideas to my travel wish list.
Turtle Crossing
Our third day started warm but overcast, transitioning to mist, then drizzle, then gentle rain. Our ride today – the route that Phillippe called “wild” – would take us along the Corridor Aerobique, a gravel trail that we picked up near Selenia Lodge to ride 53 kilometers to the town of Morin-Heights. Inexperienced in gravel riding, I was anxious about how challenging the ride would be. But the winding path through the woods, though remote, was mostly smooth and wide, occasionally popping out of the trees into a village or to cross a wooden bridge.
Almost as soon as we left the lodge, I took my place at the back of the pack. At first, I could see the group ahead of me on the trail, then I could make out only the taillights of the other e-bikes disappearing into the fog. Soon, it was just me among the trees, riding at my own leisurely pace. If this is “wild,” I think, I guess I’m OK with it.
Along the trail, I pass a sign for a turtle crossing. Although I don’t see any of these slow-moving reptiles, I begin to think about how they travel, and I realize that, for this trip, perhaps the turtle is my spirit animal. Like the turtle, I’m plodding along at my own speed, enjoying my own adventure.
I’ll catch up to the group again at Mickey’s Café in Morin-Heights, where we’ll toast the end of our ride with sandwiches, coffee, and celebratory sweets. In the meantime, I’ll take in the fall color in the trees, looking out across the serene water as I pedal alongside a lake, enjoying the feel of the wind on my face.
I’ll think about how I loved cycling as a girl, and how I enjoy it still, decades later, though my pedaling is slower and I’m not in a rush to get anywhere. These days, I’m happy simply to be riding.
Perhaps that’s the best definition of “adventure travel” – a trip where you challenge yourself, at your own level and at your own pace. Because even if you’re moving at the speed of a turtle, on a bike, on your feet, or whatever mode you choose, adventure can make you feel free.
Based in Vancouver, Carolyn B Heller writes about cultural experiences, food and drink, long-distance walking, road trips, cool hotels, and offbeat adventures from her travels across Canada and to more than 55 countries on all seven continents. Learn more about her work and her adventures at www.cbheller.com.
