Escape to Lac Megantic, Quebec: June 17/18, 2006
Subtitled as: ‘1 Province, 2 Countries, 3 States, 4 Notches, 9 Lakes, Plenty of Rivers and Countless Corners, in one weekend’.
Contact: Tony Shelver: tshelver@hotmail.com or 603.520.0324.
Overview: Escape from Laconia Bikeweek for the charms of a small Quebecois resort town, and take in some of the best riding in the north east on the way there and back. This is a 2-day weekend trip, but you can also ride with us to Rangeley for lunch on Saturday and return home the same day. The full trip will cover roads in northern NH, western Maine and eastern Vermont.
For those northern New Englanders who could not make the Spring Fling, this is an opportunity clock up some miles and smiles.
Optional Starting Point: We will meet at the Dunkin Donuts at Exit 23 of I-93 on 104E: June 18 at 8:15, stands up at 8:30 sharp.
The recommended route (Long and Windy Road) to Rangeley is around 180 miles. This means that an average speed of 45 mph needs to be maintained to get to Rangeley by 1 p.m. (along with 30 minutes for stops), not an easy task given the distance and twisty roads.
Fill up bikes and bodies before the start, as the ‘major’ towns on the Curves ‘n Corners route are Rangeley, Kingfield and (optionally) Jackman, Maine.
We will lunch at Sarge’s Pub on Rte 4 in Rangeley, across the road from the Rangeley Inn around 1 pm, where we will evaluate time and finalize the section into Lac Megantic.
At the Dunkin Donuts start, we will form up riding groups (up to 5 riders per group) based on route and pace interests. We will also review the distributed route sheets: Bring a good map of NH, ME and preferably southern Quebec. Route sheets will be available on the website prior to the ride, so you can plan.
We will break into groups of up to 5 riders hopefully grouped on riding interests and style, so please let me know if you are willing to lead a group and the kind of riding you are interested in..
If the starting venue isn’t convenient for you, meet us at the intersection of US 16 and Rte 113 in Chocorua, NH between 9:15 and 9:45, or, in Rangeley at Sarge’s Pub across the road from the Rangeley Inn on Rte 4 around 1 pm: We will be stopping for lunch, or pick a spot on the route (for example, Whitehorse Press on E. Conway Rd in Center Conway) and we’ll look out for you (let me know at tshelver@hotmail.com).
Or, just meet us at the hotel in Lac Megantic.
Routes (Follow this link):
The Long and Windy Road: I know the area through to Rangeley / Stratton / Kingfield, ME quite well, and will take you on some of the best roads in the area. Make sure your tires and brakes are in good shape, we will be covering some ‘unnumbered’ / minor roads on the way there, time permitting I’ll produce a route sheet, so bring a good map.
Some of these roads were covered during last year’s Spring Fling (but not found by all participants), some were not.
I’ve done the section beyond Kingfield through to Jackman (Rte 201) once before, but I’m not that familiar with it. From my recollections it has some good scenery in places, but not the same intensity of corners that you will find up to the Rangeley / Stratton / Kingfield area, so you may want to head directly to Lac Megantic from Kingfield or Rangeley.
The Quick and Easy way to get to Lac Megantic is across on 104 to Meredith, NH, left on Rt 3N at the T-Junction, right on Rte 25E at the traffic light in Meredith, and left on Rte 16N in Tamworth. Follow US 16 all the way through Rangeley to Stratton, ME, and take a left at the T-junction on Rte 27 to Eustis, ME and on to the border crossing at Coburn. Head through Woburn and on to Lac Megantic. I’d guess that it’s about 4 hours to Rangeley on this route, and another 1.5 - 2 hours to Lac Megantic from Rangeley.
Or, mix and match from these two routes or the other great roads in the area to suit your preferences, let me know if you need any recommendations..
The Return: Breakfast at 7:30, ride at 8:30. I plan to go south to the Coburn gate, through to Stratton, where we will join up with Rte 16 through to Rangeley and Errol, NH. Here multiple options exist: we canl take Rte 26 over the Dixville Notch, and then cross over the Connecticut River into Vermont, either at Colebrook or West Stewartstown. The route then follows the Connecticut south crossing onto NH 135 in Lancaster, and keep going on Rte 135 until it crosses I-93, avoiding the monotony and traffic of US 3 wherever possible. Those in a hurry can take I-93 home via the Franconia Notch, I will probably continue on with 135 and then go east on 302 to hook up to 112 and maybe 118, depending on the timetable.
Our stopping point for the night will be at L’ Eau Berge (http://www.leauberge.com/en/eauberge.html or 1-800-678-1340), a pleasant, fairly affordable hotel that is 127 years old. The ‘new’ section of the hotel has what I’d call ‘Motel Superior’ accommodations (total of 6 rooms), and the remainder of their 21 rooms are in the original building. It’s in the middle of ‘downtown’ Lac Megantic, across the street from the lake, with water views from the dining room and some of the bedrooms.. The owner says he normally runs at 65% occupancy this time of the year, so make reservations early. There are other accommodation options in the area.
Prices for rooms vary from Canadian $ 75 – 95 depending on number of beds, views and so on. The package deal at $99 per person sharing includes dinner, bed and breakfast, taxes and service charges, probably a good deal if you are going to eat a full 3-course meal with all the options.
General:
Typically I find the prices for food, beverages and accommodations to be somewhat lower than in the USA for similar quality, especially if you factor in the exchange rate.
‘Gaz’ is more expensive in Quebec, fill up before you hit the border. There is a gas station at the Coburn border post: other options are Rangeley, Stratton and Eustis.
Radar detectors are illegal in Quebec. I normally detach and store mine somewhere on the vehicle and so far haven’t had any issues.
Most Quebecois in the rural areas speak very little or no English. If you don’t speak French, be prepared to use sign language or point at items on the menu, and to make some guesses as to what you are going to eat. However I managed fine at L’ Eau Berge, the owner and waitresses spoke reasonable English, and they had both English and French menus.
Don’t forget that you will need your approved photo id, and possibly proof of US citizenship, such as a birth certificate at the border.
If you have a DUI conviction, first check with the relevant Canadian authorities on the procedure for entering Canada, otherwise you will spend hours at the border and probably not be allowed in.
Forward looking statement / road list
The Long and Windy Road will cover roads like Winona Rd, 113, 113A, 157, Brownfield Rd, Evans Notch, Grafton Notch, East B Hill, 120, 17, and 4. And quite a few others.