P’tit Train du Nord day 3: A 9-mile(!) hill

You thought it was pretty much all downhill from the start of the P’tit Train du Nord in Mont Laurier? So did I!

But right after Mont-Tremblant came the climb. It kept going. And going. I thought it might be 12 km long. Then 13. I kept an eye out for more kilometer markers that counted down the distance to St. Jerome. Quick math: we’d been going uphill for 14 kilometers. Finally at 15 km (9 miles) we hit the top.

Thank goodness this is a rail trail so it’s not so steep that a train couldn’t have handled it. Pat on the back, I could pretty much charge up it. But thank goodness for fresh legs! And that we started so early that hardly anyone else was on the trail in either direction.

Could we have done some of this climb on day 2 and spent the night in Mont Blanc? Maybe, but it’s another tiny place with few amenities. Mont-Tremblant was the better overnight option, even if it meant this is our longest ride at 53 or so miles.

Now it’s pretty much back to flat. We reach St.-Agathe-des-Monts. It’s one of the biggest towns we’ve been in, and there’s even a P’tit Train du Nord shop. I have my eye on a jersey! Unfortunately the store won’t open for another half-hour. Ah, it’s just under 50 km (30 miles) to St. Jerome. Keep going. Refuel with a sandwich. Parking lots are filling up as people head out onto the trail. Some are day-trippers, some look like they’re ready for a bike overnight with friends. Others are getting their morning workout.

We start to go downhill. But it’s far more gentle than our ascent. How is that fair? On the other hand, the surface has switched from asphalt to crushed stone. Hmm. I’ll take asphalt.

More towns, more people, more amenities, eventually even another shop where I debate jerseys. Yes, I pick one. Apparently you may be able to get a free pin there to show you’ve done the whole thing. (This comes from someone on Facebook — I didn’t know this.)

And before we know it we are in St. Jerome, back where our journey started.

Overall, the P’tit Train du Nord is an easy ride for just about anyone (aside from that hill) and is particularly well-suited for those who are new to bike touring. You can break up our final day in two, if the mileage seems too much, and certainly stop more frequently than we did. Use an e-bike if you like — you will see many on the trail. And you can pay for your luggage to be moved from hotel to hotel.

It’s also possible to keep going, another 32 km to Bois-de-Filions. But it’s no longer a simple turn-free route. A train runs from St. Jerome south, and for a while you’re not too far from one side of the tracks or the other. But at one point you’ll start weaving through towns, and you’ll need to have mapped out your route.