The travelers of the 1800s must have been a tough bunch. Mountain biking the Old St. Margaret’s Bay Road really was an exciting and challenging adventure. The first 15 km of trail were incredible. We crossed into the enormous 5 Bridges Wilderness Area which is a beautiful place with many pristine lakes and rivers and a huge diversity of wildlife. Mike Marriott from the Safety Minded ATV Association lead us along on his ATV, stopping occasionally to point out all the work his group has done on the trail. They’ve installed causeways, bridges, culverts and have kept the trails in excellent conditions. We all had a blast riding the roller coaster that is the Old St. Margaret’s Bay Road.

It wasn’t until we crossed the narrow bridge at 9 Mile River that we really began to appreciate all the work Mike and his team have done to the first section of trail. There were rivers to ford, swamps to wade through, and fallen trees to lift our bikes over. We played a game where we would take a running start at a long pond, to see who could make it the furthest before falling over. It was great fun!

When it finally started raining proper, we were already so wet from the trail that it didn’t bother us. Also, it turns out that mountain bikers are a tough breed. We felt very accomplished when we made it out onto busy to Prospect Road. We had a few kilometers to ride on the paved road before we turned into Long Lake Park to continue on the Old St. Margaret’s Bay Road. Prospect Road was loud and busy so we were all grateful for the tranquility and relative safety of the rocky forest trail.

We must have taken a wrong turn at the parking lot, and instead of continuing east on the Old Road, we accidentally took the Foss Hill Road which veers more to the south, deep into Long Lake Provincial Park. We didn’t realize our mistake until we had passed Spruce Hill Lake and our trail came to a T-intersection. We followed the sound of the Old Sambro Road and eventually found our way out. Although we were all wet, cold, and tired, everyone was making jokes, laughing, and staying very positive. Here are some quotes I remember hearing near the end of the trip:

“My character must have doubled on that ride”
“I thought we’d have to pull Alex out of the mud by his ankles”
“This isn’t a road, this is a swamp!”
“My favourite part was when I fell up to my waist in the mud!”

It turns out that we’re all kids at heart, and we still love playing in the mud.

Tristan Glen, Hike the Greenbelt
ourhrmalliance.ca/hike

tel. 902.442.5008
ecologyaction.ca