I’m adding an island to my cycling list! This weekend I rode on Pelee Island. I joked that since I’m not riding in the United States these days, I needed to seek out the southernmost island in Canada.
I’ve got a bit of a thing about island bike rides. Bora Bora was the most exotic. Big Island is the one I ride around most often. And I love riding in Newfoundland. I’ve also biked on Fakarava, an atoll, a special kind of an island.
Why do I like biking on islands? First, there are very few cars on the small islands. Most people get there by ferry and locals appreciate the visitors. Also, I love riding within sight of the water.
I booked this trip the day Parks Canada opened up reservations for the national parks. I wanted to do an early trip and so searched for “roofed accommodation” as Parks Canada calls it. I reserved an Otentik in Camp Henry in Point Pelee National Park.
It’s a bit early for biking, brrr, and for seasonal migratory birds. But it was sunny and beautiful and not at all crowded. The temperature was 10 in the middle of the day, but it went down to 2 overnight. Most importantly, no rain. It was brilliantly sunny all day.
We’re at the time of year when the weather is either sunny and cool, or warm and wet. Here’s next week in Guelph. Warm and wet days ahead.
What’s an Otentik? They’re platform tents, kind of like yurts. Lux camping, but I think not quite glamping. The otentik had lights and heat and sleeping for six. But no bathroom and no water on the site.
They come with BBQs, and food is supposed to be prepared and eaten outside. There’s animal proof food storage locks on each site. That’s not for bear protection. Instead, the campground is home to many well-fed happy raccoons. One kept joining us at our table and looked like he expected his own plate. He wasn’t a scruffy urban raccon. He looked like a plump, happy cartoon raccoon.
Pretty much everyone staying in Camp Henry was up early in the morning with either binoculars, bikes or both. We had both, but to be clear we’re not birders, though our friend Rob, who visited is a retired mathematician and beginning birder.
We were definitely not Camp Henry’s usual demographic, though. We were very outnumbered by families with small children. That makes sense given that Otentiks sleep 6 with bunk beds. They’re not cheap, the Otentiks. I think we paid about $150/night. My adult kid Mallory was going to join us, but she got a better offer involving handbells in Mississauga.
It’s 15 km from the campground to the ferry to Pelee Island, about half of it on a gravel trail through the woods, which is about perfect as these things go. The trail is just hilly and curvy enough to feel exciting without really requiring any technical riding skills. The point is skinny enough that, though we were riding in the woods, we could see the lake almost the entire time.
The ferry to the island is about an hour and a half long. And yes, it serves coffee and sandwiches. We needed both.
The island itself is interesting. There’s a ferry from Ohio and one from Ontario. There are three bike routes around the island. The longest is 30 km. We opted for 20 km.
The island’s year-round population is about 230 people, and in summer, more than a thousand. It’s less developed than I thought it would be. The place we had lunch, The Dog & Goat Restaurant, is open year-round, but only on weekends until tourist season. We enjoyed a patio lunch along with some of the ferry staff.
There’s a school on the island. The internet says that they have two teachers and about nine pupils across all grades.
And when the ferry stops for the winter, and the lake freezes, as it did this year, residents rely on daily plane service to get on and off the island.
What else to tell you about biking there? It’s flat. Almost no traffic. Roads are a mix of pavement and gravel, but the pavement is pretty rough. Locals seemed pretty happy to see us. I think there’s a bike rental shop there in tourist season, but we’re early for that.
Total distance: 50 km (30 km to and from the ferry plus the medium route around the island)
That was likely too much riding for our first outdoor ride of the year (other than bike commuting and Zwifting). There was a lot of soreness and complaining when we were through. Sarah did make excellent BBQ grilled mushroom and spinach risotto for a recovery dinner. Yum!
I used to wonder why people had to work up to 100 km, why a century was a big deal. Back when I was riding regularly with a bike club, we started the season at 60 km, and then the next week 80 and then soon after that 100 km. Easy peasy. Now I don’t have that kind of mileage in the tank, and it’s also harder on the body when you’re not drafting, and you’re riding on gravel trails.
Anyway, I’ll end this rambly post by saying that we want to go back. Soon! We want to canoe in the marshes and explore the park more purposefully. This trip focused on the island, and next time we’ll focus on the point.
