the ldw story
Land Acknowledgement
We would like to acknowledge the Anishinaabe (Algonquin People) for their care and stewardship of this land. In an email to us Elder Albert Dumont from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg shared the following:
“All the areas you refer to in your email are on traditional Algonquin lands. You will be biking through places connected to the Ottawa River watershed. We are the 'People of the Great River'. You will see the greatness of our territory, its richness in resources and its wonderful waterways and spectacular trees. The Anishinabe, the People, had all they needed to live long, healthy and full lives in their territories before the arrival of Europeans occurred. I expect you will acknowledge this fact wherever and whenever you can as you move forward.”
We would like to acknowledge the Anishinaabe (Algonquin People) for their care and stewardship of this land. In an email to us Elder Albert Dumont from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg shared the following:
“All the areas you refer to in your email are on traditional Algonquin lands. You will be biking through places connected to the Ottawa River watershed. We are the 'People of the Great River'. You will see the greatness of our territory, its richness in resources and its wonderful waterways and spectacular trees. The Anishinabe, the People, had all they needed to live long, healthy and full lives in their territories before the arrival of Europeans occurred. I expect you will acknowledge this fact wherever and whenever you can as you move forward.”
The Story
With family and friends on both sides of the Ottawa River and up the Gatineau Valley it seemed natural to spend our long weekends visiting them by bike. Over the years we have ridden with various set-ups (tandems, tandems with trailers, 'cross bikcs and bikepacking rigs) all around the landscape that is now featured in this route.
The Log Driver’s Waltz Bikepacking Route was conceived to showcase the rousing landscape, historical sites, and deep culture of the Ottawa Valley and its surroundings. It follows the natural contours of old roads, trails and waterways that continue to play an important part of life in the region.
Prior to the arrival of European settlers most of the Ottawa River watershed was covered in vast stands of Eastern White Pine, a tree which is still omnipresent and is featured on our logo. As much as logging is still important economically in the Ottawa Valley, it’s reassuring to know that riders of the Log Driver’s Waltz will be able to celebrate many of these majestic giants in their living state.
As the pine was cut down for sale to Britain, settlers moved in behind the loggers to build roads and establish farms. As you ride along the historic roads you will see the remains of buildings, cedar fences and stone walls in places that you may find surprising. In the winter months, many of these settlers worked in the lumber camps stockpiling logs for the spring log drive. Following the spring ice break-up the logs were floated downstream on the Mississippi, Madawaska, Ottawa and Gatineau rivers towards Bytown (now known as Ottawa) where they were prepared for export. Along the way logs often got caught up in log jams in rocky rapids, at which point in a spectacle to behold it was the daring nature of the log drivers who “danced” out under perilous conditions onto these wood piles to free the logs and keep them floating downstream. The light feet and bravado of the log drivers was captured in the National Film Board short film Log Driver’s Waltz from which the route took its name. (The film was directed and animated by John Weldon and released in 1979.) Click on this link and watch the video if you want an earworm that can last you 800 kilometres! The song itself was written by Canadian folksinger and songwriter Wade Hemsworth who often likened the log driver’s motions to dancing. Not to be outdone, Canadian country music artist Stompin' Tom Connors even made one Quebecois logger Big Joe Mufferaw (Jos Montferrand) the star of a 1970 chart-topping song.
In many parts of the region where agriculture has not proven viable there is now a robust and thriving maple syrup industry. Some of the modern operations collect the sap with tubing that you may see snaking through the woods as you pass by. Also visible are the sugar shacks where the sap is boiled down into the iconic sweetener. Logging for both softwoods and hardwoods continues to this day without the shanties and river drives. Instead, logs and harvesting equipment are now moved by truck. Thankfully, not all the towering white pine was felled by the ax and riders of the LDW will surely enjoy catching a glimpse of these friendly giants.
The arrival of the region’s railways allowed for the harvesting of hardwoods such as maple. Mines also flourished in the Pontiac region though they are now quiet. As the resource extraction declined and people tired of working unproductive land many moved away to larger centres. With declining population and the advent of road transport a number of the railways were abandoned and torn up. In some cases older roads have fallen into disrepair and been reclaimed by Mother Nature. As bikepackers, we can now take advantage of these historic routes, rail lines and trails to travel in relative quiet through beautiful terrain.
Maple Apple Balls - Official Snack Of The LDW
Here is the official energy food snack of the Log Driver's Waltz. Take these along to fuel your bikepacking adventure and you'll end up feeling like it's time to do the sugar shack shuffle.
1 cup pitted dates
1 cup oat flakes
1 cup pecans
1 cup baked dried apples (the crunchy type not the soft type)
1/4 cup maple syrup, preferably dark grade
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
Place dates in a bowl and soak in warm water for 20 minutes. Drain and pat away excess moisture with a paper towel.
In a food processor, blend together oats, pecans and dried apple into small pieces. Add drained dates, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and salt; blend until mixture sticks together. Roll into 1-inch balls. You should get about 14 balls.
With family and friends on both sides of the Ottawa River and up the Gatineau Valley it seemed natural to spend our long weekends visiting them by bike. Over the years we have ridden with various set-ups (tandems, tandems with trailers, 'cross bikcs and bikepacking rigs) all around the landscape that is now featured in this route.
The Log Driver’s Waltz Bikepacking Route was conceived to showcase the rousing landscape, historical sites, and deep culture of the Ottawa Valley and its surroundings. It follows the natural contours of old roads, trails and waterways that continue to play an important part of life in the region.
Prior to the arrival of European settlers most of the Ottawa River watershed was covered in vast stands of Eastern White Pine, a tree which is still omnipresent and is featured on our logo. As much as logging is still important economically in the Ottawa Valley, it’s reassuring to know that riders of the Log Driver’s Waltz will be able to celebrate many of these majestic giants in their living state.
As the pine was cut down for sale to Britain, settlers moved in behind the loggers to build roads and establish farms. As you ride along the historic roads you will see the remains of buildings, cedar fences and stone walls in places that you may find surprising. In the winter months, many of these settlers worked in the lumber camps stockpiling logs for the spring log drive. Following the spring ice break-up the logs were floated downstream on the Mississippi, Madawaska, Ottawa and Gatineau rivers towards Bytown (now known as Ottawa) where they were prepared for export. Along the way logs often got caught up in log jams in rocky rapids, at which point in a spectacle to behold it was the daring nature of the log drivers who “danced” out under perilous conditions onto these wood piles to free the logs and keep them floating downstream. The light feet and bravado of the log drivers was captured in the National Film Board short film Log Driver’s Waltz from which the route took its name. (The film was directed and animated by John Weldon and released in 1979.) Click on this link and watch the video if you want an earworm that can last you 800 kilometres! The song itself was written by Canadian folksinger and songwriter Wade Hemsworth who often likened the log driver’s motions to dancing. Not to be outdone, Canadian country music artist Stompin' Tom Connors even made one Quebecois logger Big Joe Mufferaw (Jos Montferrand) the star of a 1970 chart-topping song.
In many parts of the region where agriculture has not proven viable there is now a robust and thriving maple syrup industry. Some of the modern operations collect the sap with tubing that you may see snaking through the woods as you pass by. Also visible are the sugar shacks where the sap is boiled down into the iconic sweetener. Logging for both softwoods and hardwoods continues to this day without the shanties and river drives. Instead, logs and harvesting equipment are now moved by truck. Thankfully, not all the towering white pine was felled by the ax and riders of the LDW will surely enjoy catching a glimpse of these friendly giants.
The arrival of the region’s railways allowed for the harvesting of hardwoods such as maple. Mines also flourished in the Pontiac region though they are now quiet. As the resource extraction declined and people tired of working unproductive land many moved away to larger centres. With declining population and the advent of road transport a number of the railways were abandoned and torn up. In some cases older roads have fallen into disrepair and been reclaimed by Mother Nature. As bikepackers, we can now take advantage of these historic routes, rail lines and trails to travel in relative quiet through beautiful terrain.
Maple Apple Balls - Official Snack Of The LDW
Here is the official energy food snack of the Log Driver's Waltz. Take these along to fuel your bikepacking adventure and you'll end up feeling like it's time to do the sugar shack shuffle.
1 cup pitted dates
1 cup oat flakes
1 cup pecans
1 cup baked dried apples (the crunchy type not the soft type)
1/4 cup maple syrup, preferably dark grade
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
Place dates in a bowl and soak in warm water for 20 minutes. Drain and pat away excess moisture with a paper towel.
In a food processor, blend together oats, pecans and dried apple into small pieces. Add drained dates, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and salt; blend until mixture sticks together. Roll into 1-inch balls. You should get about 14 balls.
Route Developers
Jen Adams and Eric Betteridge
Jen and Eric partake in long distance biking, skiing and canoeing. They began exploring the “roads less travelled” in the Ottawa Valley with their children on two tandems in the early 2000’s. Realizing that the gravel roads were quieter (safer) and much more interesting than paved ones they began to actively seek them out. Over the years they have explored north, south, east and west of Ottawa. They believe that the Ottawa Valley is one of the best places to live on this planet, and certainly one of the best places to cycle. With family roots on both sides of the Ottawa River they have connections to many of the communities, large and small, that “The Log Driver’s Waltz” passes through. They are excited to share this landscape and its history with riders from far and near.
“The Log Driver’s Waltz” Bikepacking Route had it’s genesis in a conversation Jen and Eric had after completing the BT700 in the summer of 2019. They recognized that if they linked portions of shorter routes they had travelled over the years it would be easy to create a longer and more challenging route that would showcase some of the best riding the region. Teaming up with Matthew seemed like a logical step and the collaboration during the planning of this route has been creative and productive.
“The Log Driver’s Waltz” Bikepacking Route had it’s genesis in a conversation Jen and Eric had after completing the BT700 in the summer of 2019. They recognized that if they linked portions of shorter routes they had travelled over the years it would be easy to create a longer and more challenging route that would showcase some of the best riding the region. Teaming up with Matthew seemed like a logical step and the collaboration during the planning of this route has been creative and productive.
Matt Kadey (www.matthewkadey.com) is an experienced adventure cyclist who has pedaled everywhere from Myanmar to Costa Rica to Sri Lanka. His real gig is writing nutrition, recipe and travel pieces for publications such as Bicycling, Canadian Cycling, Men's Health, Runner's World and Oxygen. He is also the author of Rocket Fuel: Power Packed Food for Sports + Adventure (Velopress 2016). Check out the book for some ideas on how to deliciously fuel your next bikepacking adventure. Matt has also developed the BT 700 and GNR bikepacking routes in Ontario as well as the El Camino de Cafe in Colombia and La Gira de Costa in Costa Rica.
We would also like to acknowledge Adrian Grant of www.ridegravel.ca for his route suggestions and identification of camping spots along the LDW.
We would also like to acknowledge Adrian Grant of www.ridegravel.ca for his route suggestions and identification of camping spots along the LDW.