The Passionate Hiker: Biking the O&Q (8): Tweed (Kilometre 100) to Twiddy Road (Kilometre 120)

Mon. 11 July: Biking the O&Q (8): Tweed (Kilometre 100) to Twiddy Road (Kilometre 120)

Beautiful Stoco Lake

On a dusty shelf sits my cowboy hat – a reminder of that crazy week each July when Calgary magically turns into the Wild West. In fact, the Calgary Stampede is on this week, in case you’re heading out to Alberta.

But you don’t have to travel that far. A little more than an hour southwest of Perth lies the village of Tweed. Usually it’s a sleepy, relaxed place, nestled beside beautiful Stoco Lake, but for one weekend each year, all hell breaks loose. On the last weekend of July, it becomes Ontario’s version of Cowtown, for the “Tweed Stampede”. I’m not kidding! Not that I’ve attended it – yet.

Anyway, back to my story. Tweed was my base today. From the pretty lakeside park, I first turned east, to travel the short distance to my last stopping point at Kilometre 100. Next I travelled west to reach Kilometre 120 in two separate stages. It sounds a bit complicated, but it’s not really.

A sturdy metal bridge spans the Moira River in Tweed. The sides of the bridge have been turned into an art gallery of brightly colored cartoon characters enjoying the outdoors. Someone with imagination and a sense of humor was set free here.

The railway line crosses several quiet streets, and runs beside a busy lumber mill, before heading out of town in a southwesterly direction.

I had imagined that I would now be in more open countryside, with fields and farms. I was only partially right. There were still many large swamps and pretty lakes, and this remained a lonely country to travel across. In fact, I rode over sixteen kilometres before I hit the first major road, Highway 62.

Just east of that highway was the most impressive structure on the O&Q to date; a high level crossing of another disused railway line. The other line ran northwards towards Madoc, following the green valley floor. My route crossed overhead on a short bridge. This would have been a sight; two steam trains crossing at right angles, one high above the other.

The other main feature along this section was Drag Lake, an angler’s paradise. Two guys were out on the lake fishing, surrounded by ducks and geese.

I returned to Tweed, my mountain bike racing along the loose gravel, then drove westwards to Twiddy Road, an isolated corner of the countryside, at Kilometre 120. Here I could park safely off the road. It didn’t take me long to bike east to Highway 62 and back again. There was no safe parking at that highway, so now I was well positioned for my next (and possibly final) stage of the journey.

Today I shared my trail with several fellow-travellers: a lost cow and its calf, which ran ahead of me for a while, two gossipy rabbits, two separate women out for a run or a walk, and a farmer with his tractor. It was better than travelling alone.

Now I felt that I was almost in sight of my finish line, at Preneveau, only one or two journeys away. In the meantime, back in “Stampede City”, I relaxed beside the lake under dark blue skies.

Note: click on pictures for full size view.