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The invite to ride the Madawaska Valley couldn’t have come at a better time. Stress from work and house-hunting had been weighing me down—and I was ready to put on my boots and take a bit of time off to recuperate and enjoy myself. To me, nothing says "time to myself" like an ATV adventure in my beautiful home province of Ontario!
On Wednesday afternoon I made the short drive to my local CFMOTO dealership, Rosseau Road Powersports & Marine Ltd., to pick up the CFMOTO CForce 400LX they were lending me for my trip. As it’s only 82” long, I was able to load this perfect little machine into the back of my truck and close the tailgate! No joke, I’ve never had a trip start so smoothly.
Once I loaded up, I began the stunning drive from Parry Sound to Barry’s Bay. I always look forward to driving through Algonquin Park and although the animals managed to evade my camera this time, it was still a beautiful trip with lots to see. One of my favourite stops in Algonquin Park is definitely the Lookout Trail and the view over Lake of Two Rivers. Don't forget to stop at the little stores along the route to grab some of Ontario's best snacks: Kawartha Dairy Ice Cream and Beaver Tail Desserts!
As I drove into Barry’s Bay, I realized that I had been through this cute little town several other times over the years. I had stopped at the Pizza Pizza and the now-gone Quizno’s Subs that was once on main street, and swung by the Beer Store on previous trips to go white water rafting on the Ottawa River. This time, I discovered that always passing through but never staying had been a huge mistake!
When I arrived at the Pinewood Inn I was greeted by one of the nicest, most caring owners I’ve ever met! Yvette was so hospitable and happy to have us that I found myself feeling not only welcome, but lucky to be staying there. Once I got to my room, the first thing I noticed was a special towel just for the bikes! This was a huge bonus, as the CForce happened to be a little dirty, so I whipped out a can of polish and got right to work tidying up my ride.
Looking forward to the well-maintained and beautiful Renfrew County ATV Club trails
Soon after that, we headed down for dinner at the Ash Grove Inn & Restaurant with the folks from Renfrew County ATV Club. Teresa Gamble, Stephen Hebb, Randy Dunlop, and the crew are an awesome bunch to hang out with—I don’t know what I enjoyed more, the amazing food or the company! After laying out the next day’s ride, it was all laughter and stories from previous adventures. Once dinner was over, I couldn’t wait to get back to my room so I could close my eyes and dream of the adventures to come in the Madawaska Valley.
I wasn’t sure what to expect for my very first ATV adventure in Ontario’s Highlands. Would it be like the backcountry trails I grew up on in Muskoka's cottage country? Would it be more similar to the smooth snowmobile trails in Northern Ontario? Luckily for me, it was a beautiful combination of all my favourite things, including rocky Canadian outcroppings, exciting obstacles, and—of course—gorgeous trails that meander through beautiful wilderness! And thanks to the dedicated Renfrew County ATV Club, the trails had been meticulously cut and maintained through the gorgeous landscape.
