A bike ride to remember Kiwanis Colour Cribbage Ride worth repeating
BY SHEILA ASCROFT There weren’t many cyclists at
the Picton Fairgrounds for the first Kiwanis fall Colour Cribbage Ride back in 2002. Maybe a dozen of us left for the 100-kilometre route, and about 40 set out later on the 60k version. As Bill Miramontes of the local Kiwanis Club recalls, “it rained something terrible.” It was also a chilly 6º C. I had never cycled in the rain
before – oh, I’d been caught in the rain of course, but never deliberately started a ride in the rain. A hard rain at that. And a long ride through unfamiliar territory in Prince Edward County. But I wasn’t alone. Well, I was – kind of – but the other cyclists doing the same route were not in view any more. I was behind the fast riders and ahead of the ones cycling the shorter route. So I climbed McCauley Mountain by myself in a heavy rain on an early Saturday morning in October. It rained so hard that the drops hammered through my helmet vents. The hill to Lake on the Mountain was a steep surprise for this Ottawa rider. I had to unzip my rain jacket to let out the steam. At Cressy checkpoint, volunteers Don and Pat Stanton proffered granola bars and encouraging words. Southwest toward Waupoos, the rain let up but a headwind took its place. It was a great ride!
18 ottawaoutdoors The stormy “seas” of Lake Ontario
were eye-candy to this landlubber enjoying the camaraderie of strangers converted to friends by sharing a fine route on two wheels. But it was the volunteers who make this ride special. They stood uncomplaining for hours in a rain to succor a few cyclists as we wended our way around the county. At the Sandbanks checkpoint, Ed Krause of Ideal Bike Shop handed out
in Picton’s historic Crystal Palace. We felt like VIPs despite our muddy clothes. And then the infamous cribbage match, door prizes and a swag bag of local produce including apples and a pumpkin, and a chunk of Black River cheese. The ride has grown since then.
In 2007, the route was altered with fewer hills, more vineyards, but the volunteers and locals along the route made it as enjoyable as ever. Last year, new roads were incorporated to make the route “vista- fresh” for repeat riders and the 60 kilometre was cut to 50. There are still some rolling hills though. If the weather is good, the sun makes the fall trees dazzle with colour. The lunch, now served at the Masonic Hall in Picton, is still worth the time in the saddle.
This ride isn’t about
homemade peanut butter and jam sandwiches to starving riders. It’s now his signature checkpoint treat. Although the sun finally peeked
through on the way to Bloomfield, the hot apple cider (thanks K.T. Misner, Bloomfield Bike Shop) warmed our bodies and spirits for the short trek back to Picton. (There are other volunteers who returned annually but I recall only their conviction that finishing was indeed possible, not their names.) Thankfully, there were sweep riders so I didn’t have to ride alone for the last 20 kilometres. Sweet. Lunch that first year was served
being fast or proving you’re better than someone else, it is about a joyride in the county – and for a good cause. Registration fees - $45 for adults, $25 for students or children, $5 discount if you register ahead of time – support the Kiwanis’ Terrific Kids project in local schools, Sleeping Children Around the World for children in poor countries, graduation awards for high school students, and local soccer fields and teams.
The next KCCR takes place on
Saturday, Oct. 1. For more details:
www.torontocyclist.com/bbc/kccr/ faq.html
www.ottawaoutdoors.ca
PHOTO BY SHEILA ASCROFT
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