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Biking PEI Part 2
PETE GLADDEN
Pete’s World
Published: June 25, 2018
A week ago I talked about the unassuming little island of PEI, Prince Edward Island, and how it’s far from the mundane place I once believed it to be. Quite literally, once I stepped out of my preconceived notions and onto the island I discovered an amazing place that can offer a bounty of outdoor opportunities.
Now my adventure cup of tea lies primarily on land - hiking, backpacking, cycling, to name but a few - but for you water-centric adrenaline junkies, well, PEI offers world class sailboarding, paddle boarding, kayaking and canoeing as well.
But landlubber that I am, this column’s staying onshore, and it’s picking up where I left off last week with PEI’s Confederation Trail, a crushed stone 242-mile collection of paths that branch out onto all sectors of the island.
Those couple hundred miles of paths were once branches of the Prince Edward Island Railway, a province-wide rail system which was abandoned in 1989 after the railway went bankrupt. Yet PE Islanders had enough foresight to take that provincial loss and turn it into a wonderful tourism gain by creating a tip-to-tip, island-wide network of rail trails. Thus was born the Confederation Trail, which was completed in August 2000.
Okay, so let’s cut to the chase: Why my full court hype here? Well, though my answer might seem more in jest, it is laced with a veneer of truth. You see, this trail’s a truly unique opportunity to combine two of my personal passions, cycling massive amounts of trail miles…and consuming massive amounts of fresh seafood. And believe you me, PEI’s the only place on the planet I’ve found where I can shamelessly indulge in this dynamic duo each and every day.
Now in all seriousness, the gluttony thing - both gastronomic and cycling - is really more like the icing on a great cake when it comes to what I love about this trail. More than anything, riding the Confederation is a rare opportunity to traverse a diverse landscape within an amazingly compact space. You can ride through pastoral fields and then suddenly find yourself in deep, secluded woodlands. Your can meander past rivers, along estuaries, and cruise into easily navigable cities and quaint villages, all within several hours of cycling.
There are some remote sections of trail, but you’re never really “out in the wilderness” so to speak, as there’s always food, services and accommodations within a couple hours reach. And finally, as I learned on my first foray across this low elevation little island, the riding just ain’t what you’d expect. PEI is hilly, with a capital H. Even riding on the trail, where the grade never exceeds three percent, you still feel like you’re pedaling upgrade all the time. Do that for hours on end and you’ve got some damn challenging cycling.
As far as a bike recommendation goes, I use a cyclocross-style bike, but you can use a touring bike as long as your tires are 28c or larger. Mt. bikes and hybrids will work, but they’re much slower.
Now if you cannot do the trail as a point-to-point, tip-to-tip journey, then at least try to ride these three must-do sections.
The 40K section between Mt. Stewart and Georgetown is the most remote. But wow, it feels like some old double track that meanders through thick woodlands. You’ll eventually pop out on the ocean in the little town of Georgetown.
The section between Morell and St. Peters and on toward Elmira is another fantastic ride. This route allows you to ride along gorgeous St. Peters Bay, then cycle through a fantastic canopy of trees while heading east to Elmira
The territory between Kengsington and Winsloe, which includes the Hunter River area, is my vote for the best stretch. It’s easily the hilliest section of the trail, and very near to the highest point on PEI - at a whopping 466 feet above sea level. The views of farmland, livestock, horses in the fields, and the long stretches of beautiful hardwood trees, are all just crazy beautiful.
Shuttling services are available for both thru and sectional riding.
And finally, here’s a fantastic little pdf download that will give you a good briefing of each trail section and its accompanying services: https://issuu.com/tourismpei/docs/2018_cycling_guide-final_web
May your miles be mammoth and your seafood appetite be mighty.