Day 54: Toronto to Cobourg (T.D.: 128.81km; S.T.: 6h43min)

The aforementioned farewell breakfast with Jane and Efraim got our day off to a protein-packed start and we hit the road, not expecting anything but traffic-packed streets and shopping mall scenery on our way out of the Toronto sprawl. Our expectations were met beautifully (insofar as the ride was not very beautiful) and a rainstorm only added to the misery. Nevertheless, there was no small amount of satisfaction being back in the saddle, on the homestretch no less, and pedaling our way out of Canada’s biggest city. Besides, somewhere near Ajax, we ran into some very friendly Southern Ontarians who pointed out that we should really get off Highway 2 and onto the Waterfront Trail. We had read about the WT, but figured it was probably a gravel walking path, more suited to recreational bikers and day trippers. Our new friends informed us that it was actually a network of quiet country roads and paved bike paths that ran as close to Lake Ontario as possible from here to the Quebec border! Woot woot!

Once we got on the trail, things improved a million-fold. The path was beautiful and the stormy skies had whipped the lake into a real frenzy, making for some spectacular scenery along the way, and a heck of a tailwind to speed us along. Intermittent bursts of rain couldn’t dampen our spirits now, and we sailed along through some small towns, had a picnic lunch somewhere near Bowmanville, watched some crazy surfers brave the tempestuous lake, and had supper in upscale Port Hope. Made it all the way to Cobourg by nightfall, where we set up camp at a packed harbourfront campground and slept like children (while a bunch of children in the RV next door partied like teenagers). Here are some photos that capture pretty aptly what the trail was all about on this fantastic day. 

Av. Spd.: 19.1km/h

Mx. Spd: 54.1km/h

Steepest Hill of the Entire Journey: Somewhere en route today, on what happened to be one of the only non-paved parts of the Trail (not that we could have gotten up it if it was paved, but not that it made getting up it any easier either).