5025 Deerpark Circle Fair Oaks, CA 95628 July 25, 2003

Greetings Fellow SuperTourist: I know, I know—The Second Mailing is supposed to be published well before the trip, not while half the group is enroute or preparing to board an airplane. For a number of reasons I have found it extremely difficult to sit down and knock out this letter; fortunately everyone in our small group is a SuperTour veteran and therefore doesn't really need to read this. Actually this year's second mailing is not completely useless. I have included the essential updated itinerary, and a bit of Canadian Cultural information. On to Quebéc.

Where Are We Going, Exactly? Since the first mailing there have been a number of changes to our overnight resting points. The most notable—we stay just one day at the tip of the Gaspé, which allows us to ride around the Saguenay Fjord rather than straight up the St. Lawrence back to Montreal. Specifically: Location

Address

Telephone

Montréal

Auberge de Jeunesse de Montréal, 1030 Mackay, Montréal

514-843-3317

Eastman

Motel du Village, 524 route 112, Eastman

450-297-3826

Victoriaville

Motel La Jeunesse, 1221 Notre Dame Ouest, Victoriaville

817-752-4169

Quebéc City

Auberge de Jeunesse de Quebéc, 19 Rue St. Ursule, Quebéc

418-694-0755

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800-361-53902

Charny

2326 rue de la Gare, Charny (Train Station)

Cap-des-Rosiers

Motel le Pharillon, 1293 Boulevard de Cap-des-Rosiers

418-892-5800

Mont Saint-Pierre

Motel de Délice, 100 rue Prudent Cloutier, Mont Ste.-Pierre

418-797-2850

Les Méchins

Motel les Méchins sur Mer, 101 rue Bernier, Les Méchins

418-729-3145

Sainte-Luce

Motel Reveillon, 282 Route 132 Ouest, Sainte-Luce

418-739-4868

Tadoussac

Auberge de Jeunesse de Tadoussac—Maison Alexis, 387 rue des Pionniers, Tadoussac

418-235-4372

La Baie

Auberge des Battures, 6295 Blvd de la grande Baie Sud, Ville Saguenay

418-544-8234

Baie Saint-Paul

Motel des Cascades, 907 Blvd Mgr de Laval, Baie Saint-Paul

418-435-6603

Quebéc City

Auberge de Jeunesse de Quebéc, 19 Rue St. Ursule, QC

418-694-0755

Pointe du Lac

Auberge Baie Jolie, 709 rue Notre Dame, Pointe du Lac

819-377-2226

Parc du Mt Royal

Mt. Royal, Rachel Street, Montréal

450-458-02794

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Our train leaves at 10:00 pm. Arrive one hour early to pack bikes in Via Rail-provided boxes. Reservation number for the Charny station published in the Via Rail timetable. 3 Ferry Crossing Day. We must be on the Rimouski-Est loading dock by 9:45 am to board. 4 My Cousin Mark Stout's home phone number. Your bike boxes will be stored at his house. 2

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Rooms are all double or family occupancy. The family and couples groupings are obvious; I will make initial roommate assignments for solo riders at the start of the trip in Montréal.

Flying and Driving To and From a War Torn America Once upon a time travel between the US and Canada was simple. You drove across the border and stopped at the immigration station, showed your identification, answered a few polite questions, then continued on your way. It is not so simple any more, as post 9-11 security measures have affected even this least conflicted of all international borders. While the Canadians are still as nice as ever (I entered Alberta last year flashing nothing more than a smile), getting back into the US has become a chore. The new rules state that citizens must show proof of citizenship to return: either a passport, or a copy of a birth certificate plus a photo ID. I was aware of the rules on last year's SuperTour and chose to break them; the US border guard let me across after I answered the "where were you born?" question with authority. He also made me promise not to let it happen again. This year I will honor my pledge and carry a copy of my birth certificate. Most of us will fly to and from Canada, which means we must clear customs before we can exit our destination airports. I confess I have never flown across the US-Canada border so I am unfamiliar with the process. However I would be shocked if clearing customs is as easy as exiting the baggage claim. Expect delays, and be prepared to open that bike box.

What Should I Bring? Staying indoors every night means you can leave the camping gear at home, which should sharply reduce the luggage volume carried through the airport. Be aware of your particular airline's excess baggage rules, and pack accordingly—many, if not most domestic carriers will charge extra for a third checked bag. It has been wet in the Gaspé, so bring cold weather riding gear. Don't tempt the weather Gods by leaving critical clothing at home—we all know how they like to toy with the unprepared. Warm weather is distinctly possible too, so bring mosquito repellent and sun screen, along with a bike bag big enough to carry clothes, food, and water with you during each day's ride. Bring enough clothes to limit the number of times you need to do laundry and a towel or two—you will probably need to supply your own towels at the hostels. And don't forget saddle sore and road rash treatments, appropriate pain killers and anti-inflammatories, Imodium, cortisone cream, at least one spare tire, two or more spare tubes, spokes, and tools for minor repairs. (Avoid major repairs by bothering to inspect and service your bike before the trip.) Do not forget a pedal wrench and stem removal tool to pack your bike for the train ride. Also consider bringing extra cleats (the plastic ones wear out, and replacements will be hard to find in the Gaspé), cleat covers, and earplugs. Lots of people on SuperTour snore (including me), and complaining about it is pointless—after all, if I could stop my own snoring, I would—so just deal with it by using hearing protection. I will pick up a few folding chairs in Montréal before we start our trip so you should not have to bring yours on the plane. Actually I don't see us sitting around the camp fire very often—most hostels have a common room where we can hang out after the ride.

When Do I Get My Route Maps and Jersey? To cut down on the amount of paper I have to carry I decided to bring just 15 copies of the daily route sheets with me. These sheets, along with a road map of Quebéc and the roster will be distributed Saturday night (8:00 PM) at the Montreal hostel. I will mail the traditional documentation copies after we return home.

SuperTour Quebec—La Belle Province Second Mailing, July 26, 2003

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I never promised a jersey for a reason—SuperTour needs a certain number of riders to break even, and if I don’t get enough participants there will not be a jersey. I certainly want to provide a jersey (the shirt has already been designed, down to the selection of the Pantone Blue used to represent the Quebéc Flag), but low attendance has made this year's tour a financial adventure. I will let everyone know the status of the jerseys as soon as the bills are paid.

Riding The Ferry When I was developing the route it became clear we would need to ferry across the St. Lawrence at some point in order to close our loop. I chose the Rimouski-Forestville crossing (http://www.traversier.com/) since it works well with our route and it is a fast boat, taking just 55 minutes to cover the 25+ miles of open water. The details: We stay in Sainte-Luce the night before (Sunday, August 10), a few miles up the road from the crossing. On Monday morning (August 11, SuperTour Day 9) we ride 14 km to Rimouski. We have reservations on the 10:30 AM boat, plus spots for two vehicles. We must arrive on the Rimouski-Est dock at 9:45 AM to load—don't be late since the next ferry does not cross until 2:15. Fares (all Canadian) are $14 person, 5 to 11 years old $10, over 65 $13, and under 5 free. Bikes are $4 each. We may be able to fill the vans with bikes to avoid the bike carry charge. Snacks and beverages (including liquor) are available for sale on the boat.

Essential Cultural Information If you have ever traveled through English speaking Canada and expect Quebéc to be more or less the same but with French subtitles, put that notion aside—Quebéc is a distinctly different society. A minority in the country they founded, Quebeckers fiercely defend their language and culture against assault from the tens of millions of English speakers surrounding them. Quebéc is constantly threatening to leave Canada over the issue, and as a result the English speaking majority bends over backward to keep the country intact. One small example: all of Canada has bilingual signage—except Quebéc, where signs are French only. I would be cautious displaying any overtly Canadian symbols (such as last year's gorgeous jersey) in Quebéc, lest one be mistaken for an English Canadian. It is far better to be immediately identified as an American, or even better, a Californian (or whatever). If the locals realize you are from the States, they may excuse your lack of language knowledge and attempt to communicate in English. If they think you are from Canada, as likely as not they will refuse to talk to you unless you speak French. If you know any French at all, give it a try—Quebeckers often appreciate attempts to communicate in French, since it shows respect for their culture. One last thing. I really like the Canada National Anthem; therefore I have included the sheet music in this year's mailing. It would not be a bad thing to learn the French words on this year's trip. You should be able to pick up the tune quickly; it is much easier to sing than that d*mn Star Spangled Banner.

Final Words It will probably cost C$5 to ride through Forillon National Park enroute to Cap-des-Rosiers, and this fee is not included in your entry. My home phone number is 916-966-0236, my work number is 650-852-5941. My home email address is [email protected], and my work address is [email protected]. And please thank Jeff “Mercator” Orum for maps, Mark "The Mad Trombonist" Stout for translating, Brigitte "The Bargain Finder" Legale for our reservations, and Romain Coude for driving. SuperTour Quebec—La Belle Province Second Mailing, July 26, 2003

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