My elbow loosened up enough by Tuesday morning that I was able to extend my arm enough to hold onto the hoods.  It was my day off work, weather man was predicting rain before lunch time . . . what else was I going to do?  I was out the door and on the bike by 8:30 AM hoping to miss the rain.  As my luck would have it, no sooner had I gotten on the Champlain Bridge and crossing over into Quebec did I begin to feel the odd drop of rain hit my face.  Tabernac.  

Just near the P8 parking lot on the North Loop - road closure due to a washout.  I had seen it shut down last week, but with only cones, barricades and tape.  I guess people were going around it and getting too close.  If it were up to me I would have just shut down the Northbound lane - that way cyclists could avoid riding on Meech Lake Rd. which can get busy, is fairly narrow and the asphalt is in rough shape.  According to Guide Gatineau's blog, the NCC will have this completely shut down until July/August.

I decided to press on and try my luck for as long as I could hoping not to get too wet.  By the time I was in the park the intermittent rain had ceased.  When I left the house it was only 7 degrees out and I had neglected to take a raincoat.  Thankfully the rain would hold off until my descent down Blacks and I was able to avoid getting caught in the heavier precipitation later in the day, which surely would have resulted in me getting hypothermia.  

Was nice to be on the Fortune Climb - I do believe it's my most favourite road climb in the park.

 It was my third ride in the park in five days.  The first was very disappointing from a fitness, power, ability to climb hills perspective - very humbling to say the least.  The second ride with Curvy was a little better as I had someone to push me a bit and had a wheel to follow.  Tuesday's ride was much better.  My legs felt a noticeable difference on the climbs and my computer confirmed that my pace had quickened since Friday . . . still slower than cold molasses compared to most, but it was still comforting to see an improvement. 

The forest looked soaked.  No doubt it is considering all the rain we've had so far this Spring.  I don't know what people are thinking going out and riding on such wet trails.  For example,

Poached from the OMBA website under this thread.

I 'get' that people are itching to ride.  I am too.  But for the love of Jebus, stay off the freak'in trails (at least the more sensitive ones) until they have a chance to dry out . . .

Worst. Spring. Ever.

. . . too bad that doesn't look like any time soon though.