The Log Driver’s Waltz Virtual Panel Discussion – Panel 2 – Open to All

This free moderated virtual panel discussion of approximately 1.5 hours is for those who are interested in learning about the Log Driver’s Waltz Grand Depart (July 13, 2024) and bikepacking in general. Panelists are LDW alumni: Christina Vietinghoff, Roland Fletcher, Matthew Kadey, Sarah Caylor, Mike Feldman. Moderator is Eric Betteridge.
We will address questions of interest to new and experienced bikepackers alike. In addition, we’ll discuss the St. Lawrence Bikepacking Triple Crown (SLBTC) which is composed of the Butter Tart 700, the Log Driver’s Waltz, and The Adirondack Trail Ride.

The Log Driver’s Waltz is an 800 kilometre bikepacking loop consisting of about 75 percent unpaved riding surfaces that follows a mix of rural tree-lined gravel roads, rustic unmaintained roads, sections of rail trail, riverside roads, single lane paths and forested trails in the Ottawa Valley and Outaouais regions of eastern Ontario and western Quebec, Canada. Parts of the Log Driver’s Waltz are remote and cell service is not guaranteed. This will be surprising to some given that part of the route also follows the historic Rideau Canal through the downtown of Ottawa, Canada’s National Capital.
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The route showcases the world class off-pavement riding that is a hallmark of the Lanark Highlands, home to rocky outcrops, split rail fences, maple sugar shacks and woodlots. In the North Frontenac Highlands riders will ride through towering white and red pines which once dominated the entire Ottawa Valley. It was the cutting and floating of these tree species down the tributaries of the Ottawa River, the “log drives” and the men that worked them that gave the route its name.