Wait… what!? Did I just see what I think I just seen!? | Scott RedCloud

The story takes place 6 years go on a hot and humid night — Perhaps the one of the hottest day around 48°c and hottest overnight low of about 35°c. It was about 9:30pm when I decided to run to the store to buy a few beer to take to the river with me. I had no real plans over at the river other than getting naked and enjoying my beer by the river and maybe bike ride naked along the river side where they usually lock up by 11pm and nobody goes there.

I arrived at the river at around 10:30pm — Just in time before they close the bridge at 11pm. With my bike headlight and helmet head-lamp fully charged because over there it’s pitch dark and biking through the forest or the service road there are no lights. I got to a nice spot by the river, disrobed and took a swim in the warm river. That summer it was very hot for about a month and a half that the river was no where near cold since I just biked 25 km at about 25-30 kph pace that I was sweating hot. The river was very welcoming after that ride. After about 15min in the water I sat on a rock and enjoyed my beer puffing on a cig or two.

After some time, it was around 2:45am when I started my bike ride — still in the buff and arrived at the locked access to the bridge. Analyzing the situation I discovered the way they locked the fence. However my bike was not skinny enough to fit through the gap. I eventually found a way around it some 500m away via the construction yard that manages the maintenance of the Champlain Bridge. The lights were on in the construction yard and I was a little sceptical on going through there because I didn’t know if security or workers were still around. I just stayed low in relatively the same area to watch and see if anyone was there. The place was deserted so I sneaked my naked butt though the yard… it was only halfway through the construction yard when I realized that there were cameras. I just told myself, well they already seen my naked butt now… no time to stop and get dressed in case they send someone. I made it to the mouth of the bridge that is closed over night and I was scott-free to cross the 2 km bridge.

Crossing the bridge… I guess if I didn’t know it then, I knew it now. This bridge is home to THOUSANDS of seagulls who sleep here un-disturbed. The bridge being locked, it’s no wonder. Riding through if you could see what I could see you would be amazed! I’m riding through a MASSIVE flock of gulls. The Seagulls were all over this bridge taking up every ounce of space on the road — so as I’m getting close they takeoff flying, fanning out as if your riding a bike and you hit shallow water the water fans away from you in both directions — but then as you keep going they fan back as you look behind you back to their original spot! It was freaky! When I reached the Nuns Island side, the fence there was locked as well, but I was able to fit my bike through the gap without a problem.

On Nuns Island side now, I knew this city was pretty active at night and chose to put my shorts on at this time just to get to Montreal. Riding through Nuns Island I noticed how much of a ghost town it is at this hour, it was about 3:15 ~ 3:30am. I reached the bridge to Montreal and told myself — Hey… biking here I realized there was a problem with the lighting up of the bike path between Lachine and Verdun. That’s when I decided it, I was going to bike home from the Bridge to Verdun to Lachine! I just told myself to keep an eye out for any police and such. After all, I did not want to offend anyone. It wasn’t long after I got in to Verdun when I passed by the baseball field and with my head lights on — on coming people can not really make anything out whos coming toward them on a bike … especially when your helmet light is aimed at them. Thats just what I did and one guy passed by me and then when I looked back, he slowed down and turned around to change direction and go the same direction as me — enough to say, “Wait… what!? Did I just see what I think I just seen!?” He tried to follow pace with me but I was too fast for him and soon lost him in the darkness of the night sky. When I reached LaSalle, there is this spot where surfers like to hang out and surf in the river before the LaSalle bird sanctuary. Two girls seen me and as I passed them their jaw dropped and soon after I could hear the faint whistle at me as I kept steaming down the bike path. Getting closer to Lachine I spotted police passing through but they never noticed me and I was surprised they didn’t see me so I kept on going.

I finally reached the bottom of 18th ave next to the water front and stopped at a canoe dock to put my clothes on before the last trek home.. I did not know how to feel, I was excited, amazed and mind blown all at the same time! I just biked 20km through Montreal naked and was never caught!

All I can say is that I was very lucky and If I were to try that again, I’d love to but I feel that it would probably not go down as easy as I had it! I was VERY lucky!