Champlain to Paré  |   Campsite: 46.63452° N, 71.96658° W

Last night, after setting the tent up, I began to feel an ever-worsening thirst. I walked over to the park in search of a public fountain. One was found but out of order. I did manage to find a drinking fountain on the shore of the river, filling up all bottles for the evening and for tomorrow morning’s breakfast. After packing up this morning, I return to the fountain, stocking up for today’s walk. For the opening 2.5 hours of the day, the walk is brilliant: quiet, birds singing, sunshine and blue sky, little traffic, and personally, I am feeling good. Many photos are taken as each turn in the upcoming sections of roadway reveals more and more beautiful vistas of farmland, river, forests, or still-sleeping villages. I walk through the riverside village of Batiscan to arrive at the Dépanneur Relais Batiscan” that I had located while mapping the route last night. I enjoy a large coffee while finishing off the final piece of pizza. Hiker hunger onset? I walk 13.8 km by 8:00, which is a good distance for the morning. I should be able to finish most of the 22 km to another very tiny riverside village called “Grondines” by noon. I will then only require two hours of walking at the most to achieve 40 km on the day before the heavy heat begins. I finish eating by 8:30 and return to walking through the morning. I continue to 9:50, reaching the eastern outskirts of the village called “L’Île-des-Pins”, which is the eastern half of the larger town called “L’Île-Verte”, the two sides divided by the “Rivière Sainte-Anne”, a tributary flowing into the St. Lawrence River. Here, I converse with a young man as I purchase a wonderfully-frigid Labatt Bleu pint and explain what I am doing. He tells me that Quebec City is an interesting city—beautiful, fun, and very historic. He confirms everything that I have since heard of the city, and coming from a local, that carries weight. I am content with the distance made so I take a break at the presently-closed “Microbrasserie le Garage”, enjoying one of my own pints on the outdoor patio. The day is heating up, and it will be hot soon, which is why I am so glad to have started early, earning just over 20 km by 10:00. I quickly stretch and return to the road by a quarter after. By 12:00, 28.27 km have been walked, and I find a farmer’s market with picnic tables where I am able to cook some lunch. This is where I met Gilles, a man in his sixties, retired, focused on gardening and cycling. He had stopped at the market as well, and we struck up a conversation. He was on his way to buy some vegetable seeds for his garden, and as a cyclist, was on his way into the town of “Grondines”. He was interested in how I traveled with food, and I explained my use of dried foods to cook in hot water helped to keep the weight of the pack down. We both talked about having the time now to do things that were important to each of us, and we agreed that the demands placed upon regular people were ridiculously excessive. “In the end,” said Gilles, “time is the only thing we have.” I eat, enjoy a pint, and again return to the road. A breeze has blown persistently all day, and I hope continues as it takes the sharp edge of the heat off. I eat a cup of rice, and by 1:00 I am out gaining distance. I feel strong, walking into the heat of the day. The endless streams of motorbikers don’t bother me today. Régent was a farmer who was working in a field close to the edge of the roadway. When he saw me he waved me over. He very much agreed with my concept of walking to St. John’s, and he mentioned that the road I was walking—Highway 138—was a very scenic route the entire distance to Quebec City. A man with a permanent smile, he wishes me luck as we shake hands. “Bonne journée!” I continue on, this section of highway more twisting than previous stretches, offering no shade or relent from the sun. A man driving eastbound slows to ask how far I am walking. I say, “Toronto à St. John’s.” A thumbs-up appears as he speeds up and drives off. I walk to 4:00, the Fitbit odometer reading 44 Kim on the day. Satisfied, I walk off of the road into a green patch about ten metres from the shoulder perched on a high cliff offering views of the St. Lawrence River. By 4:30 the tent is up, my dinner is cooking, and the ThermaRest is filled. I journal out the day. Then… breathe. A 43 km day is now in the books. Another one of these types of days tomorrow will put me at the doorstep of Québec City. I will be walking into the city toward the MEC for a few upgrades. As the room I’ve rented is downtown and closer to the river, my plan is to have no more than 15 km to walk to MEC on Tuesday morning in order to limit the amount of distance required to arrive. This means that tomorrow—Monday—will be another 40 km day. If all goes well, Tuesday’s walk into the city for gear replacement and food restocking will be no more than a more manageable 30–35 km walk fully to the rental. I wake at 8:44. I’ve snoozed for about three hours. Tired, sleep has come easily this evening. I change into sleepwear, and by 9:00 I am totally dug in. An incredibly full day!

Today’s distance walked: 43.98 km    |    Total distance walked: 865.94 km