Couturier to Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac    |   Accommodation: Motel Beau-Lieu, 80 Boul Phil-Latulippe, Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac QC

I have a serious concern about sleeping in a wet tent on a cold night such as last night’s temperature of 5 degrees. Do not get the bedding wet! This includes the full base layer I am wearing, the down puffy jacket, the sleeping bag liner, and the quilt. I am able to walk while being soaked to the bone (it is fine for me as I generally run fairly hot—as long as I am moving I will generate heat). However, when lying inactively in a tent, wet gear can seriously affect one’s health. This is on my mind as I wake in the cold morning with cold, wet hiking clothes to wriggle into. Stretch in preparation for the day’s walk. I try my best to pack the bag as dryly as possible, isolating anything wet to a dry sack in order to prevent it from dampening any clothing or gear that has been kept dry. Then I dress into frigid, still-wet clothing. I pull the tent down as quickly as possible in order to get out into the day to move and warm up, to raise my internal temperature. The day will supply constant rain that does not let up, with a full cloud-covered sky reducing daylight. As a result, I will see headlights throughout the day. I do not feel comfortable walking along the busy Trans-Canada highway under these conditions. I continue to walk through a section of highway experiencing massive construction, which has traffic detouring around areas of both demolition and building. The endless numbers of transports pose an ongoing, never-ending danger. I am very uncomfortable out here, and therefore very few photos are taken. I forge on until 1:00 when I arrive in the town of Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac. I quickly find a restaurant with wifi and immediately book a hotel room in town in order to get out of the cold, dangerous near-freezing rain. By 1:30 I am checking in and hanging all soaked gear around the room to dry. I raise the tent on the floor in order to dry it out, hanging the rainfly in the bathroom. With all gear drying, I duck out to the restaurant next door to order food which is brought back to the hotel room. Hot food and cold pints. The afternoon will consist of eating, soaking in a number of hot baths, and sinking into a comfortable bed for a much-needed warm and dry sleep.

Today’s distance walked: 28.0 km    |    Total distance walked: 1,246.83 km