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
Trois-Rivières to Champlain | Campsite: 46.44239° N, 72.34341° W
Early to sleep, early to rise. By 4:00 I am eating breakfast and by 4:45 the tent is down. I walk toward the water through the large “Laviolette Park” which surrounds the northern section of the bridge with the same name. Walk along the water, snapping a few photos of the bridge as it arcs south toward the U.S.A. I continue walking toward some early morning wifi, waiting 15 minutes on a bench in a neighbouring park until 6:00 for the restaurant to open. The goal is to work for the three hours the battery bank requires to fully charge. I would love to use this morning to gain distance, however without backup energy I won’t be able to keep capturing, so the batteries take priority for the moment. When I arrive at the restaurant, it isn’t open. As I need to buy a new fuel canister anyway, I decide to walk 5.5 km into the town of Trois-Rivières where I will be able to pick one up at a Canadian Tire store. Wifi will be acquired a few doors down from Canadian Tire, so I’ll be able to complete a number of chores. I arrive by 7:00, plug in all devices requiring a charge, back up all files to the external drive, post to the blog, and then settle into some writing and transcription. I fill all water bottles here. I find the town of Champlain 23 km up Highway 138, with all of the road lying along the shores of the St. Lawrence River, just as the man explained last night at the dépanneur. I am very much looking forward to today’s walk, as well as that of the upcoming four days of walking to Quebec City! As I am packing up to leave, an elderly man sitting at the next table enjoying a coffee with the morning paper, asks about my journey. His voice is very soft, and the hand gestures he includes within his communication are gentle and slow. We talk for about ten minutes. His initial question is made in French until he hears my response. From then on, I would speak in French, and him in English. This is something I have experienced throughout my time conversing with the residents of the province of Québec. I believe it is a strategy used by the people living here to put their guests at ease and also to encourage conversation. And while my ability to speak French requires much more practice, I prefer to address my hosts in their native language out of respect. I just hope that I am not overly butchering the language. He tells me that he had lived in St. John’s Newfoundland for a few years and that my route ahead along the St. Lawrence River is beautiful. This was how I met Réginauld at a Mcdonald’s in Trois-Rivières as I was charging the batteries and writing. We say goodbye and I walk to buy more fuel across the street. Walking through the city sends me above freeways, below train lines, around racetracks, and circumnavigating baseball fields. Two large bridges and 16.5 km later I am heating up a lunch of ramen noodles with one of the three pieces of pizza left from yesterday. I buy pints from a dépanneur that are enjoyed with my meal on a picnic table in a green space. The woman behind the register laughs at me as I am expecting to find the green grounds of a college on which to eat my lunch. She laughs as she says there is no college here. I do find a building in the process of being converted—perhaps this was it? I take an hour to write and eat. I continue on, walking under a bright sun through to the town of Champlain, where a church with an attached graveyard provides a very nice and hidden area for a night’s rest. Rice is cooked, enjoyed though eaten quickly, as I am hungry. Also tired. The property to the rear of the building is surrounded by fencing, with a row of taller trees planted alongside providing comforting shade. As I am eating, a man with a small son drives up on an ATV, their path on the other side of the fence. I ask him if he knows whether the plot of grass I am currently sitting on belongs to the church or to the neighbouring farm. He is unsure, but as he clearly sees that I am hiking, he assures me that I will not have any issues spending the evening in this location. This is encouraging and I thank him before he drives off. I am also very satisfied that the site is well-hidden. I set up the tent without the rain fly. The temperature will dip down to 14 degrees at the most, which allows for the opportunity to keep the screen windows uncovered throughout the night. I journal the day and read for an hour. The church here in Champlain, called Notre-Dame-de-la-Visitation, is surrounded by lovely grounds, with large trees providing shade. A soothing, cooling breeze steadily blows through the area, which is always comforting after a day of walking. I am feeling rather parched from the heat of the day and the brightness of the sun. The day’s walk offered no opportunities for refilling the water bottles. As of now, only one full bottle remains, which will be required not only for breakfast tomorrow, but also the first 12 km to the closest dépanneur located in a small village called le Marigot, just east of Batsman. The dépanneur opens at 7:00 am, so hopefully I’ll be able to refill on water at this location.
Today’s distance walked: 35.16 km | Total distance walked: 821.96 km
“They refuse to fight the good fight because they do not know what to do with their own happiness; they are imprisoned by the things of the world. Just as I have been, who wanted to find my sword without knowing what to do with it.”
– Paulo Coelho, “The Pilgrim,” pp.220–221.
Louiseville to Trois-Rivières | Campsite: 46.31290° N, 72.57173° W
Dawn arrives quickly. I open my eyes and there it is! I’ve slept through the entire night, and when I begin to stretch after eating breakfast, the regular achy stiffness of sore muscles is delightfully missing. I prepare for the day quickly, out walking by 5:30. The park I stayed in last night contains fountains, allowing for the water bottles to be filled before setting out. By 6:30 I am walking out beyond the city limits toward the open road. By 7:30 I have walked 8.5 km, arriving at the crossroads of the 138 Highway and an access road to the large Highway 40, once again close enough to the south to hear its traffic. I stop for some internet access and a coffee, some time to charge the battery bank that was effectively drained last night due to charging the phone, and to use the time for further note transcription. The morning is developing into a gorgeous day of sun and full blue sky! I aim to be back out walking by 9:00 after an Apple update is downloaded and installed onto the laptop. I walk a few hours down the highway with straight stretches kilometres in length. The day is without clouds, so the light is clean and I can see for kilometres into the distance. A stop briefly in a small town called Yamachich for rest allows time for photographing the town’s main street containing old red brick houses with white-painted wooden detailing around doorways, on columns, porches, and balconies. Two pints are purchased, as the heat of the day is beginning to rise. One is for the road to help keep me cool under the ever-warming sun, and the other is saved for lunch, which I will enjoy by 12:30 at the “Sea Shack au Bord du Lac”, a tiny canteen serving food for sight-seers that is perched right on the edge of the five-metre cliff of the river. Rice and a cup of hot chocolate are made—I’ve been thinking of this lunch all morning! This afternoon I am hungry, and absolutely relish the lunch when cooked. So far, 24 km have been walked relatively easily, as the morning exhibits near-perfect conditions. There are 15 km left to walk to the city of Trois-Rivières. I’m looking forward to seeing it. The canteen offers breathtaking views of the St. Lawrence River. This section of the waterway is quite wide and open, the current running quickly. I pack everything away and am back out walking by 1:15—a relaxing and quiet, scenic break. It is good that I have taken this time to relax and eat because the day has warmed considerably, and walking into the surrounding suburbs of Trois-Rivières has become hot and very bright. The community called “Village-des-Crêtes” is scenic and pretty. I take the time to take a few photos, however, the pace has slowed under the inescapable heat of the afternoon. The “Restaurant le Grec” with its massive graphic sign has persuaded me to stop with a simple question: why not? I enter, order a pepperoni pizza, and write in the journal as I wait for my order. The kitchen is designed around a fully open plan, with the scents of food freely wafting into the dining area. All of the actions of the cooks and the subsequent noises produced from the kitchen are on full display, with the cooks’ techniques for cooking food serving as entertainment. I eat my meal outside on a picnic table, watching a pair of sheep eat not more than ten metres away. I then walk to the city, toward a green space that I believe may work. Well, it doesn’t, as it is very open and revealing, however to the south of the street in the same area I spot a wooded area with grass under the Pont Laviolette, a large bridge extending southward toward the U.S. border. The tent is up by 4:30 and I am inside relaxing as soon as the air mattress is inflated. Today’s walk covered 37 km, a good distance. I have 136 km yet to cover before reaching Québec City, which I will see in four fairly easy days. That distance translates into four days of walking, each of which with no more than 34 km. I read 14 pages until my eyes are unable to stay open. Today, I seem to have gotten my shit absolutely rocked! Tired. Sleep will be full and deep tonight. So much so that I fall asleep from 5:00–8:30. I close the rain fly, zip all windows closed, and sink into a much-needed sleep.
Today’s distance walked: 37.04 km | Total distance walked: 786.80 km
“It was time for lunch, but I didn’t stop to eat. When I passed through the small villages along the Road, I spoke more softly and smiled to myself, and if by chance someone noticed me, they would have concluded that the pilgrims arriving nowadays at the Cathedral of Santiago were crazy. But this didn’t matter to me, because I was celebrating the life all around me and because I knew what I had to do with my sword when I found it.”
– Paulo Coelho, “The Pilgrim,” p.215.
Reflection on Week 3
• Seeing some days of good distance acquired.
• The poison ivy is close to entirely being healed.
• A few wonderful days of rest in Montréal are exciting, with great accommodations and food!
• Some very good gear upgrades made from MEC.
• Walking through Québec will be a great immersive opportunity to practice my French.
• The unbelievably amazing weather continues all through week 3 of the walk, with only one half-day of walking in light rain.
• Continuing to meet really interesting people!
