I slept very well again, which surprised me since I’m not usually comfortable sleeping alone in the woods and this was the first campsite that felt remote and isolated in the woods. I woke up to some fog but it quickly dissipated as I got up. The trail started with the steepest and longest uphill climb yet, my legs were not happy with me, but they did cooperated. After reaching the top of the climb, it was few kms of easier hiking before heading back down to the river. This time it was the real river crossing, complete with a wire that spans the river and ropes on metal loops, attached to the wire, to help you across.

It was also less wide and only knee-deep compared to my crossing from the day before. One across, it was up another crazy climb and a lovely walk along the summits with views of the river below here and there and of the summits all around. This was one of my favorite parts of the entire trail, but it only lasted a short while before it was down the most horrendously steep trail that I’ve ever seen to another river. I had to cross this river too, but it was smaller and also had a wire spanning it, although no ropes. It was up again and down again, before walking along the bank of a stream to the Ruisseau Creux refuge. I was only halfway through the day, but completely spent from all the ascent and descent and my back must have gotten out of whack from my fall the day prior because it was very uncomfortable, although not in the usual way. All I could do was lie on my back for about 20 minutes and groan when I got to the refuge. It was a lovely spot though and eventually I felt able to get up and check out it out. The refuge was very light and airy compared to the previous ones and in a glade next to the stream, a place I’d like to go back to some day. I decided to soak my legs and back in the stream, but it was ice cold and I only managed to bear the icy water for a few seconds. I stretched, ate and relaxed for a good two hours before reluctantly packing up my things and heading off, of course starting with a climb! It wasn’t that steep though and on an atv track, which flattened out and was very cruisy for about 5 kms. The track spits you out on a dirt road in a wind turbine park, which I followed down into the small village of Ste-Marguerite.

I went straight to the coop and bought myself a Magnum ice cream before locating the shelter and camping area. I got to the abri just before the skies opened up again and sat out the storm in the shelter. I realised that I had access to showers at the Coop and that this was also where we were supposed to get drinking water. I had absolutely no desire to go out in the rain or to walk the 5 minutes down to the Coop and felt a bit miffed that the person at the cash hadn’t mentioned this to me when I was buying ice cream. I made do with a bit of water that a previous hiker had left in the shelter and set up my tent after the storm had passed. It was a very cool evening, and I was glad to get bundled into my sleeping bag and zip it right up over my head.