My campsite companion was leaving as I got up, even though it was 6am. There was quite a lot of climbing first thing, over two mountains, John A. Allen and Blizzard, which are both just under 1000m.

After Blizzard, there’s another climb and before heading down, there’s an out and back side trail to a viewpoint called, the Pic de l’Aube. I decided to skip it since I’d been before and had added almost an extra km to my walk already today because I went past the last water source without realising it was the last one for a while and so had to double back to it when I realised my error. I had immensely enjoyed the view from the Pic de l’Aube two years ago and had even seen a moose swimming in a lake far below, so it was a bit reluctantly that I continued past the turn off. I pushed on and decided to try to make it to the next viewpoint, the Pic du Brulé, for my lunch break. The trail was relatively easy hiking and I saw some bear scat, the first of the trail, as well as a whole lot of moose scat. I later learned that the pellets are their winter scat and that it takes several years for it to degrade and hence the reason that there can be a lot of it around. I swear that some moose must have favorite ‘spots’ for doing their business. The Pic du Brulé also has lovely views that I had seen two years before, as well as last summer with Heather when we had lunch there during a day hike.

It was quite windy on the Pic du Brulé, but I tried to hunker down behind some rocks. I didn’t have as long of a break as I would have liked since I got a little chilled. It was uphill through rocky outcrops and stunted trees with lovely views towards the Gulf.

I came across a man who looked like some type of worker and he told me that the trail was actually closed for maintenance, but that there’s no sign from the direction I came from to indicate this. I had been wondering why I had this popular day hike all to myself…He warned that there would be places with tape across the trail and that it’s extremely muddy in places. He also mentioned that he was waiting for a helicopter that was coming to drop off some materials, but that it seemed to be delayed. In any case, he assured me that I could continue on, so I did. He wasn’t exaggerating about the mud, I found my self almost calf-deep in it, with tape caught on my backpack as a helicopter with a load of wood to drop was hovering over my head.

I managed to free myself from the tape and climb out of the mud, just as the helicopter decided to move on. One of the least relaxing moments on trail…I also found that the mud was making my sore calves and Achilles even sorer since it actually puts quite a strain on these areas when you don’t have a solid surface to propel you forward. It was also energy sapping to have to haul my feet out the sucking mud each step. Of course the wind had disappeared and by now I was sweating and really hot. The wood, tape and mud certainly made quite the obstacle course. I eventually came across two other trail maintenance workers who seemed a bit alarmed by me since at this point, I wasn’t being very cautious or careful and was just trying to get through any way I could. They assured me that the worst was over and there was only one more muddy section. They weren’t lying and soon enough the hellish trail was over and I was able to enjoy the summit of Mont Ernest-Ménard all to myself.

From there, it was all downhill to Lac Cascapédia, where there’s a car camping campsite. As the trail passes the lake on the way to the campsite, I stopped to rinse my shoes off and chatted with a foursome of campers who were enjoying the lake. The trail maintenance crew also came past and I ended up walking with them into the campsite. They headed off in their van and I went to the acceuil to check-in. They seemed a bit unsure what to do with me, but then I was directed to a campsite reserved for SIA hikers. I also bought a can of ginger ale, a bag of Lays plain chips and a small bottle of shampoo. I hadn’t seen my companion from the previous campsite all day and he wasn’t at the SIA campsite either. It turned out that he had been given a different campsite since he had made his reservation directly through the park and not through the SIA like I had. I scarfed down my snacks while stretching and then set up my tent. It was the first time setting it up directly on the ground instead of a platform, so I could use my trekking pole and tent pegs. I realised that ideally, I should have brought 8 stakes (one for each corner, one for each vestibule and one for each side). Without the side stakes, my sleeping bag was in more danger of touching the sides of the tent and getting wet with condensation.

After the tent was set up, I went and had my first shower since St-Vianney, 8 days ago. It felt great to get clean, especially to wash my hair, and I even had a clean pair of underwear to put on since I had washed my spare pair at yesterday’s campsite. A park ranger came by inviting everyone to a ‘story time’ by the lake at 8 pm. I considered going but by 8, it was spotting rain so very slightly, and that was all the excuse that I needed in order to call it a night and get into bed.