Logbook long version, good and less good things the trip
Diary (long version)
Here is a copy of the logbook as written during the journey, without much confidence and with all emotional ... for motivated only!
Day 1: Parc Belle-Rive (Montreal) Verchères
Temperature: 15-20 º C, sunny, winds NE 10-20 knots
We finally left today May 2, 2008, famous for our sea kayaking trip, from Montreal and even Bergeronnes near Escoumins (North Shore). Expect it to be a nice trip (about 14 days) ... we are well prepared and have thought of pretty much everything. Loeiz is kayaking guide then it should be okay. We each have a solo kayak (him Baffin Boréal Design me a P & H Capella, an English company). And we are charged to capacity ... and even a bit more! We looked like real tanks starting earlier! And this departure, it occurred quite late, about 15:45. Question of glitches pre-departure. We paddled for about 2:30 on a sunny but windy weather. The start went well, and the first hour was fairly easy despite a headwind ... with the current early May, we were gliding at high speed! We passed the big refineries in Montreal East, then under the high tension lines that cross the St. Lawrence River, eventually reaching the tip of the island. From that moment the wind started to party a little more seriously. There are several small islands vis-à-vis the island of Montreal, which breaks the wind and waves prevents thrive. After the tip of the island, cons, more protection. So from there, the waves grew in size, and we've put all our small change, sometimes stopping at small islands south (wind NE) issue of protecting us from waves and catch our breath. Loaded as we are, we do not desalinate! We planned our visit to St-Sulpice, Repentigny after, but when the winds increased to near 20 knots, we carefully chose to go to the south bank of the river, where we found a nice little place sleep near Vercheres. We stopped to have made a 6:15 p.m. ET fire and drank a beer (the only one we have taken, as the taste!) before the setting sun. We ate a delicious meal all cooked on the stove and a cream consisting of bread with carrots, salmon steaks in foil and baked potatoes, and peaches in syrup with the tea ... not bad right? It's really satisfying to do everything on fire ... and when I say it was delicious, it's true, but it's always better when camping, in addition to the fire. And tonight, before the fire, I watch the lights of Repentigny on the other side of the river ... and arms and abs make me a little ill ... so it is 22h and I'm going to bed.
Day 2: Verchères Sorel (Sorel Islands)
Temperature: 5-6 º C, cloudy, rainy, wind 10-25 knots NE to SE
This morning, got up at 6am and We ate toast, grapefruit and hard-boiled eggs with coffee, then we left about 8:15. The weather was cloudy and it soon became wet. The headwind, it will always, but the side wind like today, it kills! Because the nose of the kayak always tends to turn into the wind ... so we've forced a lot, then I thought to drift, which greatly helps in anchoring the back of the kayak. We did a crazy day, 50 km, until 18h from among other large plants Sorel and Contrecoeur, in addition to large ships. Exceeded Sorel We crossed to an island, with waves of 3 feet, and we sleep here tonight, on this island, protected by a light wind very strong. We ate cream of mushroom, chicken legs, then tea and cookies ... all on fire to wind, cold and rain ... not easy. And here I lie because I once again cut off!
Day 3: Sorel Nicolet
Temperature: 10-12 ° C Cloudy and rainy, winds 10-15 knots SE
This morning, got up at 5:30, wind southeast 10 to 15 knots, so we eat away from the lighthouse (coffee, toast and boiled eggs, we cook on the stove). We cross diagonally to the mainland, facing the wind. It's quite difficult to traverse beginning in the morning, then we have our lesson: we do not sleep over on a island! After our journey, we started to walk along the edge to cross the lake St-Pierre. It's raining and it is not very hot, so this will be a day long enough. So Lake St-Pierre ... what an ordeal! Too wide to cross in the middle with this wind, we had to skirt the edge, and the water level is so high this year that everything is flooded! No way to stop nowhere, except a place around 10:30 (Lavoie River) flooded ... surreal landscape, with houses and trailers flooded. We paddled over the road until you come to a cottage and land at his gallery for a break. We then resumed our journey, paddling through fields of corn and sugar bush ... what an experience! Noon, impossible to find land, so we ate in our kayaks. It's hard for the legs do not get out! We continued our day of sorrow and misery to the outlet of the lake, St. Francis (Nicolet), where we landed just before the dock at about 18h and Denise helped us establish ourselves on the lawn next to Wharf. Wow, a whole day! And all the people who came to turn on the dock and ask us questions, intrigued by kayaks. We ate pasta with soup and a glass of wine offered by Denise, who also chatted with us a long time ... very nice!
Day 4: Nicolet Deschaillons
Temperature: 15-16 º C, sunny, light winds from SW
this morning raised to 5am, we wanted to leave early, but for some reason, still left around 8am. A beautiful day, sunshine and light winds from the southwest. We passed under the bridge Laviolette at 9am, and then we continued on our way to look beautiful. We ate on the north shore, and have finally decided to sleep on the south shore a little after Deschaillons. We ended our day around 17h and ate sausages and sauerkraut on the stove. One thing we had not thought, by cons is that the tides are starting at the bottom of Trois-Rivieres, and thus on our little beach, the tide began to rise, rise, rise ... and more quickly, so that around 20h motion for battle, we ride the tent on top of the cliff, and attach securely to the kayak down the cliff after the trees. We watched the tide come in until 22:30 and then a little stressed, we still decided to go to bed (well need some sleep!). It's always difficult when you do not know at all how far the tide goes up! So what promised like a nice quiet evening on the beach quickly turned into a night to sleep in doubt how far the bloody tide was going up!
Day 5: Neuville Deschaillons
Temperature: 12-15 º C, sunny, light winds from SW
This morning I got up around 6am, a sunshine, and kayaks were still there and did not move ... phew! We paid a delicious lunch on fire (on fire muesli pitas with cheese St. Andrew, grapefruit and coffee). Then we went through time fairly quiet with the ebbing tide. We went to look great all day, and around 16h, we stopped just before the Marina Neuville to supply us with water and cigarettes (Loeiz). I chatted a bit with people while Loeiz had left the store, they filled our water bottles and we have suggested places to sleep. We then continued our journey an hour to enjoy the end of the ebbing tide, and have set up camp well in height about 6 km from the marina to a bird sanctuary on the corner. We set up our kayaks as high as possible and then we cooked on our stove on a picnic table (reserve, then no fire ...) ... the big luxury! We ate pasta, but everything is always better when camping, it was pretty good! Tonight I called my father (Conrad), telling him that arrive in 2-3 days in St-Jean-Port-Joli. We then took a walk to the parking lot of the reserve, an issue to throw our waste. And then, well ... we went to bed around 21:30.
Day 6: Neuville in Berthier-Sur-Mer
Temperature: 15-20 º C, sunny, wind 5-10 knots West
Today, even the weather, with a west wind of 5-10 knots, it should spin for our entry into Quebec! Starting at 8am, with the famous Quebec Bridge to far ahead. I say we'll be there around 10am, Loeiz, it is slower in the morning, think rather that we will be there at noon ... we'll see! We stopped on the banks before Cap-Rouge, with stunning waterfalls falling from the cliffs ... great show! Unless the wind blows harder and harder (O NO) and it gets to keep the sport management. We meet the first kayaker our travel and salute in passing. Finally around 10:30, we passed under the bridge, raft (2 kayaks together) because the current is very strong. Then, east of Quebec Bridge, surprise, small rapids that we should negotiate with kayaks filled ... is a sport! I surf the waves, trying to keep the line, as in river, then paddle hard to reach against the tide and take a break ... who will be short lived because the current brings us back to the bridge! So we return to the center of the river, current, and we head to the tip of Levis, opposite the Château Frontenac. En route, we encounter a police boat from the Coast Guard, that we do not intercepted by cons. We dine on tip-in chatting with passers-by on the bike path just behind, who seem surprised at our journey from Montreal. Can we leave the south side of the island of Orleans. We are meeting our fastest speeds to date, and we fly, we fly ... almost to the end of the island, just opposite the Pointe St-Vallier, a beautiful place of preservation where we end our day after 70 km of road ... phew! For cons, the sea is low and the foreshore (the area of mud at low tide) very long, so we wait on the beach and our kayaks closer as the tide rises to avoid having to raise them ... they are super heavy! That evening, I fetch water at a house 15 minutes walk away, and then we relax before the fire ... beautiful evening, but it s'ennuage and it looks like rain arrives. We'll see tomorrow.
Day 7: Berthier-Sur-Mer to L'Anse-À-Gilles
Temperature: 10 º C, Heavy Rain, winds 15-25 knots 10-20 knots becoming west
If
it takes a bad day occasionally, it is well worth 2! This morning I get up at 5:30 am and he is selling the dehorning cattle, and more rain falls on the tent fiercely 21h since last night ... nice way to start the day! I listen to the weather and they say the wind will turn west end of 10-20 knots here. I get up around 6 am for real and will fire from the wind and rain (we had thought to put some wood to dry last night but even so, it will take me all my little changes for the go!). Loeiz him, is a lie (can we blame this weather?) And rises only to 7.30. I make coffee and red river hot cereal with dried fruits, all that on fire! Around 9 o'clock, we decide to go, entering the bay Berthier as possible to avoid the headwind. Getting to the bottom of the bay is painful, but once made, the wind begins to turn if it gets a little easier. A new problem cons. : Lack of depth in the Bay of Montmagny forces us to remain far offshore (2-3 km) with the wind more and more insistent back. And when we start up the coast north to the tip of Cape St. Ignatius, with 2 feet deep and a wind of 15-20 knots side is hell ... even worse than that! We keep making circular cuts of the left to keep our line, but almost in vain! To 15h, completely exhausted, we reached the wharf of Anse à Gilles, and we decided to stop because it becomes risky. But the sea bass and bay is full of mud, so we walk with mud up to their knees by pulling the kayaks for some distance before reaching the edge. Welcome to the South Shore! We are begging for a piece of lawn to Jerry and Anne-Marie, who live just west of the wharf. No problem, and they are proving to be very nice! Jerry gives us a camping chair and a beer, then takes us to a restaurant in Cape St. Ignatius which engulf us a huge ... poutine! So big that, according to the waitress who works there for 2 years, we are the first she sees the world ... eat small personal glory for those who, within one evening, returning to civilization with a 7-day beard, his face blackened by the sun, and also ... the smell of 7 days without a shower! Then we go to Jerry (an Albertan by the way), we drink another beer and watch the sunset. Her daughter, Anais, 4 ½ years, we just make jasette for a good half-hour. We lie down, burned, around 21:30.
Day 8: At L'Anse-St-Gilles-Jean-Port-Joli (half day)
Temperature: 10-15 º C, Wind west 10 knots under
this morning we have lunch at 6:30 (coffee offered by a neighbor horrified to see that we spent the night outside ...), make our farewells to the family of Jerry, then it's off to St-Jean-Port-Joli, my hometown . We spin at high speed, the west wind and ebbing tide helping, and more with the wait to get home ... for me, is like the second step after the Quebec Bridge. We pass the Islet dock at 9am, and then arrive at the St-Jean-Port-Joli, about 10:30. We stop there, but not Mom or Dad in sight (in fact, I learn later that Conrad (my father) was waiting at the dock at 11:30 Islet in order to see us go ... not very confident in our ways it seems ...) and therefore we continue to handle the St. John's (where our cottage) where we arrived around 11:30. The sea down, they are fighting against the current to reach the bottom of the loop, but what satisfaction ... 350 km from Montreal ... phew! A silhouette in the distance, I walk, Herve Bernier's (a neighbor), surprised to see kayakers on this date of year ... and me too! When I learned that we arrive in Montreal, he spent nearly fainted. Then we roll up our kayaks to the cottage, which will be our home, and we devour our meals. Around 14h, we ride towards the house where my father and a friend awaiting us. This evening we have supper with your family, then to 21h, we go to bed at the cottage, we are burnt!
Day 9: Day off!
Temperature: 15 º C, Wind NE 15-25 knots
Today, day off, I get up at 6:30 (usually required) and I go to lunch with my parents. Then my father and I undertake to repair my dry suit which is really (the cervix is torn) and wood paddle (which took off the handle). We dine at noon, still no news Loeiz sleeping at the cottage. Around 13h, I go down to the cottage, and he just got up ... must believe that he needed rest! We go to the grocery store in the village (refueling for the second part of the trip). In total, it will cost about $ 260 of food for 15 days to two ... not too bad. I spent the rest of the day to clean and fill my kayak. Tonight, we're a little concerned ... they announce NE winds 15 to 25 knots tomorrow, not really good for paddling, especially not to cross the river! We evaluate the possibilities and go to sleep on it.
Day 10: Transportation of St-Jean-Port-Joli to Cap-Aux-geese
Temperature :10-15 º C, Wind NE 15-25 knots
This morning, I 'm even more concerned: it blows as expected. The weather never seems to go wrong in the right direction! No way to cross the river, so what? Wait another day, knowing they advertise 15-25 knots tomorrow, too? Going quietly on the south shore to Riviere du Loup, where we could take to limit the ferry with our kayaks if the situation does not improve in 2 days? Finally, an unexpected outcome: My father decided to come and take us back nicely from the road with our kayaks to Cap-Aux-geese, opposite the north shore. My pride is hurt, I would have liked to do the trip without help, but ... we have to step on his pride sometimes! We therefore attach the kayaks on the trailer and leave with my father and my mother go through Quebec and then come three hours later, around 14h at the destination. It goes so fast in a car, we are more used to it! In Cap-Aux-geese, we camped on private land just behind the desert track, near the beach. Tonight, we eat spaghetti with tomato sauce and parmesan on the stove, then will take a long walk on the railway that runs along the River. We lie to 21h without paddled today, to our dismay.
Day 11: Cap-Aux-geese at Cap Sain, before Pointe-Au-Pic
Temperature :10-12 º C, Wind NE 15-25 knots
This morning we rise early, as always ... we look forward to starting! By cons, pretty windy (15-25 knots NE), but we go anyway. Already through the first course (course of the crow) is perilous, with waves cross from 1 to 1.5 meters high. We continue, but just before the tip of the Father, we decided to dock because the waves and current at the tip really seem too strong. We drop anchor near fishing nets Caplan (a small fish resembling smelt), and the old fisherman who exploits them, Christmas, runs to accommodate us. There must be 80 years old, and I wonder if futilely tip (the father) was not named in his honor. Because we're tight clothing, he asks us to cast off his nets from the grip of debris at the bottom, what we do with pleasure. He seems intrigued by our dry suits (dry suit) and seems to want to buy it. I do not talk about price for not disappoint. In exchange for our service, he invites us to carry our kayaks on his bike on the other side of the point, what we accept without hesitation (by his own admission, kayaks who venture retraced their path usually because there is too much current). Arrived on the other hand, we settle for leaving, but my kayak fills with water due to big waves, then I must empty before leaving. The second start will be of short duration: after 200m, as we approach the Pointe du Sac (?), We discourage the waves (almost 2m high, we do not see hardly one and the other) ... expedition, is better not to desalt, then we retrace our path to a small beach at Pointe du Father. We spend 4-5 hours until the wind calms down a bit. We take this opportunity to go scan the nearby bays in through the track. It feels good to stretch their legs a bit! This is also where we realize that expedition, he must sometimes take their troubles patiently, because you can get stuck in one place long in bad weather!
Then, around 14h, always windy, but the shore, the waves seem a little less menacing. So we leave, and next time will not be any rest for later ... big waves, current, everything is there, but we finally get around St. Irenaeus, we are a little more sheltered from the weather. We continue until about 17h, and we stop for the night near Cape Sain, just before tip-Au-Pic. It is sometimes difficult to find a campsite when you have nothing planned in advance. Here there are rock walls, no real beach, and a railway. We see a small plot of land that stands elevated, indicating a potential site for camping. Once on shore, cons, that's another story: we find only two potential sites, a small cache hunters with soil-rock (!) And a place just 6 feet away from the road railway, but with a more suitable ground. We opt for the latter, because we believe that the track is not really used, not having seen a train pass through in 48 hours. I doubt it, but Loeiz, always so calm, seems confident. Tonight, just before supper, big disappointment: the waterproof bag that I have behind my footrests took salt water when filled up my kayak and my new front, my first aid kit and some other things are kaput! A small mistake that has cost me $ 150-200! I spent the night grumbling about it, but it blew over.
We lie to 21h, and around 22:30, I hear a engine noise. I raise my head ... nothing. Then, two headlights off, I fixed, I think: a train! In panic, get dressed, wake Loeiz, then quit while the train is coming right at us. He sounded his siren a few times, then goes right next to our tent (4-5 feet max). The tent looks because of the wind created by the train. After 10-15 cars Loeiz out of the tent, incredulous. Sacred Loeiz, still slow! The train passed, we return to our minds, then moving our household gods in the cache of hunting ground ... very uncomfortable we will spend a terrible night. But at least, the train can pass all he wants!
Day 12: Cape Sain at Anse at the Bâtiment
Temperature :15-18 º C, Wind direction variable less than 10 knots
This morning, the weather finally seems to want a deal low for us to be forgiven on 4-5 days of high winds. Variable direction winds under 10 knots ... this message is very sweet to our ears, even from the monotonous voice of Mr. Weather! We have lunch and leave at 8am, although the tide is still rising for another good 3 hours (so common in the face). Along edge, we find almost always cons-currents where it is easier to paddle. First we reach the dock at Pointe-au-Pic, dominated by the Manoir Richelieu (Casino de Charlevoix), then after a pause, we begin crossing the Bay of La Malbaie even vis-à-vis the Mount Murray , a distance of perhaps a dozen miles. It is beautiful, the weather is calm, then we can afford to spend far offshore. But the highlight of this trip is that for most of two hours that we put at the cross, we are escorted by a panel of two dozen (easily) of beluga whales, it is very simple, there always has at least 2 or 3 spirit to breathe at the surface ... what a sight! And Loeiz and I each have a small (small?) Following us less than 10m behind our kayak. Even sometimes they give us the jitters, especially when one of them shows its tail and plunged to less than a meter behind my kayak. Then, suddenly, we do not see them anymore ... they had to be warned by their parents not to flirt with strangers too!
We continue our journey, then, around midday, off Cape St. True, we hear an engine sound approach. I turn around and do not I see? Conrad, came from the other side of the river in a zodiac, take a little trip and bring me the bread I had left it at home ... a nice surprise! Jasons us a little tied up at his zodiac, then start on the shore looking for a place to picnic while he returns to St. John. The rest of the day was without pitfalls, and we meet great locations (Port au Saumon, Port au Persil, then Cap de la Tete au Chien). We end the day we stopped in a beautiful small bay closed, Anse at the Bâtiment. It must be 200m long and is divided in two by a river ... but no trace of any building! In any case, a paradise, if only it was a few tens of degrees higher! We cook once more on fire (steaks), then we sleep on a flat rock, the only place we found that drinking to sleep.
Day 13: Anse at the Bâtiment Tadoussac
Temperature :15-20 º C, sunny, light winds becoming east of 10-20 knots
Not so clean than that, the campsite, finally! We spent the night in turning from one side then the other to try to find a strand of comfort, but in vain ... I had to sleep max. 2 hours! At least we do not have a huge day planned today: we want to go to Tadoussac, located about thirty kilometers. The wind does not blow too hard, which helps. We start at 9am (we leave later and later because the tide is high later and later each day ... it is better not to fight against it too). The scenery is superb, especially in the Bay of Rocks, where we make a little excursion. Then, at some point we decide to take the sting off and directly on Birch Point, just before Baie Ste-Catherine, at the mouth Saguenay. It takes time (more than we set goals further, it seems overly long) and the wind gets up a little, but we are succeeding. Then come the famous flats of Baie Ste-Catherine (Battures the Alouettes), which we barely 2 feet deep even at 1 km wide.
We arrive at the Pointe at Vital, we see the ferry Saguenay and Tadoussac hotel on the other side, and we prepare mentally to cross the Saguenay. It may sound simple, but it is not. Already, there is the natural flow of the Saguenay we veered out to sea. In addition, we are in the 3rd and 4th hours of the ebb tide (hours during which the tide is greatest), so that the current center Saguenay should be at this point of 6-7 knots (12 -13 km / h). Add to that the wind that seems to come from the Saguenay, and one that suddenly arrives from offshore and begins to blow at 15-20 knots! Combine all that and you get to one of the toughest races in which I faced in my life. A day courier bike in the big slush, besides that, it's p'tite beer! So let's say the beginning the crossing went well: we did a back and gardions Cpl. Except that the Saguenay, it has at least 2 km wide. Amid the current and the wind rose, the waves have become huge to say the least ... and I gave everything I could. Nothing to do, we did deport seaward far more quickly than we were traversing. The target has moved quickly from the Hotel Tadoussac at the tip of the beach and sand dunes. Above all, we had to avoid being deported to offshore sandbars, where we'd got stuck for long periods.
Finally, after a supreme effort (it's not jokes), we ended up on the beach at low sand dunes, to nearly 2 km of our original target. I rested on the beach a good 20 minutes before returning peacefully Saguenay along the coast to go in the main bay, where we established our camp. Whew, what an adventure! Tonight, at Tadoussac, we paid a luxury (civilization requires): Kilkenny with a big ketchup chips. We ate our sausages on the fire, and then slept on the beach under the stars.
Day 14: Tadoussac to Pointe Wild (Small Bergeronnes)
Temperature :12-15 º C, sunny, winds NW 10-25 knots
slept badly again ... a beach is steep, no? Well I feel like I have spent the night chasing my carpet so I slipped! Regardless, this morning we're in no hurry, the tide is high as about noon, then we can relax. I still get up around 6am, and took the opportunity to hike and take pictures. Completes the journey, one feels, and also slows the pace. We had lunch around 11:30 and leave quietly. Our goal today is only 15 km to get to Point Wild, at the mouth of Little River Bergeronnes. The wind makes it difficult, so sometimes we have to stop on a beach to catch our breath. Along the way, we see a mom on the bank bear with her three cubs: good show, but we still keep our distance and choose another place for dinner. We arrive at Point Wild to 16h, while the northwest wind begins to blow and the rain begins. This tip is very exposed, covered only with grass. We set the tent on top of the tip, away from single rock now and we'll cook for the east side, away from the cliff and then wind. It's raining hard, then we assemble the cover for the first time of travel. Tonight, on the tip is a little flood: NO thunderstorms with winds of 35 knots easily. To 20h, all is quiet a bit, and we even see a rainbow in the sky: a good way to end the day!
Day 15 (final day): Pointe Sauvage Big Bergeronnes
Temperature: 15 º C, sunny, light winds from the east
Today, on ultimate we only have a dozen miles before reaching our destination, Anse à la Cave, the Great Bergeronnes. It's nice sun, the wind calmed down, so no problem in sight. We broke camp around noon, just to tide again, and the rest was uneventful until we pulled up at the wharf of Anse à la Cave at 14:30. We will have a little over 14 days (12 to paddle) to travel the 500 km from Montreal to Bergeronnes.
The good things the trip
- Side food, our favorite heart are sausages on the fire with sauerkraut, cheese pitas with muesli in the morning and submarines prepared in advance for lunch (they keep up to 4 days).
- Cooking on the fire can take a lot less fuel (we used only 3 liters in 15 days)
- A grid for cooking on the stove, and a pair of work gloves to handle
- have a 'camelback' on the deck of the kayak makes it easier to drink
- Having planned long days between Montreal and Quebec City to take this issue more relaxed late
- plastic kayaks (very resistant) rather than fiberglass: they were dragged quite a bit about the rock and fiberglass would probably not like it
- Use of the tide , that helps a lot in advance
- Go to bed early and leave early in the morning because it generally sell at least at this point
The less good things the trip
- Side comic: make pancakes over the fire: it cooked too hard and it is emboucaner; potatoes on the fire: it burns rather than cooking, cream of mushroom and asparagus powder: do not mix well
- Bring the older machine the next time (when cooking on the fire, you end up doing holes in our clothes)
- The waterproof bag that is water: always check his equipment rather than 2 3 times before leaving
- Sleeping on an island the next day if it is not beautiful, you are a prisoner of Island
- Some siting tent (especially rail)
- Crossing the Saguenay: must be done without too much wind and tide
- Arrive at camp site when the tide is low: a sea kayak full, it is heavy to transport over 100m!
- The choice to include a river crossing: it is only done in calm weather, which is quite rare in some places
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