Parc National du Mauricie

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

55℉ at 5:00 and high of 72℉

We decided on a hike today after getting off to a slow start. Martha picked a hike to Lac Waber, but you have to access it by canoe, so we tried another at the top of Lac Wapizagonke called View Brulis.  There is an iconic overlook on the other side of the parking lot where you see about half of the lake, which is a narrow lake that flows like a river. You could see canoe paddlers along the lake where there are eleven campsites you could sign up for. There are also canoe trails that connect different lakes and streams. This is really what defines the park. We groaned as we walked back uphill to the parking lot as we have hiked and biked a lot. The hike is about 7 hours, but our plan was to hike a while and turn around. We have brought rain to Canada, so there were wet, boggy areas where mosquitoes were hungry. Fortunately we had used a repellent lotion, which helped all the areas where we applied it, but the mosquitoes found all the areas where we had not. We decided to go to an scenic spot and then turn around, so the hike ended up being about an hour and 15 minutes, and that was enough for both of us. The temperature is great, but the humidity in the woods is high, so I was soaking wet when we got back. Carrying our lunch to the overlook, it was fun to watch people as they came and went. A nice 14 year-old boy smiled and said the usual Bonjour with a singing tone. His family was obviously a veteran outdoor group with good hiking clothes and backpacks that were well-worn. The boy had shorts on, and he looked like he had Chicken Pox from all the mosquito bites. This was the first time it had been bad, and it really wasn’t bad. I would say moderate. I am not taking another hike without my “Bub Pants”. 

We drove through the park to the other entrance, getting glimpses of other beautiful lakes and moose bogs. This is the park you want to come to if you like paved roads, a great visitors center at the east entrance, coffee shops and a food pavilion, and you want to put your canoe or kayak on one of probably a hundred lakes. There are guided trips and tours. I love those Huttopia and Hekipia tents, where you can stay for $120/night. We drove through the campground and it too is very nice, and they have electric! We stayed in Shawinigan at a campground called Rouillard because we needed a lot of laundry done and grocery shopping. Although I prefer staying in the parks, this is a nice campground with a different flavor. The owners are very nice. There is a very cute, little golf course that would have been fun to play. The problem with staying outside the park is you spend half the day traveling!  45 minutes to get there, 45 minutes to get back, and then a stop to get groceries and half the day is gone, but you just need to do it every now and then. 

It started to rain as we got back to the campground. We took showers and did another load of laundry. As we were on the road again tomorrow, It took me an hour to fix the broken closet door. Part of the plastic latch had been torn, so I couldn’t line it up quite right. Where the heck is Kelly! He’s the best fixer!