Canada, Canadian National Parks, Parc National Forillon

Driving to Gaspè

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30℉ at 6:00 with a high of 72

We packed up and headed out to Gaspè by 9:30. Martha had read about a few things she wanted to see along the way. We have no cell service here, and I can’t connect to Sepaq’s (the parks) WIFI, so we aren’t sure where we will camp, or how long it takes to get there. We would just have to figure it out on the way. 

This is a beautiful highway to drive, right along the St. Lawrence, which is now the Bay of St. Lawrence. You can no longer see the other side. Pretty little villages are in every cove, each with its picnic area and walkways. It was a beautiful day with clear blue sky and ocean. We were amazed with some of the tiny houses sitting on a cliff overlooking the ocean, usually with two Adirondack chairs and a fireplace strategically positioned. Fishing, tourism and logging are the main jobs.

The last hour and a half of the four-hour drive was up and down steep mountains, then back down, always with big curves and a village at the bottom. It’s a bit stressful wondering how the truck will hold up, watching all the gauges and praying for the brakes to continue working. By the time we stopped for gas near the end of the trip, I talked to a nice dump truck driver while we both filled our tanks. He commented that Virginia is a long way away. I said it must be tough driving these difficult hill and curves, and he smiled, saying it is tough, but from here south and all around the other side, it is flat. Yippee!

We camped at Camping des Appalaches, checking in with the nice couple who own it, but they close tomorrow for the season. Fred told us things would start closing now. They told us of a good restaurant, Cafe L’Anse Griffon and two places to buy seafood. They also told us where to go in the park and the must-do hikes. 

After lunch and a quickly reading emails, we learned my sister had a fall and Laura spent a long day at the hospital with her while they ran all the tests. Apparently she is fine, but it is probably part of the disease process. So sad!

We drove to Forillon National Park, which is a Canadian National Park, not a Quebec National Park. I don’t know how they do it, but another very nice lady told us all about the park. We were happy there were available campsites, so we will move tomorrow. We drove through the campground and it is absolutely beautiful. There were two areas, one with electric and one without services. Almost everyone was in the serviced area, but the unserviced area is really pretty, with big, grassy areas. We passed a spot where a tent was set up and a roaring fire going with two chairs in front of it. They had the whole campground to themselves with a great view of the bay. Driving down toward the tip of the Gaspè Penninsula in the park, there is an incredible viewing area where the International Appalachian Trail comes to an end, the mountains meeting the sea in dramatic fashion. We were both excited about exploring the park. On the way back to camp we stopped at the Cafe L’Anse Griffon for a great dinner of grilled cod. It was a good day, but felt a bit guilty with the day Laura and Gayle had.

Canada, Canadian National Parks, Parc National du Gaspesie

Hike Le mont Ernest-Laforce

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29℉ at 6:00 and 60℉ at 3:00

It was a bit chilly when we started out hiking le mont Ernest Laforce, but soon after starting the climb, I started peeling off layers. It is all a graveled path, so it’s not so bad. At the top is a spectacular view of the surrounding mountains, two of which have snow on them. We talked with a young man, Guilliam, who has been hiking for a week, doing day hikes to see if he would like to take a long-distance hike. The longer hikes have huts with beds and mattresses and a wood stove. He was lucky to see eight Caribou on Mont Jaques Cartier, as there are only 80 on the south side of the St. Lawrence. He is a long distance truck driver and talked of the beauty west of Colorado. Today was an easy day for him – just an easy hike with no backpack. It was fun to exchange adventures with Guilliam.

After making our way back down, we visited the Gite du Mont Albert, a beautiful hotel with cute little cabins behind. Then we had a picnic lunch beside the beautiful Sainte-Anne’s River. We drove up Rt 14 through the Faunique, but it was a rough road, and some of it was washed out. It is also hunting season. 

We spent a nice evening by the fire listening to some James Taylor and grilling a steak. A gentleman stopped by and talked about camping here in the 70’s when there was no park. He hiked Mont Jaques Cartier with a man who would eventually turn this into a park. Once he fished for salmon for five days, finally catching two fish. 

It was still early when we climbed into bed with books. I thought of being young and hiking the Grand Traverse, a trail that goes across the park, carrying a big backpack. That would be quite a hike!

Canada, Canadian National Parks, Parc National du Gaspesie, Parks

Drive to Parc National de la Gaspésie

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39℉ at 6:00 am, high 56

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

There was a beautiful sunrise over the bay at Bic National Park. After a few chores, we set out east on #132 to Parc National DE LA Gaspésie. This road is a good one, much better than I anticipated, and it often travels right on the coast of the St. Lawrence. Dotted with cute, little cottages overlooking the Fleuve. Some parts are flat while others are cliffs or rocky coast. It was a beautiful day and the water was clear and blue. There are many beautiful coastal drives in the world, but this one is one of the prettiest I have ever seen. Were we not pulling a trailer and trying to get somewhere, I might have stopped many times for pictures. 

We found a pretty park to stop for lunch in La Halte Cap-Chat. It was about 50℉ with the ever-present cool wind off the St. Lawrence, so we ate inside. On the other side of the highway, the Chic-Choc Mountains loomed in the distance. Stopping at Sainte-Anne-Des-Monts, we filled the truck with gas and picked up some groceries at the Metro. Good thing we did because it’s a pretty good drive into the park, which covers a huge area with two Fauniques on either end. This is a park for hiking the mountains. It is the end of the Appalachian Range and the International Appalachian Trail goes through the park, ending on the coast. I never knew it went this far. The Rivière Sainte-Anne runs through the park, where Atlantic salmon run, and it is a gorgeous river.

We checked in at the Discovery Center with a very nice lady, who once again, patiently advised us where to go and what to see while we are here. Mont Jaques-Cartier is the second highest in Quebec at 1270 m, from which there must be a great view. After getting settled, we opted for an easy hike to Lac Aux Americaines, which was very pretty, looking more like a lake in the Rockies. Returning to camp, we made a fire and grilled a salmon fillet and potatoes, onions and mushrooms in foil. 

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Haircut and a Great Waterfall

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39℉ at 6:00, a rainy morning, 

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

It rained hard all morning, so we read our books and made cranberry muffins from the Trappist Monks. By 11:00 we were stir-crazy and the rain was letting up, so we drove east to Rimouski so Martha could get a haircut. The ladies at the Accquiel suggested the best place to go. Fortunately they were able to take her in after a short wait. I went to a nearby oeufs place hoping for WIFI and an expresso. I got a nice expresso, but no WIFI. When Martha was done, her nice stylist, Suzie, recommended Maison du Spaghetti for lunch, so we went. I ordered pasta with meatballs and mushrooms and Martha ordered Lasagna with goat cheese and sun dried tomatoes. Both were outstanding, and they had WIFI. 

I had seen a waterfall writeup in the Gaspèsie travel book, so we decided to go there. We found the accquiel and a nice girl gave us the description and a map. There was a fee of $13 each, and as they are privately run, they don’t take a park pass. We were surprised by the amount of work and expense someone went to. With walkways all along the Rimouski River, it is quite beautiful. Then you get to the highest suspension foot-bridge in Quebec at 63 meters. This thing is so well-made, I could probably drive my truck across it. 

This is a beautiful river and a beautiful canyon that is well-managed. You can come at night to see lights on the waterfall. All of the walkways are lit. It is called Le Canyon des Portes de L’Enfer, Canyon to the gates of Hell, which it surely would be if you decided to take your kayak down it. There may be more waterfalls than cities named after saints in Quebec, but this is a great one.

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Biking Le Portage and La Grève

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34℉ at 6:00 with a high of 60

Monday, September 26th

We rode the bike trails across the valley of Parc National du Bic. It’s not a big park, so the ride was about 12.5 miles through beautiful forrest and along fields lined with rail fences. The park is along a series of bays defined by old mountains of the Appalachian Range. At the south end of the park we came out on a beach where two ladies discussed the day’s news. It was a chilly 50℉ with the ever-present wind off the St. Lawrence, but that didn’t stop one of the ladies from taking off her shoes and walking in the water. The temperature was perfect for biking or hiking, but a heavy cotton shirt does you no good when stoping and that wind cools you down. 

We walked down to La Coulèe for lunch, using a big rock as a wind break. We were on Baie du Ha! Ha!, which is beautiful. As we sat, we watched hundreds of little crayfish, or something like it, swimming around in the shallow pools of low tide. So this is what the seagulls come to feed on at low tide! 

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Parc National du Bic

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We drove north to Parc National du Bic on the St. Lawrence River. The mountains are very old, worn down to steep hills, but still very pretty. The bays are home to seals, called phoques in French. The pronunciation of this word makes interesting conversation in English. Driving around the park to get the big picture, we saw the seals resting on rocks in the bays. The tide was out, exposing rocks and sand in the bays. We toured a second campground that was very busy. Our campground is next to the only highway going north, but the traffic isn’t a bother in the Airstream, and the view of the bay is nice. Actually, it is interesting watching the cars and trucks traveling the only road going around the Gaspè Peninsula. Population of the Peninsula is 133,000, so I would ’t think there would be so many on the road, but it is busy with tractor trailers, cars and campers. A railroad track parallels the road here. I love the sound of the train whistle, and the cars rumbling past. But if you like your campground more quiet, Camping Rioux is for you.

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Laura and Willie

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A very special thank you to these two amazing ladies. Friends of Gayle Wooten’s, they have taken such wonderful care of her in her time of need. Gayle’s incredible group of friends continue to support her in so many ways. A card, a note or a phone call mean so much. We spent a great day together while these ladies moved her to Symphony Manor, where they had selected the apartment to be warm and sunny. They painted it and measured it for Gayle’s furniture, and helped move her in. Meanwhile I had the easy job of taking her to the Baltimore Museum. to lunch and to Rawlings Botanic Gardens. Driving Laura’s Prius, I only got lost once. I Googled Baltimore Gardens and drove there to the south side of Baltimore, through some rough neighborhoods, to the Gayle’s continuous comments of, “Where are we going?” Well, Baltimore Gardens is a neighborhood……without any gardens. 

I am also amazed with Gayle’s positive spirit. While we can’t always understand what she is talking about, she can tell what we are talking about, and her quick, reflex responses are quite good and often humorous. She can still communicate with a look, and her infinite variety of facial expressions. She handled her move with some tears and fears, but then put on her positive face and gracefully toured the new facility, greeting all the new people. With a good sense of humor, a positive spirit and incredible friends, it’s a good life.

Thank you to these wonderful ladies and to all of Gayle’s friends who are so supportive.

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Dropping Back Toward Quebec City

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59℉ at 5:00, 68 high

Tuesday, September 20,2016

I fly to Baltimore Thursday, so Martha was anxious to move today to get laundry done, get a propane tank filled and get some groceries. She has decided to stay in a campground along the St. Lawrence. It will be her first time alone in the trailer, and that is a totally different feeling. If she doesn’t feel comfortable in the campground, it will give us time to move. She is thinking about biking along the coast or visiting small towns along the river, so we drove to St.Jean-Port-Jolie, about an hour from the bridge to Quebec. We checked into Bonnet Red Campground right in town. A very nice couple is beside us. They come here every year, and it is their favorite place, so they will be here for three days. That is very comforting.

We did a bunch of laundry and cruised around town to get the big picture. It is a big wood carving area with a large museum. There are cute shops and restaurants, and there is a very nice bike trail all along the St. Lawrence. 

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Parc national du Lac-Témiscouata

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60℉ at 6:00 and a high of 75

Sunday, September 18, 2016

After a good night’s sleep, I felt a bit better. We went up to the very cool Visitor’s Center where we met Brigette, who had waited for us until 8:00 last night! Geez, I am so sorry! Like many Quebec people, she said she didn’t speak very good English, but she did great. She explained the park to us, where to go and what to do. We sat down to catch up on emails and book a flight to Baltimore and a place for Martha to stay in Quebec. They have a great WIFI:}

After lunch we opted for a canoe rental on Lac Touladi, putting in at the top, called Petit Lac Touladi. It takes 6 hours to paddle to the end of the lake, so we decided on going just to the top of the big lake and then going back, which turned out to be about a two-hour trip. It was a very pretty afternoon. I’m usually not too big on canoeing big lakes, but we really enjoyed this one. There is a lot of marsh around the lake, perfect for ducks, and we saw a lot with many different kinds. As the winds quieted in the afternoon, we couldn’t help staring at cloud reflections in the water. On the return trip, we went along the eastern shore of the lake, seeing big piles of mussel shells on the banks. There is a big story here about an indian, who once hunted beavers here, but then dedicated his life to protecting them. There are a lot of beaver houses, but there are also muskrats and raccoons. It was obvious there are a lot of mussels in the lake and a lot of whatever eats them. 

When you paddle in the middle of the lake, you don’t feel like you are going anywhere, but when you are on the edge, you can see how fast you are going. It was my impression we could paddle the lake faster than we could walk it. In the old days, it was the only way to travel. Lakes and rivers were the highways of the times. 

They have great showers and bathrooms here, so we cleaned up, fixed dinner and enjoyed another Will Smith movie – “Focus”, which was very good. What a luxury, especially when you have a cold, to lie in bed and watch a movie! 

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Drive to Parc National Du Lac-Temiscouata

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We needed to catch the 9:30 ferry across the St. Lawrence, so we started getting ready at 7:00 and left at 8:00. We checked to see if anyone was up at the house, but all was quiet. It was Saturday and we wanted to let them sleep. I had a terrible cold and didn’t feel good. It is only 38km to the ferry and we got there in plenty of time. What could go wrong? It was a full moon and a very low tide, so they couldn’t take us! They took everyone but us. I started writing the blog, but was just too tired with the cold, so I got back in bed and slept for an hour. There is a campground next to the parking lot, so Martha went and asked if she could use their WIFI and they nicely said yes. Later she went to a nearby restaurant and got vegetable soup.

By 2:00 we boarded the ferry for a 1 1/2 hour trip across the St. Lawrence. We went upstairs to a lounge and watched for whales, seeing a couple of Belugas. I promptly fell asleep for another nap. 

There were two national parks that were close, and we chose Parc National Du Lac-Témiscouata. My navigator gets very stressed on a new route and seems to be having some difficulty with right and left, but we only made one bad turn. After stopping to grocery shop, we finally got set up in our new campsite in the rain by 7:00. Two signs told us to go to the campsite and check in the following day if we cam in late, and that’s what we did. Some people had complained online about the park because a gravel road leads in, but they have paved most of it now. I was asleep at 7:30. 

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