Wake-up time to the sound of the ukulele! Eve-Marie and Marie-Michelle’s voices fill the refuge. This morning, it’s “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” opening the eyes of the young participants — and the team too, a little earlier. Raphaël adds his touch to the duo — actually, Raphaël always adds his touch — with whistles and back vocals!
Loïs’ words come back to me… the general boredom that pushed him to say yes to the expedition without even thinking twice. “Putting everything on pause is good for the soul!” He also shares another reason for returning to the Spring Escape Expedition: a sort of “undercover mission” to help the new participants settle in and enjoy the experience more quickly.
Sunshine is here again this morning. Milla is the first one out of the rooms. The atmosphere is soft, still sleepy. Eventually, everyone makes their way to the cafeteria for a good breakfast. Yet there’s a shadow over the morning. Mélanie’s condition requires her to leave the expedition. Her departure is organized by car with Naïla, a volunteer nurse accompanying her back to Montreal.
During this unfortunate interruption, Milla and Teagan draw together while the expedition journal slowly comes to life. It becomes the memory of the expedition, told by the young participants in any form they wish: poems, anecdotes, drawings, messages… Branwen is its guardian and encourages the group to fill its pages.
“One day bag, one night bag.” That’s how E-M explains the packing system before the group heads off to organize their belongings: one dry bag for the rabaska canoe and one barrel for camp. Everything happens calmly as the facilitators call everyone toward the real adventure.
By the lakeshore, under the blazing sun, Mario Bilodeau’s now legendary expression — co-founder of the foundation — sets the tone: “Hey gang, aren’t we feeling good?!” And how true it is…
Loïs then improvises a team chant: “One two team, one two expé!”
The lake is perfectly still, not a breath of wind. We marvel, admire, sing. Raph — yes, Raph again — turns our rabaska into a floating gym, calling out rhythmic workout intervals that Loïk and Loïs follow with incredible energy. The canoe flies across the water while Teagan, Milla, and I enjoy a little break and let the guys burn off steam.
The route is beautiful, the temperature perfect. The boats glide along Île Verte before entering a mysterious channel… Does it open up? Does it not? And finally, the passage appears. Lunch is getting closer. The pace picks up and arriving at the stop starts feeling like a sprint. Branwen powers her canoe forward and it ends in a tie.
It only takes a few minutes for the group to swap life jackets for swimsuits! Yes yes — this was the plan all along during the 7 km paddle. The water is freezing cold. But brave or hesitant, chilly or not, everyone jumps in! Screams, laughs, “woo!”, “ahhh!”… everyone has their own style, their own dipping time, their own soundtrack… but one thing is shared by all: the laughter echoing through the bay.
Wrapped up afterward, they enjoy the steaming squash soup prepared by Café de la Pointe for lunch, along with sandwiches made to order from the day before — complete with names written on them and even little sweet notes.
Marie-Hélène starts a small juggling session — actually, it’s Jesse’s “hidden talent” — and it’s wonderful! The balls fly through the air and spark Anne-Marie’s curiosity. Jesse shares a few tips and it works surprisingly well. Soon enough, Loïs joins in too!
Before getting back on the water, Marie-Michelle celebrates the fact that the wind is at our backs, and Marie-Hélène adds: “better that than breaking our backs.” So off we go again with humor, games, and songs. The final 3.5 km glide by quickly. The site known as the Blue Lagoon reveals its beauty, promising an unforgettable evening.
And it starts in the water! The setting sun paints an unbeatable scene. MM, EM, Jesse, Raph, Milla, AM, Branwen, Angelo, Jeanne, and Hayman (I hope I named everyone!) enjoy a blissful swim together. The submerged sandbank lets them walk far into the lake all the way to a rock. They stretch time itself and fully soak in the moment, together.
A warm fire and spicy ginger soup arrive at just the right moment. The chills fade away and the Mac & Cheese completes the comfort. Once the pots are empty and everyone’s bellies full, MM and EM invite the group to reflect on the day:
- A rating out of 10 for the overall experience?
- The highlight of the day?
- Hopes for tomorrow?
Unanimously, it’s 10/10.
For Angelo, the swims were amazing — not easy, but truly awesome. His wish: to stay in touch.
For Loïk, everything was perfect. He loved it all… especially the Mac & Cheese!
Loïs says the “contact game” in the rabaska was his highlight… but he also feels time goes by too fast and hopes tomorrow will be “just as big.” He adds that the simplicity of the days feels like a true luxury that allows everyone to fully enjoy the moment.
Jeanne especially loved being on the water and swimming, and hopes the weather will be just as beautiful tomorrow.
Exactly the same for Milla.
Marie-Michelle’s highlight is still to come: dessert!
For Eve-Marie, hearing the young participants laughing while swimming tonight was an especially powerful moment. She hopes for even more songs tomorrow!
Jesse also loved being out on the water and everything happening tonight at camp.
For Raph, the ukulele wake-up was the highlight, and he also hopes to stay connected with the group and make this beautiful bond last.
AM calls it a “great day,” and hearing Branwen sing in the canoe was the best part. Her special request for tomorrow: hear her sing again!
For Branwen, the day could have reached 11/10 if she hadn’t spilled soup all over her pants… but unsurprisingly, swimming was her highlight too. Her original wish: to learn more French words from all of us.
For Teagan: “No complaints.” Everything is perfect, and the quiet moment together near the rock during the swim was the highlight. Another wish related to French — but this time about the subjunctive tense for Monday’s exam!!
For Hayman too, swimming was the highlight, along with waking up to the sound of the ukulele.
And finally, my turn: seeing Angelo and Branwen’s pure joy, like carefree children, deeply touched me.
After hearing so much happiness and gratitude, Angelo suggests opening the High & Low. He volunteered to take care of it since last night and feels this is the right moment. The High & Low is a tightly wrapped surprise brought out either during low moments or to celebrate something special. And this definitely qualifies! Another condition: everyone in the group has to agree. And they do! Angelo hands it to Loïs, now crowned “leader.” After an epic battle with the duct tape: candy, sweets, and henna tattoos!
But all of that can wait — it’s time for the famous dessert: an incredible carrot cake loaded with extra icing!
As I write these lines, a hilarious game involving fruit and vegetable names is happening behind me… though everyone seems to be struggling with pronunciation and bursting into laughter. I’ll let them tell you the full story themselves.
The sun sets the sky and lake ablaze. Everyone pauses in front of the magical view until night slowly wraps itself around the camp.
Fabienne
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