Adventure has its very own way to bring us face to face with ourselves, to show us what we are made of. Sometimes, without prior notice, it makes us give our best. This is what I am reminded of as I watch them bring their luggage on the balcony of the Batiscan (the cabin where we slept last night). They don’t seem to be too nervous. Rather, they are excited to see the dogs again, as we hear them howling even inside the cabin. It is quite a ruckus, as there are about 50 dogs expecting us near the lake. We rush through the last pieces of French toast, which are carefully dunked in maple syrup (a must!). Étienne and Simon are the kings of the gluttons, devouring French bread plus fruit, plus yogurt, plus litres of juice! No guilt there, as an expedition ensures that we will burn off tons of calories. After a last check-up to make sure we don’t forget anything, we leave the comforts of the Batiscan. See you in five days! Our hosts at Triton, Nicolas and David, make sure every things goes smoothly while they take every occasion to play tricks on us. What a happy pair of woodsmen!
We’re headed for the pack where the mushers will greet us. (Mushers are the people who look after the sled dogs). We are greeted with warm smiles. Their passion is obvious. It is fascinating to see that they speak the dogs’ language. They each sport a beard and seem naturally immune to the cold. As our friends at Triton, the Inukshuks mushers seem to fuse with nature. They are for real! We are each assigned a dog and we slowly learn to befriend them. Courtney seems to have a particularly strong bond with them. The dogs sense this and pay her in return with their kisses. Scott is simply fascinated by the huskies. At first glance, their kinship with wolves is obvious. They are strong and totally at ease in the cold. Their eyes are blue or brown; some of them have one eye of each colour. One of them, Kovou, is basking in the sun with his eyes closed. No stress for this dog! Frisky, on the other hand, is fidgety and anxious to get on his way. The mushers tell us how the dogs simply adore pulling the sleds. It is their work, but they love the action.
One hour passes as the sleds and the dogs are readied. We use this time to familiarize ourselves with the dogs and the operation of the sleds. Our departure is surreal. The teens are divided in teams of two and look after their own sled. The mushers are interspersed among the teens for security reasons. David is at the back on a snowmobile, far enough not to interfere. Strangely, there is little sound. The runners glide on the snow and strangely we seem to be flying over the ice. As we glide in nature, the sleds are in a single file. The dogs follow the lead sled, or at least its scent. They progress with disconcerting assurance as if they knew these lakes. Leading the sled is fantastic and much easier than I had anticipated.
These teens are indeed lucky to be here and experience this wonderful contact with nature. Little by little they open up. After nearly 20 kilometres on lakes and mountains, we come to the log huts where we will find warmth and quiet for the night. They date back to the early part of the century and yet they are still very sturdy. The smoke rising from the chimneys augur well for the delicious meal ahead. On arrival at the camp, the teens warm up for awhile before helping with the routine baggage. Soft and comfortable spaces are dressed up for those dogs most sensitive to the cold (a carefully made small fir bush bedding area). The dogs must have a good night’s sleep, as they are our only means of transport during the expedition. At nightfall, our rosy cheeks are tired. This will be our first real night as “coureur des bois”. Our adventurer friends are surely very proud of themselves. They show no obvious signs of fear or loneliness. Being together makes them strong. They seem well adapted to their new lifestyle. During the night, as I feed the woodstove, I watch our good friends asleep. I am indeed lucky to be here.