It’s our last day together on the water. No long distances to cover, but a series of actions that signal the summer 2023 expedition for teens 14 to 19 years old is coming to an end.
Last night wasn’t particularly cool, but this morning, everything is covered in dew. We’ll place the wet rain flies in the storage bags. They’ll all need to be dried out properly when we get back to Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean.
Once the fire gets going, Amy starts to make the blueberry-saskatoon berry jam. Many expeditioners bring their berry hauls to Amy, but Zoe’s contribution is remarkable: she’s got a Nalgene bottle full of blueberries. Smiles abound as the jam is added to our grilled cheese sandwiches and the pot of jam is soon empty.
The morning routine gets underway as we fold the tents, undo the tarps, fill the barrels, and load up the canoes for the last time on this expedition on the Spanish River.
Jake tells us what to expect today: a short 8 km to cover with the wind at our backs.
We take advantage of the large beautiful clear field to take some group photos. First go the participants, then everyone together, and then the staff including the guides who assemble a small, three-tiered pyramid. It’s a good sign: it means there’s still some energy leftover after nine days on the water supervising the group.
After a few paddle strokes, four canoes group together and hang a sail using a yellow tarp, and a little bit further another group of three canoes does the same with a blue tarp. The two canoe-sailboats join up. Most of the group cruises for the next few kilometres riding the wind.
After a while, Marie-Michelle and Julien bring all the canoes together to teach everyone another Foundation tradition. Marie-Michelle passes a thin yellow rope along the canoes, through the hands of all the expedition members. This rope symbolizes the link between us all over this expedition. She then invites everyone to associate the rope with moments they want to remember, because the rope will soon be cut and transformed into bracelets for all the expedition members. This bracelet will serve as a reminder of the strength support from others can bring during difficult moments and as a souvenir of the group overall.
After a last moment of personal reflection, the canoe raft disassembles and we paddle the last few kilometres to our final destination. In less than 15 minutes, the canoes are emptied and lined up next to the road. The group now works like a well oiled machined.
We quickly swallow lunch on site and then head over in two groups to the hotel in Espanola. Before heading to our rooms, everyone empties out their barrel and hands back any equipment or clothing lent to them by the Foundation.
The long-awaited showers get underway and a meal of very generous if not gigantic portions is served. When the desert arrives, the adults in the group break out laughing given the portions. We take advantage of the moment to wish Alice a happy birthday, even if it’s only on July 23. Happy Birthday, Alice!
A few other celebration activities were planned but we don’t really have the right space for it and many of the participants are close to falling asleep at the table. Raincheck for tomorrow!
So, if you’re still up for more of the story, come back tomorrow for the conclusion of this expedition.
Louis-Étienne Prévost
Volunteer photographer-blogger for the On the Tip of the Toes Foundation
P.S. It’s so nice to write these words without being eaten alive, sitting here on a plastic Adirondack chair in front of my hotel room with a view to Espanola’s main street. But even though the scenery from my “office” is charming, it’ll never beat the one I had over the last nine days.
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Translated by Anna Tomczyk
In pictures
