It’s hard to wake up and not be nostalgic today. For sure, we will stay in the present and enjoy this last day together, but we cannot pretend this is just another day.
After one hundred and sixty kilometres on dog sleds, our minds are full of images of dogs racing on the snow. The blue skies and the freezing cold have given way to grey skies, fine hail and warm weather, quite a contrast with the last few days. We are a beautiful team. There is a common bond of respect between the members. At breakfast, there is much kidding and lots of knowing smiles. Mornings at Batiscan are moments of grace as we slowly awake with a hearty meal. The wooden environment is calming. Virginie, one of our guides, cleans the table and showers us with her good humour. Héléna tells us to get ready to go play outside. We’re going to snowshoe to Inusite (an Indian camp) near the seigniory at the far end of the lake. The teens dictate our tempo; they shove each other in the snow and tease each other. We’re warming up for the great snowball fight planned for this afternoon. They trip each other up and plan their strategy for our version of “The Dog who Stopped the War”. As the proverb goes: “Revenge is a dish best served cold”. This keeps us in the present moment and makes us forget that our wonderful adventure is coming to an end. The fine hail soaks us like rain, but does not dampen our pleasure.
Lunch warms up our hearts. It time to gather energy for the moment of truth. The Triton gang, Nicolas, Davis, Rémy, Cyril and Martin, have devised a Machiavellian strategy. The teens are impatient. I don’t know if their energy comes for the pleasure they enjoy, but the teens are very excited. Finally, the battle is engaged. Ski goggles and snowshoes are used for protection. There are people running left and right, hiding behind snow banks or surging straight ahead to gain ground. There is energy everywhere. Then comes the time for a well earned rest after all the excitement. We take our last dinner together. During the evening, the entire team convenes in a circle to share experiences and talk about things we learned. There is a lot of emotion in the words of our wonderful team members. Even the most hardhearted can’t hold back their tears. These kids are an unbelievable inspiration. Their approach to life is surprising and so mature for their age. Mind you, they have come a long way and this adventure is nothing but the continuation of their perseverance, their courage and their tenacity. We see in these kids a strong and honourable incarnation of the best adventure has to offer. The adventure at the Triton was a rite of passage for many of us. Now, it is up to each one of us to continue on our way and our own adventure. No matter what, life still is the grandest and most beautiful of all adventures. From now on, we can live as in those stories we’d like to write.
Thanks for having been there with us. It was an honour and a pleasure to share this On the Tip of the Toes adventure with you. See you at our next expedition. So long…