Second-last day of our expedition. This means that we have just spent five days in the wilderness. This is when we remember that we have a good life elsewhere, with a bed, shower and TV, that we vaguely miss, but we also begins to get a taste for this new, so different routine,.
We begin to develop our little habits. This is where we hang our gloves, that’s where we hang our socks. We already know which dog will set aside for later some food and which other we will need to bury under straw, because his hair is too short. We know where to put the wood and when to help out for meals. Everyone has their favorite spot to eat in the communal tent, as their favorite mattress to spend the night. We know when to unfold our sleeping bags and where snorers are positioned.
Today, there a family spirit can be felt in the camp. The sledding day was short, but it must be admit that human and animal bodies are getting tired. Once again, we went back to Craig Creek camp, central point of the paths we follow. There, we loaded a few crates of food and straw bales on our sleds.
The tracks that we followed today were overcrowded compared to other days. We passed two other sleds groups, a whole cross-country skiing group, snowshoe enthusiasts, and even a huge truck that was going to get wood. It has not snowed lately, and after dropping to -30°C last night, the temperature became very enjoyable during the day, thanks to the sun! Before arriving at the camp tonight, we rode across a vast snowy plateau, then downhill towards South River, which gives its name to the city where we will return tomorrow.
We arrived at the camp at 2 pm, one to two hours sooner than usual time, to light a bonfire and enjoy the sun while performing our tasks. Throughout the afternoon, we could hear the jokes and laughter, as we would a big family on a camping trip. While waiting for suppertime, we gathered around the fire to hum together the Tip of the Toes Foundation hymn, and Marc-André has told us a bilingual version of the legend of the ‘chasse-galerie’ (Flying Canoe legend).
Tonight, we were promised hot dogs and marshmallows, and then it will be time for an overview of our adventure here. We will have to choose one word to sum up our experience and explain why we chose that word. It’s a tradition that we have since the very first Tip of the Toes Foundation expedition, 20 years ago! And it will be our last night before returning to Northridge, and to civilization.