The sunny forecast came true. The group woke up to the familiar sound of the ukulele and the warm glow of the sun. On top of that, breakfast featured deluxe BLT bagels—basically enough to outshine that Canadian coffee chain named after a hockey player. The view, a coffee, a BLT, and the sun: all the key ingredients to fire up the group jukebox. Safe to say the day got off to a blazing start.
Logistics time. Cooking for 21 people takes fuel. And in the woods, our fuel is fire. Jessica, our lead guide, knows how important a comforting meal is on an expedition, so she whipped up a delicious menu. Everything was cooked over the fire. Every day, participants enjoy three-course meals, taking turns helping out with the cooking. And then there are the folks managing the fire! I watched Quentin take care of gathering wood, maintaining the fire, chopping, and tending to it like a true pro. With quiet strength and calm precision, he handled this complex task with ease. Discipline, gentleness, and solid presence—he kept us warm. Thank you!
Back at camp in the morning, clothes dried and soaked in warmth, just like our hearts, under the morning sun. Everyone packed up their bags, tents, and other expedition gear. Eyes sparkled with excitement. Why such excitement?
Because today brings our first two portages—plus a beaver dam to cross! The adventure levels up, like a skillfully crafted progression. The expertise of the Foundation staff and the outstanding skills of the guides shine through.
By popular demand, Marie-Eve led a morning warm-up and yoga session to wake up our slightly stiff bodies from the day before. It brought a festive mood and helped prepare participants to paddle another 6 km deeper into the Reserve—and especially to haul all the gear and canoes across dry land twice instead of once.
The weather was on our side, as they say, and we launched into our canoe trek with strength, under a blazing sun and a refreshing headwind. Did we reach the first portage in an hour? 45 minutes? Who knows. Time doesn’t matter anymore: we’re headed where we need to be, and we’ll arrive just in time. At the right moment.
A portage means emptying the canoes, hauling the gear, carrying the canoes, then loading everything back in to start again. And yep—we did it twice: once for about 200 meters, then again for about 350. The first portage was good training for the second. Everyone gave it their all, lugging heavy gear back and forth, multiple times. It was even Manu’s first time carrying a second canoe—the whole 350 meters of the second portage.
After all that effort, we reached camp. What a camp! A stunning, huge stretch of sandy beach, with a beautifully arranged and spacious setup. The guides focused on setting up the kitchen while participants were invited to unpack their personal gear and barrels—before going for a swim and a good wash! For a low-impact wash, the technique is: get wet, step away from the water, lather up, and have a buddy douse you with water from containers within easy reach (here, plastic bins used for bailing out the boats).
Picture this: about fifteen adults swimming, stepping out of the water, soaping themselves up (in swimsuits), while two or three teammates splash them continuously to rinse off. The laughter echoed for miles.
Marie-Michelle and Catherine announced that it would be a free evening. That meant: a delicious dinner (grilled pulled-pork sandwiches and homemade buns cooked over the fire—yes, really!), fireside chats, singing, tarot readings, and a crazy game. I can’t reveal the name of the game, unfortunately, because I’m in my tent writing these lines. But I can hear the loudest laughter we’ve had yet.
And I can’t give everything away—because they’ll have a blast telling you their funniest and most thrilling stories themselves. For now, I’ll sign off, because I can hear a call-and-response song: “… une charrette de bois …” being shouted louder and louder. I think they’re trying to break the decibel record set by the other group camping a bit farther away. One thing’s for sure: we’re going to win. See you tomorrow!
Gabrielle
