Almost Met a Moose: Backpacking Sentier Les Caps

   Each summer, our family vacation centers on spending time in a national or state park which has been set aside because someone (or a group of people) knew there was something special about the land. So we've got to check it out! This summer we traveled to Quebec province, in particular the areas of Lac Saint Jean and Saguenay River three hours north of Quebec City. The Saguenay River is well known for its breathtaking fjords and beluga whales. Much land along the Saguenay is protected by two parks, Parc Marin du Saguenay-Saint-Laurent and Parc National du Fjord-Du-Saguenay, which is managed by Sepaq. 

   After this trip, I fell even more in love with Canada's parks. Three years ago, we spent two weeks in Nova Scotia at Cape Breton, Kemjikujik and Five Islands. The Canadian government and its citizens treasure their land and have invested many tax dollars to conserve it and provide excellent recreational resources. For example, trails are well maintained with good signage and campgrounds not only provide campsite necessities but covered pavilions or buildings to cook, clean and seek shelter during unsettled weather. Furthermore, many offer different outdoor living experiences from huts to canvas tents, shelters, and decked tent platforms. Due to these ample park resources, people experience the joy of the outdoors while reducing their impact on conserved land.

   After dabbling in Quebec City life, we spent three days and two nights backpacking the Sentier Les Caps in the Baie-Éternité area of the Fjord du Saguenay. We opted this time for two backcountry huts, Lac de la Chute and Lac du Marais, instead of tents. There are two additional huts on the Sentier Les Fjords, a 40-kilometer trail on the north side of the Saguenay River. The huts are primitive. There is no plumbing or electricity. However, each hut has eight bunks and mattresses, counter space for cooking, a large table with eight chairs, a wood stove (open pit fires are prohibited), a privy, a water source and a front porch with a view. 

   When planning this backcountry adventure, I executed our family plan backwards from my norm. I discovered the park on Google Maps, read the park website and reserved huts before knowing about the trail route (not necessarily a good idea). When reserving, I learned the Sentier Les Caps is a one way, 27 kilometer hike with the highest peak being 500 meters. I figured I’d make a plan after receiving the park map and researching the trail online. Best laid plans didn’t happen. I received the wrong map and learned very little about it from the web. We started our vacation blind. This is definitely not Leave No Trace and left me a bit anxious to lead my family in the Canadian wilderness.

   By the time we started on the Sentier Les Caps, my anxiety melted. We had a topographical map, a reservation to retrieve our car through OrganisAction (we parked at lot #3 on Rue du Notre Dame in the Baie-Éternité section of the park to then retrieve it at L'Anse de Tabatiere) and all the equipment for a joyful and safe adventure (minus no rain or cold weather gear packed by my seventeen year old daughter, thankfully I was uber prepared with extra gear). 

   With hamburgers in our stomachs from a food truck at Rivière Éternité, we began our seven kilometer hike up 1,100 feet to the top of the fjord. We crossed the Eternity River, followed it to its mouth at the Saguenay and then up the fjord via a narrow stream valley. While the Sentier Les Caps is intermittently blazed with bright yellow tags for snowshoeing, there is a clear trail tread. Furthermore, each kilometer is marked with signage and intersection signs point hikers in the right direction. We reached Refuge Lac-de-la-Chute in the late afternoon. The sparkling lake invited us to wash the sweat and salt from our bodies. We shared the hut with a couple from Beauport, Quebec giving me the opportunity to practice my French.

   On the second day’s ten kilometer hike to Refuge Lac-du-Marais, we walked through dense coniferous forests, deciduous woods laden with waist high ferns, alpine meadows, bogs, across streams, past lakes and waterfalls and to spectacular vistas of the Saguenay River. We hoped to spot a moose. These shy behemoths didn't reveal themselves but they left much evidence of their presence. Before reaching the hut, we hiked along the banks of Lac du Marais, a wetland where beavers intricately engineered their large swimming pool. The hut is posed alongside it at the top of a wide stream valley with a beautiful view of the fjord and Saguenay beyond.  I enjoyed a peaceful early morning watching two beavers frolic while hoping to catch a glimpse of a moose.

   Our third day’s nine kilometer hike took us through alpine meadows across mountain caps with views of Lac du Marais and the Saquenay. Then we descended a valley towards Anse de Tabatiere and our car parked on Chemin de l'Anse. While we gained the most elevation on the first day and lost the most on the third, the Sentier Les Caps undulates through the fjord with an approximate elevation gain of 3,000 feet.

   Upon reflection, I've learned that my family does very well on vacation when given a challenge. While enjoying the journey, we must plan and meet daily goals and tasks to succeed. Although this summer's backpacking adventure was less searing than last, we still accomplished what we set out to do in another awe inspiring landscape. Thank you Canada!