My Gregory 65L Baltoro. (from video capture)
June 2017, had a great, yet modest solo backpacking trip in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. It was a great gear and personal conditioning test, an 8km hike in and a 3km hike out with great weather the first day/evening and second day. My third day turned into a soaking wet challenge, with heavy rain starting just after midnight.
The tenting area is large, meaning, 5 tent pads (ergo potentially 10 people!!) with a fire wood shed with axe, a well maintained mouldering privy in the background and a lovely cold fast flowing stream for water.
emerging (False) Soloman's Seal? or emerging Rattlesnake Plantain? (comments welcomed)
The forest is deciduous with a few very large Eastern Hemlocks
(Tsuga canadensis) scattered about. I don't know if the
'wooly adelgid' beetle, (the bane of the Eastern Hemlock) has yet to infect the hemlock stands at Parc du Mont Orford. The park (SEPAQ) has however done a major relocation of (front country - I say 'front country' as Orford is not a true wilderness area but has one 'remote' tenting area the rest are heavily developed and serviced camp sites) camp sites away from Hemlock stands to protect a rare orchid associated with this conifer, the
Rattlesnake Plantain (Goodyera repens).
This backcountry camping area is nestled in the crux of several heavily forested hills, compacted footing, 800m away from and unnoticeable to day hikers.
At my tent pad with my Kelty Salida II (from video capture)
I like my solid Pivetta littleway backpacking boots. A lot of the through hiker folk like sturdy trail runners/shoes as opposed to them, but I'm a heavy guy carrying a 40lb pack (w/food and water) and one weak knee. Most through hikers are very young and carry a base weight of 20lbs or less. My base weight is 30lbs in this case. So solid foot and ankle support is 'dress of the day' for me. I was glad for that choice because the camp is on an 800m spur of a popular (equally difficult), heavily used trail. Though the hike in was an easy 7km cart track, the trail into the camp site is muddy, rocky and uneven tread. The hike out was going to be challenging because the weather report was for heavy rain. If not only because I'm untested. Once I got used to my pace, (I jog and power walk regularly to try to stay limber as I'm approaching my 65th year here,) I was fine and became used to keeping a close bead on my footing with no mishaps on the way out. I use a Sherlite trekking staff, and very thankful for it!!
The psychology was interesting and what I had set myself up for, going in alone, to be alone and however modestly, isolated.
As it happened I had hiked in and found another camper who had arrived just before me, so there was company and distraction especially around the campfire.
It all changed when I woke up on the last morning because the other camper was gone and I opened up my tent entrance to heavy rain, and alone. It was spooky cause I now had to deal with packing up wet, with the prospects of hiking out heavier with rain soaked gear and cold. Plus the prospect of that gnarly trail and unsure how I was going to cope with that muddy uneven tread. I was able to take care of the cold. I don't mind being wet, if I'm not cold. I have a light Westcomb Tango bombproof insulated jacket, wore shorts with a jogging knicker/tight underneath and wool socks and a wide brimmed OR hat to keep the wet out of my eyes. My Pivetta's stayed dry the whole time. Though, I was going to have problems enough with perspiration running into my eyes, I thought. But surprisingly, it didn't happen and was able to keep a clear bead on my footing.
Oddly, after I got all my gear stowed in the pack and my boots on, the creepiness of it all began to evaporate. I felt even better when I got my 'bloody mitigated'
65L Gregory Baltoro pack secured snugly onto my back and cinched in. "OK... take your time, slow deliberate steps" I repeated to myself. Secure footing followed as I controlled my pace on the slippy trail. At the outset it was intimidating dealing with the wet, fog, and the weight, PLUS my inexperience, I felt claustrophobic all that hanging around me. All be it a good test and in retrospect would liked to have felt more confident so I could video record the experience.
Down the line, two more of these, closely spaced together with increasing length and difficulty, maybe La Mauricie National Park north of Grande Mere Qc, and Frontenac Prov. Park in Ontario. I could be ready for GMC's Long Trail End-to-End? 1/8th already completed. And even dreaming of the Colorado Trail.
