After wandering the streets of Old Quebec city we were ready for something a bit more out in the wild. Jaques Cartier National Park seemed very handy with some interesting looking hikes popping up on Alltrails….and at less than an hour drive to get there….oft we jolly well went…!!
Once outside the city and its spaghetti of highways and junctions….there really is not much of anything in northern Quebec but trees and wilderness. Much like the rest of Canada, its surprising how big and empty it really is, when you go look at the map…!!!
Having made it to the park, and up the winding road to the visitor centre, it was a busy little place. Most of the visitors were there with kayaks, stand up paddle boards, and mountain bikes.
We were bound for the Escarpment loop ( as the one that seemed to promise views..) The next picture is of the viewing platform from the parking lot…!!!
Walking the route anticlockwise gave us the steeper climb initially and the gentle downhill after….(it’s always harder going down the steep slopes)
It was well treed so mostly in shade, and a punishing uphill after such a gap from our last hike. I don’t know if it was a result of recent storms, or if its a feature of the area…….but the trail was humid, often with water running down the path (and rife with gigantic mosquitos) even at the peak of the elevation. It is odd being that high up and it was still peaty and boggy.
At the top….from the lookout platform…you can see the truck…!!
The path down resulted in larger hordes of pestilence. It was so humid, I was not sure if they were landing on me to bite me , or mistaking me for a handy puddle.
My hat came off (because it was shaded) to become a handy bug swatter…….or it gave me some sense of keeping them away from my face at least…!!!
It did not seem like the down slope was much easier than the up…….not to the legs that were doing it….regardless of what the map said…!!
The last few kms were level and along the road….by which time we were just simply tired out…..it would seem we have lost a little fitness…!!!
There was an abundance of our favourite fun guys along the way….
……as well as some other flora……goodness only knows what they are called…but they were pretty..!!
.and some not so timid wildlife…!!! This guy sat quite patiently waiting for me to carry on my way…!!!
All the pictures in this post are clickable if you wish a clearer view. Also any additional information is included in clickable links which appear as underlined text.
Extra pix
OsteoPraxis on the road 
On the road again, so much to see and experience. Looking forward to what you choose. The white fungi was certainly interesting.
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Its good to be moving again…… If you liked those guys… you will like the next couple of posts…!! 😁
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So, not your favourite hike…mosquitoes can certainly take some of the fun out of it. Good to get out for some exercise anyway. Enjoy your trip.
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The hike was fine…. The local blood donation not so much fun…. Lol…. It’s definitely high bug season….!!
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Sure glad we were not trying that jaunt in the woods! Certainly didn’t look like it was suitable for two “oldies” like Ken and I. They would have had to haul us our via a helicopter!
Keep up your excellent commentaries and photos. We so enjoy them. Looking forward to seeing you again on your next jaunt through our country.
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I’m glad to have you with us.. 😁 and pleased that you are enjoying the journey… There are some ‘flatter’ walks coming up as we get more east….!!
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Another great adventure. Do you always have reservations for your campgrounds? Do you find the fuel prices have affected the number of campers? Inquiring minds want to know. lol
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When we decide where we are going, usually about a week out…!! I start calling or emailing for a spot…. The stay sometimes depends on what is available….. Right now we are in Fundy national park… I scored two nights…. Booked it last Monday…. But it was the ONLY site available. It’s high season and we have not had much trouble finding places even in more popular areas…. But we are pretty flexible where we go…!!
We also use harvest hosts and boondockers welcome for one or two night spots when we travel…. Not sure if that answers your question..!!
Headquarters camp at Fundy is one of the nicest campgrounds we have been in… We will definitely come back here…!!
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The white flora in your pic looks like Ditchman’s pipe.
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It’s actually a ghost flower… Apparently related to blueberry..!!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monotropa_uniflora
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