Journal Entries

For those who are curious, this is what the inside of the refuge's look like. They are free to use by anyone during the day.

Refuge Lavigne, the second refuge I pass along the way. The site wasn't particularly spectacular, so I am not exactly what made them decided to put it here. It probably has something to do with it's proximity to a road/quad trail where they can travel to keep it supplied with wood.

Finally a view!

This bog was pretty, though the state of the bridge and the boards for crossing it made for a bit of a white knuckle experience.

After many km of hiking through overgrown trail, over blowdowns, with no views and way too many bugs, I had to get off the trail to go in search of water. This lake was really pretty, and I was seriously tempted to stop here for the night just to soak it all in. After a brief rest and top-up of my dwindling water supplies, I felt rejuvenated enough to try my luck at making camp further along the trail, hoping I might find a similar spot at one of the lakes on my map.

This bridge, that crosses la Rivière L'Assomption marks the end of the Sentier de rivière Swaggin (trail) and the beginning of the Senteir de la Boule section. Unfortunately, I was also to discover, it also marks the beginning of the gradual degradation of the trail AND a sharp uptick in bug activity. I knew it was too good to be true...

Looking out from the bridge over la Rivière L'Assomption.

The first of the huts I encounter, the Refuge Swaggin is a central camp/cabin location in the area. With a campground (not free!), the hut, and the starting point to both hiking and paddling, there is a lot that can be accessed from this location.

Break time at a beautiful waterfall. On the bank of the river just behind me is a fantastic camp spot. If you are looking for a great free place to camp with a relatively short (~6.5 km) hike, it doesn't get much better than this.