Saturday, August 13

Travel day.  We’ll meet early evening at the campground in St. Rose du Nord, located on the north shore

of the Saguenay River.  Once everyone has arrived, we’ll walk to the nearby restaurant/café for some

authentic Quebec food, maybe a blueberry beer, and entertainment. This will be our starting point for the trip.

Sunday, August 14

After breakfast, we’ll break down camp throwing our gear into the vehicles and drive the short distance down the hill to the put-in.  This is one of the most interesting parts of the trip since we have to pack everything, not only personal gear, into the boats for our five-day journey.  The piles will be overwhelming at first but, trust me, it’ll all fit and you’ll learn some interesting packing tips along the way.  With boats loaded and a few granola bars gobbled down, we’ll launch onto the Saguenay and begin our 9-mile paddle to our first campsite, Baie de la Trinite.  A stop for lunch along the way and a stretch break here and there should see us arriving at the site about 3-4PM, plenty of time to set up camp, relax and enjoy the sunset from one of the few beaches on the fjord.  (B,L,D)

Monday, August 15

Today’s journey is a bit longer, 12 ½ miles, paddling beneath the mammoth cliffs that line the fjords.  Part way through our day we’ll glimpse the large statue of the Virgin Mary perched on Cap Trinite across the fjord.  The Virgin Mary, of course, is said to look over the safety of all travelers on the fjord, since she has a long-range view both up and down the river. And, if we time it right, we may be able to join in the sing-along of “Ave Maria” played by one of the daily tour boats who venture up the river from Tadoussac.  As we near our campsite, we may very well glimpse the large gray seals that are often seen basking on the rocks at the base of the cliffs. (B,L,D)

Tuesday, August 16

We’re in the heart of the fjord at this point in the trip and you’ll notice that the river narrows a bit more as we make our way down to Anse de Ilet Rouges, our third night’s campsite.  On our paddle today, we will see and perhaps eat lunch on one of the few islands in the fjord.  Conditions permitting, we’ll land on a small island, have lunch on the rocks, and then spend a few minutes exploring the magnificent view from the top of the island and check out the interesting cave carved by glaciers.  Our campsite is at most an hour paddle from the island and our paddling route will take us beneath one of the most spectacular cliffs you’ll see anywhere on the river.  In fact, after we arrive at camp, set up and eat dinner, it’s just a short walk over to the cliff where you can view a spectacular sunset while you indulge in a tasty dessert.    (B,L,D)

Wednesday, August 17

Here is the day you have been waiting for, a chance to see the docile and gentle Beluga whales.  Just downstream of our campsite, we’ll pass by Baie St. Marguerite, a feeding ground for these wonderful creatures.  The outflow of the River St. Marguerite into the bay creates a nutrient rich eco-system that attracts the whales.  We’ll take our time floating by the bay and with any luck we’ll spot the Belugas feeding, frolicking or even here them talking.  It is illegal to approach whales but oftentimes you will find that the curiosity of the whales gets to be too much for them and they will come to check us out on heir own terms.  Should we miss the whales as we pass the bay, we’ll keep our eyes peeled as we paddle the rest of our 9-mile day to Pointe-a-Passe-Pierre, our final campsite on the river.  In addition to possibly sighting whales, we will pass by some incredible rock formations with interesting designs as we paddle through the narrowest section of the fjord.  Another bonus for today, is a chance to stop at one of the few small villages on the fjord, and relish an ice cold drink while enjoy eating lunch at one of the picnic tables, on the pier.   (B,L,D)

Thursday & Friday, August 18 & 19

We are scheduled to stay at this site for two nights, which provides us some flexibility in case of bad weather and a chance to enjoy the features of this campsite.  The site has a roofed pavilion over two large picnic tables, the ideal spot to prepare and eat meals, especially in inclement weather.  Of course, we will need to share it with any others who happen to be staying here as well.  The views from the campsite situated high on a hill provide a unique perspective that we have not seen until now.  Also, a walk out to the end of the peninsula is a real treat and a perfect hang out spot for sighting whales passing by or simply a wonderful spot for star-gazing.  Try your hand at creating your very own Inukshuk, a little rock man thought by many to be a gift to the spirits, and add to those that have been left behind by others.  Any paddling we do will be in empty kayaks, a real treat after paddling loaded boats for the week.  We may choose to go up river a ways or cross over to the other side, much of it depending upon the conditions and your desires.  After breakfast Friday morning, we’ll paddle the last 6 miles out of the fjord and briefly into the St. Lawrence before landing on the beach in Tadoussac.  Keep your eyes open as we paddle along since we are apt to see more Belugas and Minke whales as well.  The afternoon will be spend getting the cars from St. Rose du Nord, loading up the kayaks, and then proceeding on to our final night of car camping. Get psyched…the shower is close by and maybe even some clean clothes if you left a supply in your car.  Once we’re all clean, we’ll head out to get a bite to eat and talk about the fun we had. (B, L)

Saturday, August 20

Departure day – travel safely home.