Thank you, Qeubec

So I’m sitting in Montreal at a small coffee shop without WiFi and I just wanted to get all my thoughts down before I officially left Canada. I got a few hours before NYC, so I'm taking a slight break and semi exploring a new city, and the purpose of this entry is to preserve what I felt while hiking up Acropoles des Draveurs. 

This was the trip that I really needed. Although I took a bunch of cameras with me, I made sure I took the time to really appreciate what I was seeing in front of me, and the memories of everything laid out before me are etched in my brain. I'm glad I can take myself back, similar to what I can do with Colorado, and the pictures just serve as triggers to remind me of the details of my experiences along the way.

In the morning, the Airbnb host was so kind and even made me breakfast, and although they could speak only a little bit of English, we were still able to communicate. They had two very cute dogs, and I spent some time showing them love. The husband was actually a photographer, and we shared our pictures with each other, so that was really neat.

After breakfast, I got my stuff ready, got into my car, and got my first look at the town that I was staying in. It was basically a tiny village at the base of mountains, and driving around it, you could see the colors of fall starting to show through. The temperature was a cool 60 degrees, and the sun was out shining in all its glory, a nice change from the frenetic rain that I had driven through the day before: the perfect day to go hiking. 

However, as excited as I was, I was actually getting quite nervous while making my way into the valley. The mountains were ominously high, and I remember thinking that there weren't many people around at all. I was the only car for miles (or kilometers), and the thought that taking on one of the most grueling hikes in Quebec by myself might not have been the greatest idea was starting to creep in. What if I got lost, or what if I got hurt? Amazon screwed up my order for a Lifestraw, so I wasn't able to bring it with me, so if I needed water, I'd be screwed after the water in my pack ran out.

To add to that, I was in a complete dead zone - no cell service whatsoever. The only reassurance that I got was thinking that the road was very well maintained, and the trees and hedges on either side appeared neatly trimmed. So there were definitely people in this area at some point. I grabbed a bit of gas before I got to my destination.

When I got to the base, I remember looking up thinking holy shit that’s really high… am I about to make a trek all the way to the summit of this? It's going to be one heck of a view if I could. A bit more reassurance came in the form of cars parked along the road, so there were definitely people on the trail. I felt my nervousness start to subside, and my excitement for the hike ahead started to creep back in again. I parked, and got my backpack ready, and after putting it on realized, shit, this is heavy. I tried to trim it down and left a couple lenses, but it did next to nothing. Guess I was going to have to make it up with an extra 20 pounds on my back. Oh well, at least it'll be good exercise. Mentally, I prepared for how difficult this was going to be but honestly, I wasn't ready.

Just 15 minutes into the hike and I was thinking that this was going to kill me. I was already sweating profusely as I was climbing over rocks, and remember thinking that this was like a stairmaster on steroids. The additional weight on my back made it worse. I broke off a branch from a nearby tree, and started to using it as my hiking stick. I made many “photography” excuses to stop and rest, as there were clearings along the way, which also served as motivation to keep me going because the top was going to be even better.

After about 2 hours on the trail, I met a really nice person from Belgium. Miriam was her name, and she looked like she was in her 70's with her gray hair, but seemed to be completely unfazed by the last couple hours of hiking. We had a pleasant conversation about the history of Quebec, why having too much money is bad, and the differences in mindset on giving to charity between Europe and the US. Apparently people are happy to pay more taxes in Europe than in the US if it meant the money was going to help prop up the poorer folk. As she was effortlessly talking, I was dying on the other hand. After a bit, I slowed my pace, and it actually seemed to make the time go by quicker.

When I was nearing the top, I ran into probably the only native English speakers I can remember (no accent), and the woman shouted “2 more minutes and you’re there!” and alas, 2 minutes later, I was there. The trees opened up, and I stepped into the clearing and boom, I'm at the the top of the fucking world, 3.5 hours after being at the bottom. The elevation difference is said to be 800 meters (or 2,600 feet) and I remember thinking about how insanely quiet it was - pin drop silence, with the occasional breeze rustling my damp hair. The entire valley was laid out before me, and it’s just breathtaking. I remember taking a seat after putting my backpack down, and catching my breath. In that moment, I wondered why people why people are so consumed by material things, when they can experience things like this. I wondered why I, myself, am so consumed with the problems that I thought were so vast, but really aren’t.

I took some pictures, and sat on the edge of the cliff, and it was a long way down. My butt cheeks were the only things that were holding me back from certain death. It was awesome. There were two more peaks to summit before I got the very top, and so I went on my way. My legs were starting to give out by this point, and I had to stop several times and stretch because I was getting some serious cramps, that I nearly confused for pulled muscles. Which...if I pulled a muscle at the top, I'd be screwed because I still had to get down. But I kept going. The last peak, which was at an elevation of 1048 meters (about 3,400 ft) had an insane view too. If you look to one side, you see two lakes enclosed in the mountains, and if you look to the other side, it’s a steep drop off all the way down. It’s incredible to see those two planes of existence at such different altitudes.

My favorite moment of the entire hike was when a small plane flew by. It looked like a single-engine Cesna, and probably held 6 passengers at most. As I was standing at the top of the mountain looking at this plane, I realized that it was flying BELOW me. That's how freaking high up I was. That was a pretty surreal moment and it put everything into perspective. It's one thing to see birds flying below you, but to see a plane...that's just a whole new level.

After a few more pictures, I started to make my way down. I remember thinking that it was going to be easier and faster to go down than it was to go up, naturally. But it was so tough. While it was faster, it was difficult in it's own respect. It took over an hour and half and my ankles were protesting. I’m still having a bit of trouble walking as I write this but it was absolutely worth it. I remember how happy I was to see my car parked there on the side of the road. I quickly drank some more water, snacked on a granola bar and made my way back. 

When I got back, I showered and hit up a local McDonalds, because I was just not a fan of poutine. But I did have dinner at a deli here a few minutes ago, and it was fantastic - smoked brisket sandwich. Thankfully I enjoyed that more than poutine. I think smoked meat is a popular thing in Canada.

All in all, it was definitely the hardest climb I’ve ever done, as evidenced by the fact that I’m really sore and my entire body needs a bit of a break both today and tomorrow. I actually kept that stick, because that shit was baller. Definitely taking it on my future hikes - which I’m trying to go to one on Sunday. Indian Head in the Adirondacks, here we go. 

I love you Canada, thanks for such an amazing time. I can’t wait to bring my family here one day. Neither of my parents nor my sister are in any shape to be doing the hike, but I’ll take them on the boat along the river, I think they’ll enjoy that a lot. I have a lot of pictures and a lot of memories. This was truly the best way to end this month after pulling 22 days of work straight, including weekends. Life is amazing, it really is, you just have to be able to look and appreciate the things that make it so. 

Wait for no one, dream big, and live your best life.

Taken on September 26, 2018.