Another highlight activity of the trip was the agenda for our day. After an early start to pack the car, we headed off to the National Tremblant Park to meet our canoe guide at the river. Waiting on the shore for the guide to prepare the canoes, we were attacked by the infamous black flies which are little midges that fly around your head and eyes, dive bombing your head at every opportunity. One is continually swatting the air and it would be a good form of torture as it is enough to drive one insane. The flies soon give way to mosquitos, but at least the Canadian breed doesn’t carry malaria. The mosquitos are then replaced by large black flies and these big buggers bite sore!!!! By the end of the day, Liam’s legs looked like a red spotted Dalmatian. These bites only start itching and burning about 18 hours after you have been bitten and they don’t stop for a week. So my special spotty man has spent a week suffering from these pesky critters.
Despite this, setting off in two man canoes, the river was peaceful as it lazily meandered around the mountain foothills and through narrow gorges. It really was beautiful and the guide showed us many interesting things and told us all about the fauna and flora. During one of our pit stops on a river beach, whilst chatting about the spoor and birds we had seen, I suddenly spotted the elusive, most hunted by our family…….. BEAVER!!!! He was a large hansom specimen, quietly swimming along the top of the water towards his dam of trees and branches on the opposite side of the river. We very very excited with this sighting, but the feelings were not mutual and the beaver loudly smacked the water with his webbed tail as he entered his den, making a loud splash that signified his indignation at our imposing on his peaceful morning. It was amazing to finally find our beaver in the wild and see him so close by.
Together with this highlight, we really enjoyed our 3 hour canoe trip in the great Canadian outdoors. Christine masterfully learned to steer our canoe and thoroughly enjoyed this activity. She out did herself and spent the rest of the day sleeping while we drove from Mont Tremblant to the historic and famous Quebec City.
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