Hiking

Hiking

Waking up was difficult. With arms still weary from the sea kayaking, we're off to meet Nancy Bolduc, our hiking guide in the Saguenay fjord. She doesn't seem too alert, which is reassuring. Unfortunately for us, as soon as we reach the top of the belvedere overlooking Baie Éternité, Nancy's step gets perky and her face brightens up this is her territory!

"I've been working on the trails for nine years and I'm never bored of it", says Nancy. "On the trails, I always have a view of the fjord, so it's constant by dynamic. Sometimes, we see some beluga, other times, we can observe birds, beavers, or seals." Her work as wildlife conservation assistant consists of patrolling the park, but also in talking fauna and flora with visitors. "A large number of the people who visit are here for the first time, so I tell them about the fjord's geomorphology, but also about the work we do, like bird and animal census or the marking of new trails. I really feel like I'm working for the improvement of my park. You see, I even say it's mine!"

We're at the start of the Capes' Trail, which leads hikers to the Anse à l'Ile on the west bank of the fjord. Soon it'll be possible to discover both banks in one seven-day hike. Starting in the Anse à l'Ile, strollers will take a shuttle toward Baie-Sainte-Marguerite, and, from there, they'll be able to go to Tadoussac. This last portion of the trail, called the Fjord Trail, is precisely where Nancy usually works. One look at her shining eyes and we know she can't wait to get there, so we pack up and take the road toward Baie-Ste-Marguerite.

The Saguenay people were right: There are many fjords. Without a doubt the one we see this evening is the most beautiful. From the boat where the nine of us are bundled for a four-hour trip between Rivière Éternité and Baie-Sainte-Marguerite, the sun seems lost in the fog; a mystifying landscape, too unreal to be true. The sides of the mountains descend into the sea like a film set. The vision makes us melancholy, as if we were shipwrecked in our own country. The two cameramen are busy trying to get the best views, but a lens's viewfinder can't do justice to the scenery. I understand now why explorers felt the need to draw; like us, they didn't want to forget. The motor's hum suddenly ceases; we've reached our destination.

Here too, everyone is quiet. The sun has found its way and lights up the rocky mountain at the foot of the cabin Nancy wants to show us. Obviously proud of the site, she knows all hikers will admire the landscape as we do. The's contemplative moment is nearing its end however; we should hurry because the solar star is about to take its leave. We walk rapidly toward the wooden foot-bridge that leads us down to the beach.

In our hurry, we forget Puppy, our sound pole that looks strangely like a small dog without a tail or a head, in the woods. It's only when we reach Rivière Éternité, after two hours by boat in the fallen night, that we realize it. Going on a search is unthinkable, signalling its disappearance to the police is ridiculous, forgetting about it impossible. We decide to sleep on it, imagining it in a bear's jaws or worse, as the supporting beam of a beaver's dam.

The next evening, as we leave the fjord for good and are getting settled to continue the shooting, Nancy Bolduc swings into the restaurant, Puppy in hand. She tells us she sped toward Baie-Sainte-Marguerite the morning after our hike to find it. "People were surprised to see me because it's my day off, but I was too worried to wait one more day," she laughs. The Saguenay people's generosity is definitely not just a matter of legend.

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