A Night in an Igloo
A thick blanket of snow covers the scenery. After having travelled for hundreds of kilometres, far away from all signs of civilization, we are happy to finally see the small cabin that serves as headquarters for Québec Aventure Plein Air inc. We meet with clients who are here to enjoy the richness of nature.
Members of our group are presented with different options concerning sleeping arrangements. Cameraman Yanick Rose and I are the only ones brave enough to want to spend the night outside. Owner Michel Gagnon takes us on a tour of the igloos that he's built on Lake Dandurand, in front of the company's cabin. The stars light our path as we make our way towards the lake. Unfortunately, the weight from all the recent snow has made the ice cave in somewhat and the floor of the igloos are wet. For tonight, we'll be sleeping in another igloo, built on the bank, near the cabin. Surprisingly enough, our snow cavern isn't as cold as one might think and a simple candle is enough to light the interior.
The next morning when we awake, we feel as though we're on some distant planet, where everything is bright white. The whole experience is very pleasant, despite our slightly frosty noses. Yanick decides to go into the cabin, while I fall back to sleep. Later on, when I walk into the cabin, I see that everyone is up and awake, and Beno”t Laporte (a.k.a. Captain VIA) is waiting patiently for his turn in the cabin's only bathroom. As you can guess, accomodations here are at their strict minimum, and the word "rustic" easily comes to mind
Other than the usual winter sports of cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and ice fishing, the site offers a chance to discover native Atikamekw culture. "Whenever you learn about a culture other than your own, it benefits you," explains Michel Gagnon. "It's difficult to say how exactly. It's different for everyone." Here, for example, a native guide can teach you how to build a shelter out of spruce branches, just like the Atikamewks used when they went hunting. You can also learn how to make your own snowshoes or to use native herbal medicines. "It's an experience you can't have in the city, " adds Michel. "Instead of going to the movies or out to dinner, we go trapping or hunting. We might even get to see a wolverine."
Lake Dandurand is immense and a great surface for snowshoeing or "traction paragliding," a new sport, that is akin to windsurfing on snow, but allows users to glide on ice skates, a sled, skis, or even, their own body. Enthusiasts hold on to a large parachute and the wind pulls them along. When mother nature co-operates, you can go up to 60 kilometres an hour, on a distance of at least eight kilometres. "The fun thing is that you never know when the wind is going to pick you up off the ground!" exclaims Michel. Sounds like a blast!
The VIA train lets us off about 15 minutes away from the Gagnons' cabin. In fact, Michel has only good things to say the train "It's safe, comfortable and pleasant. You sit, get a bite to eat, read and sleep. Before you know it, you've arrived at your destination, well rested and smiling. We then come to pick you up and the fun begins."
What's fun is to travel hundreds of kilometres to discover nature, to observe and understand her, to experience Atikamekw culture, take part in various activities that you never get a chance to do, and, most of all, to get away from it all. Like Michel wisely says,
"The main problem of the big city is stress. Here, we don't get headaches, we don't know the meaning of the word. Coming here is like getting detoxed; it's a wonderful natural medicine."
