Windigo VIA Adventures Expeditions
With its mouth wide open"Windigo, next stop!" The old shed used as a waiting room by the passengers isn't much to look at, but the visual aspects of our surroundings don't take away from the place's considerable charm. Two retired men serve as an unofficial welcoming committee. They sit and watch the trains and the hours go by, the two of them looking as if they've been here since the very first train came this way. They greet the passengers with the quiet smile of those for whom life isn't a chore anymore.
What is left of the village sits in the background, crumbling from old age. Long ago, back when the logging industry was still the region's main industry, Windigo had about 3 000 inhabitants, mostly loggers. Today, a small village still survives around the abandoned houses, haunted by the memories of better days. On the other side of Reservoir Blanc, you catch a fleeting glimpse of the Windigo Game Preserve.
Michel Lamarre is waiting by the tracks. He has come to take us to Windigo, like he said he would. His friendly mug is a good indication of what our stay in this wilderness resort there's even a small beach will be like. A five minute boat ride is required to get to Windigo. No doubt about it, we're in Upper Mauricie now!
To get around this big lake, Michel uses a boat as silent as a stalking catbut as fast lightning. The ride is such a smooth one, you feel like you're riding on rails. "During the summertime, my boat is like my car. In fact, it has the same kind of motor as my car!" Five minutes later we step out onto the Preserve's beach, but it's much too nice out to go inside. "I think we have enough time to ride to Île de Sable!" decides Michel. No problem, we put our scarves back on and away we go!
The amazing journey that followed allowed us to appreciate the extent of Reservoir Blanc's vast network of streams and rivers. The reservoir was created on the Saint Maurice River to feed a hydro-electric plant, and a trip along its waters lets us discover this region in all its autumnal beauty. A half hour later, the boat reaches the sandy bank of Île de Sable, a kind of boreal desert that, in fact, sits on a peninsula. Once Michel turns the motor off, all you hear is total silence.
An almost deafening silence. Used as they are to urban cacophony, our ears have a hard time adjusting to this dead quiet. Suddenly, a loud cracking sound rips through the silent air and resonates through the peninsula. Michel has just shot at a handful of ducks flying by. He got a hit. A particularly chubby specimen was waiting for us a few metres from the shore.
When he glimpses game, Michel's always-calm face suddenly lights up. His pupils dilate, his eyes focus and a large smile creeps onto his face, all signs of a rush of adrenaline. Now that's a real hunter.
Fishing: Above All Else
Michel might get excited at the sight of wild game, but his true passion lies elsewhere. This man is a fisherman at heart. Of all the visitors who come his way, most come to cast their line in the Preserve's pristine waters. In all, 600 fishermen come to Windigo each year, while only about 20 people come for the hunt. Yellow pikes, burbot, and pikes are abundant in Windigo's waters. Hunters shouldn't worry though; the game preserve's forests overflow with black bears, deer, moose, partridges and martens, just to name a few. There are so many animals in fact, that hunters can choose to trap their prey or hunt them down with bows and arrows, or guns.
Back at camp, the accommodations look nothing like a five-star hotel's, but the log camp's comfort level is more than satisfying. "When I first came here, it was the stone age," says Michel. "We had to build everything as years went by." Today, a generator provides enough power to light the whole camp, tv set and beer fridge included. During the high season, Michelbuys up to $ 1,500 a week in groceries, including about 50 cases of beer to quench his clients' thirst! "I may have the lake and forest as my personal grocery store, but I still have to call the market in La Tuque to order supplies, which the train delivers," explains Michel.
After a generous meal prepared by Lise, Michel's wife, it's time to go test the pillows' softness. Tomorrow morning, we will hike up a steep hill to get to Michel's favourite hunting terrain, deep in the heart of the forest. Our goal: to call moose. More on that subject next week.
