Sunday, July 31, 2016

Boldly going where I haven't gone before...preparation

July 28 and 29, 2016 - Lac La Peche, Quebec

LT and I make a pretty good team. We are used to travelling with each other. We each have our own tasks we do while canoe camping. He's a foot taller than me, so he gets all the jobs that are high up (like tying the center line for the bug shelter). And he's much stronger than me, he does all the heavy lifting.

This summer I happen to be a bit more flexible for when I can go camping and he's less flexible because of, well, life. So I decided to ask a friend to go on an overnight trip with me to Lac La Peche. This trip was about going somewhere I'd never gone camping and taking on tasks I'd never done because LT is always there to do them for me.

This lake is fairly close by, just under an hour's drive from home. It's in the Gatineau Park. It does not have any car camping, like at Lac Phillippe. You can make the reservations online. It even has pictures you can check out of the campsites before you select one. All the camping sites are canoe-in sites. There are no hike-in sites. 

Here's a link to the website: https://reservations.ncc-ccn.gc.ca/GatineauPark%2fLaP%C3%AAcheLake%3fMap

Here's what the map of sites looks like:
Map from the Gatineau Park website
The online reservation system works pretty good. I did change our reservation from Monday night to Thursday night due to weather, which cost an extra $11.50. But that was money well spent to ensure a more pleasant experience.

My friend, Liz, had never been canoe camping before and I thought this trip would be a good introduction, mainly because I wasn't going to make her portage. When I checked with her for gear, she was able to get a sleeping bag. Other than that, I would provide all the gear and she would bring her own lunch and snacks. She came over to my place a couple of times so we could talk about what to expect for the trip. I talked with her about what food I'd supply, I showed her most of my gear. I have two regular tents (not lightweight or small). We set up both of them in the park behind my place to see which one we'd bring. And to check that I had all the gear needed for either tent. We chose the newer one.
Set up at the campsite
I would have to drive over to LT's before he left for work on Thursday and pick up the canoe. Then our adventure would start!

Day 1                                            Day 2

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