Crossing the Border into Quebec

June 22, 2024

Mile 222.8-234.5 (Canoe & Co Campsite)

(8 miles of portaging)

After taking a few zeroes for the Summer Solstice party and doing some much needed reorganizing/dropping weight/buying a new tent, we’re back! Jan dropped us back off at Davis Park around 1:30 pm. Shortly after leaving the house on the drive to the trail we realized the Canadian border crossing on trail would be closed by 4. There was almost no way we’d make it in time which meant our options would be to only do 4 miles today and camp early or to make our own route I mapped out with Gaia which would take us through a different border crossing open 24/7 but would add 1.5-2 miles onto our portage. We decided on the second option because after several days off we were feeling restless and really didn’t feel like only going 4 miles and stopping for the day.

We unloaded the canoe in the Davis Park parking lot and quickly organized our gear and set up the wheels and then started off on the 2 mile road walk to the border. U.S. customs came out first, shook their heads in disbelief at what we were doing and sent us on our way. 

The Canadian customs officer was very chill and nice. When we told him what we were doing he was impressed, asked plenty of questions and asked if we had any weed. He even said “I’m sure you have knives but I really don’t need to see them.” Disappeared in his shack and came back out with our passports to wave us along. He seemed worried about our safety road walking and told us to be careful and then brought out a whole pack of Montreal bagels for us to take with us. So sweet.

It was only a few hundred yards before we passed our first house in Quebec. A man was outside in his driveway and waved us down. His name was Charleusse, he was so incredibly nice and incredulous of what we were doing. He invited us in his home and gave us glasses of apple cider.

We sat in his backyard drinking while he told us fables of Old Quebec and it was the best welcome into Canada we could’ve asked for. As we walked away on the road he took our picture and shouted “I am so honored to be the first French Canadian you have met on your journey!”

We continued down the road and began our grueling portage up a mountain. It was hot, humid and my shins hurt from pounding the pavement. We also had miscalculated how many feet of ascent our climb would be… by a lot.

But we made it to the top and the walk down the other side was nice. Henry let me put my back in the canoe to give my shoulders a break as we meandered down the mountain back in the direction of the Missisiquoi. In total about 5 or 6 people stopped and asked us if we needed a ride and were always astonished when we turned it down, saying we had to do our whole trip human powered.

Back at the river we snuck through some private property around a gate at a kayak rental shop to up back in on the river. She’s deeper, cleaner and wider up here in Canada and we’re grateful. We had 3.5 miles to paddle to the outfitter that allows camping and only had to get out once to walk due to shallow water. We saw plenty of beavers on our paddle (or heard them slap their tails angrily before disappearing) and it drizzled on us the last mile to the site.

When we got here the outfitter was already closed so we set the tent up by a picnic table and ate pulled pork sandwiches we’d packed out from the party and now we’re sprawled out in our new incredible tent!