“Glamping” and fishing in the rain at the Poisson blanc regional park

This text is part of the special Plaisirs booklet

The freshness of autumn begins to settle. It is the season of small wools and forest walks to admire nature in spectacular metamorphosis. From the reception, we put our luggage, our cooler and our fishing rods in the trolley provided for this purpose to go to the microrefuge, Le Pic-Mineur. Built last winter, it is a minimalist 4-season accommodation, without a shower and with a dry toilet outside. However, everything is there to have a wonderful stay: gas stove, wood stove, large sofa bed opening onto a window with a view of the forest. In the fall, the spectacle is extraordinary.

On this cooler late summer evening, we light a fireplace. Glass of red in hand, our steaks and garden vegetables are grilling on the BBQ. There’s nothing better to end the week than having a good meal to the sound of a crackling fire.

To the rhythm of the rain

In the early morning, while we are huddled under the covers, the rain drums gently against the tin roof. With a smile on our lips, we stand there listening to the rhythm of the drops accelerating to quickly become the most soothing noise.

We could go hiking in the rain on the trails of the island sector of the Poisson blanc regional park. There is the Rapide-du-Fort trail which seems very inviting to us. For 3.2 km, it runs along the Sables reservoir and climbs up to the park belvedere. It seems that from there you can see the surrounding islands and mountains. But sometimes, rest is in order. We prefer to enjoy the moment with a long sip of coffee from an insulating mug, so it’s still hot even after we’ve gone through all the crosswords in the Saturday newspaper.

In the afternoon, a window without rain opens to us. The sky is still covered with thick clouds, leaving no glimpse of clearing. Never mind, we borrow a canoe and set off to sail on the reservoir. We meet a group of young canoe-camping enthusiasts, brave fellows as we were at the time of the scout camps, when we came to spend outdoor stays at the Poisson blanc regional park.

For our part, we try as best we can to tease the walleye which is supposed to be found not far from the picnic stops, installed here and there on the islands of the reservoir. It’s our last fishing trip of the season, after all! Without success, we returned empty-handed before the rain began to fall again.

On the other hand, we had foreseen the blow of the unsuccessful fishing. Tonight, it’s spaghetti with homemade bolognese sauce and harmoniously paired wine. The fire crackled continuously since our arrival. Delighted, we open the window next to our bed a little to let the melody of nature rock us all night long.

Our reporter was the guest of YETI Canada.

Watch video