Across the Bazin river

The trail between Parent and Fer à Cheval outfitter is simply one of the nicest in Québec. On it, you'll ride on sandy sections with giant pine trees, you'll see dams, bridges, and then ride on rocky,  more technical sections. All this while following the Bazin River for around 45 miles.

HEY...MARC.... I'M HERE... YES, ON THE DAM! IT'S SOOOO NICE, YOU SHOULD COME!

But the single, most original part of this section of trail is without a doubt, the ''cable ferry''

Crossing the Bazin River using the cable ferry, quite an experience !

	This ferry brought to you by the Parent ATV club in collaboration with the people of the town of Parent. Free ferry. Maximum load: 1, 200lbs. Use at your own risks. Those informations are posted on a sign near the ferry.
	Once the quad is on board, slowly get across by pulling on the wire Simply push on the same wire to send the ferry back to the other side to pick-up the next quad. Pretty clever. Ecological. Great exercise. Our thanks to the volunteers who worked so we could enjoy this ferry.

Yeah ! THE CABLE FERRY a truly unique experience Bof... WATCH OUT ! THE QUAD IS SINKING ! Time to get the winch out! While turning around on a beach, Marc went a little bit too far into the water and hit some soft sand at the bottom. A little more and the whole ATV, trailer and gear would have rolled over and sunk. Would have made a good picture but both of us were busy!

Look at this fabulous place ! It's hot, the water is clear...France is going swimming.

We set up camp for the night. This is the most wild and remote place were we camped yet. There's absolutely no houses or camps for as far as we can see. And we have'nt seen anybody for hours before we got here. Nobody knows were we are, not even us...

There are mooses and various animal footmarks in the sand on the beach. We're right in the middle of wildlife territory. We must take precautions to avoid unwanted encounters.

Safety measures we apply:

• strictly no food in or aroud the tent (including toothpaste, chewing gum, candy, etc...)
• all food items are carried on the same quad
• in ''hazardous'' areas (like today), the food container will be hoisted to a tree branch at least 10-15 feet of the ground using the winch.
• the quad with no food on it will stay near the tent, just in case a quick getaway becomes necessary.
• we cook meals at least 200-300 feet from camp (taking into account the wind direction).
• We start a fire as soon as possible and keep it going as late as we can.

GOOD NIGHT

We'd like to tell you that we fall sound asleep in those areas, but even against our will, we keep listening just in case we'd hear something coming (the fact that we can't see outside makes it even worse).

If you ever slept out in the woods, you know there's constant noise. It may be a small mouse walking on the leaves or branches that crack in the wind, or just leaves falling on the tent. In time, we sorta get used to all that but we stay vigilant at all times.

TRICKS AND INFOS In an effort to have a minimum level of safety while sleeping in bear country, we always keep the followings handy: flashlight bear spray (pepper spray) axe air horn (used in small watercrafts) camera (used time permitting...)
	SLEEP IN WILD COUNTRY

MAPS

detailed map

>> Click to enlarge

 

general view

>> Click to enlarge

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WEATHER
115     90     70     50     32F     15	kinda cool   wind gusty afternoon winds   Our tent became a kite!

TRAILS

The trail along the Bazin river is a real treat for any quad fan. Nice!

STATS:

• miles:53
  
• Number of times we felt like stopping to enjoy the scenery:20
  
• Number of times we used such a ferry before: 0
  
• Most remote and wild spot we camped at yet!
  
• total miles to date: 360.

Meals:   Breakfast: toasts on the campfire Lunch: hard boiled eggs +pepperoni + cheese Dinner: canned chicken stew with noodles...France says that it keeps you from dying..

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