The good news is that we no loner feel as though we’ve been beaten with garden hoses. Instead, it merely feels like we’ve been beaten with whisk brooms. Progress!
Today is St. Jean Baptiste Day – Quebec’s national holiday – and there are a series of special events laid on, including a breakfast crepe bar:
We’re then off on our first hike of the trip. We had hoped to re-attempt L’Ancestral, but the heavy rains and our bruised and unsteady legs have caused us to rethink this plan. Seems like a nice day for a promenade along La Promenade instead.
Le Massif’s trail map, for those interested – La Promenade is at the bottom of the mountain, but still includes more than 270 metres of elevation gain when walking to and from Club Med:
But first, a small glimpse at just how many mountain bikes Club Med can field per session:
You’d this would be plenty, but demand seems extremely high – particularly now that the resort has grown busier.
Also, a better view of the lower-level pump track, which is directly on Club Med’s property:
We then set off along La Promenade, bound for the Butte Ronde viewpoint. We hiked Promenade on the way back from Des Cretes last year, but were too tired to follow a side trail to the viewpoint.
The trail is damp:
But not too muddy, nor are the bugs terrible.
We pass chairlifts as we go:
There’s always something vaguely post-apocalyptic about a chairlift in summer
Carrying along the wide, well-laid path:
And soon reach the first of the rivers:
I wonder what the story is behind this old shack:
Ah, well – onward and upward:
Clouds drift through the rain-soaked woods
It’s roughly 3.5 km to reach the off-branch to Des Cretes:
It seemed like a lot longer last time around!
Des Cretes was tough enough to hike down, let alone hiking up. We continue on to Butte Ronde instead.
The stairs are solid, but slightly slippery:
As is the stone path to the lookout:
But the views are well worth it:
Time to head back, sparing one last look into the forest before we return to the resort:
It’s a solid hike, but not overly challenging. We would have carried on for longer, but that would have effectively doubled the elevation gain.
In total, the return trip takes close to 8 km and the previously mentioned 270 metres in elevation gain. No issues for us, particularly after all the hiking we’ve done in Patagonia and the Atacama over the past few years. Amazing to see how much stronger our kids have gotten as time goes on!
Back for a very special St. Jean Baptiste lunch:
Where I finally get to enjoy some poutine, along with a smash burger:
For those not in the know, poutine is the infamous Quebecois combination of french fries, gravy, and cheese curd. Delicious!
For dessert, some sort of flan along with a chocolate nut cake:
Unsurprisingly, the chocolate cake steals the show
The kids vanish into the bowels of Teens’ Club, while the adults head to the pool for another few rounds in the steam room – and recuperating on the plush loungers in between. Even though it’s busier these past few days, we haven’t had any issues getting prime seats at the pool.
Back up to Le Chalet to read and write for a time. 4:15 pm rolls around, and I try to go register for mountain biking tomorrow – only to discover the sign-up line is around the corner. I wait until 4:45 pm, and it’s scarcely improved. 5 pm rolls around, and I get in the line – now shorter, but with still close to a dozen people in front of me.
Unsurprisingly, the morning session has filled up by the time I reach the desk. Although the afternoon weather is not looking favourable, we book ourselves for the latter session. The instructor also notes that our son should have been registered in the 11 to 13 session instead of Level 2, as he was previously. We’ll have to inquire at equipment pick-up as to whether he can redo Level 2.
I also ask whether it’s possible to swing by in the morning to see if we can snag any cancellations. There is no formal waitlist program, but I’m welcome to try.
It’s hard to not be disappointed by the way our final day is shaping up. On one hand, I could have shown up earlier to sign up. But does anyone really want to wait 40 minutes in line every time we want to sign up for mountain biking?
It’s perhaps the one point of feedback I plan to pass on to Club Med at the end of this trip – they should strongly consider having additional staff at the mountain biking desk to speed up registration. Or have enough bikes and instructors that it operates in the same wasy as their the ski and snowboard program – sign up once and you’re set for your entire trip, just skip lessons as you see fit.
Ah, well. We turn our attentions to the special St. Jean Baptiste cocktail on offer, made with maple syrup and elderflower:
Very tasty – and not too sweet.
Our special S. Jean Baptiste dinner rolls around. I start with duck breast with blueberry compote:
Then move on to tortiere:
And crab bisque with salmon:
The salmon is nice and rare inside – a welcome surprise!
Then it’s time for some traditional Quebec desserts, starting with pouding chômeur:
Literally translated: ‘Unemployed man cake’
And then maple sugar tarte, as well as tarte tartin:
The maple sugar tart is lovely – again, not too sweet
We enjoy a live violin performance at Le Chalet, then head upstairs to watch the sun set on Club Med Charlevoix:
Only one more full day remains before it’s time to pack up and head home.