Adventurion

Video from the trip

Location

Station Touristique Duchesnay – SEPAQ is located in Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier, which is 250 km and about 2,5 hours of driving from Montreal and only 30 min from Quebec City.

Lodge

The lodge in Station Touristique Duchesnay is very clean and nice. Our room was with 2 beds and a beautiful view of the lake. Any unpleasant smell which I am very sensitive to )))) All staff and all guests with masks. The lobby is empty. Upon the check-in, we got detailed instructions and were asked to contact them if we get sick over the next 10 days. It was the first day with a curfew announced. It didn’t make any changes for us because from 8 pm to 5 am we usually stay home anyway (or that time inside the room)

New rules

Except for the new regulations I’ve mentioned above, a breakfast which is included with your stay they serve directly in your room. You have to order it by phone from your room, and meet the staff at the scheduled time with a mask on your face. Also, there is no everyday cleaning service. But usually, we do not ask for that anyway.

What to do

Even during “lockdown”, this place looks pretty popular. For sure, not so crowded but still. It has near 50 km of trails for cross country skiers. An option for snowshoeing, snowmobile, dog sledding, and many more

Winter hiking

The initial plan was to hike about 11 km but in reality, we made 7 km.

We started in a sunny wood passing by Arbraska. Sometimes our trail was parallel to the ski trails. Sometimes we crossed them. Definitely, Duchesnay is a family-friendly place: many younger skiers, with different levels, with parents or their team, mastering their skills there.

Special fun is to get a snow shower 😀

We like to plan a small stop to rest while hiking and have tea time. And tea always tastes good.

Some times you can even spot some animals hiding behind a log covered with snow 😀

We were passing by Arbraska and it looked very cool.

I am pretty sure it is very demanded in the season.

Skating rink

After our hike and small late diner in the room, we came back outside to the skating rink. While starting our hike in the morning, we had noticed people on the rink but in the late afternoon, we were alone.

This time is still so uncertain. We still can not hug our relatives and friends. We still can not live without fear for our loved ones. The only way to keep yourself positive and free your mind is going to nature. This is exactly what we’ve done. And even with many limitations and new rules, we are happy to have this opportunity in Quebec.