July 30
End: Le Grand Sault Shelter
Miles: 26.9
Total: 4684.6
When I awoke I was ready to stop sleeping on the ground and move on to another refuge. I packed up my things, wet with dew, and started off down the overgrown dirt roads which line the hills along the Gaspesie coast.
It wasn’t long before I was down on the beach again in the town of Gros-Morne. I stopped and had some food from my pack before continuing on back roads to Manche-d’Epee. Supposedly there was some sort of shelter on the beach there, but I never saw it.
I also never saw the trail going back out to the hills. As I came out to the main road the blazes just disappeared. I was not exactly heart-broken, choosing to just walk the road to Madeleine Centre, the next town. The trail obviously took some horrendous route way out to the hills and looped back around to the coast, where I found it in Madeleine Centre.
I went into the community center and found a shower in the bathroom. I took advantage of that, then moved on and made my way back out into the hills on the wonderfully-planned IAT.
I followed back roads along the edge of cliffs for awhile, declining to ride behind a guy and girl on their ATV. Soon enough I turned off the road and found my destination, Le Grand Sault, which I thought would have a full refuge, but actually just had a shelter like I used on the Appalachian Trail. Disappointed, I contemplated moving on but realized I wouldn’t be able to get to another shelter that day.
Instead I stayed and took a nap for the rest of the afternoon and evening. It was nice to rest and at least be under a roof again. I rested up for the next day and slept well.
