We arrived in Quebec City right in the middle of a rainstorm. The rain continued into the next morning, and – honestly – I just wanted to curl up under the bedcovers instead of exploring a new city.
Keith had other plans though. He suggested we start by heading over to a nearby park along the river where he saw some hiking paths. If we left early, I could get out there for a trail run, while he and Finn took advantage of the playground. So, after a quick cup of coffee, off we went.
Chutes & hydro-ladders
Because of the drizzly morning weather, the park was empty when we arrived. As I gauged my surroundings to figure out which direction to head, I noticed a really large waterfall up the river. That seemed like a good place to start.
Getting closer, I could see the falls were actually spillover from a large dam on the Chaudière River. In French, the word “chutes” means falls. So for all you folks (like me) who took Spanish in high school, that explains the park’s crazy long name – Chutes-de-la-Chaudière.
As I approached the dam, it also got me thinking about the first campground we stayed at in Canada. During our check in, the owner informed us we had partial hook-ups for the RV: hydro and water.
What the heck was she talking about?!? Aren’t hydro and water the same thing? Isn’t hydro- is the root for water — hydroponic, hydroplane, hydrotherapy, etc? Apparently hydro is how many Canadians refer to their electricity, because so much of it comes from hydroelectric power plants.
Well, what do you know. Here in this very park, I might be looking at the dam responsible for powering up my Keurig this morning 🙂
Ways to REALLY get your heart rate up
As I worked my way down the gravel path closer toward the falls, I had to cross a bridge connecting the two parks on either side of the river. Running across a long suspension bridge was a little nerve wracking. So I reduced my pace to a shuffle to make sure I had steady footing on the wet wood decking.
Slowing down was a good thing though because the views of the waterfall from the suspension bridge were terrific. Plus, from that vantage point over the gorge, I could see there were long wooden staircases leading down the banks to the water below.
Inspired by the tremendous views, I decided to run up and down the stairs to get my pulse rate back up. As a bonus along the way, I was actually able to view the metal flood gates the hydro company opens up when they release water.
[Side note: even with my very limited French I could clearly understand the scary signs warning everyone to get up those stairs quick if they ever sounded the alarm signaling an impending water release].
With the adrenaline rush of apprehension now fully coursing through my veins, I wondered if today was a “water release” day. I had a pretty good workout going up and down to the riverbed with that thought nagging in the back of my mind.
The longest trail
Once I completed my stair workout and returned to the park, I realized the running trail split off toward a paved biking path that went as far as the eye could see. The nearby signs showed it was part of the infamous Trans-Canada Trail (TCT).
The TCT is the longest recreational path in the world. It stretches 24,000 kilometers – or 14,880 miles – with trail across all 13 of Canada’s provinces or territories. Seeing those signs inspired me to add it to the list of things to try during our stay in Quebec. And we would eventually head out on the trail from Chutes Montmorency for an awesome afternoon bike ride a few days later.
So, in the end, I guess I’m not sorry that Keith decided to drag me out of bed that first rainy morning. As I’d later learn, Quebec City is filled with so many awesome places to explore the outdoors. After a week there, I’ve decided – j’aime le Quebec – and we will definitely be back!
