The importance of not planning
Last summer I was travelling in the beautiful Beauce region of Québec, which borders Northern Maine. This rural and agricultural region has a charm that has not been overly damaged by large cottages and the accompanying high end boutiques that go with them. With three young children I am always looking for something where they can expend their energy so they can please fall asleep more easily at night. Though my wife and I are not big planners, we inevitably use cell phones to do research and communicate and share calendar events to keep track of things. In today’s age of constant internet connection and prudent parenting, we inevitably get sucked into a situation where there are few surprises in our daily lives. How I sometimes wish for the days before smart phones and ubiquitous photos and review of every tourist location, trail, restaurant and museum.
As I was driving in Beauce with my two boys I noticed a sign on the side of the road for a hiking trail. With some time to kill and child energy to drain I decided I would stop and have a look. I had no snacks, just a few old candies from the bottom of the glove compartment and I did not research the trails or the site beforehand. We left the car and saw that the trail had a voluntary contribution of $10 or so. Thinking my young kids would not last that long, I skipped the contribution and committed to put some money in the pot if they actually used the trail a bit. My youngest, who was 3 at the time, is not the most energetic walker so my hopes that he would climb a long rocky trail up a small hill were limited at best. The trail started off with some natural play areas for kids – logs and ropes – which kept them occupied for a while. Somehow the boys were willing to leave this play area and start up a trail that we did not really know.
The trick with many of these long walks is to turn the hike into a game with hidden items and a bit of a competition between the kids. We let the younger one lead us up the hill and ensured he felt in charge. I assumed they would go a few hundred meters and insist on turning around. Surprisingly and happily, they kept walking and walking as I turned the dried out candies from the car into ‘energy pills’ that they would periodically take to boost their stamina like a video game character. The trail continued upwards and became rockier and more challenging, but they enjoyed scrambling up the slippery rocks. Based on the maps, the trail made a run up the mountain and then circled the top and came back down. It was maybe a total of 4 KM with 300 M of height. Not much, but a fair bit for kids of their age. As they continued to walk, my fear evolved into a concern the younger one would melt down and request I carry him all the way back to the car. In a certain sense I am kind of ashamed I had so little faith in him.
It was to my surprise and pleasure that we reached the top of the hill without complaining from either kid. My wife called me to ask where we were as we had not returned home as planned. I explained we had reached the top of a rocky hill without jackets, snacks, water bottles or planning or any sort. We would be home in a couple of hours if all went well. The boys started down, running so quickly that their shoes were sending flames behind them. This fun game kept them going without complaining. Upon reaching the car, I put some money in the voluntary contribution and they asked for water, which I did not have.
If I had tried to plan this hike it may never have happened. Even if it has happened, it would have been more tame and less thrilling than the hike without any snacks or research. Like so many things in life, planning can only take you so far and in a certain sense limits the excitement of the unknown. We are told by parents, business gurus and others to plan our days, our weeks, our lives. We should list our goals and then strive to accomplish them with all our might. But sometimes, it is much more pleasant and liberating to have no goals, no to-do list and just the minimal information required to act. Both kids and adults are tougher and more resilient and tougher than we think – we do not need power bars, water, or google reviews to climb up a small hiking trail. Sometimes it is best to just go for it and see what happens. This small hike up this small hill in this small region of Québec with my two small boys was a small and memorable event for us all.
Published on November 5, 2025