The Passionate Hiker: Sneaking a Peak

Tues. 17 November: The Calabogie Peaks

Ice (not broken glass!)

With such a perfect forecast, I just couldn’t stay inside.

So I decided to take a quick drive up to Calabogie and climb the ski hills there. It would be interesting to see what preparations were under way for the upcoming ski season. I was guaranteed a great view from the top on such a beautiful November day.

But being November, clear skies come with a price. It was several degrees below freezing as I set out from Perth, not long after sunrise. Frost lay on the ground at the foot of the ski hills. My plan was to do an anti-clockwise circuit of the hill, plus the summit loop. Climbing up the Ole K&P ski run to the summit, I would then return down Skywalk Trail.

Climbing hills is a novel experience for me these days. Most of the year I have spent exploring various railways, and so, with the exception of a recent memorable trip to the Blue Mountains, this was my first uphill hike for quite a while. Not that it slowed me down. I was up on the summit in less than forty five minutes, including several photo-op stops along the way. The ground was hard-packed and there were a few icy sections, but no icers needed yet.

Of course, the summit view was spectacular, with Calabogie Lake below, and the Gatineau Hills on the far northeastern horizon. The atmosphere was not crystal clear in that direction, but the views were still worth the small effort required to reach the summit.

From here I followed the well-marked blue Skywalk circuit around the top of the hill. There were many great views south and west to the rows of forested ridges stretching to the horizon. Directly below, to the south, mostly hidden in the trees, was Manitou Lake, a favourite stopping place on the route to the Madawaska River.

It was a simple job to follow the Skywalk blue ski run back to the start. I had seen a group of ski hill workers lower down on the hill, and one of the two ski lifts was under some sort of test. Snow making equipment all looked set to go, and no doubt they will be pressed into operation just as soon as the temperatures drop a few more degrees.

I had the spectacular peak to myself today. It hardly seemed possible that a month from now these hills will be transformed into a crazy winter playground.

Note: single-click on the first picture above to scroll through the photos separately.

Statistics:

Total Distance: 5.7 km (hike)

Height Gain: 742 ft.

Max. Elev: 391 m (1,283 ft.)

Time on Trail: 2 hrs. 7 mins.

Start: 8.14 am

Summit: 8.59 am

Ret. to car: 10.21 am

Temp: Minus 5 to +1C

Weather: Cloudless, slight SE breeze