Sat.
8 July: The Gatineau – at last!
Note: click on pictures for full size view.
I
finally made it into the Gatineau Hills!
It
took me far too long finally to make it across the Ottawa River to this hiker’s
and skier’s paradise, but better late than never.
There
are apparently hundreds of trails in the Gatineau. I joined an experienced group of hikers for
an 11.5 km circuit in the more remote western area of the park. Along the way, we enjoyed several grand views
down to the Ottawa River and far beyond.
Last year I stood on Manitou Mountain, above Calabogie in the Lanark Highlands, looking
across to the distant Gatineau escarpment.
Today the distinctive shape of the Calabogie Peaks stood out clearly on the far horizon.
It
has been a long time since I had been on a hike where a compass was needed. Today we bushwhacked through dense woods, steering
a specific course, and making bullseye contact with our rocky target. We then followed the faintest of trails up and
down some steep forested landscape to reach Lac Clair, our main
destination. Here we had lunch while one
of our party had a swim in the cool water.
This
exciting route would have tested a less seasoned traveller, but under the
watchful eye of our experienced hike leader, we were never in the slightest danger of
getting lost.
There
was plenty to enjoy along the way: fresh
berries to snack on, colourful mushrooms to admire (not to eat!), unexpected
wild flowers, different birdsongs to be identified, and so on.
We
could have gone on for ever – and with so many trails and rocky destinations to
explore, I won’t be leaving it so long until my next visit.
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| Admiring a pine forest early into our hike |
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| The first of several good viewpoints |
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| Plenty of free berries |
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| Bonnyview lookout |
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| These don't look edible to me |
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| Lac Clair |
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| Lost keys hanging on a tree |
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| Our experienced hiking party |
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| More berries! |
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| On trail 56, one of many remote Gatineau trails |
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| More mushrooms |
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Another grand viewpoint, looking south and west
across the Ottawa River to the distant Lanark Highlands |
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