Take your pick: adrenaline packed or slow and contemplative?
Published on Sept 30, 2019
Autumn is believed by many to be the best season for hiking. With colours changing from greens to reds, it’s the perfect season for admiring our different landscapes. If it’s possible to combine this activity with a water sport, it’s even better.
By Ian Roberge
This is what we did last week at Parc national du Mont-Orford. On a beautiful autumn day still offering a summery feel, we were introduced to a sport called stand-up paddleboard (SUP). In fact, we can rent these paddleboards at any national park in the Eastern Townships.
When the water is calm, there’s nothing better than to spend some time on the waves paddling smoothly along the shores while we contemplate the countryside. Contrary to sitting in a kayak, we must stand on our boards, which gives us a better perspective as we view our surroundings. So, all in all, we simply loved it.
Along with our SUP experience, we planned to hike up to nearby Pic de l’Ours. We therefore headed out on this lovely 12 km trek at the Bonnalie Service Centre. After a few kilometres, we reached the Sentier des Crêtes trail, where the climb really begins! It’s not the easiest trail, but it’s truly magnificent. We quickly arrived at the Pic de la Roche-Fendue, where we could confirm without a doubt that autumn was clearly settling in. The trees were already showing such beautiful colours!
We continued on our way through the ups and downs of the trail until we reached Pic de l’Ours. The summit was amazing: We walked on rock formations as if we were on top of a much higher mountain! Plus, towards the end of the day, the view overlooking the green mountains was incredible! All the elements came together to create a perfectly magical moment for us!
But since all good things must come to an end, we headed back down in the direction of lake Stukely. When we arrived, the sun was setting. It goes without saying that the decor was simply majestic! A truly superb day, we won’t soon forget.
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