July in October encouraged a good group of walkers out to Rigaud on Sunday. After a brief discussion about going clockwise or anti-clockwise around L’escapade it was decided to go our usual way, clockwise. So, the Pres led the charge down the trail setting a good pace, the hares, whilst a few of us started at a more moderate pace, the tortoises, allowing our heart rate to rise more steadily and knowing that there was a 14 kms walk ahead. Soon the group became spread out and it very much looked like the hares had missed the turn. What to do, a shout was ignored but we knew if the hares kept their cool they would get back on track not much further on. So, the split occurred, the tortoises keeping to the correct track and the hares doing whatever hares do.
Reaching the point where we should have seen the hares getting back on track, we saw no one. They must be ahead being the obvious conclusion, so we carried on to P2. No one, even though this was the first toilet stop. It was clear now that the hares were lost, must have been hopping mad about that. Then the phone rang. Never, never, pack your phone at the bottom of your back pack and inside several different plastic bags, the chances of reaching before it stops ringing are nil. Assuming we had won a cruise Linda H called the number back and found that the hares had become a little disorientated and embarked on a harebrained scheme to back track to the correct trail. No point in waiting for them they could be all day.
We carried on, dodging several ATV’s who were also out enjoying the day, soon meeting up with Ken B who was walking a Ken B variant which allowed him a little flexibility on the distance he had to walk, clever guy. Pleasant walking through the woods followed, saying “hi “to the many walkers out on the trail until we reached P4 at Chemin St George. Here was Ken B’s vehicle from which he produced a box of Halloween candies, “Yeh”.
Still hareless, we set off on the return half of the walk, Ken B staying with us for a short while then he returned to P4, we on the other hand followed the wooded trail until the steep climb up to the lookout is reached. The view was not as good as usual, hazy in the distance, still a lovely place to stop after the climb.
Where are those hares, given our legs were a little sore the four of us decided to go on, it is after all still one hour walk from the viewpoint to our cars, along a rolling trail. Many walkers just walk to the viewpoint then back to the car park, a nice stroll of about 8kms.
Back at the cars we were pleased with our first long walk of the season. About 20 minutes later the first of the hares appeared after enjoying the views from the lookout themselves, then somewhat later the remainder finished their walk.
So the moral of the Tortoise and the Hare is; it doesn’t matter what speed you walk but it is a good idea to know where you are going. Secondly, just get out and enjoy the Fall.