It was our traditional Thanksgiving weekend hike at Oka last Sun. Twenty-two of us gathered under cloudy skies and a temp of 12 C. There was a breeze and we were all taken aback at how cold we felt in the parking lot. But we knew that feeling would quickly dissipate once we started hiking uphill in the shelter of the trees. Besides, we had a mission! There were apples and cheeses waiting for us at the top. And maybe chocolate?
We got a passer-by to take our group photo at the trail head. By the way, this passer-by was passing by on roller skis! He was already training for ski season. Us Beaver Tailers are dedicated skiers, but we’re not *that* dedicated!
Off we went on our quest for free local produce. Most of the climbing comes during the first 3 km before we reach a small clearing with a couple of picnic tables. This is marked as “Le Sommet” on the park map. It is actually the highest point of the hike, but the clearing is surrounded by trees so there is no viewpoint. We attempted to regroup here, but people were consumed by thoughts of possible chocolate at the lookout and they could not be held back!
The next 3 km was easy going, except for when the trail kicked up for the final approach to the lookout with the three chapels. The bad news — no chocolate this year! But there was a cornucopia of Spartan apples and large cubes of Oka cheese. The bounty was being portioned out by park personnel as part of the park’s annual celebration of local culture and history. While we snacked we enjoyed the view and remarked how the leaves were slower to be changing colours this year.
It was another 2 km down the gently sloping Sentier du Calvaire, past the small chapels with bas-relief wood carvings depicting religious scenes. The stats: 7.9 km from 10 am to 12:15 pm, with a temp range of 12 C to 15 C. A great little hike for a busy holiday weekend!