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Hut to Hut at Mont
Megantic
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With
our snowshoes on our packs we headed out to the
next hut on the groomed trails. The day was a
fair bit warmer than the day before and the sky
was a range of startling blues. The trail to the
next hut was mostly down hill and the skiing was
exhilarating. The forest's white blanket
shimmered and sparkled as we whizzed passed and
all too soon we found ourselves at our next
destination. |
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| The
traditional, wide, wooden snowshoes
faired well in the deep fluffy snow on
the mountain. |
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The
Andromeda hut was unexpectedly crowded when we
got there. Several groups had stopped in to have
a lunch break. Everybody was very friendly and
animated. Conversations were easily started on
almost any topic, particularly when it involved
the outdoors. As lunch time passed the crowds
thinned and we began to sort out our equipment in
preparation for our stay. After we had everything
organized we decide to try a little snowshoeing
on the summit trail beside the cabin. This is not
a designated snowshoe trail so the snow was deep
and the going was slow. One of our party had
traditional snow shoes and the extra buoyancy
they provide served him well, and he assisted
everyone by taking the lead.
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| The
trail was magical and we were really enjoying
ourselves when we came to an impasse in the form
of a stream crossing. We had been following the
stream up the mountain and we had seen several
areas of open water a few feet wide and several
feet deep. At this point the debate raged about
the safety of crossing. Everything was finally
decided for us when our probing found no bridge
or log crossing along the bank. We reluctantly
turned around which proved to be the prudent
thing, as unbeknown to us, the trail crossed and
re-crossed the steam several times on the way to
the summit. |
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| The
some 3 feet of snow on the picnic table
at the cabin Andromeda reveals the amount
of snow on the mountain |
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As we made our way back down the mountain,
we put together our reckless plans for the party tonight.
We still had the bulk of our wine and this was our last
night out so we wanted the evening to be a celebration.
As we finished our supper we began to watch all our
planning unravel. One after another, the "party'
animals" began to curl up in their sleeping bags
after muttering some shallow excuse. The last of the
revelers held out until 8:30 in the evening, about six
hours short of his boisterous predictions. What a sorry
lot we made! |
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| The
cabin named after the constellation
Andromeda is extremely picturesque |
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Everyone
was a little sad the next morning at the prospect
of leaving, but the anticipation of the great
skiing on the trail out kept our spirits high.
Just as our first visitor of the day arrived we
headed out onto the tracks. The conditions were
perfect and we climbed back to the first hut
without problem. We stopped in for a snack, some
pleasant conversation and a little last minute
planning for the anticipated downhill on the way
to the park entrance. |
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| We reached the park office far too
quickly for our liking. The downhill had just the
right combinations of turns and dips to keep us
grinning the whole way. Nobody took a tumble,
even though we were pushing our limits on most of
the sections. Before we headed back to
the "real world" we had a quick lunch
giving us the opportunity to sort out the high
points of the trip. After throwing out one idea
after another, we realized there was little to
separate them, every aspect of the weekend had
been exhilarating. We left with a commitment to
return next year with our skis, our snowshoes and
our smiles.
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| From Montreal take highway
10 (the eastern townships autoroute)
passed Sherbrooke where it turns into the
112. Just before East Angus turn onto the
253 going south. Follow the 253 until you
reach the junction of the 212 and head
east. Stay on the 212 to Notre Dame des
Bois then follow the signs to the the
park. Book the huts well in
advance to avoid disappointment. The park
will also rent the prospectors tents for
overnight stays. The tents are smaller
and may prove to be colder (they do have
wood stoves but are less protected from
the elements). In addition, the one we
visited nearest the entrance, got a lot
of traffic during the day. Of course,
staying in a prospector tent will bring
you even closer to nature and our great
Canadian heritage.
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| All wilderness adventures
have an element of risk. If you're not prepared
and/or your skill levels don't match the
adventure the endeavor becomes dangerous. This is
particularly true in the wintertime where simple
mistakes in judgement, a missing skill or even a
simple injury can prove fatal. Ensure that you
are prepared for any eventuality before you set
out and make sure your itinerary is known.
Remember, you are your own responsibility. |
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Back to Hut to Hut at Mont
Megantic Page #1 |
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