Park National d'Oka

On Saturday we went back to Parc d'Oka, but this time to do the hike we missed last time. We found the proper entrance and it wasn't very busy when we got there. We wanted to do le Sommet de Calvaire and see the chapel. However, it's really not well mapped there.

The map shows the trail system as one big loop with a couple of shorter options. We wanted to do the entire thing so that we could see the chapel, but somehow missed the connectors. There were a bunch of well groomed trails that had a "Service Trail" sign on them and a fence blocking part of the entrance. We assumed these were not for our usage but it turns out they were how you got from one loop to the other. We ended up doing a loop, going back to the parking lot and then entering the other loop separately. It didn't bother us as we're out there to enjoy the day but I do find it entertaining how hard it is to figure out these trails.

This might have been our coldest hike yet. I even wore a hat instead of my usual chaos headband! When we started out it was saying -14, but that didn't include the wind chill. There were parts of the hike that I could tell instantly that we lost our tree cover and were getting hit by the wind.

This was another wider well maintained trail that was easy to do. I still haven't bought crampons but I'm managing the trails alright. I find the hardest part is going down the hills but the trekking poles are handy. There's so much other winter equipment I want to purchase that I'm going to hold off on crampons as long as I can.

We had our lunch up by the chapel, I tried heating up water again but I think I have to give up on this stove for the winter. I didn't want to bring the whisperlite as it is a little more complicated to use and heavier. However, it would be really nice to have a hot drink so I'll bring it next time.

The history of this trail is kind of cool. The area was settled by monks back in the 1700s and is a historical site. It's an older pilgrimage with some oratories along the summit trail. I don't have any photos of those as it's too cold to constantly bring my phone out.

I'm not sure if I'll add this trail to my hike again list but the other side of the parc is definitely on it!