Two medieval pilgrims , en route to Santiago de Compostella!
Two medieval pilgrims , en route to Santiago de Compostella!
Coming down the Mountain, which is at my back covered in fog.
Someone is really happy that we are getting out of the fog !
Almost back down, fog finally lifted and I can finally take a photo of the Lake.
Diagram of the Ski Hill, we limbed up to the last chair lift, to slippery and wet to climb the last 200 feet up to the communication tower.
Bottom of the Mountain. Start of the climb, it got at lot harder !!!!!!!!
2,450 FT Elevation View of the Valley Below. Trees are just starting to change to their Fall coloration.
Top of the Mountain 2,880 FT Elevation.
Resting after coming down the Mountain, 6 KM to go.
Beaver Dam at the start of our last 6 KM.
Finally back at the Park's Information Building and the end of our 10.5 KM walk!
Just starting up, at the bottom a partial view of the Ski Chalet and parking lot.
First rest break about 2 KM up the Mountain.
About half way up the Mountain !
The Valley below is on fire, tree leaves are turning Red, Yellow and Gold !
Lake below, a very nice day for boating also. The Lake starts in Canada and ends in the USA.
Mountain look-out on top of the Mountain at 2,800 Feet elevation
Mountain meadow, ladies sitting down on the grass were speaking Spanish and for a minute I though I was seeing Roncesvalles in the distance.
On our way down, luckily steepest part is done !
Finally down, I hurt the bottom my left heel last weekend and as you can see on my face, this week's climb finished me off. At my back the smaller Mountain on the left on the picture below
We climbed the highest Mountain (center one in the picture) right up to the top at 2,800 Feet of Altitude.
Start of the walk. Just before we made our wrong turn !
Coming down the trail we see a Mountain Stream.
Small Mountain Stream, down at 1,470 feet elevation and the start of our climb up the first Mountain.
In the distance, a Ski Hill we climbed in the Fog a few weeks ago, we finally get to see what it looks like on a clear day. At 2,600 feet elevation on the top of the first Mountain.
On the way down the first Mountain, bell shaped mushrooms on dead trees.
The trail that never ends !
Small narrow path that zigzags down the Mountain, do not trip here the fall is a long one !
Back down the first Mountain to the small Stream that snakes around the trail.
A rest before going up and then down the last Mountain.
Back down to the parking lot, end of the trail.
A tourist train just leaving the train station and crossing an old iron bridge on the river heading out for a fall tour.
A view of the river walk, right in the middle of town.
Ending our walk in the park on the river.
A municipal walking trail in my town in the middle of a residential district that we checked out today after our river walk. Built on a local historical piece of farmland first settled in 1839. A new place to train in the coming weeks when deer and moose hunting in the woods make hiking a bit dangerous, nice flat and easy on the legs and feet !
Map of the Walking trails in the Wilderness Park in the middle of town.
Start of my walk, terrain is a bit ruff with stones and exposed roots.
Trails evens out and is nice to walk on.
Trails links up to a service road for the power company.
Off to the side the start of a cross-country ski trail, a place to explore on snow shoes once the snow comes.
The trail in some spots is right in the back of people's houses.
A foot bridge over a small Woodland Stream.
Relaxing walk in the woods on a nice day.
Small meadow in the woods.
End of my walk and parking lot is just in front of me.
This Weekend we joined a group walk hosted by the local Québec to Compostelle Association. We walked 11 KM Under rainy and wet conditions. We wimped out after lunch and finished the walk on our own. The heel on my foot that I hurt a few weeks ago was acting up and these guys walked to fast for us !
Instruction for the road ahead.
Starting out in the rain! All day was a mix of rain and wet snow.
The three walkers on the right, have walked the Way in the past.
We started off on a long winding road, with a pretty good incline.
First snow I have seen this year, by December we should several feet of the white stuff.
We left the paved road at the top of the hill and followed a Woodland trails after that for most of the trek.
Trail marker we are not lost !
Lunch break and advice from an experienced Pilgrim.
After this photo, we let the group walk on and we finished at our own pace. I think our Camino will be a solitary one, it will not be a race for us.
All the people in this photo except for my girlfriend in orange and the lady in plaid have walked the Camino.
Start of the walk, we are following and up and down biking trail that circles the Ski Hill.
These people are fast as hares and we are the turtles!
Just about to pass by one of the ski lifts.
The bike trail winds around the Ski Hill.
A short rest period before moving on.
A bit of fun at my expense!
A couple of would be pilgrims, time will tell the tale.
We have left the bike trail and are cutting across the Mountain using a road in a residential area.
The Ski Hill is getting ready for the skiing reason, the white mist is coming from the snow making machines.
Back at the Parking Lot, our walk is done for the day and I can't believe I did the whole thing !
Started from the parking lot and headed to the other side of the lake towards the center of the city to look at the Christmas Village the town sets up every year at the old railway station.
Old stone fence along the lake that dates from the 1930's.
In the distance behind me, the giant Christmas tree and Ferris Wheel in the Christmas Village.
Male and Female Mallard Ducks who decided not to fly South, but spend the winter in Québec.
People spending a nice afternoon skating on the artificial ice skating rink (not quite cold enough for natural ice).
After walking around the lake, we are now going along the river. Chain link around the base of the trees are to stop the Beavers from cutting them down to build their lodges.
In the background, an old stone building (grey nun's convent) and the hills that surround our town.
Walking on the the trails, on the left the train tracks and on the right the back of some industrial buildings.
Getting off the trail for a rest stop at the Costco big box store along the way, we cheated on our training and had an ice cream cone Inside!
Rest stop is over and heading back to our starting point, since the sun is starting to go down.
At the top of the hill, a lighted steel cross that shines on the city.
Back at the parking lot, the sun has gone down and the city lights are all on.
Spent a weekend in Fort Lauderdale in Florida, walked on the Beach to the Pier and back from our Hotel on the 13th and 14th of December. We covered a distance of 3 KM each day on the wet sand and discovered a few muscles we had not used yet!
Luckily we did not get anymore freezing rain this month, but unfortunately the Artic weather conditions are still with us with many -25 Celsius days, so training is out of the question for now. On Saturday the18th of January we spent the day at workshop on how to pack and what to expect on the Camino by our local "Québec to Compostelle" Association.
Another 3.6 KM walk in the municipal walking trail in my town, but this time in Winter conditions.
Start of the trail.
Lots of broken trees and many cut branches, evidence of the December ice storm.
Small foot brige, woods are covered in snow.
Tying boot laces in the snow, leg proped up on an old tree stump.
Small meadow covered over by winter.
The small stream flowing Under the foot bridge can no longer be seen.
Service road for the hydro electric line are only accessible by snow mobile this time of year.
The walk is over, but still lots of cut down trees (victims of the ice storm).
Another group walk organised by our local "Québec to Compostelle" Association. Today we walked 12 KM along both sides of the river.
Part of the group, more people joined us after the photo was taken. The man at the far right in the gray coat has walked the different Caminos a total of 9 times. He is planning another this year, from Seville to Santiago I think.
Just starting off on a nice Sunday afternoon.
Open water on the river.
Fast walkers have moved on ahead, we take our time and enjoy the scenery.
Highway bridge on top, we are heading for the foot bridge to cross over the other side of the river.
A small break, before crossing the foot bridge.
We have now walked several kilometers and we are back on the other side of the river.
People ice fishing on the river, a bit foolish since the ice is not very thick .
Sea Gulls spending the winter on the icy river.
In the distance near the Gazebo is were we parked the car, our walk is nearly over.
Went for a walk on the frozen lake on snowshoes for about 3 KM and we came back by the road hugs the Lake shoreline road walking another 4 KM back to our cottage. Temperature was minus 4 degrees Celsius with a cold Wind blowing on our faces.
We started out from our summer cottage and step out on the frozen lake to start our walk.
Barely visible in the distance, a former summer retreat for the Priest of the regional catholic Diocese. The land has now been purchased by the Government for the local Provincial Park and the building will be torned down.
The Sun was creating a kind of rainbow effect with red, yellow and purple flashes in the clouds.
Top Model posing for the camera!.
Small mountain on the lake it the 1920-30's it was the site of a mining operation..
In the distance, a local ski hill that we climbed in the Fall of 2013. It is also part of Provincial Park.
About halfway, the Wind is mercilessly cold!
We reached our destination at the end of the lake, but the Wind was to cold and we our headed back to the cottage by the road. From there we walked another 4 KM for a total of 7 KM.
We walked 12 KM along both sides of the River with the 10 Kilo packsacks we will be carrying on our Camino on this practice run. I think we will leave our camelbacks behind and just carry two water bottles to save on weight on our actual Camino.
We received our Credentials on Saturday 5th of April during a small Ceremony sponsored by our local "Québec to Compostelle" Association. We got our first Official sello/stamp on our Pilgrim's Passport in Canada to start us off on our Pilgrimage. When the Priest handed me my credential I really felt like a Pilgrim for the first time. Our flight to Paris leaves Montréal on the 18th of April and we will start walking on the 20th of April 2014.
Pilgrims who received the Credential with us, we are the first to leave and most will be leaving during the next few months. Oldest are in their late sixties and youngest is 18 years old .
