It’s
been a busy Monday, so I’m just getting around to posting Sunday’s activity
now. The weather was just right, only
around the 20 celsius mark and sunny. I
headed east from Gatineau to Buckingham and then north up Route 315 to the
Réserve Écologique Forêt la Blanche.
This type of reserve is the highest level of environmental protection in
Quebec. Most of these reserves are not
actually accessible by road or offer visitor services and Foret la Blanche is
the only one that does. The entry fee is
only $5, all of which goes to Les amis de la Foret la Blanche, the
not-for-profit organization that runs the facility in partnership with the
Quebec Department of Sustainable Development, Environment, and Parks. The reserve covers over 2,000 hectares in the
towns of Mayo, Mulgrave and Derry, and Saint-Sixte. The largest lake in the reserve is Lac La
Blanche in addition to many other smaller lakes, rivers, and brooks. There many kilometres of trails, varying in
length and difficulty. Generally, they
are not too difficult though with a fine gravel surface closer to the parking
area and visitor centre and a packed earth surface further away. There are many well-constructed bridges,
boardwalks, and viewing platforms that make it easy and scenic for crossing
bodies of water. I chose to hike from
the parking lot to Lac la Blanche where the shores are lined with a stand of
ancient old-growth hemlock. The smell of
the hemlock in the air was relaxing and enjoyable. I also enjoyed a small lunch I’d brought with
me by the lake. Past Lac la Blanche, the
trail passes by Lac en Ciel, Lac aux Herons, and Lac Amik before returning to
the parking area. The stands of tall
maple and beech were just starting to show signs of autumn leaves. In about a week or two from now, the scenery
in the area will be even more spectacular.
Voici
quelques photos de dimanche après-midi;
Here are a
few photos from Sunday afternoon;
Tom était
ici! Tom was here!
Lac la
Blanche, direction est. Lac la Blanche,
looking east.
Lac la
Blanche, direction nord. Lac la Blanche,
looking north.
La petite
chute devant Lac aux Hérons et Lac Amik.
No comments:
Post a Comment