Snow Daze

     Being in the dead of winter right now leaves me regularly reminiscing on how much more beautiful Montreal was a few months ago. When I first arrived in early September, the days were comfortably sunny with temperatures around 65 degrees or so. I’m not sure what type of weather you enjoy, but for me this was absolutely perfect. I made the best of the good weather, knowing that it wouldn’t last. Temperatures stayed reasonably nice throughout October as well, before finally turning to complete winter in November.

     During mid-October my mother visited from Texas. During her stay we looked for a variety of things to do around the area. One thing we read about was “The Festival of Colours”, which is the couple of weeks in early October that the trees on the Laurentian Mountains change colors beautifully. After seeing pictures of the unique colors we were sold, and decided to head up there the following day. The next morning we left for our drive, taking a little over an hour to arrive at the mountains. Once there, we viewed the map of potential walking trails we could take. We ended up deciding on a path that would lead us through the woods, up the mountain to a lookout point where we could have a good view of the entire range. The trail seemed a relatively short distance of about 2 miles, but that wasn’t considering that the majority of it was straight up the mountain.

     We began our walk, stopping along the way to observe the unique plant life that existed within the mountain. Beautifully luscious moss adorned large rock forms and boulders in ways neither of us had ever seen. Other interesting growths, such as mushrooms and fungi, stuck to the massive trees in an almost prehistoric way. After hiking for some time, we came across a gentle stream that seemed suitable to picnic by. We laid out the meal we’d packed, and took a much-needed break. Once we finished, we set off again for the lookout point. We walked for another hour or so before coming to it. Once we arrived, we were more than satisfied of our decision to take that path. The view was absolutely breathtaking. Rows and rows of trees lined the valley below, all in vibrant colors you’d swear were right out of a Dr. Seuss book. Within the valley also laid a perfectly calm lake, only adding to the picturesque beauty. We took about a half hour marveling at the wonder before us, leaving us thankful that natural beauty exists in such a way. We headed back down the trail, as it seemed the sun would be setting soon.

     That adventure is one that I will always remember, and remains one of the most enjoyable things I’ve experienced during my time in Montreal.