There was excitement around the table on this coldish morning. Today, we trade our snowshoes for the hok skis… What an exotic name for an exotic winter sport! None of our participants was familiar with it. Robert, our dynamic Park guide, was only too happy to explain the basics of the sport and the equipment – shorter skis than for alpine skiing, with flexible bindings reminiscent of cross country or telemark skiing, and an adherence factor similar to that of snowshoes. Who can resist that?
The morning passed rapidly, as rapidly as the wind-blown snowmuch to Mario’sand the aspiring skiers’ pleasure. We paused for lunch with a group of trekkers; then, half the group including Robert, Mario, and me, climbed Pic Dubuc, at 980 metres above sea level. The sense of pride matches the strong breeze and the smiles are so touching. We explore the two slopes at the top and our group starts on its way down, off-track. Your blogger/photographer has opted for the marked path and will join them back at the refuge. I took the opportunity to capture images of some of the higher up vistas, hoping to come across a ghost-tree, but to no avail. The youngsters, including Mario and Robert, totally excited after their descent, seem playful and happy.
Suppertime already! Tonight, we take a break from international gastronomic cuisine. Maxime, our cook, introduced us to dried up food; all it needs is boiling water. But, Operation boiling water was a total failure. Better luck next time, El Fuego! At least, you came up with delicious brownies with wild fruits. Time to go to sleep!