Hiking Charlevoix, Québec in an Early Season Snowstorm
I recently returned from an absolutely epic 30-day film shoot in the beautiful province of Québec, Canada. I hiked, and backpacked, and mountain biked, and climbed, and ran, and star gazed, and ate, and paddled, and Via Ferrata ’ed my way through six diverse regions in Québec all showcasing mind-blowing fall colors. The Epic Trails episodes that will come out of this adventure will air next year, however I’m excited to share a glimpse into my time in “la belle province” by way of this blog.
We were in for some wild weather. We justdidn’t know it yet.
When the crew and I set off to Mont des Morios, one of the five summits of Charlevoix, Québec designated as part of The 5 Summits Challenge, we thought we’d get a pleasant night at the top with expansive views of the rugged landscape.
Part of that was true.
“How hard could it be?”
The trail to the top is steep. So steep, that one of the trail forks is designated as being only for “experts.” Of course, I chose that route, thinking, “how hard could it be?” Turns out it could be very hard. It is a steep, slick muddy campaign that even requires ropes, unless you’re interested in face planting in the mud.
As I hiked higher, the temperature began todrop. A few clouds raced overhead, bringing with them flakes of snow. The earlyflurries set off my spider senses, and I wondered if we were in for an earlywinter tempest.
The wind was howling as I made it to thesummit, and the temperatures had plummeted below freezing. I set up camp tuckedaway as best I could in the protection of a few boulders.
The storm turned out to be a gift. Somestorms are just gray walls of ‘blah’. This storm, however, brought with itdrama, poetry, beauty, and blessing. Yes, it was windy and cold. But the lightthat broke through the clouds and the snow was stunning and it reminded me ofthe old photographer’s mantra that the worst weather makes the bestphotographs.
It also reminded me that the lows make the highs. Sure, camping in blue bird pleasant weather is great. But camping in inclement weather brings with it an experience in nature that is so raw and powerful it feels like a gift to be able to experience it. With the right gear and preparedness, rough weather is actually a treasure.
After a fitful night of tent-shaking windand interrupted doses of sleep, I woke up to a gorgeous sunrise. The earlylight brought with it no warmth, and the crusting of snow that blanketed therocks remained white. But the beauty of the frosty morning warmed me upnonetheless.
After the adventure on Mont des Morios, I descended the mountain and made my way to le parc national des Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie. The Charlevoix region offers a plethora of beauty. And Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie reminded me of that. In English, the name translates to the “High Gorges of the Malbaie River,” and you can understand how the name came to be. A river slices through the ancient granite and crafts a spectacular canyon reminiscent of the southwest United States. The hike to the top was no joke - a constantly vertical lung burner. It’s a popular hike, and with good reason.
The Montagne des Érables is also part of the5 Summit Challenge, so when we summited, I celebrated ticking off my secondpeak from the list.
I’ll be back someday to do the rest.