This is not the first time we’re going cross-country skiing, but on both previous occasions I forgot my camera. This time we went to ski along the ‘RiviËre du Nord’, the small, winding river that stretches along the Laurentians, north of Montréal. Of course there are lots of rivers that are far more northern, but they weren’t named yet when this one was named.
We looked at the map and were heading to a trail a few kilometres north of the parking lot. In order to get there we could either drive to another parking lot, or ski a few kilometres. We decided to ski. After a steepish descent, the trail was going over a bridge and the slightly up and down but reasonable flat until we reached the old railway bed.
The trains are gone a long time ago, the rails removed and used for other things (maybe even for building our house, the main beams in the basement are supported by ‘columns’ made of old rails) but the old railway bed has been converted into a hiking/cycling path in the summer, and a ski-trail in the winter, named “Le P’tit Train du Nord”. Because the trail is slightly sloping upward, without any steep descents or climbs, it’s ideal for people who practise cross country skiing in skate style, on much shorter skis with stiffer bindings and using longer poles. It is however a total bore for us, who ski in the classic style, with both skis parallel to each other. But it was only for a few kilometres and then our trail would go back to the other side of the river again and was going to be a bit more interesting.
When we reached the intersection of the two trails however, we found out that the river crossing was over the ice, and since the ice wasn’t thick enough yet, was not yet open. So we couldn’t reach the other side of the river and couldn’t reach the nice trail. So after a short break, during which Alison burned her tongue by drinking tea straight out of the thermos bottle, we returned over the boring train track towards our car. It had been okay, the weather had been better than predicted and we had been out in the fresh air, but of course we should have gone to the other parking lot. Next time we will.
Jan 2 2006
Nord
This is not the first time we’re going cross-country skiing, but on both previous occasions I forgot my camera. This time we went to ski along the ‘RiviËre du Nord’, the small, winding river that stretches along the Laurentians, north of Montréal. Of course there are lots of rivers that are far more northern, but they weren’t named yet when this one was named.
We looked at the map and were heading to a trail a few kilometres north of the parking lot. In order to get there we could either drive to another parking lot, or ski a few kilometres. We decided to ski. After a steepish descent, the trail was going over a bridge and the slightly up and down but reasonable flat until we reached the old railway bed.
The trains are gone a long time ago, the rails removed and used for other things (maybe even for building our house, the main beams in the basement are supported by ‘columns’ made of old rails) but the old railway bed has been converted into a hiking/cycling path in the summer, and a ski-trail in the winter, named “Le P’tit Train du Nord”. Because the trail is slightly sloping upward, without any steep descents or climbs, it’s ideal for people who practise cross country skiing in skate style, on much shorter skis with stiffer bindings and using longer poles. It is however a total bore for us, who ski in the classic style, with both skis parallel to each other. But it was only for a few kilometres and then our trail would go back to the other side of the river again and was going to be a bit more interesting.
When we reached the intersection of the two trails however, we found out that the river crossing was over the ice, and since the ice wasn’t thick enough yet, was not yet open. So we couldn’t reach the other side of the river and couldn’t reach the nice trail. So after a short break, during which Alison burned her tongue by drinking tea straight out of the thermos bottle, we returned over the boring train track towards our car. It had been okay, the weather had been better than predicted and we had been out in the fresh air, but of course we should have gone to the other parking lot. Next time we will.
By mare • english •