P11 parking (O'Brien): N45 31.619 W75 51.855
Discovery Trail, Gatineau Park: 7.6 km
Both kids have been sick for a few days now. Saturday we decided to spend the better part of the afternoon at a drop-in clinic having them "officially" diagnosed with a barking cough and a fever. They were both prescribed some medicine and one of them even got a puffer (her bark is noticeably worse).
Well this morning I decided that today seemed like the perfect day to take one of these sick children off of mommy's hands and give them a dose of outdoor medicine. For me it's a cure-all to tackle whatever life wants to throw at you. Guaranteed.
Winter
Sara and I managed to hit the trail early thanks to the spinning back of the clocks last night. When we left the lot there were only a couple of other cars besides our own. We hiked in enjoying the blue skies and sunshine stopping only momentarily here and there to try to capture the morning's beauty on camera.
The hike was quiet on the way in but as soon as we turned around to head back to the O'Brien parking lot the traffic picked up considerably. Not surprising given the great fall weather.
At one point we found a sunny log to sit on off the trail where we could enjoy a lunch and a Halloween snack (and for one of us, a pint). We were surprised at how many fellow hikers walked by and didn't once spot us only 20 feet off the trail. Too busy chatting and soaking in the rays to notice us I suppose.
Click photo for a larger image.
After lunch we hopped back on the trail and were soon greeted by a high school class heading into the woods for the night. Some looked excited, many looked indifferent, and one was smoking ganja. Well, whatever helps you get through the cold chilly nights.
By the time we finally arrived back at the parking lot we'd seen over 40 people and 9 dogs (are dogs even allowed in Gatineau Park?). Seems we weren't the only ones looking for a cure.
