Sunday was a beautiful day with bright sunshine but a crispness in the air. Ideal I thought for a walk with a small intimate group on the old ski trails of Rigaud. These trails are not walked by many people because they are confusing and it’s easy to take a wrong turn. Never mind I thought, small intimate understanding group, no hassle. Wrong, unless you call 37 plus two dogs small and intimate, two more members arrived later, no names no back drill but these two are starting the new season where they left off last year, late… Anyhow back to the eager 37 anxious to scoot round the trails and back in time for lunch. After the official group photo, thank goodness for wide angle lenses, we set of like the morning rush hour at the Metro. The first part is relatively easy although some of the lead group even missed the first turning, omens of things to come maybe. The trails were surprisingly good given the rain of late and no major water obstacle was encountered, soon we made the turn into the inter land where the unwary can easily lose their way, never to be seen again. From this point on it became a typical Rigaud walk, wrong turns, back tracking, keeping a large group together , fine views from the cross, rocky paths and the potato fields. It was here a second piece of technology had to be deployed when a cell phone call was used to locate some photographer stragglers who missed a turn. The comedy of errors carried on as whilst the stragglers were being found the lead group opted to turn left instead of right on the path, not realising they were heading to the Sanctuary and further on we missed the small path leading to the burnt cabin and had to bushwhack across to the trail. Much muttering were heard from the throngs and the navigator feared for his life. Still we reached the burnt cabin and final nourishment taken before the push back to the parking lot. A small cairn was found at the cabin, however I did not think it appropriate to mention it was the Cairn to the Unknown Walker unless the throng thought it a good idea to dump a known walker(navigator) there. The last two kms went without incident, except for a couple of straggling photographers who missed a turn and only realised it when the imprint of thirty hikers could not be seen on the trail.
Well we made it , it took a little longer than planned, o.k. at lot longer than planned but we all came back to our cars. A few of the group went to the Timmies in Rigaud only to find it still held the record for the slowest service in all of Canada. A fitting end to a great day in the woods.