I believe it is time I came out and admitted to my addiction, it is with great personal pain that I must admit to being addicted to viewpoints. There I said it… No fancy rehab center for me, no chance to write on my face book page that I have taken control of my life, no instead I dragged 24 unsuspecting walkers and Lulu up to another viewpoint. Sadly this climb started immediately from the parking lot at St Adolphe d”Howard and was a little brute, taxing our hearts and lungs, so is the way of VPA (View Point Addiction). Even worse, when we reached the top it was a 
lunch bag let down, no vistas, no gasps of delight, just a vague looking lake visible through the trees. So down we went, keeping to the snow shoe trails, slightly damp in sections until we hit the ski trail 2. We were reasonably organised this week, mainly due to the fact that the lead group had maps and could read them. Like all historical trails they tend to have multiple different markers and often several names, still we kept the group together, no alien abductions this week. Finally we arrived at a large tent refuge with “thank the lord” a toilet. I must design a special way point for these toilets so I can keep a record on my gps.
A blister repair clinic had to be set up to administer to suffering walkers, fortunately Christine had a supply of band aids, but the request for a lunch stop was refused on the grounds it was far too early. Our group would not fare well in a refugee camp in Somalia.
South we walked taking a steep new path cut to avoid some very large newly erected cabins by lake Vert then back on the main track until 3 turned north and the southern trail became 24 Laurentienne heading off into the far distance. At last, lunch was served at a sunny spot, honestly you would think these guys had not seen food for days. Finally with happy bellies we managed to get them moving Northward passing the tent refuge, more wee stops , blister repairs and mushroom inspections until we climbed up to our last viewpoint. Horror upon horror, we could not satisfy our VPA on a secluded spot, someone had built a huge gite, with a coffee shop and sadly two of our group felt compelled to sit by the fire and enjoy a coffee. For the rest they sensed that they were close to the parking lot and abandoned our friends to descent back to the cars. A good walk, a little soggy in parts but sadly leaving us suffering withdrawal symptoms having been deprived of our dose of VP.
So how far; 10kms with a few bog trots and hill climbs.