Autumn Cross Training on Mont Saint-Bruno

Lac des Bouleaux, The day's nicest trails started from here.


On Sunday we visited the nearby provincial park of Parc Mont-Saint-Bruno, a bit east of Montreal.

Our goal: do some hiking and trail running to prepare for the (non-wheeled) winter cross-country ski and snowshoe season.

This park has an extensive x-c ski trail network and we did a great 9 km loop around the park.


We made a clockwise trip around the park - and discovered lakes!

This loop took us to uphill-side-trips to the top of the next-door downhill ski area and the true summit (no view and full of communications towers). Both were good straight-up-hills that get the muscles warmed up!

At the top of the ski hill trail was snow! With the week's steady cold temperatures, they had been running the snow-making machines. It was a real winter wonderland.


Unexpected "the Joy of Winter" interlude

Then it was back down and we followed trails around the southern border of the park through excellent hilly terrain (the #6).

The afternoon was bathed in sunset for an eternity, a magic quality that is due to St-Bruno's unique multi-hill geographic arrangement.

As usual, we had a late start, and we had to run the second half of the trail to get back to the car ten minutes AFTER the park gates officially closed. This is not recommended (lateness that is, running is ok!).


As usual, we meet with our friend, the sunset. Note frozen wetland

I once heard a bicycling enthusiast say "Don't go somewhere and ride, ride somewhere to go." I take that to mean "Don't get in the car and have to drive somewhere in order to ride your bike, you need to get on your bike starting at home, and explore your world. On your bike from montreal there are many easy-to-bike-to local destinations like Parc Mont Saint-Bruno.

Bike, hike, picnic, ride home. Life doesn't get better than this.

Especially because today's bikes work better than this:


La Draisine (aka La Draisienne) bike.