Finally. Third time’s the charm as they say.
A few weeks ago, I dragged my butt up Mount Bourgeau. I have tried to summit this beast twice over the last couple of years. Both times I was turned away by bad weather.
Snow or shine I was determined to kiss that summit this year. I had planned to hike alone but Lisa H was free so she joined me (with her dog).
I was the first one to arrive at the tiny parking lot. While waiting for Lisa, I chatted with every single person who came into the parking lot. One couple was from Quebec and a family came in from Toronto area. I was happy to impart my limited knowledge of the trail and the area. I am that friendly.
There was a rumour of pesky bugs terrorizing hikers but I gave it no heed as bugs tend to ignore my mostly vegan blood.
The forested trail to Bourgeau Lake was in good shape. The day was early and we didn’t see any sign of wildlife save for the odd bird. We had the lake all to ourselves. We knew when we came down from the summit it would be a much different story. Many people spend time here soaking in scenery without summiting or heading over to Harvey Pass. They don’t know what they are missing.
The views at Harvey Pass and Harvey Lake never disappoint. Today we couldn’t see much in the distance because of the smoke but what we could see was striking. I told Lisa I could spend an entire day here just hanging out and I would be happy. It’s pure magic.
But I was determined to carry on. Lisa was being cautious about her dog – it was a long day for the poor thing. I wasn’t sure what the trail consisted of past the Inukshuk where I turned around a year ago. Fortunately her dog’s paws were just fine so the three of us continued up the steep climb.
After climbing over a field of small rocks and boulders, we came to an opening where I met the duo from Toronto who were worried about the bugs. They had removed their “bug masks’ and were in good spirits. It turns out they had only reached the false summit of Mount Bourgeau like I had a year ago.
Lisa was a little hesitant about the last push because she was worried about the dog’s paws. Two guys who were descending told us we were only 30 minutes from the summit. (We made it in 22 minutes). That was enough for her to stay the course and join me at the top.
The four of us chatted as we climbed up the final 200 metres or so. The couple – Dana and Roman – are quite the hikers. They have been hiking all around the world. Great to chat with them. I love to hear about adventures. We exchanged information so I hope to hear from them again one day. Who knows we might meet on top of a mountain somewhere again.
shielded us from the wind while we snacked and chatted. It was pretty smoky so we couldn’t see much. Gosh I need to go back on a clear day to see what I was missing. This place was pretty epic with its views of the surrounding mountains and lakes despite the smoke.
Have you summited Mount Bourgeau? Have you ever tried to summit a mountain but was turned around because of weather? I would love to hear from you in the comments below.