May 11-13, 2015    One of the highlights of our vacance en Quebec was two runs to
the Sommet de Mont-Sainte-Anne on hiking and ski trails.  Considerable snow 
remained from a hard winter, the air was crisp, and the views of the Riviere du   
Saint-Laurent and l'Ile d'Orleans below were a refreshing reprieve for one who has
spent too much time on the Piedmont.  While the summit of the mountain is 
measured at only 2675 feet, the vertical drop back down to the resort is over 2000 
feet, which you quickly learn can happen within a mile on black diamond runs.

     

On my first run up the mountain the weather was fogged in, which made for some
awesome shots.  The trail in the woods between the runs was soaked from the
spring runoff, making the ancient worn down rocks of the Laurentian Mountains
often quite slippery.  The rocks of these mountains are part of the Canadian Shield,
making them some of the oldest exposed lithosphere on the planet - nearly four
billion years old.  Thinking about how this range was once very jagged peaks
much higher than anything in the Himalayans boggles the imagination.

      

Despite my lack of much recent hill running, I had no difficulty sustaining the climb
at largely a running tempo.  While my winding vertical route en le Sentier de Pionnier
was but two and a half miles, it went up quickly, reaching the alpine zone and the 
summit in no time. The subsequent day turned out sunny, giving me a completely 
different set of memories to bring back.  While I got soaked on the first day, I got 
overheated on the second, so took more time to stop and enjoy the expansive views.
Only saw one deer on the mountain, and surprisingly no other hikers or runners.  The 
views were mine alone to enjoy...........and now share!