Mont Albert Loop - Parc Nationale de la Gaspésie

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Submitted by damien on

In our earlier hiking days we would go out and do 4 or 5 miles on a Sunday and the kids would be nice and docile on the following Monday. These days, wearing them out is rarity. Their fitness and capacity for activity has improved so much over the years, that is seems like no matter what we do they bounce back almost immediately.

As the parent, I see it as my responsibility (I enjoy the challenge) to tire them out. This means taking them out on more epic adventures.

This past weekend we hiked the loop at Mont Albert in the Parc Nationale de la Gaspésie, about an hour-and-a-half drive from our home. The total distance of this loop is around 17.5 km, which is the longest hike we have ever done as a family. I am happy to report that we finally saw another docile Monday - everyone was worn-out and satisfied.

What follows is a few photos from our trip.

Friendly squirrels on the trailOn the trail, heading to the summitOn the flat summit of Mont AlbertViews from the summit of Mont AlbertInvisible Shoes on the trailDescending into the valley towards La SerpentineAfternoon storm clouds

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Comments

No I didn't, not sure why I

No I didn't, not sure why I missed the video. I'll check it out.

Goatheads. Yep, they hurt through those thin sandles, I need to get some sandles similar to the ones "El Mono" sells but thick enough so they don't penetrate. There's enough of them, especially along trails (and especially around town) that it makes the sandles worthless.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribulus_terrestris

Other names for goatheads (from Dr. Wiki):
bindii
bullhead
burra gokharu
caltrop
cat's head
devil's eyelashes
devil's thorn
devil's weed
puncturevine
tackweed

Ok I'm struggling with your

Ok I'm struggling with your unit of measurement up there in Canada. I've done the converting to kms but when we hike (or tramp as we say) we talk about the length of time it took. So, how much walking time are you taking about here. Thanks for the translating :-)

So, we were contemplating

So, we were contemplating doing longer hikes with my kids. They are 5, 9, 11,11 years old. They can easily do 2-3 miles with rests. But what I was wondering about was, the temps, around here (SE Wisconsin)lately have been in the 100's. Do you hike on days that are that hot? How much water, would you bring with you? or do you have a filter? Any advice/ideas/suggestions would be appreciated. I would hate for them to have a bad experience hiking and not want to do longer hikes.

It does not get that hot

It does not get that hot where we are, so I can't speak from experience in that regard. Are you frequently exposed to sun in those conditions, or are you in the trees? In exposed sun situations I have heard good things about carrying umbrellas with silver reflective surfaces (I can give you more details on specific products if you are interested). Another thing you might consider is experimenting with the time of day you hike, either earlier in the morning, or into the evening.

I am known to sometimes carry large volumes (up to 6 litres occasionally) of water to ensure we have enough extra. I would rather carry too much weight than wind up with a bad water experience with kids. If you have reliable water sources, then filtering/purifying as you go should be fine.

Don't let fear of the weather stop you from progressing. The most important advice I can give you is this: get outdoors often and increase your mileage slowly. Even though you might have the fitness for a lot more, increasing mileage slowly will build your confidence and skills. As you progress you will learn the skills you need to hike safely in your environment, whether it be in heat or cold. Equally important to learning skills, you will also learn your limits. Knowing your limits will help you make safe and informed decisions when you are out on the trail.

Thanks for the response. I

Thanks for the response. I think we are just going to try and get up early and go for hikes at this time. The mornings lately have been cooler 70-80 degrees increasing to the 90's by mid morning. This has been a crazy year here. I don't EVER remember the temps this high for so many days straight and the nights have been warm too. We will start with some 2-3 miles hikes and slowly work up to five. We have done 2-3 miles before with no problems in the fall, but we will take it easy depending on the temps. I enjoy reading your hiking endeavors and looking at the pictures. My kids love the outdoors and spend a lot of their time outside. They need their outdoor time, as do I!! Nothing ensures a good appetite or a good sleep like a day in the outdoors.

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