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Decades ago my Dad brought us here. This is the lake in the crater of a long- ago volcano on Mont St Hilaire. It lies beyond the Richelieu River to the South-East of Montreal. With a new job as supervisor of all the buildings and grounds of McGill University, this and many acres of surrounding mountain was part of my father’s responsibility. It made a great impression on me when he told me how the lake had been formed.

I don’t own a car by choice so coming out here is not frequent excursion. I discovered the day-trip option of SEPAQ however and happily jolted along in an old bus with a group of other hiking enthusiasts. Besides offering chalets for family stays, the NANA division (Navet a la Nature sic) offers day transport and access to nature in a way that uses communal transport. Quite a bargain too!

My Dad was beside me in spirit as I hiked up the paths to a lookout on a spot called Sugar Loaf

The trail was pretty rocky but encouraged by a family of youngsters I persevered and sat to have a picnic lunch.

Some spots were pretty worn from a full summer of visitors and I was glad of my hiking pole. I had carelessly left one in a Metro car a few weeks earlier and never replaced it. Maybe that was why a gentle skid to a surprise sitting position livened things up a bit. No harm done.

At the pleasant visitor centre, I enjoyed a coffee with another hiker. It was a lovely peaceful day that brought back fond memories and made new ones!