Moominmama in Les Chic Chocs

 

In which Moominmama meets a Caribou...

Moominmama is in the Haute Gaspésie, the northern end of the Gaspé peninsula in Quebec but on the Saint Lawrence side. I nailed a camping spot in the Parc National de la Gaspesie and much to my surprise, I'm in the mountains even though I'm half an hour's drive from the Saint Lawrence River and the ocean smells of the Atlantic!

And these are impressive mountains, with lofty alpine zones at the top, complete with caribou. I had no idea...

On the peaks, the ground is bushy and rocky tundra like Alaska or Alberta. But it is rare to see the caribou, and Moominmama was incredibly lucky to find one at the top of Mont Jacques-Cartier.

This small but protected herd of woodland caribou are found on only a couple of the peaks. I was lucky to have an opportunity to hike one of those mountains and snagged a spot on the first bus of the day into the protected zone. This peak is only open to hikers for three months of the year, and even then, hikers can only be on the mountain between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. 

I was excited to see this alpine terrain again but didn't really expect to see any caribou. They were once common as far south as in New Hampshire apparently, but we disrupted their habitat and so they retreated. Reportedly, the last caribou in New Hampshire dates to 1869.

Hikers here are directed to sit or squat down if they see a caribou, because it's crucial that the animals not feel threatened and that they spend their summers eating as much as possible to survive the tough winters. When my group spotted one as we crested the mountain, we all sat and observed. The caribou watched us carefully from a distance and eventually wandered away.

It was when I was heading back down on my own that the caribou and I realized we were traveling a parallel path. I sat down, and apparently the caribou got curious because he came towards me in fits and starts. Moominmama rarely tries her hand at wildlife photography because a cell phone camera is so limited and pulling one out of my pocket invariably scares off my subjects. But in this case, I got the cell phone video running while the caribou was at some distance. Then, as it stepped nearer, I actually captured some good video of the animal!

After taking a close look at me, it eventually steered past, but what a wonderful moment! I fairly floated down the next mile! (Then had to pay attention so as not to twist my ankle on the rocks.)

The Chic Chocs, also known as the Canadian Appalachians, include more than 25 peaks and to see the caribou, I climbed the highest: Mont Jacques-Cartier at just over 4,000 feet. (Of which I climbed less than 2,000 since the start of the trail is already well above sea level.) 

Mont Albert is another high peak and a  huge brown lump of a mountain you can see here from Mont Ernest-Laforce. Mont Albert has both a north and south peak, but trails there are labeled "expert," which I am not! I did several smaller peaks like Mont Olivine in the top photo. 

En route to that peak, I walked by the Saint Anne waterfall. This ends the portion of the Saint Anne River where salmon swim because they can't get up these falls. Downriver is protected for the fish, so no one is permitted in or near the water.

One afternoon, I found myself longing for a swim so I drove out to Lac Cascapedia, one of the water bodies where one is allowed to swim and boat. Unfortunately, I arrived as it clouded over. From the beach, I could see the far end of the long, narrow lake darken and throw off bolts of lightening. 

Paddlers made for shore, but the storm's arrival was quite a show, with the billowing darkness and rumbles of thunder moving towards us. I left just as the first raindrops hit. No swim but still a fun afternoon's show! 

Moominmama intends to try again for a swim before I leave the area. The rest of my Maritimes trip will keep me close to the ocean, and the opportunities to swim in a freshwater lake may be rare. 

But I wouldn't trade the surprise of the Chic Chocs for anything. There was much that reminded me of my hikes in the province of Alberta, including unfortunately, the toll that pine beetles are taking on the spruce here. 

I was also delighted to find wild strawberries along several paths, and I can see raspberry vines all over that will soon produce fruit. I have been limping along on my rusty French, and I am surprised how little English I hear. This park is apparently not well-known outside of Quebec.

It should be. And now you know the secret! Here's another beautiful view from Mont Ernest-Laforce to end with along with one taken from Pic de l'Aube.




Location: Gaspé Peninsula, La Haute-Gaspésie Regional County Municipality, QC G0C 1T0, Canada

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