Yesterday, I experienced a connection to nature I’ve not experienced in a long while. Exploring unofficial trails with friend Cynthia in the area between Lac Renaud and Lac Jumeaux (Twin Lakes) removed the more common experience of artificial boundaries, of being ‘on trail’ or ‘off trail’. It was all ……. well, just forest. We walked slower and relied more on our senses. I felt alive, aware and noticed more: tiny red mushrooms tucked in rock crevices, large white ones under ground cover, blankets of green moss covering rocks, moose and bear scat, moose foot prints (they are huge), a moose speedily swimming across Twin Lake and a snake quietly lying amongst the dry leaves beside the trail. At one point Cynthia found herself staring into the eyes of a deer when she was bushwalking searching for traces of a trail. We followed creeks and animal tracks, scrambled up a cliff when we couldn’t find the trail, and arrived at our destination regardless of the trail not totally following the map. As Cynthia said, A truly memorable day. A gift to experience the Park in this way.
Here are a few photos of this beautifully serene part of the Park
