Mont-Orford Park:

Up Close in Natural Splendour

by Nancy Snipper

 I arrived at Mont Orford with an adventuresome Meetup group – a friendly crowd of hiking and water enthusiasts intent on enjoying a full day of hiking and swimming. There are eight hiking trails two of which I would explore this day, but not without heading out in the canoe on elegant Lac Stukley with its 6.3 kilometres of surface – silky waters that glistened in the sun.

Canoe and kayak rentals are right at the reception area of the lake where a sandy beach also has pedaloes to take you further into the undulating clear waters. My canoe partner, John and I were immediately greeted with helpful staff personnel (Nicolas and William) who handed us two paddles – each with a different length (I’m shorter than John) and along with these two paddles – life jackets that looked spanking new.

Inspiring vistas greeted the eye. Orford’s queenly mountain has its own minion of smaller hills – all stunningly cloaked in lush greenery that chain around the lake.

We seemed to enter another world and as we glided along – our canoe feeling as sturdy as Orford Mountain itself. 
We spied in the distance three rocks, but one was definitely shaped like a bird. We paddled closer and closer, and then realized the smallest "rock" was actually a sleeping loon! We got within a few feet of it. It did not move. I thought maybe it was injured, so I let out a gentle “whawha” loon call, and to my astonishment, it immediately responded with its iconic two-syllable haunting call – one of its four beautiful vocalities. 

                         

Had we frightened it? Not at all. In fact, it remained happy to float there without moving. It shifted its head position, so I knew it was a loon in fine health. Canoeing further, our little loon lingered for a long time in this favourite spot of hers, but I thought it strange it was alone.

Once John and I returned to the reception area with our canoe, William told me that Lac Fraser in fact
has two loon couples that nest there.

For more information visit: www.sepaq.com/Mont-Orford-Park‎ or call 1 (800) 665-6527