With our obvious choice, Mont Orford, not allowing dogs, charging a fee and seeming a bit long for the amount of time we had we got out our Eastern Township guide and decided on Mont Pinacle. Neither of us are familiar with the area and after a few wrong turns we finally could see our destination but had no idea how to get there. We persisted and finally noticed the very small royal blue signs that led us to the Trail Head. (Which was well marked.) Unfortunately where to park was not. Alas another very small royal blue sign, we had arrived.
There are 6 interconnecting trails which allow for a bit of a loop. We explored 4 of these trails as we were not equipped for the 2 more difficult routes. We started up the trail that runs on the Lac Lyster side. The trail is approx. 2 km long and runs through a deciduous forest and reaches an altitude of 400m. You can see a network of maple taps throughout the trees on the lower parts of the hike. The trail can be quite steep at times and was very muddy. Due to this the trail has actually been recently closed. For more information you can go here. Views from the top are beautiful overlooking Lac Lyster and small town of Baldwin.
Quebec has had a dreary summer this year and I was lucky to arrive during a stretch of good weather. The leaves are turning very early this year and we saw some beautiful colourful spots. I would love to revisit this hike in the fall when the trees are in full colour.The front face is also a popular spot for rock climbing, however we did not see anyone.
This is a lovey hike that can be enjoyed in a few hours. We both just had our running shoes and with the exception of the mud, which I think is due to the poor weather, is all you will need. The trail is popular and we saw many families and friendly faces. There is a nice picnic area near the trail head. The only thing that was missing is a toilet or outhouse. My morning coffees and a mean corner store owner left me squatting in the bushes.
