O'Brien to Healey

Two WWII movie names would be the best to describe this trip: “The longest day" and "A bridge too far"

Jack, Yang, James and I, 4 guys formed up a team to start from P11 O'brien Parking Lot at around 11:30am to venture through the beautiful trail No.36 which was about 12 KM back and forth.  This trail was scenic but with some challenge on a few winding steep slopes. When I was a beginner for XC ski, Jack once brought me here just for fun. It for sure was for him, but not for me. I couldn't remember how many times of kissing the snowy ground on the slopes. I didn't even finished 1/3 and quit.

Weather was good, clear with some clouds. Snow was a little sticky which made our paces a little stagnant. But guess it also helped giving extra resistance for braking down from the slope. Jack and Yang are veterans who always led the way. James and I always stayed cautious so we fell behind,but with continuous encouragement from the veterans to cheer us up. James was a newbie who only started XC ski this winter, and surprisingly he handled well.

Jack's poor memory gave us a false hope that we would be having lunch sitting on a bench beside the trail in the middle way of trail 36. But it never appeared. When we almost reached the end, Jack just realized that we could have missed the bench. But actually it was just about 150 metres in cul-de-sac trail from the crossing of discovery trail and trail 36. We did find the bench and enjoyed the snow and ice covered Meech Lake on that bench eventually but that was on the way back. This time when we were at the end of the trail 36, we had a more challenging idea, going further to Shelter Healey which was another 5 KM stretch. For Jack and Yang, it was a piece of cake because these two have done even longer distance. But for me, my historical longest was probably 12 KM. If we kept going, it would make our trip to be about 22-23KM, almost double. But who said we couldn't?  Let's go, all of us finally voted for yea unanimously.

We changed our luncheon venue from the bench to Healey. Trail 50 to Healey was my acquaintance so that I knew it was not too rough. But the plummeting temperature, the strong wind and our dropping strength still made it rougher than I expected.  At around 2pm, we finally reached Healey, we mangered our lunch like "wind blowing away the clouds".  Our energy got somewhat refilled after the 20 min or so lunch break. Even though, it took us more time to return to where we started. I remembered that there was a bridge and a long slope just ahead of the finish line. In the last route of trail 36, I always expected to see the bridge where I could rest a little. But it seemed to be so far to me and all I saw was endless trails in the woods.My shoulders, arms and legs were so sore that I was slowing down a lot. Fortunately, my trip was not lonely that I had a Francophone family of 4, parents and 2 little daughters, skiing not far from me. They did the exact same route like we did as we chatted in Healey. So my self-esteem supported me hanging there not to be exceeded by the little ones.  At around 4:30pm, when I lunged down from a steep slope, I saw the bridge.
I gave myself a break there and another 15min later, I saw the other 3 at the Parking Lot.

Yes, I made it! Mon Dieu! I was too excited and exhausted.

Some more pictures were posted in my album.

Thanks Jack, Yang and James for the buddy support and company for accomplish this 5-hour journey.