We slept in that morning, since it was drizzling. I made a huge breakfast of egg, turkey bacon, and toast in addition to the boys’ cereal bowls.
When the sun came out, we took the Cabriolet to the lower village and went to the Pirate’s Park, Lac Miroir, and Captain’s Harbour. We let our little boy play for a bit. My husband joked that we drove all the way to Mont-Tremblant just to spend one morning in a playground.
At the park, we saw a group of yoga-enthusiasts spread out in their colourful workout gear and equipment. Unlike the astronomers who cancelled the “Tremblant Beneath the Stars” event that weekend, the “Wanderlust” group pushed ahead. I recalled that their festival the previous year also coincided with the astronomy event, but I did not pay much attention to it because we were focused then on our stargazing activities.
The “Wanderlust” festival is a four-day annual event that brings together people who are seeking a weekend retreat to find their true selves and their purpose amidst some of the world’s most beautiful natural surroundings. I learned that this started in 2009 and over the years, it had evolved into an event that’s not only intended for yoga practitioners, but also for amateurs of alternative music (the concert we watched the previous night was part of the “Wanderlust” festival), and followers of a healthy lifestyle and holistic gastronomy.
We sat on the grass to watch them as they collectively performed their yoga postures to the soft beat of an eastern drum. My! Just by watching them contort their bodies with relative ease in every position possible, I wished I were that fit and flexible. I reminded myself that I should try to lead a more active lifestyle.
When they were done with their set, we saw them socializing in little circles. It was then when we noticed colourful floral arrangements on the grass. Our son wanted to see them up close, so we walked towards the park to check them out. There were about a dozen of them and they were all gorgeous. Each one was a unique kaleidoscope of an assortment of flowers, leaves, twigs, branches, stones, seed, pine cones, and trinkets.
I asked permission from one of the participants to take photos, since I was not sure if we were allowed. She told me that these are called danmalas, which in Sanskrit means, "the giver of flower circles” and are a variant of the mandala. A mandala, meaning, “circle” in Sanskrit, is a spiritual and ritual symbol used in both Hinduism and Buddhism, representing the Universe. It signifies peace, tranquility, spirituality, and reaching for the sublime.
Danmalas are made from intricate arrangements of flowers and natural plant parts. Its creation is a form of impermanent art and is meant to help a person establish a natural devotional space and centre one’s self through meditation. The process of designing and assembling it alone is already a deep, spiritual process, according to her.
I thanked her for the information and took snapshots of these stunning displays. Apparently, after use, they leave these on the ground until they wilt and blend with the natural surroundings. In between this process, lucky passersby will be able to admire these works of art.
We headed to the beach next. We were not really planning to swim because of the unpredictable weather. We just wanted to see some sand, rock, and water. After all, it is rare to find a beach in a mountain resort.
On that day, most people seemed to share the same idea as ours. The beach was empty, save from some bored lifeguards straightening up the empty beach chairs, picnic tables, and umbrellas. We walked for a bit just to enjoy the feel of the sand underneath our bare feet, waded in the warm waters, and looked for some tiny crustaceans. Before long, the drizzles had started again, so we walked back to the Cabriolet station to go up the upper village and have lunch at our hotel.
In the afternoon, having eliminated hiking from the base to the summit from our list of things-to-do (due to muddy paths, slippery rock outcrops, and on-and-off rains), we compromised on taking the Panoramic Gondola to the summit and just doing the hiking loops up there.
We had a number of options. The most popular is the 360 Trail, a 2.5-kilometer loop with a panoramic view of all of the mountain’s slopes. There were also combinations of the upper portions of the various trails that originate from the base and one called Tour de Timber, a 4.7-kilometer summit trail that features a waterfall. I wanted to do the easiest one, but my boys wanted to tackle a more challenging trail, one that comes with a little bit of rock climbing and some elevation. We decided to split.
I did the 360 Trail alone, which started on a gravel road, and then alternated between grassy field and ski slopes. It was ranked as “easy,” but I still had to navigate my way around big rocks, tree roots, and steep sections.
Man! In Canada, if they say a trail is “easy,” this is what you expect. In the US, an easy trail means paved roads and flat paths…basically a walk through the forest. I guess, Canadians, being generally more outdoorsy, use a different standard scale when it comes to classifying hiking terrains. Remember that!
My boys did the Caps and Vertigo Loop. As the name suggests, half of this is the summit portion of the base-to-summit Caps Trail, and the other one, that of the Vertigo Trail. It is described as “moderate,” and based on how I described my “easy” loop, you can just imagine this one. But this is exactly what the boys had in mind – a trail that would put their endurance and balance to the test.
As I completed my loop, it had started to rain. I tried calling my boys to check where they were but they did not pick-up, so I just texted them, ran to the gondola station, and went back to the upper village. Luckily, there was no line-up and I got a gondola car all for myself.
Back at the village, I browsed the stores along Pedestrian Street and ended up spending time at the small general store, where I bought a freshly baked baguette, two small cans of wine (yes, in cans...one red and one white), two varieties of local cheese, some berries, and a pack of assorted cold cuts. I thought that the weather was fine for a wine-and-cheese time by the fireplace that evening and it was a genuinely nice surprise to find such good quality products in a small store.
On my way back to the hotel, my husband called to inform me that they were on their way back to our suite as well, and that they were absolutely soaked and dirty. We both agreed to stay in for the night. He said he brought enough food (German sausages and slices of beef roast) for him, which he would share with our son. We could just have a cozy dinner at our home-away-from-home. I guess he read my mind.
I stopped over at St-Hubert, the go-to chicken place when you are in Quebec or any French-Canadian areas in the East Coast to get some food for me. I do like their rotisserie chicken, but being Filipino, I am still partial to Jollibee’s crispy and juicy Chicken Joy and Max’s fall-off-the-bone fried chicken. But hey, I was in Quebec, so St-Hubert it was!
I staked my claim on the main bath, intending to pamper myself in a long, relaxing bubble bath to soothe my sore leg muscles. My boys took hot showers in the other bathroom, warmed up their food, and watched TV. After my “spa treatment,” I prepared my charcuterie board and wine and joined my boys for a TV night.
We all agreed that despite the cancellation of the stargazing event, which was why we went to Mont-Tremblant in the first place, and despite the inclement weather, everything turned out well. Sometimes, we just need to chill and not plan too many things.
The next day was our last day in Mont-Tremblant. Since Mother Nature seemed to be acting on a whim that weekend when it comes to the timing and frequency of rain and drizzles, we decided to leave our schedule open.
We just walked around the upper and lower villages and window-shopped. At one point, our little boy wanted to go mini-golfing. Le Petit Géant, a small replica of the more popular Le Géant Golf Course is an 18-hole course perfect for kids and golf rookies like us. We would see a birds-eye view of this all the time atop the Cabriolet, but we somehow never got around to actually playing. As we were about to walk there, it started pouring again and we figured, we should skip it on this trip because even if the rain would stop, the grounds would be wet and muddy.
Beside it is the Aqua Club La Source, an indoor and outdoor aquatic centre that features an outdoor pool, indoor pool with slides, interactive water games, a hot tub, and a a spa. My boys, however, were not in the mood for pool swimming or any games that involve getting wet.
Everywhere around, we could feel the strong presence of the “Wanderlust” festival. There were stalls selling Canadian-made yoga apparel and yoga mats, health and wellness books, essential oils, homemade soaps, organic food products, and many more. There were signs advertising yoga and meditation classes, foraging hikes, a morning run by the river, organic cooking classes, mindful living workshops, natural medicine healing sessions, and many more. By the stage, the line up of alternative music performances were posted.
It was festive enough but nothing compared to last year, when the weather was fantastic and all three festivals were in full gear – the “Tremblant Beneath the Stars,” “Wanderlust,” and “Ironman.” On the positive side, it was less crowded.
My husband said it was just telling us that we had to return the following year because there was still so much to do and to explore. I told him that three summers at the same place in a row could be a little redundant and suggested that we consider another summer destination instead. For the moment, we should just savour and enjoy what we could at Mont-Tremblant on that rainy weekend and leave our vacation discussion for next year.
Note: We did not go to Mont-Tremblant the following summer. Instead, we went to Québec City to see Les Fêtes de la Nouvelle-France (The New France Festival) and to visit the nearby towns.
Comments