The majestic Mount Logan -- Part 2

The approach

After a good night's sleep, I get up around 6:00 a.m., a little before sunrise. It's still partly cloudy, but there are some colors in the clouds. It's completely silent in the refuge, and I take the opportunity to sort through some photos. So peaceful. It's around 9:30 a.m. that I start this day of about 15 km, starting by crossing the lake. The snow is super fluffy, and the views of the surrounding mountains from this frozen body of water are magnificent. The sky has completely cleared, and there are now almost no clouds on the horizon. Hopefully, this lasts until sunset!

Mostly uphill, this ten kilometers was still very well skied in a few hours and I was able to observe many Boreal Chickadees and Red-breasted Nuthatches along the way. Species that I never see near my home, because they live further north, in boreal forests, a world that doesn't exist in my region. It's precisely one of the many things I love here: clinging to the trees, the lichen lets itself be gently rocked by the wind, letting one know the high level of purity of the air in the heart of the mountains.

The higher I climb, the more snow there is. It's around the 13th kilometer, as I cross the 1000m mark, that the fir trees really start to get smaller. Almost buried. On the other hand, there is no ghost of snow. The latter is not stuck to the trees and does not dress them in a white coat, unlike last year. It must be said that I am later in the season and the sun is beating down harder and harder on the conifers! This doesn't demotivate me, because the sunset promises to be quite incredible. Still no clouds, a temperature of around -17 Celsius and a clear horizon: all the ingredients necessary to observe the belt of Venus!

It's now approximately 2 p.m. I finally arrive, after a steep 2km climb, at the La Chouette refuge, which will be my shelter for the next two nights. Right in front of me stands the magnificent, immaculately white Mount Logan. It's up there that I'll go to watch the sunset.

The sky on fire

After taking the time to drop off my things and rest a little, I left the hut and headed for the summit of Mount Logan. It's not very far, about 3 km. Along the way, I noticed some tracks in the snow, what looked to me like moose tracks. At this altitude? That will remain a mystery.

The sun is still quite high, but I prefer to arrive early and have time to prepare rather than arrive at the last colors. The higher I climb, the more magnificent the view becomes, allowing me to look all around. In the distance, I can see the fabulous Mont Albert and even the Vallières-de-Saint-Réal, in the Chics-Chocs wildlife reserve. The sky is still clear, and already the light is beginning to be beautiful and tinged with gold.

As soon as I reach the summit, I realize that it's windy! I immediately put on my "down jacket" and all my warmest clothes to be comfortable enough to take pictures anyway. It's probably the strongest and most icy wind I've experienced so far. I literally have a bit of trouble standing up! But as for the view, it's just as spectacular. On one side, a sea of ​​high mountains as far as the eye can see and on the other, a few hills and the river in the distance. A 360-degree feast for the eyes. I settle down behind a small rock wall and take out my camera. This will be my place a little more sheltered from the wind if I want to change lenses or make changes. The sun goes down very quickly and I start taking some pictures. With big mittens, it's not easy to adjust the settings!

I experiment with different compositions, some of which I like. I set up my camera close to the ground, trying to capture the textures of the snow/ice as well as the last few rays of the sun, in a single image. I also try to capture images of the surrounding peaks in this beautiful light. The lower the sun gets to the horizon, the redder it becomes and the colors become incredible. It's simply magical.

After taking several photographs of this evening spectacle, I turn around and see a pinkish arc almost all around me. It's the Belt of Venus. What a magnificent phenomenon. Despite the cold that's really starting to get to me, I take a few pictures before leaving. I can't feel my fingers much anymore. Other than that, I'm not cold anywhere else, and it's partly thanks to the beauty of this sunset that makes me forget this icy temperature. I'm captivated by these intense colors.

I finally put away my camera and take out my headlamp as it begins to get dark and the stars slowly appear. It's now around 8 p.m., and that's how I leave the summit of this legendary mountain, with an extraordinary memory in my mind.

Watching the sunset from the top of one of your favorite mountains, then skiing back down in the last reddish glow, just as the stars appear: what an evening!