Lost in the
Gatineaus
How compounding mistakes left us
alone and cold throughout the night
BY TONY GARIANO
“ME LOST IN THE GATINEAUS for 36 hours? I don’t think so.”
That would have been my response to anyone suggesting the possibility
of me getting lost on the Eardley Escarpment, west of Gatineau’s Lusk
Falls Trail. After all, since friends introduced it to me five years ago, I had
completed more than 25 hikes there.
First, I had gone with groups who knew the trails well. Not all parts of the
steep, winding pathways are marked clearly, but after a few hikes, I knew
my way better and introduced others to Gatineau’s quiet beauty. As I led
friends through the trees and scrambled over rocks, we experienced only
a couple of missed turns. On one, I led a group along a path I had never
taken before. We crossed some rough terrain, but ended up very close to
our starting point. Terrific. No harm done, I thought. Besides, it was a great
hiking experience.
On another occasion with a friend, we missed a turnoff completely. Our
three-hour casual hike turned into a six-hour marathon. Finally, we found
ourselves at a major road, a long way from our truck.
ODRIGUES
R
Together, we hitch-hiked and jogged back to our vehicle.
SHOK
But in June 2002, I endured a hike on this trail system that I never want to
/
A
.
C
OM
experience again.
T
O
I
S
T
OCKPHO
©
14
B
Y
OTTAWA >> SUMMER/FALL 2008
www.OttawaOutdoors.ca
T
O
P
HO
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