Lac des Monts

In the 1970's my mother bought an old log cabin in the Laurentians. Built in the 1930's, it sits on a quiet trout lake north of Mont Tremblant  and south of Mont Laurier. A couple of hours north of Montreal and about two and a half from Ottawa.

Over the years a few more people have built in the area but it remains a real retreat, a refuge from the push and shove of urban life.

The swimming is great and we can spend a week without seeing another person. When we do see someone else they are quietly puttering along trolling for trout. They give us a wide berth. We are inclined to swim and dive boisterously and we disturb the fish. Sometimes we wave.

I just that don't get back very often.

About 20+ years ago my brother and I gave the old cabin some upgrades. We expanding the front porch and added a porch running along the side. After over 20 years it was in pretty tough shape.

This year we put together a work party made up of my brother and Chris who was just beginning to walk when the first one was constructed and me. We tore off the old porch and with the help of a borrowed generator we put the whole thing back together.

Chris and I stayed nine days in all, mostly doing minor repairs, roadwork, replanting trees and clearing brush. Oh yeah, we also swam in that pure cold  lake, lay on the dock peering into those clear waters watching small trout and perch, we canoed and we watched the stars reflected in that calm northern lake.