Never stop exploring

The other week, a few friends, my sister and I decided to go to the Gatineau Hills for a hike. The Gatineau hills are located in Quebec, Canada. While not in the same province as me, the only thing that separates us from this part of Quebec is a bridge. A sea of tree’s and you guessed it, hills, the Gatineau’s are an outdoor enthusiasts heaven, attracting cyclists’, runner’s and families to explore its many trails, lakes and campgrounds. Even in winter, the park is an inviting place for getting your fitness on, with ski hills, and paths for snowshoeing.

On this hot August day, we chose to hike to the Carbide Willson Ruins, located in the Gatineau’s, these ruins are the remnants of a laboratory built by paranoid scientist, Thomas Carbide in 1892. The legend goes that Carbide had an intense fear of fellow competitors stealing his chemical breakthroughs in the fertilizer industry therefore prompting him to build his lab in the backwoods of Quebec.

The rich and foreboding history of the area was made even better by the pools of water jutting off from sections of the waterfall that ran beneath the ruins. We quickly abandoned our shoes and bags near some tree’s and dove in, bearing those five seconds of pain that come with acclimatizing to the temperature. Engaging our adventurous sides, we climbed over concrete slabs and slid on slippery rocks. Eventually, we settled at the bottom of the falls, forming a circle and chatting for almost an hour, letting the slightly cold but comfortable water permeate our skin. With gems like these in buried deep in the forest, who needs to spend mega bucks going to the spa?