Living Life by Design - with Alan and Mark: Mountain Pipe Coaster

Mountain Pipe Coaster - and Other Quebec Treats!

Sometimes, social media ads serve a useful purpose!

A few days ago, while poring over recent Facebook posts, a pop-up appeared which immediately drew attention to itself. Just 40 minutes from where we are house/pet sitting in Kanata, Ottawa, the ad revealed that there was a new ride at Camp Fortune in Chelsea, Quebec, that looked interesting.

It's called the Mountain Pipe Coaster.

Ever up for another adventure, we purchased tickets online and decided to drive there this afternoon. After being held up in traffic on the Ontario side of the border for several minutes, we crossed over one of the many bridges that connect our province with Quebec.

Following the directions on our GPS, the winding road took us up into the Park in the Gatineau Hills. We'd been here before, but had not entered it from this particular direction.

At last, we arrived, excitedly, and made our way to the base of the chairlifts that were part of the experience. At the top, there is an exhilarating journey which returns the rider to the base on a 1 km long monorail track that twists and turns its way through the forest beside the ski slopes. The maximum speed is 40 km/hour, but the rider has complete control over the speed with which she/he feels comfortable.

Anticipating the desire to repeat the experience, we had bought double-ride tickets, and joined the line-up to board the chairlift.

The base of the ride

It's always so relaxing to ascend quietly and peacefully above the ski slopes, no matter what time of year. The silence is only broken by the sound of the chairlift as it moves over the towers which support the cables.

Part of the monorail track can be seen below the chairlifts

Reaching the top, we eagerly made our way to the beginning of the coaster ride and awaited our turn while taking in the magnificent views of the Gatineau Hills. It is not for nothing that Quebec is called, 'La Belle Province'!

Just imagine the splendour of this view during the Fall colours!

Here, the toboggans were being reloaded on to the rail after being brought up to the top by the chairlifts.

Seatbelt in place, we each sat in our own toboggan, waiting for the operator to tell us when we could commence our ride.

People in front of us, waiting for the signal to let go of the brakes

Once the brake was released, gravity took over, and the journey began. As mentioned, above, the speed could be controlled by the handle, and it was totally necessary to keep both hands in place so as to negotiate the various twists and turns that added to the fun of the descent! Watching the trees whiz by, while taking in the occasional glimpses of the surrounding scenery, the rider is treated to a real buzz; and since there is only gravity at work, the ride, itself, is very quiet, thus allowing another way of experiencing the natural beauty in the area.

Arriving at the base

Upon reaching the base, we returned to the entrance to the chairlifts, keen to repeat the experience.

We both agreed that it was well worth the drive there and back; but we also wanted to make the most of our mini trip into Quebec - which we did by revisiting one of our favourite places for refreshments - Biscotti, in Old Chelsea. The bakery, along with the various coffees sold, are a real reminder of the uniqueness of French cuisine. We always feel so appreciative that Quebec is still part of Canada, as we get to experience 'the continent' on our doorstep.

The ambience of this outdoor patio has to be experienced!

We've seen this firepit in action when we visited once, during the winter

I always thought Mark would be a great waiter!

Dig in, Mark!

Returning to our friends' home, we spent time with our charge - little Lexie, a gorgeous pussycat, who was so purringly pleased to see us!

After receiving cuddles on the couch, she decided to follow me into the dining room where I was forced to try to type this blog with one hand, while fussing her with the other!!! She really has us both firmly under her paw!