Looking back upon 2024

I hesitated before writing this article. Every year, I usually look back upon my favourite hikes and trips of the year so I can share my most memorable memories, but this year, I find the exercise a little more difficult. With the sudden death of my father last summer, and all the personal, emotional and family impacts that followed, a part of me wants to leave 2024 behind without thinking too much about it.

But another part of me also realizes that in this dark and challenging year, there were still a few small moments of light. And although I still feel rather fragile today, I think that my father’s death also made me realize the importance of enjoying all these small moments of happiness.

So, I decided to force myself a little and select, despite everything, my highlights of 2024. These places that remind me that life, although fragile and unpredictable, is still full of beauty.

The hike I’ll never forget – Giant Mountain in the Adirondacks

I have bittersweet memories of my hike up Giant Mountain. It was probably one of the most beautiful hikes I’ve done this year. It was also, to date, the highest peak I’ve summited in the Adirondacks. This hike was a moment of pure joy, a joy that gave way to shock and horror when I learned, moments later, that my father had suddenly passed away. I will never forget Giant Mountain, and I know that in time, I will learn to tame my memories of that day.

My favourite local hike – Griffith Uplands Trail in Madawaska

I feel like I’ve been neglecting my home province a bit this year, and the Griffith Uplands Trail in Madawaska reminded me that Ontario has some interesting hiking terrain too! This trail showcases the Griffith Uplands, a place known for its marble bedrock, expansive bald rock ridges, and unique upland forest. Just the kind of hike I love!

My favourite hike abroad – Büyükada Island in Turkey

The hike on Büyükada Island wasn’t very difficult, but there was something magical about walking under olive trees, among the ruins of Greek Orthodox buildings, and with views of the Sea of ​​Marmara and Istanbul in the distance. My day exploring Büyükada Island is definitely one of my favourite memories from my trip to Turkey this year.

The unexpectedly pretty hike – Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park in Vermont

Vermont’s only national park, Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park is more than just a place with a few historic buildings. The park also has an extensive network of hiking trails, which I had a lot of fun exploring. It was the perfect hike to enjoy the bucolic landscape of this region of Vermont.

The must-do hike I have finally done – Mont Tremblant in the Laurentians

I have been to the Mont-Tremblant region many times, and I have also visited the national park that bears its name, but I had never hiked to the top of this famous mountain in the Laurentians. I finally went there for the first time on a beautiful fall day, and even though the summit was covered in fog, it was still a nice hike!

The place I’m hoping to go back to – Shenandoah National Park in Virginia

I had been dreaming for a long time of visiting this legendary American national park, which protects a part of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. We camped for just one night in Shenandoah National Park, and only hiked a small portion of the 500 miles of hiking trails there, but it was enough to give me the bug, and I can’t wait to go back!

To all, I wish a wonderful 2025, filled with moments of happiness, tranquility and love.