Snowshoeing Valley Of The Ghosts In Monts-Valin National Park In Quebec

Monts-Valin National Park is tucked away in the Saguenay Fjord region of Quebec and is absolutely a must-do when visiting in the winter.  The park is best known for its Valley of the Ghosts (Vallée des Fantômes) trail where snowy sentinels stand still atop as guardians to the panoramic jaw-dropper at edge of the cliff.

Plug into nature up here where it’s really just you, the crisp winter air and the snowy pine trees.  The only sounds you hear are your own breath and the crunching of your snowshoes.

All abord Le Fantôme Express shuttle

After meeting our guide at the visitor center, we were greeted with the most unusual vehicle you’ve ever seen.  

Le Fantôme Express Snowcat is like a Frankenstein operation gone horribly right.  Take one of those standard 14 passenger white Ford vans, strip the wheels out and replace them with caterpillar tank treads and you have the Snowcat.  

It’s brilliant because you stay nice, cosy, warm inside as the shuttle rumbles upwards on the snow.  This is not the case for the giant Snowcats I’ve been on in the past.

Snowshoeing with ghosts

After 45 minutes chugging up the mountain in our Snowcat, we were dropped off right at the trailhead for Valley of the Ghosts.  Strapped in our rental gear including snowshoe and poles, we started making it onwards and upwards.

Along the way up, I was surrounded by sullen pine trees that ghoulishly stare back.  Snowshoe long enough and the disfigured trees encapsulated with snow start to look like different animals.  

We joked that it was like playing a game of “what does that cloud look like”, but instead of that, the puffs of white were all around and on the trees.  I was able to call out everything from owls, vultures, bunnies, and by default little minion aliens.

Rest and recharge

2 kilometers up, my growling stomach’s prayers were answered with the sight of a wooden cabin rising up from the snow.  This was a welcome resting point as we had a chance to dry off our sweat-soaked clothes, recharge my cold depleted batteries, and chow down on our lunch boxes brought up by snowmobile.

Majestic views at the edge of the valley

The best part of the hike is definitely past the resting station.  Hiking another 800 meters up, you eventually get to the part where the horizon’s expanse lifts up from the trail and the rest of Mont-Valin National Park says hello.

Beyond the cliff the giant but gentle mountains roll on for miles and if you squint hard enough you can see the St. Lawrence all the way out as you trace your eyes along the fjord.

What makes the valley unique is that its a microclimate of sorts and gets much heavier snowfall than in other areas.  While snowshoeing, what you don’t realize is that you’re actually hiking on top of 150 cm (59 inches) of snow.  So the trees you see in my photos are literally just the other half of the tree sticking up.

Unfortunately, the whole area had been bombarded by hurricane strength winds in days leading up to our trip and so a lot of that snow had been blown off and scattered.  While not quite ghastly as promised, it was still an incredible sight to behold.  It’s other worldly when you see the pine trees transformed into puff figurines.

Not so gracious fall

Along the well-travelled trail, snowshoeing is more or less resistance-free but once at trail’s end where we got to roam around a bit, the deceptively solid snow is nothing more than soft powder.

On one misstep, I was moving up to grab an awesome abstract shot of the wavy pattern in the snow when all of a sudden the snow collapsed underneath me.  With my legs dug deep in the snow, I was helpless to get up.  The more I tried to move the deeper I was entrenched.

Despite all that, it was totally more hilarious than it was dangerous.  I called out to my buddy Marouan who was right behind me but instead of giving me his arm, he told me to “wait a second” and pulled out his cell phone to snap this shot.  So much for being a good friend right? Haha!

Going off the path

For the last portion of our full day snowshoeing trek, I went off-trail with our park ranger guide Robert, where the way was neither marked nor groomed.  Going off trail was a work out and a half because the unpacked snow meant that my snowshoes were sinking into the powder with each step.  The key was to take feather like steps and it also helped that Robert was ahead of me packing in the snow with his skis.

It all paid off in the end when we came out of our ascent and grabbed this awesome view from the top of the valley.

What To Pack For Snowshoeing

It may be -20C outside but you’ll learn quickly enough that you’re going to get hot as you start snowshoeing up.  Our recommendation is to dress in layers that you can unzip one at a time or put away completely.

• Base Layer: Start your base layer with merino tights, a wool long sleeve shirt and wool socks. Depending on how much you plan on hitting the slopes, you may want to pack a few pairs of each.
• Mid Layer: You’ll want a fleece top like the Arc’teryx Kyanite AR Hoody. It’s so comfortable, light, highly breathable, velvety soft, and very warm. Pair that with these thicker weight fleece pants and a down jacket. This will easily be one of your favorite pieces of clothing in the winter. I could wear this as a stand-alone piece all day long. In below freezing temperatures, this’ll provide a bulk of the warmth. A Polartec fleece like this Polar BUFF provides the warmth around your neck while the rest of the BUFF gives your face protection, which means you don’t need to travel with a neck gaiter.
• Outer Layer: This shell jacket also doubles as a wonderful rain coat. It is superb all-around. Pair it with these shell pants, you’ll be waterproof top to bottom!
• Hat and Gloves: A must-have, and while you’d think for really cold weather you might need something extra, but your standard toque (what we call a beanie in Canada) is totally enough. If your head gets really cold though you can always layer with this layering beanie. The layering continues with this nifty glove system that has roots in the military but really taken up by the photography community. This liner glove has a pocket for hand warmers and is touch screen compatible. Throw a pair of The Heat Company Shell Full Leather gloves on top, which open up to reveal the liner gloves so you have full access to your fingers, making operating your smartphone, drone, and camera possible.
• Socks: Your feet will get coldest so have the right moisture wicking socks.
• Shoes: While the trail is groomed well, we would still recommend wearing water proof boots so there’s no chance of your feet getting wet. The Sorel Glacier XT or Caribou Wool Boot are both good options as they are both waterproof and rated for -32°C (-25.6°F).
• Sun Protection: Something you may not think of when it comes to cold weather, but when the sun reflects off that white snow it gets BRIGHT. These sunglasses made by Maui Jim are my favorite hands down, be sure to check them out. And although you may be layered, you’ll want some sunscreen for any skin that is exposed, like your face!

This trip to Saguenay, Quebec was sponsored by the Tourisme Saguenay-Lac Saint-Jean and Tourisme Québec, however the opinions expressed in this post are my own.