Gatineau Park
Trails Skied: Gatineau Pkwy , #1 Penguin Climb, #1, Gatineau Pkwy, Champlain Pkwy, #15 (black), Glide Wax: Vauhti blue, Grip Wax: Violet klister covered with Vauhti K12 (silver) or K9 (red)
We did a loop this morning starting at P5 and going up #15 to P6, then up Blacks to the T and back Ridge Road. The parkways have be refurbished for skate and the classic tracks are in great condition. The smaller trails have a lot of ice and debris from the trees which fell yesterday when the temperatures were warmer, making for tricky skiing.
As for grip, we used violet klister covered with K12 (silver). It was pretty good at the beginning but wore off. I would suggest adding some blue klister or binder and bringing along the K9 (red). Also, put the wax on nice and thick!
Gatineau Park is ski paradise! The network of ski trails offer machine groomed skate skiing and classic skiing as well as little groomed backcountry trails. Multiple access points allow skiers to access a variety of terrain and scenery.
The NCC offers season or daily pay rates.
For suggestions on where to ski, excellent trail descriptions, photos and maps checkout Michael McGoldrick`s website about recreational xc-skiing in Canada`s National Capital Region (with an emphasis on the Gatineau Park).
