Gatineau Park
Trails Skied: Gatineau Pkwy, Champlain Pkwy, Glide Wax: LF7, Grip Wax:
Welcome to Crushed Ice X-treme XC Skiing!!!
Hard,icy conditions on the Gatineau and Chanplain parkways from P8 along with gusting winds that hit you from different angles made skating quite the challenge, especially on downhills.
I did not need an energy drink....the adrenaline was enough!
Add to that the ruts from snowmobiles and previous ski traffic, as well as small branches, the odd leaf....called for careful side-stepping.
The classic tracks are mostly melted away.
As I went by #15, I noticed a lot of debris from the high winds on that trail....another clean-up!!
Finally, I was elated to finish unscathed, and glad that I had used rock skis.
I do not advise going out today...unless some grooming is done this afternoon.
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).
