Gatineau Park
Trails Skied: Fortune Pkwy, Champlain Pkwy, #1, #1 (green) (#2 - #24), #1 (blue), Glide Wax: Swix LF7, Grip Wax: Swix Blue (V30) over blue klister
Andy's certainly right: such good conditions; so few skiers. After gossip corner I saw very few skiers until I started to meet the P12 gang coming up MacDonald.
I went classic from P9 to Blanchet via the Doldrums, #32, FP, CP, and #1. It was a delightful return to February conditions. The new snow worked nicely into the frozen spring base. Conditions were hard, but not heroic, with enough of a powder covering to give grip in the tracks and control in the skating track.
It was something that is rarely seen - perfect conditions for skating, classic, and bushwacking (hors piste). The bushwacking would be exceptional with 5 cm of new snow on top of a base that is hard enough to walk on. And, best yet crust-cruising!
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).
