Gatineau Park
Trails Skied: Fortune Pkwy, Champlain Pkwy, #1, #1B, Glide Wax: recommend blue, Grip Wax:
Quick exercise skate ski up the Fortune Parkway, west on Ridge, 1B, then back on 1 and the parkways. The NCC website said no grooming. Surely they really had groomed- it's the weekend, and no work has been done on the trails for days. Well, there really was no discernible grooming anywhere. Skating was still OK, with a layer of skied-down fresh dry powder over a hard base, but some of the corners on 1B and Ridge are getting quite hard and rutted and could use a touch-up. The north side of the Fortune Parkway was cold and powdery, making for a hard slog up to the lakes (this was an exercise ski wasn't it?) Up on the ridge temperatures were noticeable higher, the south wind was blowing, and there was much better glide.
On the way down I passed many skiers heading out for dinner at Huron or Keogan. I'm sure the cabins will be busy tonight. The stream of headlights on Ridge Road near Keogan looked like a scene from Lord of the Rings. Elven lights?
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).
