Nakkertok Nordic (South)
Amazing and fast conditions at Nakkertok today. Trails were all freshly groomed, where the freezing rain was mixed with the powder snow from yesterday, making a very fast yet non-icy mix. In some places the trails were still soft, leaving quite some cuts in the trail from an earlier skate skier. They can be tricky in places: I was just enjoying the amazing speed shooting down beep beep, when my ski got caught in one of those 'trenches' at the bottom, causing quite a crash. Be careful, especially when you're heading out tonight!
It was very sunny and enjoyably warm (-4), though quite some wind in the open areas. I expect with the drop of temperatures tonight, those ripped up parts of the skate trails will freeze over, making them harder to ski. Classic tracks looked amazing and were really fast for double poling.
Nakkertok is once again very quiet mid week, with only one skier arriving while I was up there. The drive up was a bit tricky with lots of loose wet snow, but a traktor with a shield came out as I arrived on the top.
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Nakkertok has a network of about 75km of skating, classical and backcountry trails at two locations just north of Ottawa in the Gatineau Hills.
Nakkertok South is the main attraction offering groomed skating and classic skiing, chalets, races and children's programming. There are lit trails for night skiing. Club membership, or a day-use fee required for skiing. Located 15 minutes from downtown Ottawa in Cantley, Quebec, Nakkertok South has a heated ski chalet with benches and tables, and places to store your gear. It's a great place to change your boots, warm-up, and socialize to meet other master skiers or club members. The trails at South are groomed for skating and classic skiing with a state-of-the-art Pisten Bully groomer. Two loops are lit at night. The trails at South form more or less a grid, extending for about 4 km north into the bush and slightly higher country. These offer enjoyable skiing, and are suitable for beginners, with the exception of a few short stretches.
Nakkertok North trails are quite demanding, and only occasionally groomed (Fridays). They offer a refreshing backcountry wilderness experience for those with good skiing skills. The trails at Nakkertok North are almost always quiet. The annual Nakkerloppet event in February is a great opportunity to discover these trails by making the North to South crossing.
