Nakkertok Nordic (South)
Beautiful skiing day at Nakkertok. We ventured up the new trail (Charret's??) to connect to Haycock Mine, then Morral and back down #4. There was 1-2cm of new snow over yesterday's or this morning's grooming. It was a bit soft here and there, these secondary trails don't get the big Piston Bulley compression the primaries do so need a few more passes and some time to firm up, but the skiing was great compared to last Tuesday!
I expected it to seem very quiet after Easterns had cleared out, but there were buses dropping off high school students for a race. The students were having a blast exploring the freshly groomed primary trails and skiing the terrain park - you could hear squeals and applause for jumps from 1km away! Hope they enjoyed the day.
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.