It was another superb ski day today in Gatineau Park. I departed a nearly-full P17 around 10AM and skate-skied 53, 50 and 55 green to a lunch stop at a nearly-full Renaud Cabin. I returned to P17 following 50 along the Lac Philippe shore to 52. All the way I encountered fresh grooming which, with temperatures just a bit below freezing, gave great glide and great control. The classic tracks were a bit less glazed than they were yesterday, so they weren't quite as fast for descents, but it was probably easier for classic skiers to get grip. The three steep downhills on 52 had been tilled deeply enough to allow edges to bite in the turns, but were enjoyably fast. I hit one icy patch on the downhills but it was short enough that my skis crossed over it before I lost control. By the time I reached the last long climb on 52 through the orchard near Brown Cabin the hazy sun had started to soften the snow surface a bit and slow things down. In the past few years the NCC and Demsis have done a lot of work to re-route service snowmobiles from the skate lanes so that the snowmobiles do not carve up the grooming. However on the stretch from Brown Cabin to P17 snowmobile tracks are still in evidence on the trail. It would be nice if the NCC could figure out a way to get snowmobiles to this cabin without using trail 52. Overall it was perhaps the best ski day of the year for me. It looks like the great conditions will hold through the coming week. Enjoy!