Gatineau Park
Trails Skied: #1 Penguin Climb, #6, #19, #34, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax:
Tried the short loop on top of Penguin - 19, 34, 6 (flat). It was very good for November but certainly not midwinter conditions. There was a fair bit of foot traffic, some wet patches (that were OK at -15C but may soften up on the weekend), and lots of beech and oak leaves. At times I was wondering if I could create a leaf blower to clear the tracks ahead of me. The leaves did make the gradual descent on 6 tricky as the skis would grab and slow down every so often.
So .... good but not great backcountry.
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).
