Gatineau Park
Trails Skied: #1 Penguin Climb, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax:
I was hoping that the top of the hill would be fluffy snow but it was the same heavy, wet snow as on the way up. I just turned around. Even the descent was a bit of work as earlier skier ruts would grab and hold onto your skis. I guess if you have good skinned or aggressive fishscale skis you could make it worth the trip but it was fruitless on skis that require wax.
I did see a couple on what looked like bi-directional downhill skis and boots. Maybe they had skins? They seemed to be having fun on #1.
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).
