Gatineau Park
Trails Skied: Gatineau Pkwy, Champlain Pkwy, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax:
ROUTE: P5 up the Gatineau Parkway to the Champlain Parkway and up to the top of the big hill (King Mountain) after the King Estate, and back.
SKATE: Outstanding conditions with good glide and fairly good control. There is hard corduroy but you can easily slow down on the longer downhills. The debris in the skate path is minimal.
CLASSIC: The tracks are solid and deep almost everywhere. There is some debris but nowhere near the amount mentioned in the weekend reports.
TRAFFIC: P5 was about a third full (if that) at 10. My car was like a lonely island at noon. I'm not sure this is normal, but it is something to keep in mind. I came across very few people on the trails when I was skiing.
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).
