Gatineau Park

Trails Skied: Fortune Pkwy, #1, #1 (green) (#2 - #24), #1 (blue), Glide Wax: CH7, Grip Wax:

This morning provided nearly perfect conditions for a skate ski trip to the Fire Tower. I started from P10, ascended the FLP, then took Ridge Road west, selecting 1A rather than 1B. I used the same route on my return, except I cut over to the CP at Huron. The groomers had deeply tilled both the FP and Ridge Road all the way to the tower, creating a surface of sugary granular snow/ice that provided effortless glide but still could hold an edge. For most of the trip it felt like I had rocket skis. The only place I encountered a bit of ice was on the steep downhill where the upper Wolf Trail intersects Ridge. The Khyber Pass looked well-tilled when I ascended. Classic tracks were in good condition. The only downside to the trip was that many other skiers had decided to do the Fire Tower run this morning, including several dozen from a well-known local ski club. This wore down the corduroy a bit, but it wasn\'t much of a problem. The granular snow seems to take heavy use very well. I got the last parking spot at P10 when I started out, but there were a few spots open when I returned. With temperatures just below freezing, it\'s a great afternoon for skate skiing. Enjoy!













Gatineau park map


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.

Gatineau park map

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).

Gatineau park map