Gatineau Park
Trails Skied: Fortune Pkwy, Champlain Pkwy, #1 (green) (#2 - #24), Glide Wax: Swix LF10, Grip Wax: N/A
Yes - the grooming was great this morning on FP, CP, & #1 as far as the water tank at #24 - a great sugar snow surface - after the water tank #1 became frozen boiler-plate with frozen-in snowmobile tracks. By 2 PM, below Gossip Corner, FP was starting to become hacked-up in the skating track from all the traffic. Everywhere the classic tracks were firm but hard to icy - definitely Klister.
The best conditions, however, are to be found on the ponds and bogs. Skated the pond between #24 & #1 and the two ponds beside #1 between the lookout and Huron. They’re great - firm and fast - a real delight.
Everywhere the snow is holding up - the temperature seemed to be about 0 C on the ridge and only slightly above 0 at P10 - so we’re not losing any. It still looks like winter snow but is quite firm off-track.
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).
