Gatineau Park

Trails Skied: #50, #54 (green), #55 (green - shared), #56, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax:

Yesterday, 5 gars d’un certain âge - Dave, Mike, Charles, George, and myself - decided to change their spots from dilettante trail skiers and liberate themselves from groomed trails and go bushwacking, on top of the park, on the lakes, meadows, and ponds between the old #10 and the lookout on #56. It was a special day.

The day started rather conventionally on a superbly groomed #50. From there it was up #54 and, after a km up #54 we took off onto a series of meadows and ponds to join up with the trail up the ridge across from Lusk cabin. On top we used a long thin lake to get over to Lac Charette, then looped back over to the chain of finger lakes; then to Lac Des Épinettes (Spruce Lake); then to McLean Lake; then to Les Lacs Jumeaux (Twin Lakes); then down the ponds out of Les Jumeaux joining up with the old road that leads to the #56 lookout. Finally it was back to trail skiing down #56 to #55 and then back to P19 on the groomed #50

Conditions were unbelievably good with 5 cm of pure powder on top of a hard base. When we were on the lakes and ponds skating was the order of the day. On the connecting trails it was mid-winter classic. When the bush got really thick it was possible to take the skis off and just walk on top of the crust without breaking through.

The scenery up there is exceptional. There wasn’t a pond or lake up there that wasn’t a charmer - ringed with almost sub-arctic pine and spruce and, in places, heron (or osprey) nests. It places in was rough going but in the main it was unrestrained euphoria.













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