Gatineau Park

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

Skated from P10 up Fortune, west on Ridge to the first intersection with the Wolf Trail, then back via the Champlain Parkway and Fortune. The NCC report noted grooming on Ridge Road, but there had also been grooming on the Fortune and Champlain Parkways. The grooming was generally good, and made a huge improvement over yesterday. In most places the grooming had left a layer of sugary granular snow over a hard base. There was definitely enough of the sugary stuff to hold an edge, giving fast but very controllable skating. The Fortune Parkway was pretty good, but Ridge was excellent. The Khyber pass was in the best shape I have seen this year. Despite the intense spring sun the surface was still cold dry powder in the late afternoon. Even without grooming skiing should be very good tomorrow on the core trails and parkways. Coverage in a few places (e.g. Champlain Lookout, Fortune Parkway near the upper lake) is getting a bit thin but I'd still anticipate more than a week of spring skiing once afternoon temperatures get above freezing, even if Demsis doesn't groom.













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