Gatineau Park

Trails Skied: Fortune Pkwy, Champlain Pkwy, #1, Champlain Pkwy, Glide Wax: Vauhti purple, Grip Wax:

Quick morning ski before work. Got on track before the groomers had rolled out to P10 but things weren't too bad. Parkway was hard and icy but enough texture to hold an edge and nice and flat. Skated up to the "T" and things got even better as I skied out to Black Lake. Yesterdays grooming was still in great shape with only a dozen or so skiers having skied on that part of the track. On my way back I could hear the groomers rolling down Ridge road so a quick crust cruise across Bourgeois Lake (last days for that?) and I got some fresh corduroy. At Gossip corner one groomer went left to the lookouts while the other went right down to P10 and I passed him near Burma. If I go again tomorrow morning at that early hour I'd probably start at P8. If there is some fresh grooming to be had it will start there next to the grooming sheds. Things will likely be pretty choppy tomorrow morning without grooming as today's late day skiers will churn up the softer snow.

Classic tracks are still serviceable but a little rough. As others have mentioned the groomers are working hard to churn up the icy base but it doesn't leave much of a dent in the snow to make a good classic track. Still skiable but not too deep and icy at times.

Conditions will probably be changing by the hour over the next few days (from hard and icy first thing in the morning to soft and sloppy at days end) but there's still lots of snow so skiing should be good into the weekend.













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