Gatineau Park

Trails Skied: #1 Penguin Climb, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax:

Long shot, but I was walking on trail 1 yesterday. I found a charging case for wireless ear buds (not the earbuds themselves, just the charging case). If it is yours, let me know the brand and colour, and approximately where on the ridge trail you may have lost it (i.e. what section of the trail is most likely).

Trails Skied: Gatineau Pkwy , North Loop, Glide Wax: Swix hydro yellow CH10 with rilling, Grip Wax:

Skating on the Doldrums this afternoon was surprisingly good- let’s say 3.5 stars. The temperature was about 7C when I started at 2PM, which had converted the surface into wet granular- millimeter scale chunks of ice saturated with water. This provided good edge control and surprisingly good glide even with cheap hydrocarbon wax. The snow was about as clean as could be expected, and I found no decrease in glide with time. The skate lane surface was flat, and tree debris was minimal (in part because there aren’t many pine trees overhanging the parkway here). Classic tracks were visible but very shallow and indistinct. Although this was spring skiing, conditions were quite different to what we usually encounter when the season ends in April, probably because the sun is much less intense now. When I skied from shade into sunshine I didn’t find suction grabbing my skis. Apart from a couple of bare patches on the sections most exposed to the sun, snow coverage was fairly uniform across the parkway. The base is very thin, and without fresh snow the season won’t last much longer, but for now there is still skiing available when temperatures reach about 5C and the icy base softens.

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

This is a joint report from Jo-Ann and Garry. This afternoon we skated from P10 up the FLP to the T junction with the CP. No portaging was required, and most of the way it was possible to skate on a thin layer of granular snow over an icy base. There was a layer of leaf-covered ice just below Fortune Lake that required double poling. The yellow line was visible under the snow over large sections, showing just how thin coverage is. There were large patches of open pavement and grass in areas with southern exposure. At the T Jo-Ann turned right up the CP and picked her way around many open patches to reach Huron. I backtracked and turned on to Ridge Road to Shilly Shally. Under the pine trees on Ridge the snow was littered with debris and considerable portaging was required over sections of exposed gravel road. Past Shilly Shally the base of the Khyber Pass is exposed dirt. Jo-Ann followed Ridge Road from Huron down the Khyber Pass to reach Shilly Shally. She reported a large lake had formed on Ridge Road just above the pass that had to be bypassed by walking through the forest. We also checked out a short section of Ridge Road to the east of the FLP. We found deeper snow on this section than on the Parkway, but there was a great deal of tree debris on the trail in places that made skiing difficult. Overall it was good to be out, but with a few more days of warm weather there will be large sections of the Parkways requiring portaging. We need another big snowfall if the ski season is to continue.

Trails Skied: Fortune Pkwy, Glide Wax: Vauhti glide Wet One -1 to +10, Grip Wax: universal klister

Reasonable classic conditions for the type of weather we're having on the FLP this morning. Snow was already softened when I arrived at P10 at 9:30. The stretch from the parking lot up to Fortune Lake was clean with nice mid depth tracking. The sections beside the lake were icy, watery and leaf strewn, but passable, albeit slow going. After that the clean, nicely defined tracking resumed up to the CP where it got icy again. Turned left at the T and it was clean sailing up the first climb, but dirty, icy on the downhill to Lac Bourgeois. Klister worked well and of course the wet snow made for some slowness. It felt like end of season classic skiing, but I can't believe we're done in early March. Still hoping for one more big storm..

Trails Skied: #1 (blue), Glide Wax: , Grip Wax:

Skate ski to Fire Tower. Trail is closed and ungroomed. I had uncertain expectations and was happily surprised. Rating of "fair" covers very different conditions. P12 to Wolf is a mix: a few bare or almost bare patches to negotiate, some icy sections and dirt. But overall decent. Wolf to McKinstry is almost entirely very good, pleasant skiing. Practically full cover, nice firm base, mostly clean snow. I was lucky that it was warm enough to soften the surface and give excellent control, but not so warm as to be slushy. If cold and rock hard, or too soft, it may not be as enjoyable. McKinstry to FT is good at first (bare spots just past McKinstry) and dismal in the last km (more ice, rock, pine needles and pine cones than snow). Typical of a mid-April ski. Portages: top of 40 just before 24 (can be stepped acros if on rock skis), Wolf trail final climb, and sunny flats 1km before FT (also rock-skiable, but just). Practically all downhills are really good, both ways.
Lots of places are paper thin, so portages will grow quickly.
Enjoy and ski safe!

Trails Skied: #50, Glide Wax: blue, Grip Wax:

Skied out of P20 south to Healey hut and back. The sign at the parking lot stating "Not Recommended" seemed a little extreme but the conditions were quite variable as Ian and Etienne found at P10. The first km from P20 to the summer registration building was the worst part with mostly an icy trail and the hill descending to the building almost melted through to the asphalt. From there on things improved quite a bit. There were some short icy stretches and a few small open patches of gravel but they were mostly manageable or you could ski around the trouble spots. There were also long stretches of fast, spring corn snow on a solid base making for good skiing. Lots of dirty sections as well but I was using the rock skis so no worries.

Skied a km or so up trail 52 from the 50 which hadn't been groomed since the flash freeze but it was similar to the groomed 50. A soft layer of slushy snow on a firm base with occasional stretches of ice. Didn't have the courage though to carry on and see how the rest of the "triangle" was faring.

Sadly the forecast doesn't bode well for the dwindling snow pack. A couple of warm days could open up a few portages making things a little tougher. Hopefully there's a Colorado low or Alberta clipper in the longer range forecast coming our way to extend the ski season a little longer.

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

Air temp +5C at a half-full P10 when I headed out. Good mix of skate and classic skiers and the skate skiers were having an easier time of it. Classic conditions were variable, with the tracks not always well-defined, as you'd expect in springlike conditions. In any event, the hairies were excellent on all climbs. Caution was required on the descents, however, as many downhill areas were icy and hard. That required moving onto the skate area for better control. On my return down CP I met a classic skier who said her red grip wax was working well and also that conditions on CP east of the FLP intersection were very good. I didn't encounter much soft snow on the trip, surprisingly. Nor did I encounter any exposed rock, but there was intermittent ice on all trails and leaf debris here and there. As Etienne noted, it's still worth getting out and enjoying the trails in the park!

Trails Skied: Fortune Pkwy, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax:

Skate ski to Wolf trail, via Parkways to Huron cabin, then 1 - 1A - 24 - 1.
Hard to rate the conditions: if we were in mid-April I would give it a 4-star. But in many respects it is objectively a rock ski. Parkways were for the most part groomed but are still very icy in many places (and/or becoming slushy by mid-morning depending on exposure). Ungroomed trails towards Huron and beyond are a mix of very good to very bad, in close succession. Bare patches are fast growing, and stretches of good snow are mixed in with icy stretches, when they're not sheer ice patches. No portage required if on 24, but long one if you stick to 1 at that level. As usual things generally improve past Champlain, and even better past 24.
Go out while it lasts!

Trails Skied: Gatineau Pkwy , Fortune Pkwy, North Loop, Champlain Pkwy, Glide Wax: Swix Purple, Grip Wax:

Demsis deserves a thorough round of applause for making the central parkway network skiable under very adverse conditions. The skate lanes ranged from good to excellent, while the classic tracks were often invisible but sometimes useable. Skating is certainly the mode of choice right now! I arrived prepared to hike and run on Brazillienne, but the fresh grooming was too nice to ignore. The connector from P9 to Fortune is, of course, lethal glare ice right now but I was able to bypass it by walking up on the side of it. Some of the parkways were littered with pine cones and pine needles. Generally the trails were pretty quiet. Sadly, that is probably my last loop of the year!

Trails Skied: Gatineau Pkwy , Champlain Pkwy, Glide Wax: Vhauti blue -2 to -15, Grip Wax: skins

Limited choices for skiing in GP (GP/CP/FLP loop is the only thing groomed). Demsis did a great job of gouging out classic tracks from a rock hard base. Skied from P5 to Mulvihill with mostly mid depth tracking and a coarse snow base providing adequate grip for my skins. Not too many classic skiers out but lots of skaters. Almost went to Nakkertok as they're still grooming as well, but its mostly the Nakkertrak for now..

Trails Skied: Gatineau Pkwy, #27, Glide Wax: Vauhti glide Wet One -1 to +10, Grip Wax: skins

Wow, great classic conditions on the GP up towards the ice falls on the CP. Mostly deep tracks with a dry compacted snow base. Not so much from the Centre de Relais at P2. The 27 was thin and icy but skiable, much the same as yesterday. The ice falls are not as large and robust as in previous years. No surprise there with the type of winter so far. Hope the rain doesn't screw things up too much. Skiing will probably be finished on the Ontario side after tomorrow..

Trails Skied: Fortune Pkwy, Champlain Pkwy, #1, #2 (blue), #1 (green) (#2 - #24), #24, Glide Wax: Purple of Pink, Grip Wax:

An awesome midwinter skate ski, starting at 7:00 am in order to grab the last few hours of real winter. Times have changed! P8 was almost full and P10 was filling up fast.
Fortune had perfect, groomed corduroy. Near Shilly Shally the trail was briefly icy and will break through soon. Perfect conditions on Ridge except one very thin, icy, dirty spot west of Huron. The section of 1 paralleling 24 was not groomed, and was very slow. There were large sections of dirt near the bench. West of the bench perfect grooming continued. We turned around at the first Wolf intersection, took an excellent 24 back, detoured to just above Western Cabin, and then checked out the Champlain Lookout. It was, of course a mess of ice and ungroomed snow, but still skiable. There is good (thin and slow) coverage all the way back on the Champlain Parkway except for one tiny bare spot. Grooming resumed at Huron. When we descended the Fortune parkway there were hordes of skiers, including teams and school groups, all out enjoying the death throes of winter, . Amazingly Demsis had posted a troll at P10, a brilliant idea given the crowds. P9 was very busy, too.

Trails Skied: #50, #55 (green - shared), #55 (green - alternative), #55 (blue - alternative), Glide Wax: skin skis, Grip Wax:

Just adding some photos that wouldn't upload in prior report.

Trails Skied: #50, #55 (green - shared), #55 (green - alternative), #55 (blue - alternative), Glide Wax: skin skis, Grip Wax:

I guess February is the new March. Or hopefully things will be more 'normal' next year. Today felt like a late season ski - enjoyable, with some icey-dicey spots and a little slush, but well worth the trip up to the northern part of the park. With the April-like temps coming, a bit of FOMO inspired a drive to P20; an out and back on the 50, 55-green, and part of the 55-blue; plus a little scoping out of the 55-green at the P20 end, up to intersection with 51. A surprising northerly breeze made it feel more wintery than plus 5.

Some exposed ground in the skate lane on the 55, and soft in sunny areas, but sections with more tree-cover had winter-like conditions - dry powdery snow. Classic tracks were generally good (firm, deep enough, except some sunny areas with slush). The skate lane was quite chopped up in places and not always soft or snowy (despite appearing so). On a few descents where I anticipated some control/slowing ability, all I got was that horrifying sound of skis desperately scraping against ice. No injuries, and no walks of shame, however. Ventured onto the ungroomed 55 blue where a skier or 2 had made tracks. I considered descending the 'big' hill but then decided getting locked into those tracks and ruts would allow zero control. Turned around and headed back to the parking lot, but extended my time on such a great day by making a side-trip to the other end of the 55, just to check out conditions. I cannot recommend that part of the 55 - very icy, and full of pine cones (observed 5 different red squirrels frantically rushing about across the trails today; spring-like behaviour). Saw mostly classic skiers and very few skaters. Still about 30 cars in the lot at 5pm.

Trails Skied: Fortune Pkwy, #1, #1B, #24, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax:

Skate ski to end of 24. What a bizarre ski. Snow conditions covered the entire range, sometimes in quick succession: slush, transformed corn snow, hard packed, frozen glaze, and deadly slow fresh powder. The weather was definitely more enjoyable than the snow, but all in all a very decent ski. Coverage is paper thin in some places so we should expect bare spots to appear with the warm episode coming. Note that parkway from Huron to Champlain, although not groomed, has been regularly skied and is fine.

Trails Skied: #5 (green), #27, #26, #29 (alternative), #29 (shared), Glide Wax: Vauhti glide Wet One -1 to +10, Grip Wax: skins

NCC site indicated fresh grooming in the Asticou/Mont Bleu area, but none was found. Lots of skiers out in the mild windy weather. Spotted one sporting a tube top. Still, classic skiing was good to fair with the existing tracks and a few cms of fresh compacted snow. Trail 29 from the junction with the 26 to the 5 doesn't appear to be maintained anymore but there's still a usable track for now with the usual big icy area behind the CEGEP which is easily avoided. Sunny skies and mild temps caused some slushy snow towards noon and some suction and glazing. My skins had mostly good grip. You might want to get out today, if not tomorrow as rain arrives tomorrow night and into Wednesday with a ridiculous high of 15c.

Trails Skied: #2 (blue), #2 (from #40 to #1), #33, #40, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax: hairies

A perfect late winter's day. Grooming on trail 2 between 40 and 1, and on 40 between 33 and 3, was absolutely flawless. Ungroomed trails 40 (P12 to 2 black) 2 (from 33 to Western Shelter) and 33 were easily managed, with lots of snow cover. Return from Western Shelter to P12 via 2 blue, 33 and 40 was initially soggy, with clumping because the sun was affecting the snow consistency. Once over the ridge, just past the first climb on 33, the skiing was superb: nice and fast, firm track and lots of control, all the way along 40 down to P12. I hope we can keep some of the snow for a few days. If so, an early start is best, with the best skiing to the north of the ridge.

Trails Skied: #1 Penguin Climb, #6, #19, #34, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax:

What a winter when 3 cm of snow makes the difference between a crunchy experience and great skiing. It was great this morning at 9:00 a.m. It probably will not last beyond today and will get slower as the day heats up. The run down Penguin was sublime.

Trails Skied: Gatineau Pkwy , Fortune Pkwy, Champlain Pkwy, North Loop, #1 Penguin Climb, #1, #1B, #32, #1 (green) (#2 - #24), #24, #1 (blue), Glide Wax: , Grip Wax:

Skate out to fire tower from P8 - North Loop - FLP - CP - 1B - 1 - 24 - 1, and back on 1 to Penguin and GP to P8.
This was not my initial plan, which was a quick standard parkway loop, but the parkways were tricky to get grip with the right side ski constantly slipping.
I'd been out on some of 1, 24 and 1 blue yesterday, they were well groomed, but the glide was non-existent in the cold so turned around at the upper wolf crossing as I was pooped. Today, these trails were amazing and much more enjoyable than the slick parkways. The skate out to the fire tower and back was wonderful, esp in the full sun and long shadows. Return via 1 all the way, and a caution that the descent at Wattford Lookout has a big bare patch and ice mixed with gravel.

Trails Skied: Gatineau Pkwy , Gatineau Pkwy, Champlain Pkwy, MacKenzie-King Rd , #5 (green), #27, #7, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax: Rainbow

Skied classic out from P2 hoping to do a longish loop via 15 and beyond, but conditions had me just doing out and back to Mackenzie King. 27/27b from the parking lot was very icy. Trail 5 was not too bad, and I started up 15 but turned around after a few hundred meters as it was too hard for my tastes. I skied out to the parkway which was icy and fast with squirrelly tracks. At Mackenzie-King, 15 green was ungroomed and basically an unskiable frozen mess. Signs indicated the 15 black was closed, though it had been groomed at some point. Turned around and took the 7 which had been groomed poorly with lots of frozen piles and trenches (2 snowflakes on this section). Survival skiing along here. My waxing of green on top of old red actually worked quite well until it scraped off, at which point I switched to blue. At least the sunshine was lovely, and my bases are scraped clean of all the junk left over from the recent slush skiing.

Trails Skied: Fortune Pkwy, #1, #1B, #2 (blue), #3, #9, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax: hairies

A good ski today, especially considering the crazy weather. Air temp was 1C when I left a less than half full P10. Just a bit of light rain while climbing up from P10 which quickly stopped. FLP was in nice shape, with the skate area firm and the classic tracks well formed. Just a dusting of fresh snow. Grip was fantastic and glide was good too. Trail 1 was in reasonable shape, but a bit icy on the climb up from Shilly Shally, and the usual dirty snow areas in the classic tracks approaching, and beyond, Huron Shelter. 1 was in very good shape past the Champlain intersection, but the fresh snow from a squall and very few previous skiers slowed things down. Run down to Western Shelter was uneventful. Return up 9 to 1b was surprisingly good, with great grip and just one minor rock hazard at the top of the climb. 1b was similarly good. Trail 3 back to FLP was slow; the fast run down to the parkway required caution at the top, with a couple of dirty and icy areas. Classic track on FLP had softened in some areas.

Trails Skied: North Loop, Glide Wax: Vauhti glide One Wet -1 to +10, Grip Wax: skins

Unsettled weather in Ottawa this morning rain, freezing rain predicted, with temps going from +4, then dropping towards -9 by 6:00PM. Only flurries were predicted in the Chelsea area. So opted for my usual 4 passes of the doldrums. The stretch from P8 to the rock cuts was pure ice and I had no grip for my skins. But once at the cuts the track base was soft enough for grip. A quick run towards P9 as a snow squall started to develop. The going was slow as a result but once it stopped and skiers had a chance to pack down the tracks, then conditions were perfect. Effortless glide and good grip.

Trails Skied: #15 (blue), Glide Wax: , Grip Wax: hairies

Four seasons in one ski, and a lightning bolt and thunder clap too. I left P3 and turned right onto 5, kick was great and glide was ok, the trail in good condition. I went all the way to 15, which was in perfect condition, freshly groomed and untouched corduroy. Half way up to Pink Lake the storm passed over and heavy wet snow started to fall. Within minutes the snow was clumping on my bases with zero glide. I turned left onto Gatineau parkway and headed home, the storm had passed and the skies were clear, but the glide was poor. Gatineau Parkway looked to have been groomed yesterday morning, but the melt from yesterday had made it smooth and the light snow overnight sat on top. Halfway back to P3 the puffy styrofoam ball snow pellets started to fall. Very variable conditions, but the track generally in good shape, if a little shallow in places.

Trails Skied: Gatineau Pkwy, #5 (green), #27, #29 (alternative), #29 (shared), Glide Wax: skin skis, Grip Wax:

Glorious quick little loop in the southern-most part of the park. P3 up the GP to the 5, to the 27, then back around near the Relais to 29, then 5 and GP. Doesn't get much better than it was today. Had not been to P3 in a dog's age and no time to drive further north, so gave it a try. Not a full parking lot (about 20-ish cars at 10:30, and the same when leaving at noon). Trails were not crowded at all and 90% of skiers I saw were classic. The skins worked very well for the combination of fast/slippery shaded areas as well as the slower crunchier dry snow. Tracks were solid and well-set on the GP. Be aware that the short section of the 27 from the 5 to 27B has precarious spots where there's no place for your right pole -there's no firm shoulder and even the right-most track was sloping off into the ditch in a few spots. It was a pleasant day despite the windchill, although coming out of the trees near the Relais was like walking into a blast freezer. The sun made up for any ice-cream headache, however. There are only 2 icy spots on the 29 and they're easily navigated (1 at the usual swampy area; another growing 'hole' further on but it's obvious). There were boot prints on almost every trail skied today, but mostly in the skate lane. The southern section may lack the big hills, but what a joy to see fox and rabbit tracks, hear the chickadees, and still get that feeling of nature immersion so close by.

Trails Skied: #50, #55 (green - shared), Glide Wax: Swix PS7 purple, Grip Wax:

The NCC morning report said the 50s hadn't been groomed, so I was very pleasantly surprised to make the first skate tracks on pristine fresh corduroy leaving P16 around 9AM. It was a cold, slow and squeaky climb to the 36 intersection, but after that the sun began to warm the snow and glide improved. There was no sign of any machine grooming on 36. I continued along 50 to the intersection with 55, then skied up to scenic Taylor Lake and along the shore to the yurt. Grooming was perfect and coverage complete even on the southern shore of Lac Renaud, which is usually blasted by the spring sun. Classic tracks were deep and firm everywhere. On my return I stopped in the warm sunshine to watch the blue jays in the feeder at Renaud shelter. The sun was starting to soften the snow on the final hill before P20, where suction began to slow glide. I took the easy way back to P16 with a pre-arranged ride. This might be the last day with midwinter conditions this year. If so it was a terrific end to the season!

Trails Skied: North Loop, #40, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax: hairies

Beautiful cool morning, air temp -6C when we started out. Headed out on trail 40 from P12 on waxless skis and, although hairies worked reasonably well, my partners suffered with slippage on their fish scale skis. Trail 40 was beautifully groomed, very hard and very fast. We retreated back to P12 and then headed to P9 and the north loop. Track was in excellent shape and a much easier ski ensued. Things were starting to soften around noon. It was a nice quick ski enhanced by a lovely lunch in Chelsea.

Trails Skied: #2 (from #40 to #1), #33, #40, #38, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax:

Another beautiful day - maybe the last for a while ... Here was my circuitous route: 40 - 38 - snowshoe trail - a bit of 1 - trail across the pond - a bit of 24 - 40 - 33 - 19 - 2 - 40. It actually is a nice loop in the soft snow. The descent on 2 and 40 was fast and lively, dodging the skiers coming uphill.

Trails Skied: Fortune Pkwy, #1, #30, #3, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax: V30 Blue

P07 – Up 30 to Ridge along FP to Huron (03) to Huron shelter and back. V30 Blue
Very fine winter ski. Lots of people out - all fearing the end of “winter” and skiing, what with tomorrow's anticipated thaw and rain.

The V30 was a tad on the warm side on setting out (11.30) but it settled in nicely, especially after lunch (1.30) as the temp rose to -7 c.
Grip today is just fine - herringbone needed only on the last metre or so of the steepest climbs on Huron and the glide very nice.
The drops are fun - fast, but controllable with ease - especially the last descent down 03 to FP. The steep pitch at the junction of Ridge and 30 is thinning - some care required.

No carping - no harping. Just a fine day of skiing - tho, you know, a drop or two of sun would not have been amiss.

Trails Skied: #51, #52, #53, Glide Wax: Swix PS7 purple, Grip Wax:

I found excellent conditions today for a counterclockwise loop around the Lollipop- trails 53 and 51 starting from P17. About a 1cm of fresh dry powder had fallen on the perfectly groomed corduroy on 53, which gave great edge control and acceptable glide for skating. Surprisingly I could feel and even see quite a bit of fine ice content in the snow, perhaps mixed in by the grooming to the 10cm of fresh powder received over the weekend. This didn't detract from the skiing. There is dirt starting to show in the swampy sections of 53 near P19. It's fine for now, but it will be hard to keep these sections open if there are more thaws. 51 had not been groomed, true to the NCC report this morning, but the classic tracks were in good condition. I double poled this section to avoid damaging the tracks. The snow coverage is still very good along the creek bed near P19, a section that often breaks through in the early spring. On my way back to P17 I skied the first uphill on 52 to the hemlock grove at the top. This had been groomed and was also in great condition. I received a report from another skier that the long downhills on 52 are in great shape with no ice exposed. If you are planning to ski the Lollipop or the Wakefield Triangle, I would do it soon. Conditions are excellent now, but the base is thin and time is running out for these trails this winter.

Trails Skied: #2 (from #40 to #1), #33, #40, #19, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax:

Best ski of the season, so far. Did the 40-33-19-2 loop and all were in good shape. Fortunately, the grooming on 40, 33, and 2 left the steepest pitches untracked, which works well both for those climbing and those descending. The upper portion of 40 (that Michael mentioned in his report) and the lowest level of 2 were still tracked which, in my opinion, would be better left untracked.

Still, thank you to the groomers. I know you have not had much to work with this year.

Trails Skied: #24, #40, #1 (blue), Glide Wax: , Grip Wax: V20 Green

P-12 Classic. Up 40, along 24 and Ridge (1) to McKinstry and back.
Winter conditions with beautiful grooming; the track well-formed and deep all the way.
The V20 Green offered perfect purchase up the long climbs. No herringbones. The odd leaf said hello.

Struggled a bit with glide - but at the end of the day I examined my year-old boots - Madshus - both soles had split. And not the first time with Madshus boots. The ski shoppe replaced them (again) but still and all - made the skiing a bit of a struggle.

On #40 the groomer has cut track down all the steep drops from the 2K junction with 33 to the 1.5K pole & junction with 38, making for quite a narrow centre lane for those relying on snowplow to check speed. You’d think by now the groomers would know not to cut track on those steep descents. Oh well. A fine day.
The last drop to P12 is fine, but the ice isn't that far from the surface.

Trails Skied: #2 (blue), #3, #9, #18, #21, #32, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax: Blue

Probably the best back trail ski of the season this morning, another long weekend trip with my 2 girls.
P10 was filling up fast at 9.30, FLP was in great shape, 3 was groomed nicely, then 21, 18, 2 to Western, 9 and 32 back to P10 were simply devine.
Fabulous conditions throughout, all the difficult hills on 9 and 32 were manageable: much like Don's comments on 17 and 8, I tend to only do the full length of 9 and the 32 back to P10 in good conditions.
Some breaking trail on 21 and the length of 18, but easy light powder to ski through.
The tree shadows in the full sun were delightful today!

Trails Skied: #30, #8, #17, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax:

I followed David Bilcock's advice and took trails 8 and 17. That is the most challenging loop that I ski in the park and I only take it when there is enough fresh snow to make the downhills safe. It was great: mid-winter conditions with no rocks or roots exposed. Highly recommended.

Trails Skied: Fortune Pkwy, #1, #3, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax: blue extra

Air temp -6C with gusty wind. Decided to try my hand at waxing and it worked fine, considering the trail conditions. Mainly classic skiers out; not surprising considering the soft-ish skate area. The loppet skate race turnaround was at Fortune Lake and the few stragglers I saw were having a tough time. Classic tracks were well formed on the FLP, with just a few areas covered by drifting snow. I decided to head up trail 3 from Fortune Lake. No evidence of use by skate skiers but I encountered several classic skiers, most of them heading east. Classic tracks on 3 were observable in places, but all the fresh, soft, moist, snow meant breaking trail for a fair bit of the way.
Return from Huron Shelter on trail 1 Ridge Road, the ski down Khyber to Shilly Shally was very easy to control, with lots of snow cover and relatively slow conditions. Heading back down FLP to P12, the run was again slow and easy, although the classic tracks were in poor shape.

Trails Skied: #1 Penguin Climb, #6, #19, #34, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax:

I drove to P12 to avoid the Loppet traffic and to sample 38 with new snow. The parking lot was plowed, skiers had been up 40, but the entry gates were locked. I cursed out Demsis and the NCC the length of Meech Lake on the drive back. There have been so few days this season when the small trails are accessible: it is disappointing to miss those opportunities due to bureaucratic oversight.
There was Loppet fever at P5 but you could ski uphill. I chose the Penguin climb which had not been groomed but was very pleasant nonetheless. 19, 34, and the flat part of 6 were all good with the odd encounter of rigid ruts underneath the powder.
Update: The NCC office in Chelsea said that they did not know when P12 would open. "The trails are too dangerous" was the excuse. With all the recent snow, 40, 2, and 38 will be about as good as they get. If anyone has a contact in the NCC who might listen to reason, please use that influence to open up P12 and those trails.
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