.: Ski XCOttawa.ca :: Skiing in Ottawa and Gatineau Park

Converting the downhill skiers
By:  Kyla Vanderzwet   (2012/01/01)

RSS

My family is more or less proud to be a downhill ski family.  I have been slowly trying to convert them to the better side though, i.e. to the Nordic side.   So, when I was home for the holidays we took a trip to Highlands Nordic near Duntroon.  This is one of the best cross country ski spots in Southern Ontario.  It’s a bit of a hike to get to there from my parents’ home, so I usually like to leave early and make a day of it.  I rallied the reluctant troops early in the morning, encouraging (ok, nagging) them to get going.  We arrived bright and early, at 1pm.

It was a beautiful day and I think everyone enjoyed it.  My mom runs a gym and teaches about 15 fitness classes a week.  Since she is fitter than most young men, she can also strap on some skis and go for a few hours.  My dad likes to ski, since he loves a good workout and the smooth motion of skiing is easy on his arthritic knees.  Andy also got dragged along for the day.  It was his first time skiing further than our front yard at home.  After our day out, his main claim was that he had a new-found respect for Nordic skiing – especially for going downhill without falling!  In retrospect, it was probably not super kind to send him up and down those big hills on his first time out.  As for myself, I always love skiing at Highlands.  This time, I was glad to have a day to share my passion with the people I love!

famski1.jpg

Everyone is ready to rip at the start of the day...

famski2.jpg

...and sufficiently tired at the end of the day.  Thanks for the skiing!

 
Interesting Reading. . .
Interested in supporting XC Ottawa or advertising on our site? Email: info@xcottawa.ca.
© Copyright 2001-2006, www.xcottawa.ca. All Rights Reserved. Contact us before re-publishing anything seen here.