.: Gatineau Park Ski Conditions :: Ski XCOttawa.ca :.

Gatineau Park Ski Conditions. . .

2009 Season Reports

Report Breakdown: Month(total,days) = Oct(4), Nov(12,10), Dec(27,21), Jan(19), Feb(20,17), Mar(26,23), so far Apr(9,7)

Positive/Negative Breakdown:
"+" = 33 {#2, 11, 21, 26, 31, 35, 41, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 60, 61, 63, 64, 70, 75, 76, 77, 90, 91, , 94, 99, 103 }

"-" = 13 {#29, 33, 34, 42, 68, 69, 79, 80, 81, 84, 100, 101, 107}

Neutral = 51

1) Megan McTavish, 2008-10-28 21:40:18

Starting Point: P5, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax: waxless, Trails Skied: GP (Penguin-P8)

There is snow!!! Great October conditions. 8cm on the ground at 9:30pm.

2) Craig Storey, 2008-10-29 10:06:25

Starting Point: P8, Glide Wax: Blue, Grip Wax: Vauhti Carrot?, Trails Skied: FP (P8-P9)

Snow! Grooming! 15-20cm of snow in the park. Demsis ploughed the parking lot at P8 and packed and tracked P8-P9. Well groomed, but the ground was wet so under the snow so you are likely to ice up unless it freezes today. Classic out of the tracks might be better. Skating was decent, soft in spots but firming up as I skied. Rock skis are advised, but the coverage is good. There's likely more snow at P10, but you couldn't get in the parking lot this morning because of the snowbank. Skating from P10 would be difficult unless someone breaks trail!

As Karl said "Get out your knickers, find the pine tar, fill your knapsack with granola! Ski season is here!". Check the link for this morning's pictures.

3) Karl Saidla, 2008-10-30 09:15:04

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: Vauhti Blue, Grip Wax: Vauhti Violet, Trails Skied: #1 (Keogan-Champlain),FP (P10-CP)

We skied classic from P10 and went out on Ridge Road toward Penguin. The skied-in the tracks at the bottom are mostly quite icy, but they get powdery as you get up higher. The best skiing available, I think, would be classic on Ridge Road between Keogan and Penguin. It was really pretty good there-not many rocks, not very icy, and a skied-in track. If we are lucky, there might be some skiing to be had tomorrow morning...

4) Karl Saidla, 2008-10-31 09:57:40

Starting Point: P5, Glide Wax: Vauhti Violet, Grip Wax: Vauhti Yellow, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),#1 (Keogan-Champlain)

I discovered today that we Ottawa skiers are not terribly adventurous in October. Nobody had skied on 1A or 1B past Champlain. Only one person had skied to Champlain lookout on the parkway.

Ridge Road was still fairly skiable for classic this morning, with rocks starting to show. Various parts of the parkway are skiable, although in other spots, the pavement is bare. I didn't ski the 1A or 1B either, but they looked pretty good-maybe the best looking conditions I have seen this year, actualy. Nothing, however, will be good for much longer! Oh well. It always comes back.

5) Craig Storey, 2008-11-04 10:01:37

Starting Point: P5, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax: , Trails Skied: #1A

While the sad fact is that the little snow left in the bush that wont last long with the coming heat wave, we can at least be happy that the parkways are free of ice and rollerskiing is good.

6) Megan McTavish, 2008-11-18 20:12:18

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: n/a, Grip Wax: n/a, Trails Skied: FP (P10-CP)

The snow is back, but in smaller quantities. Skiing might be possible but there is only a couple of centimeter so it would be on the grass at the side of the parkway if anything. Rollerskiing is definitely not possible.

7) Megan McTavish, 2008-11-19 09:34:29

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: n/a, Grip Wax: vauhti blue, Trails Skied: FP (P10-CP)

If you are itching to slide on snow on your skis, you can definitely do that from P10. It is very thin untill Keogan where it gets a bit better. Only classic rock skiing on the grass beside the parkway is doable. Be careful on the way back down...sometimes your skis will stop when they hit the frozen dirt.

8) Karl Saidla, 2008-11-22 16:10:52

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: Vauhti Blue, Grip Wax: Vauhti Carrott, Trails Skied: CP (FP-Black)

There is some reasonable classic skiing on Champlain Parkway between Black Lake and Huron on the grass shoulder. The tricky part is getting there. The climb from P10 does not really consist of real skiing-more like walking with skis on. Starting from P6 could be another option, but expect to do some of the same until about halfway up Black Lake hill.

9) Megan McTavish, 2008-11-25 09:09:28

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: violet, Grip Wax: violet or aluminum, Trails Skied: FP (P10-CP)

Real skiing is back! The parkways were groomed at 7:30 am with classic tracks and skating from both P8 and P10. Let it snow!

10) Megan McTavish, 2008-11-26 09:30:43

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: violet, Grip Wax: violet, Trails Skied: FP (P10-CP),CP (FP-Black)

We skated this morning and again the parkways are groomed after some more snow last night. It is very soft for skating up at the top between the T and Black's Lake. Good skiing from P10 to Champlain lookout.

11) Adele Lay, 2008-11-27 12:55:23

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax: Vauhti Red, Trails Skied: FP (P10-CP)

More new snow last night, but trails are getting firmer. New set tracks were good all the way from P10 to Huron Lookout.

12) David Paton, 2008-11-27 14:51:14

Starting Point: P12, Glide Wax: from the spring plus NotWax, Grip Wax: (Waxless), Trails Skied: #40, #24, #1 to Fire Tower.

Mixture of ski, snowshoe, and boot tracks up 40. Just a lightly skied track on 24. A skidoo had been out to the Fire Tower on the 26th via trail 1; 5-10 cm of fresh snow on top so 'breaking trail' was easy. Some debris, but not too much. 5-10 cm of fresh snow on everything, so a winter wonderland. Snow quite damp and slow, or was that the skier!

13) Colin Abbott, 2008-11-27 15:08:05

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: vauhti blue, Grip Wax: N/A, Trails Skied: #1 (Keogan-Champlain),FP (P10-CP)

A perfect day for skiing! the groomer was out packing while we skied, so it was a bit soft, but you'll hear no complaints from me. I started out of P10, up fortune hill. As a spur of the moment decision, I decided to ski Ridge Road up to Huron Lookout on a soft, untracked trail that had only had a once-over by a snowmobile. While it was difficult to get up some of the hills, I managed to thrash my way to Huron where I was rewarded with a spectacular view of white fields and forests stretching away to the Ottawa River. I decided to retrace my steps down ridge road and back to P10.

14) Megan McTavish, 2008-11-28 08:38:39

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: violet, Grip Wax: vauhti aluminum covered with carrot, Trails Skied: #1 (Keogan-Champlain),FP (P10-CP)

Tricky waxing again today. I might have gone a bit too warm and suffered some clumping as a result! The tracks were filled with snow and it made for a bit of a slow climb to Ridge Road. Ridge appeared to be groomed more recently so the skiing there was firmer. Skating looked good.

15) Craig Storey, 2008-11-29 12:00:20

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: Vauhti Blue, Grip Wax: Vauhti Carrot, Trails Skied: #1 (Keogan-Champlain),FP (P10-CP),CP (FP-Black)

Beautiful day for skiing! Nice to ski in sunlight for a change too. The cool night allowed the tracks to firm up a bit and everything is starting to take shape. The skating lanes are flat and wide, and it's double trackset on both sides. That's right mid-winter skiing in November!

Ridge Road is groomed and trackset and generally safe for good skis, but there might still be a few rock below the thin base. Be aware that your poles are likely to still sink through in places. Have a great ski!

16) Zoe Braul, 2008-11-30 21:59:14

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax: Vauhti Carrot, Trails Skied: #1A,#1B,FP (P10-CP)

Great conditions for both skate and classic. Watch out for branches on the trail, especially on Ridge Road. I used my race skis today and I'm pretty sure they're fine- either there were no rocks or I was just lucky.

17) Craig Storey, 2008-12-02 10:17:28

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: Spektra Pink, Grip Wax: I wouldn't want to guess, Trails Skied: FP (P10-CP)

If you were worried skiing in the Park was melting away, don't be. While we didn't ski far from P10 or see much of the trails (since we did intervals) the conditions are still great. There was ~5cm of new drier snow on top of a somewhat soft/damp base. Classic would be tough as the tracks are snowed in and waxing for dry on top and damp below is always tricky (or fun?). We skated, and it was generally good glide but somewhat tricky balance. Still great Decemember 2nd skiing and the warm hasn't affected things much since the weekend!

18) Craig Storey, 2008-12-04 08:53:08

Starting Point: P5, Glide Wax: Violet, Grip Wax: Vauhti Silver Minus Klister, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),GP (CP-Penguin)

There was light rain in the park this morning and the snow was soft. No grooming the past few days since it'sbeen wet but conditions are still good. Vauhti Silver Minus klister was working perfectly for classic, skating would be nice and fast as long as your structure broke up the suction. It turns cold (-16C) tonight, so we'll see if Demsis times the renovations correctly. If so we should have firm and fast conditions for tomorrow and the weekend.

19) Colin Abbott, 2008-12-04 09:57:21

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: vauhti blue, Grip Wax: N/A, Trails Skied: #1 (Keogan-Champlain),#3,FP (P10-CP)

Rain and snow up in the park made for mushy and slow skiing. Aside from the slow snow, the parkways are in great shape, and will be even better once they freeze. Ridge road hadn't been groomed in a while, but it was still good to ski on. Burma had only had a once over with a snowmobile. It would be better to ski it in classic right now. While the snow was solid, the trail was rough, with creek crossings and ski-breaking moguls to watch out for. All in all it was a good ski, though I can't wait until it gets fast.

20) Justin Demers, 2008-12-04 21:56:27

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: Vauhti Blue, Grip Wax: N/A, Trails Skied: CP (FP-Black)

I started skiing around 4:30 this afternoon and the track had already become quite solid. Skating was quite difficult for balance and getting an edge to go forward required concentration. Classic would definitely need klister. Conditions are very quick and a little sketchy in the dark. Basically its a big block of ice with skied in tracks from earlier in the day when it was warm. Might be wise to use an older pair of skis tomorrow if they don't groom tonight as the conditions are hard on bases and edges.

21) Justin Demers, 2008-12-05 15:46:55

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: Vauhti reg blue, Grip Wax: NA, Trails Skied: GP (Penguin-P8)

The parkway loop was groomed this morning which made for a firm base with a little soft snow on top from people skiing. Perfect conditions for skating as it was nice and fast. If you are classic skiing make sure to put a base binder or a klister as the snow is very abrasive. I don't think Ridge road was groomed.

22) Justin Demers, 2008-12-06 11:18:25

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: Vauhti regular blue, Grip Wax: Vauhti fluor carrot, Trails Skied: GP (CP-Penguin),FP (P8-P9),FP (P9-P10),FP (P10-CP),CP (FP-Black),CP (Black-GP)

They did not groom last night but a few cm of snow fell over the hard tracks. Skating is best but classic is also really good despite being a little slower. I skied the parkway loop and didn't venture out on the smaller trails but I doubt they have been groomed since Thursday which would make for a very uneven solid base.

23) Craig Storey, 2008-12-07 11:11:49

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: Vauhti Blue, Grip Wax: Vauhti Orange (Carrot), Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),#1 (Keogan-Champlain),#1A,#1B,FP (P9-P10),FP (P10-CP)

Again no grooming this morning, but lots (>10cm) of fresh snow on the ground at 8am. From 8-9am it snowed heavily and there was another 5cm of powder on the ground. Skiing was soft but good. By 10am, the parkways and Ridge had been person groomed as there were hundreds of people out.

Oddly, as we were leaving at 10:30 a groomer went by P10 (a bit late to the party!) but maybe it will help skate conditions for the afternoon.

24) Craig Storey, 2008-12-09 09:56:29

Starting Point: P6, Glide Wax: Vauhti Green, Grip Wax: Vauhti Carrot, Trails Skied: CP (Black-GP)

Lots of new snow already by 9am! We only skied from P6 to Black Lake to do intervals on the hill. Yes, the parkway had been groomed sometime in the past and it was snowing hard. Conditions were fairly fast though, so don't be scared to venture out. There's the potential for 15-25cm of snow into tomorrow with the temperature really warming up and then maybe even some ice pellets and rain. I wouldn't expect grooming until the skies clear and the snow/rain, cold/warm is sorted out. We should be in good shape even if it rains!

25) Craig Storey, 2008-12-10 12:58:01

Starting Point: P1, Glide Wax: Vauhti Blue, Grip Wax: Vauhti Carrot, Trails Skied: #3

I couldn't get out the driveway to ski this morning, but I imagine it was soft :) With around the clock grooming for the next few days I expect the entire Park to be open and in wonderful shape this weekend; from Lac Phillippe to the Firetower. If anyone skis some of the more remote trails tonight or tomorrow let us know.

26) Justin Demers, 2008-12-10 22:02:02

Starting Point: P5, Glide Wax: Regular Blue, Grip Wax: N/A, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),#1 (Keogan-Champlain),#1A,#1B

Started skiing around 20:00 and most trails seemed to be groomed. The parkways were perfect for the little stretch I skied and Ridge was also quite nice. It was groomed wider than before but there were still some soft spot close to the classic tracks due to the abundance of snow. Overall everything was quite firm unless you are a giant and even at that it should be ok tomorrow. The moon was shining and it was a very enjoyable ski. The trails were busy for this time of day as I saw over 20 other skiers.

27) Craig Storey, 2008-12-11 11:04:26

Starting Point: P3, Glide Wax: Vauhti Blue, Grip Wax: Vauhti Tar -1... -6C, Trails Skied: Skinook

I skied trails #5, #15, #35 and the Parkway from Gamelin to Pink Lake as well. The parkways are firm and the best option for skating. The secondary trails still need some work, as there is certainly no lack of snow. #5 was pretty good, a bit too narrow for skating. #15 was very soft and hadn't been groomed since yesterday but there had been quite a bit of traffic on in. It will need several more grooming passes to be in good shape. I would only ski it in the direction climbing Pink lake! Surprisingly, #35 was only skied in but you can follow the tracks to make the connection to the parkway. Any reports of grooming on Burma yet?

28) Kevin Jones, 2008-12-11 13:39:22

Starting Point: P5, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax: , Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),#1 (Keogan-Champlain),#1A,#1B

I skied from P5 up Penguin and out Ridge and around #24 this morning. I was doing classic and the conditions were beautiful if a bit slow (fresh snow and - 17 will do that) No sign of any tracksetting on Burma and the grooming ended on Ridge after #24 however I met the groomer on its way to rectify this. I still can't figure out why there are no tracks set on many of the uphills on Ridge Road, a frustration for many years. Why don't they just leave the tracks in everywhere and let skiers decide whether they want to ski in or out of the tracks?

I also skied at Nakkertok last night and it was great. A little soft for poling but the whole 7.5 k race course was trackset along with numerous other trails. It will take a few more days for everything to firm up.

Should be a great weekend!

29) Brian Suke, 2008-12-11 17:40:13

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: Blue, Grip Wax: Blue, Trails Skied: Fortune Prkwy, #3 - Burma

Just got back from skiing P-10 to Burma. They had obviously groomed with a piston bully from the Western end of Burma back to the parkway. Unfortunately the grooming was very inconsistent. The amount of snow meant the groomer was getting stuck on all the uphills and was unable to drag the pan up them leaving two deep ruts on either side and deep soft snow down the middle. There were numerous 'jumps' where they had stopped and started. There was track set and the downhills (if skied in the direction of the grooming) were in good shape, everything was still fairly soft.
Also a curious ditch on the parkway between the classic and skating lanes and many places where the classic lanes were 4 inches higher than the adjacent snow.

30) Craig Storey, 2008-12-13 14:33:43

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: Vauhti Green, Grip Wax: Vauhti Carrot + Green, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),#1 (Keogan-Champlain),#1A,#1B

Cold, but great conditions. Fairly firm, but a bit slow most place. Should be a perfect ski day tomorrow.

31) Craig Storey, 2008-12-14 12:56:49

Starting Point: P1, Glide Wax: Vauhti Blue, Grip Wax: Vauhti Carrot (Orange), Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),#1 (Keogan-Champlain),#1A,#1B,GP (P1-P3),GP (P3-CP)

Beautiful day for skiing! Nicer temperatures, good grooming and fast conditions. Trails #2 and #40 are in great shape, Burma wasn't groomed(?) but looked very popular!

32) Justin Demers, 2008-12-15 14:52:23

Starting Point: P3, Glide Wax: Purple, Grip Wax: N/A, Trails Skied: Skinook

Skiing was definitely soft and a little slow but it was very nice. Plus 5 and plenty of snow made for spring like skiing at its best. The only part missing was the sun. Make sure to go out skiing today and do so before everything ices up into a big rink. For classic take out the waxless skis or the klister. The trails all seem to be in great shape for the time being.

33) ER, 2008-12-16 12:33:34

Starting Point: P8, Glide Wax: Green, Grip Wax: Blue Klister, Trails Skied: FP (P8-P9)

Ce matin (mardi), 3 machines sont sorties vers 6h30 sur la boucle nord... ils ont sortie ben trop tard car c'est dure comme de la roche!!!!! Ils ont prit environ 2h15 pour groomer la boucle nord aller/retour!!!!!

Les conditions sont excellentes apres le passage des 3 maichines mais cela va prendre trois jours pour refaire les pistes....

34) Craig Storey, 2008-12-17 09:49:04

Starting Point: P1, Glide Wax: Vauhti BLue, Grip Wax: Vauhti Carrot, Trails Skied: GP (P1-P3),GP (P3-CP),Skinook

Winter may have taken a vacation on Monday, but it's back today! The park had 10-15cm of new snow by 9am, and it was still accumulating. It was blowing and drifting a bit too. I met a groomer around 9am on the Champlain Parkway and was glad to see the snow was compacting and setting up firm behind him. The base underneath is solid, not icy and it sounds like Demsis did a good job of renovating atleast the parkways yesterday. So we have a nice firm base and fresh powder on top - we're all set!

35) Craig Storey, 2008-12-18 10:07:32

Starting Point: P7, Glide Wax: Vauhti Blue, Grip Wax: Vauhti Carrot, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),#1 (Keogan-Champlain),#1A,#1B,#3

Beautiful conditions and good grooming today. Ridge and Burma had been freshly groomed this morning. No really they have been! Demsis did a good job and Ridge was in great shape; a bit wider than last weekend which made skating nicer and preserves the classic tracks. Burma was still narrow and a bit wavy but much better than last week. It was a fun ride from top to bottom as glide is quite fast today. The parkways have been groomed down the middle for skating, while the classic tracks haven't but they were firm with a bit of fluff in them.
It looks like "Snow-mageddon" will only result in 5-10cm for us tomorrow, but there's potential for lots more snow Sunday. That's all I want for Christmas!

36) Karl Saidla, 2008-12-19 13:48:48

Starting Point: P7, Glide Wax: Vauhti Green, Grip Wax: Vauhti Fluor Carrott, covered by Vauhti Fluor Green, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),#1 (Keogan-Champlain),#1B,#3

Most trails were in fairly good condition. We received about 5cms of snow overnight last night, and some trails had been groomed following this snowfall, while others had not. The base is quite firm in most places, groomed or not. Conditions were surprisingly fast given the temperature. Dress warm and enjoy!

37) Craig Storey, 2008-12-21 13:21:06

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: Vauhti Blue, Grip Wax: Vauhti Carrot coveres with Fluoro Green, Trails Skied: #3,FP (P9-P10),FP (P10-CP)

Now that's a great way to start Winter! The snow was piling up fast out there this morning. The wind was blowing like crazy too! It was a great storm to be out skiing in. There wasn't any grooming that was obvious by 9am, and anything skied in disappeared quickly. The snow was fine, sharp and dry and fairly slow. At 11:30 a groomer was making a first pass around the parkways. Yesterday's idealic conditions should be restored in a few days!

38) Megan McTavish, 2008-12-23 09:57:51

Starting Point: P5, Glide Wax: vauhti green, Grip Wax: vauhti carrot covered with vauhti green, Trails Skied: GP (P3-CP),GP (Penguin-P8),CP (Black-GP)

Despite the frigid temerature this morning, the skiing was nice. The parkways had been groomed since the last snow which allowed for decent glide. Some of the smaller trails had not been regroomed which made them pretty slow. They should speed up during the day as the temperature rises. Get out there and enjoy!

39) Craig Storey, 2008-12-25 13:46:45

Starting Point: P1, Glide Wax: Candu Cane, Grip Wax: Egg Nog, Trails Skied: #1A,#3

MERRY CHRISTMAS and Happy New Year!

We're in Canmore until January 8th, hope the skiing conditions are great and we'll get back to reporting upon return.

40) Dev Paul, 2008-12-29 17:28:58

Starting Point: P3, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax: Teho Green, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),#1 (Keogan-Champlain),GP (P3-CP),GP (CP-Penguin)

Contrary to what people see in the city, there is full coverage on all the major trails in Gatineau Park. On Sunday morning, I skied from P3 (Gamelin), up 5 to 26 to the parkway and then made my way up Penguin to trail 1 to Champlain.

There was cold air trapped in Ottawa valley, so the fastest ski conditions where lower in the park where things were hard packed and the freezing rain had melted just enough to make skating fabulous. As I rose higher in the park past Pinks Lake I could feel the warm air at higher elevations. Regardless, the entire Gatineau Parkway, which was shielded from the warm south west wind was bullet fast, but very skiable even for novice skiers. Penguin was hard packed with a lot of debris from the wind and Ridge Road was littered with debris, but soft and slow, albeit with full coverage. At Champlain lookout there is ice right at the lookout, but otherwise snow everywhere. The entire Champlain Parkway exposed to the warm southwest wind was slow, but again, full coverage. Once I got to the Mackenize King estate out of the south west exposure, things got fast again.

In summary, there is full coverage on the parkways and trail 1. With the arrival of the predicted 5 cm of snow on Monday nite, things should be back to full operation. I called the NCC visitor centre, and they did mention that due to the 60+ kph winds later on Sunday there were downed trees and more debris that needs to be removed over the next few days.

41) Craig Storey, 2008-12-29 18:10:59

Starting Point: P8, Glide Wax: Vauhti Violet, Grip Wax: Teho Green, Trails Skied: FP (P8-P9),FP (P10-CP)

Conditions today were fast. Demsis did a great job renovating the parkways and turning the hard crust into corn. It's fast but it is easy to edge and ski on. Classic is also possible but the tracks are somewhat icy - klister or Teho required. A little fresh snow tonight should help.

Due to popular request guests will post trail reports during our absence. Enjoy!

42) Jo-Ann Holden, 2008-12-30 17:46:06

Starting Point: P6, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax: , Trails Skied: CP (FP-Black),CP (Black-GP)

P6 to Fortune Parkway and back
Classic Skiing, blue klister binder and many coats of grip.
1:15 P.M. Minus 9, sunny. A mix of ice and abrasive snow

The plan was to have a nice long ski. Ha! If I had read the Gatineau Park Ski Conditions page carefully, I wouldn’t have started at P6. It was last trackset 6 days ago and was rated “fair”.

From P6 to the top of the Black Lake Hill there was a single classic track, of a make-it-yourself variety. It was possible to get some nice glide. Further on it was very slow. Conditions alternated between icy-windblown and deep untracked powder. There was bumpy ice beneath the snow which made the trackless classic frustrating. The skaters seemed to be working hard but looked as though they were having fun!

The surprise was arriving at Fortune and realizing that it was not much better. Skiers we spoke to felt it had been groomed before last night’s snow. Apparently Ridge Road was skied-in by many skiers and looked “promising”, although ungroomed.

The most surprising part of the trip was having to double pole through the snow down the Black Lake Hill!!

I hope Demsis has had an excellent holiday and is well rested for the New Year.

43) Jo-Ann Holden, 2008-12-31 18:33:31

Starting Point: P16, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax: Klister Binder + 7 layers of green!, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan)

This is really the trails skied:Trail 50 (P19 to Healey Cabin)
Classic
Wind Chill of minus 25

Trail 50 is sheltered from the wind. It was newly groomed and rated as “good to very good”.
The conditions were good enough to ski until we were pleasantly exhausted. If you ski there this evening be aware that you will encounter quite a bit of debris (ranging in size from kindling to dog sticks) between Lac Philippe and Herridge and also a few bushes at eye level. The trails are trackset, hard and icy. You will need a really bomb proof klister binder or something similar. Interestingly there were sometimes 3 sets of tracks (left, right, middle- no room for skaters) and often only a single track on one side. Snowmobiles have thrown ice chunks around, often obliterating the tracks.
Here are some reliable tidbits passed to me about other trails today:
“Burma: about 4 places where trees or large limbs had fallen, but had all been cleared leaving some debris... . several spots where the side has eroded away into the ditch.”
“Ridge was still not groomed, but not bad”
“Fortune was awesome for classic”.

Photo of Pine Road:

Happy New Year!

44) Jo-Ann Holden, 2009-01-01 10:22:46

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax: green, Trails Skied: FP (P10-CP)

Happy New Year!
At 8 a.m.The conditions were superb (Fortune, Champlain Parkway to Lookout) and good (Ridge from 1B to Fortune).
The wind chill is extreme today so if you ski, cover up!

The dawn of a new ski year - Fortune Parkway

Kyber Pass, still ungroomed, but nice, as you can see.

Champlain Lookout, recent, excellent grooming

Do dress for the weather!

45) Jo-Ann Holden, 2009-01-03 19:43:11

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: Blue, Grip Wax: , Trails Skied: #1 (Keogan-Champlain),FP (P10-CP)

At dusk P10 was almost completely full. Skiers were still arriving after dark.
It was a bit confusing to keep track of exactly what had been groomed (some of the parkways, parts of Ridge) but in any case the Fortune Parkway was in excellent condition. I found the skating a bit slow but not icy at all.
The upper Champlain Parkway was reported groomed this morning, however it was so hard packed and skated over, and in spots icy, that it was often difficult to get an edge in.
Ridge (between Chicken Run and Champlain) was fast and hard packed and still had considerable debris (woodchips and sticks)from last week's wind damage.
It's obvious that a huge number of skiers had been out enjoying the good conditions today. With luck an additional grooming will freshen things up for tomorrow.
Fortune Parkway this evening

Hard packed skate lane on the Champlain Parkway

46) Jo-Ann Holden, 2009-01-04 16:46:16

Starting Point: P9, Glide Wax: blue, Grip Wax: green/blue, Trails Skied: #1 (Keogan-Champlain),#1A,#1B,FP (P9-P10),FP (P10-CP)

Classic, P9 to Firetower, via Fortune, Ridge, 1B and 24.

Demsis did a great job of getting the park in shape for today's numerous classic and skate skiers. The debris was pretty much gone, both skate lanes and classic tracks were excellent on all the above trails. Downhills were getting really fast by early afternoon, after a "zillion" skiers had passed by. If you were out enjoying today's conditions, drop a note to Demsis and let them know!

Ridge Road, between Blanchet and Wolf Trail

It was groomed right to the Fire Tower

47) Jo-Ann Holden, 2009-01-05 13:20:29

Starting Point: P8, Glide Wax: Violet, Grip Wax: , Trails Skied: FP (P8-P9)

Skate: Noon hour, Just the Doldrums, P8 to P9

This small stretch was one of just a few to be regroomed since the weekend ski traffic. And it was fabulous! The tiny bit of fresh snow and higher temperatures have made it less icy. It's fast and very controllable. It felt like my skiing had suddenly improved! I'd love to have stayed longer! The classic would probably have been equally nice.

The view from P8

48) Jo-Ann Holden, 2009-01-06 13:25:07

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: Violet, Grip Wax: , Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),#1 (Keogan-Champlain),#3,FP (P10-CP)

Skate, P10, Ridge to Penguin and Burma.
Minus 2 degrees and sunny.

The parking lots looked as busy as on a good weekend. P10 was full by midday. Skiers of all levels were out and every one was beaming from ear to ear.The conditions are absolutely superb! Demsis has groomed most of the primary and secondary trails. Everything is just hard enough, fast, easy to control. Burma was just a delight.
Go skiing if you possibly can!

Burma, just heaven!

Ridge, somewhere between Penguin and Fortune

49) Jo-Ann Holden, 2009-01-07 20:11:20

Starting Point: P5, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax: Blue, Trails Skied: GP (CP-Penguin)

Classic, P5, trail 15, late afternoon
Snow and more snow! Already there seems to be about 20 cm down. The Gatineau Parkway was surprisingly firm because Demsis had groomed it late in the day. The forest trail was very snowy, slow and beautiful!

Gatineau Parkway, 3:30 p.m.

50) Jo-Ann Holden, 2009-01-08 16:44:44

Starting Point: P11, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax: Blue, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan)

Classic:Trail 36 and 50 to Herridge
Minus 10, midday

For classic, it was sublime. New snow, freshly and beautifully groomed, and a foolproof, steady temperature for grip wax. Trail 50 was also beautifully groomed, although the skate lane did appear a bit soft and slow still after yesterday's generous dump of snow.

Somewhere in the middle of trail 36

51) Brian Suke, 2009-01-09 11:12:01

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: Green, Grip Wax: Blue Sandwich, Green is the Bread, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),#1 (Keogan-Champlain),#1A,#1B,#3,GP (CP-Penguin),CP (FP-Black),CP (Black-GP)

Incredible conditions! Easily the best grooming of the year thus far. Maybe a new years resolution for Demsis? As of 10:00 this morning it seemed that grooming had been completed on all trails from P12 South and possibly all the way to the fire tower. Trails were firm and tracks were crisp. The snow was a little slow due to the temperature but the sun made an appearance and the skiing was great.
Enjoy!

52) Megan McTavish, 2009-01-10 15:48:23

Starting Point: OC, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax: Vauhti Carrot, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),#1 (Keogan-Champlain),#3,Fortune

Chelsea -> Penguin (1) -> Skyline (6) -> Pleasant Valley (22) -> Fortune Lane (4) -> Ridge Road (1) -> Burma (3) -> Western (9) -> Merry go Round (11) -> Fortune Race trails -> Chicken Run (14) -> Highland (8) -> Penguin (1) -> Dunn Road

Conditions: Jesse Duke Moonshine-Prime

53) Megan McTavish, 2009-01-14 09:18:18

Starting Point: P5, Glide Wax: green!, Grip Wax: vauhti carrot covered with vauhti green, Trails Skied: GP (CP-Penguin),GP (Penguin-P8)

COLD!!!...and it looks like it will be for the next few days as well. The parkways and trail 15 were nicely groomed at 8am after last night's snow. The snow conditions are great. Make sure you bundle up, and if possible go skiing in the daylight.

54) Sheila Kealey, 2009-01-16 10:06:31

Starting Point: P7, Glide Wax: Vauhti Blue, Grip Wax: Vauhti carrot + green, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan)

Great skiing! Freshly groomed and not even that slow. Sure, it was minus 29, but it was fine - really! Just dress right and choose a parking lot close to the trail (P7 or Asticou are good spots).

55) Megan McTavish, 2009-01-17 22:40:17

Starting Point: P7, Glide Wax: Vauhti speed green, Grip Wax: NA, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),#1 (Keogan-Champlain),#1A,#1B,#3

Today we skated to the firetower. It was a great ski and the trails were in perfect condition. With the slightly warmer weather tomorrow, another great ski is in the forecast.

56) Megan McTavish, 2009-01-20 09:08:59

Starting Point: P3, Glide Wax: vauhti green, Grip Wax: vauhti carrot covered with vauhti green, Trails Skied: Skinook

Nice skiing out there today. We only checked out 15 and 5 but both were being groomed at 8am and the tracks set up well. I'm assuming all the other main trails will be groomed as well. Get out and enjoy the warmer weather!

57) Megan McTavish, 2009-01-21 09:25:14

Starting Point: OC, Glide Wax: vauhti green, Grip Wax: vauhti carrot covered by vauhti green, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),GP (Penguin-P8)

The groomers were out early this morning and the parkways and penguin were done before 8am. Skyline was also groomed before 8! From the looks of it, the rest of the trail system was being done as I skied. Great skiing again today. The tracks are firm and the snow is pretty fast.

58) Craig Storey, 2009-01-23 09:15:37

Starting Point: P3, Glide Wax: Vauhti Bulk Green, Grip Wax: Vauhti Tar -1...-6C, Trails Skied: Skinook

In preparation for Easterns I skied #5 and #15, neither of which have cool names but had been groomed this morning. They could both use a little widening before next weekend's races were 600+ skiers will be on course. The Gatineau Parkway hadn't been groomed yet so the classic tracks were a bit uneven, but were decently firm. Hopefully everything gets groomed today and tonight so it hardens up for the weekend.

59) Megan McTavish, 2009-01-27 09:09:24

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: vauhti green, Grip Wax: vauhti carrot and vauhti green, Trails Skied: #3,FP (P10-CP)

A little bit of fluffy snow on top of the harder packed base made things a bit slow out there this morning (as well as the cold temperatures). Nice skiing though and it will speed up throughout the day as it gets skied in more and warms up.

60) Craig Storey, 2009-01-28 10:17:14

Starting Point: P5, Glide Wax: Vauhti Shop Green, Grip Wax: Vaughti Carrot + Tar -1...-6C, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),#3

Conditions were nice this morning; light blowing snow, fast glide. A few cm of fresh snow had fallen by 9am, but tracks were filled with blowing snow. If I were to ski later today, I would stay off the parkways and enjoy the real trails. Demsis has done a good job of flattening and widening Penguin as Ridge and Burma. This makes them safe for 2-way traffic and is good news for the Gatineau Loppet. Must be predicting a surge in skier traffic soon. :)

61) Brian Suke, 2009-01-29 10:00:33

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: Blue, Grip Wax: Blue, Trails Skied: Pkwy-3-9-1-18-21-11

Fresh grooming by 8:00 on all trails and sunny skies made for great skiing today. It looked like about 15cm of fresh snow fell yesterday but everything is well packed and setting up nicely. My recommendation however would be to grab a map and get off the groomed trails to enjoy some of the fresh snow on the smaller ungroomed side trails.

62) Megan McTavish, 2009-01-31 09:25:26

Starting Point: P3, Glide Wax: Vauhti Green, Grip Wax: Vauhti Fluor Carrott, covered, Trails Skied: Skinook

XC Ottawa is racing the Eastern Canadian Championships at Skinouk this weekend. It will be busy with racers in that area of the park (15 and 5) Unless you plan on watching the racing action, it would be advisable to ski from P5, P7, P8 or P10 rather than Asticou or Gamelin.

63) Megan McTavish, 2009-02-03 08:58:15

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: vauhti green, Grip Wax: vauhti carrot covered by vauhti green, Trails Skied: #3,FP (P10-CP)

It was cold and clear this morning. No new grooming had been doen but the trails were in good shape still for both classic and skate.
Get out and enjoy the sunshine!

64) Karl Saidla, 2009-02-04 14:44:50

Starting Point: OC, Glide Wax: Vauhti Green, Grip Wax: Vauhti Carrott, covered with Vauhti Green, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan)

Things haven't changed much lately. It's cold and sunny, and the trails are in really good shape. Grooming had been done on Ridge Road and parts of the Parkway network, but it's all pretty good regardless. Have fun!

65) Craig Storey, 2009-02-07 11:07:17

Starting Point: P7, Glide Wax: Violet, Grip Wax: Teho Green + Carrot, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),#1 (Keogan-Champlain),#3

The snow is warming up and with the fresh grooming was greasier than expected by 9am. You will need violet or red this afternoon as it really warms up and possibly even rains.

If you are skiing classic make sure you wear glasses, even clear safety glasses would be good. There are lots of branches overhanging the tracks and theres a real danger of being poked in the eye. I must have hit 20 or 30 branches between Penguin and Keogan in both directions. Hopefully Demsis trims them soon.

66) Craig Storey, 2009-02-10 08:46:51

Starting Point: P2, Glide Wax: Vauhti Blue, Grip Wax: Teho Green, Trails Skied: Skinook

Damp and chilly this morning, but no rain or freezing rain so skiing was fine up until 9:30am. The parkways, #5, #15 and #29 were firm and abrasive. It was somewhat hard to edge (control the skis) in places even with the appropriately stiff ski. The classic tracks were rock hard but you could get away without klister, at least for a while. Who knows what it will become later today or tomorrow. But Demsis will have their hands full Thursday and Friday to get the park ready for the BIG weekend. Good luck to them.

67) Karl Saidla, 2009-02-11 19:40:42

Starting Point: P7, Glide Wax: Vauhti Yellow, Grip Wax: Vauhti Universal klister, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan)

Wow! I don't think I've ever skied in the park with the combination of darkness AND dense fog. Great to know a new experience is always around the corner. Ridge Road was actually in quite good shape and still reasonably firm as of 8pm Wednesday night. The temperature was about 2C and it was "misty" but not really raining. Could be much worse. I expect things could, actually, be really nice this weekend.

68) Craig Storey, 2009-02-13 08:56:02

Starting Point: P3, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax: KLISTER, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),Skinook

Grooming? Demsis? Hello? Friday off? Demsis what gives?

It's definitely firm out there, firm enough to groom since atleast 6am, but not one bit has been groomed anywhere! Oh, except for the snowmachines that ran all over the trails yesterday before it started to freeze which really made a mess of things.

Not like anything important is going on in the park this weekend.

69) Craig Storey, 2009-02-13 10:20:57

Starting Point: P3, Glide Wax: Green, Grip Wax: Blue Klister, Trails Skied: Skinook

Nothing has been groomed this morning. The surface is solid, smooth crust that has unfortunately been rutted by snowmachines. The average person wouldn't enjoy skiing today, and that's a shame because a lot of people are here for the Gatineau Loppet and Winterlude weekend.

The earlier Demsis starts grooming for the loppet the better. It should be no problem for the big machines to grind the crust into a nice skiing surface. But to make that surface nice will take time, and several passes and Demsis has already missed about 12hours.

70) Megan McTavish, 2009-02-13 13:25:24

Starting Point: P5, Glide Wax: green, Grip Wax: blue klister covered with silver minus klister, Trails Skied: GP (P1-P3),GP (P3-CP),GP (CP-Penguin)

The parkways are now groomed, at least from Gamelin to P5. The skiing is nice, fast but not icy. Stick to the parkways today as that is what they seem to be working on first.

71) Colin Abbott, 2009-02-16 16:08:11

Starting Point: P2, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax: , Trails Skied: GP (P1-P3),Skinook

I was out early this morning at Asticou, and at 8:00 or so the groomers were just getting out. By the end of an hour and a half ski, they had gone over the parkways twice, and most of the southern trails were packed(everything from Asticou to Relais de Plain Air). It was a bit soft, but it will settle up nicely tonight. Everything ungroomed was pretty icy, but it wasn't unmanageable.

72) Craig Storey, 2009-02-17 11:42:18

Starting Point: Nakkertok South, Glide Wax: Blue, Grip Wax: Blue klister + blue hard wax, Trails Skied: #1,4,10

We took a pass on the park this morning and skied at Nakkertok. Unlike the Park they groomed their trails Friday and everyday since and they have been in great shape - no excuses. Today they are hosting a race for hundreds of high school students. Give Nakkertok a try, there's a warm chalet beside the parking lot and Day Fees are $10.00 (children 5-12 pay $5, and children <4 are free). Driving Directions

73) Karl Saidla, 2009-02-18 08:41:35

Starting Point: OC, Glide Wax: Vauhti Green, Grip Wax: Vauhti Blue Klister mixed with Vauhti Super Binder, covered by Vauhti Orange, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan)

Megan says that Ridge Road has been groomed from Penguin to Keogan, but the grooming is newer between 4 and Keogan than it is between Penguin and 4. If you are considering skiing from p7, realize that it might not be groomed between there and Wattsford lookout.

74) Karl Saidla, 2009-02-18 09:14:38

Starting Point: OC, Glide Wax: Vauhti Green, Grip Wax: Blue klister/superbinder mix, covered with carrott/violet, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan)

Megan says that Ridge Road has been groomed, but the grooming is newer between Penguin and 4 than between 4 and Keogan. Starting at p7 might not be a good idea as grooming looks to be not likely to be complete between there and the lookout.

75) Megan McTavish, 2009-02-20 13:25:54

Starting Point: P7, Glide Wax: blue, Grip Wax: , Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),#1 (Keogan-Champlain),#3,FP (P10-CP)

Everything is in good shape out there. It is currently snowing so nothing is "freshly groomed", however, it appears that grooming had been done recently and the tracks are quite firm under the layer of newly falling snow.
Great for both classic and skate...not quite as fast as last week though!

76) Karl Saidla, 2009-02-21 10:35:48

Starting Point: P12, Glide Wax: Vauhti Blue, Grip Wax: Vauhti Carrott, Trails Skied: #1A

It is one of THE days of the year out there. If you are reading this and have not been skiing, well, consider this ski report your kick in the rear end in the direction of the ski trails. Everything in the vicinity of P12 was in great shape. Some parts had a granular base that was still palpable, you you probably want some binder under there if you are planning a fire tower mission or something.

77) Liam Watson, 2009-02-23 16:32:23

Starting Point: P5, Glide Wax: Dibloc Red, Grip Wax: Rode Super Blue Fluro, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan)

Penguin; Franks; Highland; Booth; Penguin.

It's wet-your-pants fast out there, and pretty near perfect.

78) Megan McTavish, 2009-02-24 09:05:56

Starting Point: CDE, Glide Wax: vauhti green, Grip Wax: , Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),Fortune

Today we skied at the Camp Fortune racing trails. They had not been groomed since the last snowfall but were firm under about 5cm of fresh stuff. 4, 14 and Ridge all looked like they were groomed yesterday. It is a great day out there!

79) Craig Storey, 2009-02-25 09:15:23

Starting Point: P2, Glide Wax: Vauhti Blue, Grip Wax: Vauhti Teho Green + Carrot, Trails Skied: GP (P1-P3),GP (P3-CP),Skinook

D is for Demsis. That's the grade they get for the lack of effort and the poor quality of their grooming. It's also the letter that expresses my Disbelief, Disappointment, and Disgruntled feelings about the state of the Park.

Very little has been done to the trails in the past 2 weeks and they aren't in great shape today as a results. Skate lanes are hard and full of ruts and ridges. Classic tracks are however firm and nice. Half the Champlain Parkway has been groomed lately but not quite enough to skate on. The top of Penguin was repaired yesterday, but Ridge was not groomed even though it needed to be and there was a groomer right there. Most trails are too hard, because they have yet to really till the ice from before the melt preceding the Gloppet - even on what should have been the race courses. They did however groom the entire Lac Phillippe sector that weekend. Had they bothered to groom the main part of the Park, instead of waiting for some fresh snow to cover up the problem we wouldn't have icy, rutted conditions. We'd have great skiing. Enjoy the fresh air and exercise if not the skiing.

80) Craig Storey, 2009-02-26 09:34:03

Starting Point: Mooney's Bay, Glide Wax: Blue, Grip Wax: Violet, Trails Skied: Everything

Skied at Mooney's Bay this morning rather than the park. There was 2cm of new snow on top of a recently groomed base. It was firm, not icy underneath and the fresh snow made for great glide. There's a new 2km loop in Hog's Back Park which is really nice. It has a section parallel to Heron and it was fun skiing past bumper-to-bumper traffic and smiling at grim looking commuters. :)

I got several comments on my post yeasterday, all in agreement. Best one..

D is Dollars Demsis is making while not grooming. (D is also for dollars lost in park pass sales next season! Remember paying is voluntary, not required.)

81) Karl Saidla, 2009-02-27 17:32:17

Starting Point: OC, Glide Wax: Vauhti Violet, Grip Wax: Vauhti Universal Klister, Trails Skied: #1 (Keogan-Champlain)

I skied today (Friday) at around 11:30, but forgot to post this. Neither the parkways near P5 nor Ridge Road had been groomed since before the last snowfall, which was on Wednesday night. The racing trails at Fortune were not groomed either, and according to the NCC page, have not been groomed since early Saturday morning. Skiing this evening could be quite tricky as all this soft and chewed up snow freezes. I would expect that things will get groomed sometime late tonight to provide reasonable skiing tomorrow. Pay attention to what has been groomed and what has not before you head out, because only what gets groomed tonight/early Saturday morning will be good. With respect to snow coverage, don't worry, there is lots!

82) Craig Storey, 2009-02-28 13:39:18

Starting Point: Mooney's Bay Ski Centre, Glide Wax: Blue, Grip Wax: Blue, Trails Skied:

Hmm. They groomed! First time in 5days. They even did #15, #1 and other trails 14hrs after the thaw and flash freeze. Why couldn't they do that before the Gloppet given they had an extra day then?? All reports are that the skiing is good. Maybe the feedback from everyone is helping them get their act together.

We were at Mooney's Bay where Rob Lafleur turned minimal ice/snow into a perfect skiing surface that was used for all kinds of fun and events in support of Children's Wish Foundation. Thanks to everyone who came out we really enjoyed it!

83) Megan McTavish, 2009-03-01 13:06:20

Starting Point: P7, Glide Wax: Green, Grip Wax: Teho green or blue klister and binder mixed covered with Carrot, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan)

We skied at Nakkertok this morning which is in GREAT shape right now. It is fast but well groomed. As for the park, we got some info from a reliable source that it is also in great shape for both classic and skating. If you haven't gone out yet, you still can! Enjoy the beautiful sunshine!

84) Craig Storey, 2009-03-01 16:00:36

Starting Point: P19, Glide Wax: Blue, Grip Wax: violet klister, Trails Skied: 50, 54

I got in a rare ski at Lac Phillippe today. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the perfect temperature by afternoon. For the most part the grooming was acceptable - except the first 3km out of the parking lot were terrible for skating! Rock hard with a ridge on one side. Once you got to Taylor Lake Road it got better both on #54 and #50. I can't help but wonder how many novice skiers gave up struggling before that point? I only saw 2 other skaters out past that point, but lots of classic skiers.
(Yikes, I guess I went on a good day!)

85) Craig Storey, 2009-03-03 11:15:44

Starting Point: Nakkertok, Glide Wax: Blue, Grip Wax: Blue, Trails Skied: 1,4,24,8

It was cold this morning! Nakkertok was groomed yesterday, which made for somewhat crusty skating but classic was still very nice. They were just grooming as we left, so should be good the rest of the day.

86) Megan McTavish, 2009-03-04 10:25:29

Starting Point: P5, Glide Wax: green, Grip Wax: super binder and teho green covered with carrot, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),GP (CP-Penguin)

It was a great morning for a ski! The trails were all in good shape this morning and it looked like they had been groomed fairly recently. As we were leaving, the groomers were out on the parkway redoing both classic and skate.
We skied 15, 7, 1 and Skyline.
Get out and enjoy the day if you can!

87) Karl Saidla, 2009-03-04 10:46:19

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: Vauhti Green, Grip Wax: Vauhti Super Binder mixed with Teho green (ironed in) covered by Carrott, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),#1 (Keogan-Champlain),FP (P10-CP),Fortune

Here is what Megan wrote (I didn't want to erase her report with mine as we skied on different trails):

It's an amazing day for skiing, and overall, the conditions are quite good. The Fortune racing trail, in particular, was in excellent shape for both classic and skate. Classic tracks were good everywhere I skied. Ridge Road was kind of icy and had some snowmobile ruts between Keogan and Champlain, but was good skiing nonetheless.

88) Karl Saidla, 2009-03-04 11:00:40

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: Vauhti Green, Grip Wax: Vauhti Super Binder mixed with Teho, ironed in, covered by 3 layers of Carrott, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),#1 (Keogan-Champlain),FP (P10-CP),Fortune

Here is what Megan wrote a bit earlier: It was a great morning for a ski! The trails were all in good shape this morning and it looked like they had been groomed fairly recently. As we were leaving, the groomers were out on the parkway redoing both classic and skate.
We skied 15, 7, 1 and Skyline.
Get out and enjoy the day if you can!

Here are my comments: It's an amazing day for skiing, and overall, the conditions are quite good. The Fortune racing trail, in particular, was in excellent shape for both classic and skate. Classic tracks were good everywhere I skied. Ridge Road was kind of icy and had some snowmobile ruts between Keogan and Champlain, but was good skiing nonetheless.

89) Sheila Kealey, 2009-03-05 14:04:02

Starting Point: P1, Glide Wax: Vauhti Blue, Grip Wax: , Trails Skied: GP (P1-P3),Skinook

No new grooming today - so the skate skiing surface is hard and might challenge your balance! The classic tracks looked nice - though pretty abrasive so you'll want a good binder binder (teho green/Superbinder/klister) to help your wax last.

90) Craig Storey, 2009-03-06 10:00:12

Starting Point: P7, Glide Wax: Vauhti Blue, Grip Wax: Teho Green or Violet Klister, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),#1 (Keogan-Champlain),#1A,#1B,#3

Unbelievable? Incredible? Awesome? Pick one, that's what the grooming and conditions are like today. The classic tracks are straight and firm, the skate lane is level smooth and finely chewed ice. It's fast and first but easy to ski on. Ridge, Burma, Fortune parkway were all excellent. They've done an excellent job, the last they will be able to do for a few days while the weather is warm. Get out there an enjoy it before the rain!

91) Craig Storey, 2009-03-08 11:00:49

Starting Point: P7, Glide Wax: Spektra Silver, Grip Wax: Universal Klister, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),#1 (Keogan-Champlain),#1A,#1B,#3

Beautiful Spring skiing today! The snow froze overnight and they were able to groom. That cleans up any ruts from yesterday and there's very nice flat skate lane and great classic tracks. With the time change last night you might have found everything firm and fast first thing this morning if you started at the usual time. It was still like that in the shade by 11am, but by it was really softening up in the Sun - almost to the point of being slow. Burma was icy in a few spots but generally very good, and should be softer and very nice either classic or skate this afternoon. It would be a perfect day to pack a picnic and head out for a long ski!

92) Craig Storey, 2009-03-10 09:47:11

Starting Point: P3, Glide Wax: Vauhti Blue, Grip Wax: Klister + Hard wax, Trails Skied: Skinook

I skied #5 and the Champlain Parkway this morning. Only the parkway had been groomed at that point and it was good skiing. Classic tracks were day old, ice with fresh snow on top. You might get away with just binder and hard wax, but a klister would be needed where there's no fresh snow. Klister all by itself would grab, so be sure to cover it. Skating is a firm mix of crushed ice with a bit of new snow - not too fast or too hard. The trails (#5,#15,etc) were hard, crusty and rutted - a good test of balance and I would caution people from skating on them if they aren't comfortable with the surface. I did meet a groomer in the field by Relais Plein Air so maybe they will circle around #15 and #5 today.

93) Craig Storey, 2009-03-11 09:19:11

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: Vauhti Spektra Silver, Grip Wax: Universal Klister, Trails Skied: #3,FP (P10-CP)

A foggy morning, +2C in the park. The skating was great. The base is firm with 1cm of soft corn snow which allows easy edging. Even though it's wet glide is still good. Classic tracks were a bit sucky; literally. They are firm and well formed but there's a bit more water in them making them slower due to the suction. Still classic looked great along Ridge and Burma.

It's a great spring skiing day, one that shouldn't be missed. The temperature is supposed to really drop tonight and it will really freeze hard. If they can't groom, maybe ice skates will be in order tomorrow morning.

94) Craig Storey, 2009-03-13 10:35:49

Starting Point: P5, Glide Wax: Vauhti Blue, Grip Wax: Klister + Carrot - or - Teho Green, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),#1 (Keogan-Champlain),#1A,#1B,#3,FP (P10-CP)

Well done Demsis. Trails are in great shape for classic and skate! This is what the park should have been during Winterlude and then end of February. There's still lots, and lots of snow in the park - don't give up on skiing for another few weeks. The base is a firm mix of icy corn but there's powdery sugar on top making it safe and enjoyable. The edging is easy and the glide is free and fast. There's one really nice classic track on Ridge, and one dysfunctional one. Watch the downhills as they will likely have some icy patches due to snowplow traffic. This should be another excellent weekend of skiing, one of many more.

95) Craig Storey, 2009-03-15 11:00:06

Starting Point: P1, Glide Wax: Vauhti Blue, Grip Wax: Universal Klister, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),GP (P1-P3),GP (P3-CP),GP (CP-Penguin),FP (P10-CP),CP (FP-Black)

The parkways were in great shape this morning. I waited until after 8am to see what had been groomed "Before 8am", but the report didn't come so I settled for skiing from Gamelin starting ~9am. Funny thing was it wasn't groomed the first 1km until after the bridge, then it was good. #5 wasn't groomed, nor #7 or #15. I skied them all, just at the right time as they were softening from the overnight freeze and they were lovely. I spend sometime in the parking lot convincing people that once over the bridge they would enjoy the ski they drove 1hr for! But that first section would scare off the average skier who didn't know better.

Spring Skiing Tips:
- If you like icy and fast get up early and start anytime before 8am. Double poling is best at this time.
- If you like fast, but without ruts and more control on the downhills, have an extra cup of coffee before heading out for 9-9:30 start. Skate or classic will be wonderful until 11.
- If you like control and softer skiing and don't care about speed, start at ~11am.
- If you are a sucker for punishment start at 2pm. Full Sun and slop will await.

Crust skiing has been excellent all week, but I've been keeping that a secret. If you go out early, you can explore the off-piste parts of the park!

96) Craig Storey, 2009-03-17 10:59:52

Starting Point: P1, Glide Wax: Vauhti Blue, Grip Wax: Universal Klister, Trails Skied: GP (P1-P3),GP (P3-CP),CP (Black-GP)

If you're on March Break, go skiing and get a tan! The parkway from Pink Lake and around was nice, only the skate lane has been renovated but the classic tracks are still in great shape.

It would have been nice of Demsis to post a sign at Gamelin, Asticou and Relais Pleine Air explaining that grooming will only occur above Pink Lake and not below. A line seems to have been drawn in the snow and is steadily retreating into the park, even though there's plenty of snow and skiers. The website still lists P1 as a good starting point (but does have an X for P3-29.) though there's no grooming nearby (not #5, #15 or the parkway). This is scaring March break skiers away.

97) Karl Saidla, 2009-03-18 12:53:02

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: Vauhti Yellow, Grip Wax: Vauhti Red Klister, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),#1 (Keogan-Champlain),#1A,#1B,#3

I did a great ski with Ed McCarthy who is in town visiting today. Coverage is still very good on Ridge Road, Burma, and the parkways in the vicinity of Fortune. It was a bit strange that nothing appeared to have been groomed overnight, but the skiing was reasonable nonetheless. I note that the Fortune racing trail hasn't been groomed since March 7th. It would be fun to get out on that a couple more times before the season is over.

98) Craig Storey, 2009-03-19 10:13:54

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: Vauhti Blue, Grip Wax: Universal Klister, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),#1 (Keogan-Champlain),FP (P10-CP)

Lot of skiers out today! At least 25 cars at P10 and as many more at P8 at 9:30am. Good thing the groomers got out, even if it wasn't "Before 8am" like claimed. I found 2 groomers at 8:45 at Gossip corner, they had groomed Ridge, #31 to P7, #4, #14 and one was headed to P10, the other up #1 to Kyber Pass and the NCC site suggests that #1B was also groomed. By lunch time everything else will soften up and be skiable as well. A great day to play hooky!

99) Karl Saidla, 2009-03-20 14:50:01

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: Vauhti Purple, Grip Wax: Vauhti violet, THICK, covered with Vauhti Universal (medium)-Yes, Klister is required, Trails Skied: #1 (Keogan-Champlain),#1A,#1B,FP (P10-CP)

Oh man...if you like spring skiing you'd like what was waiting in Gatineau Park for you this morning. Grooming was good pretty much everywhere I skied this morning, with the tracks variable from hard/icy to soft, moist corn snow-that's why you want "universal" klister. It works in EVERYTHING. Why use anything else? Skating looked fun too, but you owe it to the origins of our sport to get your fingers sticky and do some classic skiing!

100) Karl Saidla, 2009-03-21 14:07:31

Starting Point: P16, Glide Wax: Vauhti Violet., Grip Wax: NA, Trails Skied: #1A

We skied form P16 this morning out to Lac Philippe and did a little cruising around there as well. It was another amazing day in terms of weather, and the snow coverage was good on all the major trails. We did note a few strange things with respect to grooming.

The NCC grooming report this morning showed that the 50 had been groomed overnight, which was clearly not the case. I would say it was groomed sometime during the day yesterday, when it was still soft meaning that the ruts left in the soft snow by skate skiers late in the day yesterday had frozen solid this morning. The dreaded "ridge" was also quite prominent on the 50 from P16 until you hit the lake. These factors would have made classic the better choice. Don't, however let this spoil your fun. ANY skiing is better than no skiing!

101) Karl Saidla, 2009-03-22 13:53:18

Starting Point: P7, Glide Wax: Vauhti Violet, Grip Wax: Vauhti Blue Klister covered with Vauhti Universal Klister, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),#1 (Keogan-Champlain),#1A,#1B

Skiing observations: Sweet dreams are made of skiing like this. This time of year is amazing-Sunny, warm, but just cold enough that the tracks are firm and fast. There were definitely too many out road riding given what the skiing was like-for sure among the best few days of the year.

Grooming observations: Here's the full Ridge Road report. A light dusting of snow overnight made the waxing a bit tricky in that klister is what you needed where it had been groomed, but hard wax on top of the klister would have been good where it had not been groomed.
P7 to top of Penguin: not groomed overnight
Penguin to the 1A/1B split had been groomed overnight, with the exception of the classic tracks on the right hand side, which were covered with a dusting of dry snow. This means you really needed two different wax jobs to get out and back!
1A: Not groomed at all
1B: groomed overnight
24: groomed overnight.
1 between 24 and McKinstry: groomed overnight-excellent
McKinstry to Firetower: not groomed

102) Karl Saidla, 2009-03-24 10:59:19

Starting Point: P5, Glide Wax: Vauhti Violet, Grip Wax: Vauhti Blue Klister covered with Vauhti Universal Klister, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),#1 (Keogan-Champlain),#1A,#1B

I almost don't feel like telling anybody else how good it is out there, but I have contractual obligations with this website, so I guess will. Absolutely, yes, go skiing today. It is really good.

Do be a bit careful about where you go, however. From what I saw I would recommend P10 and P5 as starting points. Don't go to P8 unless you want to head up towards P5 - it's very icy in the direction of P9. Ridge Road from Wattsford lookout to well beyond the 1A/B was firm and fast for skating, with good, although certainly icy classic tracks. The parkways looked great everywhere else above the Champlain/Gatineau parkway intersection, with the exception of between Huron and Champlain Lookout.

103) Craig Storey, 2009-03-25 10:58:17

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: Vauhti Silver, Grip Wax: Universal over Blue Klister, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),#1 (Keogan-Champlain),#1A,#1B

I won at Demsis Roulette this morning! Skiing was excellent, trails were even groomed before 8am, for real. From P10 to Fortune the skating is exceptional and there is a fresh set of classic tracks. On top of Fortune there are a few icier spots leading to Gossip corner, but very obvious and avoidable. From there Ridge is groomed in both directions and I followed it out #1B (ungroomed but good) to #1 just past Wolf. From the intersection of #1 + #24 the grooming is day old, but is still in good shape and will soften throughout the day. #24 was also quite good with the odd icy spot. I highly recommend the skiing today.

104) Craig Storey, 2009-03-26 09:07:04

Starting Point: P7, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax: Universal Klister, Trails Skied: #1 (Keogan-Champlain),#1A,#1B,FP (P10-CP),CP (FP-Black)

The conditions are perfect this morning. Don't expect grooming, it's too wet. But the snow is that perfect mix of corn and moisture that makes for effortless glide and good edging. The snow is getting old and dirty and there are a few icy patches, mainly on the parkways where the Sun beats down. I also saw the first of the bare spots developping; Wattsford lookout atop Penguin and Etienne Broule lookout. Neither is a big deal, there are ways around. Get out and ski before the rain washes it away!

105) Kevin Jones, 2009-03-27 10:32:48

Starting Point: P5, Glide Wax: hmmm..some old Start red I found lying around. Seemed to work pretty good., Grip Wax: Blue, Trails Skied: #1 up Penguin out around 1A/1B, Buma (#3), FLP and back on #1

A big change in the conditions from two days ago. There are places where the snow is pretty good, although generally quite dirty, and other places where we are now down to that very compacted icy layer that indicates that time is running out on the ski season. I discovered a new bare spot on Burma that required a last minute leap that came up a bit short...Ouch!. The tracksetter had been up the Fortune Lake Parkway and the skating was reasonable between the icy spots. Finally, Penguin was awesome both going up and coming down, very fast and very fun once you are by the bare spot at Watsfords. My recommendation for the weekend (for the hardcore!). Get up early and start at P12 and make your way out to the Fire Tower. For the really hardcore, ride your bike to P12 with your skis on your back and then ski to the Fire Tower. Have fun!

106) Colin Abbott, 2009-03-28 12:33:13

Starting Point: P12, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax: , Trails Skied: #1A,#1B

The snow is going fast! get out in the next few days, enjoy the sunshine and put in one last ski before it all disappears. We skied out of Meech all the way to the fire tower today and the coverage was still excellent. After about 10:00 it starts to get soft and sucky. If you want speed, you gotta get up early. There were some icy patches on corners or in the shade, but for the most part, conditions were consistent. Also, using race skis is no longer recommended, as the snow is getting dirty, and there is some debris showing through here and there.

107) Karl Saidla, 2009-03-29 13:39:40

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: Vauhti Yellow, Grip Wax: NA, Trails Skied: #1 (Keogan-Champlain),#1B,FP (P10-CP)

There is still quite good coverage on Ridge Road and on Fortune Parkway. There are starting to be bare patches here and there, but we never had to take our skis off today.

Given that this was supposed to be the last day of grooming in the park, it was kind of strange that nothing was groomed. Don't let that bother you though...If you really want to ski, either skate or classic, there IS enough snow and it's soft enough that the skiing is o.k.

108) Craig Storey, 2009-03-31 11:58:06

Starting Point: P7, Glide Wax: Blue, Grip Wax: Blue, Trails Skied: Ridge, Burma, 1B

Officially the ski season in the Park is over, but there's still excellent coverage and the rain has helped believe it or not. I skied Ridge to #24 and Burma. I only took 1 ski off for 15ft. Here are some photos. Rocks skis are begining to be required, not for the faint of heart, consult your physician, etc..

109) Karl Saidla, 2009-04-01 21:14:37

Starting Point: OC, Glide Wax: Vauhti Yellow, Grip Wax: NA, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),#1 (Keogan-Champlain),GP (CP-Penguin),CP (FP-Black),CP (Black-GP)

I skied earlier today (Wednesday) and forgot to post then, but better late than never. Skating was really pretty fun this morning, and the coverage is still pretty good in the higher sections of the park. I took off my skis only about twice today, and only for short sections. The skiing surface is actually firm and fairly fast on the Parkways, and while definitely slower, softer, and more dirty on Ridge, not too bad there either.

Pretend it's hot sticky day in August---what would you be willing to do for skiing like this?

110) Megan McTavish, 2009-04-02 08:52:25

Starting Point: P5, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax: , Trails Skied: GP (CP-Penguin),CP (Black-GP)

The coverage on the parkways is still very good. We skied from P5 to the top of Penguin and then to Black's Lake hill. It was pretty hard and icy this morning but skiing was still quite reasonable. As the day goes on, it will soften up and I'm guessing it will be pretty soft later this afternoon. If I could pick the best time to ski today, it would probably be 10-1.

111) David Paton, 2009-04-02 14:33:12

Starting Point: P12, Glide Wax: Swix yellow LF with Zardoz wiped over,, Grip Wax: Atomic waxless, Trails Skied: #40, 33, 2, 1, 24, 1 to Firetower

On skis on all the way to the Firetower (without the 33 detour to descend 24), even at Wolf Trail crossing. Snow on bridges 20-35 cm. A few bare patches required walking a few metres on leaves. The rain over the next couple of days may change things a bit, but I still suggest using rock skis (skate or waxless, too much dirt/leaves for klister), and expect minor walking on Sunday and after. As Kevin suggests, park at P12, especially if you want to ski at Easter, the best snow is out past the Wolf Trail.

112) Megan McTavish, 2009-04-04 10:02:30

Starting Point: P5, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax: , Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan)

According to Karl, the skiing is still do-able but he would describe it as not that great today. I guess it is a bit icy due to the lower temperature. If you want to ski, try to go at the warmest part of the day. If we get that snow they are predicting tonight and tomorrow, the skiing tomorrow might be pretty good (relatively speaking).

113) Karl Saidla, 2009-04-05 17:13:06

Starting Point: P12, Glide Wax: Vauhti Yellow, Grip Wax: Vauhti Universal Klister mixed with Vauhti Red Klister, Trails Skied: #1B

Today might be described as a pleasant surprise. We didn't ski till the afternoon. We went classic from P12 to McKinstry and back. I would say there are about 5 significant gaps requiring either walking or your sacrificial skis. Interesting how you tend to run into one of the "late season legends" every time you head out this time of year. Yesterday I saw Kari Tikka, and today, David Paton. Keep up the good work, men...

114) Carolyn Stewart, 2009-04-05 17:25:27

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax: Waxless, Trails Skied: Fortune Parkway, #1, #3

Today was a bit of a surprise to find fair spring skiing conditions. I started from P10, up Fortune, had to walk in a couple of places. Skied up to trail #1. It was nicer skiing on the parkway and also over to Keogan, where it was bare around the cabin but quite well snow covered down towards Penguin but I didn't go all the way. Probably a few more days of skiing as long as you watch out for surprise bare patches. Saw some bare patches on Burma and also trail #1 heading up to Huron and lot's of bits of debris and with good skis didn't go there. I used Fisher Suprlight Crown no-wax ski and they performed cery well. Enjoy the spring skiing while it lasts.

115) Karl Saidla, 2009-04-07 08:26:24

Starting Point: P5, Glide Wax: Vauhti Yellow, Grip Wax: NA, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan)

I would say it is the kind of day more suited to a nature walk on skis than any real training. It's pretty, there's plenty of snow (5-10cms of the heavy wet stuff) in the upper parts of the park but it is very slow and soft. I really wouldn't recommend skating, and classic waxing is bound to be difficult. Maybe try your luck with some kind of waxless skis. Take it easy....

116) Karl Saidla, 2009-04-08 11:24:20

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: Vauhti Violet, Grip Wax: NA, Trails Skied: #1 (Keogan-Champlain),#1B

Old man winter has made a temporary return to the park to pick up a few things he left behind, I guess. 10-15cms in the higher parts of the park. Some grooming was done (skating only)on the parkway starting from P10. I don't know what was done beyond the Keogan junction, but it looked packed in the direction of Penguin aw well. Snowmobiles drove out towards McKinstry, so all of Ridge in that direction is pretty good classic skiing. The snow isn't fast, but it's not super wet either. Waxing would still be a bit tricky, I think.

117) Craig Storey, 2009-04-09 10:29:14

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: Blue, Grip Wax: Carrot, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),#1 (Keogan-Champlain),#1A,#1B

Wow! Karl wasn't kidding yesterday when he said that Winter had returned. It was still powder skiing this morning, even when I was finished at ~10am. Apparently there is ~5cm of fresh snow since yesterday. The Fortune Parkway has been skated on by a great many people and is a bit bumpy but worth the trip! Ridge had a classic track down the middle from Gossip corner to Penguin, skating towards Champlain is great all the way to the lookout and likely beyond.

Dreaming of one last trip to the Fire Tower? It's possible today, and likely for a few more days! We'll keep you updated. Photos from this morning.

118) Craig Storey, 2009-04-10 09:25:56

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: , Grip Wax: Universal Klister, Trails Skied: #1 (P5-Keogan),FP (P10-CP)

Yesterday's amazing powder conditions must have got a little sloppy in the afternoon because this morning things were a little crusty. But that didn't stop many skiers from getting out!

What's it like? Challenging. The parkway skating was rutted and hard, the classic tracks were icy and a bit messy. I skied Ridge from Gossip corner to Penguin and it would have been good except hikers walked all over the tracks! My advice is to wait until ~1pm to head out skiing. By then hopefuly it will soften up making both the classic and skate conditions better, if not simply enjoy the sunshine and beautiful scenery.

119) Alana Thomas, 2009-04-12 17:14:18

Starting Point: P10, Glide Wax: rock skis, Grip Wax: n/a, Trails Skied: FP (P10-CP)

Easter Skiing! I had been ultra bummed that I missed out on so much spring skiing because of exams but the snow is still there! Starting at p10 there is really only one section that you MUST walk on the way to the T junction but its generally well covered still. It was still quite frozen at noon so bring your balance!
Ridge road had more bare patches with some hiking at shilly shally and some rock scaling later but mostly skiable. Getting back onto the parkway at Champlain was not so good though. It was a few hundred meters of pavement walking but that's ok if you bring a friend!

120) Karl Saidla, 2009-04-17 14:48:47

Starting Point: P12, Glide Wax: N.A., Grip Wax: N.A., Trails Skied: #1A

Well, I think that was, in all likelihood, my last "ski" of the year. We went to P12 and made our way up to Ridge. There was reasonable snow in some sections, but the skiing is now quite inconsistent. I would be tempted to say you can't really "go skiing" any more, but there are still some spots you can ski if you are willing to do some walking as well.

That was a pretty amazing season of skiing. We got a few days in October, the consistent skiing started about Nov. 20th, and lasted till about April 15th, give or take-pretty much 5 months. No complaints from me...