Got out and did a little riding this weekend now that the trails are "open for business". Took some time to enjoy a little calm before the storm that is the week ahead. The weather this weekend was predicted to be a bit of a mixed bag. Rain here and there and cooler temps. Turned out to be not as bad as predicted but still we got some rain. I guessed wrong on Saturday and rode for a couple of hours in a cold rain (missed the hail storms in the evening though!). Not my favourite conditions to ride but it was still nice to be back on the trails again.
Sunday I had better luck and rode under sunny skies and warmer weather. Tomorrow - holiday Monday - is supposed to be equally rainy (or not!) so I'll play it by ear and see what comes. The one drawback to todays ride is that the blackflies are starting to make their presence known. They were clouding around me when I stopped but for the most part they hadn't figured out what to do with me yet so no biting action. Next weekend could be a bit ugly up in the park as the blackflies figure out their purpose in (their brief) life and start to maul anything that moves.... fortunately I have my hands full with other plans next weekend so that won't be a worry for me.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Mothers Day
Hope you have had (will have??) a chance to talk to or spend some time with your mom's. I started today well before the sun came up doing some course measurements for the upcoming race weekend. We modified(slightly) the routing for the half marathon course this year. While the runners may not even notice the change it still has to be remeasured and certified as the correct distance. That meant a group of us on bikes along with police escorts got to ride the course when there was as little traffic as possible - ie dawn. It's actually a great way to ride - with full police escort - although we do startle some of the early morning taxi drivers as we cruise the wrong way down some of the streets.
With "course work" done I headed up to the Park for a real ride... but I forgot that the mountainbike trails aren't open yet (still drying out from the winters snows) so I did a loop around some of the back roads instead. Got to visit the construction site for the extension of highway 5 up beyond Old Chelsea. Lots of excavation work going on up there as they make some pretty big road cuts. That means a lot of dynamiting of hill sides, crushing of rock to gravel and filling in the low spots.... big job. They've also put in a nice tunnel to give us skiers an access route to P16. Well, it's not a tunnel yet but it will be when they bury it with all the rock. Interesting spot to visit.
With "course work" done I headed up to the Park for a real ride... but I forgot that the mountainbike trails aren't open yet (still drying out from the winters snows) so I did a loop around some of the back roads instead. Got to visit the construction site for the extension of highway 5 up beyond Old Chelsea. Lots of excavation work going on up there as they make some pretty big road cuts. That means a lot of dynamiting of hill sides, crushing of rock to gravel and filling in the low spots.... big job. They've also put in a nice tunnel to give us skiers an access route to P16. Well, it's not a tunnel yet but it will be when they bury it with all the rock. Interesting spot to visit.
Monday, May 05, 2008
Springtime
Took the day off and went for a ride today up at Lac Phillippe. This past weekend was somewhat gray and rainy - although it did clear up nicely on Sunday evening - but today was pure sunshine and warm temperatures. To my surprise I discovered that the Gatineau Parkways are already open to traffic. I guess we're well into May now so maybe no surprise but I was skiing those roads just a few days ago (okay maybe a couple of weeks ago) so it seems strange to already be into traffic season. No traffic at Lac Phillippe though. Only the odd Demsis truck out sprucing up the campground and getting ready for the summer crowds. I rode along the lake and down to the Herridge shelter. Not a long ride but its early yet. Time to wake up the "riding" muscles and put to sleep the "skiing" muscles.
Last weekend I was up to Maniwaki (no lion sightings!) to help a friend open up the cottage for the summer. Hook up the plumbing, prime the pump and get the water going, slide the docks into the water, chainsaw the winters fallen trees.... the usual long list of chores. We also made up the summer punch list of construction projects for his cottage. Gonna be a busy summer up there. On the plus side a neighbour dropped by in the evening with a massive Lake Trout he'd just hauled out of the water. Unfortunately I didn't get a shot of it as we rushed to get it preped for the grill. Must have been an epic battle - Man vs fish - and it surely made a tasty dinner.
Last weekend I was up to Maniwaki (no lion sightings!) to help a friend open up the cottage for the summer. Hook up the plumbing, prime the pump and get the water going, slide the docks into the water, chainsaw the winters fallen trees.... the usual long list of chores. We also made up the summer punch list of construction projects for his cottage. Gonna be a busy summer up there. On the plus side a neighbour dropped by in the evening with a massive Lake Trout he'd just hauled out of the water. Unfortunately I didn't get a shot of it as we rushed to get it preped for the grill. Must have been an epic battle - Man vs fish - and it surely made a tasty dinner.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
End of the road
Went for a ski this morning. Probably the last one of the season barring any Calgaryesque snowstorm that might come our way. I skied from P10 up to Shilly Shally(pictured) under sunny skies and +12C. I had to walk a couple of stretches but none were overly long. Only saw one other skier although tracks in the snow suggest that a few other people are still skiing. Where there is snow its pretty deep (up to a foot in spots) but its also pretty dirty making for less than ideal glide. Harder and harder to find significant stretches of snow to make it worthwhile to go back. It’s been an exceptional winter and unlike years past I don’t feel any strong desire to stretch the season to the last crumb of snow. I “cost-averaged” my ski pass to something like $1.20 per ski. Not that that was my goal but it represents a lot of skiing this year. I think I’ll clean up my skis tonight and start to pack them away. Time to think of my bike and make plans for some summer climbing…. But I may leave one pair of skis by the door – just in case.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Hiking into summer
Time for a hike up the Luskville falls to the Firetower. This is rapidly becoming an annual rite of spring. This year we haven’t really had spring per se just a binary switch from winter to summer but regardless it was time to get this hike in. I tried to convince the guys there was still time to get one more ski in… but they had hiking on the mind. I’ll get another ski or two in this week but in truth, it’s getting pretty sparse up there. Harder and harder to find a continuous stretch of snow to ski on.
Bryan, Mike, Dave and I headed up the trail on Monday morning under sunny skies and warm temperatures – beautiful day. From the minute we got out of the cars we could hear the water pounding down the escarpment. The heavy winter snows and hot days over the last week have turned the falls into a torrent. Not sure I ‘ve ever seen them hammering down so fiercely. Up the trail to the tower there were only a few shady spots that held snow. The rest of the trail was bone dry and easy walking. A quick break at the Pontiac lookout and then we headed over to the firetower. Hard to believe I skied out here a week ago under mid-winter like conditions – okay maybe it was a little warm to be considered mid winter. The groomed trail had receded back into the shady forest and even there was fading fast. Lunch break on the summit and we collected what snow we could find to make a natural chiller for the summit beverages. A few people came up and went down while we dozed in the summer sun but being Monday it was pretty quiet. Working our way back down we stumbled into a small herd of deer that seemed pretty happy to see the end of the snow (and none too concerned with our presence). Lots of food for them to snack on and no more postholeing in the deep snow. Back at the cars we drove to the local fry shack for the celebratory poutine. Summers here! Who needs spring anyway?
Bryan, Mike, Dave and I headed up the trail on Monday morning under sunny skies and warm temperatures – beautiful day. From the minute we got out of the cars we could hear the water pounding down the escarpment. The heavy winter snows and hot days over the last week have turned the falls into a torrent. Not sure I ‘ve ever seen them hammering down so fiercely. Up the trail to the tower there were only a few shady spots that held snow. The rest of the trail was bone dry and easy walking. A quick break at the Pontiac lookout and then we headed over to the firetower. Hard to believe I skied out here a week ago under mid-winter like conditions – okay maybe it was a little warm to be considered mid winter. The groomed trail had receded back into the shady forest and even there was fading fast. Lunch break on the summit and we collected what snow we could find to make a natural chiller for the summit beverages. A few people came up and went down while we dozed in the summer sun but being Monday it was pretty quiet. Working our way back down we stumbled into a small herd of deer that seemed pretty happy to see the end of the snow (and none too concerned with our presence). Lots of food for them to snack on and no more postholeing in the deep snow. Back at the cars we drove to the local fry shack for the celebratory poutine. Summers here! Who needs spring anyway?
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Not too Cold(en)
Pete and I had been discussing a winter hike for most of the winter. We were both eager to see what climbing a peak in winter was all about as well as try out some gear to see what we had that worked and what didn’t. Unfortunately it was mostly talk and getting a date that worked for both of us proved challenging. Either schedules didn’t agree or weather conspired against us. With winter pretty much done now – at least lower down - we came upon Saturday as a last chance to give it a go. In fairness, Saturday’s weather didn’t really reflect a “winter hike”. We had bluebird skies and a high of 25C to contend with. Hardly a hike that would force us to face winters full wrath!! That said, the high peaks will remain “winter like” for at least another month with several feet of snow still at upper elevations.
Our goal for the day was Mount Colden in the Adirondacks - a nice peak with a good climb. We had originally planned to ski the first few km of the trail to save some time both going in and especially on the way out (as it would be all downhill). Once at the base of the steep climbing we would ditch the skis and switch to snowshoes. Unfortunately - so late in the season - the first few km had little snow left on the trail so we decided to scrap that portion of the plan. We left the trailhead barebooting across ice, mud and patchy snow and with each step the remains of winter started to make its presence felt. It was baking hot and the bright sun reflecting off the snow was a great recipe for heavy sun burns. Pete was well prepared though with a 2lb tube of sun block (gotta teach that boy to pack light) so we stopped and lathered on the sunscreen liberally (several times). Things proceeded well past Marcy dam and up to the Avalanche camps. From there it was the dreaded trail to Lake Arnold. This stretch of trail is quite possibly my least favourite trail…. anywhere in the world!! In summer this monster is loaded with boulders the size of chesterfields and roots and rocks liberally scattered. The whole trail is a continuous rock hop and your eyes dare not leave your feet lest you trip and face plant. It seems every step is treacherous and it is a slow torture to negotiate. In winter though all of this was a distant memory as the trail is a nice uniform, well-compacted carpet of snow with the nasty rocks deeply buried. This winter hiking thing was looking great.
By the time we got to about 3000ft there was a deep layer of snow and while we were still able to bareboot on the fairly firm surface the occasional postholes made the decision to put on the snowshoes easy. The main trail we were using was well packed from winter’s hikers but throughout the day we could hear rushing water beneath the snow. Didn't want to end up knee deep in a frigid stream. Only one snowbridge had failed (forcing an interesting rockhop) so we climbed steadily and crossed our fingers the snow would stay intact until we returned. Reaching Lake Arnold we turned off onto a slightly lesser used trail to the summit and here the troubles began. The snowshoe trail became a narrow, compacted “spine” which was melting rapidly in the hot sun and any steps off to the sides resulted in deep postholes even with the snowshoes on. As the trail got steeper Pete’s snowshoes showed their weakness as not being designed for steep ascents. The crampons on them were pretty small and not giving him much grip as the trail got steep. This meant he was burning a lot of energy getting any forward progress - 4 steps forward and 3 steps sliding back. Progress slowed to a crawl. Finally, short of the summit, we decided we should turn back if we wanted to be out before dark so down we came (sometimes rapidly which is another benefit to winter climbing). Once back on the main trail we again made good progress and thankfully all the snowbridges were still intact despite the ridiculously hot weather (more like July than April). 
Back at Marcy dam we removed the “shoes” and made the final walk out (less snow and more mud than our trip in). All in all it was a spectacular day out in the hills. We accomplished what we set out to – testing gear and seeing what “winter” hiking was all about… even if it never really felt like winter on this hot spring day. We’ll have to test out winter clothing on another hike - preferably one that is a little more wintery but that’s okay… one more reason to head back to the hills. Cold beers and a burger on the LPB patio in town(a patio!!) capped a great day in the peaks. If I’d known the post winter hike meal could be on a sunny patio I’d have started this a long time ago!
Pete and I had been discussing a winter hike for most of the winter. We were both eager to see what climbing a peak in winter was all about as well as try out some gear to see what we had that worked and what didn’t. Unfortunately it was mostly talk and getting a date that worked for both of us proved challenging. Either schedules didn’t agree or weather conspired against us. With winter pretty much done now – at least lower down - we came upon Saturday as a last chance to give it a go. In fairness, Saturday’s weather didn’t really reflect a “winter hike”. We had bluebird skies and a high of 25C to contend with. Hardly a hike that would force us to face winters full wrath!! That said, the high peaks will remain “winter like” for at least another month with several feet of snow still at upper elevations.
Our goal for the day was Mount Colden in the Adirondacks - a nice peak with a good climb. We had originally planned to ski the first few km of the trail to save some time both going in and especially on the way out (as it would be all downhill). Once at the base of the steep climbing we would ditch the skis and switch to snowshoes. Unfortunately - so late in the season - the first few km had little snow left on the trail so we decided to scrap that portion of the plan. We left the trailhead barebooting across ice, mud and patchy snow and with each step the remains of winter started to make its presence felt. It was baking hot and the bright sun reflecting off the snow was a great recipe for heavy sun burns. Pete was well prepared though with a 2lb tube of sun block (gotta teach that boy to pack light) so we stopped and lathered on the sunscreen liberally (several times). Things proceeded well past Marcy dam and up to the Avalanche camps. From there it was the dreaded trail to Lake Arnold. This stretch of trail is quite possibly my least favourite trail…. anywhere in the world!! In summer this monster is loaded with boulders the size of chesterfields and roots and rocks liberally scattered. The whole trail is a continuous rock hop and your eyes dare not leave your feet lest you trip and face plant. It seems every step is treacherous and it is a slow torture to negotiate. In winter though all of this was a distant memory as the trail is a nice uniform, well-compacted carpet of snow with the nasty rocks deeply buried. This winter hiking thing was looking great. 
By the time we got to about 3000ft there was a deep layer of snow and while we were still able to bareboot on the fairly firm surface the occasional postholes made the decision to put on the snowshoes easy. The main trail we were using was well packed from winter’s hikers but throughout the day we could hear rushing water beneath the snow. Didn't want to end up knee deep in a frigid stream. Only one snowbridge had failed (forcing an interesting rockhop) so we climbed steadily and crossed our fingers the snow would stay intact until we returned. Reaching Lake Arnold we turned off onto a slightly lesser used trail to the summit and here the troubles began. The snowshoe trail became a narrow, compacted “spine” which was melting rapidly in the hot sun and any steps off to the sides resulted in deep postholes even with the snowshoes on. As the trail got steeper Pete’s snowshoes showed their weakness as not being designed for steep ascents. The crampons on them were pretty small and not giving him much grip as the trail got steep. This meant he was burning a lot of energy getting any forward progress - 4 steps forward and 3 steps sliding back. Progress slowed to a crawl. Finally, short of the summit, we decided we should turn back if we wanted to be out before dark so down we came (sometimes rapidly which is another benefit to winter climbing). Once back on the main trail we again made good progress and thankfully all the snowbridges were still intact despite the ridiculously hot weather (more like July than April). 
Back at Marcy dam we removed the “shoes” and made the final walk out (less snow and more mud than our trip in). All in all it was a spectacular day out in the hills. We accomplished what we set out to – testing gear and seeing what “winter” hiking was all about… even if it never really felt like winter on this hot spring day. We’ll have to test out winter clothing on another hike - preferably one that is a little more wintery but that’s okay… one more reason to head back to the hills. Cold beers and a burger on the LPB patio in town(a patio!!) capped a great day in the peaks. If I’d known the post winter hike meal could be on a sunny patio I’d have started this a long time ago!
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Closing Day
Today was the last day for the groomers to track the ski trails in Gatineau Park. I told the folks at work not to expect me too early and went up to the Park this morning for one last ski on freshly groomed trails. This morning I waited until the groomers had a reasonable chance to roll through the tracks (they seemed to start later on weekdays than weekends) and started up from P10 at about 8:30. The Parkways were nicely groomed but when I skied out Ridge road it was still being worked. One side had been done past Huron and out towards the firetower so it was pretty good but unfortunately I had hoped to ski down Burma one last time. Not to be this morning as the crews hadn’t gotten there yet. Instead, after a ski along Ridge to 24, I turned around and skied back to Penguin and then looped down around the Doldrums to get to my car. It made for a nice ski on a sunny day. A good ending to the “formal” ski season. P10 and P8 were pretty full when I started and finished so there were a lot of other people taking advantage of the trails one last time as well. I skied past people taking a few last photos of the ’08 season or chatting about the winter gone by. One for the books indeed even if it was only the 2nd snowiest winter on record.
Even without grooming the skiing should be good for a bit. There is still a lot of snow in the Park (only a handful of bare patches) so the classic skiing should be good for a while. My only fear is that – in a rush to get spring/summer activities underway - the NCC might have the remaining snow on the Parkways plowed to allow for cleanup and motorized access at the usual time of year. Fingers crossed against that but we’ll see what comes.
Today was the last day for the groomers to track the ski trails in Gatineau Park. I told the folks at work not to expect me too early and went up to the Park this morning for one last ski on freshly groomed trails. This morning I waited until the groomers had a reasonable chance to roll through the tracks (they seemed to start later on weekdays than weekends) and started up from P10 at about 8:30. The Parkways were nicely groomed but when I skied out Ridge road it was still being worked. One side had been done past Huron and out towards the firetower so it was pretty good but unfortunately I had hoped to ski down Burma one last time. Not to be this morning as the crews hadn’t gotten there yet. Instead, after a ski along Ridge to 24, I turned around and skied back to Penguin and then looped down around the Doldrums to get to my car. It made for a nice ski on a sunny day. A good ending to the “formal” ski season. P10 and P8 were pretty full when I started and finished so there were a lot of other people taking advantage of the trails one last time as well. I skied past people taking a few last photos of the ’08 season or chatting about the winter gone by. One for the books indeed even if it was only the 2nd snowiest winter on record.
Even without grooming the skiing should be good for a bit. There is still a lot of snow in the Park (only a handful of bare patches) so the classic skiing should be good for a while. My only fear is that – in a rush to get spring/summer activities underway - the NCC might have the remaining snow on the Parkways plowed to allow for cleanup and motorized access at the usual time of year. Fingers crossed against that but we’ll see what comes.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Spring Skiing
This weekend was an interesting mix of weather that made for some great skiing (yes, our run of perfect bluebird sky weekends came to an end). Saturday was warm and wet. It never really got below zero overnight so I decided no need to rush up at dawn to get to the ski trails. I expected they would be soft and slushy regardless of the grooming conditions…. but I was wrong. The trails had been freshly set and I got onto the Parkway from P6 in cool(+2C), drizzly weather. The track was reasonably hard so I skied up the Parkway to the lookouts. Drizzle turned periodically to rain, freezing rain, sleet and even snow so I got a complete mix of precipitation as I skied along. Made for tough visibility as my glasses iced over quickly. In spite of the rain the trails were holding up reasonably well. After the lookouts I headed down Fortune to loop around the Parkway and here the trails started to get a little slushy. For the most part I expect it was because of the volume of people skiing from P10 and the Doldrums but as I looped around past Penguin (and saw fewer and fewer skiers) the snow actually started to get soft and wet (this time from the rain no doubt). The final climbs back to P6 were pretty slow as my skis sank 2 or 3 inches into the wet heavy snow with every stride. Glad to get to my car where dry clothes and some food was waiting.
Sunday I decided to get an early start as the temperature dropped to –2C overnight and I expected the trails would be hard and fast first thing. The day started overcast and flirted with becoming a sunny day most of the time I was up there… but never totally succeeded. Parking at P10 I skied up the Parkway and out to the firetower along Ridge. This is a favourite route for a spring ski and today didn’t disappoint. Everything was perfectly groomed corduroy out to McKinstry. Just before the Wolf trail I passed 1 skier and from there to the firetower I had "first tracks" on the pristine trail. The forest was really beautiful this morning with yesterday’s precip frozen to the trees like crystal. From McKinstry out to the tower the trail wasn’t groomed but the base was solid with a few cm of fresh snow so I skied on.
Surprisingly this was my first visit to the tower this winter. I’ve skied out to McKinstry a number of times but for various reasons hadn’t gone out the last couple of k's. Today the clouds were just starting to break up as I arrived so it made a nice spot to take a break. The ski back was pretty fast with the track holding up well but things started to soften as I got back to the lookouts. A quick ski down Burma and then back down to the car ended a perfect spring ski.
There is still a bunch of snow up there and only the lookouts have succumbed to the warm weather exposing bare asphalt. Sadly, Tuesday will be the last day they groom the trails. End of the contract year I suppose which is tough to argue with. We don’t usually have so much snow this late in the year…. okay we NEVER have this much snow this late in the year. P10 and P8 were packed as I was leaving so I’m sure there would be skiers interested in skiing as long as it lasts. Next weekend is slated to be close to 20C so even with the current quantity of snow it might quickly become marginal skiing…. We’ll see. I’m sure I won’t be the only one up there when I go skiing in the Park after Tuesday.
This weekend was an interesting mix of weather that made for some great skiing (yes, our run of perfect bluebird sky weekends came to an end). Saturday was warm and wet. It never really got below zero overnight so I decided no need to rush up at dawn to get to the ski trails. I expected they would be soft and slushy regardless of the grooming conditions…. but I was wrong. The trails had been freshly set and I got onto the Parkway from P6 in cool(+2C), drizzly weather. The track was reasonably hard so I skied up the Parkway to the lookouts. Drizzle turned periodically to rain, freezing rain, sleet and even snow so I got a complete mix of precipitation as I skied along. Made for tough visibility as my glasses iced over quickly. In spite of the rain the trails were holding up reasonably well. After the lookouts I headed down Fortune to loop around the Parkway and here the trails started to get a little slushy. For the most part I expect it was because of the volume of people skiing from P10 and the Doldrums but as I looped around past Penguin (and saw fewer and fewer skiers) the snow actually started to get soft and wet (this time from the rain no doubt). The final climbs back to P6 were pretty slow as my skis sank 2 or 3 inches into the wet heavy snow with every stride. Glad to get to my car where dry clothes and some food was waiting. 
Sunday I decided to get an early start as the temperature dropped to –2C overnight and I expected the trails would be hard and fast first thing. The day started overcast and flirted with becoming a sunny day most of the time I was up there… but never totally succeeded. Parking at P10 I skied up the Parkway and out to the firetower along Ridge. This is a favourite route for a spring ski and today didn’t disappoint. Everything was perfectly groomed corduroy out to McKinstry. Just before the Wolf trail I passed 1 skier and from there to the firetower I had "first tracks" on the pristine trail. The forest was really beautiful this morning with yesterday’s precip frozen to the trees like crystal. From McKinstry out to the tower the trail wasn’t groomed but the base was solid with a few cm of fresh snow so I skied on. 
Surprisingly this was my first visit to the tower this winter. I’ve skied out to McKinstry a number of times but for various reasons hadn’t gone out the last couple of k's. Today the clouds were just starting to break up as I arrived so it made a nice spot to take a break. The ski back was pretty fast with the track holding up well but things started to soften as I got back to the lookouts. A quick ski down Burma and then back down to the car ended a perfect spring ski.
There is still a bunch of snow up there and only the lookouts have succumbed to the warm weather exposing bare asphalt. Sadly, Tuesday will be the last day they groom the trails. End of the contract year I suppose which is tough to argue with. We don’t usually have so much snow this late in the year…. okay we NEVER have this much snow this late in the year. P10 and P8 were packed as I was leaving so I’m sure there would be skiers interested in skiing as long as it lasts. Next weekend is slated to be close to 20C so even with the current quantity of snow it might quickly become marginal skiing…. We’ll see. I’m sure I won’t be the only one up there when I go skiing in the Park after Tuesday.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Morning sunrise
Got back to skiing this morning. Did a nice loop out of Asticou and up to the junction (photo is from last week). Conditions were good with fresh grooming in the skating lane. It was good to get back on the skis. My leg is healing up slower than I originally expected but doesn't bother me when I skate so that's what I'll do. Interestingly I've developed some spectacular bruising on my leg (almost a week after the fall?!). I now have a patch that is 12 shades of violet decorating my leg.... sort of nice in the current absence of spring flowers.
The snow in town is disappearing rapidly - much faster than I expected but the trails (compacted all season) are still in excellent shape - no bare spots anywhere. They soften up a lot during the warm days but if you time it right in the morning they are hard and fast. As long as they keep grooming the snow periodically the skiing should be good for another couple of weeks. Snow called for today and tonight! Could be mixed with some rain but the new snow mixed with the old could make for some good skiing on the weekend. That said it looks like our great run of sunny, warm weekends is about to draw to a close with gray sky's for the next two days. Ah, well... April skiing - Take what you can get.
The snow in town is disappearing rapidly - much faster than I expected but the trails (compacted all season) are still in excellent shape - no bare spots anywhere. They soften up a lot during the warm days but if you time it right in the morning they are hard and fast. As long as they keep grooming the snow periodically the skiing should be good for another couple of weeks. Snow called for today and tonight! Could be mixed with some rain but the new snow mixed with the old could make for some good skiing on the weekend. That said it looks like our great run of sunny, warm weekends is about to draw to a close with gray sky's for the next two days. Ah, well... April skiing - Take what you can get.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Another sunny weekend
We have had an amazing run of beautiful weekends. I don't think I've seen a single cloud on a Saturday or Sunday since the big snowstorm at the beginning of March. Just pure blue skies which makes for some great skiing weather. This weekend things are getting pretty warm (+10C). I guess mother nature is trying to get things back on schedule and melt up all of the snow... but she's got some work ahead of her. Despite warm days and occasional rainy weekdays, there is still a solid base for skiing. Saturday I did a classic ski along the Pine road and then headed up to Lusk Lake. The trails were perfectly groomed and I practically had the place to myself. As the day wore on the trails started to soften a bit but not too badly and never to a mushy consistency (lots of frozen base beneath the top wet layer).
Sadly I took a bit of a crash coming down the back way from Lusk lake and managed to yank my leg in odd directions. Made for a slow painful ski out and I'll be off the trails for a few days to heal up those muscles that were pulled in ways they are not meant to go... but there should still be snow for a while so I'll be back up there as soon as I can. Save me a spot on a sunny bench!
Sadly I took a bit of a crash coming down the back way from Lusk lake and managed to yank my leg in odd directions. Made for a slow painful ski out and I'll be off the trails for a few days to heal up those muscles that were pulled in ways they are not meant to go... but there should still be snow for a while so I'll be back up there as soon as I can. Save me a spot on a sunny bench!
Friday, April 04, 2008
"Forrest Gump skiing"
You never know what you’re gonna get. Skiing this week has turned decidedly spring like. We got a lot of rain on Monday and Tuesday and temperatures during the day have been high single digits. It’s still freezing overnight though so the trails are in pretty good shape. I skied Wednesday through Friday and had good albeit very different skis each time. Wednesday morning I got fresh grooming on the Parkways and Ridge road, which made for nice, fast skiing. I was a little surprised to see the trails in such good shape after the rains but I guess the groomers had the same mindset and were out working the network into shape.
Thursday after work I took the waxless skis and went for a classic ski from P12. Thursday was gloriously sunny (+8C) and getting a chance to ski (in shorts) after work in full sunshine is a real treat. I wasn’t expecting much from the trails (slush and slop probably) but was pleasantly surprised to see pristine (albeit a little slushy) conditions. Made for a great ski and a chance to sit and enjoy the sun (at 7pm no less!) before cruising back down. Friday morning I was a little early for the groomers so the tracks were a little rutted and icy but no matter (the groomers seem to roll onto the trails at 7:30am… make note!). It was still a nice ski and I took another chance (perhaps the last?) to ski across a few lakes where I met some of the parks local inhabitants (beavers and fischers) hard at work. I guess it will soon be wise to stay off the lakes as they start to soften but for right now its pretty tempting to cruise across the surfaces which are still firm and fast.
So it looks like spring skiing is here to stay (plenty of warm days ahead) and I’ll have to be ready for whatever conditions I find when I get to the Park. Lots of snow left so I should be skiing for a couple of weeks yet before the April duathalon (walk/ski/walk/ski….) sessions begin.
Thursday after work I took the waxless skis and went for a classic ski from P12. Thursday was gloriously sunny (+8C) and getting a chance to ski (in shorts) after work in full sunshine is a real treat. I wasn’t expecting much from the trails (slush and slop probably) but was pleasantly surprised to see pristine (albeit a little slushy) conditions. Made for a great ski and a chance to sit and enjoy the sun (at 7pm no less!) before cruising back down. Friday morning I was a little early for the groomers so the tracks were a little rutted and icy but no matter (the groomers seem to roll onto the trails at 7:30am… make note!). It was still a nice ski and I took another chance (perhaps the last?) to ski across a few lakes where I met some of the parks local inhabitants (beavers and fischers) hard at work. I guess it will soon be wise to stay off the lakes as they start to soften but for right now its pretty tempting to cruise across the surfaces which are still firm and fast.
So it looks like spring skiing is here to stay (plenty of warm days ahead) and I’ll have to be ready for whatever conditions I find when I get to the Park. Lots of snow left so I should be skiing for a couple of weeks yet before the April duathalon (walk/ski/walk/ski….) sessions begin.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Going out like a lamb?
March skiing continues to be amazing. Still lots of snow and today was another perfectly sunny day that stayed below zero. This meant the skiing was in excellent shape just about everywhere I skied. It only got a little slushy towards the end of the afternoon but for the most part the trails were firm and fast.
I skated a good loop today and while the Parkways and Ridge road were pretty busy I still managed to find a few quiet spots to ski. After a warm up on the Parkways I flew down Burma and then - halfway along - crust skied up to the Ramparts (which was a fun challenge with skating gear). From the look of the trail I was the first to ski up there in a while. The crust is starting to get thin and the backcountry trail made it a bit of a challenge but I got to try some rarely used techniques to conquer the descents. The "grab for some trees" to slow down (when moving slow towards a drop off) or "clamber away from the trees" (when moving fast down the dropoff) worked pretty well and then there was the "all hope is lost, make a quick prayer" technique which worked twice (and failed once). At any rate I made it to the top and enjoyed the lookout for a while. I was also surprised to see that someone had recently skied up from the Meech lake side to the lookout... must of used skins to climb the precipice. Nice!
Next stop was the race trail near Camp Fortune. It was freshly groomed and looked like only two people had used it today. Its a great trail with lots of big climbs and fun, fast descents. I guess it doesn't see much use as - like most race trails - it doesn't really go anywhere but just snakes back and forth on itself.... but its a lot of fun regardless.
Tomorrow looks to be more of the same (sunny days and sweet skiing) but some seriously warm/wet weather is headed in for next week. It will change the consistency of the trails but should only go a short way to reducing the snow pack. Should be some good skiing next weekend as well.
I skated a good loop today and while the Parkways and Ridge road were pretty busy I still managed to find a few quiet spots to ski. After a warm up on the Parkways I flew down Burma and then - halfway along - crust skied up to the Ramparts (which was a fun challenge with skating gear). From the look of the trail I was the first to ski up there in a while. The crust is starting to get thin and the backcountry trail made it a bit of a challenge but I got to try some rarely used techniques to conquer the descents. The "grab for some trees" to slow down (when moving slow towards a drop off) or "clamber away from the trees" (when moving fast down the dropoff) worked pretty well and then there was the "all hope is lost, make a quick prayer" technique which worked twice (and failed once). At any rate I made it to the top and enjoyed the lookout for a while. I was also surprised to see that someone had recently skied up from the Meech lake side to the lookout... must of used skins to climb the precipice. Nice!
Next stop was the race trail near Camp Fortune. It was freshly groomed and looked like only two people had used it today. Its a great trail with lots of big climbs and fun, fast descents. I guess it doesn't see much use as - like most race trails - it doesn't really go anywhere but just snakes back and forth on itself.... but its a lot of fun regardless.
Tomorrow looks to be more of the same (sunny days and sweet skiing) but some seriously warm/wet weather is headed in for next week. It will change the consistency of the trails but should only go a short way to reducing the snow pack. Should be some good skiing next weekend as well.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Easter Ski
Today I went for an Easter ski. Its really rare to get an Easter long weekend this early in the year. Usually we are lucky to have any snow at all when Easter finally rolls around. In fact (shuffle, shuffle, digging through facts books), Easter hasn't been this early in the year in over 80 years.... and is not scheduled to be this early again this century. Since I don't anticipate being around for the next coming of such an early Easter weekend I was determined to take advantage of the long weekend to get some skiing in. Conditions have been much the same the whole weekend - a cloudless sky, warm spring sun, cool temperatures with a bit of a breeze and hard, fast tracks. Waxing for glide has not been a problem. I could have probably chosen peanut butter or wallpaper paste for my glide wax and still gotten good glide. These spring skiing conditions are likely here for the remainder of the season with warm temperatures (and sun) in the day thawing the tracks and then cold nights refreezing them. Makes for some fast skiing which is nice. 
I took a relaxed ski out to McKinstry cabin today. The trails were great but the crust skiing was even better. I can't remember conditions for crust skiing like this in many years.... just point and go! Through the trees can be a bit of a problem dodging the brushy stuff but when you find an opening its easy skiing. I imagine there are probably spruce traps to catch the unwary but I never got near any spruce trees so no worries on that regard. I jumped off into almost every bog, marsh, pond or lake I could find and, based on the tracks I saw, I was not alone (although I only saw one actual person off trail). Makes for some nice new vantage points of the park and new areas to explore. I even spotted some beaver activity... not the actual beavers mind you but there were lots of signs they are up and about and working hard already. I expect they have probably been surprised more than once by the odd skier cruising past their hole... something they would not likely have seen before (unless they are Frank and Gordon I suppose).
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Spring!
Spring may have arrived but it still looks a lot like winter. I got out on a Good Friday to get a little skiing in. Still not feeling great but I wanted to take in a little of the snow today so just a short ski. We got a bit of rain through the week so the tracks were decidely icy (even with the fresh grooming) but not so much so that it wasn't fun. It was probably a great day to skate but I inexpilcably brought my classic skis... which was pretty nice too. The icy snow was pretty abrasive though so I had to stop a few times to reapply wax which was quickly stripped off the skis. I even took some time to do some crust cruising through the woods as the snow (with this weeks rain) had frozen up nicely. This meant no more trails required... just point and go - sweet.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Too much of a good thing?
There has been some awesome skiing since the big storms came through last week. I've been skiing almost everyday in all kinds of conditions - storms, sun, clouds, rain... we've had a little of it all. In fact, I've skiied so much I may have picked up a bug of some kind and am feeling a little wiped out these days. Time to take a rest day or two to recover.... but the spring is charging fast and I don't want to let the good snow go to waste! Add to that its still daylight after work so I want to get skiing while the chance is here. Ah well, perhaps better to stay (get?) well rather than overdo it and miss out on the spring ski season. We have a LOT of snow so I expect the skiing should be good for some time.
I skied around the Lac Phillipe area on Sunday which was (appropriately) sunny. The sun has certainly gained some strength in the last couple of weeks and the trails were feeling its rath. Conditions were snowy in the shade and icy where the sun got to it. Made for tricky waxing. Probably would have been a great day to skate but I chose otherwise so you have to "run with what ya brung". It was still a beautiful day to be out and I found a few (windfree) spots to enjoy the spring sunshine.
I skied around the Lac Phillipe area on Sunday which was (appropriately) sunny. The sun has certainly gained some strength in the last couple of weeks and the trails were feeling its rath. Conditions were snowy in the shade and icy where the sun got to it. Made for tricky waxing. Probably would have been a great day to skate but I chose otherwise so you have to "run with what ya brung". It was still a beautiful day to be out and I found a few (windfree) spots to enjoy the spring sunshine.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
The snowy day
Off he went, into the deep, deep snow(Ezra Keats). The storm of the season certainly lived up to its name. We got 50cm of snow over the last 36 hours and about 80cm in the last week. That’s a lotta snow to fall in such a short time. It’s made life in the city a challenge (thank you 4-wheel drive) but for the most part things are now looking good. This snow allows us to get closer to the record of snowiest winter ever…. But there’s still a ways to go and we’re running out of days. We need 40cm more in the next 10 days. Could be a tall order but we’ll see.
I skied in the Park before, during and after the storm and for the most part, the only challenge was the actual getting to the park. Once there the skiing was fine. Friday I dodged out of work a little early to try and get a skate ski in before the snow started to fall. I was a little late (ie it was snowing when I got there) and there was a good 5 or 6 cms down before I got back to the car but for the most part the skiing was great (on past Wednesdays great snow). The roads and parking lots were actually surprisingly empty but I guess people were hunkering down for the big storm to hit.
Saturday I got up to the Park around noon. There was a brief window in the storm Saturday morning where the snow tapered off for a spell. Many had taken the chance to drive up to get a ski in before the second wave of snow arrived. P7 was pretty much full when I arrived. That said I was a bit late getting going and the snow started to pound down on me by about 2pm. I did a tour of some great backcountry trails most of which had been broken out already. I met quite a few skiers on the trails and every one had a big smile on their face. The groomers were also rolling around on the main trails (Parkway, Ridge, Burma). They were clearly trying to get the first lot of snow packed down before the next layer came. Good on them to make the effort. As the storm picked up I ran into problems. While the skiing was fine, my glasses would either ice up or fog over. Both resulted in the same outcome - that I couldn't see where I was going so I slowly made my way back to the car. I’ll have to see if I can invest in defrosters for my glasses. When I got back to the car around 4 the lots were now all but empty – again I assume people had raced home to hunker down. The drive home was, umm... a slow crawl as the storm was really hammering down. The plows were out but it was a bit of a losing battle so I made slow progress to get home safe. Other drivers did not seem to exercise the same caution and I came across many cars in (on top of ?) snowbanks, crunched into other cars and so on… Seems common sense (slowing down in a big storm) isn't so common.
Sunday I woke up and loaded up to go for another ski. The roads were now cleared so the drive was easy. Once in the Park I found the parking lots almost empty!?! I guess people were home digging out or resting aching shoveling muscles so – for the most part - I had the trails to myself. The groomers had been around some of the main trails and were working on others. Even groomed the trails were pretty (really?) soft…. But that’s to be expected. With so much snow there’s no way to instantly lay down a solid base to groom. As a result things were a little slow. I broke out a couple of backcountry trails which was hard work (or maybe I’m just a wreck from shoveling so much snow) and skied around a few of the groomed trails. It was a beautiful day – a bit cold but the sun was starting to come out making it a nice day to be out. The depth of snow is amazing right now. Should make for some great skiing for the next little(long?) while.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Another snowy day
Wow!! Another foot of snow dropped over the last couple of days. We’re now sitting at the 2nd snowiest winter in recorded history for the Ottawa region with over 3.5 m of snow falling this winter. I went out and had a quick ski last night. The groomers had been out during the storm but not since it ended so there wasn’t really a groomed track… but there was a hard base under a thin layer of powder. Bit of a mixed bag in terms of conditions and it turned pretty cold after the snow finally stopped. I did a short loop around the Mackenzie-King estate and Pinks Lake to see what the snow was like. With such a lot of snow we should be skiing well into April but I know things can turn in a hurry and warm weather coupled with rain can eat away at the trails pretty fast. Time to enjoy these excellent conditions while they last. The temperature should stay several degrees below zero for the next week or two. After that – who knows? More snow is called for this weekend. Could be another big dump but it’s a little too early to tell. If we’re currently sitting at the 2nd snowiest season in history, I say we go for the record! I’ll have to have all kinds of skis ready for Saturday… just in case!
Monday, March 03, 2008
Norway Day
Another great day of skiing. It’s getting hard to remember how many great days it's been this season… and March has only begun! Today I skied up to Huron for Norway day to get some vafels and warm solbærtoddy, a great treat courtesy the Norwegian embassy (Many thanks indeed!). Big crowds at Huron today – who’s kidding who, big crowds everywhere! Perfect –5C and blue skies brought every skier for miles out to enjoy the day! Bryan and Mike had also skied up to Huron to sample the Norwegian fare so we took some time to have lunch inside the lodge before heading out to explore some trails. Managed to score a table right by the woodstove which was handy for heating up lunch however keeping track of the tinfoil wrapped sandwiches on top of the woodstove was a challenge as it was loaded up with many lunches. In the end I think we all got what we brought. Always a risk to “upgrade” your sandwich off the woodstove. Tough to tell which ones are better when they’re all wrapped in foil.
After lunch we headed out to ski some of the trails. All the main trails had been nicely groomed so we started along the Burma Road. Usually trail 3 is pretty quiet but today there was a steady stream of skiers heading both ways. About halfway along I tempted the guys to try some backcountry powder so we headed along 12, 11 and 9 to introduce them “gently” to some of what the backcountry has to offer. Today was perfect as the soft powder snow makes for soft landings if things go astray on a tricky descent. They did great though and no one crashed (while I was with them) so perhaps the guys are ready for some more tricky runs… hmmmm. Finally we got on the freshly groomed race trails at Camp Fortune. With Mike making a short loop around, Bryan and I tried the “reverse amphitheater drop”. A tricky maneuver that we both successfully pulled off (although it was a close call for both of us in the final run out). Then it was time for us to part as Bryan and Mike headed north to their car and I headed south across Ridge to get to my own car. On Ridge road it was again pretty busy (did it ever stop being busy today?) but I made short work of it and jumped off for a little more backcountry powder before hitting the Parkway and the ski back to the car. Driving out was no easy feat either. The Chelsea Nordique ski club was having a “year end” party at P5 and the lot was filled with cars spilling out along the sides of the road for a quite a ways. Once in the village itself the heavy traffic had brought out the local constabulary trying to keep some order as happy skiers made the trek home. All in all a great day on the trails. Spent more than 8 hours out skiing this weekend in beautiful skiing conditions. Here’s to March bringing many more days like these.
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Powder Day
Today was another perfect day but for a whole different set of reasons. March came in like a lion I suppose… albeit a lion treading softly on another 10cm of dry powder snow!! I wasn’t expecting this so I didn’t spring out of bed at dawn but when I did get up I sprinted around getting skis and gear together like a madman and then racing off up to the trails. I haven’t had decent powder since I skied up Whiteface back in November. Got stuck behind a snowplow(with a few thousand other skiers) but finally made it up to a crowded P7. The last few days have been bitterly cold skiing and the snow was groomed into a bullet hard concrete consistency. Very fast for skating but today things were very different. Despite the crowds I was surprised to find I had the honour of breaking trail on Skyline. This is great news to a powderholic like myself and enjoyed some sweet turns on the loop out. Alas from there on I found most of the trails skied in (I guess there are a few more out there like me :-). That’s okay – even with one or two sets of tracks it’s still great fun to ski in soft dry powder snow. In fact I found quite a few people out on the backcountry trails which was nice to see. Lots of families with little kids learning the joys of powder snow. Nice!
I looped out along some of my favourite trails like (name removed to maintain its secrecy) and (name removed to maintain its secrecy) all of which had some great soft powder to ski. No land speed records were set but that wasn’t the point and I spent some 4 hours pickin’ trails and jumping off into the fluff. My only mistake was that - in my haste to head out in the morning - I forgot to check if my camera had a memory card in it. It did not so my camera played a backup role as ballast on my descents (the photo is from my evening walk after I got home). My second mistake was not to bring any food with me so four hours proved a little long to be out there. I finally had to come in out of the snow to get something to eat…. Maybe I should have headed back after lunch? Ah well, once I was off the trails I would have had to come home for some dry clothes and then drive back, find a spot to park, etc. etc.. I’ll head back tomorrow – Its Norway Day - so I’ll have some vaffels to look forward to as I head out into the snow.
I looped out along some of my favourite trails like (name removed to maintain its secrecy) and (name removed to maintain its secrecy) all of which had some great soft powder to ski. No land speed records were set but that wasn’t the point and I spent some 4 hours pickin’ trails and jumping off into the fluff. My only mistake was that - in my haste to head out in the morning - I forgot to check if my camera had a memory card in it. It did not so my camera played a backup role as ballast on my descents (the photo is from my evening walk after I got home). My second mistake was not to bring any food with me so four hours proved a little long to be out there. I finally had to come in out of the snow to get something to eat…. Maybe I should have headed back after lunch? Ah well, once I was off the trails I would have had to come home for some dry clothes and then drive back, find a spot to park, etc. etc.. I’ll head back tomorrow – Its Norway Day - so I’ll have some vaffels to look forward to as I head out into the snow.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Top Notch Skiing
This weekend was about as close to perfect for skiing as I can imagine. Saturday and Sunday both dawned around –10 or -12C but it warmed to a couple of degrees below zero by the afternoon. The freezing rain we got last Monday proved to be a minor inconvenience and the trails are in just about ideal shape. There was even a full moon this week making for some great night skiing (lunar eclipses aside of course).
I opted for a little roadie out to Murphy’s Point Park to ski their trails on Saturday. I was once a member of the Tay Valley ski club (keepers of the trails) but the couple of years I joined they never had much in the way of snow to actually ski on (a tough reality that probably makes recruiting members a challenge no doubt). This has not been a problem this year. I skied pretty much everything they have to offer all of it in excellent shape. They have some really nice roller coaster terrain – lots of little ups and downs that can be a fun ride if you can keep your momentum going. Much to my surprise – despite it being a beautiful day for skiing – I only came across a half dozen people on the trails – ahhh the country! I’m sure this wasn’t the case on Ridge road!! The grooming conditions were pretty good for this volunteer driven ski area. They even have a short skating loop (I happened to have my skate skis so I gave that a go too – sweet). Made a nice change of scenery for a days ski.
Sunday I decided to brave the Gatineau Park, which I was sure would be pretty crazy with crowds. I drove up to P17 to ski the Wakefield triangle among other things. The lot was pretty much full when I got there at 9:30 but the crowds weren’t a problem at all. The woods just kind of “swallow them up” and I found it to be easy skiing occasionally passing small groups. I used my share of wax today starting with “special blue” wax and working my way through the range (blue, extra blue and finally carrot). As the day progressed, the temperatures climbed and the warm sun glazed up the tracks making for occasional wax stops. In fact I probably could have used another stop for purple (warmer still) by the end of my ski as I had little grip on the last few climbs but I hadn’t carried my full wax box with me (it’s big and metal so it would be awkward to ski with) so I toughed it out. The sun is indeed noticeably gaining strength now. I hate to say it but I fear spring may actually come. I guess it always does but I keep hoping for endless winter. That said, no worries just yet. There are a few good mid winter skiing weeks yet to go and with all the snow we’ve had I’m sure the spring skiing will be good as well.
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