Ottawa xc ski introduction seminar, Nov. 16, 2020

Huron Cabin and Beyond

Gatineau Park is a gem for xc skiing with a cluster of cabins in the woods for skiers to stop for a lunch break. They're  however, not very accessible to beginners except maybe Renaud cabin. There is always a tough climb to reach ridge road (also known as trail #1). The same climb can be a dangerous steep long descent.

With that being said, the lure of a cabin stop for lunch and social time is real. Quite a few of us started at P10 and P9 on Sunday March 8 and climbed Fortune parkway. We were lucky that many of us were able to find a parking spot at p10 since it is extremely popular. The connection between P9 and P10 is rated black and is not liked by many.

Fortune climb

I've climbed this stretch of parkway numerous times and it is never easy. The trick is to pace oneself and let body have a chance to warm up. Once we got up to the top, we were rewarded with a beautiful view of Fortune lake. A few skiers were actually skiing on the lake, no doubt taking advantage of a rare cluster skiing opportunity.

I caught up with the group at the intersection of #1 and parkway, which has a bench for people to rest. It's the busiest intersection in the park because ridge road (#1) and Fortune parkway are the two major arteries of the skiing network. It is so important that it's got a name of its own: gossip corner. The park has many unofficial names for routes and features. For example, the steep climb on #1 past Shilly Shally cabin is called Khyber pass, named after the real one in Afghanistan. The stretch between P8 and P9 is called doldrums since it's flat and thus boring. 

Photo credit: Su

We chatted a bit at gossip corner before skiing towards the lookout. Just as we were about take a group picture at the lookout, we were joined by another skier who skied from Camp Fortune. It's always a nice surprise to bump into another skier. I make it a habit of mine to greet skiers I meet on trails. They're my kindred spirits as Anne of Green Gables would say.

We explored different parts of the park after our group picture at Champlain lookout. I skied to the 2nd intersection of #24 and #1 before heading back to Huron cabin for lunch. Other skiers visited Western cabin, braving the steep descent at the bottom. Eventually we all met at Huron cabin where we were joined by two more skiers. 

Photo credit: Jeffrey

After lunch, it took us very little time to get back to P10. Half way down the descent of Fortune parkway, we bumped into another skier working her way up. Bumping into a friend seems to be theme of the day. We exchanged greetings and went our separate ways. For me, it was the end of another fabulous skiing day.

Sunday March 8 Trip to Huron Cabin

Sunday March 8, 9am

So it's decided we'll ski to Huron cabin for lunch, starting at either p10 or p9 depending on availability. P10 fills up quickly so we likely will have to start at p9, which adds more climbing. Fortune parkway is not steep but long. You have to be able to handle long descent to join this trip.

We'll again have fast and slow group. The fast group will ski past Huron on #1 to as far as want. The slow group will at least visit Champlain Lookout,  Meet at Huron cabin at 12pm for social time. 

Bring tinfoil wrapped lunch to be heated on wood stove, enough water, and possibly sunscreen. March sun could be strong.

Day pass is $20. Bring cash to the attendant.

Let me know if you will join me. 

Refer to this for map and more detailed description:  

http://xcskiing.ca/p10-keogan/

Waiver of responsibility

I acknowledge that, by participating in activities with the xcSkiOttawa group, I may be exposing myself and any minor in my care to some degree of risk. I accept full responsibility for the welfare and safekeeping of myself and any minor in my care on the above activity. I also acknowledge that neither the activity leader(s) nor any of the other participants bear any liability to me or my family for any event or misfortune that might occur during the activity, and absolve the group and its members from any such liability.

我的新爱好-越野滑雪 XC skiing

我喜欢技术含量比较大的体育，比如像游泳和羽毛球之类的。但有时候要么受场地或时间的限制，还有就是自我身体条件的限制我也慢慢地放弃了。
很多年前在一个朋友家做客，遇见了一个在渥太华大有名气的越野滑雪爱好者。他的津津有味的乐道，白雪啊， 冰湖啊，日出啊, 朝阳啊, 他的雄辩的调侃却只能让我想起了马拉松。
是啊，XC Skiing 与长距离的马拉松有什么区别啊，一步一个脚印，10公里，20公里 and so on。我会不会无聊得至死。人都快死了，我还会在意眼前的美景吗! 我倒是为他而高兴。只要别人热爱的东西我就会为他们而高兴。至于我吗，只不过又是他一个装着有兴趣的一个听众。是啊，我们有时候真的会误认为别人会一样热爱自己热爱的东西。其实不然。我也是出于礼貌，甚至眼睛都没有离开，盯着他， 听他讲完他滑雪辉煌历史。的确让我感叹。

一个偶然的机会我认识了Jack. 他问我滑雪吗？我记得只回答他我曾买过一付雪具。从他那里我知道还有一种skating skiing. 以后的几天我上了YouTube 视频真正点亮了我的眼睛。后来的事实证明了我这一次是认真的。

我第一次向别人表白自己兴趣的是向我的夫人。但我满腔的热情却迊来了一盆冷水。“梁苏你又是三分钟热度。两天后你就会晒网了！“ 后来的事实证明她错了！
后面的三个星期。我每天从家里要开35分钟的单程去Mooney’s bay练习滑雪，而且几乎天天去。四天路程就是一趟多伦多。我当时答应Jack一起去Gatineau park滑雪. 我说给我三个星期。我一定学会classic skiing. 通过Youtube视频我真的完成了那一次滑雪。而且感觉非常好。虽然羡慕其它小伙伴能够skating skiing. 但我觉得明年我也会会的。也就此我太太再也没说过我”二天晒网"的事情了。所以人只有热爱一样东西他（她）们才会执着。

滑雪和很多冰雪运动都是加拿大得天独厚的运动。这种优越的地理条件是加拿大人冒着刺骨的寒风换来的。忍受着漫长的冬季. 很多人羡慕我们加拿大人能有这么多滑雪圣地，但他们一定也不会愿意用温暖的冬天来换取这里的冰天雪地。所以我觉得上帝是公平的。 既然这样，那么我们为何不尽情享受大自然赐予我们的冬季运动去弥补寒冷的冬天给我们带来的不便。 更客观地说严冬不仅给我们带来了许多冰雪运动的圣地，
同时也给了我们机会锻练我们毅志和韧力。我看了刘凌（Edward）发的北欧滑雪赛事Loppet贴子。对北欧人（Scandinavian））的耐力和顽强所震撼。这也不奇怪。这些北欧小国虽然国土不大
人口不多。但却很难被别国征服。运动员们冲向终点的那-瞬间的喜悦需要一段很长时间的痛苦忍耐。vasaloppet 90公里的距离需要很长时间的痛苦历程才能到达终点。

行程万里始于足下！一切都只能从零开始.滑雪的技能和体能锻炼都是一步一步地练就出来的。有时候真的十分枯燥乏味和无聊寂寞。我想出一个好方法就是用音乐来减轻自己的这种痛苦过程。喜欢这项运动，真的可以喜欢到零下二十几度坚持，Mooney’s bay宽敞的操场有时就剩我一个人孤零零地站在那里。我这时候总会自嘲一下，Ottawa可能没有比我更执着的人了。可后来知道，我傻， 这么冷的天，雪板根本滑不动。

我看过一段视频，那段讲述挪威家住森林边的女孩滑雪的视频，让我真正地感受到了冰天雪地的（splendid）灿烂真的会让人美到窒息。英文不是有一个词叫breadth-taken吗？
这时候我才真的感觉得滑雪不只是在雪地里奔“走”，以前我甚至都不会称之为雪地里奔“跑”，WOW，她简直是在飞翔啊！

( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4lCHCA8pxY)

也可能是年龄的关系。我没有想过有朝一日能参加什么比赛。滑雪只是为了锻炼身体而以。但是我还是想有朝一日能像那个女孩子一样在广阔的白色世界里飞翔。
我的确有时候会多了一点点完美主义的色彩。或许像我这样年龄的人都不该有这种梦想，毕竟正像那个女孩子说的她打会走路起就会滑雪了。
梦想和奇迹从来都是一双孪生兄弟。有时只有那些有梦想的人才会创造奇迹！ 或许吧! 一个人肯定一生中会有很多后悔的事情。但在这个世界上你是买不到后悔药吃的。唯一能做到的事情就是加倍去补偿我们己经失去的东西（时间）。

在Mooney’s bay操场上的苦苦操练实际上就是为了能和我的那些群友们一起去山里滑雪。但是一想到爬坡又总会让我却步。而且每每都是一下停车场，面对的就是山坡。当年那些创停车场的人怎么就不可怜可怜我们这些初学者， 把停车场建在高处。因为思想上有了准备。知道我的挑战就是uphill battle，所以使得我的上星期的GP滑雪经历要比想象中的好。所以我们每一个人都要放对自己有个正确的期望值。无论做什么都要。否则等待你的可能就是失望。

每年秋天枫叶泛红的时候我就会有一丝丝的惆怅（Blue）。美丽动人的秋色又在预示着严酷的冬天又离我们不远了。现在已经三月份了，春天离我们不远了，我倒是
对白雪更多了一份留恋。希望在今后的日子里， 让我的skating skiing画上一个满意的句号。
好了，让我用一段音乐来结束吧：
（https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbRjCDXvMj4）

Visiting Renaud Cabin

With lots of new snow and a sunny day in the forecast, it was quite easy to round up a very large group of skiers to go visit Renaud cabin. Actually, I was surprised at my own persuasive power and was unsure how to handle such a large group. I planned to divide the whole group into several subgroups and have one or two experienced skiers lead a group. So that was the arrangement we had before leaving P19.

Renaud sort of sits in a central location from which you can go to Taylor Lake, Lusk Lake, or the very end of Philippe Lake. The fast group decided to visit Lusk Lake via #54 and then Taylor Lake while the rest of us aimed to get to Taylor Lake. This way we get to ski together a little at the beginning and when the fast group catches up with the rose-smelling group.

Gatineau Park was really in very good conditions. Snow sitting on tree branches makes trees and the whole park amazingly beautiful. We took out phones often to take pictures and felt lucky to be able to ski in such a wonderland.

Photo credit: 飞

I skied with some new and old friends. Quite a few of them were first time visitors of the park in winter. It was fun watching them applying their skills in an actual cross country setting.  Reminds me of my own learning days.

We reached Taylor Lake, which is even more beautiful than the rest of park. We did again our tourist duty by taking more pictures. The fast group soon caught up with us  and I was told the trail to Lusk cabin was in less pristine conditions but it's also very pretty.

Photo credit: Guoqiang

Shortly after, we reached Renaud cabin to have lunch but it was quite difficult to seat a large group of us. We managed to have seats here and there but were not able to sit together. Regrettably we didn't even have a group photo. I got to know some more new friends and introduced as many people to one another as possible. I always thought the best way to get people to ski is for them to have lots of ski buddies.

Me and one of my buddies. Photo credit: Grace

After lunch we continued our fast group slow group formation. Some skiers skied towards Herridge cabin along Lake Philippe before heading back. Everybody was accounted for at the parking lot and we went our merry way home after a satisfying skiing day.

Wakefield Triangle

Wakefield triangle is my term to refer to trail #52, #50, and #53 starting at P17 in Gatineau Park. I normally ski clockwise to avoid skiing steep hills after lunch break. The first stretch from P17 to Renaud Cabin via #52 is about 14km with some fairly steep hills and beautiful scenery.

Five of us started at P17 and worked our way to Renaud Cabin after an hour and forty minutes of hard skiing. We stopped at Lac Philippe to take a few pictures. It's a spot where everybody stops to enjoy the view.

We met up with Ed at Renaud Cabin and ate our lunch while chatting. Renaud cabin is the only one in Gatineau Park that was rebuilt. It's fairly large, able to accommodate lots of skiers. It's also a popular destination since it's easily accessible from P19.  Ed, being a fearless skier, told me he skied counter clockwise and visited Lusk cabin before meeting us.

After lunch, we skied back towards P17 via #50 and #53 after saying hi to some other friends who just arrived. Trail #53 is very pretty with rolling hills. We enjoyed skiing it even though our legs started to complain about anything that remotely resembled a hill. Snow was getting soft too, making it harder to glide. We took a liberal number of water breaks but made it back to the parking lot around 2pm as planned.

First backcountry skiing in Frontenac Provincial Park

This winter was the first season for Jack and I started backcountry (BC) skiing.   We both have xc skied in Gatineau for many years, BC skiing becomes our next aspiration in pursuing of winter outdoors.   We jumped into action during Black Friday sale with BC xc ski gear acquisition to prepare for the skiing season.     Being total BC skiing novice, we envisioned progressive BC skiing outings for this skiing season, starting with BC trails in Gatineau park, followed by day trips to Ontario provincial parks such as Frontenac or Algonquin, and moving to a multi day hut-to-hut trip later in the season.  Our first BC skiing in Gatineau park in late January was a blast immediately following a major snow storm.  With forecast for another snow fall just before the weekend, we agreed Saturday Feb. 8 should be our turn to venture into Frontenac provincial park.

Frontenac is a good BC skiing and winter camping destination among Ontario provincial parks, for its network of hiking trails and backcountry campsites, diverse ecosystem and abundant snow (https://www.ontarioparks.com/parksblog/frontenac-snowshoeing-skiing/).  Two other friends would like to join our trip to go ice fishing on one of the lakes in Frontenac.  Jack proposed to go to the northern corner of the park to ski the Tetsmine Lake Loop and Helmlock Lake Loop http://www.ontarioparks.com/pdf/maps/frontenac/Frontenac_Portages-Campsites_2015.pdf where our ice fishing friends could try their luck on one of the lakes stocked with trouts.  In our mind, BC xc skiing in Frontenac would be similar to BC skiing in Gatineau park.  We were into a bit of surprise.

our skiing track over Tetsmine Lake Loop

It was -20C on Saturday morning, one of the colder days in this winter.   Everyone was well prepared for the day trip, layers of clothing, lunch in backpacks, skis, snowshoes and a sled full of ice fishing gears for the aspirational fishing men.

Ready to go

We were a bit surprised to see 5 or 6 other vehicles in the parking lot when we arrived, some of them were blanked with thick show.  Apparently people were overnight camping in this corner of the park.

It was late morning when we started skiing.  A short distance from parking lot, we crossed the Kingsford Dam through which Kingsford Lake flows to  Devil Lake.  In the mid of winter, the lake close to the dam is ice free, a rare dark surface in the whole white world.   It was fascinating to be able see through the lake, waves, pebbles, and whatever lurking in the depth. 

Kingsford Dam

The trail was easy to ski at the beginning, where snow was compressed by campers' snowshoes and sled.  As soon as we reached the Tetsmine Lake Loop trail, we parted with our ice fishing friends who went to the opposite direction towards Moulton Lake.  We would rejoin them later that day on the lake.   We met a couple of campers by the McNally Bay of Kingsford Lake.   Everyone loved to chat about the cold weather, and joked about not telling the true temperature to their wives.  Later when we finished the day, we met a couple with a Border Collie at the parking lot, who were returning to their camp.  The cute dog raised both its front paws to its owner as soon as it got off the car, in an apparent gesture to say it was feeling cold.  I was tempting to bring my large golden retriever to the park with us, but decided it would be too cold for its paws.  The couple proudly told us it was -27C the night before, and -15C even in their heated tent.  Winter campers here truly love and thrive in the Canadian winter.

After meeting the winter campers by the lake, there was no more snowshoes and sled track. We would break our own trails for the most part of the day.   Fortunately the trail is well marked with blue trail markers, and well made wooden signs at every trail junction.   Frontenac ought to be great for hikes during snow free seasons.   Canoeing looks good here with so many lakes interconnected with short portage trails. I would love to return for some canoe camping in Frontenac in early fall.    BC skiing in fresh snow is fun.  On flat sections of the trail,  skiing was serene with powder snow, sunshine and blue sky.  We felt lucky to be in Frontenac in such a beautiful winter day.

delicate snow

fresh track

surprised to see frozen wave!

BC skiing in fresh snow can be challenging.  There are a lot more up and down on the trail.  On some uphill, I struggled to gain a foothold, as the steep and narrow trail doesn't provide easy positioning for the long skis.  Once both of my skis slid backwards, and I inevitably fell.  On some of the downhill, it was another struggle to control the speed and direction so not to hug a tree or fall off the steep side slope.  This was when I wish my skis had spikes.  Fortunately falling in thick fresh snow was safe and fun, except sometime it was time consuming to get back up when my skis and poles got tangled on a steep slope and I had to release the skis and poles, get up, step into the ski, and put on pole straps.   Several times during the day, we had to take off our skis and hike over some steep sections of the trail.  Jack is a better downhill skier, and his downhill skiing skill was put on good use swing through the trees.  Needless to say, we soon realized that Tetsmine Lake Loop trail is more suitable for snowshoeing than skiing,  at least for our novice BC skiers.  We decided we would not have time to do the Helmlock Lake Loop.  The 10-km Tetsmine Lake Loop would be good enough for the day.

negotiating an uphill section

We took a lunch break at a ridge top by Lynch Lake two and half hours into the skiing.  We laid down our 4 skis in parallel as a makeshift bench, sat and enjoyed sandwiches, hot water and sunshine.

lunch spot 

We continued our skiing after lunch, trying to avoid going on the extra Helmlock Lake Loop which we decided to drop off from our day plan.  We spotted another winter tent in this part of the park. Their dog barked at us to alert its owner about us two skiers.  It must have taken them many hours of skiing or snowshoeing to set up tent deep in the park.   An hour and 15 minutes after lunch break, we reached the side trail junction going to Moulton Lake where our friends had been ice fishing for a few hours.

The side trail is narrow and steep at places.  Our ice fishing friends said they struggled to snowshoe to the lake towing a heavy sled, that they had to leave some gears by the trail half way through the side trail.  They returned to retrieve the gear after lunch and regaining strength.   Once reaching the wide open Moulton Lake, we could see friends sitting on the lake fishing.  Our hope for a taste of fresh catch on the grill was dashed quickly.  It wasn't a lucky day for our friends, not a single catch for their many hours of hard work.  We were treated with our friends' hospitality of wood fire on ice, roasted sweet potato, hot water, and a warming tent.

ice fishing

Fire on ice

Time passed by quickly while we enjoyed relaxing time of warmth, hot drink and yummy food.  All of us started to ski or snowshoe back to the parking lot when the sun was getting low on the horizon.   In less than an hour we crossed the Kingsford Dam again.  Standing on the shore of Kingsford Lake, we were rewarded with golden mellow glow of winter sun in later afternoon, marking a wonderful day out in Frontenac. 

final skiing

ending with sunset

Following is a bit of stats of the day.  We were much slower in Frontenac than our BC xc ski in Gatineau park, reflecting the challenging trails for skis.

• total distance: 11.08 km
• moving time:   3 hour 11 min
• average speed: 3.5 km/hour
• total time: 6 hour 26 min

Overall, our BC skiing outing to Frontenac was a good day.

Crust Skiing

I get asked about the differences between skate skiing and classic skiing a lot. Aside from skis, boots, and poles being different, classic skiing is deemed to be able to go anywhere whereas skate skiing requires grooming. This is largely true. On some special days, crust skiing enables skate skiers to go almost anywhere.

As explained in this article, a layer of hard crust is formed after snow melting and refreezing, which usually occurs in Spring. In the morning before the crust is melted and becomes too soft again, skiing is unrestricted and phenomenal. Open spaces like ponds, golf courses and farmlands become your playground. Roam away like a classic skier.

At Mooney's Bay

Photo credit: FW

Check out this video on crust skiing in Alaska.

Balance

This picture shows that you're balanced if your toe, knee, and nose are on a vertical line. There are several terms to describe this: vertical alignment or vertically stacked. Check out this article for more info: Better Balance for Nordic Skiers

Trip to Renaud Cabin from P19

Feb 1 Saturday beginner friendly trip 

So this trip will be quite inclusive -- beginners, kids and both types of skiers are all welcome.

Short route: P19 to Renaud cabin via #50, then #55 to Taylor Lake, and back to Renaud cabin. Approximately 7-8km. 

Long route: P19 to beach at end of Phillipe Lake via #50, then double back to Renaud cabin then Lusk cabin via #54, and back to Renaud cabin. About 15km. You can choose to skip the Lusk cabin part. After lunch, ski to Taylor Lake before going back to P19 if you still have energy.

We carpool at Scott and Parkdale government parking lot at 9:45. Plan to arrive at P19 at 10:30. Meet at Renaud Cabin for lunch at 12:30. The distance between P19 and Renaud cabin is 3km but feel free to explore.


Carpool time: 9:45 at Scott and Parkdale
P19: 10:30
Lunch time: 12:30 at Renaud cabin

Bring a lunch and enough water.

Day pass is $20 for adults. Kids 12 and under are free.

P19 is at 45.624483, -76.010456 or +45° 37' 28.14", -76° 0' 37.64.

Hallmarks of good skiing

Good skiing, to me, means two things:

1. You have excellent weight transfer and balancing
2. You're utilizing big muscles (or core) to propel yourself forward. You will not get tired as easily and you can glide much further.

There are signs when you're skiing well. For classic skiing, your ski is lifted up high if you're kicking hard. This also means you're entirely balanced on your gliding ski.

For skate skiing, power comes from bending at waist, ie, using your core muscles. Check out Olympic skier Jessie Diggins to see how much she bends.

You want to retrieve your ski as close as possible and land on outside edge. This way you don't waste time moving your body to balance. When you put your ski down, your body should be right on top of it. You then roll your ski from outside edge, to flat, to inside edge.

Cross Country Skiing Safety and Ethics

Copied from CanadaTrails

Safety Guidelines

To avoid problems and to be prepared for any difficulty that might arise on a cross-country ski outing, follow these safety guidelines:

• Let someone know where you will be skiing and what time you will be returning, particularly if you are going into a backcountry area.
• Check your equipment before you leave home, to ensure that it functions properly and that you have everything that you will need.
• When venturing into mountainous areas, follow the basic avalanche safety procedures
• Carry a map of the area where you are skiing. If trails are not marked, you will also need a compass.
• Wear a backpack containing food and drink, a waxing kit, extra clothing, emergency repair equipment and a first-aid kit.
• Know your limitations--in terms of both trail difficulty and distance--and ski on trails that are within your ability.
• Ski in groups of three or more, especially if venturing into backcountry areas. If someone is injured, one person can stay with the victim while the other goes for help.
• Know the symptoms of and remedies for frostbite and hypothermia. Check the other members of your group for symptoms at regular intervals.
• Eat and drink at regular intervals to maintain energy and hydration levels. Physical activity suppresses the appetite, so eat a few mouthfuls of food and take a few swallows of liquid every half hour or so, even if you're not hungry or thirsty.
• Before crossing ice over lakes or streams, ensure that it is thick enough to support your weight. Ski centers usually warn their clientele about thin ice, but in backcountry areas you will have to make your own decisions. Several weeks of continual freezing temperatures are required to build up a safe thickness of ice.

Emergency and Repair Equipment

At the beginning of the winter put together an emergency/repair kit including the following basic items:

• a cigarette lighter or waterproof matches
• two or three candles to provide heat and light
• a metal container or plastic bag to melt snow
• a lightweight emergency blanket or plastic tarp
• a whistle (if you happen to get lost or injured, three short blasts will alert searchers to your location)
• a pocket knife with a screwdriver blade
• a replacement ski tip and pole basket and screws for your bindings
• a roll of duct tape (to repair just about anything)

Skier's Code of Ethics

Follow these guidelines to help make skiing a safe and pleasant experience for everyone:

• Always buy a trail pass when skiing at a commercial center. Your trail fee helps pay for grooming and maintenance of the trails.
• When stopping, step off the trail to leave room for other skiers to pass.
• On double-tracked trails ski single-file except when overtaking.
• When a skier behind calls out "track," move to the right to give them room to pass. (In Quebec if someone calls "piste" it's not an insult, just French for "track".)
• Avoid cutting off other skiers when entering trails or overtaking.
• Ski in the specified direction on one-way trails.
• Descending skiers have right-of-way on hills. Climbing skiers should move as far to the right of the trail as possible when oncoming skiers approach.
• Fill in sitzmarks after falling on trails.
• Pack out any garbage that you have brought with you. Leave nothing but tracks, take nothing but pictures.
• Avoid walking or snowshoeing on ski trails--footprints decrease grip and glide.
• Skating on classically groomed trails will similarly disrupt the grip and glide of classic skiers.
• Leave your dog at home--dogs not only leave paw prints (and more unpleasant things) but can also cause an accident.
• Stick close to the trail--you may get lost or your tracks may lead other skiers astray.
• Respect private property. Some landowners are gracious enough to allow use of their land. Trespassers may cause this privilege to be revoked.

Any comments or suggestions for additional guidelines would be welcomed

Backcountry skiing in Gatineau Park

I had skied ungroomed trails in Gatineau Park before but it was a precarious endeavor with regular classic skis. With very little control, going downhill is scary to say the least. The long skis also make going uphill hard when one has to herringbone up. The tips of skis are often caught under fresh snow and voila you're stuck.

This year Ed and I bought proper backcountry skis, aiming to ski from hut to hut on a multi-day trip. The skis we purchased are Rossignol BC 80 with sturdy BC bindings and boots. The skis have full length metal edges for better downhill control. They're also much shorter -- mine are 175cm, making uphill climbing easier on narrow trails.

This past Sunday was our first long trip out. We timed it so it was after some fresh snow.  This is important when planning for backcountry ski trips to minimize risk of injury. We chose Gatineau Park because it is close and has many backcountry trails. The trails took us up and down, exactly what backcountry skiing is about.

Here is the route we took.

Trails are very well marked in Gatineau Park but still navigation can be a problem. I used my Garmin Fenix 3 watch with a preloaded gpx route but still I missed a few turns. The watch beeps when I am off course but sometimes I just don' hear it. Google Maps can be downloaded for offline use and they show many of the trails with numbers (or names). Coupled with a paper map, they should be enough to get you home unless your phone runs out of power. The downside is you have to pull out your phone often to check, which is inconvenient. To be safe, I studied the map beforehand, noting possible exits in case I need to take a faster way out.

A lot of people apparently had the same idea and we very rarely had to break trails. BC80 performed admirably doing kicking and gliding. We grunted on steep climbs and cheered when going downhills. The snow was soft and the scenery was beautiful. We had a smile on even when falling.

Eventually we reached our lunch spot at Western Cabin. Many people were already there. We managed to get a table and put our lunches on stove. We also met up with Lauren, who skated up from P10. Social time is always important -- it is part of skiing as much as skiing itself.

We returned via more or less the same route, mainly because I forgot a turn on #18. We also skied a bit on parkway but it wasn't pleasant for BC80, which are too wide to fit in the tracks.

This is Ed looking good on his 185cm BC 80.