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.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
