In an announcement that many skiers had already begun acting on as early as October 1st, the NCC has now made it official. Here’s what they said:
CROSS-COUNTRY SKI SEASON KICKS OFF TODAY IN GATINEAU PARK
Canada’s Capital Region — The National Capital Commission (NCC) is pleased to announce that Gatineau Park’s winter trail network is open to users, today, Wednesday, December 15, for another promising season of winter enjoyment in Canada’s Capital Region.
Gatineau Park boasts one of North America’s most popular and beautiful trail networks and it’s only 15 minutes from Parliament Hill. Over 250 kilometres of various trails wind through the Park’s forests and along frozen lakes and river valleys.
Dozens of groomed and patrolled ski trails make the Park a great destination for skiers of all levels and styles. The Park’s trail network features ten daytime shelters where skiers can enjoy their lunch at picnic tables and warm up by wood stoves. Skiers and snowshoers can also extend their stay out on the trails by spending the night in one of Gatineau Park’s four cabins, three yurts or by experiencing winter camping under the stars at Philippe Lake. Please note that reservations are required.
Cross-country skiers currently have access to 56 kilometres of compacted and groomed trails (28% of the overall cross-country ski trail network), including the Fortune Parkway, the Gatineau Parkway and the Champlain Parkway. Ski conditions vary from fair to good. Trailheads giving access to these open trails are located at parking lots 1, 2 and 3 in Gatineau, as well as lots 5 to 10 and 16 in Chelsea and lot 19 at Philippe Lake. All services are operational, including the professional ski patrol, parking lot attendants and 24-hour trail maintenance.
The Park’s 45 kilometre snowshoe trail network is accessible from parking lots 6, 13, 15, 17, 19 and the Gatineau Park Visitor Centre in Chelsea.
The 10-kilometre winter walking trail network is also open to users for the season and is accessible from parking lots 3, 6 and the Gatineau Park Visitor Center in Chelsea.
For up to date ski conditions and trail status, please visit the Gatineau Park website at www.gatineaupark.ca or call the trail conditions hotline at 819-827-2020, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The NCC would like to remind users to stay on the designated trails, to not venture on to any frozen water surfaces and that domestic animals are permitted on leash on winter walking trails only.
Seasonal cross-country ski passes can be purchased online at www.reservations.gatineaupark.ca or at the Gatineau Park Visitor Centre, located at 33 Scott Road, in Chelsea, at pre-season rates until December 15, 2010. Daily passes can also be purchased at the Gatineau Park Visitor Centre and at any of the Park’s parking areas that provide direct access to the open trails.
For more information on winter activities in Gatineau Park, the public may contact the NCC at 819-827-2020, 1-800-465-1867, 613-239-5090 (TTY) or 1-866-661-3530 (toll-free TTY), visit the NCC’s website at www.gatineaupark.ca, or visit the Gatineau Park Visitor Centre.
Media Information:
Jasmine Leduc
NCC Media Relations
613-239-5410 (office)
613-608-3119 (cellular)
[email protected]
The cards that GuideGatineau has begun distributing to promote the website are considered to be highly environmentally responsible due to the fact that the paper used is 100% recycled and is produced using energy from biofuels plus the ink is vegetable based.
when will trail conditions be posted
Trail conditions are already being posted. You can see them in the middle column of this web page, or at the NCC website or at the XC Ottawa trail reports site.