Jan13 - Burma/Ridge

Got off to a late start leaving P10 around 1:30.  I headed up Burma.  It had been given the "thumbs up" on the website but I think that is being generous.  No tracks had been set and I don't recommend it with good skis.  There is plenty of debris-some of the sticks will not give if you hit them.  Be careful of the sawdust in some of the faster sections.  The trail needs a few more passes with the groomer just to pack the snow down some more and hopefully this will help with the sticks and twigs.  A lot of progress has been made on this trail and the hard work clearing away many, many trees is greatly appreciated.

Ridge is getting rough with more debris showing up.  The section between Champlain and #24 is pretty good with some soft spots that poles are sinking in to.  The parkways are ok all things considered.  Fortunately the thaw will be over in a few hours and with some grooming things can be brought back quickly to their former glory.

Jan 11 P3-Ridge

There was fresh grooming on much of the parkway network. Ridge was freshly groomed and once again the grooming was excellent.  There is plenty of debris so I would not suggest using your best skis.

Grooming on the parkways was excellent although the section between P6 and the Gatineau parkway did not seem freshly groomed but nonetheless still good.

It was freezing rain lightly between about 11am and noon but it did not impact the quality of the ski too much.

Trail 5 was freshly groomed too.  Hopefully they will use the same grooming technique in this section of the park as they use on Ridge ie. get rid of the Demsis Ridge.

Overall another great day.

Jan 9 -Ridge Expansion

Started off from P10 around 12:30 and headed via North Loop to Penguin.  Conditions were excellent.  Ridge was recently groomed and although I turned @ #2 the groomer didn't!  Not sure if it went past 24 or not?  I passed by Burma, the crime scene tape is gone and it looks like it has been groomed so I assume it is now open.  The Champlain and Gatineau Parkways were freshly groomed with some groomers still out after 2:30.


I must say that this year the Demsis Ridge has not appeared on Ridge Road and day after day it is excellent.

Jan 7 Parkways, Ridge, #5

Skated from P2 leaving at 1:45.  #5 was very freshly groomed but unfortunately the "Demsis Ridge" was making a reappearance.  I went on the parkway and was surprised it was not freshly groomed.  However heading up Pink the groomer was coming toward me.  At Gatineau Parkway up Penguin/Ridge, Fortune Parkway and then back down the Champlain Parkway the grooming was new and fantastic.  It was not new on Ridge but still was pretty fast and very flat.  The parkways were great.  As I neared P2 on the way back the large groomer and a smaller one were just below Pink, working in tandem to create fantastic conditions.  Classic tracks all looked great.  Fair number of walkers on the trails however around P2.

3Jan-Parkways and Ridge

It was more of the same today.  Ridge was faster than the parkways.

There is a new grooming pattern on the Champlain Parkway with the new tracks put in one side that are spaced quite wide with the normal width on the other side.  This makes the skate lane a bit more narrow but is not a problem.  The width of the wide tracks is the same as has been done on #50.

Heavy equipment was on Fortune moving more trees that continue to fall and thus this area was very freshly groomed.

2Jan-grooming and trail update

Skated from P3 doing the parkway loop + 1 to #2.  No grooming as such but the big machine was out on Champlain moving more trees (they keep falling) so this did provide a skate lane that was excellent.  It zig and zaged as the machine went from side to side moving the trees.  No classic tracks were set.  In other areas there was "grooming" because of all the snow machines out clearing trees.  Overall the conditions were very good once again.

The update I rec'd today is that some of #15 will be groomed this evening.  #24 is almost ready to go and P12 will be open soon.  #3 has seen good progress.  Beyond #24 is said to have 1.2m of snow.  My source did not know how long it would take to get all of Ridge ready again.

31DEC-Once again excellent conditions

The NCC website indicates no fresh grooming.  Fortunately this is not accurate.  The parkways were being groomed this morning as was Ridge between 14 and Fortune.  The part of Ridge that was not groomed was still excellent and faster than the groomed portions.  Another great day.