Gatineau Park: cross-country skiing after the sun goes down

IT’S A PERFECT -10º C and there’s no breeze blowing the fresh powder that fell this afternoon.

Are you out there enjoying it? No, you’re sitting in the office with nose pressed against the window, hoping the weather holds until the weekend.

Why wait? There’s every reason to head up to Gatineau Park after work for some night skiing. This isn’t the dizzying downhill dash at Camp Fortune kind of outing. We’re talking basics — just you, your cross-country skis, a headlamp and perhaps a delicious treat.

Turn off the car’s headlights in the parking lot and soak up the darkness. As your eyes adjust, you find you can see better than expected. White trail, black trees. It isn’t difficult to know where to go. Use your headlamp if you like, but there should be enough ambient light to find the trailhead and slide peacefully into the night.

When the moon breaks out from behind a cloud, the path before you is set aglow. Long moon shadows cast by naked trees stretch blue across the trail.

But, there’s more to the magic of night skiing than the moonlight. Go on a weekend trip and invite a few friends. Bring food and head to the cabins.You may have to try more than one before you find space available. This ritual has become too popular for the number of

tables available in the three closest cabins in Gatineau Park (Keogan, Huron and the Shilly Shally). In fact, I shouldn’t even be telling you about it. Consider this information a special bonus for being a reader of Ottawa Outdoors Magazine.

Walk into Keogan and you’re greeted by the flicker of candlelight, the sweet smell of woodsmoke and the sound of laughter. The picnic tables are packed with skiers dressed in their long underwear or skiing tights. The fire, the candles, and the bodies keep it warm.

Then comes the food. This is an occasion that inspires more than baloney on white bread and a bag of trail mix. Break out the fine cheeses, pâté and baguette from the backpacks. It’s not unusual to see hot chocolate and spiced apple cider, and the occasional wineskin. Keep these two things to keep in mind about the wineskin: first, drinking is limited to campsites in Gatineau Park; and second, even with a designated driver, you still have to ski back to your car!

There’s one more bonus to skiing at night; it’s free. There are no attendants on duty. Self-pay kiosks are removed at night for security reasons, so there isn’t even the option to pay.

But, free skiing comes with reduced service. There are no patrollers on duty after 5 p.m., so getting hurt isn’t an option, either. While it’s never a good idea to ski alone, going solo at night is an exceptionally bad idea. In addition to the lack of patrollers, there just aren’t a lot of other skiers around. Cellular coverage from the major carriers is just fair in the southern section of the park, and directing a rescue team to your location in the dark could be a challenge.

Parking lots aren’t plowed until the early morning hours. Skiing during a snow storm could make it tough to get your car out at the end of the evening. Cabins are also not cleaned until early morning, so toilet paper supplies may be running low by evening. And that would be an emergency, so bring your own.

There’s one more element of park service to consider at night. Hear that low rumble in the distance that’s gradually growing louder? It’s something big. Soon lights flash on the trees from around the corner. Best to sidestep off the trail as the huge groomer roars around the corner — a nighttime beast on the prowl for unsuspecting skiers. Somehow, they aren’t nearly so intimidating during the day.

Grooming and trail repairs are conducted overnight. You may be faced with variable ski conditions or the inconvenience of closed trails. Most folks are willing to put up with all of that for the joy of night skiing.

There are almost 200 kilometres of cross-country ski trails in Gatineau

Park. But unless you’ve booked one of the sleeper cabins to stay overnight, you won’t want to venture too far because you’ll need to make that drive home.

The best bet for folks skiing in for a snack or meal is parking in P10 and skiing up the Fortune Lake Parkway. It’s wide, bright, and groomed with a double track. There’s a centre section on the trail for skate skiing, which can be tricky at night. Unseen snow chunks that wouldn’t faze a classic skier can trip a skate skier in the dark.

Ambient light is harder to come by on the smaller trails where the evergreens

Small round of brie ½ cup whole cranberry sauce ½ cup orange juice Baguette or crackers

1. Poke holes in brie. Marinade in orange juice two hours or overnight, turning once. 2. Buy a pie. 3. Throw it out (or eat it). 4. Take empty pie plate, along with pre-marinated brie, cranberry sauce and tinfoil up to Gatineau Park cabin. 5. Put the brie on the plate, pour cranberry sauce over it. 6. Create a tinfoil tent over the plate, leaving one side open for ventilation and viewing. 7. Warm over woodstove until sides of brie start to bulge (about 15 minutes). The snack serves eight people or four hungry skiers.

hug the edges of the trail. Without shadows, depth perception suffers — that’s usually headlamp time.

Full moon nights are especially popular. Various area ski and outing clubs schedule group trips on or around full moons, and cabin space is hard to come by. But don’t feel that you have to limit yourself to full moons; a half moon casts a lot of light, too. Even cloudy nights glow orange by reflecting the lights of Ottawa-Gatineau and Camp Fortune.

So really, any night is a good night for skiing in Gatineau Park. Just remember when you stop at one of the cabins to save me a seat. — Heather Burke is an Ottawa writer who believes that most things are better with a bit of moonlight.

© Harry Nowell Photography, Inc.

Q. What’s even better than spending the evening with friends in a warm cabin and then skiing and driving back to Ottawa?

A. Not having to drive home that night.

Gatineau Park has four cabins and two yurts (sturdy tent-like structures) available for overnight rentals. They are outfitted with 6-16 bunk beds and woodstoves for heat and cooking. You have to bring your own sleeping bag and kitchen gear. Initial r eservations are made through a random draw in November. This is a popular activity, so get your reservation form in early, or book mid-week. If you’re too late for the general lottery, Lusk Lake Cabin has a different procedure. There are four draws over the season, one for each of the winter months. See www.canadascapital.gc.ca/gatineau/outdoor_activities/huttohut_e.asp

A link to the official entry forms to be printed and mailed can be found there as well.