Monday, March 5, 2012

PAD3O Gatineau Park XC Ski Trip



The Grade 11's took the trails of Gatineau Park on March 2nd. The day started a bit slow as the bus was late to pick us up and as we arrived it started to rain slightly as we arrived at Camp Fortune, but lucky for us, this didn't last long and we had an amazing day.

For many students in the class, this was the 2nd time they were on this trip and it showed, as we moved really quickly through the trails to Huron Cabin for lunch. Most were also skate skiing, which was perfect on the groomed trails that had lots of fresh snow on them.


After a quick repair to some poles and a nice lunch, we headed for Champlain and Etienne Brule lookouts to enjoy the misty view of the Ottawa River Valley. This was followed by a wonderful parkway descent to Parking Lot #10. There were a few students who climbed up the Burma downhill to repeat an experience they enjoyed from last year. Most students stayed at the bottom to watch the entertainment unfold.


All in all, it was just a wonderful day on the trails.


26 comments:

Treasure said...

Last friday we departed on our cross-country skiing adventure to Gatineau park. The weather forecast was predicting beautiful warm weather all day but what we ended up with was misty cold overcast. Not the worst of weathers but it goes to show that you should always be prepared for the unexpected. I came prepared, in layers, including a pair of shorts that I ended up using coming down the last descent of our trip, chilly, but fun!

It was a lovely ascent up too our lunch destination at Huron cabin where we got to eat my lunch and warm up a bit. We shared our stories of our way up to the cabin about poles breaking and some funny falls.

We couldn’t of asked for better snow conditions, as there was lots of nicely groomed snow. Even if it was misting it did not deter our enjoyment of the day or the snow.

One of the things I appreciated most about the day was how much everyone was enjoying it. I kept hearing great feedback of there thoughts on cross-country skiing and how much everyone loved it and how much fun skiing is. Possibly because there only experiences were in the back field and getting onto some trails made them really enjoy it.

This years cross-country ski trip was a great success in my eyes.

Deb F. said...
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Deb F. said...

The XCS-trip on Friday, the 2nd of March, was a great experience! We had good ski conditions as there was a lot of fresh and groomed snow, it was a bit cloudy but the weather was not too bad, and I think everyone enjoyed the 10km of skiing even though it was hard work sometimes.

When we first started, the trail was a bit crowded. This is why we came in a stop-move-stop-move motion. It was hard to find a rhythm, especially when we were going uphill. After a while though, the crowd spread out and it was easier to keep a good rhythm, and it was not even too hard to go uphill for a longer time.

Lunch was enjoyable as it warmed me up and gave me new strength. Then we continued our trip towards a nice look-out. After a beautiful and foggy view, we arrived at a very steep hill that some of us climbed up. It was exhausting to climb up this hill, but the hard work is worth the feeling when you go down. Amazing! In my opinion this is what cross country skiing is all about: The hard work to reach the mountain top, and the indescribable feeling when you go down.

My clothing was good, as I had many kinds of layers. When I was too warm, I just took off a layer. Only my mittens could have been thinner. I already took the thinnest mittens I have, but they were still too warm. When I took them off, I put them in my pockets instead of my backpack, which was not a good idea. Unfortunately I lost them, and then I had to ski back a couple of meters. Next time I go on a ski trip like this, I will try to find thinner mittens.

All in all, I really liked this trip because it was a fun experience for the whole group. We helped each other waxing the skis or scraping the wax off, everyone had the equipment that was needed, and we often made stops for the slower ones to catch up. All this makes a trip enjoyable for the whole group, and in my opinion a happy group is one of the major components for a successful trip. I loved it, and I would do it any time again!

Anonymous said...

Last Friday we all got the day off of school to go skiing. It was supposed to be a sunny day, but when we got to Gatineau, the weatherman proved to be wrong. It was misty and a little chilly. I was worried that I wouldn’t be warm enough since I came prepared for the sunny weather, but once we got moving I was glad I wasn’t wearing anything too heavy.
When we started on the trail, I was pleased that the tracks were all laid out for us instead of having to make them ourselves; it made it easier to get moving. When we came to our first hill, the first thought it my head was “oh no,” because I have been known to slip and slide every time I try to climb a hill. I was incredibly pleased with myself as I did not fall once going up any of the hills, not even that monster right before we got to Huron cabin. I did wipe out a few times going downhill, which made for a good laugh.
This was my first real cross-country skiing day on trails other than a few times with my mom when I was little, so I went in a little unsure if I would enjoy myself. I must say I had a great day, and the fact that everyone else was enjoying it just as much as I did made it even better!

Anonymous said...

The cross country ski trip last Friday, March 2nd was quite the experience. I had never been on a cross country ski trail before. I got to improve my skiing skills a lot that day. I was really cold at the beginning of the trip, but as I kept going I warmed up a lot. The weather wasn’t too bad. I really enjoyed going down hills. I got a lot of speed and it helped me get up the hills. Going uphill is a lot harder for me, so with the momentum it made the hills easier to do. The part that was the most challenging was the huge hill we went up. It took a lot of energy and at that point all I wanted to see was the lodge, where we ate lunch. The least challenging part for me was the end of the trip. I got the hang of skiing by then and I didn’t fall as much. It was good that I had a friend of almost the same speed as me to ski with.
At lunch I was really hot from skiing so I ate outside for most of it. Then I started to get cold so I moved into the lodge. I packed a lot of food, maybe even too much. It kept me full and I had enough to give me energy to finish the day. I brought enough to drink so I was also well hydrated.
The route was very nice. It was well groomed and the scenery was beautiful. At the beginning of the trip everyone was clumped together so it was hard to ski. But once the faster skiers moved to the front everyone started to spread out and go at their own pace. It was a very different experience for me since I had never done it before. But it was a good one.
I learned how to go up hill without falling, also that I should dress for the weather. Once I stopped skiing I was very cold. Next time I will bring layers. I would do the trip again for sure.

Miranda Lindsay said...
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Michaela said...

On March 2nd, 2012, for the second time in two years, I experienced the thrill of skiing in Gatineau Park. Trails were freshly groomed and in perfect condition for skate skiing. Although, feeling like I had to try something different, I decided to use the classic skiing approach since I had already tried skate-skiing the year before. It worked out well, and I was glad I tried something new. The weather forecast called for warm weather and that is what we received with a touch of misty, rainy weather. Despite the weather conditions and the bus arriving a little later than it should have, I had a great day skiing and wouldn’t have changed much if anything.

In everyday life, there is always something that you wished you could have changed or done differently. With this trip, I can say there weren’t many. One thing I would have changed was not wearing my insulated layer when we first arrived. When we exited the bus, it was colder than I thought and I put a fleece on under my jacket to keep me from getting cold. I was cold until when reached our first obstacle, which was a one to two kilometer hill. Once we reached the top I was extremely warm, too warm. Luckily, this was a minor mistake and easily fixable by taking off my fleece. I continued the rest of the trip with a wicking and outer shell layer. This was the appropriate attire, and that I learned pretty quickly.

Overall, this trip was outstanding. The scenery and landscape was beautifully breath taking. Besides not being able to have a clear view of the Ottawa Valley, I really just enjoyed being outside in the warm winter weather. Although, I personally didn't do the Burma downhill part, I did find it entertaining to watch my fellow students’ brave experience and excitement of speeding rapidly down a hill.

My favorite season isn't winter yet and I’m not the best cross-country skier in the world, but I am improving and this trip helped a lot to develop my abilities. Being able to experience this trip with the whole group was amazing. Thank you to Mr. Brouwer and Mrs. Trumpower for a great trip.

Shannon Vezina said...

On the 2nd of March our Outdoor Ed class took a ski excursion through the Gatineau Park. We were predicting the weather to be on our side for this 10km trip, but ended up having an overcast sky and a slight drizzle.

Besides the weather, our trip was over all good. Not going on this trip in my previous year of Outdoor Ed I have no idea what I was getting myself into in the beginning of the day. I was expecting to have all sorts of troubles through out the day. Despite a few hills, I found that this trip went extremely well. We made amazing time and for the most part stayed in groups that were the same pace.

We stopped for lunch at this little cabin, but me and a few other girls were happy to sit outside to cool down after a long morning of skiing. We had a great time chatting and socializing, while enjoying our mostly healthy meals to re energize for the afternoon!

I did manage to take a few falls, but I ended the trip in one peace and a frozen smile on my face. It was over all an awesome experience and I would love to do it again!

Shannon Vezina said...

On the 2nd of March our Outdoor Ed class took a ski excursion through the Gatineau Park. We were predicting the weather to be on our side for this 10km trip, but ended up having an overcast sky and a slight drizzle.

Besides the weather, our trip was over all good. Not going on this trip in my previous year of Outdoor Ed I have no idea what I was getting myself into in the beginning of the day. I was expecting to have all sorts of troubles through out the day. Despite a few hills, I found that this trip went extremely well. We made amazing time and for the most part stayed in groups that were the same pace.

We stopped for lunch at this little cabin, but me and a few other girls were happy to sit outside to cool down after a long morning of skiing. We had a great time chatting and socializing, while enjoying our mostly healthy meals to re energize for the afternoon!

I did manage to take a few falls, but I ended the trip in one peace and a frozen smile on my face. It was over all an awesome experience and I would love to do it again!

MeganF said...

I learned a few lessons on last years XC ski trip that helped make this year’s trip even better for me. When we arrived the snow had been groomed which made it easier than last year to get everyone started faster. Last year, I quickly heated up, as the first bit of skiing to lunch at the Huron cabin is mostly uphill. My lasagna was great and I had fun socializing at lunch with some familiar faces from last year’s class. This year I wore a lot more layers and before I knew it, I was only wearing long sleeve spandex and a t-shirt. However, it wasn’t warm weather. I left my hat behind at school and my ears were very cold by the last long stretch of skiing.

I chose to classic ski while most of the people around me were skate skiing but I found we skied at about the same pace. Unlike last year I decided to push myself a little harder. I wanted to stay within a few meters of the leading group of boys who are all skilled XC skiers. This gave me more time to rest when waiting for the entire group to gather. A few setbacks such as broken poles and boots were dealt with and most said they really enjoyed the day.

Although trying to keep up with the leading pack tired me out completely, great memories of skiing downhill on Burma encouraged me to climb uphill once more. I felt most confident in my classic skiing by the end of this day than ever before. The day was a lot of fun and I enjoyed the challenge.

Steven said...

Our XC ski trip included many experiences that our trip last year did not include. The opposite held true as well though... The trip to Gatineau started, to me, when the bus finally arrived at school. I was expecting decent weather at Camp Fortune but when I stepped off the bus I knew right away that this may be a damp chilly trip.

Although the temprature was mild you could definently feel it. The snow was perfect, but for me, the skis I was using I had not gotten used to yet. This made my trip pretty difficult as all my strength was put into the first part of the trip to our lunch destination. As the day wore on and we got to our first look out I knew there wouldnt be exactly much of a view over the valley but although it was foggy it still had a beauty to it. Our second stop for the group picture consisted of Megan Dan and myself taking a picture on the higher level of the main drag. I jumped off the side after the picture expecting a nice soft landing. It was a little softer than i thought as the snow went past my hips and to my stomach.

By the time we stragglers arrived at the main group at the end of the trail I was covered in snow from top to bottom, not a bad look might I add. All in all a fantastic trip, difficult at times but a smooth run from start to finish.

Will said...

This was my first Cross Country Skiing trip, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The trip started a little slow because of the late bus but we were quickly on the trails. The morning was a little cold but once we got on the trails I started to warm up fast and I was in my last clothing layer within no time. We had an overcast throughout the whole day but for the most part the rain stayed in the clouds. Almost everyone was skate skiing and because I never really got the hang of it, I joined the few classic skiers which still turned out to be a great time. One part of the trip that I enjoyed the most was definitely the big hill that we had to climb just before our lunch cabin. After lunch the class was separated into fast and slow skiers and after a good hour we joined back together after viewing the beautiful Gatineau scenery from on top of a hill. From their on, it was mostly downhill which was probably the best time I've ever had on skis. I'm sure that everyone had a great time because on the bus ride back to school, it was a lot more quiet then on they way there. This was the best school Outdoor Ed Trip I've had so far, and this trip has definitely changed the way I thought about XC skiing, because now I can't wait for next years winter to come!

-Will

Andes said...

I enjoyed the trip, but a few things didn’t live up to my expectations, things like the preparation, the trail, and myself.

Last year, we had significantly more time to prepare for the ski trip than this year. We did small outings every class and it really prepared us for the much easier conditions of Gatineau Park. This year however, we had a few outings during class time and focused on what I thought I needed to practice for this trip, based on last year’s trip. Last year, the first part of the day was spent mostly going uphill, then there were large hills that we could literally just ski down and almost all the way back up. That year I was fine with the skiing but took quite a few falls and spills on the hills so I decided to practice going up and down hills. This year, after all that practice, I found there were few hills I really enjoyed.

The trail itself was good; maybe a bit too much wax on my part, but the trail was nice. However, to climb those large hills only to, for the most part, glide down the rest of the hill was disappointing.

In hindsight, I enjoyed the trip, but it definitely could have been better. The one thing I would change is that I would have practiced skiing rather than hills, because if you can’t ski, you definitely can’t get to the hills.

All in all, I’d do it again in a heartbeat, but prepare differently. And probably use glide wax instead.

brieski said...
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brieski said...

We started our trip at camp fortune like last year, when we walked to the trail. After starting our journey on that foggy morning, it was stop-and-go for a little while until everyone got a rhythm of their own. After that, it was smooth sailing!

I really enjoyed this trip, including all of our climbs in the first segment of the day before lunch at Huron Cabin. I really noticed people looking out for one another, making the trip much more enjoyable.

When we got to Huron, it was a well timed break. I brought vegetables and a grilled cheese to put on the woodstove and it was really quite satisfying. After lunch, we went to the lookout. Unfortunately it was a foggy and misty afternoon so we didn't get to experience the view to it's full potential, luckily I saw it last year!

The majority of our descent was flat and downnhill, and quite enjoyable. You got to experience and admire the suroundings, on the way back to the bus. The conditions on that day were great! The trails were very well groomed, and the snow wasn't icy at all.

This year, I made a concious effort to not make the same mistakes twice. Last year was a learning experience for me. I burned all my energy in the first stretch and was absolutely exhausted after that. It made for a tedious and tiresome afternoon. This I made a point of pacing myself, and being consistant and I really enjoyed myself! I got the chance to work on my techniques, and I found this experience really positive!

Looking forward to next year!

Mr.Brouwer said...

The XC ski trip to gatineau park was fun this year. It had some downs but a lot of ups! I learned how much fun it is to ski is the wild instead of behind our school! The skiing conditions weren't bad although I would've hoped for a little more sunshine. Besides those few cons there were a lot of pros. The snow conditions were relatively good and the route we took was fun! The highlight of my trip was probably was when I went down the steepest hill in the park in only shorts and an undershirt! Even though I fell half way down the rush of the wind in my face going that speed brought an amazing rush which made my whole trip better! That's another thing I can cross off my bucket list! XC ski trip was a success and id do it again any day!

posted by Thomas A.

Ariana said...

On March 2nd our Outdoor Ed class went on an all-day cross country ski trip in Gatineau Park. Despite the overcast weather, everyone seemed to have enjoyed themselves. By bringing extra clothes and using correct layering technique, I managed to stay comfortable all day.
The first half of the day we spent on a slight incline through the park, heading up to our lunch break spot, Huron Cabin. After a couple hours we reached the cabin, and everyone took a well deserved break. A few of us decided to eat outside and enjoy some fresh air.
After about an hour long lunch break we set back out onto the trail. Some of us enjoyed a lookout over the Ottawa River valley, where we took some pictures. After this we met up with the rest of the group and continued on our journey. The rest of the afternoon was mainly downhill and a nice change from the uphill portion in the morning. My favourite part of the trip was the afternoon because everyone went at their own pace, which made it very enjoyable for everyone. The last big downhill was amazing; as i'm sure many would agree. And the snow conditions where absolutely perfect for our day of skiing.

When we got to the parking lot, we waited about 10 minutes until the bus came and we all piled on to get warmed up. I found the trip to be a very enjoyable experience, and I’m glad I got to do it this year. Can’t wait to do it all again!

ginger_kid said...

On March 2nd we headed to Gatineau Park for a day of cross-country skiing. The weather was cold and there was quite a bit of fog, but we weren't about to let that get the best of us.

I personally enjoyed this trip because I had all the equipment I needed. As a result I was comfortable the whole time. The ski up to the chalet was fairly smooth for the most part. One thing I would have changed is that I would not have waxed my skis. Considering the good snow conditions I would have preferred to skate ski the whole way, but as a consequence for waxing my skis I had to classic ski for a good portion of the way.

When I got to our lunch spot I ate in the warmth of the chalet. Unfortunately, I didn't pay attention to what I was doing when I was pouring my hot chocolate and I poured it on myself. This was the most uncomfortable thing that happened to me all trip, but luckily I was wearing layers so I wasn't burned.

The XCS trip this year was an enjoyable experience and I think everyone had fun. I had a good time, and even when I was regretting having waxed my skis Dan was right there to break his pole and lighten up my mood for the day.

Kritschy said...

XC-Ski Trip



I was really looking forward to the cross country ski trip this year. Last year was a blast and I had lots of fun. I knew I had become a better skier in the past year. This would make it easier for me to keep up and do well on the trip.

It was a cold morning getting ready for the ski. Definitely winter jacket weather. Once we got to Camp Fortune, we were all egger to push on the skis and go. While standing there, we were becoming cold every minute passed. Once everyone was ready to go, we headed off. It didn’t take long for everyone to warm up because the first half of the ski was all uphill. By the top of the first hill I could tell my muscles were already acting up with me. This was going to become a long trip. Trevor and I were ahead of the group during most of the ski. We went on our own but followed the trail. We knew were to meet for lunch, so we hurried up and made it to the cabin. After lunch we took a group photo, and then headed off down to our pick up. On our way down the hill we past a very steep hill we had to go down last year. Even though we were at the bottom of the hill, some of us climbed up just go down. I was one of those individuals. After that hill we had to climb another short uphill. Once at the top of the hill, it was a long, fast downhill. Trevor and I flew down this hill.

The downhill was the best part of the trip. It was intense and a bit frightening how fast we were going. Overall, this was a great trip. I had many friends on this trip which made it even better. Next year I will most likely buy a pair of skis and go on weekends.



By: Daniel Kritsch

Bigfoot said...

I had not gone on last year's ski trip, so i didn't know what to expect on this years trip. I found the biggest suprise on the trip was how the trails were groomed, which I found made it much easier to ski. Even with the groomed trails, I still had to take off several layer in order to avoid overheating. Overall I found this to be a challenging trip, mostly because I had trouble skate sking, leaving me with very sore arms by the end of the trip. One important lesson that I learned on this trip is why you should always keep some distance between the person next to you. This occured while I was going downhill next to Shawn and i maniged to tangle my pole between his ski's, tripping us both, just before came down the hill crashing into us both. This accident left me with an important lesson to go along with my bruises. Leaving me with many happy memories to go along with a great trip.

Bigfoot said...

I had not gone on last year's ski trip, so i didn't know what to expect on this years trip. I found the biggest suprise on the trip was how the trails were groomed, which I found made it much easier to ski. Even with the groomed trails, I still had to take off several layer in order to avoid overheating. Overall I found this to be a challenging trip, mostly because I had trouble skate sking, leaving me with very sore arms by the end of the trip. One important lesson that I learned on this trip is why you should always keep some distance between the person next to you. This occured while I was going downhill next to Shawn and i maniged to tangle my pole between his ski's, tripping us both, just before came down the hill crashing into us both. This accident left me with an important lesson to go along with my bruises. Leaving me with many happy memories to go along with a great trip.

Anonymous said...

I was excited for my second ski trip to Gatineau Park with Outdoor Ed. It was a pretty foggy day, and it was really fun skiing in the fog but it quickly became very warm. To prevent overheating I took off my two first layers and felt alot better. The trails where all really nice and groomed and none of them where really busy. Since I do alot of skiing I didnt find this a very challenging trip, howeverIdidfind myself in the back of the group alot to stay with my friends. I skate skied and by the end of my trip all my muscles felt like jelly. On this trip one of the most important things I learned was to always pack extra water. Instead I just chugged down a bottle of water when I got back to school. I had a great trip with lots of awesome memories and lessons.

shawn sernoski said...

I was excited for the cross country ski trip because it was my first time skiing outside of school. I thought it would be easy do to flat ground and nice conditions. Only when we got there did I realize that we would be going up and down steep sloops. This probably wouldn’t have been a big deal except for the fact my equipment was less than ideal. My skies were to short my poles didn’t match and I had too much wax, so the first half of the trip I spent most of my time in the back trying to keep up.

I enjoyed the second half of the trip a lot more; we stopped at a cabin to eat lunch which was nice and relaxing. This was followed by the second half of the trip which was mostly downhill so I had almost no trouble at all and was able to enjoy myself a lot more. My favorite part was near the end when we went downhill all the way to where the bus picked us up, It was fun and at times even relaxing.

Overall I enjoyed the ski trip and hope we do it again next year.

Unknown said...

The cross country ski trip was an amazing success in my eyes. Leaving the school that Friday, March 2nd I didn’t know what I would be in for when we hit the trails.
Immediately when we arrived at camp fortune to heads off on our excursion I had to go with Jon who had misplaced his gloves, up to the chalet were one my fellow employees helped me get him some. We raced back to the group. The trails were spectacular perfectly groomed. I found out quickly that I had dressed perfectly for the trip being a bit cold at times it was bearable. My skis decided they would not allow me to skate ski, as the wax on my skis proved to be too much. This was a very big disappointment but I stuck it out and classic skied quickly to the front of the group.
Lunch was a huge relief for me filling my stomach was exactly what I needed and playing with the birds really lifted my spirits. After a quick clean up and some last minute repairs we were off to finish our journey with an amazing lookout spot and some crazy downhill action.
I loved the ski trip I truly expected to be miserable the whole time but I found my skills became much better on the trip which gave me a lot of confidence on the trails. The cross country ski trip is a must go on for any Outdoor Ed student I was not disappointed with the beauty and misty weather of the Gatineau hills.

Kritschy said...

Gatineau Ski Trip

Last year we went on the Gatineau ski trip. This year we did almost the exact same course except we didn't have enough time too fully go where we went last year. We knew this as soon as we got on the bus. It was really disappointing because last year the part we did do was the most fun out of that whole trip. It was a cold morning so we dressed warm. Once we arrived at camp fortune, it started to warm up. By the time we got going, we had to take most of our layers off. Trevor knew where he was going so we took off. We both knew where we were gonna stop to wait for everyone else so we waited for the others. At the last stop before going to lunch, Trev and I just booked it as fast as possible up the huge hill and made it too the shake where we were gonna have lunch. After lunch we started to head back down to our destination. At one point we were supposed to turn right, but ended up turning left because we didn't have enough time to get through the whole trip. Once at the bottom, Trev and I went back up the hill just to try to going down backyards. Overall, the trip was amazing! Had lots of fun with some pretty good friends.

Daniel Kritsch

Kritschy said...

Gatineau Ski Trip

Last year we went on the Gatineau ski trip. This year we did almost the exact same course except we didn't have enough time too fully go where we went last year. We knew this as soon as we got on the bus. It was really disappointing because last year the part we did do was the most fun out of that whole trip. It was a cold morning so we dressed warm. Once we arrived at camp fortune, it started to warm up. By the time we got going, we had to take most of our layers off. Trevor knew where he was going so we took off. We both knew where we were gonna stop to wait for everyone else so we waited for the others. At the last stop before going to lunch, Trev and I just booked it as fast as possible up the huge hill and made it too the shake where we were gonna have lunch. After lunch we started to head back down to our destination. At one point we were supposed to turn right, but ended up turning left because we didn't have enough time to get through the whole trip. Once at the bottom, Trev and I went back up the hill just to try to going down backyards. Overall, the trip was amazing! Had lots of fun with some pretty good friends.

Daniel Kritsch