From the southern edge of the Park, P3 at Gamelin, we took Gatineau Parkway for 10 minutes before turning onto the excellent trail 5. It was sunny again, but very cold – similar to yesterday.
As was the scenery….
Trail 5 heads off to the north near Pink Lake, so we took trail 15 to P6 at MacKenzie King (across the road from another of our start points, Kingsmere). Trail 7 from here was an excellent ski, leading eventually back to Gatineau Parkway for a gentle potter back to P3, to conclude this year’s visit to Gatineau Park.On the way we passed the Lookout above Pink Lake. The lake is named after the family who settled here in the 1830s. It turned green in the 1960s and has been found to have no oxygen below a depth of 13 metres. It was thought to be polluted, possibly due to a mica mine from the early 1900s, but it has recently been established that erosion is the problem. Remedial measures are being taken.
Pink Lake is white in winter.
Here's one of two huge grooming machines that were lunching on the Parkway.
As we approached Gamelin, we gained a clear impression of how close this ski area is to the centre of Canada’s capital city.
Having carried a flask of tea all around this 22km route (10.00 to 13.20 including 15 minutes of breaks), we finally got to enjoy it from the warmth of the car before travelling the 10 minutes home for bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon.
Renaud Cabin sits in delightfully open surroundings.
Today's tracks were easy but fast, with very few people out (we saw seven all day) as it was cold (-14°C + wind chill taking it to about -30°C), but hands stayed reasonably warm, especially on the delightful final section, with some open countryside, along #53.
Back home by 3pm, we later enjoyed a lovely sunset from the second floor balcony:
Then we all enjoyed an excellent meal at ‘
From here, back-country trail number 12 undulated its way for a kilometre across to trail 3. It took all of 30 minutes. (We average a good 7kph on the normal tracks.) Sue enjoyed it. She is more expert than me. Here she is on the narrow trail.
I kept falling over. I don’t think I’ll be doing any more back-country trails without some tuition! See me struggling up this minor hill. It’s harder than it looks. I certainly seem to make it harder than it should be!
It was a lovely day, however, and once on trail 3 I could enjoy the scenery, the snow glistening between the trees, and the views from Ridge Road, which we joined near Huron Cabin and headed along towards Western, before taking #1B to the Lookout. I’m happier now, despite the ice at this point.
We descended to Keogan Cabin for lunch. It was full when we arrived. Empty when we left. Perhaps Sue’s merino top that she has been testing needs a rinse!
The event was a Canoe Club party, hosted annually by Catherine, who lives very close to the canal.
We had to take off our skis for certain sections. It was a relatively warm day – at around -4°C it was 'very sweaty' – but in these conditions the ski bindings easily ice up when the skis are removed. So they wouldn’t go back on, even when the trail levelled.
Snowshoes 2 Skis 0
A sociable hour was spent in the cabin – the inevitable acquaintance of Ken turned up - before returning by the easiest possible route to Wakefield, via Lac Philippe and trails 50, 51 and 53, getting back to base just in time to ponce ourselves up for Helen’s superb Sunday dinner, in the presence of Royalty (her mum) and the sad absence of the other three quarters of an Australian lamb.
We’re having a rest tomorrow (actually it’s tomorrow today and we’ve already had it) so you will be spared even more of my verbosity for a while. 
The trails around Lac Meech were very pleasant.
Herridge Cabin is an excellent spot….
...and attracts a wide variety of birds – today a flock of Pine Grosbeak arrived to join the Nuthatches, Chickadees, Blue Jays, Downy Woodpeckers and Hairy Woodpeckers around the table.
This place has the reputation for being the best in Gatineau Park for wildlife. For those who receive actual real Christmas cards from us, it’s the site of the photo of the Barred Owl, taken on 1 February 2006.
It was a shame to leave this lovely route – here I am on the trail near a boathouse….
and we were sad to be back at the car after just 20 km (but with my blistered feet intact), taking from 10.00 to 13.35, including a 45 minute ‘lunch’ stop at Herridge (from 11.20!).
Here’s a detail from the above image:
Looking back from the start of the Khyber Pass, a couple of folk were coming up fast in our mirrors.
A welcome tea break at Huron Cabin gave Sue a chance to photograph lots of squirrels and this Blue Jay on the feeder.
Continuing along #1 we took the #24 loop. It had just been groomed and included a fabulous downhill section in perfect conditions. Rejoining Ridge Road from #24 we discovered this was the limit of the groomed trails, so the ski along Ridge Road to McKinstry and the Fire Tower would have a ‘back country’ feel today.
Turning back along #1, we headed to Western Cabin for lunch. The fire was roaring and toasted our sandwiches almost instantly. (Note the foil on top of the stove – it contains a sandwich with bread buttered on the outside to facilitate ‘toasting’.)
Heading steeply out of Western on back country trail 9 we found it hard work, climbing sideways up the steep, narrow track. Sue arrived unimpressed at trail 1B.
Luckily the Burma Road (#3) had been groomed and was in fine condition. But whilst Sue and I both had the same wax on our skis, hers had lost traction. Re-waxing with the dark blue wax made little difference. It had warmed to only around -5°C. We will take some stickier (violet) wax tomorrow.
We were soon down the hill and back on Gatineau Parkway for the final (boring) run back to Chelsea. Here Sue flies past me in the fast lane.
Today’s was our longest ski yet on this trip, the 29km outing took us from 9.50 to 14.45, including 55 minutes of tea and lunch breaks.
We crossed above the deserted Parkway, having to wait ages for any cars to appear on this normally busy road.
Sue eschewed a rest on this bench – despite the balmy -10°C temperature; the snow was coming down like rain, in very small flakes, with quite a breeze, so it was a bit like a mild dose of spindrift on a Scottish hill in winter.
This pair of mallards was trying valiantly to eat snow. Their beaks were caked with it, and Sue thought they were doing a mating dance.
We felt lucky to be able to escape from the cold into Carlingwood Mall. The coffee was good. A kitchen shop sale yielded some unexpected purchases – a mandoline and some electric scales.
There are some short, steep sections on this 4km loop. I managed to lose control on one of the corners. My fall was controlled, however, compared to Sue’s two wipe-outs. Helen and I kept catching up with her snow covered form, dashing along as if there was no tomorrow. The adrenaline rush caused by last night’s films had clearly not worn off. Tortoise and hare stuff. All good fun though, and no damage was done, so we returned happy and warm to Ridge Road and the pleasant track to Keogan Cabin for lunch. 
Huge icicles hung outside the cabin, and birds and squirrels were enjoying the feeder as usual.
Deserting the warmth of the cabin, we enjoyed the descent to Kingsmere and were actually back at home by 2pm, ready for our customary leisurely afternoon.