Monday 10 February 2014 – A Sunny Circuit from Chelsea

Whilst Ken went to work, and Sue and Helen ventured into Chelsea’s exclusive spa, I started my ski from P8 – the car park in Chelsea, after dropping off the two lazies.

Warming up on the Gatineau Parkway to P9, then slightly more energetically up Fortune Parkway, I found myself at the tempting start of trail 3, the Burma Road, a favourite, especially in this year’s superb conditions.

I headed on up the Burma Road, pictured above and below, encountering just one person before reaching Ridge Road.

To reach Ridge Road, I took the easy back country short cut along trail 9. We don’t ski many of these back country trails. They are a bit hard for us. But this one is enjoyable, and relatively easy, albeit I did wipe out a couple of times, unable to curb my speed on steep twisty descents across bumpy ground.

Good fun though.

I reached Ridge Road shortly after the grooming machine had passed by. It was closely followed by the skate skier shown below, who rather inconsiderately and annoyingly was skiing over the freshly laid ‘classic’ trail, making the tracks somewhat lumpy.

Anyway, it was a lovely day, at around minus 10C not too cold, and after enjoying the trail 24 loop, and 1B, I reached Huron Cabin at around 1 pm. The fire was glowing red hot so my sandwich toasted in no time.

Then it was down the parkways to rejoin Ridge Road near Keogan cabin and follow it down to Gatineau Parkway, from where a quick ‘there and back’ towards P9 took my mileage for the day up to 30 km, and the time to a point at which I wouldn’t have too long too wait for Helen and Sue back at the spa, where apparently Dot had paid for their lunch. Up to that point I’d had no idea that my mother was on this trip!

PS Commiserations to Kate, who didn’t get the job. In fact, nobody got it.

Sunday 9 February 2014 – A Visit to Lusk Cabin

A holiday in Ottawa wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Lusk Cabin, which overlooks Lusk Lake, the scene of a Millennium mystery. On a dark and snowy night in January, a lone skier was seen crossing the lake. He or she was never seen again and neither skis nor skeleton have ever been recovered.

An entry in the cabin’s new visitors book seemed appropriate as a reminder of this mystery.

It’s an easy 12 km ski from the P17 road head near Wakefield, where the annual motorway extension work is in progress, easing the commute to Ottawa from the ever more distant suburbs that attract the middle classes of Quebec.

We arrived at the cabin to find it very hot inside, with a roaring fire. We were lucky, that’s not always the case here. Perhaps somebody was staying here last night – this cabin has six bunks and is one of a minority of cabins in Gatineau Park that can be used for pre-booked overnight stays. Ken and Helen have enjoyed quite a few New Years’ Eve parties here with select friends and haunting tales of the mysteries of Lusk Lake and Lusk Caves.

Today we simply paused here for 45 minutes with a few other folk for a convivial lunch.

The descent from Lusk back to Lac Philippe is a delight, especially in this season’s superb snow conditions. We all enjoyed that, and whilst Helen returned to P17 by the morning’s route, the rest of us took trail 53, adding about 2.5 km to our tally and enjoying some open scenery, albeit in rather overcast weather – but decidedly balmy at just minus 7C.

People known to us have been encountered regularly during the week, and today it was Sophie’s turn. Helen spotted her sunbathing on a bench near the #51/#53 junction, but the rest of us whizzed past without noticing her, the bench in question being on a rather pleasant downhill section.

Just to give an idea of the distances, speeds, timings and ascent statistics for these daily outings, here is my Garmin gadget’s report for today. The hour’s difference between the Moving and Elapsed times is 45 minutes in the cabin, when the gadget was paused, and about 15 minutes of short breaks taken on the trail.

Distance: 26.64 km
Time: 3:14:12
Moving Time: 3:01:22
Elapsed Time: 4:01:35
Avg Speed: 8.2 km/h
Avg Moving Speed: 8.8 km/h
Max Speed: 33.3 km/h
Avg Pace: 7:17 min/km
Avg Moving Pace: 6:48 min/km
Best Pace: 1:48 min/km (must have been the 33.3 km/h section!)

Elevation Gain: 467 m
Elevation Loss: 467 m
Min Elevation: 138 m
Max Elevation: 289 m

Finally, I’d just like to wish Kate (my daughter) good luck in tomorrow’s job interview. Good luck, Kate.

Saturday 8 February 2014 – A Trip to the Fire Tower

On this lovely sunny Saturday, Ken, Sue and I took a 25 km trip from P12 by Meech Lake to the Fire Tower and back. This starts with a steep ascent (very nice on the return journey) up trails 40 and 24 to reach Ridge Road after just over 3 km. It continues for another 7 km along fine undulating ‘Forestry Commission’ type tracks to get to McKinstry Cabin, outside which we are pictured above.

It’s a relatively new cabin, though I can’t find its exact history. After pausing in the cabin for a quick cuppa, we continued a further 2.5 km, in a surprise flurry of snow, along Ridge Road to its terminus at the Fire Tower.

It’s a lovely ski, along quiet tracks even at weekends, as most folk stop at the cabin. Conditions today remained great. It has been a good year for snow hereabouts, and today’s well groomed trails made life very easy. After being a bit cool earlier in the week I found myself seriously overdressed today, and quite damp when I got home – very unusual.

We thought of Michael and others, taking part in the 180 km Canadian Ski Marathon this weekend. Perhaps we should have entered, the conditions were just about as perfect as they could be for the event today. Unusual!

On the way back down trail 40 there’s a sun trap shortly before the final descent to Meech Lake. Ken took advantage, inadvertently doing a fine bit of advertising for Salomon. Wisely, he put a windproof layer on after this break, as the fast descent into the shade involves a significant drop in temperature, to about minus 10C today.

Back at base, we enjoyed a welcome pot of tea with Helen, who brought us the news that she had been unable to fish out any small/medium lobsters from the supermarket pond. “So I got four large ones” she advised.

Jolly good!

Friday 7 February 2014 – Lac Philippe

A fairly simple and standard outing on the skis is from P16 near Wakefield, along trail 50 to Lac Philippe, and back – a 19 km ‘there and back’ route.

We did this today with Helen, on a cold overcast morning. Minus 10C according to the thermometer, but up to minus 20 at times with the chill from an icy wind. We wrapped up well, however, and didn’t get cold. The picture above contrasts sharply with the blue skies of some of our previous visits. In 2012 for example.

Here are Helen and Sue at a corner that catches out many of the novices who ski this trail. It can be a hard turn for a novice on the way back down.

Herridge Shelter is an old farm building from the 19th century. It’s situated half way along the trail to Lac Philippe. Converted to its current use in the 1980s, it serves as a good place to pause for a break on the way to the lake, and a good place to stop for lunch on the way back, by which time the fire you lit on the way out will be roaring and the two storey building will be pleasantly warm (or it would be if the powers that be hadn’t recently replaced the stove with an inferior model!).

In this cold weather, some might expect us to be hauling heavy rucksacks with lots of warm gear. But all you need is a windproof layer in reserve, to put over your two/three layers of t-shirt, long sleeved t-shirt and shell. Paclite ‘waterproofs’ are ideal, and are compact enough to be carried in a bum bag together with lunch, flask and ski waxing kit. Here’s Sue with our selection of bum bags, hers being in the middle. That’s the one she used for two weeks on the TGO Challenge then for five weeks on the E5 long distance trail, so there’s plenty of space in it on days like today.

Above Sue’s head is a Radon testing notice and gadget. Those nice people who have banned bird feeders feel a need to test for radon gas as part of their latest Health and Safety initiative. We relaxed, in the knowledge that people have been living happily here since the early 1800s, and the Prime Minister’s country residence is just a few metres down the trail.

After an excellent lunch – the stove may be sub-standard, but it did toast our butties, we set off back to the P16 car park in good spirits.

I’ve already mentioned that this is our ‘beach holiday’, so you won’t be surprised to hear that after our energetic 19 km outing on the piste we returned to Quinterra Beach Chalet to enjoy an afternoon of books and board games, with the odd pot of tea thrown in. I’m pointing to the winning move…

Thursday 6 February 2014 – Hog’s Back Falls

Today was bright and sunny in Ottawa. But very cold. Minus 20C. So we gave skiing a rest and resumed our 'beach holiday'.

That included a short walk beside the nearby Hog's Back Falls, on the Rideau River, pictured above. The idea behind the name is obvious, but looking at the falls it's a mystery to me how they became so named.

Both black (like our greys) and diminutive red squirrels are abundant here. This bold black one seemed keener to chew a twig than to risk chomping on the evergreen bush to the right of the picture. Carrion crows lurked nearby, trying to spot where the squirrels were hiding their goodies.

Wednesday 5 February 2014 – A Camp Fortune Circuit

Wednesday means a downhill skiing lesson for Helen, at Camp Fortune, the hub of Ottawa’s ‘downhill’ fraternity. So Sue and I started our cross-country route from here, using trail 14 to reach Ridge Road.

It was an overcast day with a bitter breeze. My Sealskinz gloves are marginal in this weather (-10C plus wind chill), so tomorrow I may use thicker gloves that unfortunately need to be removed in order to use the camera. (Not that I used it much today.)

So today there were very few pictures as they would be 'dull and samey' as opposed to just samey. I've therefore headed this posting with a picture of Huron Cabin taken yesterday. I have in the past received requests for pictures of cabins in Gatineau Park, and anyone who wants one is welcome to have a full size version of this image.

The cabins are not 'en suite', but they do have toilets, in Huron's case 'his and hers', but most cabins have just one unisex thunder box.

In past years we've enjoyed watching the birds on the feeders at the cabins, but recently it has been decreed that such activity harms the birds, so feeders are now banned in the park. "We don't feed the bears, so why should we feed the birds" say the powers that be, perhaps unaware that the bears are currently fast asleep whilst the birds need all the help they can get to survive.

Perhaps bureaucrats have similar attributes the world over.

However, we have seen red squirrels, hairy woodpeckers, nuthatches, tree creepers and chickadees in the woods. The chickadees are a bit like a cross between a great tit and a blackcap.

After getting as far as the far junction of Ridge Road with trails 24/40, we returned via trail 24 to Ridge Road, then trail 3 – the Burma Road – which was a delight to descend today, though trail 32, our back country route to return to Camp Fortune, was mostly too hard for us and had to be walked.

Our outdoor activities for the day were now at an end after 20 km on the pistes, so we enjoyed lunch in the cafe with Helen, and Frank, who’d been doing some telemarking.

A nasty, swirling, light snow then accompanied us home, making us glad we’d stopped at lunch time as we peered out from the warm car.

Tuesday 4 February 2014 – A Trip to Western Cabin

Another lovely sunny day on which to christen my new ski gear.

Ken went to work. Somebody has to fund the lifestyle!

Pauline, my old colleague from Grant Thornton days, called to celebrate her annual two weeks of gloating about how young she is…

Cinnamon buns put us in a good mood for skiing in the sunshine, so Sue, Helen and I headed off to P7 (Kingsmere) for a 25 km ski as far as the trail 24 loop with Ridge Road and back again. On the way, Helen enticed us down a narrow ‘off-piste’ trail towards a lookout.

I was the only one to fall over…

We proceeded uneventfully past Keogan Cabin and up the Khyber Pass to Huron Cabin, where no fire had been lit. After a cuppa and a break to warm my hands (-10C didn’t seem to suit them today) we continued around the trail 24 loop, then back along ridge road and trail 2 to Western Cabin, and its roaring fire, for lunch.

Excellent cheese and ham toasted sandwiches, with or without mustard!

The easy ski back took most of us along trail 1B to the Champlain Lookout, for extensive views from the Gatineau Park escarpment that houses around 200 km of cross-country ski trails.

An excellent outing in lovely weather with a full set of teeth.

The new skis and, more importantly in some ways, boots were fine, though I took the day very slowly.

Monday 3 February 2014 – Beside the Rideau River

Today was a lovely ‘blue sky’ effort. No skiing, sadly, so my new skis have to wait until tomorrow to be christened. I suppose the day’s rest will help to re-acclimatise those muscles that can still be felt from the previous two days.

The day was dominated by my need for attention to a dental problem – the crown that was fitted to the tooth that broke during our last trip three weeks ago fell out last night. It was only fitted on Thursday, but my dentist did try so hard to sort it out by the time we left, and it was clear to me on Thursday that the laboratory had provided her with an item that could have fitted better. It’s re-fixed now, at considerable cost that may or may not be recoverable. C’est la vie!

Before the dental visit, Sue, Helen and I enjoyed a short walk from the house beside the Rideau River, which flows into the Ottawa River beside which Ken and Helen used to live.

It was sunny and warm for our delightful stroll.

A visit to Joan followed the ‘ouch’ visit (wallet, not mouth) and the day was more or less gone by then, apart from the usual ‘beach holiday’ activities that form an integral part of our visits to Ottawa at this time of year.

Great fun!

Sunday 2 February 2014 – The Burma Road

The above picture is a rare sight in these parts at this time of year. Simon and Doug are lunching in comfort on the bench beside Trail#1 at Huron Cabin. It’s warmer than –5C on a calm, sunny day. It’s usually much colder than this, and until the current warm spell has apparently been diabolically cold in these parts.

We awoke to around 10cm of fresh snow and decided to head into Gatineau Park before it got too crowded on what would turn out to be the best skiing day of the year here, according to numerous comments made by passing friends and strangers alike.

After purchasing my season’s ski pass at the Visitor Centre, and parking at P9, we were soon on Fortune Parkway together with a plethora of skiers ranging from super athletic types like ironman (woman) Cory – in training with a large rucksack for next weekend’s 160 km Canadian Ski Marathon – to families, with small children being pulled in centrally heated sleds.

After 3 km or so, Sue, Ken and I headed up #3, Burma Road, for a scenic journey to Huron Cabin, whilst Helen stuck to the Parkway and #1. The soft fresh snow made life very easy, though the others seemed to need to re-wax a couple of times whilst my skis performed well on yesterday’s blue wax. Here are Ken and Sue, enjoying the undulations of the narrower Burma Road trail before bumping into Tasmin and her husband.

Lunch was taken in the busy cabin at Huron, with sandwiches toasted on the hot cast iron surface of the wood burning stove.

After lunch, we headed down #1 to the Khyber Pass – an easy descent on the fresh snow – before returning to P9 via the wide, well groomed tacks of Fortune Parkway. There were lots of very slow skiers to dodge on this warm, sunny Sunday afternoon, but it was hard to keep up with the ‘buggy sledges’.

My Garmin showed 15.5 km for the trip, compared with 8 km in Mooney’s Bay yesterday.

A visit to Fresh Air Experience on the way home signalled the collection of my new Salomon skis and the sad demotion of the battered old Fischers to ‘rock skis’ for use in conditions where the snow may be inadequate.

Saturday 1 February 2014 - Mooney's Bay

Another month, another place (aka the Terry Fox Athletic Facilities).

Here (above) Sue warms up with Helen after yesterday's uneventful journey across a large pond.

It's two years since we last visited, and in that time Ken and Helen have moved from the Ottawa River district to the Rideau River district. We are installed in their lovely new house and enjoyed a short ski this morning before the snow started.

Then a trip to Fresh Air Experience resulted in my battered old skis and worn out boots being replaced. It'll be interesting, maybe even a revelation, to have skis on which the edges haven't been destroyed. 

The rest of the day seems to have been spent sorting out various wi-fi connections for our ever more extensive collection of gadgets. 

TGO Challenge 2014 – A Sociable Route

Last year, I was pleased to meet Pete Varley at Pennan, and subsequently at our Fraserburgh finish, where we are pictured trying to maintain an upright position in the strong wind.

Pete was the fifth Challenger I met on my 230 mile stroll from Plockton.

This year I’ve drafted a much more sociable route, low level as last year, from Morar to Dunnottar Castle – 222 miles with 14,500 metres ascent, if it goes to plan, taking in 31 summits of varying altitude along the way, but less than 12 Munros and Corbetts – summits over 2,500 feet – so officially ‘low level’.

The route passes through numerous Challenge ‘hotspots’ so I’m guaranteed to encounter up to 200 Challengers en route this year, just by way of a contrast.

It’s basically as follows:

Morar (Friday) > Glendessarry > Torness (Sunday) > Glen Turret > Creag Meagaidh > Dalwhinnie (Wednesday)> Tarf Water > Bynack Lodge > Braemar (Saturday) > Ballater (Sunday) > Tarfside (Monday) > Mount Battock > Charr > Elf Hill (Fetteresso) > Dunnottar Castle (Thursday)

Thanks go to Colin Tock for vetting the route and providing words of advice and encouragement

Roll on May…

Tuesday 28 January 2014 – A Visit to Dunham Massey

In between today’s showers, we enjoyed a trip to Dunham Massey for a two mile walk and lunch in the cafe.

Before that our overnight visitor ventured briefly into Timperley’s suburbia on his scooter before attempting a smile and retreating to the comfort of his indoor toys.

By mid morning, Sue had long gone to work, and Kate and Jessica had wrestled their way past an M66 pile up to join us for a trip to Dunham.

Jacob was a little concerned at the black-headed gulls’ aggressive tactics, which seemed to be depriving the hungry stock of mallards, coots, moorhens, Canada geese and tufted ducks of their rightful share.

We were soon off on a two mile circuit of the park, including a lengthy very muddy section.

Pride comes before a fall, and so shortly after the following picture was taken, Jacob ploughed (encouraged by his mother) into a puddle.  “You’ll be alright with the puddles” she had assured him “with your waterproof suit and new wellies.”

Unfortunately that advice didn’t quite work for a boy who found himself suddenly lying with a bloodied nose in six inches of water.

Later, after a bit of a clean up and some tasty lunch, he did admit to enjoying the visit despite his encounter with a ‘naughty puddle’.  He loves his balance bike.

Great fun!

Monday 27 January 2014 – A Wet Day in Long Preston

I popped up to Long Preston to wish Heather a Happy New Year and enjoy a stroll in the rain with Rowan and the two mucky spaniels, Millie and Daisy.

It mainly rained, as forecast, as we pottered around a 12 km circuit based on a shortened version of the one we did in November 2012.

Returning to Long Preston, we admired what Heather describes as a classic view, towards Pendle Hill.  She assures me that at certain times, for example in spring, autumn, and after a snow storm, this view is really wonderful. I couldn’t decide which image I prefer, so both of today’s are included below. I’ll visit again on a more clement day – it’ll be interesting to compare the pictures.

After lunch a visit to Captain Manning of the TGO Challenge Brigade and his lovely platoon, proved a good way to spend a rainy afternoon, before returning to Timperley, and a surprise visitor.

Thursday 23 January 2014 – An Evening Walk around Lymm

The rain stopped just in time for us to enjoy our first evening stroll of the year – a very simple 6.5 km route from the Bulls Head along the Trans Pennine Trail (disused railway line) to Thelwall, and back along the rather more muddy towpath of the Bridgewater Canal.

Andrew turned up to bag a trio of dates in the summer for his popular ‘Deepest Cheshire’ series of evening walks, and with good ale and in the peace of the bar (the lounge was humming with noisy post work activity) we filled in the other ‘TBA’ venues for the remainder of our programme of evening walks. I’ve since edited them slightly.

The walk proceeded with frequent pauses to admire the night sky in weather that seemed more like April than January. There was nobody else about.

The evening walk details will be put on www.topwalks.com/evenings.htm shortly, but in case you want to note them from here, they are as follows, all starting at 7.30pm:

Thursday 20 February
Timperley to Altrincham, via the Swan with Two Nicks (10 km)
Meet 7.15 at our house, or 7.30 outside Timperley Metro Station

Thursday 20 March
Worsley Woods – up to 12 km from Eccles Metro Station, via a pub en route

Tuesday 15 April
Wincle - an 8km stroll starting at 7.30 pm from the Ship Inn at Wincle (SJ 962 653), going up to Hanging Stone then down to Lud's Church, returning by the Dane Valley

Thursday 1 May
Deepest Cheshire (1) – from the Red Lion, Goostrey (next to the church) SJ 780 700

Thursday 12 June
Deepest Cheshire (2) – from the Church Inn, Mobberley (next to the church) SJ 791 802

Friday 20 June
South Lakes – from The Wheatsheaf in Beetham (on the A6 just south of Milnthorpe) - a 7.5 km walk overlooking the Kent Estuary and featuring the Fairy Steps

Thursday 7 August
Deepest Cheshire (3) – from the Swettenham Arms, Swettenham (next to the church – Andrew’s sudden recourse to religion has got me wondering) SJ 800 672

Wednesday 27 August
Cheshire - around Marton – meet at the Davenport Arms, Marton (SJ 850 683)

Tuesday 9 September
A circuit around Marple – meet at the Midland Hotel in Marple Bridge

Thursday 9 October
An evening on the Sandstone Trail – details to follow

Thursday 13 November (provisional)
Around Styal – meet at the Ship Inn

Thursday 18 December
Shutlingsloe - our regular 5 km yomp - starting at 7.30pm from Trentabank car park (SJ 960 711), adjourning for Christmas Ale at the Leather's Smithy in Langley.

Also, anyone wishing to see our ‘Pyrenean Adventure’ slideshow is welcome to join us on Wednesday 26 February at Hazel Grove Civic Centre (8 pm), where we are doing a presentation for SWOG.

10 to 18 January 2014 – La Clusaz

Here’s a typical view from the Beauregard Plateau.

If you would like to view more photos from this trip, there’s a slideshow with 50 images here, and a larger show with 160 images here.

The various postings from this trip can be viewed (start at the bottom) here.

Sue practiced with the video setting on her Canon G15, the results of which have been loaded by mistake onto my You Tube feed, the links to which are below:

Martin on the Beauregard Plateau A

Martin on the Beauregard Plateau B

On the Rennes piste A

On the Rennes piste B

Toby and Krystle’s Cake (1)

Sue likes baking cakes for special occasions. This rather hefty mixture is for one of Toby and Krystle’s tiers (sic?) in March.

Sunday 19 January 2014 – An Afternoon with Jacob and Jessica

A bike ride gets the thumbs up from Jacob these days.

The reward for cycling unaided around the course was a new rocket launcher. Can you spot the rocket?

Is Granddad really that scary with his missing tooth?

Here’s the full set of 14 photos.

Monday 20 January 2014 – The Bridgewater Canal in Sale

As frequently happens, we’ve returned to lovely weather in Timperley. Positively spring like today. If I’d had my phone and some money (forethought perhaps) I’d have called Rick and JJ and enjoyed a pint with them outside the Bridge Inn.

Friday 17 January 2014 - Last Tango in La Clusaz

Overnight snow deteriorated to rain whilst we enjoyed our croissants at the start of a leisurely morning.

Our bag (there is only one for this short trip) was packed and the apartment cleaned and progress made with our current reading matter and Sue's Facebook adventures, as well as a walk up to a local viewpoont, during which the above picture was taken, before Yolaine appeared at 12 o'clock. 

Lunch at La Trace was excellent (thank you Chantal) and was followed by a trip to Col des Aravis, passing on the way a large information board advertising a local Via Ferrata route and featuring a picture of a youthful Yolaine; she has been looking down on passing motorists at this point for the past fifteen years. The pass is a high spot, with good views towards Mont Blanc. 

Snowshoes were duly donned and the five of us made our way to La Tête, from where we enjoyed a fine view of the Aiguille du Midi and other high points, but sadly the summit of Mont Blanc remained cloud bound.

Hot chocolate at La Trace and a lift from Yolaine back down to La Clusaz saw us waving goodbye to the last of our Bueso/Collomb-Patton hosts before being picked up a few minutes later by cousin Alistair for a lovely, if somewhat indulgent, evening near Geneva with him and Laurence and the ever playful Lyra.

Sent from Timperley after an easy journey home - more photos will follow