GAT ski to McKinstry

Gatineau Park: P12 to McKinstry (20 km)
P12 Meech Lake: N45 32.221 W75 53.968
McKinstry: N45 33.218 W75 58.387

In an attempt to purge myself of a Christmas cold I decided to head up to Gatineau for a healthy dose of fresh air and exercise. It turned out to be just what the doctor ordered.

Mike and I arrived at P12 around 10:30am and as per usual in the GAT we skied up up and up until we hit Ridge Road. From there we hung a hard right down Trail 1 towards the Luskville fire tower and the McKinstry cabin.



With a fresh 5-10cm of snow and temperatures hovering around -5°C, the ski conditions were excellent. Cross your fingers that next week's forecast for rain and 10°C proves to be off the mark.



By the time we arrived at McKinstry we were well hungry for lunch and a chance to relax by the warm woodstove. We managed to rest up here for about 45 minutes before deciding that we best start heading back down the trail before darkness settled in.



The ski back was mostly downhill and was much easier going even though we made it more difficult than necessary by skiing one-handed while taking some great video with our cameras. We sure did get some strange looks from the fellow skiers we passed.



Side note...

Having just hiked the Wolf Trail last October, there were a couple of opportunities to snap a photo of the same area now covered in snow. Check them out.

Fall and Winter