Skating season hits Ottawa

Last weekend they officially opened the Rideau Canal skateway - well at least part of it. The 2 km section between Somerset and Bank St is ready for skating. Click here for an update on ice conditions.

Or click here to take the virtual tour of the Rideau skateway. It's pretty cool.

Personally I'm waiting for the entire 7.8 km stretch to open up before I head all the way down there. In the meantime the family and I are warming up in the nearby arenas and the old Nepean City Hall outdoor rink (which even has it's own Zamboni doing maintenance).

Click here for a list of all the outdoor rinks and puddles and click here for a list of public arena skate times.



Hopefully by the time the opening of Winterlude rolls around this Friday the canal will be nothing but green flags.

75th Whig Standard Bonspiel (Kingston, ON)

For the third year in a row I was invited back to the Kingston Whig. This year marked the 75th Whig and if I guess right there were a few fellas there that tossed a rock or two in the grand opening. Ok, maybe not but there were some old lads there as well as some young filling up the ranks.

This year we had to call up one of the many that have been following our adventures over the last couple of years to fill the hole left by our 3rd who decided to coach his daughter's competitive ringette team. Unfortunately our spare took a bad tumble on the ice in the second game leaving us to curl a man short for the remaining two games.

The setback just seemed to make us work harder and once again we kept our streak alive and pulled off another win. And not just a win but a 7-2 thrashing that had us shaking hands after the sixth end (games at the Whig are 8 ends).

As was the case last year, the win came in our third match on the Friday night. We hit ice at 10:20pm and it was all over by 12:30am.


Our 4th game was Saturday at noon and it was a nail biter. We managed to jump out in front by 4 points after the first end but then they came back one point at a time to tie it up. We then scored another 2 making it 6-4 going into the sixth. They quickly tied it up again forcing us to play for the win in the 8th. Finally it all came down to the last rock, aka the hammer. Our skip threw for the draw and missed by less than an inch giving them the point. We lost. But how can one really call it a loss when the winners buy you a round of beers? Combine that with the late lunch chili on rice and homemade butter tarts and we were feeling like winners once again.

Bellies full, spirits high (bodies stiff and sore) we decided to skip the supper and entertainment and head back home to Ottawa.

A trip to Burnstown

This weekend we headed up to see our friends in Burnstown. It's only an hour away but for one reason or another time seems to fly by between visits. Nevertheless we always have a great time when we get together and this was no exception.




For the most part our time was spent catching up on stories and each other's lives. Mix this with good food, drink, and the great outdoors and you have a recipe for a nice relaxing weekend.



Sunday morning we hiked some of the snowmobile trails and then jutted off into the woods to follow some deer tracks. The weather was chilly but thankfully we had a bright winter sun to keep us plenty warm.



Our goal now is to make the effort to get together again for Winterlude and a skate on the Rideau Canal. Cheers guys and thanks again for a fun weekend.

Thin Ice

WARNING: Do not try this at home.


Out geocaching with the family and grizzlyG.


After watching a few family friendly episodes of "Man vs. Wild" and learning some tricks from Bear Grylls, I just knew I was up to the task. Mission successful. (luckily the real misadventures never seem to get caught on video)

Family ski off Corkstown Rd.

The weatherman claims that this will be the last good ski day for at least a week as temperatures climb into the double digits so we decided to take advantage of it as best we could.

We did a small but entertaining loop from P6 off Corkstown Rd. The trail is a multi-use trail and not really ideal for x-c skiing with all the dog walkers and toboggan pullers strolling though (not to mention the bumps and dips and half frozen creeks). But we made the best of it and managed to thoroughly enjoy ourselves.

We spotted a pileated woodpecker and a downy woodpecker, 12 deer, and the usual starving squirrels and birds.




Now it's back to school and back to work for all of us. Yuck. Let's just hope the cold weather returns soon bringing more snow and maybe even an early opening of the canal for skating. Fingers crossed everyone...

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

Happy 2008!!

Random holiday photos...























Hope everybody had a fun filled holiday. Health and happiness in 2008.

Happy Christmas and Merry New Year!!

Wishing everyone a safe and healthy holiday that continues right through the New Year.



Cheers!!

Birthday ski in the GAT

Gatineau Park: P19 Lac Philippe to Lac Lusk to Lac Taylor (15 km)
P19 Lac Philippe: N45 37.394 W76 00.546
Lac Lusk: N45 35.100 W76 00.772
Lac Taylor: N45 36.292 W76 02.741

Nothing says happy birthday like a x-c ski in the GAT with a couple of friends and a pint or two. This year's birthday adventure was even more special as we were joined by my father.



We arrived at the P19 parking lot shortly after 10 am and after a round of introductions we loaded up the packs, strapped on the skis and headed off in the direction of Lusk cabin.

View from Lusk Lake cabin



At one point along the side trail to Lusk we were hit with a blast of wet hail. Then right when it seemed that we might be in for a sloppy, icy day of skiing it stopped as suddenly as it had started. The timing was perfect too as we had just arrived at the Lusk cabin where inside we found a roaring woodstove and the volunteer skier that had sparked it up for us.

The volunteer left after he finished his sweeping and wood cutting chores and soon we had the cabin all to ourselves. We relaxed, sung birthday songs, and enjoyed a delicious "Tripper style" lunch. Soon though we were restless again so off we headed back out on the trail to Renaud shelter. It never ceases to amaze me how short the downhill run seems in comparison to the upward climb it takes to reach this cabin. Needless to say it's well worth the effort.



After a short beer break at Renaud (short because we got tired of listening to the one other occupant rant about the poor trail conditions) we headed off towards Taylor Lake to finish the loop back to P19.



Shortly after rounding Taylor Lake we hit a couple of great downhill runs and then blammo! we arrived in a wash of sunshine at the parking lot. Finally to wrap up an already glorious day in the GAT we all stopped for a roadside poutine before continuing back home to Ottawa.



My birthday wish should now seem obvious to all you blog readers out there... I wished for a repeat the same day next year on my birthday. Cheers.

Family ski in the GAT

Gatineau Park: P10 to Keogan Shelter (9 km)
P10: N45 31.141 W75 51.234
Keogan: N45 30.353 W75 52.816

Saturday we tested out the skis in the Greenbelt and decided it was high time to raise the bar and try a family ski day in Gatineau Park. So we packed some tinfoil wrapped sandwiches and snacks and loaded up the van for an early start.



The weather was a little crisp when we hit P10 but the sun was out and we got the last parking spot in the lot so we were off to a good start. Up up up we skied finally hitting Keogan Shelter around 11:30. Perfect timing for lunch. The place was less than half full so we had plenty of space to enjoy our toasted ham, cheese, and tomato sandwiches.



Heading back to the parking lot was the easy part, especially after the "steep hill" sign. A nice steady glide was all I needed to put a smile on everyone's face and ensure a return trip. Thumbs up all around.