A Great Ski in Gatineau Park

I was in Ottawa for work and added a day for myself to enjoy our nation's capital. Ottawa really has a lot to offer, and it is so very walkable. I'm always looking for something a bit different to do and one afternoon I was on the Visit Ottawa website and found Tours Expedition Ottawa, run by Paul. The adventure depends on the season; cycling and canoeing in summer, skiing in winter.

 I called Paul the week before my meeting and we talked about a variety of skiing options depending on the weather. The weather has been absolutely absurd in Ottawa. -20 one day, +3 the next. With a winter storm warning and ice pellets predicted, I wasn't certain .... My meeting ended early so that folks could get home before the storm got worse, which worked out great for me. I called Paul to ask his advice, and he thought we'd have about 5 hours before the snow would turn to rain and left it up to me to make the decision.

Well, I went for it, and I'm so glad I did! So much fun to get out into one of Canada's iconic parks and enjoy a lovely picnic in a warm little cabin. Paul did a great job, organizing the whole thing, picking me up and bringing all the equipment and food. The picnic tasted all the sweeter because he carried it all! We skied up to the Shilly Shally, an uphill all the way through a lovely snowy landscape. The best part about that choice is that it was downhill the whole way back to the parking lot. Paul took wonderful photos of our outing.