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Will Declining Ottawa Precipitation Spell the End of XC and Snowshoeing?

January 28, 2012 in gatineau park, ski, snowboarding, snowshoeing, xc skiing

Charles Hodgson has posted a couple of scary graphs on GuideGatineau that are sure to make winter lovers take pause. The City of Ottawa has recently published a report on Ottawa waterheds within municipal boundaries, and a clear trend towards less and less winter precipitation (i.e. the white stuff) seems pretty obvious:

As you can see, precipitation in the winter has fallen from around 220mm to under 175mm over the past 100 years, or, assuming a 10:1 precipitation:snow ratio, about 2.2 metres to 1.75 metres. This, despite overall precipitation and that in other seasons has risen. What could this mean for skiers, snowshoers, and other snow-hounds?

A 2005 report by the NCC actually predicted that by 2050 there might not be enough snow to offer XC and snowshoe trails in Gatineau Park!

Scary stuff indeed. Read Charles’ full post over at GuideGatineau.

Tags: gatineau park, ski, snow, snowshoeing, weather, xc Comments Off

by Dave

NCC Holding Consultations on Three Gatineau Park Plans

January 16, 2012 in biking, camping, gatineau park, hiking, mountain biking, nature, news, paddling, rock climbing, ski, xc skiing

The National Capital Commission (NCC) seeks the public’s input in the elaboration of three plans for Gatineau Park. As of today, the NCC has posted on its website documents supporting a public consultation on outdoor recreational activities in Gatineau Park, issues and proposed solutions to improve travel to and within the Park and on the management of Gatineau Park’s cultural resources.

Gatineau Park Outdoor Recreation Plan– The NCC is seeking opinions on the priority for the implementation of proposed strategies for outdoor recreational activities in Gatineau Park, while respecting ecosystem conservation objectives.A workshop on this plan will be held from 9:30 am to 12 pm, on Saturday, January 28 at the Best Western Hotel, 131 Laurier Street, Gatineau, QC. Participants are asked to confirm their attendance in advance, before January 25, 2012, at info@ncc-ccn.ca. The public can also complete an online questionnaire before February 19, 2012.

[A quick note: you can check out a very long PowerPoint presentation of the Gatineau Park Outdoor Recreation Plan here]

Gatineau Park Sustainable Transportation Plan– The NCC wants opinions from the public on priority issues and proposed solutions to improve transit to and within the Park, again in the context of ecosystem conservation objectives.A workshop on this plan will be held from 1:30 pm to 4 pm, on Saturday, January 28 at the Best Western Hotel, 131 Laurier Street, Gatineau, QC. Participants are asked to confirm their attendance in advance, before January 25, 2012, at info@ncc-ccn.ca. The public can also complete an online questionnaire before February 19, 2012.
Gatineau Park Cultural Heritage Plan – Consultation on the Gatineau Park Cultural Heritage Plan is solely online, on the NCC’s website. The NCC wants to know the public’s interest in Gatineau Park’s cultural resources. Participants are asked to complete an online questionnaire before February 19, 2012.

A conservation park of 361 square kilometres, Gatineau Park is 15 minutes from Parliament Hill and in the heart of the Capital. The Park is a prime destination for visitors and residents alike. According to recent research, it is estimated that Gatineau Park receives over 2.7 million visits each year.

For more information on these public consultations, the public may contact the NCC at 613-239-5000, 613-239-5090 (TTY), 1-800-465-1867 (toll-free) or 1-866-661-3530 (toll-free TTY), or visit the NCC’s website at www.canadascapital.gc.ca.

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Tags: cultural heritage plan, gatineau park, ncc, outdoor recreation plan, public consultation, sustainable transportation plan Comments Off

by Dave

Ottawa Ski Hills Opening this Weekend

December 16, 2011 in news, ski, snowboarding

With this week’s record breaking warm temperatures behind us and a nice cold front moving in for the weekend, local hills have turned on the jets and are frantically prepping for a weekend opening.

Calabogie Peaks
Open from 9am – 4pm both Saturday and Sunday, with Shantyman, O’Briens and Beginner bowl open. The Solar chair and carpet lift will also be open.
Camp Fortune
Originally planning on opening today, Camp Fortune has bumped it back to tomorrow, when they’ll be open from 9-4. There’s a Fokus Jam this Saturday too, so they’ll definitely have the snowmaking turned to ‘High’.
I think Fortune’s planning on staying open daily after that, and night pass holders can go free during days until the 23rd.
Edelweiss
Edelweiss also opens tomorrow from 10-10. Just one run (Chemin des Bois), but they’ll have night skiing and all. This marks the official launch of their season, and Edelweiss will be open daily from here on in…
Mont Cascades
Mont Cascades has announced they’re open for the weekend of December 17 /18 from 9-4, but no word beyond the weekend yet.
Mont Ste. Marie
Mont Ste-Marie will be opening for the season starting this Saturday from 9-4, 7 days a week. They’ve got just a single run, but it’s a 1000’ of vertical on a 1.5km run :) On the Vanier side.
Mount Pakenham
After popping open for last weekend, Pakenham has pushed the limits of their snowmaking to get open again for today, and they’ll be open open daily from here on (except Christmas Day). Looks like just one run plus the bunny hill, but its a start!
Vorlage
No word back from the folks at Vorlage, so I’m not sure!

So that makes all the local hills (with the possible exception of Vorlage) open this weekend – I guess the season’s begun!

Before you head out this weekend, take a peek at the 2012 Ottawa Ski and Snowboard Season Preview for details on what’s new at your favourite ski hills! Then, why not post some pics on Vertical Drop, our ski and snowboard page?!

Tags: ski, snowboard Comments Off

by Dave

Calabogie Peaks, Camp Fortune & Mount Pakenham Open for the Season

December 10, 2011 in ski, snowboarding

Itching to get out on the slopes? This weekend is the official opening of a few local ski hills:

Calabogie Peaks
3 runs open: Shantyman, Beginner Bowl, and a diamond: O’Brien’s Fancy.
Camp Fortune
Fortune actually opened last weekend, too – still just 1 run, Pineault.
Mount Pakenham
Two runs open: Exhibition and The Loop.
Edelweiss
Edelweiss is opening tomorrow (Sunday), from 10-4 – no word on number of runs yet.

Don’t forget to check out the 2012 Ottawa Ski & Snowboard Season Preview for details on all the off-season upgrades at the local ski hills!

Tags: calabogie peaks, camp fortune, mount pakenham, ski, snowboard 1 Comment »

by Dave

2012 Ottawa Ski and Snowboard Season Preview

December 7, 2011 in featured, ski, snowboarding

I’ve got two goals for this season: beat my standing record of 37 days on the hill, and graduate from beginner to a solid intermediate snowboarder. The first half of my season is all planned out: I’ve got a pass for Camp Fortune, a Privilege Card for Mont Ste. Marie, an overnighter at Calabogie in January, followed by a week in Lake Placid… all I need now is some snow!

Its tough to believe it looking out the window but most of our local hills opening for business this weekend, officially kicking off the 2011/2012 Ottawa ski season! If there’s any upside to last month’s record temps and dry air, it could be that the resorts all had a few extra weeks to put the finishing touches on their off-season upgrades. Oh, and there have been plenty of upgrades!

We’re pretty lucky with the variety of destinations available within just an hours’ drive of Ottawa, and its great to see continued expansion, especially on the scale of the Calabogie Peaks developments and the new runs at Mont Ste. Marie… I can’t wait to try it all out! Ottawa’s hillside getaways are really battling for your skiing dollar, and I’ve outlined all the details inside.

Before we get started, be sure to check out Vertical Drop at OutdoorOttawa.com/ski. Vertical Drop is OutdoorOttawa’s ski and snowboard section, where you’ll find current trail conditions, the latest ski and snowboard pictures, videos, blog posts, and upcoming events from Ottawa ski hills, and of course you can post your own, too! I’m eager to hear feedback on the new section, so feel free to leave a comment!

The Preview

This year’s Ottawa Ski and Snowboard Season Preview is divvied up into separate posts for each hill; you’ll find links to them all below. Inside you’ll find all the details on new trails, improved snowmaking, enhanced snow parks, upcoming events, and other renovations for each hill.

I got pretty revved up for the season while preparing this Preview and I hope it has the same effect on you! As always, I’m eager to hear your thoughts, so feel free to comment on any of the ski hills! Pray for snow and I’ll see you on the slopes!

2011/12 Ottawa Ski & Snowboard Season Previews:
	Calabogie Peaks New runs, renovations, accommodation, snowmaking… Calabogie’s got it all!
	Camp Fortune More snowmaking, a huge airbag, and great ski & board events.
	Edelweiss Again, more snowmaking – tripling the water pressure!
	Mont Cascades Improvements to their Revolution snowpark and a little more snowmaking.
	Mont Ste. Marie Two huge new runs – tallest in the region and the first in 3 decades!
	Mount Pakenham New Park features, glades, renovations, and expanded WOW program!
	Ski Vorlage Snowmaking, finishing touches on last year’s new run, and lodge renovations