Gatineau Park & Ottawa area trail runs - Add yours!

[Strider]

how do you like the Raptors? ... I've only tried them once on the treadmill..

Raptors don't deserve to be run on the treadmill. They belong in the muck and rocks and roots and hills...

[msdesigner]

Ha!!! ...but I had to see if I liked them or not.... can't return them once they are worn outside.

I think I am going to have to though......

[VeloCarrie]

I haven't been to the Gats for a couple weeks, being that my ride and I no longer have the same weekends off. But the great thing about Ottawa is, you can usually find a trailhead close to your house, whether they are on a map or not.

This is, what I call "rail trail." It is an old rail line that runs parallel to Riverside Drive (not on the river side). The (not so) new rail track is beside it 100m to the left in this picture. This trail is about 2K but you can connect it to other local parks and trails just by crossing a street.


This is, what I call "hydroline trail." It is a beautiful and well used trail by many in the neighbourhood. It runs perpendicular to the above rail trail. It runs away from the river, crosses a road, then continues about 3K. This is also connected to a few trails in the area just by crossing a street. There is also another trail that runs parallel to this, but through bush.


This is what runs parallel to the hydroline trail. It is also well used by locals. There are three areas of different kinds of bush, usually broken up by paved NCC paths or cleared areas. This is an easier trail, but can be muddy.

This is a more technical trail, lots of raised roots, downed trees, mud, rocks and one swampy area that is really hard to get around through the bush.


This is a beautiful area when the leaves are more mature. I've seen a wild turkey and deer in here.

[Strider]

Anyone been up to the park lately? Reading on Trirudy this morning it sounds like the Caterpillars are back.

We went for a nice ride in the park on Friday, but were discouraged from the trails because of all the caterpillars falling from the trees (yuck). Can someone who rides up there regularly let me know when they have finished falling please?

Also on guidegatineau.ca from May10th

If you are in Gatineau Park around this time on a sunny day and think you can hear the pitter-patter of raindrops on the forest floor, we've got news for you.

The precipitation you are hearing is the poop from thousands and thousands of tent caterpillars munching away at the leaves in the trees above you.

I have a 3.5hr run to do up there on Sunday. Looks like I may have to wear a hat and bring an umbrella

[VeloCarrie]

The only time I've seen forest tent caterpillars that bad was northern Ontario. They don't really bug me much, but my fellow trail running chicks aren't going back until their done.

I didn't find them bad on the main trails, probably because the tree cover isn't totally encapsulating overhead, but some of the more sheltered trails made me laugh with them coming down. When the breeze blows though . . .

[Strider]

Thanks, I will be running some of the more sheltered/technical trails, hoping for no wind. I'll bring a camera.

[jon]

Thanks for the pics of the Riverside pics Trail Child! I've heard about those trails quite a few times but have never been. Can you or someone else whose been there tell me an intersection or parking lot near to one of the entrances? (For someone coming from the east).

-Jon

[VeloCarrie]

Thanks, I will be running some of the more sheltered/technical trails, hoping for no wind. I'll bring a camera.

Guide Gatineau has posted some videos: YUM.

[Strider]

Guide Gatineau has posted some videos: YUM.

I'll have to wait till I get home to watch them (blocked here). Does sound kinda gross up there.

Posted on the Guide

Yesterday, we drove to the look off at the top of the Gatineau Park parkway with the intention of having a picnic at Étienne Brulé.

At first I though the trees looked strange. Then we noticed that we could hear the tires on the caterpillars on the road. There are caterpillars every where. They are eating the trees. It is very extensive. You cannot walk without stepping on them. We certainly didn’t eat there.

I could stand running and squishing them for an hour or so, but 3.5 hours. I may have to rethink my run location.

Of course I could just be being wimpy. I'll wait to check out the videos.

[VeloCarrie]

Thanks for the pics of the Riverside pics Trail Child! I've heard about those trails quite a few times but have never been. Can you or someone else whose been there tell me an intersection or parking lot near to one of the entrances? (For someone coming from the east).

-Jon

There are so many different exits and entrances because these aren't "official" trails. You can link up to some of these from the big hydrolines that cross Walkley and go north on from there. You can go straight down the hydroline (and through some community gardens) out to behind the General Hospital and some greenspaces off of the hydrolines.

[VeloCarrie]

Jon: I just forgot of some trails that are used for mountain biking between Riverside Drive and the Rideau River. You can access them near Hurdman OC Transpo station (park at some of the sidestreets where the row of apartment buildings and condos are on Riverside and Industrial). The start of them are just south of that big hill that sticks out like a sore thumb just south of the station. It starts off as an old dirt road and then branches off into a maze of mountain bike trails all throughout there. I honestly haven't run through a lot of them there so YMMV.

[scrumhalfgirl]

Carrie - one of these days (when it is less hot) will you take me out for a tour of those trails? *$ is on me afterwards!

[VeloCarrie]

Carrie - one of these days (when it is less hot) will you take me out for a tour of those trails? *$ is on me afterwards!

Love to.

[Strider]

Well I can quite honestly say that the caterpillar issue on the trails is pretty well a non-issue. I had visions of running and crunching caterpillars under my shoes for 3.5 hours. Don't think I stepped on one and only saw about 3 on the trail and had to brush 1 off my shoulder once. You can hear them munching away on the leaves, and there are bits of leaves on a lot of the trails, but not nearly has horrific as I had imagined it might be.

Sunday I ran from the Visitors Centre up to Trail 6, did a double loop off 6, then out and back on trail 8 and then 19 and finished with a half-loop of 6 (and back) and down to the Centre. Here is my run in Training Peaks.

So if you are thinking of running in the Gats, go for it, nothing to fear except the Bears (saw two piles of scat)

Trail #6 Roots


..and rocks


Nice Climb on Trail 19


Caterpillar free trail


but you can see that the underbrush is quite thinned out (on trail 19 again)

[mas_runner]

Had a fun run in Gatineau Park today. Parked at the Relais du plein air and took #27 to #5 and then #15 up to #35 (Pink Lake), retuned for a total of 12km. This was my very first trail run and once I got the hang of the slopes and trying no trip over rocks and roots it was awesome. Took it nice and easy, was a lot of fun.

[mas_runner]

Headed out to Gatineau Park again today. Parked at the visitor center on Scott and took trail #1 (penguin) to #30 and then a loop of #8/17 and back to #1 aagain. Did a couple of loops of the sugar bush trail next to the carpark to round out the run to 15kms (450m elevation gain).

I struggled a bit on the relentless steep slopes, still have a cold and I am a bit of a novice to trail running (need to get some proper traiil shoes) so I walked a fair few times. Loved it though, had a close encounter with a deer and the view from the lookout where #1 meets #30 is amazing, next time I will take a camera and allow extra time to explore some other trails (wanted to do a loop of #6 but didn't have time).

Trails were in great shape, a bit muddy in the low-lying areas of #17, bugs were managable (I put on some spray before heading out).

Saw another runner coming up #1 and I was descending, was it you Strider? You did a similar trail in your post in this thread.

[Strider]

What time were you up there? I was heading down to the visitor centre around 10:00 (I had a hydration pack and waist bottles). Trail 8 and 17 have some nice climbs, well done and not in trail shoes

You should try #6 if you haven't yet. Great views from the right side.

[mas_runner]

What time were you up there? I was heading down to the visitor centre around 10:00 (I had a hydration pack and waist bottles). Trail 8 and 17 have some nice climbs, well done and not in trail shoes

You should try #6 if you haven't yet. Great views from the right side.

I hit the trails at about 6:45 so I was back at the car by 8:45 so it can't have been you I saw. I'm going shopping for some shoes (any advice?) and will definitely give 6 a try when I go up there next.

[Strider]

I was heading up just after 7:30. I did pass someone coming down as I was climbing up bu that would have been at 7:45, so likely the same guy you saw.

Shoes? Top of the list would be the LaSportiva Crosslites at MEC

Check out this thread on Trail Shoes that Steve started

[mas_runner]

I was heading up just after 7:30. I did pass someone coming down as I was climbing up bu that would have been at 7:45, so likely the same guy you saw.

Shoes? Top of the list would be the LaSportiva Crosslites at MEC

Check out this thread on Trail Shoes that Steve started

Then it was you I saw, you were wearing mostly grey and said "good morning" as we passed each other? I had on a light blue top dark blue shorts and a black hat. Too bad, I figured it was you but didn't want to get into the embarassment of "hey! I know you from the internet..." .

Cheers, i'll check out those shoes.

[Strider]

It is looking like I'll have to do a 4:00-4:30 run this Saturday (10th) on all my Favourite Gatineau trails. Anyone interested in keeping me company for part of it? I'll likely aim to leave the Visitor Center at 7:00am. Pace will be slow and controlled with focus on Hydration/Nutrition and time on the feet.

[orleansrunner1962]

Sounds awesome Strider - unfortunately, can't make it this weekend, but hope the "invite" comes up again -- I would LOVE to have someone introduce me to the Gatineau trails -- I did some trail running in Voyageur Park while we were camping and LOVED it... concerned about the safety of going on trails as a lone female though, so would be great if I could "tag along" next time

[treadlightly]

I'll give you my Gatineau Park trail report. It was Ridge Road (which is #1) from P7 (Kingsmere) to Champlain Lookout.

You access Ridge from #30 from P7.

Total of 15K. It was a great day! I would love to come back to this trail to do some hills.

My running buddies and I have 15K to do this weekend and would like to try a trail run. Would this be a good route to start with? Nobody has trail shoes.

[Strider]

I'll give you my Gatineau Park trail report. It was Ridge Road (which is #1) from P7 (Kingsmere) to Champlain Lookout.

You access Ridge from #30 from P7.

Total of 15K. It was a great day! I would love to come back to this trail to do some hills.

My running buddies and I have 15K to do this weekend and would like to try a trail run. Would this be a good route to start with? Nobody has trail shoes.

It is not too bad in regular shoes. There are some rockier sections but they are manageable in road shoes. If you are not running too hard you'll be fine. Of course after you'll love it and want to buy trails shoes.

[treadlightly]

I'll give you my Gatineau Park trail report. It was Ridge Road (which is #1) from P7 (Kingsmere) to Champlain Lookout.

You access Ridge from #30 from P7.

Total of 15K. It was a great day! I would love to come back to this trail to do some hills.

My running buddies and I have 15K to do this weekend and would like to try a trail run. Would this be a good route to start with? Nobody has trail shoes.

It is not too bad in regular shoes. There are some rockier sections but they are manageable in road shoes. If you are not running too hard you'll be fine. Of course after you'll love it and want to buy trails shoes.

We ended up doing Trail #36 to Trail #50 (west) and back for a total of 24K and LOVED IT! Trail #50 was great for us newbies, Trail #36 was pretty hilly but fun.