Gatineau Park & Ottawa area trail runs - Add yours!

You didn't need those toenails, did you?
User avatar
NMG
Bill Crothers
Posts: 1141
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2012 7:04 pm
Location: Ottawa

Re: Gatineau Park & Ottawa area trail runs - Add yours!

Postby NMG » Wed Jun 19, 2013 5:00 pm

Any rocks on that P7 to the lookout route Strider? :mrgreen:

User avatar
Strider
Jerome Drayton
Posts: 5387
Joined: Tue Jan 23, 2007 7:40 am
Location: Training to find my next edge
Contact:

Re: Gatineau Park & Ottawa area trail runs - Add yours!

Postby Strider » Wed Jun 19, 2013 7:43 pm

Nothing like Sunday's run. Just a few, but easy to scoot around.
Help Fight Children's Cancer with Sears Canada and GoodGuysTri - 26 Team Mates, All Running 100km, 1 Goal.
If you have the time please read my participation page and consider a donation.

Mr.Gold
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jun 19, 2013 7:23 am

Re: Gatineau Park & Ottawa area trail runs - Add yours!

Postby Mr.Gold » Thu Jun 20, 2013 6:09 am

Thanks so much for the help. Looking forward to getting out there this weekend!

User avatar
ngcaper
Tom Longboat
Posts: 447
Joined: Fri Oct 26, 2012 10:23 am
Location: NCR

Re: Gatineau Park & Ottawa area trail runs - Add yours!

Postby ngcaper » Sun Dec 22, 2013 1:59 pm

Dreaming of theses runs after this week in Ottawa...
Beer, the cause of and solution to all of lifes problems.

2015 Races:
The Limberlost Challenge 56k
Dam Wakley Damn 55k
I2P Run 50k
Grand 2 Grand 273k

User avatar
NMG
Bill Crothers
Posts: 1141
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2012 7:04 pm
Location: Ottawa

Re: Gatineau Park & Ottawa area trail runs - Add yours!

Postby NMG » Sun Dec 22, 2013 6:06 pm

OMG I cannot wait until Spring!!!!!!!!! I'm going to make a focused effort to incorporate Gatineau and the March Highlands more into my training plan for the Ottawa 1/2. Last year I avoided the trails when I was preparing because I was scared of an ill timed injury, but I think I'm going to rely on them somehow this time around.

User avatar
dgrant
Lynn Williams
Posts: 13854
Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2005 12:01 am
Location: Down by the river

Re: Gatineau Park & Ottawa area trail runs - Add yours!

Postby dgrant » Sun Dec 22, 2013 11:29 pm

I snowshoed (snowshod?) trails 64 and 65 out of Relais Plein Air yesterday. They are super accessible and have enough ups and downs to give you a really good hourish-long workout.

User avatar
ngcaper
Tom Longboat
Posts: 447
Joined: Fri Oct 26, 2012 10:23 am
Location: NCR

Re: Gatineau Park & Ottawa area trail runs - Add yours!

Postby ngcaper » Mon Dec 23, 2013 3:56 pm

NMG...come join any weekend. The Gatz are fun...much better than the doldrums of the road. I consider the road barely a step up from the TM.

dgrant...I have no idea where that area is, but am now interested. Could I get a good hr of running, snowshoes and no snowshoes there? I'm looking for anything closer than 70/71 that also has climbing.
Beer, the cause of and solution to all of lifes problems.

2015 Races:
The Limberlost Challenge 56k
Dam Wakley Damn 55k
I2P Run 50k
Grand 2 Grand 273k

User avatar
dgrant
Lynn Williams
Posts: 13854
Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2005 12:01 am
Location: Down by the river

Re: Gatineau Park & Ottawa area trail runs - Add yours!

Postby dgrant » Mon Dec 23, 2013 4:39 pm

ngcaper wrote:NMG...come join any weekend. The Gatz are fun...much better than the doldrums of the road. I consider the road barely a step up from the TM.

dgrant...I have no idea where that area is, but am now interested. Could I get a good hr of running, snowshoes and no snowshoes there? I'm looking for anything closer than 70/71 that also has climbing.


Relais Plein Air is on the eastern border of the park, right in urban Gatineau. It's about 10min from any of the bridges. You'll find it marked as P2 on the park maps.

Not really any winter (non-snowshoe) trail running in Gatineau Park until the snow's nearly gone. The XC skiers will read you the riot act for walking/running on their groomed trails in the winter... which is only fair given the fee they pay.

Snowshoe running is a monster workout, and many (most?) of the snowshoe trails do not double as summer trails, so it's an opportunity to see things you don't from March to November. :D

OTTchris
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Jan 09, 2014 1:15 pm
Location: Ottawa

Re: Gatineau Park & Ottawa area trail runs - Add yours!

Postby OTTchris » Mon Mar 09, 2015 9:47 am

Lets get this discussion going again...I ran the Wolf Trail last weekend with a pair of microspikes (not snowshoes), the whole loop was very "runnable" I went up the steep side (turn right at the trail junction about 500m after trailhead) I would recommend this as there was some ice that i'd rather hit going slow on the way up, rather than in full flight on the way down!

Warmer weather on the way, it might all change to slush (or ice) quite soon, so get up there!
Spring 2015:
Around the Bay
Montreal Half
Ottawa Marathon

User avatar
mas_runner
Bill Crothers
Posts: 2339
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2009 5:37 pm
Location: Hull, QC

Re: Gatineau Park & Ottawa area trail runs - Add yours!

Postby mas_runner » Sun May 10, 2015 8:02 pm

Once the marathon is out of the way I will definitely be heading into the Gats. Will post my findings when I return.
PBs
5th Sep 2015 - Run Ottawa free 5km - 21:05
21st Jun 2015 - UR 4 Men's Cancers 10km - 45:45
16th Jun 2013 - UR 4 Men's Cancers 15km - 1:11:44
16th Apr 2016 - MEC 10 miler - 1:20:21
12th Apr 2015 - EY R4R Half Marathon - 1:41:15
26th May 2013 - Ottawa Marathon - 3:43:51

2017 races - coming up
7th May - Defi Entreprise 10km
28th May - Ottawa Half Marathon
17th Sep - Army Run Half Marathon

User avatar
NMG
Bill Crothers
Posts: 1141
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2012 7:04 pm
Location: Ottawa

Re: Gatineau Park & Ottawa area trail runs - Add yours!

Postby NMG » Mon May 25, 2015 8:22 pm

Hey everyone!

Does anyone know of a nice 20-30K trail loop in the Gats? I was looking at the map and saw what looked like some options starting out near Wakefield (P17 and then doing a bit of a loop around Lac Philippe and back), but it was hard to get a read on the exact length based on the map I was looking at.

I've no issues with some elevation gain, but would prefer not to climb all the way up and then back down, at least not for this trek. Some stuff on the lower ground with some hilly stuff mixed in would be great.

Can you think of any options worth looking into? Just looking for a relaxing long run that I can take on one Saturday morning in the near future.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions you may have!

User avatar
dgrant
Lynn Williams
Posts: 13854
Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2005 12:01 am
Location: Down by the river

Re: Gatineau Park & Ottawa area trail runs - Add yours!

Postby dgrant » Mon May 25, 2015 9:02 pm

I think the big triangular route around Lac Philippe (51/53/52/50) is indeed what you're looking for. If I recall correctly, it's just a bit over 20km. Lots of nice shade, no hills longer than a minute, really nice running surfaces. There are some low-lying spots along 52 where the bugs can be really annoying.

If you don't mind an out-and-back, #1 from the main Visitor Centre in Old Chelsea goes for over 20km each way and is IMHO the best running surface in the park (for a non-technical long run). There are a few mega-steep slopes along there though.

User avatar
NMG
Bill Crothers
Posts: 1141
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2012 7:04 pm
Location: Ottawa

Re: Gatineau Park & Ottawa area trail runs - Add yours!

Postby NMG » Tue May 26, 2015 4:17 pm

Thanks dgrant, that's exactly what I was looking for!

User avatar
erinmcd
Bill Crothers
Posts: 2573
Joined: Mon Jan 04, 2010 12:20 pm
Location: Brighton ON

Re: Gatineau Park & Ottawa area trail runs - Add yours!

Postby erinmcd » Wed Jul 08, 2015 9:47 am

I'm camping with my family at Lac Phillipe in August- any suggestions on good trails right from the campground? I prefer nasty & technical over smooth trails.
Keep on rolling, just a mile to go. Keep on rolling my old buddy, you're moving much too slow.

User avatar
mas_runner
Bill Crothers
Posts: 2339
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2009 5:37 pm
Location: Hull, QC

Re: Gatineau Park & Ottawa area trail runs - Add yours!

Postby mas_runner » Thu Jul 09, 2015 1:26 pm

erinmcd wrote:I'm camping with my family at Lac Phillipe in August- any suggestions on good trails right from the campground? I prefer nasty & technical over smooth trails.


Looking at the trail map, most trails around there seem to be easy ones. Looks like your best bet would be taking #54 to Lac Lusk near thec Lusk caves. Part of that trail is a black diamond (difficult). You could carry on along #54 to #55 around Lac Taylor and up #56 to the lookout.

I haven't been on any of these trails, I am only going by the map.
PBs
5th Sep 2015 - Run Ottawa free 5km - 21:05
21st Jun 2015 - UR 4 Men's Cancers 10km - 45:45
16th Jun 2013 - UR 4 Men's Cancers 15km - 1:11:44
16th Apr 2016 - MEC 10 miler - 1:20:21
12th Apr 2015 - EY R4R Half Marathon - 1:41:15
26th May 2013 - Ottawa Marathon - 3:43:51

2017 races - coming up
7th May - Defi Entreprise 10km
28th May - Ottawa Half Marathon
17th Sep - Army Run Half Marathon

User avatar
mas_runner
Bill Crothers
Posts: 2339
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2009 5:37 pm
Location: Hull, QC

Re: Gatineau Park & Ottawa area trail runs - Add yours!

Postby mas_runner » Thu Jul 09, 2015 1:42 pm

PBs
5th Sep 2015 - Run Ottawa free 5km - 21:05
21st Jun 2015 - UR 4 Men's Cancers 10km - 45:45
16th Jun 2013 - UR 4 Men's Cancers 15km - 1:11:44
16th Apr 2016 - MEC 10 miler - 1:20:21
12th Apr 2015 - EY R4R Half Marathon - 1:41:15
26th May 2013 - Ottawa Marathon - 3:43:51

2017 races - coming up
7th May - Defi Entreprise 10km
28th May - Ottawa Half Marathon
17th Sep - Army Run Half Marathon

User avatar
mas_runner
Bill Crothers
Posts: 2339
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2009 5:37 pm
Location: Hull, QC

Re: Gatineau Park & Ottawa area trail runs - Add yours!

Postby mas_runner » Fri Jul 10, 2015 9:26 am

I'm doing the 30km MEC race in Gatineau Park on the 19th. Ventured in twice:

1) 16km encompassing most of the 1st half of the race course. Parked at Camp Fortune and headed up #4 to #1 (east) then it's the awesome gnarly trails of #8 and #17 before returning to #1 to Shilly Shally, turn around and back down #4 to Camp Fortune.

2) 22km featuring most of the last 2/3 of the course. Camp Fortune again, #4 to #1 (west), #18, #9 #24, #40. Mostly easy up to that point but then as you turn back onto #2 there is a huge long ball/ovary breaking upslope. Absolute killer!

After that it's supposed to be #21 to #3, back to #9 and return to #4/Camp Fortune on #1 but I missed a turn and ended up running a really cool gnarly/muddy trail (#21 and #3) back towards Lac Fortune. I knew I was heading in the right direction so just went with it. After that, a little foray onto #9 took me back to Camp Fortune and bizarrely enough the 22km I was expecting.
PBs
5th Sep 2015 - Run Ottawa free 5km - 21:05
21st Jun 2015 - UR 4 Men's Cancers 10km - 45:45
16th Jun 2013 - UR 4 Men's Cancers 15km - 1:11:44
16th Apr 2016 - MEC 10 miler - 1:20:21
12th Apr 2015 - EY R4R Half Marathon - 1:41:15
26th May 2013 - Ottawa Marathon - 3:43:51

2017 races - coming up
7th May - Defi Entreprise 10km
28th May - Ottawa Half Marathon
17th Sep - Army Run Half Marathon

User avatar
erinmcd
Bill Crothers
Posts: 2573
Joined: Mon Jan 04, 2010 12:20 pm
Location: Brighton ON

Re: Gatineau Park & Ottawa area trail runs - Add yours!

Postby erinmcd » Tue Jul 14, 2015 3:18 pm

Great- thanks!
Keep on rolling, just a mile to go. Keep on rolling my old buddy, you're moving much too slow.

User avatar
NMG
Bill Crothers
Posts: 1141
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2012 7:04 pm
Location: Ottawa

Re: Gatineau Park & Ottawa area trail runs - Add yours!

Postby NMG » Thu Aug 06, 2015 4:46 pm

Hey everyone,

Just thought I'd post a quick review of the loop I ran today. It's also the one that dgrant described earlier in this thread.

Anyway, you start by parking at the P17 parking lot near Wakefield. The run starts off on on trail 53 and I chose to head off on the 52 a few hundred metres past the start. The 52 leads to the 50, which you then follow all along Lac Philippe to the 51. There is a bit of paved road along the 50 due to it being the access road to the Lac Philippe campground, but I think it's only a few KMs before you head off onto the 51 and eventually back to the 53, returning to P12 from there. You could obviously do the run in the reverse direction of you chose.

The hardest part of the run (by far IMHO) is the 52 section. There is about a 2-3KM stretch that is a pretty steady climb, along with a couple of fairly steep sections. They aren't long, nor are they extreme, but it's definitely the most taxing part of the run as far as elevation gain goes. My Garmin shows about a 400 foot gain over that spot and while I know that elevation gain is not all that accurate with GPS, it seems to support my anecdotal feedback based on how the elevation profile for the rest of the route lays out. Once you hit the high point, you drop back down over what is roughly twice the distance so it's definitely steeper heading up. The terrain on the 52 is a bit of a mixed bag. Some clean, some overgrown, but not allot of rock or roots. Pretty easy going for the most part.

Once you are on the 50, it's very easy sailing with mostly flat, very clean terrain. There are a couple of hills as you are leaving the campground on the paved sections, but nothing major.

The terrain on the 51 and the 53 back to P12 is similar to the 52, without the big elevation gain. It's mainly rolling hills, without much in the way of the flat stuff that you see on the 50. It's easily navigable though and overall, I think the section actually loses elevation as you make your way back to P12.

All in all, it's a really nice run. The bugs were bad in spots, especially if I stopped for water or slowed down, but that should subside in the fall. The views of Lac Philippe were also very nice. I measured it out at 21.3K for the entire loop.

User avatar
Mega Mo
Johnny Miles
Posts: 110
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 9:31 am
Contact:

Re: Gatineau Park & Ottawa area trail runs - Add yours!

Postby Mega Mo » Tue Oct 06, 2015 2:59 pm

Hello,

I'll be visiting family in Ottawa this weekend for Thanksgiving and should have time to fit in a 20km or so. Never been to Gatineau Park, is there a go-to trail for something extremely hilly and technical? If someone could point me in the right direction, it would be appreciated!

Thanks,

Mo
2015 Events:
Pick Your Poison 50km
Sulpher Springs 50 mile
North Face Blue Mountain 50 mile
Creemore Verticle Challenge 75km
Wasatch Front 100 Mile
Tour du Massif 50km
Somethin' else...
http://stupid-running.blogspot.com/

User avatar
dgrant
Lynn Williams
Posts: 13854
Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2005 12:01 am
Location: Down by the river

Re: Gatineau Park & Ottawa area trail runs - Add yours!

Postby dgrant » Tue Oct 06, 2015 4:20 pm

Mega Mo wrote:Hello,

I'll be visiting family in Ottawa this weekend for Thanksgiving and should have time to fit in a 20km or so. Never been to Gatineau Park, is there a go-to trail for something extremely hilly and technical? If someone could point me in the right direction, it would be appreciated!

Thanks,

Mo


The trails around Chelsea have lots of tough hills, and some stretches of challenging footing.

http://www.ncc-ccn.gc.ca/sites/default/files/pubs/gatineau-park-summer-trail-map.pdf

From P7 on that map, you could follow 30 to 8 to 23 to 17 to 6, west on 1 for quite a while before turning around whenever you feel like it. The trails are well signed, but you'd want to make a note of the sequence because it's a lot of side loops. Chelsea is about 20 minutes from downtown Ottawa. There are some road closures within the park (listed on the park website), but getting to P7 via the highway wouldn't be affected.

User avatar
mas_runner
Bill Crothers
Posts: 2339
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2009 5:37 pm
Location: Hull, QC

Re: Gatineau Park & Ottawa area trail runs - Add yours!

Postby mas_runner » Wed Oct 07, 2015 7:34 am

dgrant wrote:
Mega Mo wrote:Hello,

I'll be visiting family in Ottawa this weekend for Thanksgiving and should have time to fit in a 20km or so. Never been to Gatineau Park, is there a go-to trail for something extremely hilly and technical? If someone could point me in the right direction, it would be appreciated!

Thanks,

Mo


The trails around Chelsea have lots of tough hills, and some stretches of challenging footing.

http://www.ncc-ccn.gc.ca/sites/default/files/pubs/gatineau-park-summer-trail-map.pdf

From P7 on that map, you could follow 30 to 8 to 23 to 17 to 6, west on 1 for quite a while before turning around whenever you feel like it. The trails are well signed, but you'd want to make a note of the sequence because it's a lot of side loops. Chelsea is about 20 minutes from downtown Ottawa. There are some road closures within the park (listed on the park website), but getting to P7 via the highway wouldn't be affected.


I'll second that suggestion. 8 and 23/17 are gnarly, loads of steep climbs and rocks, roots etc. 6 has great views and 1 is less technical but has some killer hills. Awesome.
PBs
5th Sep 2015 - Run Ottawa free 5km - 21:05
21st Jun 2015 - UR 4 Men's Cancers 10km - 45:45
16th Jun 2013 - UR 4 Men's Cancers 15km - 1:11:44
16th Apr 2016 - MEC 10 miler - 1:20:21
12th Apr 2015 - EY R4R Half Marathon - 1:41:15
26th May 2013 - Ottawa Marathon - 3:43:51

2017 races - coming up
7th May - Defi Entreprise 10km
28th May - Ottawa Half Marathon
17th Sep - Army Run Half Marathon

User avatar
Mega Mo
Johnny Miles
Posts: 110
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 9:31 am
Contact:

Re: Gatineau Park & Ottawa area trail runs - Add yours!

Postby Mega Mo » Fri Oct 09, 2015 8:31 am

mas_runner wrote:
dgrant wrote:
Mega Mo wrote:Hello,

I'll be visiting family in Ottawa this weekend for Thanksgiving and should have time to fit in a 20km or so. Never been to Gatineau Park, is there a go-to trail for something extremely hilly and technical? If someone could point me in the right direction, it would be appreciated!

Thanks,

Mo


The trails around Chelsea have lots of tough hills, and some stretches of challenging footing.

http://www.ncc-ccn.gc.ca/sites/default/files/pubs/gatineau-park-summer-trail-map.pdf

From P7 on that map, you could follow 30 to 8 to 23 to 17 to 6, west on 1 for quite a while before turning around whenever you feel like it. The trails are well signed, but you'd want to make a note of the sequence because it's a lot of side loops. Chelsea is about 20 minutes from downtown Ottawa. There are some road closures within the park (listed on the park website), but getting to P7 via the highway wouldn't be affected.


I'll second that suggestion. 8 and 23/17 are gnarly, loads of steep climbs and rocks, roots etc. 6 has great views and 1 is less technical but has some killer hills. Awesome.


Thank you both, I'll have a look at the maps and see. Still trying to find a time when I can sneak away from the in-laws to get on the trails! Looking forward to it...

Mo
2015 Events:
Pick Your Poison 50km
Sulpher Springs 50 mile
North Face Blue Mountain 50 mile
Creemore Verticle Challenge 75km
Wasatch Front 100 Mile
Tour du Massif 50km
Somethin' else...
http://stupid-running.blogspot.com/


Return to “Ultras and Trail Running”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests