Snowshoe Extravaganza
Today was a special day as I had my friend Christina join on a really fun adventure in hiking around Lac Phillipe in Gatineau park. What makes this hike special is that you bypass some of the areas in were the yurts/campsites are located and you towards the direction of the Lusk caves.
You start at P20 and depart next to the lake. Naturally, you veer away from the lake into the forest a bit more where the trail is packed down, but a little less trafficked. There is a gradual climb up to the top with some beautiful sunny views.
Along the route there are 2 fire pits where you can sit down, start a fire and warm up. We got lucky that there was one going already as today’s hike was pretty cold and doesn’t lend well for a long stop. Once you move towards back to the lake you will cross over trail #50 where you might see some XC skiers pass by. From there you are around 5km back to P20 with some nice little rolling pitchy climbs. This is great training for those that are looking for an anaerobic workout.
Note: Be sure to follow trail 73 and as you see a sign for p19, be sure to stay left as you want to head up back to the lake to p20.
Map: Gaia – Feel free to follow me here!
Depart: P20
Distance: 12km
Elevation: Around 300 meters
Gear: Dion Snowshoes, Hiking poles, Icebreaker base layers, gators, multiple layers for the upper body. Thin-ish layer coat. We also brought extra buffs, mittens, and socks. I even used my hot pockets today!
Food: Homemade banana\chocolate chip loaf and a few little stinger gels
Hydration: Nuun Vitamins with an additional bottle of warm water, salt and maple syrup
Experience required: This is a longer type of hike that took us 3.5 hrs to do. You want to make sure that you are comfortable doing this type of activity and that you are committed once you get halfway around the trail. It’s not a hard hike, but in cold weather I’d recommend you be prepared.
