Cross-Country Ski Trails in Ottawa

KITC would like to welcome back, guest blogger, Stephen Johnson. Stephen Johnson is an Ottawa writer who loves to write about family travel. During the summer, when there isn’t a pandemic, you will most likely find him and his family at a local fair or festival.

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Anyone who lives in Ottawa knows that spring, summer and fall are brief houseguests whereas winter is like close family.  To enjoy the season more,  our family loves to cross-country ski.  If you’re looking for a way to get some exercise this winter, here are a few of our favourite cross country ski trails in Ottawa   

Mer Bleue

Since moving to the east end,  Mer Bleue has been my go-to spot.  There are four different parking lots to access the trails.  The scenery is amazing and many Ottawa families know the joys of feeding the chickadees.   

Our son, David learned to cross-country ski on the relatively flat trails of parking lot P23. Some of the trails from the other parking lots offer more ups and downs.     

One highlight at all the trails is the canopy of snow in the trees after a fresh snowfall.   

One cool feature is that if all the trails at Mer Bleue are busy, you will often find few people on the Prescott-Russell rail trail which also  has parking just off of Anderson Road.   

Pine Grove

This is my go-to spot if I just want to get away from everything. I find the trails are generally quieter than Mer Bleue and the trails seem to go on forever. I always imagine encountering a bear or a wolf on the trails as you feel completely in nature. Don’t worry,  I have not heard of any bear or wolf sightings.  Perhaps many chipmunks and the odd skunk or raccoon.  

Ski Heritage East/Ottawa River Trail

This is a relatively new trail for me.  In 2018,  a group of volunteers wanted to expand cross-country skiing to Orleans and started grooming the bike trails along the river.  The trail has since expanded all the way from Trim Road to Blair Road making it 30 km there and back.  

I had the opportunity to ski the trail a few weeks ago and it was an amazing experience.  To have the view of the Ottawa River on one side was incredible.  I saw two huge pieces of ice slowly collide on the river. I felt like I could have been on the movie, Titanic and yelled,  ‘Iceberg, right ahead.’   

The day I visited,  the trail was moderately used and there was space to socially distance.  There are nice flat sections and also small hills.

Rideau Winter Trail

This trail started off as a trial project last winter and has grown in scope this year.  Set along the Rideau River,  this may be my new favourite trail in the city.  The Rideau Winter Trail runs from the Rideau Sports Centre near Donald Street to past the Hurdman light rail station.  It offers up nine kilometres of groomed trail.

The thing I love about this trail besides the fact it is beautiful is that it is accessible to many people.  Located right in the heart of Ottawa,  it is easily accessed by University of Ottawa students or anyone taking the light rail.  The trail is literally almost right in front of the light rail station. There is also plenty of space for social distancing.   

Your local park

The great thing about cross-country skiing is that you can throw on your pair of skis and go almost any place there is adequate snow.  This year,  I have been doing a lot just in my local park just outside my backyard.  

One of my favourite memories was doing a video call with my wife’s family from Mexico while David and I skied down a small hill.   

Skiing during COVID-19

It goes without saying the trails are much busier this year.  There is an increase in skiers and also hikers, snowshoers and fat bikers. Most people have been very respectful about social distancing on the trails. I do find the trails are very busy on weekends. I try to go during the week when the trails are less busy. I found the Rideau Winter Trail had the most space for social distancing.  

A big shoutout must be given to the National Capital Commission and the Urban Winter Trails Alliance.  Working together both groups have greatly expanded the urban trail network in Ottawa. Also, a guy with the nickname of Groomer Dave (Dave Adams)  was instrumental in getting the trail project going.  About five years ago,  working with the NCC,  he had the idea of grooming trails along the Ottawa River in the west end.  This led to the creation of the SJAM.  His vision helped us to arrive to where we are at today.  

West End Ottawa Cross-Country Ski Trails

Don’t worry west-enders, you have plenty of options as well.   As mentioned, the SJAM is a wonderful trail along the Ottawa River.  There is also the Britannia Winter Trail  along with the Ottawa West Winter Trail.

All the trails mentioned above are free of charge but donations are gratefully accepted to many.  It is best to check out their website or Facebook page for conditions and possible donation information.  

Wherever you go, happy skiing!

Tubing at Mount Pakenham

KITC would like to welcome back guest blogger, Stephen Johnson. Stephen Johnson is an Ottawa writer who loves to write about family travel.  During the summer, you will most likely find him and his family at a local fair or festival. During the winter, a beach in Mexico is a likely bet.  

One of my favourite activities as a kid was to go sliding down our local hill. Growing up in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, the hill was more like a bump compared to Ottawa standards but I still a great time. When I saw Mount Pakenham had tubing along with downhill skiing, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to introduce our son, David and my wife, Sandy to the activity.  

We set out to Pakenham on the Sunday of Family Day weekend. The weather (for once) was perfect for outdoor sports. Arriving at the mountain, the first thing that struck us was the beauty of the place. Set in the Ottawa Valley, Pakenham has a family feel that might be lost at larger, more expensive ski resorts. As previously mentioned, being from Saskatchewan, downhill skiing is not my go-to winter sport so we opted for the tubing and snowshoeing option.  

We headed over to the tubing hill and picked up our inner tubes. There was not a lift taking us to the top of the hill but it was not an overly long walk and the pathway was well-maintained. Once we reached the top of the hill there were two possible runs open. David enthusiastically hopped in his inner tube and asked the staff attendant to give him the full spin option. We watched David speed down the hill with a smile on his face for the entire ride. Sandy and I romantically rode together holding each other’s inner tubes. We opted for the gentler push which still provided an exciting ride.

For the next go-around, David wanted to take a ride with me. On our climb to the top, he proposed doing the maximum spin-o-rama. By the time we reached the top of the hill, I was able to negotiate him down to the mild spin. Whatever way, we had a lot of fun. We took another three or four trips down the hill and had a blast.

Once done with tubing, we were able to borrow snowshoes and check out the trails. We took a scenic walk through the forest and were able to take short diversions off-trail because of our snowshoes.  

After about a half hour exploring, we had worked up an appetite and headed back to the main lodge area. We opted for the cafeteria inside the lodge which offered comfort food like soup and sandwich, poutine and hamburgers. They also had lighter fare including salads. We enjoyed our meal in the convivial company of fellow tubers and skiers. The resort also has a lounge and bar that is open to families before a certain time. There was also an outdoor canteen that offered food as well.

We ended our time at the ski resort soaking in the sunshine and admiring the skiers racing down the mountain.

If you have time, the village of Pakenham is worth a stop. The Pakenham General Store was originally built in 1840 and has some of the tastiest cinnamon buns I have ever tasted. It is also worth to check out the five span bridge which was originally constructed in 1903 and is built completely out of stone.

Special thanks to Mount Pakenham for providing David and his family with tubing and snowshoe passes for the purpose of this article; all views are his own.

6 Activities To Get Your Kids Outside in Winter

Not every child loves winter. For some, the idea of playing outside in January is challenged by hibernating indoors under a blanket fort. But with a little creativity, winter can provide hours of fun for any child! And besides, children need to play outside – even in winter. Playing outside in the snow encourages imaginative play, can offer some much-needed Vitamin D and provides exercise.

Not every child loves winter. For some, the idea of playing outside in January is challenged by hibernating indoors under a blanket fort. But with a little creativity, winter can provide hours of fun for any child! And besides, children need to play outside – even in winter. Playing outside in the snow encourages imaginative play, can offer some much-needed Vitamin D and provides exercise.

If you are at a loss about how to get your kids outside to play during the colder months, here are some ideas for children of all ages:

1)   Build your own sledding hill

While going to a big sledding hill is fun, sometimes having one closer to home (like right in your yard) is fun too. A neighbour of mine challenges himself every year to take all the snow from his driveway and build up a tall sledding hill in his yard for his son and his friends. Depending on that year’s accumulation, the sledding hill can get quite tall and the bigger the better for most kids! The neighbourhood kids look forward to this snow hill every year and can be found playing on it well past their bedtime during the holidays and on weekends!

2)   Frozen Bubbles

This activity is great for young kids. Take out your leftover bubbles from the summer and get blowing! Frozen bubbles are harder to pop and last longer – and young kids think frozen bubbles are cool. Make a game out of it by seeing how many bubbles can travel across the street without popping or who's bubble can travel the highest before bursting.

3) Build a snowman

The family that builds together… drinks hot chocolate together! After building a snowman (or snowmen) as a family, have your kids choose old mitts, a hat and scarf and decorate the snowman in their own unique style! Don’t hesitate to get creative. In my neighbourhood alone, I have seen two snowmen playing hockey and Harry Potter (the snowman version) playing Quidditch!

4)  Animal tracking

Bundle up and head to a local park or nature trail and look for animal tracks. Fresh snow makes for a great opportunity to teach kids about local wildlife and the imprints their paws make. Most urban areas have at least squirrel, rabbit and bird tracks… not to mention dog tracks, which can be noted for all their different sizes.

5) Spray Paint Art

Fill spray bottles with water and food colouring (or Kool-aid) and draw and paint the snow! Have young kids practice writing their names or play tic–tac-toe in the snow using the spray bottles. Tip: Make sure the bottle doesn’t leak and that the colour easily washes off clothes.

6)  Fort building

You can buy snow fort building tools in most toy stores or you can use a recycling bin to build big bricks or a sand pail to build smaller bricks. As kids get older you will find them wanting to build forts on their own. Again, encourage their creativity by letting them use various containers you have around the house to build.

I love that my daughter will go outside and play with her friends in the winter, but for those kids who struggle with finding fun in the winter, I think a little family time together outside can be inspirational. Skiing and snowshoeing aside, with a little ingenuity and a lot of imagination, you can keep all children active in the winter, while having a great deal of fun yourself.