Lac Beauchamp Ski O Winter Series

Map: Lac Beauchamp

The first ski orienteering meet of the year will be held at Lac Beauchamp which is a popular summer venue but hasn't been used in the winter for many years. Lac Beauchamp has a multi use trail network in the winter that's used for cross country skiing, fat biking, snowshoeing and walking. There is also a sledding and skating area if you're looking to spend more time outdoors after the event (note: these are not open at this time so I don't know if they will have them open by next Sunday).

Registration will be inside on the top level of the main building. There are not very many parking spots close to the building so you will need to park in the main parking lot and walk over to the building. There are several tables available to warm up and change shoes as well as some restrooms. Downstairs also has ski and snowshoe rentals which are free for people with Gatineau+ cards or can be rented for a fee for all other users.

Season Pass Holders: Remember that passes are only valid to Dec. 31, 2025. Be prepared to pay cash/credit /debit for all Winter events.

Terrain and Conditions:

Overall the snow coverage is good at Lac Beauchamp but it is thin in spots especially on the east side that is more open and windy. I was still seeing the occasional rocks/roots last week on the trails used on the courses but they've been covered with the last two snowfalls. In the next week we are potentially getting some additional snow and possibly a small amount of rain. Please check back to the website on Saturday for the latest update on the trail conditions, grooming and hazards. At this point, I would say that you may want to avoid using your best skis as a precaution.

The solid green lines on the map are the cross country ski trails which are groomed with a single track set and a narrow skate lane. The trails are multi-use and not groomed very often so the skate lane may be a little uneven and the classic track may not be fully formed due to foot traffic. I've experienced a well formed classic track with a walked on skate lane and I've also experienced a compacted skate lane without any evidence of a classic track. Latest information on the grooming status will be updated here on the website Saturday.

The green dashed lines represent ungroomed trails that have been packed manually by snowshoers and walkers. These are the more popular trails that typically have side by side snowshoers to make a wider compacted trail. Skate skiers will need to double pole but may be able to do a modified skate technique in some areas.

The green dotted lines represent groomed fat bike trails on the west side of the map and manually compacted snowshoe trails on the east side of the map. The fat bike trails are well maintained but should mostly be avoided on skis except when used as a quick short-cut through a flat section. The snowshoe trails on the east side of the map can be used but proceed with caution going down any hills.

The black dashed lines represent snow covered trails. These are also used by snowshoers but tend to have less traffic. They tend to be steeper and narrower and they are the trails where I've seen the most exposed rocks and roots. Navigating on these trails is not required so proceed with extreme caution if you decide to use them as a route choice.

Hazards
Even with the large snowfall, there are still some areas that are a bit thin. Anything well compacted (groomed trails and popular snowshoe trails) have good coverage but my poles still hit the rock under the snow in a couple spots and I've come across some rocks off trail when taking shortcuts through the fields or forest. Some shortcuts through fields or hiking trails may be an acceptable route choice so bring the appropriate skis if you might be tempted to take them.

It's also important to ski in control and look ahead for other people. The trails are narrow and they are popular with walkers and beginner skiers so there are times where you may need to slow down to pass safely. There's not a lot of elevation at Lac Beauchamp but it has some short but steep hills. More than once, I've approached a hill where I come across a family of skiers in the middle struggling to get up or down. The fat bike trails are much quieter compared to the ski trails.

Courses

We will be offering three ski orienteering courses as well as one snowshoe or fat bike course. The number of courses or lengths may change depending on the conditions of the trails but here are the tentative distances: - (updated *;30 Sat. evening.)

• Ski-O Short: 2.3 km with 8 controls (95% groomed trails)
  Ski-O Middle: 5.6 km with 13 controls (70% to 80% groomed trails)
  Ski-O Long: 8.1 km with 16 controls (70% to 80% groomed trails)
  Fat Bike or Snowshoe Short: 3.4 km with 10 controls
  Fatbike or Snowshoe Long: 6.4 km with 15 controls

The club has purchased several map holder boards for use by members at ski-O and bike-O events. The boards hold the map in a visible position on your chest or handlebars and can be rotated as you change directions. There is $5 rental fee and renters must leave a credit card or driver's license with the registration desk.

Location