62 Ottawa Ski Club <strong>Year</strong> <strong>Book</strong> <strong>1944</strong>-45 fast slopes, including <strong>the</strong> well known Birch <strong>Valley</strong>, traverses <strong>the</strong> flat expanse of Radmore's clearing, re-enters <strong>the</strong> bush in search of more tricky slopes which it manages to find, and comes out on <strong>the</strong> smiling but unsheltered plains of Wrightville after a long flight of bumps. Experienced skiers never allow <strong>the</strong>mselves to be caught by darkness on <strong>the</strong> Pink Lake Trail. Standing in a lovely glen, carpeted with junipers and framed with stately pines, <strong>the</strong> Pine Lake lodge, near <strong>the</strong> little lake of that nam€, invites <strong>the</strong> weary traveler to rest and quench his thirst. Water is kept boiling <strong>the</strong>re at all times in a hug,e boiler, and tea pots are available. Ther€ are also fairly steep hills around <strong>the</strong>re, but few stop to try ·<strong>the</strong>m because <strong>the</strong>re are still five miles to cover to get to <strong>the</strong> end of <strong>the</strong> trail. Pink Lake lodge had long been a bone of contention. Its building was strongly opposed at first, some contending that <strong>the</strong> Dome Hill Lodge could be used for a rest station, if a short way to it could be found; o<strong>the</strong>rs that <strong>the</strong> Hull bus or street car service would surely extend along <strong>the</strong> Mountain Road before long, and in that case, no one would · stop at <strong>the</strong> lodge. because <strong>the</strong>· road runs parallel to tlie trail, and onJy half a mile from it. A short and interesting way to Dome Hill never was found; <strong>the</strong> car line is just as far to-day from Pink Lake as it was twenty years ago. So <strong>the</strong> lodge has always been used more or less through <strong>the</strong> years, more in times of depression than in times of prosperity~ and a great deal more in times of tire and gas shortage like <strong>the</strong> present. At first, before <strong>the</strong> bus came to Chelsea, <strong>the</strong> Wrightville hikers included 80 per cent of <strong>the</strong> Club membership, and later only 20 per cent, but as <strong>the</strong> membership went up from a few hundred to well over 2,000, <strong>the</strong> number of Pink Lake visitors remained substantially <strong>the</strong> same, from 300 to 400 every good week-end. The lodge however was sadly neglected, because Camp Fortune took all <strong>the</strong> surplus funds of <strong>the</strong> Club. During <strong>the</strong> twenty years of its existenc·e, <strong>the</strong> only care given to it was a coat of dirty green stain, making it look like a green-eyed! monster. Wea<strong>the</strong>r beaten and dilapidated after twenty years of neglect, its floor burnt through in spots, and rising and falling like <strong>the</strong> waves of <strong>the</strong> sea, its roof leaking, its rough seats and tables being minus huge chunks, hacked out for kindling by vandals, it was indeed', until this year, in a pitiful condition, an object of repulsion more than attraction, entirely out of keeping with its marvelous surroundings. Then came Elmer Cassel, Night Rider and Patrolman Extraordinary, who by some lucky stroke, was placed in charge of patrol operations on <strong>the</strong> Wright ITille trail. His task was to attend to <strong>the</strong> casualties, whe<strong>the</strong>r broken bones or broken skis, urge <strong>the</strong> stragglers on by stressing <strong>the</strong> danger of lagging on a trail overrun after dark with dynosaurs and snow snakes and put <strong>the</strong>m on <strong>the</strong> road if <strong>the</strong>y could' no ranger shuffle <strong>the</strong>ir skis forward. His duty called for one trip down from Camp Fortune at <strong>the</strong> close of <strong>the</strong> day,
Ottawa Ski Club <strong>Year</strong> <strong>Book</strong> <strong>1944</strong>-45 63 ".___/lad j" '!fou• rf!en ~ Skop SKI TOGS Jor Jun Outdoor3 Jhi3 Sea3on Jo feep Jjou Snug Jor Jrohc3 .!J-n Jhe Snow • SKI BOOTS • SHIRTS • PARKAS • MITTS • SLACKS • JACKETS • SOX • CAPS McKIRRACHlR·WANLESS_ ~ LIMITED RIDEAU and SUSSEX STREETS FORD FOR FALLEN ARCHES ADJUSTED EASING KNEE PAINS ExAMINATION FREE - TROUBLES OF THE BODY CHIROPRACTOR and DRUGLESS THERAPIST 19 WILTON Crescent · Dial 4-7766
Change language