1944-1945 Year Book - the Gatineau Valley Historical Society

Ottawa Ski Club Year Book 1944-45
Camp·Fortune to Wrightville
Via Pink Lake
by Elmer Cassel
So you are contemplating the Let us make the first trip
return trip to th~ city on skis, from the Camp Fortune end of
and wondering whether or not the trail. The run is made in
you can manage to negotiate the three distinct sections, namely:
short ten miles of trail from Camp ,Fortune to Kingsmere;
Camp Fortune via Pink Lake to Kingsmere to Pink Lake via the
Wrightville? Do you recall the Mica Mine Trail; and Pink Lake
exciting tales and terrifying ex- to Wrightville via the Pink Lake
periences told to greenhorns Trail.
about the hills at Camp Fortune, For variation, there are also
and especially the Canyon three ways out from Camp For­
Trail? Now that you have tak- tune to Kingsmere. First, and
en them in their stride, you look long.est route, is the Highland
back with a twinkle and exclaim, Trail-especially named for
"Nothing to it!" or wistfully those of ye wi' a d:rappie o' Scots
murmur "Wish I had come here · blood in your veins. You should
"Ooner."
u
find "Doch and Doris", "A Wee
To the average week-end ski- Drop", and especially the "Higher,
a ten mile jaunt sounds some- land Fling,. exhilarating:, excitwhat
like a route march, and ing, and satisfying. Grimes'
the first time a friend told me Hill, which may be gone over
I would be doing that same ten (tby the experts) or around, wiU
miles just for the fun of it, my bring the skier to Kingsmere
prompt and' skeptical reply was, Lake. The second and perhaps
"0 Yeah'·"· the best way is up Fortune · Lane ·
By some strange whim of cir- to the Ridge Road with a jog to
cumstance, the most of · my the left and right via George's
maiden run from Kingsmere to Trail to the foot of the Highland
Pink Lake was made unaccom- Fling. At this point there openpanied,
and over a none too well eth a high way and a low: wheTe
marked or beaten trail. Elated each and every skier must dewith
my accomplishment the cide which way his skis shall go.
next week found me trying it But here endeth the parallelism,
both ways. Since that time, I for both ;trails converge again
have been entirely independent near the foot of Grimes' Hill.
of gas rationing, frozen radia- The· third and last way is up
tors, and bus or train schedules . . the Canyon Trail to Ridge Road
Transportation worries have -which junction may also be
now become a thing of the past, reached from Ft>rtune Lane or
and since the installation of up Pleasant Valley-down the
cafeteria services this year at Ridge Road to Booth parking lot
Pink Lake Lodge under the eK- (you would never recognize it in
pert direction of Major and Mrs. winter garb), or better still, the
E. Hancock, hunger worries hairpin turn at Excelsior with a
have been entirely forgotten too. left, right and left in rapid sue-
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