1944-1945 Year Book - the Gatineau Valley Historical Society

70 Ottawa Ski Club Year Book 1944-45
Summer Sojourn at Pink Lake
Pink Lake Lodge has always
been looked on as a sort of halfway
house-a place to stop for_
rest and refreshment midway
between Camp Fortune and the
Wrightville car-line. While this
gave it a certain utility value,
its virtues had been regarded as
being rather commonplace and
more or less negative. It was
just a place to relax in before
venturing the thrilling Birch
Valley run and the long trek
across the Flats.
But all this is going to be
changed, for Pink Lake is about
to become an attraction in its
own right-and not only in winter,
but all the year round ...
. Before I start my narrative,
it would perhaps be well to tell
you why the Pink Lake lodge is
going to be a major centre for
skiing in future, and really a
second headquarters of the Ottawa
Ski Club, instead of an
auxiliary branch. When the
alteratio~s subsequently explained
are completed, it will be
one of the prettiest and most
complete little ski lodges in Canada.
There will be a cafeteria
run by Major Hancock, where a
full-course meal or any part of
it may be obtained at a reasonable
price. (Of course, you may
still cook your own if you prefer
to do so.) The Night Riders
are starting to clear an excellent
slalom hill, as well as a downhill
run that 'will compare favourably
with any we have at
Camp Fortune. Other hills and
trails 'in the neighbourhood will
be cleared and developed.
by James S. Patrick
It is therefore expected that,
owing to the difficulty of twoway
transportation and the
somewhat crowded condition of
Camp Fortune lodge, a goodly
number of our members will
prefer to take the train or bus
to Chelsea and ski through to
Pink Lake, spending the day
ther€; and· thence to Wrightville.
Others will ski up from
Wrightvlille, make 'their headquarters
at Pink Lake, and ski
back in the evening.
In fact, if the beginners and
less expert skiers would adop-t
one of the above plans, or alternate
from one to the other, they
would enjoy skiing more, and
be more sure of getting home all
in one piece. However, even the
proficient skier will find the long
rolling runs of the Pink Lake
trail extremely enjoyable; and
if he wants thrills, I am sure
the Night Riders will provide
plenty of them within a stone's
throw of Pink Lake lodge.
story:
But let's get on with the
One Saturday afternoon, I
took a notion to "bike" to Pink
Lake to see how Bill Irving and
his Night Rid€rs were getting
on with the renovation of the
somewhat dilapidated lodge.
After pedalling up the Mountain
road (and I say "up" advisedly),
I came upon a sign
reading "Hill Top Tea-room"~
Dismounting my bicycle, I pushed
it almost straight up in the
ai.r for a full quarter of a mile
till I reached the appropriatelynamed
establishment, maintained
by the genial and erudite