New XC ski trail discovery (well, for us anyway) >> a peek inside the fishbowl

08 Jan, 2013

New XC ski trail discovery (well, for us anyway)

Posted by andrea tomkins in: - Ottawa for kids| Easy ways to make kids happy| Ottawa| sanity saving parent tips

We checked out a new trail last weekend and it was FAB. If you’re a cross-country skiing family and are looking for something new, try Green’s Creek in Ottawa’s east end. We discovered that it had everything we wanted in a cross-country ski trail: it was scenic, with speedy straightaways, curvy forest trails, and a couple of satisfying hills to boot.

The hill pictured directly below was one a good one. You zip down, turning as you go, right onto a bridge with open water underneath. (!)

But it was pretty smooth sailing after that.

Curious about how many calories are burned when you cross-country ski? You should read this Globe and Mail article. There are many health benefits to cross-country skiing, and the best thing is that (a) it’s one of those sports you can do as a family (b) and it’s one of those sports you can do your entire life.

After we looped back to the parking lot we took a run down the resident hill. I didn’t know there was such nice tobogganing to be found at Green’s Creek! You east enders have been keeping it a secret from the rest of us, haven’t you? (It is pretty. Here’s a panorama I shot if you’d like a wider view.)

Sadly, the sledding part of our day was cut short. About five seconds after I snapped the photo above Sarah had a big wipe out partway down the hill. Sigh.

Can I share some hard-earned words of parental wisdom?

Make sure kids sit on their derrières and HOLD ON TO THE SLED as they are hurtling down the hill.
Do not go skiing over lunch time without packing lunch as it results in (1) seriously grumpy behaviour among children and (2) cravings for fast food among parents. Related: bring high-energy snacks and water.

Aside from the wipeout and near starvation, it was a good day, and I can’t wait to go back.

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