Downtown Ottawa Ski Report
By:  Steven Paradine   (2007/12/19)

On Monday I did something that I have been wanting to do for years - I skied to work. However, unlike some who live in Chelsea I do not have the option of groomed trails. After the little dusting of snow on Sunday I put on my old planks and started in to work, taking the scenic route. The sidewalks were deep and very slow on Sandridge, the road was much better but very slow due to my choice of waxes (see above). Up the Eastern Parkway was tricky skiing on the top of a 5 foot ridge with a 10 foot drop on one side and the cars whizzing by on the other. The roads in Rockcliffe were much nicer, especially those with light traffic. Once downtown the sidewalks allowed good glide if you avoided the barer patches however double poling was difficult as the poles did not stick well into the pavement. It was amazingly good even on Wellington and Kent and the effort was worth it for the looks on people's faces! On the way home I stuck to my usual running route and got home only 5 minutes slower than usual. The snow piles at the intersections was good for working on ski agility. Cheers Steven Paradine Diehard skier