Monday, March 30, 2015

Gatineau Park Ski Trip Reflection

During the ski trip in Gatineau park, there were many new experiences that occurred, and skills that I learned. At first, as we got off the bus, the day seemed to be a little windy, and seemed that it would be very cold throughout the day. But I was very glad that later on the sun came out and warmed everything up. The only problem with this was that the snow became very sticky, and slowed me down a bit later on in the day. This also caused hard and soft patches of snow, which made going down hills a little challenging. Going uphill for most of the trip proved to be challenging at first, but as I gradually grasped the concept of skate-skiing, the trip got a little easier, and I was able to cover more ground with less effort. I think that having eaten a good lunch packed with energy helped in sustain me throughout the rest of the day, since near the end I was feeling tired. Had I not eaten well, I think I would have been exhausted and would have not enjoyed the trip as much as I did.

The only part of the trip that was hardest was the stretch near the end, where it was flat and sticky, and made for a slow journey, but it provided a great scenic route through the woods. I think that having waxed my skis earlier made a difference, since it made some of the areas a little slower than others, and I believe that the wax was the reason for this. I made certain that for this trip, I packed lightly, since on some of the skiing trips around the school, I overdressed and it was very hot and uncomfortable. I took that into consideration for this trip, and instead of snow pants wore long-underwear and track pants, which allowed for plenty of mobility and warmth. Lastly, I think that learning how to skate ski made a huge difference in the success of this trip, because I think that it made a large difference in how fast I went, and how much ground I covered, in relation to classic skiing.

The only thing I would change about this trip is that I would have brought more liquids, since near the end of the day, I started to feel very thirsty but I had run out of water. Next time, I would pack an extra liter of water for the return trip to the bus. Overall, I think that this trip was a great success, and I really enjoyed the experience.

By Brendan Patch

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