Wolf Trail

Also known as Blanchet Trail or Trail #62 in the Meech Lake sector of Gatineau Park north of Ottawa.

We finally received somewhere between 10 to 20 cm of fresh new snow, enough to tackle this classic trail in snowshoes. While ice and rocks could be found on various spots along the trail, the overall conditions were good.

Starting from parking lot #13 (P13), the trail splits after 500m. To the right is the rugged and steep section leading up to Mahingan lookout. To the left is the longer and easier section to the Tawadina lookout. The trail continues between the two lookouts to create a 7 km loop.



We find it better to climb the steep section to Mahingan and usually walk the loop in a counter-clock-wise manner.

Until you reach the beaver pond, streams often border the trail. Many of them were not frozen yet.



Streams could be crossed without too much risk.



The snow load on the branches was a welcomed sight.





A well-deserved rest for the legs after the 800ft vertical rise to the Mahingan lookout.



From here the view is quite pleasant.





After a snack to replenish our energy, we continued towards the spectacular Tawadina lookout.



Total time from start to finish: about 3h15m at a reasonable pace with a 10 minute break along the way.