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.

Trail #62 - Wolf Trail

You can access trail #62 from P13 near Blanchet beach on Meech Lake.

Conditions were OK tonight on Trail #62 (Wolf Trail) from the parking lot to the beaver dam and back. I hesitate to state that conditions were good simply because the snow was packed for the full width of the trail (and not simply two snowshoes wide).

The picture below was taken at the first bridge along the trail (before the trail splits into the Blanchet/Wolf loop). It clearly shows the width of the packed snow.

Below you may recognize the pond behind the beaver dam.

An finally, the trail as we turned back at the beaver dam.

This part of the trail provides a good challenge on the way up, thanks to the difference in elevation. All stream crossings were easy to negotiate. Coming back down was obviously easier and quicker. While it takes a bit longer to drive out to trail #62 you can start snowshoeing as soon as you exit your vehicle. The drive to get to trails #60 and #61 is shorter, but you have to walk a good 10 minutes between the parking lot and the trail head. Timing wise, it's a bit of a toss-up. At least this portion of trail #62 provides a good alternative to trails #60 and #61 if you are looking for some variety in your snowshoeing expeditions.

There was minimal trail damage from the last freezing rain episode, with the exception of one large tree that's fallen across the trail. There is an easy path around it and is nothing to worry about.

Total time to cover this section of Wolf's Trail: 60 minutes.