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Cross Country Skiing

The Royal Ottawa has much to offer its members but we often forget the huge acreage available to us for cross-country skiing.

In a good snow year this gently rolling land and the woods make for wonderful skiing. The 2007 - 2008 season has been excellent for skiers.

While members have skied for many years it became more organized in the late sixties. A major figure was Air Vice Marshal Jack Easton. He later became Club President in 1978 and was enormously energetic. He organized a group of about 20 wives and husbands who came out mainly on the weekends. They broke trails themselves, skied for 2 to 3 hours and then met in the Pine Room for drinks and lunch.

While winter is not a great time for seeing birds and animals, a great owl, the foxes and the occasional deer have been spotted. After a fresh snowfall with bright sunshine and under a cloudless blue sky, cross country skiing is truly seductive. The calm pristine diamond glistening snow, the blue shadows and the quiet are a never ending wonder. The feeling of virtue that hard physical exercise and being a real outdoor Canadian can make you talk to yourself or even sing aloud - if no one else is around.

We have a wonderful resource on our cold winter days - we have a warm Club house, saunas and showers, good food and drink. It only needs you. We hope to see you. It’s much more fun when friends are there.