I’m heading up to Ottawa this weekend to do the races on saturday and sunday. I’m staying downtown and would like to be able to leave my car for the family, is there some sort of a bus that runs from downtown Ottawa to the start of the race?
I’m expecting a wax nightmare on saturday, or at least a bad dream. I gopped binder on for the LP Loppet last week and didn’t end up needing it, maybe I’ll err the other way and enjoy a couple hours of quality double pole time after all my wax wears off. Hard sport this is.
Hey,
Well, you can take a bus from downtown Ottawa to Gatineau (Hull). The start is at the Mont-Bleu Highschool which is on Cité des Jeunes Boulevard.
For bus info, your best bet is to check the website www.sto.ca. The buses to get to the Quebec side all pass downtown Ottawa, at the Rideau Center and on Wellington Street (The street infront of Parlement Hill).
For bus numbers, you can go with 31, 33, 35.
The problem is the time the buses pass. I am not sure what time you have to be on site for, but the earliest option I found was the 35 and would get there shy of 8am. And the 35 does not run on sundays.
I guess I’ll leave my brood car-less but in the middle of the city, there should be a lot to do while I slowly make my way around the course, stopping to swear and re-wax at every opportunity. I actually looks like it will be nice and fast once the cold weather moves in, perhaps some blue klister will bring me home with enough pop left for 30 clicks on the skaters sunday.
Change the title of your thread to, “Lift needed to Gatineau Loppet Classic Race start on Saturday from Downtown”.
There are a ton of guys living downtown driving over. Someone will pony up. I live in suburbia and it is out of my way to pick you up (plus I am racing on Sunday and using Saturday to sleep in), but if you change to Sunday race and need a lift and don’t get one, I can do the extra detour if you want to risk riding in a 17 year old Toyota
How’s the weather up there now? it’s balmy here today (near Buffalo NY) but very windy with a cold front on the way. Chop chop goes the big Pisten Bully Friday night and we’ll be zipping around the course, hopefully…
I gopped binder on for the LP Loppet last week and didn’t end up needing it, maybe I’ll err the other way and enjoy a couple hours of quality double pole time after all my wax wears off. Hard sport this is.
Make sure that you iron in your binder. Cold klister works well as a binder to. Again be sure to iron it in. This is going back a few years, but from my experience the Rex hard grip waxes had good durability and lasted a good long time even in abrasive conditions. If it’s all-out Klister conditions, I would iron in a few thin layers of colder Klister before putting the klister of the day on top.
I ironed it it, but what did me in was the spot where the iron stopped left a little bump, I never freaking learn. I waxed on the assumption that the course would be chopped ice, but in fact it was packed powder and so I traded plenty of kick for slowish skis. For lake placid, it was nice being able to waddle up the hills in the tracks while others were running. I learned my lesson and will wait until morning of the race to kick wax, hence my desire for having my car, blow torch, etc.
I’m excited to be doing this race, I’ve always wanted to and after having kids 7 years ago kind of put ski racing in the back seat. I’m emerging from the cave of parenting young children.
Yes, it’s balmy (relatively) here in Ottawa also, and an inch of rain forecast for today/tomorrow. And then it’s supposed to turn sunny and colder Friday and Saturday, so we can be pretty sure of icy conditions. A real shame to have such a beautiful and challenging course turn into a block of ice. They have great groomers, but I’m not sure how much they can salvage from this weather. I trained my ass off through the cold snowy January, and now we get the first ice of the season!
Looks like the klisters will be necessary, and lots of double poling. Should be lightning fast though.
Thanks, we had a blast all weekend in the city and I was able to do the 53k classic and 29k skate the next day, I’m pooped after my spectacular mid 70’s placing both days, showing eye-scorching bad technique.
Our local triathlon and adventure race hotshot Eric Grimm cruised in both days in the 53k’s in around 10th. place, just a half hour ahead of me, wow those guys are fast.
I was amazed at how quickly my glide wax got burned off, my skis were slow as heck by the end, I need to go back to the fdrawing board. I had great kick saturday with green klister, blue klister and blue extra over top
