Tour de la Gaspesie, what ski?

[Johnny]

Especially interested in hearing our Canadian friends' opinions.

Not sure about the terrain but I have a friend who does the whole Tour every year... He's not a BC skier at all... And his quiver is only made of old, long and skinny touring skis... So I guess it must be mostly flat...

[lilcliffy]

Been meaning to catch up on this one…

Haven’t skied in the Gaspe since the 2011-2012 season…I did get up there every season for several years before that.

BC skiing is the Gaspe is becoming quite a popular destination in recent years. As early as several years ago, it was a relatively unknown skier’s paradise.

Wooderson- my understanding is that tour specifically (I have never done it) is designed to be skied using “classic” equipment- either a classic touring track setup- or long, stiff, double-cambered, BC setup. I would want to be on something long, stiff, and waxable to cover some serious distance per day. I would expect most if not all of the trip to be on groomed or broken track.

In general the Nordic skiing in the Gaspe is excellent. Historically the snow conditions have been incredible with at least several meters of snow pack at high elevation by the end of February. (I also backpack in the Gaspe mtns during the summer- and have found 3 feet of snow on northern aspects in August!). By all reports the snow conditions have not been as good as usual the last couple of winters.

One of things to consider is the cold…I have been on a few mid-winter tours in January-early February that have been REALLY cold at high elevation (-50C and lower, plus wind chill). If one is not geared up for that kind of cold, it can be a miserable experience. Late winter skiing (March- early May) is much more comfortable for most.

Everything above 900m at that latitude is above tree-line (i.e. alpine) with the highest elevations in the McGerrigle range (e.g. Mt Jacques Cartier, 1268m).

There is the full range of skiing opportunities:
• Excellent groomed track skiing
• World-class long distance backcountry skiing (including hut-to-hut tour opportunities)
• Alpine touring (i.e. “yo-yo”), downhill-focused skiing

Increasingly people are using big-mountain AT/tech and telemark equipment up there- finding a big mountain with a ton of fresh snow and yo-yo skiing. My tours up there have been mostly distance-focused (in the Chic-Chocs).

There are multiple mountain ranges- including the famous “Chic-Chocs” that everybody associates with the region. The Chic-Chocs themselves are a range that runs east-west; bordering the Mount Albert plateau to the west; and then running west, beyond the boundaries of the Parc National de la Gaspesie (BTW- it is actually a provincial park- QC calls all of their provincial parks “parcs national”). The Chic-Chocs have traditionally been a long distance BC-xcountry skier’s paradise. Most of the Chic-Choc range is below tree-line- skiing through wet, montane boreal forest, punctuated with the peaks that poke out above tree line. These peaks give spectacular views of the St. Lawrence and the Gulf.

Woodland caribou. The last remaining herd/population of woodland caribou south of the St. Lawrence is centered in the high elevations of the McGerrigle Range and the Mount Albert plateau. These areas are open to hikers during the growing season- but are closed through the breeding season and winter. Yes- the caribou move down into the montane forest during the winter- but you have to ski through the montane forest to get up into the alpine. There is so little habitat left for this herd- they cannot tolerate the disturbance of people moving through their winter habitat. And Tom- you are correct- packed-down track (and even worse- snowmobile track) is a major vector for predator travel (the same is true for deer further south/lower elevation). (coyotes, unlike grey wolves cannot move long distances and hunt in deep snow) The coyotes in central ON, southern QC and the Maritimes are actually a hybrid between coyotes and the eastern wolf- neither of which is a deep-snow predator like the grey wolf. Packed-snow trails through the landscape allow these predators to travel and hunt. (obviously the woodland caribou is capable of living in balance with grey wolves- but this specific herd is particularly vulnerable) And BTW- hunting/culling coyotes/wolves will not solve the problem. The problem is a lack of suitable habitat. As Canada continues to more and more intensively harvest the boreal forest- the future of woodland caribou is looking very grim…The issue is not “clearcutting” per se- the issue is that woodland caribou thrive in a forest landscape that is dominated by very old forest stands. A clearcut in the boreal forest will eventually reach the age to offer winter habitat for caribou- the issue is that our demand for timber is in conflict with the time it takes to grow forests that old.

I personally believe that the Gaspe woodland caribou herd is doomed to extinction…it is the last remnant of caribou that existed in NB, ME, NH (not sure about the mtns in Vermont and the Adirondacks…) Even if we were to completely change our forest mgmt strategy and allow the landscape to get “old”, it will take a couple of centuries- the herd will not survive that long…I believe that the alpine peaks, plateaus and meadows of the McGerrigles and the Mount Albert plateau will be open for skiing in our lifetime. I will certainly ski them- but not without a sense of loss.

[Cannatonic]

>>>I personally believe that the Gaspe woodland caribou herd is doomed to extinction

that is so sad, I hope not! It sounds like Quebec is doing no better at preserving old-growth ecosystems than down here in the US.

[lilcliffy]

I hear what you are saying- but I should make clear that Quebec has very progressive forest management policy and practice. Quebec's forest mgmt strategy and practice is becoming more and more ecological in its goals and objectives.

Maintaining and/or restoring old forest conditions in southern QC is a challenge due to the intensive history of European settlement.

There are still almost endless tracts of primary boreal forest in northern QC.

And they have successfully re-introduced woodland caribou north of the the St. Lawrence.

If the caribou habitat is ever restored in the Gaspe- they will have to re-introduce caribou. This may be a better strategy anyway- the Gaspe herd is getting so small and inbred that is suffering from inbreeding depression. The last time I saw caribou up there (summer 2012)- they didn't look too good.

[athabascae]

There are still almost endless tracts of primary boreal forest in northern QC.

Yes indeed. Its a huge landscape, and it is immense and wild. What struck me most of my time in northern Quebec was the size of the previously burned forest - for many burns it was all you could see 360 degrees around you.

And they have successfully re-introduced woodland caribou north of the the St. Lawrence.

I believe they have translocated and captive-reared caribou to augment faltering populations in Quebec, but not an outright reintroduction of caribou to an area where the local population had been extirpated (locally extinct). Perhaps a subtle distinction, but an important one. Reintroductions tend to be more difficult, more expensive, more politically charged, and less successful than augmentations.

The last time I saw caribou up there (summer 2012)- they didn't look too good.

That's caribou in the summer - ragged looking beasts. They are not as majestic as some of their cousins, like elk. This is not necessarily an indication of their overall health - they are moulting and run half crazy by biting insects, and most are feeding their calves, which drains enormous energy reserves. Come winter, after they moult and calves are weaned, they are a sight to behold - whether a small band in the trees or hoping over a ridgeline, or a group of 50,000+ on the open tundra. I never tire of seeing them.

Full disclosure: I was a biologist working on caribou in Labrador and northeastern Quebec (Sept Ilse to Kuujjuaq) in the mid-late 1990s (but never worked with the herd in Gaspesie), and I have worked on caribou (but mostly other species) in the Yukon and surrounding areas in Alaska and the Northwest Territories since then.

I personally believe that the Gaspe woodland caribou herd is doomed to extinction…

I surely hope the remnant herd in Gaspesie doesn't go extinct in our lifetime. But, this population certainly has alot working against them. Caribou are sensitive to human disturbances to themselves and their habitat, and this population is small and isolated, which puts them at a higher level of endangerment; however, caribou are survivors, and can exist in small, isolated populations for decades, if the threats are abated.

To the best of our knowledge, these Gaspesie caribou are particularly special, as they are most likely a remnant of a much larger population of caribou that once roamed the hills of the south shore of Quebec, Maine, and New Brunswick. They are adapted to living in mountains and making annual elevational migrations - much like some 'mountain caribou' populations in the west. While there are a couple of other areas on the north shore of Quebec and in the Torngat Mountains of Labrador, where caribou also do these altitudinal migrations, this is a rare life history strategy for caribou east of the Rockies.

In short, loss of the Gaspesie caribou would likely represent the loss of the genetic lineage of caribou, and their unique alpine adaptations, in the entire Acadian region.

Of course, in small numbers, BC skiers alone likely do not pose a threat to Gaspesie caribou, but as stated elsewhere in the thread, its the winter trails they (we), and other recreationists (other skiiers, snowshoers, snowmobilers, etc), create, that, cumulatively, can play a significant role in facilitating coyote predation of caribou in winter.

In addition (but less of a concern) our mere presence, can chip away at time they should be feeding or doing other activities they need to do to survive winter, because they are instead focusing their attention on us (i.e. being vigilant) to ensure we aren't a threat. Worse yet, they likely would move to a new area because they percieve us as a threat - which is a double whammy because in traveling they are squandering scant energy reserves and taking time away from acquiring marginal food resources. Now imagine a group of caribou doing this 10 or 100 times a week when people pass to close... while also escaping from predators... and finding food and shelter. It all adds up, and takes away from their limited winter reserves.

An unfortunate fact of life is that we can't have it all. As such, not everywhere is open for people to pursue our chosen outdoor activities, because of varied societal interests hard decisions are sometimes necessary.

To the original poster - sorry for hijacking your thread. Sounds like a great tour - I am envious!

Tom

[bgregoire]

I'm not sure how rugged or steep or how sauvage or how groomed... Maybe one of our Quebec friends can illuminate...

Hey, that's in my neck of the woods! The tour de la Gaspedia is really a nordic XC tour. They bus folks from spot to spot and you ski a packed trail (snow scooter i believe) specially prepared for the tour through some really pretty landscapes. There was a time, i believe, where they let people bring 2 pairs of skis. If it were me, I would bring a basic XC touring ski (not competition) or at the very beefiest, something like the Fisher BC Country (without metal edges) as mine are equipped with NNN BC bindings, thus allowing a beefier and most importantly, warmer boot.


If your looking for something more backcountryish, you should check out the backcountry ski network in the Chic-Chocs, something like the Logan tour is great, and they offer bag transport if required...

Keep me posted, perhaps we could meet up for a tour when you come up! I'm in Rimouski.

[lilcliffy]

Tom- would love to hear more of your experiences regarding caribou ecology.

Here's an article regarding the re-introduction of woodland caribou to the Charelvoix/Grand Jardins region of QC:

https://translate.google.ca/translate?h ... rev=search

[teledaddy207]

As a frequent flyer to that region, 3 x, first trip up stay in a sepaq hut or the Gite ( Inn) the best skiing is close to 299, or not far. we did 4 massif's in 4 days, Champ d Mars/Mount Blanche, Mt Lyall, Mt Albert and Mt Hogsback
what is open for skiers is well marked.
We were on heavy tele gear, 4 buckle plastic and touring tele, couple of ntns and balance 75. you could go lighter, but you will want that if your looking to ski big lines safely. Mt Albert would be a nice tour on light gear if you do not ski off the plateau, Champ d mars and Mt Blanche were lower angle as well.

Worth checking out Mt Miller in Murdochville

[bgregoire]

Just to be CLEAR here guys. The tour de la Gaspésie and Backcountry skiing in the Chic-Chocs/Parc de la Gaspésie are two VERY different things.

[paul kalac]

i'm all ears bgregoire...

BTW, I love following this simple web page report...

http://www.centreavalanche.qc.ca/condit ... ulletin-en