The annual Cross Quetico Lakes Tour is scheduled for March 17 this year. It features three possible routes ranging from 35-60 kilometers, shuttle service, breakfast and dinner, and more.
The event takes skiers into Quetico Provincial Park in winter, starting in Atikokan and ending at the Dawson Trail Campground. Along the way, skiers will cross lakes like Batchewaung and Pickerel.
“The Cross Quetico Tour is a true wilderness experience,” Ontario Parks says. “All trail grooming stops at the park boundary and skiers make their own tracks across the portages and pristine waterways of the park. No matter what the conditions on the day of the tour, the park takes on its own memorable character and skiers get to experience the park in a truly unique way.”
The evening celebration will feature the Reel Paddling Film Festival, a collection of films about canoeing and kayaking. The film festival will benefit the Path of the Paddle Association, which is developing a cross-Canada canoe route.
Organized by Atikokan ski club Beaten Path Nordic Trails and the park, the ski tour provides a unique opportunity to travel traditional Quetico canoe routes in the winter.
Explore magazine has called the event one of four “essential winter events” in Canada. Ron Bergin, editor of Cross Country Skier magazine, says “this event is worth checking out — for it’s uniqueness and challenge, the wild beauty of the region and to experience the Nordic ski enthusiasm and culture of this region”
Registration is $55. Visit the Travel the Heart website for more information, click here to sign up. Contact Chris Stromberg at cstromberg@shaw.ca with questions.