In the Pontiac region of Western Quebec is a ski hill called Mont Chilly. It had been a couple years since I've skied the 430ft vertical hill near Fort-Coulonge.  Not much has changed, in fact not much has changed since the 1960's. The hill is accessed via a single T-bar. There are roughly 5 trails with alternate branches. A mix of groomers, glades and steep bump runs.  The last two months have been kind snow wise and the base was great, with a bit of powder left from the 20cm storm the day before.  The T-bar started moving at 10am and the sun came out. We were down to base layers and no gloves an hour later as the temperature got above zero. Laid back and rewarding as always I'll be coming back to Chilly.  Adult lift tickets are $35 (cash only), the hill is open on weekends only (10-4pm) unless...

For some crazy reason we decided to pack three adults into a Nissan Micra with all our ski gear and a BBQ then drive through a snow storm to Mont Chilly in the Pontiac. Taking the Ontario side we crossed the Ottawa River at the Chenaux generating station.  We arrived at Mont Chilly around 10:30 and they were just firing up the T-bar which is powered by an old tractor engine.  Snow would fall on and off all day resulting in a little over 10cms of new snow. Mont Chilly does not make any snow so all the runs have a natural base.  Conditions were good with about 5-10cms of fresh snow over a firm but deep base.  All the trails were open including #5 which is a steep wide glade west of the double black bump run of #4.  The black glade off #3 was setup with a snow cross/slalom course made...

Mont Chilly is located just north of Fort-Coulonge, in the Pontiac region of Western Quebec. The drive along Highway 148 from downtown Ottawa/Gatineau takes about 1.5 hours. Another option is to drive on the Ontario side and cross the Ottawa River at Portage-du-Fort. Mont Chilly calls itself a "Micro Resort". The vertical drop is 430ft (130meters) with seven runs that have a consistent fall line. The runs include three glade trails and a steep double black bump run. Think of it as a mini Mad River Glen. The hill is serviced by a single T-bar hand-built by Larry Hernberger. The lift pulls you 800ft up in under 8 minutes. The Hernberger family has owned Mont Chilly since its opening in 1966-67. This is truly a family-run endeavour with three generations of the Hernberger family involved at Mont Chilly, from Larry to his son Rick, and his son Kurtis. They alone operate the hill with the occasional volunteer and a single ski patroller.  The Mountain and the Ski Trails The mountain fea...

The plan was Mont Chilly. This time we drove on the Ontario side most of the way crossing some dams on the Ottawa river to link back to the 148 in the Pontiac. The trip took just over an hour and half. Mont Chilly is a micro retro resort with a single t-bar. The place is like a mini Mad River Glenn with no snow making, steep fall lines and glades. The day started off grey at about -4 but the sun came out mid day and we got to about 1 or 2c.  Great skiing was had and considering the terrible February I was surprised by how much snow was on the runs.  The surface started off a little firm and crusty in spots but soon warmed up. Some powder could still be found in the #5 glade from the storm on Wednesday-Thursday.  Of note the lift ticket prices went up to $25 this year and remember the place...

I have to say Mont Chilly is a hidden gem. Yes its rather far from Ottawa and it only has a T-bar for hill access but its a got a great vibe, friendly locals and some great terrain.  I got to the hill around 10:30am after a scenic drive down 148. Watch for deer there were lots out in the farmer fields.  Anyway the t-bar was just starting after purchasing the $20 lift ticket.   Condition wise the snow was sticky from a couple cm's of fresh snow but as the day progressed the conditions got faster becoming typical spring skiing like.  Now for the cool news, there is a new run at Chilly, #5. Its on the far side of #4. You have to traverse a trail at the top marked with pink flagging tap till it opens up to a steep glade run with a natural canyon.  This will be killer tree...

Lots of natural snow, amazing slopes and a consistent fall-line, this is Mont Chilly, located 1 hour and 30 minutes from downtown Ottawa/Gatineau, in the Pontiac region of Quebec.    I had never before visited this mountain, but I came away thoroughly impressed, and eager to return. I set out, knowing I was going to experience something new, but had no idea it would become one of my best ski days in a very long time. I haven't been out right after a good snow storm for a long while, so skiing in prestine natural snow on a new mountain was a great change of pace.   The natural snow, the powder, the glades, the pitches of the trails, everything spoke to me. It is without a doubt, the last best kept secret of the region. From the mountain itself, to the lodge and family that operates it, to the people that...