Trying my best to get to the mountain early, I arrived at 8:20am. The morning temperatures were quite cold, -20'c with a windchill of -25'c. Dressing appropriately was key. The frigid air did not stop people from coming out in numbers, although it was clear that people were taking frequent breaks to stay warm. Despite the warm weather of the past w...

If I were to describe the ski conditions I experienced this day at Calabogie Peaks I would use one word... pristine (adjective)  in its original condition; unspoiled. clean and fresh as if new; spotless. From this, you can gather that the snow was in impeccable condition. Calabogie Peaks has done everything to maximize on this fact, from the perfec...

Here we are the second day of the New Year 2017. Getting up early on a day off can only mean one thing, it's a ski day. Destination... Mont Ste Marie, for its two mountains, long trails, high speed lifts and highest vertical in the region. Ski conditions were great, firm base with a small layer of powder on top. On the Vanier mountain, all trails e...

Well its the new year and I headed back to Camp Fortune with my sister and nephew. I was up night skiing on Dec. 29th after 10cms of snow and now I'm back after 15cms yesterday!.  The conditions of course were great, fresh corduroy made with packed powder in the valley and no lines. We were lucky enough to get first tracks on Paradis and North Amer...

Well on a snowy Christmas Eve I drove up to Camp Fortune to get first tracks. The snow was coming down pretty hard and almost 10cm of fresh were on the ground. I brought my fat skis figuring they would work great in heavy wet snow. Skyline was open for the first time this year with Sparks, Bud Clark, and Lower Canadian open.  I started in the valle...

I live in Gatineau, but love Montreal so as a result, I've found myself traveling down the 417 and Highway 40 many times. Minutes after you cross into Quebec, you spot a ski mountain in the distance. Then the road turns away and you continue to Montreal. Little did I know what I had been missing. I have been reading Jake's reports on the forums of ...

Well our 3 day ski trip to Jay Peak was an adventure.  Saturday was epic with a foot of new snow and the Flyer Quad running for the first time this year.  All the runs on the Tramside were ungroomed and powder filled.  The only bummer was the Tram was still down... and still is!  Earlier in the season the tram cables got covered in ice then all the...

After a week of snow storms, the mountain is in phenomenal condition. It was hard not to be excited on the way up to the mountain this morning. All along the drive and upon arriving, it was snowing. Camp Fortune currently has 3 trails and 2 lifts open. On the Valley side, they have Allen's Alley and Pineault. The Meech side is also now open with Pa...

My passion for skiing started many many years ago, on the slopes of Camp Fortune, so it was only right that the new ski season for me would start here too. The Quebec ski season finally began this past Tuesday at Sommet Saint-Sauveur, with Mont Tremblant following on Thursday. Camp Fortune launched their new season yesterday and is the third to ope...

After a week of serious snowfall, 51cm in Ottawa, you can be sure that ski conditions were going to be among the best you will ever find. So this Friday night, I set out after work to meet up with René and Sam to ski the snowy slopes of Mont Cascades. All the trails of the mountain were open, minus Hogan and Gratton (which are not lit for night ski...

Exactly two weeks after my first visit this season to Camp Fortune, I found myself back on its slopes. Having loaded my gear into the car the night before, there was no excuse not to arrive early. The mountain opened at 9am, but I left home at 8am, being sure to be among the first to enjoy the snow. As I only live 12 minutes away, you can imagine I...

Here we are, the beginning of the ski season in the National Capital Region. While it is no longer the first day for Camp Fortune (that was Thursday), you can definitely feel the excitement and anticipation of getting your own ski season started. The Pineault quad chairlift and trail were open with a good base and coverage. Yes it did rain on Frida...

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 ha...

It may not have been the warmest day of the year, neither the sunniest, but when there is fresh snow on the ground, the rest doesn't matter. A visit to Mount Pakenham was in order. This family friendly mountain is widely known as one of the premiere institutions of learning how to ski and snowboard in the province of Ontario. "It All Starts Here" i...

Ski Vorlage is a mountain I grew up on, that truly built my passion and love for skiing. With 17 trails, spread across an expansive mountain, there is plenty to love. Ski Vorlage is widely known as a family ski resort. Everything is built for families, from the gentle beginner trails, to the spacious lodge that overlooks all the trails, to the snow...

Another weekend upon us, another ski day arrived. Finally a reprieve from the cold frigid weather, it was time to load up the equipment into the good old four-wheel drive and head up to the ski mountain.   Conditions were amazing all over the mountain. With almost all trails open, the skiable terrain at Camp Fortune is big and vast. On this visit, ...

The weather held lots of promise, with more comfortable temperatures and snow forecasted throughout the day. I set my sights on discovering a new mountain, one that had been calling to me for a very long time. After reading about Jake’s many visits to Mont Blanc, I knew it was finally time to discover it myself. Having passed it many times on Highw...

What an incredible day. My first visit of the season to Mont Ste Marie and it sure did not disappoint, with ski conditions you would expect in January and February. The time was 7am, actually it was more like 6:30am. I woke up with the feeling of being eager and ready to go skiing. After having a nutritious breakfast, and quickly packing my ski gea...