It was a beautiful Sunday morning at Mont Cascades. After several days that brought some fresh snow, the trails were all covered nicely with fresh powder and a soft but firm base. The trails at Mont Cascades are suitable for all skill levels and difficulties and are free to access. There is a parking lot located right at the trail entrance. Almost all trails lead you to the summit via the backside of the mountain. The #5 trail is the most direct route but is the steepest to travel. For today's visit, we took a combination of the #2-3 trails, and then the #4 trail to the summit area. This route is on average easy to intermediate but provides a nice scenic trek through the forest. As you near the summit, you are treated to views of the Gatineau River and the surrounding region. The trip up to near the summit...

More snow, so I had to ski.  Went for a quick 4 hour mission with my sister to Fortune. With the new RFID system you can load 4 hours or a full day from home and skip any ticket line.  The  new gates also show you how long you have until your hours run out.  We arrived at Skyline around 8:30 just as the lifts started.  10cm had dropped already and the snow would continue for the rest of the day.  We blasted down Heggtveit for the first few runs then moved across the hill.  The new snow made the conditions great for the first couple hours before the soft snow got pushed around a bunch.  Hiding under the fresh was some spots of icy hard pack that showed up on Upper Canadian and Heggtviet. Skyline started to get a little busy by around 10 but the lines moved quick.  All in all, another great day...

The morning started out not as early as the last road trip. The destination today was Owl's Head. On the road by 7am and arrived at the mountain for 8, with a temperature of -24 and no breeze at the base. 45/52 trails announced open along with 6 chairlifts. The 5-10 cms of snow they received during the week helped out a little. The conditions were of groomed, packed powder over a hard base. There were some little powder stashes that had been tracked along the side of some trails. The first runs of the day were up the Main Quad to Lilly's Leap, Centennial to the Kamikaze, and then over to the Lower Standard via the Crossover. The coverage was pretty good to start. It's well known that the upper trails here can get scraped down pretty quickly depending on the crowd. Today the crowd was moderate and no waiting at any of the...

Wow. Lets see 20cm of fresh light snow, warm temperatures and Cheval Blanc was left ungroomed.  I think this may have been one of the best days at MSM ever. I arrived right at the opening, took in the Vanier side for a few runs, then trained over to Cheval when it opened at 9:30. Then I skied beautiful powder for a good 3hours, had lunch and skied another hour or so.   By about 11 most of the powder was chop but since it was so light you could just steam roll over it.  People should remember on big snow days not to turn to much! save the snow.  Dustin Cook was the favorite. The steeps of Formidable and Besty were also great, a nice change from the icy hard pack.  I was surprised by how much snow they got considering Ottawa only got like 5cm and Camp Fortune around 10cm.  The footnote to this great day is when there is...

Thank Ullr we have snow again! After a drought of several weeks we finally got the good stuff. The snow started light and fine in the Ottawa area around 1:30 but by 3 it was coming down heavy.  I made it to Fortune around 4ish and there was already close to 10cm on the ground.  The skiing was great! light champagne over the hard pack making for great turns. The place was pretty quiet and the wind was minimal with a temperature of around - 15c.  Word of warning, don't leave you ski boots in the car all day! Man they were hard to get on. Never again. All the main night skiing trails were open. I was hoping to get a few runs on Heggtveit before dark but it was closed. They had just had extra snow on the trail and still needed to push it around. I suspect it will be open on...

It was a Friday night and there's nothing better than leaving the office with a stop at the mountain to start the weekend on the right ski. Destination was Sommet Edelweiss. Offering the highest vertical drop for night skiing in the region, all the trails except two (Easter Bowl and Descente Telesiege) were open. A decent amount of people were present but the lineup at the Edelbahn Express, the only lift open aside from the Magic Carpet, was non-existant the entire night. Just ski up and go. Conditions were quite good, full snow coverage, firm base with little to no ice anywhere. Meeting up with my good friend René, and his pals Pat and Jay, we conquered the slopes. The weather was hovering around -5 to -10'c however the winds at the summit were surprisingly strong and I wouldn't have been surprised if the temperature at the top felt a good 10 degrees cooler...

I arrived at Mont Ste Marie at 9am just as it was opening. The temperature was about -5C. The day before was like + 5C with spring like conditions and looked pretty busy from the webcam shots. Today was almost the opposite.   Very quiet, pretty much zero lines with fast hard packed conditions. I also discovered a fair amount of crusty icy spots.  Not the best, we need snow, we need lots of snow. The fields below the mountain now have zero snow cover and were full of deer eating the exposed grass.  Mont Ste Marie did manage to have 18 out of their 20 main runs open so they must have been making a lot of snow over the past few weeks. The best runs were Tornade Bas, Serenade, Dustin Cook and Formidable.  Besty was pretty icy and I'm glad my edges were in decent shape.  Overall though you really can't complain, we got a tonne of runs in...

This trip today to Sommet Mont Olympia was a last minute decision made easy by an invite by friends from New York who were skiing in the Laurentians this week. The morning started very early with my departure from Sherbrooke at 5:45 am. The trip through Montreal was decent even though construction was at pretty much full tilt on the Turcotte Exchange. I arrived at the mountain at 8:00 and the temperature was a mild +2 degrees under cloudy skies. The was a moderate wind blowing as well, but to me it was actually not bad because of the mild temperature. Better than the -18 degrees and winds that were blowing a few weeks ago. Getting there early paid off for some decent parking behind the ticket building, and a good wind down from the trip. Cars were rolling in one by one and the lot was filling at a steady pace. Line up for the...

It had been about 3 weeks since my last visit to Mont Bellevue, and at the time it was -15 degrees plus a breeze and 4 trails open. This night everything was available. I arrived at the mountain at 6:45 to a full parking lot. Not a space to be had, so street parking was in order. Actually it wasn't too bad. Parked down near where the Quad is and it was just a short little hike to get to the chalet. When I got to the chalet to pick up a lift ticket, there was a line up from the ticket windows to about 2 thirds of the way to the Pomalift. The wait was about 15 minutes. I had never seen this in the times that I have been to Bellevue, but being that it was Ladies Night everyone decided to come out and enjoy their mountain. Good business was...

Being a big fan of skiing in the Eastern Townships, today's destination was Mont Orford, known for having one of the highest vertical drops in Quebec. This was my second visit ever to Orford. The drive was smooth with no traffic, although a bit long from Gatineau (about 3h40). Taking the highway 30 to bypass Montreal definitely saves a lot of time and frustration. Arriving at 10am, the mountain was already starting to fill up with cars but nothing major. The weather was much warmer than it has been recently and the sun was starting to shine. Heading into the main chalet, I was quickly impressed by the sheer size of it, spread across 4 levels, that begged me to quickly drop my bags and go explore. Of particular note, there is a nice sandwich/coffee bar on the same level as the customer service.  Quickly putting on my boots and gear, I...

The big melt last Thursday and Friday was a real bummer. Then everything flash froze.  I think we lost like 75% of our snow pack but Camp Fortune managed to survive in decent shape. Night skiing was good on fast hard pack with 2-3cms of light fresh snow on top.  Skyline is starting to get a little crusty in spots and the thaw has set back the opening of Swan Dive and the glade runs.  Best runs of the night were Slalom, Sparks and the lower section of Canadian.  A beautiful night with a temperature around -12C and light snow falling. Lower Canadian My sister on Slalom pointing at the lights of Vorlage in the distance. The terrain park is currently closed but should open on Saturday.

Powder Day = Sick Day.  My first plan was to drive up to Mont Ste-Marie for an epic day.  Take note Mont Ste-Marie advertised on their website that they didn't groom all the runs, leaving the snow free. More hills should do this! whats with all the grooming on a epic powder day.  Anyway by the time I dug out of my driveway and got out of Ottawa it was already 8:30 and I needed to be back in town by 2. So Camp Fortune it was.  Made it to Skyline by 8:45, got first chair. Though most runs had been groomed there was lots of fresh powder was on top, in fact the snow was picking up and it would snow heavy throughout the day. Free refills. First tracks were on Heggtveit which opened the day before.  Swan Dive is not yet open but with more snow in the forecast for Saturday it should be soon.  Sparks had...

After the Siberian like deep freeze we just experienced this past week and a bit, and with the announced temperature of -10 or so today, a trip to Mont Orford was the selected destination............. like everyone else had the same idea! I arrived at the mountain at 8:20 in hopes of finding a decent parking spot. There were cars from both directions rolling in and it wasn't about to slow down anytime soon. I did manage to find decent parking before the mad rush. Temperature on arrival was -11. A lot more bearable than the -20 or so with the last outing. 30/44 trails were open along with 8/17 glade trails were open along with the Hybride six seater/gondola combo lift and the Giroux North Quad. The Alfred-Desrochers double chair and sector was not open. The first runs were up the Hybride to ski the 4km trail and then the Grande Coulée. There...

With a planned road trip to visit friends near Burlington Vermont over the holiday weekend to ring in the New Year, I threw my gear in the truck to take the opportunity to ski for a couple of hours while there.The destination was originally supposed to have been a larger ski area but with the temperatures hovering around the -20 to -25 degree mark, plan B was put into motion and a smaller hill in a protected valley and surface lifts only was the choice. The option today was Cochran's Ski Area in Richmond, VT. I arrived there at 9 am, as they they were operating on a Holiday schedule on New Year's Eve from 9 till noon. The temperature was a balmy -21. The parking lot was not full but there were still cars rolling in, parents dropping their children off and hauling their gear to the chalet. I bought...

Took in a few afternoon hours at Camp Fortune. January 1st has always been a good day for skiing as its generally pretty quiet. Today it was really quiet since the high was like -20c! The skiing was good though with well groomed runs of hard packed snow.  Fortune has been busy making snow all week. Tomorrow Slalom opens. Upper Canadian and Chute will open later this week. Best runs of the day were Bud Clark and Sparks.  Happy New Year!   

A visit to our community ski area, Mont Bellevue, was in order this evening for a few runs. I got to the hill just after 6 pm to a fairly small crowd and a temperature of -15 degrees and a small breeze blowing which made it feel colder than that. There were 4 of 10 trails, the Quad Chair, and the Magic Carpet on the menu for the evening. The conditions were as always excellent, with a great coverage of man made snow, and the snow received from the previous dump of a couple of weeks ago and the small amount received from the Christmas snowfall over a firm base. The Pomalift was unfortunately not in service tonight.Trails 1, 2, 3, and 4 were opened. The first runs were down underneath the Quad on Trail 3 with a crossover on 4. Something that was done on the off season was the blasting and the leveling...

  The best Boxing Day deal today was going skiing. It was fairly clear that the majority of people you would have expected to be skiing had chosen to go shopping instead, leaving the mountain in pristine condition and contributing to no line-ups at the lifts. Thank you! As yesterday was Christmas Day and Camp Fortune was closed, the snow and conditions today were excellent. The fresh snow from the recent snowfall made the slopes perfectly soft and smooth. In fact, the only hard spots or ice I found was in the steepest portions of the expert trail Bud Clark. The rest of the mountain was offering the fresh fluffy stuff, with several spots to sneak in some first tracks. The skiable domain continues to grow, and already the Valley side is almost completely open, with the exceptions of Slalom and Duffy. Meech is in great shape with Paradise. It's sister trail,...

I skied a double header at Camp Fortune to check on conditions and catch the opening of the Skyline side.  Friday I skied in the afternoon and Saturday in the morning. Marshall opened on Friday. Bud Clark, Lower Canadian and Sparks opened on Saturday.  Snow was being blown on Allen's Alley on Friday and on Saturday the guns were moved to Slalom. Expect them both to open soon.  Clifford, Paradis and Sparks had the best snow conditions.  Bud Clark and Marshall were a little choppy from the man-made snow gravel.  Lower Canadian on Skyline was decent though. The right side of Clifford was being used for racing so its iced up a bit.  Crowds were small for the beginning of the Christmas break and heavy snow began to fall on Saturday. I think we ended up getting like 7-10cms! so Sunday should be great.  Happy Holidays, ski on!  Marshall with Alexander and MacDonald in the background.  The last few...

Friday morning started pretty early, and pretty chilly. I left Sherbrooke at a little after 6 in the morning with a chilly -20 degrees and clear skies. Destination today was Bretton Woods, NH where I had been a couple of times before but during very early season last year and closed out their season the year before that. With the border crossing, the voyage was just a touch over 2 hours. I arrived at the mountain at 8:30. The parking lot was pretty empty to start so it was great to be able to park up front close to the chalet. It was starting to fill up afterwards once I got ready to go pick up my lift ticket. No line up at the desk and was nice and quick. Plenty of time to wind down from the drive and to take time to get ready to go as the lifts opened at...

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...

Well after yelling “Give me back my winter” for three weeks we are rewarded. 10cm of fresh snow  with more to come over night and into Friday.  Winter is back and Camp Fotune is skiing fine!  I arrived at Skyline just past 5pm. The trees were covered in new fallen snow, everything felt fresh, light snow was falling, it was a winter wonderland.  Conditions were great with a nice soft groomed base and fresh snow on top.  I took a couple runs on Hegg before it got dark then took in the rest of Skyline before crossing over to the valley to grab a bite to eat.  The custom made burritos are pretty good.  Lots of fresh powder in the Valley, plus a nice mogul run on Clifford.  Great skiing was had, the place was empty, no lift lines, and the trails were all mine. Kick ass! Don’t miss out, get up here.  Friday should be stellar. ...

This trip was in the works since last week for another destination in New Hampshire, but on the way down I found out that the mountain I was to ski today was closed and would be until midweek, to preserve the snow. We haven't been the only ones to have been hit with the warm temperatures and snowmelt. So there was a decision to be made; a) abort the trip, or b) continue on and come up with a backup plan. I chose option "b". Enough time to figure out where to go. That turned out to be Wildcat. It would be my first time here, although I have been by it a few times before in the summer months. I arrived at 8:45 with the temperature of around 0. The top of the mountain was socked in with fog, but the bottom half you could see. From afar the coverage...

It's the beginning of March Break in Quebec, the weather is warming up, and spring skiing has had an early start. Today's destination was Bromont, a place I really enjoy but had not visited in 5 years. The weather was mild, hovering around and above 0 degrees Celsius. Heading up from Ottawa, the 3-hour drive goes quickly thanks to the route being made up entirely of highways. The 'new' highway 30 that bypasses downtown Montreal is completely worth the $2.80 toll required to use it. Arriving at Bromont shortly before 11 am, the main parking is about half full, and the chalet has plenty of seats and tables free. After quickly getting ready, I headed out to start off on the classic Versant du Village, one of Bromont's 7 hillsides. The ride up the mountain's 385m of vertical goes quickly on the #4 chairlift, which is finishing its final year of...

Well I think the last time I was at Mont Cascades was like in grade 9! So with a few hours to spare on Saturday morning I decided to check it out. Having totally forgotten the lay out I parked at the first lot. I arrived around 9:30 and overnight we had gotten a light dusting of wet snow, maybe 2cms.  Anyway I went into the chalet to get my lift ticket.  The girl at the small concession stand informed me that they don’t sell tickets here and I would have to drive over to the main lot.  No thanks my ski boots were already on so I just got on the lift.  I took the old triple to the top and skied over to the other side to buy a three hour ticket.  The conditions were decent considering the terrible weather we have had for almost three weeks.  All the groomed runs...

What most likely would be my season finale for the 2017-18 ski season, Owl's Head was the destination today. I left Sherbrooke at 7am with a temperature of -4 and partly cloudy skies. That didn't last long though as on the way there it quickly clouded over and started snowing along the autoroute by Mont Orford. It started snowing pretty hard at times, but the travelling was good. Arrival at the mountain for 8am with a light snow falling and a temperature of -4. The conditions were more mid winter than spring today. The trails were groomed packed powder over a firm base. 5-7 cms of snow fell overnight which made for a nice coating over the corduroy laid out by the groomers. There were the typical spring season ice patches but nothing to large. The Main, Baby, Black, and Lake Quad chairs were spinning. 27/52 trails at your disposal. Zero wait time at...