Camp Fortune - January 14, 2017

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 week and a few days of rain, the mountain is in great shape. It appears that nothing can upset this perfect season. For this visit at Camp Fortune, all trails except for Alexander and MacDonald (on the T-Bar side) were open and perfectly groomed. 

North American, an intermediate trail located on the Meech side of the mountain, was open. This trail is mostly a natural snow trail, so it is often not open for skiing, especially when I have visited in the past. Similar to Paradis next to it, it is a long cruiser but narrower than it's neighboring trail. All in all, a fun run to take with a bit of speed, zig-zagging down and riding up onto the sides. This trail is also very useful for those returning from Skyline to the Valley. The typical route to return is via Humdinger Ravine, which can often be a flat slow trek. The alternative route is to head down Sparks on Skyline, and take Meech Crossing (to the left just before the final pitch of Sparks), and you will arrive at North American. From there a ride up the Meech quad will return you to the Valley.

My favorite trails today were Sparks, Bud Clark and Canadian, Clifford and Marshall, and of course North American. Thanks to the great conditions, all of the trails were in top condition so you will be pleased with any you choose.

Pineault, home to the snowpark at Camp Fortune, was temporarily closed due to a massive snowmaking effort in progress. The amount of snow being produced and the close proximity of the snow guns to the chairlift created a nice snow cloud to pass through on the way to the summit.

The corduroy of Bud Clark and Canadian on Skyline.

Swan Dive, though short, is arguably the most challenging trail at Camp Fortune.

The imposing drop of Skyline's Heggtveit.

Slalom, popular for races and training.

Clifford

Marshall

Allen's Alley

As mentioned earlier, while the weather is cold, don't let that discourage or turn you away from spending time on the slopes this weekend. The conditions are amazing and the lift lines are shorter than usual.

Have a great weekend ahead and happy skiing.