A season with plenty of ups and downs, every weekend being a bit unsure, yet somehow the weather cooperated just enough to give us some great skiing. Camp Fortune launched its season on November 30th, the first to open in the Ottawa-Gatineau region, and yours truly was present. Today, April 1st, Camp Fortune is still open and in fact, the last still operating in the region with Skyline. I know I sound like a broken record, but after what I can't even begin to estimate as weeks or months of seeing no snow on the ground at home, the ski slopes surprisingly have plenty left, and the trails, now numbering 5 in total, were open nearly full width all over. Sure there were some bare spots, a few thin areas, and some exposed rocks, but nothing that could not easily be avoided. I arrived just before opening and started my day at 9am on the chairlift. Conditions at this time of year are always more winter-like at the start of the day, thanks to grooming and a lower temperature. I started on...

What a difference a week makes! Skiing last Sunday at Owl's Head in powder after the Saturday dump, to skiing Mont Orford today with good old spring corn snow. Lukas and I arrived at the mountain right at 8am, and got decent parking. I was expecting the lot to be filling up early, but it wasn't........until later in the morning. It was cloudy, and starting to get mild already. The sun tried to poke out a few times. The Giroux North, and Alfred Desrochers Quad were operating along with the Hybride Six Pack/Gondola. 22/43 trails were available for the day. We got ready to go, and headed up the Hybride for our first run on the 4km trail. On the way up it was a little breezy. It was cool but not cold. At the top we headed right for the 4km as this is Lukas' preferred warm up run. At the top, being a little cooler, we skied on groomed granular snow on a firm base. There were a few icy patches starting to show through typical of Spring skiing but nothing serious. I n...

On the menu for today, are bluebird skies and a surprise return of winter weather, creating the perfect day on the slopes. After last weekend's milder weather, the mercury dropped back into a more typical wintery range, allowing for a great recovery on the slopes. The few bare spots from the previous weekend are gone, and a few dustings of natural snow helped give a small refresh to the otherwise bare glades and forests between the ski slopes. The amount of snow at Camp Fortune is quite impressive and the snow coverage on the trails is complete. The grooming and snowmaking teams know their stuff.  This weekend, Skyline, Meech and Valley were open. The only notable exception was the Clifford quad and related trails, which are in no way due to any lack of snow, but an electrical problem. WOW. The big difference from past weeks, the snow surface was perfectly groomed, firm base, and had very little ice. The puddles, streams and rivers near the bases of the chairlifts that seemed to s...

After the latest dump of snow we had received in the past couple of days, Owl's Head was the destination of choice this morning. We left Sherbrooke just after 7am with a pit stop at Tim's, we arrived at 8:15 in the parking lot, and it was already beginning to fill up. Races were being held on the Blue Chair today, and with everyone taking advantage of a beautiful day, Owl's Head was a bustle of energy right from the get go. It had been 30+ years since my sister Heather had last skied here. We had been planning this day for awhile now, and we couldn't of picked a better day to go! All lifts were spinning and 36/50 trails available to choose from. Conditions were fantastic! Packed and loose powder over a firm base. Coverage was great! Some trails were groomed, some hadn't. What was groomed, was groomed earlier last night, and some snow had fallen during the overnight to freshly cover the corduroy underneath. The start of the day was up the Family Quad then over to the Summ...

While I have been too busy to write the detailed trip report that this post deserved, I still wanted to give a quick recap of what was likely my best 2 days spent on skis! Last February, during my winter break, my friend and I decided to capitalize on the 35" of snowfall Jay Peak (located in Northern VT 4hrs from Ottawa) had received over the 5 days prior to our visit, and planned a one night ski trip. The weather and conditions were amazing, with a colder and cloudy first day at -7C, but this was followed by a bluebird day with +4C weather!  I don't think we have ever felt more challenged as skiers at any other ski resort (including 2 in the Rockies) than Jay. Since we have been really enjoying the glades this season, we specifically chose Jay for that reason, as this resort is known to receive one of the highest average annual snow totals of the East Coast. Combined with the fact that the mountain has an insanely large footprint of gladed terrain, this makes for s...

As the ski season is quickly coming to a close, Camp Fortune is well positioned and in excellent shape to continue to offer lift serviced skiing for a few more weeks. Today's visit comes after another round of mild weather and some overnight light rain/snow. Conditions were typical spring skiing on a groomed surface. Hegg was open ungroomed, but I have no problem admitting that I was not feeling adventurous for that classic steep! Saturday saw some brief power outages at Camp Fortune, which resulted in some electrical damage to the Clifford quad. As a result, those trails are now closed for the season. Despite that, what was open was definitely enough to satisfy all expectations. For the most part, it was a cloudy day, however the morning saw a brief period of sun and blueish skies come out. Here is the situation at the hill today... few people, no lines, everyone present having a good time... oh and the Meech side was open, which was definitely the highli...

Small photo dump from tonight at Bromont. No one there, nice and slushy, 11 runs in 2 hours. Sadly this might be my last night this season as their coverage doesn't look super great.

Photo dump from Tremblant today. Anything above mid mountain to TGV or Lowell Thomas: five stars, piles of new snow especially on the trails they left ungroomed. Anything below or any of the other versants, two stars at best, most of it crusted over from rain.

A total joy on the slopes today at Le Massif. The pictures speak for themselves!

Thank you Edelweiss for a short but fantastic season. The hill was completely dead this evening... 10 people total, myself and my friend included. Got to practice lots of stuff I wouldn't dare on a normal day, like skiing backwards.

This winter has been anything but ordinary. It started off promising with some decent snowfall, then a green Christmas, followed by some much needed snowstorms end of January/start of February. We are now nearly mid-March and the natural snow has been quite absent for many weeks. An unseasonably warm period has persisted for what seems like nearly a month's time. Looking at my own yard and that of the neighbors, the grass has been visible for quite some time, yet the skiing continues on the mountains. I arrived at 9am at Camp Fortune and as you would expect there was a noticeable lack of snow everywhere but on the ski trails, where the snow coverage was perfect, full width and with no bare or icy spots to mention. If this year taught anything, is that the machine made snow was not a nicety but a necessity.  A quick look while riding the Pineault Quad up the mountain and the contrast from areas covered with natural snow to those with machine made snow could not have been more black...

It had been two weeks since I had been on the boards, so tonight I did the 6 - 8pm slot at Bellevue along with my sister Heather, and Lukas. We arrived at the hill around 5:45 with plenty of parking. It had been mild during the day, and at this time it was cooling off. We got ready, printed our tickets, and we were ready to go. Conditions were great, groomed granular on a firm base. The first few runs were soft, and by the third run or so it started to get a bit harder with the cooling temperature. The snow was getting faster. The line up at the Quad was maybe a couple of minutes tops. We finished with about 10 runs or so during the 2 hour slot. A good time was had by all. A Few Scenes from the Night: The Main Snow Park:  What's Left of the Old Pomalift: 

March Break is upon us again for the week of March 4th to 8th which would bring us on a road trip with the family once again. We rented a chalet in Intervale, NH with some friends for the weekend that have 2 kids the same age as Lukas. We were about 15 minutes from the mountain. We were the 4 of us skiing Saturday, and we decided on Black. The weather hadn't been great during the week before, and it showed. We didn't hit any snow on the ground until the Crawford Notch, and then it wasn't a whole lot. There was snow in the woods, and the edges of the road but not like usual.  We arrived at Black at around 8:30am with the temperature at just around freezing with mainly cloudy skies with some sun trying to poke out. The East Bowl Triple Chair, Platter Pull, and Rope Tow were in operation. 30 or so trails were open for skiing. We were skiing on groomed granular to start the day. Not all trails were groomed however. The natural snow runs were running a bit...

After a restful night's sleep in our ski-in / ski-out condo, we were ready to hit the slopes for our second and final day of our little ski trip to further explore all Mont Tremblant had to offer. The hill had received a slight (3cm) dusting of fresh snow, and temperatures were forecasted to be hovering around 2C, making for some wonderful soft snow conditions! Additionally, 102/102 runs were listed as open, up from 100/102 the previous day, as Vertige and Zig-Zag, the Versant Sud's steepest runs, had finally opened.  We boarded the Soleil chairlift after skiing down from the Porte de Soleil, and were surpsied to see a slight inversion, an extremely rare site for Tremblant! We then made our way to the unique glade of Les Bouleaux, known for passing under the Soleil lift and requiring a short, 3-minute hike from the junction of the Ryan Haut and Bas runs to reach the starting point. The hike, in combination with the run's long length, varied terrain, and is...

With the kids having a Pedagogical day today from school, I decided to have one myself from work! Lukas had wanted to go to Orford so today was the day. We arrived just after 8am in the parking lot. It was quite mild upon arrival, the temperature was already above zero, with cloudy skies. I purchased Lukas's ticket online the night before, and with myself having a Season's Pass we headed directly to the Hybride after getting dressed as our RFID cards were loaded ready to go. The warm up run was down the 4km, a nice easy cruiser to start the morning. It was a bit breezy on the way up to the top, but it was actually bearable. It wasn't the usual cold breeze that you normally experience going up the Hybride lift. Once on the 4km even though it was mild, you skied groomed pack powder on a nice firm base. Coverage was excellent.  The View of Giroux From the 4km Trail: Then we headed over to the Giroux North Quad for a few rides up. We took the Familiale, another nice eas...

Three weekends ago, my friends and I headed to Tremblant for a one-night mini ski trip! We had rented a ski-in/ski-out condo, and it was our first time staying overnight at the resort. We left Ottawa at 5:30am, hoping to arrive at the hill before opening. Temperatures were forecasted to be in the range of -2 to +2C all weekend long, making for some of the best conditions we've ever seen at the resort! We arrived at 8am, and parked at the base of the Porte de Soleil chairlift. After gearing up, we boarded the lift, and skied down to the village base, where we picked up our lift tickets.  The plan for this weekend was to explore as many gladed runs as possible, as none of us had ever been to Tremblant with snow conditions this good! The region had received a large dump of snow in mid January, with more smaller amounts of snowfall throughout the following week, and most notably had not received the freezing rain that the Ottawa region had suffered from! 100/102 trails and glades...

This was only my second day up in Tremblant this year, as my ski season so far has been interrupted by travel.  Hopefully I will be able to keep going at a regular tempo now.   It does look like I missed quite a dump of snow the weekend before, as coverage was a lot better than my last day up here on January 8.  The base was fast and grooming was quite excellent.  Unfortunately, cloud blanketed the top half of the mountain and progressively got worse as the day wore on; by mid-morning, the condensation from the cloud would freeze on contact on the outside of the googles, which meant multiple stops to scrape the ice off the lens. Still managed to get a decent number of runs in before calling it quits.  Great success! The summit at 9:15am. The view up the mountain from the North Side base.  For those who are not familiar with the resort, that's looking up Expo-Bas and Expo-Haut, and the top of Expo-Haut is halfway up to the summit. Looking up towards th...

I had initially started to write a longer report for this trip last week, though unfortunately my phone crashed and the draft was not saved, so here's a little snapshot from the night: My father had yet to ski this season, so we decided to head to Camp Fortune for some night skiing. Temperatures were very nice, around -2C, and a few centimeters of snow were forecasted. To our surprise, the hill ended up receiving around 3 inches of fresh powder, making for some amazing skiing conditions. All runs were open except for Heggtveit, which at the time had large mounds from recent snowmaking (it has since opened).  Here are some photos from the night: 

What a beautiful day on the slopes. The weather was cold but perfectly reasonable, thanks to the bright sun and the bluebird skies (that always warms one's spirit). Today's visit was to Sommet Edelweiss. The mountain had all terrain from Chemin des Bois to Zoomer open, served by two quads, namely the Edelbahn Express and the Meister 4000, as well as the magic carpet. As one would expect, the great weather and snow conditions, was all that was needed to get people off their couches and come ski, and that is exactly what happened. Upon my arrival at 10 am, the parking was already quite full (rough guess about 75% filled), but the number of people on the slopes was quite moderate by comparison. Lift lines moved very quickly at the Meister, while at the Edelbahn they were generally a few minutes at most. A competition was taking place on the some of the slopes and that helped bring in more people. Conditions overall were fantastic, a nicely groomed base with a bit of loose s...

Wait, what? A Google Street View of a slope! How? Let me introduce how I've embarked on this incredible project.I've always been on the lookout for innovation! As much as I adore technology, I also have a deep passion for hitting the slopes. That's precisely why this project holds such immense significance for me. It represents the perfect infusion of technology into the world of this beloved sport. Despite the plethora of videos and people on the slopes, there's nothing quite like this.Being a Google Trusted Pro, I've traversed many miles since the early days of my career. I've consistently strived to capture breathtaking views of my cherished memories. This journey led me to employ 360-degree cameras. With this cutting-edge equipment, you never miss a single angle, providing a more immersive perspective of the slopes. Moreover, it grants virtual access to individuals who might never have the opportunity to experience the slopes in person. This was, in fact, another driving force behi...

After the snow we had this week (about time), my sister Heather, Lukas, and Abby headed off to an evening at our community ski hill Mont Bellevue. It was chilly however with no wind, it was reasonably comfortable. We arrived at the hill just before 6pm for our 2 hour block. The Magic Carpet, and Quad were in operation as usual. The conditions were great! Groomed packed powder over a forgiving base tonight. The recent snowfall this past few days was a welcomed treat. Bases have been fast and hard recently and with this new snow has made it a bit softer underfoot.  Skiing was available on 5 of 10 trails. Snowmaking was ongoing in the snowpark, along with a few other trails. Coverage was really nice with snow that has fallen recently. The wait at the Quad was maybe 2-3 minutes at most. The trail under the Quad lift, Trail 3 was open now with very good coverage with the snowmaking the had gone on the past week or so. Winter seems to have finally arrived! Lukas had ...

It was a cold day, especially in the morning. With temperatures at -20'c and a "feels like" several degrees colder, the app on the phone made it seem worse than it was. Of course, it was cold, but nothing that couldn't be handled by dressing properly for the occasion. Arriving for opening and parking on Skyline, I got ready quickly inside the cozy chalet and headed to the slopes. The conditions were fantastic, very nicely groomed, with no ice, a firm base and a soft surface. It was perfect.  The real purpose of the visit was to ski on the elusive Meech side of the mountain, which is only open Wednesday to Sunday (closed Monday and Tuesday), as well as only open 9:30 am to 4:00 pm. For many people, it is a part of the mountain they rarely if ever visit, but the trails are so worth experiencing. They make up the longest descents on the mountain, with Paradis at nearly a mile in length. The views and scenery from the Meech quad on the ride back up are equally enjoyable. Halfway up on...

Mont SUTTON is delighted with the snow that has recently fallen at the mountain, offering a masterful scenery. Slopes are white and totally enchanting for the beginning of this new year, with some 15 cm of snow received this week, including 8 cm of fresh snow in the last 24 hours! There really is a microclimate at the mountain. Exceptional conditions Three chairlifts and the magic carpet are in operation, some modules in the snow park await young and old acrobats alike and the main runs are open, beautiful, and fun to explore. With the return of colder weather, perfect for snowmaking, the new snow received and the one still to come according to the forecasts, it bodes well for what's to come! As a picture is worth a thousand words, customers can also check out the photos of the day posted regularly on Mont SUTTON'S Flickr account. A positive holiday season A wonderful holiday season is about to come to an end and the annual activities attracted many enthusiasts. Not only were the après...

It's a late start for me strapping on my plank this season, due to a variety of factors in December. However, I am glad to report that I finally kicked it off yesterday on Mont Tremblant. Given the rain and snow drought in December, I expected not more than half of the mountain to be open, and I was right. Most of the main face on the South Side was closed–including McCulloch and Kandahar–for snowmaking. Much of the north side was open though. I was also expecting a lot of ice, which there was, but the weekend snow did help and the snow ops team I think did a pretty great job given the challenging conditions they had to work with. There were even some ungroomed sides of the trails that were very ride-able. My usual pattern at Tremblant is to ride the North Side and sometimes Versant Edge in the morning before switching to laps on the South Side until my legs give out. Given that it's still early season legs for me, I figured it would be a relatively short ...

This cool hand drawn brochure for Camp Fortune from 1975 may interest some. I scanned the front and back with the plan to create a poster. Pretty unique.