North of the Border

Looking good with two feet of fresh (not my TRs, unfortunately):
https://www.zoneski.com/reseau/beaucoup-de-neige-peu-de-courant-et-du-fun-en-masse-au-massif-3-decembre-2016/

https://www.zoneski.com/forum/topic/22545-le-massif-de-charlevoix-le-3-d%C3%A9cembre-2016/

Big snow, 66% off tickets, no power. CLASSIC!

Le Massif looks fantastic save for the huge gondola line.

There's a good TR on that site from Monday at Mont Saint Anne. We are headed there for 4 nights right after Christmas. Might try and sneak in a day at Le Massif too. Those two are off to the best start in the east by far as best I can tell.

Dan..Don't try to sneak in a day...DO IT !! The place is insane, also do your best to go to Massif du Sud...MSA can wait for another time..

I know I know. I have one word - maxpass.

Also, we have a 1.5 year old and the daycare at le massif only takes 2 and up. I booked msa based on trying to find the best place for xmas on the maxpass. It seems so far that it was a good bet. Hoping the weather stays cold and they get some more snow.

i hear ya....if you can it's only 1/2 hr away...it also has a Deer Valley quality food service..

This just in from Mont Sainte-Anne:
https://www.zoneski.com/reseau/repas-de-poudreuse-a-volonte-au-mont-sainte-anne-13-decembre-2016/

Sweet! Thanks for sharing and getting the stoke going. I'm ignoring all the whiners who are forecasting a warm up 2 weeks out.

I will be interested to see how crowded it is during x-mas week. It seems if they are close to 100% open it shouldn't be too bad as there are some lifts and other pods to spread things out. I am looking forward to our trip and trying out my very very very limited french vocabulary to the delight (or dismay) of the locals. I figure if I can order poutine and beer and ask for the bathroom I'll get by.

Danzilla wrote

I will be interested to see how crowded it is during x-mas week.

Can you remind me -- where will you be based, how many ski days do you have planned, and will it be MSA-only or will you be able to make side trips to the two Massifs? As mentioned here, Massif du Sud is a tree-skiing gem.

Hi James,
I remember well when you wrote that article it got me interested in the area. When they added MSA to the maxpass this year and I was looking for a predictable xmas break spot I figured MSA would fit the bill. I know it will be somewhat crowded. I'm hoping its not killington crowded.

We got a good deal on a 2 bedroom condo right at the base of MSA. It works for us logistically with 3 little kids. The daycare is right there and we can go back to the condo for lunch, hot chocolate, etc. The little ice rink is right there and I also like that they have night skiing as an option. We are going to spend at least one afternoon/evening in QC. I would love to hit le massif but the daycare there is 2 years old and older. It doesn't look like massif du sud has a daycare or I would consider hitting it one day too. We will likely go over to le massif area for dinner one night just to check it out and the nearby village.

I'm not expecting this to be a hardcore bell to bell ski vacation. Its also hopefully one of many trips to the area. We are more looking to have fun with the kiddos exploring a new place and getting a little culture.

Any tips on places to go or see would be much appreciated! Also, when they refer to the west side is that the area served by the panorama lift?

Dan,
There is also the most insane tubing park not far from Quebec, if you need something else to do..

I think this it
http://www.valcartier.com/en/winter-playground/activities-and-services/slides-and-games/

YES!  Spent a day at this park about 12 years ago.  Definitely would do again.  Definitely worth a day off skis, NOTHING like a tubing park we are used to in the NE.  Do it!

Hoser wrote

YES!  Spent a day at this park about 12 years ago.  Definitely would do again.  Definitely worth a day off skis, NOTHING like a tubing park we are used to in the NE.  Do it!

I don't scare easy..some of the slides had me screaming like a girl at horror flick..

The used (at the time anyway) rafts on some slides, similar to Hudson rafting.  So cool.

Get a guide and go here:

http://gripped.com/routes/montmorency-falls-is-classic-quebec-ice-climb/

WOW that looks like some BANGIN tree skiing!

Man that tubing place looks SICK. So Stoneham is on the maxpass too. I hadn't considered going there but its not far from the tubing place. Is it worth spending half a day there or just stick with skiing at MSA and spend half a day or an evening at the tubing place? The passes seem really reasonable at the tubing park for everything that you get. We watched a couple of videos on you tube and the kids couldn't believe it. They are pumped. QC looks beautiful too. Really looking forward to the trip.

Half the stuff in tube park would be illegal in the U.S.
they basically freeze all the features of a water park...nuts

JasonWx wrote

Half the stuff in tube park would be illegal in the U.S.
they basically freeze all the features of a water park...nuts

Nutty. In the youtube videos I didn't see one adult or kid wearing a helmet either. One of my kids said "do people get hurt doing that"? Uh yeah probably.

They probably have similar laws to their skiing liability laws. I've been told that a ski area snowmobile could run you down from behind and You would not really be able to sue (or would get nothing if you did). Interesting how those socialists view personal responsibility/liability (tongue in cheek fyi).

Stoneham is a nice small mountain. It's not really a mom and pop so it has a more corporate feel, but you can find some nice trees. I had a really good time but don't know if I'd go back unless I was up there for some reason.