Tremblant Conditions

Arrived about 10 this morning.  Weather is beautiful.  Full sunshine and about 20 degrees.  Conditions are hard and fast, but edgeable in most places.  Mountain is extremely crowded.  Lines for Gondola, TGV, and Duncan Express look Six Flags esque.  It's spring break week in Ontario which is why it's so crowded.

We just want a report on their snowmaking.

They're not making any right now.  There's actually natural snow off the trails, but it's unskiable and closed due to a freeze thaw.

snoloco wrote

They're not making any right now.  There's actually natural snow off the trails, but it's unskiable and closed due to a freeze thaw.

Things still fly right over the youngin's head!

Sno, let's see some pics when you get the chance.

My phone died today, so no pictures.  Plan is to get some tomorrow and possibly post a full TR.  Also the crowds died down in the afternoon compared to the morning, so lines weren't as much of an issue as I initially thought.  We only had one long wait at the TGV and then went to the North Side for lunch.  After we finished lunch, Duncan was about 5 minutes and Expo 2 minutes.  TGV wasn't more than 5 minutes after lunch either.  Flying Mile was a;ways under 5, so we took a few laps there while everything else was crowded.  Toward the end of the day, you could walk right onto the Gondola.  It was a go home day for the spring break crowds.  Supposedly, tomorrow will be much less crowded.

How long will you be at Tremblant and where are you staying?  Hope you get some good snow conditions.

I'm skiing here for 2 days.  We're staying at the Homewood Suites right in the base village.  Really nice room and located right at the base of the mountain.  No driving, no lengthy walk, no shuttle bus.  Walk out the door and the lift is pretty much right there.  The closest lift is the Flying Mile HSQ, but the gondola is also quite close.  It cost between 300 and 350 a night.  Since it's "resort lodging" we get first tracks for free tomorrow.  Not a fan of the paid first tracks concept, but if I'm getting it for free, I'm taking advantage of it. Will be spending Monday in Montreal to visit McGill.  Skiing Killington on Tuesday.

Of all the mountains that I've been to that have the "base village" Tremblant does it the best.  It was modeled after Quebec City and actually looks really nice.  It's designed to be there if you want it, but avoidable if you don't care.  There is free parking beyond the village at the South Side where you ride the Cabriolet over the village and skip the whole thing.  There is a pretty big lot at the Porte Du Soleil lift and that lift is free to ride (although it's expected that you go to the South Base and get a lift ticket right away).  The North Side also has close to lift parking.  Overall the place is a very well set up so that skiers with all different tastes can enjoy it, and that's why it ranks #1 in the east year after year.

Wow, you must have been lucky to get into home wood suites during the spring break week.  We stayed right next door in the Johannsen building.  First Tracks tomorrow should be great - the north side is stunningly beautiful in the morning, take lots of pictures.  

Montreal sucks, they're going to build a wall around it to keep the horribleness in check and Trudeau is going to pay for it.

snoloco wrote

It's spring break week in Ontario which is why it's so crowded.

During my first winter of downhill skiing, 2001, I made that mistake: arrived at Tremblant on the same Saturday as you without performing adequate due diligence. Back then, online resources were still comparably in their infancy so that was my excuse. What's yours?

You should've skied at a smaller Laurentian area yesterday and waited for the Ontarians to clear out.

Very cool.  Given the skier volume that place could benefit from an additional lift and terrain.

Nice, love that idea.  I can't wait to get back there next season. Easily the coldest mountain I've ever skied.