A fun day at Les Cedres, beautiful snow. Not sure if our normal two late comers were actually there but we did receive this photo of this guy who keeps following us.

20 BTers at the Viking Ski Club

As has been the pattern for much of this winter, the surprise snowstorm on Saturday night dumped much more snow in the city than up north.  When we arrived at the private Viking Ski Club in Morin Heights, we could see from the amount of fresh snow in the parking lot that they had only received 1 cm.  But no matter, there had been enough new snow over the last two weeks to cover all the trails.

It was about -2 C and mostly sunny as we assembled.  Some people put on blue wax, but Continue reading →

What a difference a few degrees can make.  8 of us started skiing in blue at 9:30 at Les Cedres.  The car thermometer said it was -2 degrees.  It was gorgeous and untracked.  It seems the groomer decided to sleep in too this morning.  We did the long loop and on our way back saw signs that the groomer was out and about.  We decided to do a short loop on what turned out to be partially tracked trails (seems the groomer was concentrating on the skating trails).  Only now the temperature was plus 2 degrees and the skiing was a lot tougher.  We actually caught the groomer and had to pass him.  At 11:45 we were all content to call it a day.

More photos in the Gallery

Well 4 people said on the Forum they were going to Oka, but as it turned out 4 times that number actually turned up, equals 16 for anyone who has forgotten their times tables. Three of the group were late comers, now there is a clue who they were and in fact were only seen on the survellance cameras and by a sharp eyed member of the main group. Needless to say the day was fantastic, sun, blue skis, new snow and temperatures starting around -3C and reaching 2C when we finished. Most people tested their legs on the number 3 with our usual start on 4. The day finished by eating too many fries at what used to be Chez Girard

 

Well to be honest there was a fair degree of soul searching earlier in the week at the Timmies Beaver Tails Nerve Centre about going to Montagne Coupée.  Of course if you do not believe you have a soul then soul searching is kind of futile, but I digress.  Mr Optimism was gung-ho after seeing a report the centre was fully open and some of us were curious to see the changes they had made at the centre, so putting on Continue reading →

Report from our ski clinic organizer, Glenn K.

Well, Mother Nature finally relented just enough to let 30 or so of us to get on with the previously postponed clinic.  Trail conditions were very good.  Mind you, coverage is thin, but that will only matter if it rains. 

Despite the usual bit of chaos in the rather small center, all participants managed to get signed up and make it up to the Bellevue chalet where the instructors were introduced.   The appropriate groups were assembled and Continue reading →

— 44+ Skiers Had a Blast at Gatineau
What a weekend!  Where to begin?  How about at the beginning?
FRIDAY EVENING
Many of the 44 people registered for the weekend left Montreal during the afternoon and arrived in Ottawa in the early evening.  They checked into the Novotel hotel and from the moment they walked into the hip-looking lobby, they knew that this was no second-rate hotel!  The rooms were also fashionably appointed.  And then there was the perfect location of the hotel.  It was a couple of blocks from the Byward Market area, the Rideau Centre shopping mall, and the Rideau Canal itself.  Several people went for a skate Continue reading →

Well it was a pleasant surprise to actually be able to go to a ski centre that we had on our Calendar.  Orford was one of the few centers open and so apart from ourselves every skier east of Kalamazoo appeared to be at the park.  Never mind, it’s a large park and soon skiers get dispersed on the many trails.
 
Although open, Orford was not in prime conditions, but it was certainly very good with plenty of fresh snow and sun.  Anyhow 28 club members gathered at the Accueil Le Cerisier, on a chilly morning (-10 C) and with a little effort we managed to get most of them together to record the event for prosperity, although now we are having to resort to videos to contain the rabble.  Then we were off, one minute a bunch of skiers, Continue reading →

Thirteen skiers turned out at Cap St Jacques last Sat, including one member who was on his skis for the first time in 30 years!  We skied just before we started getting the fresh snow during the afternoon and evening.  But the conditions at the park were surprisingly good.  There was complete coverage and they had enough snow that they were able to groom the trails that morning.  Ten skiers did a full loop of the rabbit trail, which works out to a distance of 10 km.  There is a new construction road through the park which created a couple of new spots where one had to stop and take off their skis.  But despite that it was a pleasant morning and a good tune-up for those people going to Orford the next day.

— Surprise! 25 Skiers Have a Great Day at Bois-de-Liesse

The conditions have been frustrating lately.  The temperature has been great for skiing for over a week and there is snow on the ground.  But there just has not been enough snow in most of the local centres to permit decent skiing.  Our scheduled destination of Gai Luron was closed and the P’tit train du nord could not even open the trail as far south as Mont Rolland in Ste Adele, our usual starting point.  But it turned out that some of the parks closest to us, with their nothing-but-flat-trails, have managed to keep a bare minimum of coverage.  So it was that one of our intrepid members skipped Continue reading →