MOUNTAIN LIFE - Blue Mountains | Winter 2019

WINTER 2019 ML BLUE 43 summit (yes, the main parking lot off the highway is at the summit) is a spectacular tour through frosted trees with sweeping views of the surrounding mountainous Charlevoix region. The views from resort itself, down to the mighty Saint Lawrence, are a sight to behold. With a five-year annual snowfall average of 645cm, we were excited about things to come. Unfortunately, our first lesson in French was to learn the meaning of the phrase, Il mouille, tabernac . Il mouille means it's raining, and I’m sure you can guess what Tabernac means. One of the very best-snowfall early-seasons in recent history (powder, powder, powder and very happy skiers), was all but erased by three days of rain followed by a bone-chilling temperature plunge to -35C. Le Massif’s fabled sidecountry terrain (le secteur hors-piste) that we had been so stoked to shred was closed. Instead we found ourselves ripping long and satisfying perfect blue corduroy groomers (the type of run where you let ‘er wide open and don’t worry about a sudden mogul hidden in flat light or a steep spill-over out of nowhere), all the way down to the Saint Lawrence. Nothing wrong with that at all. It was fun. But fast means colder still. We were happy to retire to the Hotel and Spa Le Germain Charlevoix in the nearby town of Baie-Saint-Paul. As matter of note, you could simply make this 4-star hotel a destination in and of itself. A collection of new arty modern buildings nestled onto farmer’s fields in the scenic valley, Le Germain boasts two world-class restaurants serving exceptional and local fare, an outdoor skating rink (and yes, they let you play shinny on it) and impeccable modern rooms with loads of colour. Then there’s the spa: a Finnish sauna, eucalyptus steam rooms, and outdoor thermal hot pools right at the edge of a sheep and cow pasture (the same pasture that supplies the kitchen). Very cool. Some people complain about cold. They’re like, “Oh man it was so cold in Québec. We had to spend time in the lodge to warm up.” I’m assuming these are the same type of people who complain about heat in the summer, rain in the spring, and maybe that their slippers are too fuzzy. I’m not one of those guys. Cold? Just wear thicker gloves. Cover your face. That type of thing. However, was the cold in the parking lot at Le Massif de Charlevoix so penetrating and sharp that it actually hurt to be outside? Almost. That didn’t stop us however. We had driven 14 hours and we were ready to burn off some Tim Hortons energy. Le Massif boasts a vertical drop of 770 metres and a top elevation of 806 metres, the highest in eastern Canada. The winding drive to the We cranked some tunes and rolled on east, navigating transport trucks and barreling down what we dubbed the New Powder Freeway, Eastern Route: the 401. Fresh groomers, Mont-Sainte-Anne. FRANCIS GAGNON/COURTESY QUEBEC SKI The new Powder Freeway, Eastern Route: the 401. COURTESY MTO