Mont Orford, Quebec - 2/26, 2/27/05

[ChileMass]

Dates - Feb 26 & 27, 2005

Location - Mont Orford, Magog QC Canada

Conditions - Mostly machine-groomed over firm base, but variable from boilerplate to soft powder on any given run. Weather was 100% sunshine, temps in mid-20s*F, falling to 15*F by sundown.


OK, I know Quebec isn't in the Northeast US, and this is basically a re-hash of last year's trip report, but what the heck.....

2 days of brilliant sunshine and blue/black cruising at Mont Orford in Magog, Quebec. This was our second annual family/friends trip, and there were no disappointments again this year. Friendly people, outstanding terrain and weather, very nice hotel/condo selections, and even at only 18% exchange, it's a deal for any Americans looking for something a little different.

Our group was a pack of 8 kids and 6 adults with varying degrees of skiing ability, so we saw all of the 3 mountains at the Orford complex. Started cruising some blues (Magog, Jean-Davignon) which helped get the kids going. My sister in law was kind enough to offer to take the kids down some greens so we could blast down Magnum a couple of times - a great, steep cruiser with bumps on skier's right if you want. And so we alternated doing kid runs and adult runs, and went from the uncrowded steeps of Mont Giroux Est to the poky old double chair over on Mont Alfred Desroschers. The big fun is on Mont Orford itself, but there's only 1 green and a couple blues off the Hybride lift (alternating 6-pack chairs and 8-person gondola cars), so we had to choose our runs based on what the kids were up for. Trois Ruisseaux (3 Brooks) trail is a lot of fun with steep pitches alternating with long run-outs.

Mid-day grooming is a cool thing - I've only seen this at a couple other ski hills. It creates traffic jams on adjoining slopes and a line waiting at the top, but man, when they open those trails if you can be one of the first down, it's fabulous. My brother and I were the 3rd and 4th people to get waved on by the patrol as they re-opened Maxi, which is the longest, steepest trail at Orford, and it was tremendous. As my bro said at the bottom, "that's one for the personal highlight reel". We hit both Grande Coulee and Sherbrooke as they re-opened, and cutting fresh corduroy was just great. You could really lay back and arc out huge GS turns all the way down - just my thing.

The kids and Moms had a great time - Magog is a fun little town, the people are super friendly, and our hotel (Auberge L'Etoile sur-le-Lac) looked right onto the big lake. People take winter very seriously up there. Lots of Montrealers wearing expensive clothing and gear. A very good-looking crowd, by the way. I want to go back up in summer and play golf and swim in the lake........

[thetrailboss]

Memphremagog is a COLD Lake...though not nearly as cold as her neighbor, Willoughby, which rarely gets above 65 F!!! Crystal Lake is nice. Glad to have you back, ChileMass. Thanks for the report!

[ChileMass]

TB -

As promised, we waved at Burke as we drove past. Also could see what appeared to a small ski area in Lyndon - is that the Outing Club? It looked much steeper than I imagined a small hill would be.

I have friends that spend a lot of time at Lake Willoughby and swear by it. I want to get up to that area next summer.......

CM

[thetrailboss]

Originally Posted by ChileMass

Also could see what appeared to a small ski area in Lyndon - is that the Outing Club? It looked much steeper than I imagined a small hill would be.

Yes sir it is and here is the link to a map of the area: http://www.skimaps.com/map1829

Here is what NELSAP had to say:

http://www.nelsap.org/vt/loc.html

[TeleGrrrl]

Orford is a great place to ski. They have some really gnarly terrain if you're up for a challenge. The trail L' Ecuriel down the face has a 15 foot water fall to ski over ( I threw my skis down and got down by swinging from trees). Porc U Pic has a section that hits 52 degress at the top. It was so foogy when I skied it I couldn't tell what I was in for Probably a good thing

The lodge looks like a bunker with all that concrete. Great Poutin too, ski food of the Gods.

tg

[skijay]

I am glad you had a great time! I hope to make it to Orford sometime in March perhaps Good Friday & Saturday. You are lucky again with the warm temps.

Tim

[ChileMass]

Originally Posted by TeleGrrrl

Orford is a great place to ski. They have some really gnarly terrain if you're up for a challenge. The trail L' Ecuriel down the face has a 15 foot water fall to ski over ( I threw my skis down and got down by swinging from trees). Porc U Pic has a section that hits 52 degress at the top. It was so foogy when I skied it I couldn't tell what I was in for Probably a good thing

As I noted in last year's trip report, Orford has some really crazy-looking off-piste stuff, and the woods were full of people. Mainly kids fooling around, but a couple times I saw some really excellent skiers just take a 90* plunge off a trail and head out of sight. Orford has a very high overall level of skiing ability.......

[Bob R]

Glad you had fun hard to keep a group that large happy and still get quality turns in. Do you speak French yet?

[ChileMass]

Originally Posted by Bob R

Glad you had fun hard to keep a group that large happy and still get quality turns in. Do you speak French yet?

Non - je ne parle pas le francais......

[Bob R]

I though I was the Smart ---. good answer.