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Quebec the roads less traveled

deadheadskier

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As much as I'd like to check out some of the larger Quebec areas such as Le Massif, St Anne, Tremblant, Orford, Owls Head and Sutton; there's several smaller areas up there that I'm also interested in hearing people's experiences at.

These are some that I hope to visit some day. Anyone ever been?

https://montgrandfonds.com/

http://massifdusud.net

http://montedouard.com

https://skilareserve.com/


La Reserve must be something on a powder day. They appear to have two seriously rowdy lift line trails. Not very long pitches, but packing a punch.

9091-Ski-La-Re_serve-8.jpgFB_IMG_1580581558641.jpg

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EPB

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As much as I'd like to check out some of the larger Quebec areas such as Le Massif, St Anne, Tremblant, Orford, Owls Head and Sutton; there's several smaller areas up there that I'm also interested in hearing people's experiences at.

These are some that I hope to visit some day. Anyone ever been?

https://montgrandfonds.com/

http://massifdusud.net

http://montedouard.com

https://skilareserve.com/


La Reserve must be something on a powder day. They appear to have two seriously rowdy lift line trails. Not very long pitches, but packing a punch.

View attachment 26185View attachment 26186

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Never been to the places you've linked. All on my hit list though. La Réserve isn't that far from Tremblant.

I once stayed in Pointe-au-Pic as a kid in the summer. From there, you could hit Le Massif, Grand-Fonds and even Mont Edouard. One day I want to try to convince the wife we should go up there in winter.

Last time I was at Mont-Sainte-Anne, I rode the gondi with a ski patroller who told me Massif du Sud is a must hit. Seems like a Black Mountain/Magic/Plattekill type is t vibe. They also claim ~270 inches of snow/year. It's doable from Quebec City, but on the other side of the river from the other resorts mentioned.

Edit: this site is kinda like Alpine zone and has good info. I trust Google translate is good these days, so it shouldn't be too difficult to read.
https://zone.ski/category/mag/suivezleguide/

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ironhippy

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I had plans to go to Massif du Sud, but they fell through, it's been on my radar for a number of years.
On a clear day you can see it from Mount Saint Anne.
 

bdfreetuna

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I'd pick Mont Edouard just based on the carte du pistes and pics on the website.

edit.. yup

 
Last edited:

raisingarizona

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I'd pick Mont Edouard just based on the carte du pistes and pics on the website.

edit.. yup


Looks like a nice place. I wanna know what all of those folks are carrying in their backpacks? They look stuffed, when I’m full on touring my pack never looks that full.
 

EPB

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I'd pick Mont Edouard just based on the carte du pistes and pics on the website.

edit.. yup

Edouard seems really cool. They have a bunch of good looking hike-to side country. It's really far away, but I'd love to check it out.

Pin Rouge, Mont Miller and Val d'Irène on Gaspé all seem really cool, too. Probably too far away to be justified - unless I lived in Maine, but oh well.


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jaytrem

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These are some that I hope to visit some day. Anyone ever been?

https://montgrandfonds.com/

http://massifdusud.net

http://montedouard.com

Did a huge trip a few years back and hit about 21 Quebec places including the 3 above. Definitely one of my favorite trips ever. Some of the towns up there get a crazy amount of snow. Started out with spring type skiing at Massif Du Sud, lots of great trees. Got dumped on up in Saguenay (Edouard, Valinouet, Lac Vert). Valinouet is another bigger area up there...

https://valinouet.qc.ca/en/

Can get nice cheap airbnb or vrbo up there. One had a much better selection, I forget which. There are also a bunch of small places that are great for night skiing. Had well over a foot of untracked at Fortin all evening. Small but has pitch.

My day at Grand Fonds was COLD. Easily one of the coldest days I've skied. Almost everybody was riding to t-bar rather than the quad. Skiing was real nice though. We did try to ski a small place the night before that decide to close due to the extreme cold. I asked if they would mind if I hike up for a run. The manager guy turned out to be super nice and gave me a ride up on a snowmobile a couple times. Offered more, but I didn't want to be greedy. I guess he figured if I came all the way up from NJ to ski this little bump I deserved a ride.

It took a heck of a lot of of planning to hit all the places with various days open. Did end up missing one small t-bar place that was closed due to lack of snow. Think it was 22 out of 23 planned I got including Otis Ridge on my way up from NJ.

Like I said, one of the best trip ever, can't recommend enough!
 
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Edouard seems really cool. They have a bunch of good looking hike-to side country. It's really far away, but I'd love to check it out.

Pin Rouge, Mont Miller and Val d'Irène on Gaspé all seem really cool, too. Probably too far away to be justified - unless I lived in Maine, but oh well.


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a trip to the gaspe is worth it in any season...perce, forillon et al...amazing beautiful remote and very francophile
 

bdfreetuna

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Looks like a nice place. I wanna know what all of those folks are carrying in their backpacks? They look stuffed, when I’m full on touring my pack never looks that full.

The cold must be pretty brutal up there, probably not a bad idea to pack some survival gear.
 

ironhippy

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Pin Rouge, Mont Miller and Val d'Irène on Gaspé all seem really cool, too. Probably too far away to be justified - unless I lived in Maine, but oh well.

Mont Miller and Val d'Irene were really cool, but small.

Pin Rouge was a disappointment, basically no tree skiing but they did have some pretty steep runs.

Lots of easily accessable backcountry up there as well.
 

deadheadskier

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Did a huge trip a few years back and hit about 21 Quebec places including the 3 above. Definitely one of my favorite trips ever. Some of the towns up there get a crazy amount of snow. Started out with spring type skiing at Massif Du Sud, lots of great trees. Got dumped on up in Saguenay (Edouard, Valinouet, Lac Vert). Valinouet is another bigger area up there...

https://valinouet.qc.ca/en/

Can get nice cheap airbnb or vrbo up there. One had a much better selection, I forget which. There are also a bunch of small places that are great for night skiing. Had well over a foot of untracked at Fortin all evening. Small but has pitch.

My day at Grand Fonds was COLD. Easily one of the coldest days I've skied. Almost everybody was riding to t-bar rather than the quad. Skiing was real nice though. We did try to ski a small place the night before that decide to close due to the extreme cold. I asked if they would mind if I hike up for a run. The manager guy turned out to be super nice and gave me a ride up on a snowmobile a couple times. Offered more, but I didn't want to be greedy. I guess he figured if I came all the way up from NJ to ski this little bump I deserved a ride.

It took a heck of a lot of of planning to hit all the places with various days open. Did end up missing one small t-bar place that was closed due to lack of snow. Think it was 22 out of 23 planned I got including Otis Ridge on my way up from NJ.

Like I said, one of the best trip ever, can't recommend enough!
That sounds like an incredible ski safari.

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KustyTheKlown

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Edouard seems really cool. They have a bunch of good looking hike-to side country. It's really far away, but I'd love to check it out.

Pin Rouge, Mont Miller and Val d'Irène on Gaspé all seem really cool, too. Probably too far away to be justified - unless I lived in Maine, but oh well.


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gaspe/chic-chocs look worth it for a major destination type trip. but then i hit my typical quebec conundrum of if i'm going that far i'm just going out west. but the chic-chocs look absolutely incredible
 

EPB

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gaspe/chic-chocs look worth it for a major destination type trip. but then i hit my typical quebec conundrum of if i'm going that far i'm just going out west. but the chic-chocs look absolutely incredible
Yeah I've thought about it like that, too. It could take more than a week to justify, which would also make me wonder if taking a road trip in BC or somewhere else out west makes more sense. I'm a total Francofile so that definitely piques my interest in Gaspé. Tough to know if I'll ever get the chance to pull the trigger.

Jaytrem - your excision sounds awesome, BTW.

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crank

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Yeah I've thought about it like that, too. It could take more than a week to justify, which would also make me wonder if taking a road trip in BC or somewhere else out west makes more sense. I'm a total Francofile so that definitely piques my interest in Gaspé. Tough to know if I'll ever get the chance to pull the trigger.

Jaytrem - your excision sounds awesome, BTW.

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A trip I have contemplated also. It would be more for the experience and exploring a new to me region than anything else.

A friend of a friend has been skiing and back country skiing there. He told me it was OK - not great. I am sure a week in BC or Europe would have bigger and more adventurous areas for both lift served a back country skiing.

The same guy and my friend are also sledders and have done a couple of week long inn to inn sled trips on the Gaspe. Last years's trip they had temps of -40. Said they wore every stitch of clothing they brought and were still freezing.
 

Killingtime

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A trip I have contemplated also. It would be more for the experience and exploring a new to me region than anything else.


The same guy and my friend are also sledders and have done a couple of week long inn to inn sled trips on the Gaspe. Last years's trip they had temps of -40. Said they wore every stitch of clothing they brought and were still freezing.

Thats about right. I used to sled up there too. Every time was minus 20 something. Always came back with some kind of mild frostbite where air got in under the helmet and around the gator somehow. Traded the sled in for skis and a snowboard years ago but still miss it alot.
 

VTKilarney

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gaspe/chic-chocs look worth it for a major destination type trip. but then i hit my typical quebec conundrum of if i'm going that far i'm just going out west.

Bingo. You also have the issue of possible extreme cold temperatures whereas the west is a safer bet.
 

Edd

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Bingo. You also have the issue of possible extreme cold temperatures whereas the west is a safer bet.

Yeah, it’s a safer bet if you live far enough south but Quebec is worthy of a visit at some point. It’s a unique area that a ski nerd should properly appreciate.
 
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