Le Massif de Charlevoix - 3/15/2013

[snowmonster]

Date Skied: 3/15/2013

Ski Area: Le Massif de Charlevoix, Petite-Riviere St. Francois, Quebec

Conditions: 25-10 F; Minimal Wind; Mostly sunny; Hardpack on piste with the lower mountain more solid than the upper mountain; Glades had some fresh snow but crusty in parts

Trip Report:

I have heard so much about Le Massif and this trip was building up to this big crescendo. Despite Charlevoix not being open (though I was tempted to poach it) and hardpack conditions on the lower mountain, Le Massif delivered in a big way. If you plan a ski trip to Quebec, make sure you spend at least a day here. It lived up to its billing.

It's an upside-down mountain where you park at the top and ski to the river. If you tried to ski it to the bottom, you're basically just about at the river's edge. First few runs were off the gondola. The views of the river were stunning. The theme of this trip seemed to be skiing areas where you ski with a great view of a big body of water (Owl's Head-Lake Memphremagog; MSA and Le Massif-St. Lawrence). This one was the most awesome. I've never skied while looking at cargo ships in the water until now. Pretty neat.

I switched over to the Maillard chair which accesses the skiers' right side of the mountain where Charlevoix (triple black) is located. Unfortunately, Charlevoix was roped off. I saw some people poach it and was tempted to do so but I decided against being a miscreant in a foreign country and dropped down La Fenomene instead. I dove into L'Artimon for my first glade run of the day. While it was crusty in parts, soft snow could be found everywhere. I stayed in the Maillard sector most of the morning and broke for lunch at 130PM. Do yourself a favor and have a meal here. The food service reminds me of places out west, specifically Whistler.

After lunch, I headed for the Secteur Hors-Piste, which is the huge forest on skiers' left of the mountain. Someone on this forum called it the original Brackett Basin. That's a pretty good description. The main feature of this sector is Mont Liguori and glades can be clearly seen from its summit. It will take a good 30 minute hike or skin to get to it. There are no named runs in there, however, and there's only a topo map at the entrance to give you an idea of the lay of the land. I included a shot of the map (not a good copy) to help future skiers.

The Secteur closes at 2PM so be mindful of that when making plans. I did not know that they closed that early and got there at 215PM. Well, I didn't drive all this way just to be turned down at the door so I dove right in. I didn't push far into the Secteur and kept close. It was great skiing. Soft snow and untracked in parts. Amazing! It spits out onto a traverse much like the flat traverse at the end of Beaver Pond at Jay. I tried going for seconds but patrol beat me to it.

The final hours were spent maching down groomers to get in as many runs before the end of the day. End of the day conditions on the lower part of the mountain were really tough with ultra-hardpacked trails. I had to help out a number of skiers who had wiped out on the slick steep surfaces.

Overall, it was a great trip to Le Massif. At the recommendation of madpatski, I capped it off with a sidetrip to Baie St. Paul. Wonderful views of the river too. I highly recommend a trip to Le Massif and to this region of Canada. You'll ski and eat well.

That's all for now from Quebec. Au revoir!

La Martine


La Fenomene


L'Abattis


L'Artimon


That mound at the top of Charlevoix

 

[Edd]

annnnnd, that's the other place I was considering next month. Why are you living my life before me?

 

[snowmonster]

In the Secteur Hors-Piste






Good night from Charlevoix!

 

[thetrailboss]

Wow!

 

[snowmonster]

Edd, my purpose in life is to give you a scouting report. Go get it,man! I'm already jealous that you're heading to Le Massif soon. I had a great time!

 

[deadheadskier]

What was the reason for Charlevoix not being open? Race training? Coverage?

I'd get over it quickly, but if I'm going to ski there, I certainly would want to try their most famous trail.

Did you check out what the train service was like from QC to Le Massif? I seem to recall it's available. I wonder how convenient it is versus driving. As you did drive, how long was the ride from QC?

 

[snowmonster]

Wow!

Took the words right out of my mouth. The pics don't do the views justice. It was stunning.

What was the reason for Charlevoix not being open? Race training? Coverage?

I'd get over it quickly, but if I'm going to ski there, I certainly would want to try their most famous trail.

Did you check out what the train service was like from QC to Le Massif? I seem to recall it's available. I wonder how convenient it is versus driving. As you did drive, how long was the ride from QC?

From what I gather, it's a combo of coverage (takes a lot of snow to fill in) and very slick conditions. The rain-freeze from two days before did a number on it. According to some locals, it's hardly ever open.

I looked into the train service. Basically, on Fridays, the train only runs to the hotel (La Ferme). The train to the mountain only runs on weekends but includes breakfast and apres tapas. I wanted to try it but the schedule wouldn't fit mine. There's also a ski bus available either for MSA or Le Massif with pick-ups at hotels. The drive from Quebec City is an hour. If you don't mind the drive, I recommend doing it this way so that you can explore the rest of the Charlevoix region -- Baie St. Paul and La Malbaie.

 

[deadheadskier]

Try any of the food at Le Massif? That's the other thing I've heard. Their on mountain food is supposed to be exceptional. That's no surprise as I've found the food in PQ to be outstanding everywhere I've ate.

 

[snowmonster]

^ They have a pub and a restaurant with table service but I opted for the cafeteria. Had a meal table d'hote - haddock in a cream sauce with rice pilaf and ratatouille. Came with onion soup and a drink. Spent extra for a small bottle of white wine. We've been eating too well the past few days in QC. I can pass on restaurant recommendations if you want. If you have any, I'd like to know since I have another day here.

 

[snowmonster]

Skiable glades on Mont Liguori in Secteur Hors-Piste


The St. Lawrence River from La Fenomene


A cargo ship in the river. Bet you don't see that everytime you go skiing.


Looking up the Maillard chair. Charlevoix is the highest trail in the center of the photo.


Trail status on Charlevoix

 

[steamboat1]

Glad you're enjoying. This is a area my parents introduced to me years ago, even before lift service. I'm jealous since i haven't been in several years. Glad to hear the food still kicks ass.

 

[emmaurice2]

Nice, I went on the off season and have been dreaming of getting back there. I want to do a combo trip of Massif and Valinouet.

 

[deadheadskier]

If you have any, I'd like to know since I have another day here.

Good locals joints on Rue St. Jean

Hobbit Bistro - Country French
La Piazzetta - Pizza
Accent (L') - Great Breakfast
Nelligan's Pub - for drinking. Owned by Patrice Bergeron's best friend from childhood. Found this place our first night in town a few years ago when we last visited and ended up finishing our evenings off there every night for the rest of our vacation. Lots more Bruins fans in QC than Habs fans.

We ate at several other places in Old Quebec and Grand Allee, but it was the places above on/off Rue St. Jean that were the most memorable for us.

 

[Cornhead]

Awesome TR, as usual, thanks, you're making me regret not going through the hassle of getting the NYS enhanced driver's licence when I renewed mine last year, damn terrorists. Maybe I'll have to break down and get a passport, never skied over the border, like to find out what it's all a boot. :wink:

 

[marcski]

Great report. I want to make some turns with you Snowmonster. Your reports always entice me.

 

[snowmonster]

Glad you're enjoying. This is a area my parents introduced to me years ago, even before lift service. I'm jealous since i haven't been in several years. Glad to hear the food still kicks ass.

You'll be surprised to see how much it's grown. I regret not skiing the Secteur Hors-Piste more.

Nice, I went on the off season and have been dreaming of getting back there. I want to do a combo trip of Massif and Valinouet.

If I return, I'd combo Le Massif de Charlevoix with Le Massif du Sud and perhaps Mont Grand-Fonds in Malbaie. Le Valinouet and Le Relais are also on the Quebec hit list. I'm falling in love with this region.

Awesome TR, as usual, thanks, you're making me regret not going through the hassle of getting the NYS enhanced driver's licence when I renewed mine last year, damn terrorists. Maybe I'll have to break down and get a passport, never skied over the border, like to find out what it's all a boot. :wink:

Break down and get a passport, man. It's a big world out there!

Lots more Bruins fans in QC than Habs fans.

Thanks for the recommendations, deadhead. We just stayed within the city walls but found some really good eating (more on that later). I was talking to these two guys on the lift. When they found out I was from Boston, the both said: "We hate the Habs as much as you do." They high-fived me when I said that I am hoping for the return of the Nordiques.

Great report. I want to make some turns with you Snowmonster. Your reports always entice me.

Thanks, man. I enjoy skiing and that probably comes out in my writing. Let me know if you head up to Sunday River. I look forward to skiing with you too!

 

[thetrailboss]

Re: Nordiques

Apparently the NHL is likely to grant QC its own franchise soon.

 

[snowmonster]

^ That will be great news for the good people of Quebec. There was a shop downtown that sold hockey and baseball jerseys. It was full of Montreal Expos and Quebec Nordiques memorabilia. I felt sad that most of the stuff here was for teams that no longer exist. It was like attending the parties for the Boston Braves Historical Association. Pining for a past that will never be. The guy manning the store was an umpire in the Canadian amateur baseball league. He was so starved for baseball conversation, I thought he would never let me leave.

 

[snowmonster]

Having skied 6 ski areas in Canada over the past month, I'd like to pass on some nuggets of experience:

1. Montreal and Quebec are not that far from Boston. It took us 6.5 hours to drive from Quebec City to our home in Boston. Montreal can be done in 5.5 to 6 hours. Magog is an ideal base for skiing the Eastern Townships with Orford sitting just outside town and Sutton and Owl's Head less than an hour away. Boston to Magog can be done in 4.5 hours. Of course, this assumes that the roads are dry and there are no delays at the border. Yes, we drove over the speed limit, but not by much.

2. The biggest drawback to skiing Canada is the taxes. A CAN$59 ticket can go up to CAN$76. Unfortunately, the only areas that have a lot of tickets available on Liftopia are Owl's Head and Tremblant. Unless you can get a good package for Le Massif, you're paying the walk-up rate. Perhaps, Liftopia can work on this. However, I can see from their main page that Eastern Canada is their least popular destination so there may be no incentive for them to do anything about this unless we create enough of a buzz on AZ.

3. Speaking of taxes, gas is way more expensive in Canada. Before you cross the border, fill 'er up and wait to cross back before topping off. Keep your trips to the gas station in Canada at a minimum.

4. Owl's Head has the best ticket deal. CAN$20 (taxes included) to ski on Tuesdays and Wednesdays is the best I've seen anywhere. Plus, it's a legit steep hill so you won't be settling.

5. The resort food is great and you won't feel bad about eating at the ski area. Despite the fact that they stare at each other, the poutine in Owl's Head is cheaper and way superior to the poutine at Jay Peak. One thing I can't get over is that the resorts here encourage brown-bagging (there are microwaves in the lodges and separate dining areas for brown-baggers), yet they still serve top-notch food in their cafeterias and restaurants. We should learn from this.

6. At ski resorts and in restaurants, if you're looking for a deal, the best thing to do is go to lunch and get the table d'hote option (a set menu which includes soup/salad, the main course and dessert). We ate very well in Montreal and Quebec City. If you're looking for traditional Quebecois food in QC, try Aux Anciens Canadiens. We went there for lunch and had their Quebec Tasting Platter for two (Quebec meat pie, Lac St. Jean meat pie stuffed with game meats, pork meatballs, pigs' knuckles, salt pork and baked beans). The table d'hote option came with a glass of beer or wine, soup (I had the pea soup) and desert (I had the maple syrup pie). Set us back about CAN$25 per person.

7. If AZ does a Canadian summit, it should be at Le Massif and it should feature a guided tour of the Secteur Hors-Piste. When that happens, I will be there!

Man, it's been less than a day but I miss Quebec already!

 

[ScottySkis]

Having skied 6 ski areas in Canada over the past month, I'd like to pass on some nuggets of experience:

1. Montreal and Quebec are not that far from Boston. It took us 6.5 hours to drive from Quebec City to our home in Boston. Montreal can be done in 5.5 to 6 hours. Magog is an ideal base for skiing the Eastern Townships with Orford sitting just outside town and Sutton and Owl's Head less than an hour away. Boston to Magog can be done in 4.5 hours. Of course, this assumes that the roads are dry and there are no delays at the border. Yes, we drove over the speed limit, but not by much.

2. The biggest drawback to skiing Canada is the taxes. A CAN$59 ticket can go up to CAN$76. Unfortunately, the only areas that have a lot of tickets available on Liftopia are Owl's Head and Tremblant. Unless you can get a good package for Le Massif, you're paying the walk-up rate. Perhaps, Liftopia can work on this. However, I can see from their main page that Eastern Canada is their least popular destination so there may be no incentive for them to do anything about this unless we create enough of a buzz on AZ.

3. Speaking of taxes, gas is way more expensive in Canada. Before you cross the border, fill 'er up and wait to cross back before topping off. Keep your trips to the gas station in Canada at a minimum.

4. Owl's Head has the best ticket deal. CAN$20 (taxes included) to ski on Tuesdays and Wednesdays is the best I've seen anywhere. Plus, it's a legit steep hill so you won't be settling.

5. The resort food is great and you won't feel bad about eating at the ski area. Despite the fact that they stare at each other, the poutine in Owl's Head is cheaper and way superior to the poutine at Jay Peak. One thing I can't get over is that the resorts here encourage brown-bagging (there are microwaves in the lodges and separate dining areas for brown-baggers), yet they still serve top-notch food in their cafeterias and restaurants. We should learn from this.

6. At ski resorts and in restaurants, if you're looking for a deal, the best thing to do is go to lunch and get the table d'hote option (a set menu which includes soup/salad, the main course and dessert). We ate very well in Montreal and Quebec City. If you're looking for traditional Quebecois food in QC, try Aux Anciens Canadiens. We went their for lunch and had their Quebec Tasting Platter for two (Quebec meat pie, Lac St. Jean meat pie stuffed with game meats, pork meatballs, pigs' knuckles, salt pork and baked beans). The table d'hote option came with a glass of beer or wine, soup (I had the pea soup) and desert (I had the maple syrup pie). Set us back about CAN$25 per person.

7. If AZ does a Canadian summit, it should be at Le Massif and it should feature a guided tour of the Secteur Hors-Piste. When that happens, I will be there!

Man, it's been less than a day but I miss Quebec already!

#7 would be awesome, thanks for all the great tips.