2008-01-19 Gaspésie - Mont Miller/Chics Chocs

Bendude

New member
What a nice week-end I've got with my girlfriend! Leaving from Montreal friday night at 6pm, I've conviced myfself doing the trip for the weekend would be nice... and it was.. took me 6hrs30 to get to Sainte-anne des monts. Next day took me 1 hour more to get to Mont Miller a small mountain in small city that have almost only that to offer now since all the miners job are gone...

easily 50-60cm deep in the slope... Good turns, funs smile....

After a good day, decide to go to Champs de mars in the Chics Chocs! What a nice day!

a little less of powder overthere. but was really nice to ride... here's some pictures!

Conclusion, nice pow, nice sun, cold but in snowshoes you don't feel it!
Will do it again every weekend! :)

Mont Miller:
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Chics Chocs:


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Bendude":354yl49q said:
Will do it again every weekend! :)

:shock: :shock: :shock:

EVERY weekend :?: Do you own a small plane? :wink: If so, you might bump into us at Ste-Anne-des-Monts this weekend. :shock:

BTW, beautiful pictures as always. 8)
 
Those photos are beautiful! I wish I could go up there. How is it up there in march? How do you know where to go? Is there a guide book or do you just wing it?
 
Sensational. This is big time on my to do list. Probably not this season but almost definitely next season. Must start planning this season though because I know next to nothing about that corner of this continent. The official sites are pretty spotty on the detailed information I would want for a trip. I think I recall seeing guide books or maps for sale? There is a hostel on the northern side of the peninsula that has my name all over it. Don't remember too much French but may be time to brush up!
 
Beautiful. Is Mont Miller the hill with the really steep section or is that Val d'Irene?

I still remember my mountain biking trip to Gaspésie. Loved the villages with funny names along the way: Riviere du Loup, Trois Pistoles, Amqui, Matapédia, Cabano, Rimouski.

If I remember correctly, it's a fair bit of driving to reach the Chic Chocs... 6+ hours from Montréal, and that's without any snow issues. Once you're north of Quebec City, you'll need your French, though the accent is often impenetrable even if you're fluent.

Absolutely worth it. Sometimes it feels like you're at the end of the world up there.
 
rfarren":19an19dj said:
Those photos are beautiful! I wish I could go up there. How is it up there in march? How do you know where to go? Is there a guide book or do you just wing it?

Can be good or not! Depends of heat and cold! But this year will be tremendous I guess! They receive around 800cm of snow per year.

If you go there, it's quite well organized. It's a national park and there's all the information and map you need to reach the snowfields. All the official area are on a map classified by level of difficulties. Also the guys there will show you the avalanche report and danger level. It's up to you to take the good decision. Champs de mars is the best introduction you can get. It's not a hard walk and you can get do a couple of run easyly. Other area are prone to avalanche. This weekend for example, risk was at maximum.

for snow bulletin: http://www.centreavalanche.qc.ca/
 
jamesdeluxe":3dqqe2t4 said:
Beautiful. Is Mont Miller the hill with the really steep section or is that Val d'Irene?

It's Val D'irene near Amqui!

For funny name in the area, there's a village call "Les Boules"

Try to figure what it mean :)
 
Gorgeous pics! The Chic-Chocs have just moved up a notch or two in my to-do list. I know no French though and would need a guide. Do you need avie gear for that area? I saw the avalanche warning sign in one of the pictures.
mtngirl
 
mtngirl":1315ejno said:
Do you need avie gear for that area? I saw the avalanche warning sign in one of the pictures.

The Chic Chocs are similar to the Presidential Range, you don't need Avy gear, but you're travelling in Avalanche zones. Avalanches CAN happen, so it is not to be taken lightly.

jamesdeluxe":1315ejno said:
Once you're north of Quebec City
More East than North. :wink: When you mentioned north of Quebec City, most people in Quebec would automatically think about the Saguenay-Lac St-Jean region instead of la Gaspésie. But your comment about language skills are pretty accurate East and North.
 
Patrick":1gqz1m9a said:
When you mentioned north of Quebec City, most people in Quebec would automatically think about the Saguenay-Lac St-Jean region instead of la Gaspésie. But your comment about language skills are pretty accurate East and North.

My mistake, I meant to say northeast of Quebec City.

The farthest north I've ever been in Quebec was the national park at Monts-Valin. I never had any trouble understanding people in Charlevoix or Saguenay, but Gaspesie was a different story.
 
Many of those pics could be easily mistaken for Interior BC backcountry. There is less and less doubt in my mind that the Chic-Chocs have conspicuously the best combination of snow and terrain in the East. It seems a waste that no one can or even wants to develop a major league ski resort out there somewhere.
 
Tony Crocker":b24abwqn said:
It seems a waste that no one can or even wants to develop a major league ski resort out there somewhere.

Patrick or the others can comment, but the entire Gaspesie peninsula has been emptying out for years. So with no real population base to draw from (as mentioned, Montreal is a long drive), if you can figure out how to create a profitable tourist attraction with lots of full-time jobs, I'm sure the bureaucrats in Quebec City would like to talk to you.
 
jamesdeluxe":2k9ailw6 said:
Patrick or the others can comment, but the entire Gaspesie peninsula has been emptying out for years. So with no real population base to draw from (as mentioned, Montreal is a long drive), if you can figure out how to create a profitable tourist attraction with lots of full-time jobs, I'm sure the bureaucrats in Quebec City would like to talk to you.
Year round tourism would be one aspect but hard to develop, I think. If Montreal is a long drive (perhaps Whites/Greens are closer than Gaspesie, I imagine?) then I think four season is a hard sell. But between online forums and the Meatheads... word is getting out to backcountry skiers stateside (not sure what the word is like up north) and I think winter tourism is definitely going to continue to see an increase. Probably not enough to sustain the area though.
 
jamesdeluxe":1r7tlbxi said:
Patrick or the others can comment, but the entire Gaspesie peninsula has been emptying out for years. So with no real population base to draw from (as mentioned, Montreal is a long drive), if you can figure out how to create a profitable tourist attraction with lots of full-time jobs, I'm sure the bureaucrats in Quebec City would like to talk to you.

The three times I have been there it seems like the only real local industry is the ocean, fishing, crabbing, etc. Possibly logging, but that seems to have been cut back in recent years...

Porter
 
Is AT gear a must? Is there a cat operation? Not that I am anti AT, I would buy that gear just to ski there! :) Is there any place I can get the stats on the weather, snow base in spring... i.e. june?
 
Tony Crocker":oko7tt58 said:
Many of those pics could be easily mistaken for Interior BC backcountry. There is less and less doubt in my mind that the Chic-Chocs have conspicuously the best combination of snow and terrain in the East. It seems a waste that no one can or even wants to develop a major league ski resort out there somewhere.

Couple of points.

James mentioned that the region is mostly economy is mostly ressources (fish, forest, mines) and tourism in the Summer time. Region has been losing people for years.

Chic Chocs definitely have a good combination snow and terrain. There was even a heli-skiing operator that lasted for 1-2 years back in the early-mid 80s.

James is correct in pointing out the geographical aspect of the place. There is a remote area with little population. The closest population metropolitan area is Quebec City (650k) which is maybe 4-5 hours away. Add an extra 2.5 for Montreal. The whole population of New Brunswick in maybe 700k and is hightly concentrated in the south. The economic and geography speaks again it.

The Quebec government has help in the creation of ski areas in the late 80 and early 90 in some economically depressed regions. Pin Rouge on the south side of the Gaspe Peninsula, Mont Edouard in the Saguenay and, I believe, Le Massif when it went off the ground as a lift serviced area. Some of these areas have had difficulties, even if they have been less remote areas. All these are highly quality areas. If you created this massive ski area, won't you hurt some of these? Especially nice areas (not mole hill areas) like Pin Rouge and Val d'Irene? The argument about attracting people from outside of the province doesn't necessarily work, there is no major airport (less than Corner Brook, Newfoundland).

Le Massif was suppose to be the next big ski resort in the East and attract a whole lot of tourist to it. It has attracted tourist, but not to what they imagined 20 years ago plus it probably hurt Ste-Anne and Grand Fonds (the region local hill). Grand Fonds has been asking for government funds to stay alive.

There is also the ski industry demographic playing against new ski area. Mt. Miller is outside of the park, okay the terrain isn't great compare to the park, but if something that can happen in the region, it would be here. Snow definitely look plentiful from Bendude and last year's report from Lucky Luke.

Most of the Chic Chocs are located in the Gaspe Provincial park and are protected. The high plateaux also have the only population of cariboos south of Northern Quebec and is a very sensitive ecological area. Government has been promoting ecotourism (low impact), for hiking, backcountry and cross-country skiing.
 
rfarren":3sfvx77e said:
Is AT gear a must? Is there a cat operation? Not that I am anti AT, I would buy that gear just to ski there! :) Is there any place I can get the stats on the weather, snow base in spring... i.e. june?
No cats in the park that is for sure.

Before this year, Lucky Luke didn't hake any AT gear, only treekers. Looks like Bendude and his girlfriend had snowshoes.
 
Here is the avalanche information that I have used in the past:

http://www.centreavalanche.qc.ca/info.php

When we went in early June 2 years ago it had a similar snow pack to Tuckerman ravine. See for reference:

Chic chocs first week of june: http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards ... highlight=

Mount Washington 2 weeks later:
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards ... highlight=

While the presidentials seem to have a longer and more sustainable season of spring skiing and snow pack, there is a lot to be said for the experience of going to a mountain region, taking a big road trip and exploring a new place.
 
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