jamesdeluxe wrote:Instead of starting a new TR, I'll add to Colin's. Yep, there were eight inches at the base when we got there, but it kept on snowing throughout the day.
WOW, two Sutton TRs for the price of one.
jamesdeluxe wrote:After skiing Jay and Sutton within two days, I had a chance to comparison shop, and it's silly to claim that one is better than the other, but I can safely say that Sutton has a completely different feel on several levels. It's too late for me go into it, but if you're ever in the area with snow coming down hard, stop at Sutton... on a day like this, it's nirvana.
Of your No VT/Townships journey, I would say that Smuggs is my favorite. I haven't been a great fan of Jay since I discovered Smuggs back in the early 80s. I like Sutton, probably my favorite overall ski area in the Eastern Townships. Orford is my favorite for terrain and challenge, however there are a few issues like snow and bad management which I won't do into here. Sutton is a sure thing and more reliable in term of conditions.
Here is a list of my Pros-Cons for the place. Mind you, I'm not comparing to any particular ski area.
Pros:
- snow
- glades
- old vintage skiing feeling
- family
Cons:
- lack real vertical. 1500ft is from top of lifts to base lodge, however you rarely get that vert in one run unless you start up the top to bottom run Alleghaneys. Mind you it's way better than the top-to-bottom and less flat than the Kmart skiing.
- Unreliable lifts. A good friend has had a season pass for maybe 10 years + read a some horror on vintage powder days.
jamesdeluxe wrote:As I understood it, he and the Sutton crew are concerned about people who do the latter and are skiing over saplings, which prevents the forest from re-generating. It starts a vicious circle of open spaces, which result in wind damage, erosion, and an increasingly fragile forest.
MRG had the similar issues plus the 1998 Ice Storm added greatly to the damage. The Coop aggressively made Forest regeneration plots where an area would be corded off. I've skied the "sous-bois" at Sutton, but never really the "bois", so I wouldn't have noticed.
riverc0il wrote:Thanks for reminding me, my passport card application is still in the kitchen. Need to get that submitted if I have any chance of getting north of the boarder any time this season! Tree skiing looks good up there. :D
Looks good, however weekend can be a different story. Remember that Sutton might be far for most Americans, but it's only 63 miles (100km) from Montreal. Definitely one of the top ski areas in Quebec. It definitely should be on the Eastern Skiers To-Do list.