Edelweiss QC : December 2-3, 2013 – 2 hours under the lights

Patrick

Active member
Initially posted on Ski Mad World.
http://madpatski.wordpress.com/2013/12/ ... he-lights/


Two trails, two hours for two nights!!!

After two days at Tremblant, my old home mountain. It was time to pay a return visit at my new home, a place where I have spent many days over the last few seasons This season isn’t going to be any different.

Edelweiss versus Tremblant
Since 2005-06 : 99 vs 8
From 1981-82 to 1999-2000 prior to Morgane’s 1st real season : 3 vs 78 with many more days since 1968.
Since 1981-82 to the end of last season : 138 vs 103


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The advantage of Edelweiss is that is just over 30 minutes next to my home west of downtown Ottawa. November 2013 was like the ones I used to remember as a kid; it gave us some snow and cold temps close to the normal where ski crews could make some snow. Camp Fortune had opened on November 22 and last Friday it was the turn of Mont Cascades, Mont Ste-Marie and Edelweiss. Edelweiss is the only local area currently offering night skiing or open weekdays. After 25cm last Wednesday November 27: it was time to take advantage of the proximity of local skiing and make a few turns.

Monday December 2
Day 4:


I needed to get my season pass before the ski team season started on this coming weekend. My time was limited in more ways than one, I also had to back in town for 6pm.

I left Ottawa as the afternoon rush-hour traffic started as I coundn’t leave before my youngest daughter got home. She had forgotten her key and I needed to wait for her. The temperature was slightly below freezing, much warmer that the last few days. Edelweiss generally starts the season with only Chemin des bois, but with the cold temps they managed to get Easy Street open also. Chemin des bois is more leveled will Easy Street has one good pitch for green run.

It was already dark and the lights were up when I got on the old High speed quad at 4:15pm. I managed to ski 8 runs in 1 hour until I had to hurry back to Ottawa.

The conditions weren’t the excellent packed powder variety found the previous day or last week at Tremblant, but it was easy carving. I had my old Atomic slalom skis and practiced my turn cranking. There was some loose snow on top of an artificial base. It was foggy with the odd flurries and the odd light freezing drizzle.

Tuesday December 3
Day 5:


Another afternoon rush-hour departure from Ottawa for another 8 runs in one hour. I had a date with the family at a restaurant for a birthday followed by a movie.

Today was a sunny day and the drive up to Wakefield wasn’t as dark as the previous day. The temperature was the same, but the snow texture had changed somewhat and the base was freezing up as the temperature dipped under 0c. It felt more like an early Spring night skiing with a refreezing base with a sunset when I got on the lift.

It was the same pattern as the previous day: 4:15 to 5:15 and 8 runs, 4 in each run. As in the previous day, they were at the most two-dozen people on the hill, most of them snowboarders hitting the few rails setup at the bottom of Easy Street.

Two hour workout over two days, better than watching TV. Tonight I mostly wanted to get out before the potential warm weather and rain hit on Thursday. After that it should be back under freezing, but surfaces aren’t going to be the same.

PS. Calling it night skiing even if I left prior to 5:30pm as I was skiing under the lights both time.
 
Patrick":2ot804up said:
It was foggy with the odd flurries and the odd light freezing drizzle...the snow texture had changed somewhat and the base was freezing up as the temperature dipped under 0c...Tonight I mostly wanted to get out before the potential warm weather and rain hit on Thursday. After that it should be back under freezing.

Oh, joy! I miss it back East...not.
 
Tony Crocker":3lofc4f2 said:
admin":3lofc4f2 said:
Oh, joy! I miss it back East...not.
Mainly worth it for Month 99.

Actually month 98 and 99 were done on last Thursday and Sunday at Tremblant. That TR is going to be longer to write involves some picture scanning, but it should be worth the wait. It will be in spirit of the theme of this season's Tremblant 75th anniversary. However I have 3 big ski days ahead of me starting tomorrow at Edelweiss. Those 2 hours of skiing were mainly workout runs for this weekend.
 
Kicked off my own season last week on Laurentian groomers that were better paved than Quebec roads. The drive to the hill had more bumps and dips than the skiing . First of the season eastern thaw/freeze cycles on tap for the weekend .
 
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