TheInsider
New member
Saturday March 8 at Le Massif <BR> <BR>Le Massif finally started getting some snow about 2 weeks ago. Still, the base is thin in all natural snow trails. La 42 in just about unskiable: vertical-sided moguls too close together, rocks, stumps. Same for L'Écore, new from last year. These two trails have been destroyed by the excessive skier traffic from the new Maillard Express quad on Cap Maillard. The proliferation of snowblades and snowboards doesn't help either <BR> <BR>The upper two-thirds of the Charlevoix trail remains closed. As confirmed by a lift attendant, it is considered too icy for safety...It shimmers in the sun. Earlier this season, a kid from the US killed himself when he went into the woods after losing control in the steep pitch . <BR> <BR>I went over to L'Archipel, the new semi-gladed trail serviced by the Maillard Express. It had been groomed and was a rock field. The woman of my life took a dangerous spill when she went over her skis that had simply stopped cold on what looked like a small sandy beach hidden in the shadows <BR> <BR>So the Fénomène is the only groomed/snowmaking trail on the Maillard side and it was crawling with ants, as most people had to choose that route down. <BR> <BR>On the other mountain, there was 15 minute lift line all day at the base of the Grande Pointe Express and even at the little double chair at the top. <BR> <BR>In the double chair summit sector, one trail (Lavoie) was closed all morning for race training of maybe 10 kids. And the Bouchard trail, right under the chair, has been transformed into a terrain park. There is only a narrow passage for regular skiing. For all practical purpose, the Bouchard is gone. <BR> <BR>My visit to the restrooms was to the sound of rap music. Really inspiring. <BR> <BR>Le Massif is now a ski area like all others, except with less snowmaking, not enough trails on the Maillard side and an overall bad trail design that funnel all skiers into a couple of steep/narrow trails at the base. <BR> <BR>I left sad and angry, remembering how special a place it used to be.