Snows... freezes...

HEY !!!!!!!! I MISSED THAT GREAT NEW !!!!! <BR> <BR>Copper Mountain Resort in Colorado began making snow for the 2003-04 winter season at the weekend. The resort believes it is the first resort in North America to make snow for the third consecutive year. Last year the resort began snowmaking operations on September 25, 2002. Snowmaking was scheduled to begin on September 29 this year, but a recent cold snap enabled the resort to fire up the guns ten days earlier than anticipated giving the resort a jump start on opening day preparations. Copper Mountain is scheduled to open for the season on November 1st. <BR> <BR> <BR>Too bad they began just on nov 1, but at least, snowmaking @ Loveland is surely on the way !! <BR> <BR>By the way, a snowdome in japan will become an Ikea...... what a shame !! (the SSAWS)
 
If only the Ikea could become a snowdome!!! It would save 5 minutes off the drive from downtown to skiing. Camp Fortune (200m ft) is approx. 10 miles from Downtown Ottawa. Only joking.
 
You're already lucky to have a ski area so close... and Vorlage, Edelweiss and Cascades are also quite close from Ottawa ;)
 
Hey !! <BR> <BR>Loveland started up 1 snowgun today (better than nothing !) 21 days before the opening ! <BR> <BR><IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/messages/8/2737.jpg" ALT="gettin' closer !">
 
Edelweiss, Cascades and Vorlage are almost double the distance from Downtown Ottawa. hahaha <BR> <BR>Here are the distances from my place (next to downtown). Fortune (1st parking = 16km / lodge = 22km), Edelweiss (45km) Vorlage and Cascades (approx 35km). All these places have night skiing, but slightly under 200m vertical. <BR> <BR>When I moved to Ottawa from Montreal, I would drive more often to Tremblant (160km - 100 miles; 2hr) or Whiteface (250km - 3hr) than ski close by, however things change when your kid starts skiing. <BR> <BR>Living in Ottawa is great for the skiing close by, but Montreal is better if you're willing to ski big areas. All the best Eastern North America ski areas are within a 3hrs drive. Under two hours you can reach all the Eastern Townships and Laurentians, plus Jay, Smuggs and Whiteface (1.75hr - maybe not from Laval Frank). Slightly above 2hr for Stowe, Mad River, Sugarbush and 3hr for Killington, Cannon, Sunday River, Sugarloaf and Ste.Anne. Mt.Washington, Wildcat and Massif are slightly more (3.5). <BR> <BR>As you can see Frank, Montreal is not bad either. However Laval might not be so great if you are driving toward the Townships or the US (for those the south shore suburbs would definately be better and quicker (hahaha).
 
Considering Mt Alta like my #1 best ski area, I prefer to live in Laval :-p ! <BR> <BR>Without joke, this is my % skied in each region : <BR> <BR>Laurentians : 193 = 66% <BR>Lanaudiere : 47 = 16% <BR>Eastern Townships : 38 = 13% <BR>Vermont : 5 <BR>Quebec : 3 <BR>Charlevoix : 3 <BR>Beauce : 1 <BR>Monteregie : 2 <BR> <BR>VT, QC, CH, BE, MT = 5% <BR> <BR> <BR>North of the St-Lawrence River : 84% <BR>South of the St-Lawrence River : 16% <BR> <BR>I think those stats can explain you how it's fun to pass into Montreal to go south !! I must say that the ski areas in the townships are quite more interesting than in the north, (except of course : Alta, La Réserve and Val Saint-Côme) <BR> <BR>I must say that I now ski quite more often into Lanaudiere <BR> <BR>For 2002-03 : Laurentians : 49%, Lanaudiere : 34%, Townships : 14% and VT : 3%
 
Cannon is 3h30 from here, without traffic jam. (let's say an average of 4h+) and it's the NH ski area closer to MTL. I will certainly wait to see some bumps in many trails before to do the trip :-p <BR> <BR>but it's on my future wish list ;)
 
Sorry Frank, but I would say Balsam Wilderness is the closest NH ski area from Montreal. A tiny place set in a beautiful setting. The hotel reminds me of Gray Rocks Inn. An old and luxirious place with a small ski area across the road. I drive by it when I head down toward Sunday River. <BR> <BR>About Cannon, I believe it is exactly (I don't remember) 270km from Champlain Bridge. So if you respect the steep limit (269 of which in on the autoroute/interstate) and if crossing the border is not too hectic, it should take you 3hr from Champlain Bridge. The problem for you is getting there without too much traffic. So 3.5hr should be about right on early weekend morning, but crossing Montreal on weekdays 4hr+ is a very conservative estimate!!! <BR> <BR>However, I was surprise the last time I went. My friend and I made in only 2.5hr from the bridge. I guess I didn't realise how fast my friend was driving.
 
Not so fast, if you consider 120km/h x 2 = 240km + 60 possible in 1/2 hour... not considering the borders.... so this is possible, but depending on when we pass there in the day, we must sometimes eat somewhere ;) (especially as it's not recommended to traverse the borders with some food, even a lunch). <BR> <BR>I know Balsams, but I rush to imagine that it's closer from here. I mean, for the distance, may be, but not sure for the drive time, cause for Cannon, you can drive at 120mph all the way. (I should look to a map...)
 
Frankontour wrote: <BR> <BR><BLOCKQUOTE><HR SIZE=0><!-Quote-!><FONT SIZE=1><B>Quote:</B></FONT><P>(especially as it's not recommended to traverse the borders with some food, even a lunch). <!-/Quote-!><HR SIZE=0></BLOCKQUOTE> <BR> <BR>You just can't bring unprocessed meats (i.e., raw meat) or produce across. Or, rather, I should say that they can't <I>find</I> you bringing either of those items across. If they do find it, you just play stupid. <BR> <BR>Frank, you and I have discussed this many times before, but I'm at a loss to understand why you're so paranoid about crossing. Last year I had a hard time trying to get you to come down to Whiteface because of it, and that same day my wife's cousin came down without any issues whatsoever. It's really, truly no big deal. The only hassle I've seen is that it takes slightly longer now than it did on 9/11. For those reasons, I now often bypass the big highway crossings in favor of the small country road crossings, where I'm usually back on my way within 30 seconds or so. <BR> <BR>Look on the bright side: your gas cost to return home will be much less. <IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/clipart/smile2.gif">
 
<I>Frankontour thinks that he should stop to talk about the borders on this website ;)</I> <BR> <BR>I guess it's an urban legend, but after few quebekers were arrested without decent reasons while they were just crossing the borders (including the brother of one of my best friends), many quebekers just hate to have to pass the borders. <BR> <BR>Whiteface : the borders wouldn't have stopped me alone. You know that it's many other facts that stopped me. 1 : goin' alone... not with my car. Conditions the days before : Frozen granular. Conditions on march 2 : Rain. Slides : Closed, Glades : not really skiable. All this didn't worth the trip and my only regret is that I didn't had the chance to met you + a couple of the skivt guys <IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/clipart/sad.gif" ALT=":("> (I absolutely don't care of not having skied Whiteface) <BR> <BR>(Oh, I forgot the fact that the roads were impossible to drive, that day... I just made the 50 miles to reach Alta and missed to get an accident twice, so it was sliding.) <BR> <BR>Back on the borders, I should try to find a website where there would be some information about what we can pass at the borders and what we can't.
 
Frankontour wrote: <BR><BLOCKQUOTE><HR SIZE=0><!-Quote-!><FONT SIZE=1><B>Quote:</B></FONT><P>Back on the borders, I should try to find a website where there would be some information about what we can pass at the borders and what we can't.<!-/Quote-!><HR SIZE=0></BLOCKQUOTE> <BR><A HREF="http://www.customs.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/know_brochure/prohibited_restricted.xml" TARGET="_blank">http://www.customs.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/know_brochure/prohibited_restricted.xml</A>
 
Framk, what's in your lunch anyway??? (hahaha) <BR> <BR>Seriously, I have always bring lunches each time I go skiing, especially in the US. Need to save all the money I can, considering the number of time I ski. <BR> <BR>Marc, I don't necessarly agree that the border crossing is always hassle free. I cross the border generally 6-10 times a year to go skiing. A few times, I had to answer a long list of questions (example: I am carrying $25,000 on me!!!). This has happened prior to 9/11. It seems that they changed the screening maybe 5 years ago. The last time they asked me to leave the car and two agents inspected the ski-box, underneath the car, bags, seats, etc. This took maybe 4 minutes, but I can see how it can make people feel uneasy. <BR> <BR>This doesn't really bother me, except that when I crossed the border it is early on a weekend morning, thus only one booth open and a few cars waiting. Add 4 minutes per car... that bothers me. <BR> <BR>Add to that officers are probably at the end of the term overnight shift, so you risk getting one that tired and gruppy. The best border patrol are the ones that ski, they seem to be in a good mood when they see a ski-box on top.
 
I drive past Balsam Wilderness about one hour before I get to Sunday River. Sunday River (on a Spring day) takes 3 hours from Montreal.
 
3 hours from MTL for Sunday River ?????? <BR>Ok, on this point, you really drive fast :-p <BR> <BR>About the borders, I never bring a gun or some explosives or poisons (LOL) ..... so with the website Marc linked, I will know what I'm correct to bring and after, at least, I won't feel like a terrorist to bring a lunch !! lol
 
From your link : <BR> <BR><I>"It's best not to bring fresh fruits or vegetables into the United States."</I> <BR> <BR>It complicates the sandwichs <IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/clipart/happy.gif" ALT=":)"><IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/clipart/happy.gif" ALT=":)"><IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/clipart/happy.gif" ALT=":)"> joking <BR> <BR><B>Food Products</B> <BR><I>You may bring bakery items and certain cheeses into the United States. APHIS publishes a booklet, Traveler's Tips, that offers extensive information about bringing food products into the country. For more information, or for a copy of Traveler's Tips, contact USDA-APHIS (see the section on "Game and Hunting Trophies" section). <BR> <BR>Some imported foods are also subject to requirements of the Food and Drug Administration.</I> <BR> <BR>Hey... isn't it less complicated to buy something in USA ??
 
Loveland gettin' closer <IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/clipart/happy.gif" ALT=":)"> <BR> <BR><I>17 days, 16 hours, 57 minutes, and 50 seconds left until the projected Opening Day</I> <BR> <BR>I really wonder how much snow Tenney will have made, next saturday, for the reopening of their snowpark. Will it be enough to let them claim that they're 1st to open in the East (and in north America by the same time) ? <BR> <BR>I can't wait to see that ;)
 
I looked a little bit in my archives for fun, about the vertical skied in a day. <BR> <BR>I only have the stats of the last 3-4 years and I know that I did quite bigger days, when I was still a child skiing all day long without stopping, full speed (even in moguls), with HSQ. (ahhh the good old times at Mt Avila... ±100 runs in a day, 633' high = over 60k vertical skied) <BR> <BR>But for official numbers, my best is 48500' skied on april 24, 2000, at Tremblant (last day of operation). (I curiously skied 46000' at the same place, 3 weeks before). My best for 2002-03 was 41000' at Tremblant, but with a camera, it was tough to take nice pics and to do a big vertical... (I took about 60 photos, the day of 41k) <BR> <BR>I should try one day to ski VSC from 8h30AM to 10hPM. It costs about 5$ more, but with the HSQ, I could easily pass over 50K-60K, if it's not too crowded.
 
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