Patrick
Well-known member
SOME RAIN ON THURSDAY...
We got some 5cm of snow followed by rain all day in town this week. Laurentians got close (to maybe all) this precipitation in the form of snow. I had planned to left with Morgane for Tremblant on Good Friday, but car and waking up issues conspired against that plan.
Once the car was removed from the ice trap in the lane and my daughter was in the car, we headed for Ste-Marie. About one hour less and probably not as sick in the car.à
VERY GOOD FRIDAY...At Ste-Marie.
Started skiing at 11ish. It was a cold and very windy day. Conditions on Vanier (mountain in front of lodge) was groomed and carvable granular. The most interesting runs at MSM are on Cheval Blanc (2nd mountain). Conditions were much better, a lot wind blown fresh snow was found on the runs.The fact that the groomers also waited to groom the runs overnight and that the snow wasn't as wet was also a factor in the difference in conditions between the two hills (I was told that Vanier was groom at the end of the previous day). Definitely some good winter turns, probably the best winter turns I recall having at MSM.
Spensar was asking about the woods between the two mountains, I mentioned that they used to be a run called Klotz, well I noticed that the old Crescendo trail on the edge of Vanier next to Cheval Blanc hill also disappeared from the trail map. :shock:
Morgane and I skied it although it was more or less roped off. Most of the run was tracked up by a groomer tracks which made most of the trail unskiable, however there was fresh snow on a frozen snow layer on the side that made the skiing fun. I only noticed that this trail was non-longer on the trail map when we looked at a map during a snack inside. I found a 3rd trail that disappeared from the map. I don't know what is happening. Morgane wanted to go back on Crescendo, but we never did as she wanted to ski every trail again on this day.
I noticed on the long long green Radar run (road to the old Radar station on a summit near the top of the mountain which predates the ski area), that the snowdepth was above the lenght of my ski poles (135cm).
RACING SATURDAY...at Cascades
First race in over one month for myself. Great conditions at Mont Cascades. It was the final of the Ottawa Masters. Best final weather and conditions wise since I started Master racing 6 years ago. Not the packed powder found on Cheval Blanc hill at MSM, but some very nice machine groomed granular. Mont Cascades is much closer to Ottawa, so I presume they got more or a mix precipitation than MSM The temps were colder than normal, but made for a fine day of racing and skiing. Enjoyed going laps on the Competition hill at the end of each race (GS in the AM and SL in the PM).
Contrary to MSM, this place was deserted on this Easter Saturday. Maybe people were 1) gone on out-of-town ski trips (MSM, Tremblant), 2) been busy with the Easter weekend business OR 3) given up on skiing, regardless of the conditions, for 2007-08.
Night skiing ended on this day at most of the locals, Camp Fortune night skiing is ending tomorrow night. As for myself, I've been at home for the last two days of this holidays, not able to ski due to lack of transportation in a one car household. Ah yes, i'm sick now, so it's not so bad. :?
We got some 5cm of snow followed by rain all day in town this week. Laurentians got close (to maybe all) this precipitation in the form of snow. I had planned to left with Morgane for Tremblant on Good Friday, but car and waking up issues conspired against that plan.
Once the car was removed from the ice trap in the lane and my daughter was in the car, we headed for Ste-Marie. About one hour less and probably not as sick in the car.à
VERY GOOD FRIDAY...At Ste-Marie.
Started skiing at 11ish. It was a cold and very windy day. Conditions on Vanier (mountain in front of lodge) was groomed and carvable granular. The most interesting runs at MSM are on Cheval Blanc (2nd mountain). Conditions were much better, a lot wind blown fresh snow was found on the runs.The fact that the groomers also waited to groom the runs overnight and that the snow wasn't as wet was also a factor in the difference in conditions between the two hills (I was told that Vanier was groom at the end of the previous day). Definitely some good winter turns, probably the best winter turns I recall having at MSM.
Spensar was asking about the woods between the two mountains, I mentioned that they used to be a run called Klotz, well I noticed that the old Crescendo trail on the edge of Vanier next to Cheval Blanc hill also disappeared from the trail map. :shock:
Morgane and I skied it although it was more or less roped off. Most of the run was tracked up by a groomer tracks which made most of the trail unskiable, however there was fresh snow on a frozen snow layer on the side that made the skiing fun. I only noticed that this trail was non-longer on the trail map when we looked at a map during a snack inside. I found a 3rd trail that disappeared from the map. I don't know what is happening. Morgane wanted to go back on Crescendo, but we never did as she wanted to ski every trail again on this day.
I noticed on the long long green Radar run (road to the old Radar station on a summit near the top of the mountain which predates the ski area), that the snowdepth was above the lenght of my ski poles (135cm).
RACING SATURDAY...at Cascades
First race in over one month for myself. Great conditions at Mont Cascades. It was the final of the Ottawa Masters. Best final weather and conditions wise since I started Master racing 6 years ago. Not the packed powder found on Cheval Blanc hill at MSM, but some very nice machine groomed granular. Mont Cascades is much closer to Ottawa, so I presume they got more or a mix precipitation than MSM The temps were colder than normal, but made for a fine day of racing and skiing. Enjoyed going laps on the Competition hill at the end of each race (GS in the AM and SL in the PM).
Contrary to MSM, this place was deserted on this Easter Saturday. Maybe people were 1) gone on out-of-town ski trips (MSM, Tremblant), 2) been busy with the Easter weekend business OR 3) given up on skiing, regardless of the conditions, for 2007-08.
Night skiing ended on this day at most of the locals, Camp Fortune night skiing is ending tomorrow night. As for myself, I've been at home for the last two days of this holidays, not able to ski due to lack of transportation in a one car household. Ah yes, i'm sick now, so it's not so bad. :?