Happy new year!

Champagne chills outside on the deck rail

Our first-ever visit to Mont Tremblant was for New Years 2010.  My wife always wanted to spend New Year's Eve someplace snowy like a cosy ski chalet, and when I had heard about the flights from Toronto to Mont Tremblant, I booked us a trip.  We stayed at Quintessence and had a fantastic time...dinner in the hotel restaurant (superb dining and atmosphere), a few drinks at the Diable brewpub and back to see the midnight fireworks from the outdoor hot tub at the hotel.  We loved it so much that just nine months later we were moving in to our own little chalet just north of St. Jovite.  Now it is an annual tradition to spend New Years in Tremblant...fireside, fondue and a little champagne.

Mont Tremblant looms in the background from the Domaine

This year was no exception and we came up just after Christmas.  A funny December for weather, though, as we drove through rain on our way up from Toronto.  While the ski mountain had plenty of man-made snow, there was almost nothing on the ground when we arrived.  So definitely no snowshoeing or cross-country skiing.  That didn't keep us inside...we still ventured to the Domaine St. Bernard where the abundant cross-country ski trails had been opened up for winter hiking.  Temperatures were cold, perfect for snow making but unfortunately, with little natural snow on the ground and limited snowfall in the forecast, the Domaine staff were skeptical that cross-country skiing could even begin in January.  Cross-country is fast growing in Tremblant and the Domaine is a mecca for this popular sport, so let's hope the snow comes soon!