Back in April of 2018, my wife and I each broached the subject of a month off in January with our respective bosses. To their credit, they supported us for this lengthy absence, and now January is upon us! Gleeful "out of office" notices have been posted and we are installed in our cute little ski chalet for the duration. This page will chronicle our experience through the next 5. Our goals:a) Become better skiers
b) Explore the Laurentians even more
c) Relax a bit
d) See if we can coexist in 950 square feet without driving each other crazy
Here goes!
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| Sure gets dark early in December |
Karen had to work today to wrap up a few loose ends, which was just as well because a front of freezing rain moved through the area. So no skiing for the first full day here but better weather comes tomorrow. I spent the day planning a couple weekend getaways for January (Ottawa and Montreal) so that we have a little change of scenery. Once Karen's work was done, it was a toast of champagne by the fire and my first ever turkey tetrazzini using leftovers from Christmas dinner.
Day 2 - Sat Dec 29
First full work-free day for both of us. Breakfast fire in the hearth as we discussed future plans for the coming month. Booked Ottawa hotel, pondered opportunities for ice skating. Old Tremblant has an amazing skating oval on Lac Mercier, and lit at night! We are also (naturally) looking at skating on the Rideau Canal when we visit in January, a trip which will include the Diefenbunker and the glorious National Gallery. Afternoon power nap followed by an aerobic hike down and up the mountain. Greater achievements (like getting our annual stickers for the Ski de Fond passes) were not realized, in favour of more chill. A sound strategy.
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| Karen blocks the path |
OK, today we got to the Domaine St Bernard. Still a little snow starved and just a handful of ski de fond trails open with fairly icy conditions after the recent freezing rain. Still, the Domaine was quite busy and we are pleased to see all the activity...when we first came to Tremblant the Domaine could feel a little deserted sometimes, s the improvements and makreting have paid off. There were a number of people out getting cross-country ski lessons on the training run. For us, we got our stickers and did Les Manics, a great little snowshoe trail that winds out to the Deshaies pavillion where a toasty fire welcomes you and chickadees dive bomb you for sunflower seeds.
Day 4 - Mon Dec 31
Today was prep for New Years eve, when my brother and sister-in-law join us annually for fireside dinner, drinks and celebration. Karen was a hero and got out for a mountain walk while I stayed in, tidied up a bit and had a nap. As always, it was a great evening including a selection of French whites and cheese fondue. Yum!
Day 5 - Jan 1 2019!
Happy New Years! Every year we have big talk of skiing on New Years day, apparently a quiet day at Tremblant. But true to form, we chickened out and puttered about the house, cleaning up after the night before and enjoying some well-earned down time. But we got out for our mountain walk in glorious sunshine (or as much as we get in the shadow of Mt Leonard) and looking at the snowy trees after a dump of about 15cm overnight. Should help conditions for our first ski day, tomorrow!
Day 6 - Wed Jan 2
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| Karen heading to the pub! |
Day 7 - Thurs Jan 3
Tomorrow came and this time, downhill skiing began! We had heard from a neighbour that the crowds were large this holiday season, so we got to the hill early (about 7:45) and made the most of first tracks. The conditions were fine despite Tremblant having suffered from some rainfall earlier in December. By late morning the lift lineups were growing, but our legs had had enough by then given it was our first day. So into St Jovite for a bit of gear shopping and some post-ski lunch at Brasserie St Arnoud.
Day 8 - Fri Jan 4
Another early morning ski day today, taking advantage of the free "first tracks" access included in our Tonik pass. The forecast was for "freezing fog", which we have seen in our weather app a few times and thought it was fake news. It is not...freezing fog is real and accumulates on your goggles as you ski through it and is why modern ski coats have a little wipey towel on a string in the breast pocket. Despite the warmer temperatures, the ~5cm of snow that fell overnight remained fully and it was great conditions again today.
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| Fireplace therapy |
Decided to avoid the weekend crowds and showshoe instead. We are fortunate to have hundreds of acres of forest right next to our chalet, so we can showshoe right out out back door. Finished the day with a tasty duck lasagna from Mille Pates, who has a freezer full of their pastas, and so we always have one or two of their lasagnas on hand at home. Paired this with a special birthday wine, the 2016 Cab from Caymus in Napa. Awesome!
Day 10 - Sun Jan 6
Even though our Tonik pass included some weekend days (including this weekend), our strategy was to avoid the weekends and ski every weekday when it's much quieter. And so that was our plan today. We had a nice morning sipping coffee from a local roastery, Brulerie des Laurentides in nearby Riviere Rouge. Another trip to the Domaine St. Bernard for afternoon cross-country (windy day, good time to be in the woods) and then a pint or two at Maison du Brasseur.
Day 11 - Mon Jan 7
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| Amazing views at the top |
Day 12 - Tues Jan 8
The powderhounds were out in force after about 15-20cm of snow fell overnight. We arrived mid-morning to find both P1 and P2 full (on a weekday!) and so we learned a lesson: fresh snow attracts crowds. The mountain wasn't actually crowded and there were virtually no lineups, but lots of people arrived early in an effort to enjoy the deep snow. As intermediate skiers, we find this kind of snow difficult to manage and so tried our best to stick with the groomed runs. For apres-ski we returned to St Arnould...they get a lot of business in part because they are located right beside the IGA so we go there when we also need groceries. And the beer, food and service is excellent!
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| Zero lineups during the week! |
A quieter day at the mountain today. Far more groomed trails today and we moved to some more challenging runs as we felt like our ski legs are back. We found some of the new glades created this year although we haven't tried them out yet, but they look great. Picked up some much needed ski clothing today and took advantage of the discounts we got as part of the Tonik pass. Apres-ski at home today in front of a roaring fire. Friends asked if we thought we'd be bored skiing every day and so far, that's a "hard no".
Day 14 - Thurs Jan 10
High winds today associated with a cold front moving through so we decided to cross country ski, which got cut short in favour of a trip to the pub. Turns out we made a good choice as apparently skiers were being blown back at the summit after exiting the chair lifts. We also took the opportunity to clean the chalet which badly needed it.
Day 15 - Fri Jan 11
Not outrageously cold today but about -20C in the morning with lingering winds from the day before, so we skipped downhill again today and instead bought new skis, boot and poles! Our current gear was nearing the end so we made the plunge to get some new stuff that better aligns to the skiers we are today. We went to Ski Daniel Lachance and it was fantastic...great selection of equipment (and clothing) and very professional advice and service. They made us custom footbeds for our boots which feel like they will help us...can't wait to try them out!
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| The amazing Peace Tower |
In order to avoid cabin fever, we planned a couple of quick trips through the month, one of which was an overnighter in Ottawa. Today was the day! About a 2-hour drive into the city, and after a quick stop for lunch, we headed west for the Diefenbunker. If you haven't been, it's an amazing step back in time to a perfectly preserved 1960's underground bunker to house key government officials in the event of a nuclear attack. Well worth the trip. We discovered a new microbrewery on the way in the town of Carp, Ontario, so we stopped in for a pint at Ridge Rock Brewery. Great beers, friendly service and an amazing venue. Stayed in Ottawa for the night and had a cosy dinner at Union Local 613...it was about a 20 minute walk from our hotel so we took in the stunning Parliament Buildings along the way. A great day in our nation's capital!
Day 17 - Sun Jan 13
Our second day in Ottawa, and the main attraction was the National Gallery. It had been many years since we visited...our timing was good as there was a Klee exhibit in from the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) as well as the Anthropocene installation, which we had missed in Toronto. We also took in the impressive collection of Canadian art and then back to Mont Tremblant. Made a stop for a quick pint at Les Brasseurs de Montebello on the way home, and then a evening of fondue. Tomorrow, we try the new skis!
Day 18 - Mon Jan 14
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| View from the gondola |
A nice bright day on the slopes, and the new gear made a huge difference. To deal with the occasional cold days in Tremblant, I bought something that previously I would have dismissed as ridiculous: heated socks. Yes indeed, they have a heating element that runs from your heel to the toes, and they work. What's best is there's an app for that - you control the heat from your phone and can even pause the heat while you're inside for a break!
Day 19 - Tues Jan 15
Second day with the new skis and they continue to be awesome. They are slightly wider than our old skis and feature a tail rocker so we find them far easier to turn in ungroomed conditions. Who knew this simple design variation would make such a difference? Apparently every skier out there but us, but we know now! The fitted boots are also a huge help.
Day 20 - Wed Jan 16
We got about 5cm of fresh snow overnight. Based on our experience the last two days, we really pushed it and skied in some truly ungroomed conditions. Amazing! We have always avoided deeper snow because we found it so hard to turn and stay in control, but the new skis just float through. We're not talking hip-high powder here like you see in videos...just ankle deep stuff or the moguls that form by mid-day as people ski the mountain. But it was deep enough to cause trouble for us in the past, but no longer. This new equipment has opened up a whole new ski experience for us!
Chilly today, so we took the day off skiing and ran errands. So great to have everything you need in St Jovite: a charity to drop off some gently used items, liquor store, pharmacy, pet store, kitchen supply shop, hardware store, and multiple grocery stores. All within a five minutes' drive of each other.
Day 22 - Fri Jan 18
Some light snow today and another day on the slopes. Between the snow and it being Friday and all, our 11am arrival wasn't enough to get parking in either P1 or P2. So we paid the $15 for rock star parking and continued on our way. A good day today, not crowded on the runs or at the lifts. Apres-ski at the Diable Microbrewery, and then home to listen to the new Guster album that launched today!
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| The cats know what to do on a cold day |
Deep cold today so we called it a "24-log day", where we put the fire on in the morning and keep feeding it logs until bed time. Stayed on the couch, read, had a nap. Not much to report.
Day 24 - Sun Jan 20
Guilt now setting in for having done absolutely nothing the day before, but you have to give yourself some downtime every now and then, right? The highlight today was the walk up and down the mountain, including accessing our community mailbox for the first time since we've been up here. There was a couple years' worth of stuff jammed in there, mostly flyers, but also a little gadget we'd ordered off the internet and figured got lost in the mail. Turns out we were the lost ones LOL!
Day 25 - Mon Jan 21
Today was the second of two planned day trips, this time to Montreal. We stayed at Hotel Nelligan, a cute little boutique hotel in the Vieux Port and had dinner at Brewskey, a nearby brewpub. Beautiful walking around Old Montreal and we wished we had allotted more time to explore. The highlight was seeing one of our favourite bands, Guster, at the Fairmount Theatre. It was a cold night after a snowstorm, and a Monday night at that, so it was a relatively small turnout but made for a very intimate concerts. Awesome!
Day 26 - Tues Jan 22
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| Karen is ready to skate! |
Back from Montreal and decided to take it easy for the afternoon, but we broke out the ice skates and headed down to the skating oval. There is an amazing oval in Old Tremblant on lac Mercier, lit up for night skating! There is also a heated hut with benches to get your skates on and off in comfort. We were the only ones there and we were glad for it...we haven't skated in years and we really sucked. And we were on brand new skates so that is our excuse...we will give it another try before we go. Before we left, we had a nice dinner at Au Coin.
Day 27 - Wed Jan 23
Amazing ski day today. Snow through the day put down a nice layer of powder. The mountain was very quiet so we felt like we had the place to ourselves. Apres ski at the Diable brewpub.
Day 28 - Thurs Jan 24
Some freezing rain overnight and into the morning so we decided not to ski today, opting instead for a snowshoe. When we bought our chalet, we didn't know that there were hundreds of acres of forest nearby, ideal for snowshoeing. With Wednesday's snowfall, any previous trails were covered so we trekked out our back door and made some new tracks in the now heavy, wet snow. A great day...the fog lifted and we found a new elevated spot, a small promontory on the cliffside in a cedar grove that afforded beautiful views across the valley.
Day 29 - Fri Jan 25
Back to the ski resort today. The after-effects of yesterday's freezing rain had largely been groomed out although we did encounter some ice cookies here and there. Our new skis handled the conditions well. As a Friday, the closest parking lots (P1 and P2) were full by mid-morning when we arrived, but we paid the $15 for rock star parking because we're that lazy. I had also marked this day in my calendar - Baril Roulante (fave microbrewery in Val David) was doing a tap takeover at Maison du Brasseur, so of course that's where out apres-ski took place.
Day 30 - Sat Jan 26
Gloriously sunny day today but we stayed true to our plan and avoided the ski resort on the busy weekends. instead, Karen did some cross country on the local trails while I chopped wood and fixed a couple things around the house like the handyman I am (not).
Day 31 - Sun Jan 27
Today we booked a semi-private ski lesson for the two of us which lasted the morning. We are intermediate skiers who learned by doing, not much in the way of instruction for either of us. The lesson was great and our instructor Peter was very effective at getting across the fundamentals of skiing that we were not aware of (and therefore were awful at). Interesting day for a lesson - not too cold, but we got abut 10cm of powdery snow in howling winds! Our plan is to suck it up for tomorrow in the forecasted cold temps and enjoy the sunny skies and fresh snow. Tomorrow's entry will show if we were as brave...
Day 32 - Mon Jan 28
Yes, we did it! And no biggie apparently...although it was a typically quiet Monday, lots of folks were out to ski. After some earlier days with freezing fog or snow, it was great to have a sunny day with full visibility. Funny how the sun keeps you warm, even when it's -19C. My heated socks also did their job so it was a great day.
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| The Baril Roulante auberge in Val David |
Howling winds today amid a big winter storm so we stayed off the mountain and chose instead to visit Val David, one of our favourite nearby towns. We stopped in at the new Baril Roulante bottle shop on the outskirts of town, after which we went to their auberge for lunch. A very cute little spot and absolutely fantastic food. Almost a dozen of their own beers on tap too!
Day 34 - Wed Jan 30
Back to the mountain today. Yesterday's snow was beautifully groomed in some spots, and deep and fluffy in others. Lots of sun to enjoy and a very quiet day on the slopes. Gotta love this mid-week skiing.
Day 35 - Thurs Jan 31
The North American polar vortex continues and Tremblant has been no exception, with the mercury topping out at -20 today. We skied but just a couple of runs...great conditions but a strong wind made it just a bit too chilly for us. We gratefully took the seats by the fireplace at St Arnould brew pub for apres-ski.
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| Glorious sunny day for our final runs |
Today was the final day of our amazing month-long sabbatical. The ski gods responded with a perfect ski day, glorious blue skies and nice groomed conditions. As has been the norm through this vacation, we skied the afternoon shift after taking it easy around the cabin in the morning. Apres ski at Maison du Brasseurs to top off the trip. Tomorrow, we pack up and make the journey back to Toronto!
Final Observations
This has been an amazing month! It was actually five and a half weeks end to end, the longest stretch of vacation time I've had since the summer of 1978. When I look back on the goals we set for ourselves, I think we accomplished them all. The first was to become better skiers, and that has certainly happened. Our new skis definitely help us handle the varied conditions we encounter at Tremblant, and the lesson we took really advanced our technique. Check.
The second goal was to explore the Laurentians even more. We didn't explore new territory per se, but I give us full marks on this one because we discovered what it meant to be a resident of this area and not just a visitor. Even though we own a home here, pay taxes etc, we have always come up here as visitors for a weekend, or a week or two of vacation. Staying here for over a month got us out of our hyper Toronto routine and into the rhythm of the locals. We didn't feel the need to plan everything out and make sure we maximized the value of every day...instead we were free to take things slowly, to really look around and enjoy the place. We also learned the merits of skiing on weekdays when it's quiet, and finding other things to do on the weekends, another luxury of being up here for so long.
The third goal was to relax a bit, and that was definitely accomplished. Further to the point above, there was plenty of chill, but relaxation also took other forms. I did some long overdue household repairs, we read plenty of books, and did a decent job of getting good exercise every day.
The final goal was to confirm if we could coexist in our small-ish ski chalet for over a month, and that was a success too. The two cats settled in after a week or so, fully enjoying the entertainment of the bird feeder and suet cage. We also began to see the cabin a little differently and have started making changes to better suit or emerging lifestyle. For example, a small room currently used as an office (we often work up here on a Friday to extent the weekend a bit) has been converted to a ski gear room. We are also eyeing the guest bedroom that sits unused for 360+ days a year for ways to make better use of that space. But our time confirmed that this is all the space we need and we love it.
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