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Montreal best ski areas

post #1 of 17
1/18/10 at 10:03am
Thread Starter 
What are some of the better ski areas in and around Montreal including US.
So far I have Tremblant and Jay Peak as possible for more advanced skiing.
Bruno and Bromont as nearby, easy to get to but basically just blue runs.
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post #2 of 17
1/18/10 at 10:27am
I'm not a fan of Tremblant, but really enjoy Jay.

The eastern townships skiing is also supposed to be decent.

But if you're willing to drive a little further ski Le Massif and Mont Ste. Anne.

 

While I've never skied Ste. Anne, Massif is hands down my favourite in the east.

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post #3 of 17
1/18/10 at 11:35am
Depends on your driving radius. Stowe and Smuggler's are just a bit further than Jay or Tremblant, by the time you get to Mt. Ste. Anne you could also drive to Killington - both too long for a day in my opinion. I grew up skiing at Mt. Blanc - nice 1000' vertical mountain with less crowds than Tremblant and cheaper. Lots of closer smaller stuff like Mt. St. Sauveur. Sutton is a good mountain. 
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post #4 of 17
1/18/10 at 3:33pm
Owl's Head is also nice.
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post #5 of 17
1/18/10 at 4:18pm
Thread Starter 
I think Owl's head and Sutton are near Bromont aren't they? Are they steeper (with some black runs single/double)?
Also, is there any off piste in Quebec? I heard an instructor say there was none but I'm used to Europe where off piste is straight off the sides :)
Maybe the instructor meant unpatrolled.
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post #6 of 17
1/18/10 at 4:31pm
If I recall Owl's Head is almost at Jay, Sutton and Orford are closer and Bromont the closest of the Eastern Township hills. I think Owl's Head Orford and Sutton are steeper than Bromont. No real off-piste in Quebec (except maybe Le Massif..not sure) because it's eastern forest and trees just too thick. Lots of expert terrain at all the bigger hills, Orford for example is 26% Black and 13% Double Black per their website, but expect Eastern conditions with frozen granular (that's ice to a Western skier, I don't call it ice unless it's blue).
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post #7 of 17
1/18/10 at 6:51pm
Thread Starter 
Owl's Head appears to be right next to Sutton? CLick on the links...useful site I just found...
http://www.onthesnow.com/quebec/map.html?client=243#

I ski in the ALps normally, so it;s almost all hardpack. We rarely get powder days there.
No off piste at all anywhere in Quebec?
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post #8 of 17
1/18/10 at 7:16pm
Not off-piste in the sense it is out west. There are some gladed areas and some runs left ungroomed, as well as skiing the edges of runs in the trees. The areas are essentially all below treeline and the forest is just too thick to ski through if it hasn't been deliberately thinned. I only wish I had skiing that good - you should try Ontario (or slightly better and close to me Ellicottville NY but still only 750' vertical.
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post #9 of 17
1/20/10 at 7:34am
I don't know much about them but the Chic-Chocs are supposed to have some back country.

http://www.sepaq.com/ct/amc/index.dot?language_id=1
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post #10 of 17
1/20/10 at 12:29pm
Thread Starter 
apparently they are very dodgy for avalanches in the chics chocs or so an instructor said.
Particularly at present with the weak snow conditions.
http://www.centreavalanche.qc.ca/bulletins/bulletin_en.php
Edited by GordonFreeman - 1/20/10 at 1:02pm
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post #11 of 17
1/20/10 at 1:09pm
Thread Starter 
And is there off piste in Jay Peak?
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post #12 of 17
1/20/10 at 6:29pm
 I like Sutton and Owls Head more than Bromont which I ski twice a week. Haven't been to Orford but all 4 are along Hwy 10. Bromont is closest to Montreal (100km) and Owls Head the furthest. You can see other mountains and Jay Peak from the summits. Sutton is the most challenging of the 3, Bromont the most commercial and the only night skiing of the 3, Owls Head the least crowded.

Love Mt Ste Anne, but it is much further from Montreal. Hoping to make it to Massif next.
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post #13 of 17
2/1/10 at 7:56pm
Thread Starter 
Frozen granular = ice?!
My god it was like powder to me...I'm used to skiing the Alps.

Done Saint Sauveur and St-Côme so far.
Edited by GordonFreeman - 2/1/10 at 8:30pm
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post #14 of 17
2/2/10 at 5:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by lungdoc View Post

- you should try Ontario (or slightly better and close to me Ellicottville NY but still only 750' vertical.

Um, from Montreal to Ellicottville is a 9 hour drive. For a 750' hill that will be packed. I live 45 minutes outside of Montreal. For day trips, Sutton, Owl's head, or Jay, depending on which has gotten the most snow lately. All are easy day trips.

Laurentians - I grew up there, not a lot of good options. I personally do not like Mont Tremblant as it does not have enough variety and is not a well designed layout.Plus, it is way overpriced. Mont Blanc is okay (at best).
Maybe check out some of the lesser known hills up in St DOnat, La Reserve is aimed at the expert skier, 1000' vertical and usually empty. They also have cat skiing off the back side of the mountain when they have fresh snow. I think they charge $10/run on top of your lift ticket, but I have never tried it. La Reserve is an easy day trip from Montreal.

If you can go overnight, Le Massif is a 3 hour drive, maybe 3 and a half. One of the best hills in the Northeast and they do have back country skiing. It is really difficult tree skiing, but the Quebec version of backcountry and a lot of fun. I advise this hill to everyone who asks me for ideas for ski trips. The only downside is a lack of onsite lodging.

The Chic Chocs are wide open backcountry, but in the winter you are looking at a 12 hour drive from Montreal. Not really something you could do over a weekend, more of a week trip.

If you have any questions about any of the hills around here, let me know as I have skied every single last one of them, along with a whole bunch that no longer exist!
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post #15 of 17
2/2/10 at 5:37am
By off-piste do you mean glades or open un-treed skiing?

There are tons of glades at Jay.  Most glades in the East really.  Tremblant also has a lot of good glades.  Most of the larger more advanced New England ski areas have some gladed skiing.  The face chutes are kinda open at Jay but not above tree line but they are rarely open.

If you mean off-piste as in open un-treed skiing, the only (lift-serviced) in the East is a few hundred feet on top of Sugarloaf (if and when it's open, best chance is in spring).  Sugarloaf also has some glades.  It's also close to Canada but not all the close to Montreal.
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post #16 of 17
2/2/10 at 8:55am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by HudsonHacker View Post




Um, from Montreal to Ellicottville is a 9 hour drive. For a 750' hill that will be packed. I live 45 minutes outside of Montreal. For day trips, Sutton, Owl's head, or Jay, depending on which has gotten the most snow lately. All are easy day trips.

Laurentians - I grew up there, not a lot of good options. I personally do not like Mont Tremblant as it does not have enough variety and is not a well designed layout.Plus, it is way overpriced. Mont Blanc is okay (at best).
Maybe check out some of the lesser known hills up in St DOnat, La Reserve is aimed at the expert skier, 1000' vertical and usually empty. They also have cat skiing off the back side of the mountain when they have fresh snow. I think they charge $10/run on top of your lift ticket, but I have never tried it. La Reserve is an easy day trip from Montreal.

If you can go overnight, Le Massif is a 3 hour drive, maybe 3 and a half. One of the best hills in the Northeast and they do have back country skiing. It is really difficult tree skiing, but the Quebec version of backcountry and a lot of fun. I advise this hill to everyone who asks me for ideas for ski trips. The only downside is a lack of onsite lodging.

The Chic Chocs are wide open backcountry, but in the winter you are looking at a 12 hour drive from Montreal. Not really something you could do over a weekend, more of a week trip.

If you have any questions about any of the hills around here, let me know as I have skied every single last one of them, along with a whole bunch that no longer exist!

 

I'll give Le Massif a go next weekend. Not sure about lodging though...doesn't seem that cheap.
So far, I have only been to Saint Sauveur and Saint Come. Saint Come was far better I thought and more varied. Maybe the snow blizzard clouded my judgement of Aint Sauveur though :)

This looks off piste enough :)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3170/2938783150_d64b0cec0b.jpg
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post #17 of 17
2/2/10 at 10:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by HudsonHacker View Post




Um, from Montreal to Ellicottville is a 9 hour drive.
 

You should be able to make it in 8 hours tops.

Of course, if you live in Montreal, that's still 14 hours (there & back again) more on the highway than you need to be...
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