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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
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    Back on the Wet Coast
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    108

    Ottawa for the 12-13 season - now what?

    I'm in Ottawa for the '12-13 season, now what?

    Any maggots in the capital region?

    Do I give in to being relegated to icy, short, lift serviced groomers or are there some options for a relocated tourer?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    The Hinterlands
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    891
    Quote Originally Posted by sock_monkey View Post
    I'm in Ottawa for the '12-13 season, now what?

    Any maggots in the capital region?

    Do I give in to being relegated to icy, short, lift serviced groomers or are there some options for a relocated tourer?
    Could be worse. Ottawa is a cool town once you figure it out. Lots of yo-yo skiing options a short drive across the river, plus you are two hours from Tremblant, four hours from Jay, maybe three hours from Whiteface, not to mention the Eastern Townships. If you are into XC skiing, Ottawa is Nirvana.

    MadPatSki is there, he will lead you down the path of enlightenment. My non-mag buddy Wayne lives there too, he does a lot of touring & slide skiing in the ADKs, maybe I can connect you. Or just look for the tall guy in black skinning up Camp Fortune.

    Beware the temptation to tree-ski in Gatineau Park, it is frowned upon by the authorities.
    "... Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to your body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much: I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those deskbound people with their hearts in a safe deposit box and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this: you will outlive the bastards." – Edward Abbey

    Support Hinterlandian backcountry skiing: wwhsta.org

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
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    Drunkofmyassastan
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    606
    If you're there now, go musky fishing. BBest now thru iceup.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Back on the Wet Coast
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    108
    Thanks, Mr. MultiGlisse

    Can you off-piste at Camp Fortune then? Or is frowned upon like in the rest of the park. Do they not care if you skin up during operating hours?

    From what I was able to gather on the interwebs, ADKs looks like the most interesting/accessible area for touring. If you're buddy needs a touring partner or just someone to split gas/driving then I'm keen.

    yo-yo skiing across the river sounds good for when I don't have time or inclination to go very far, any beta would be appreciated. The more options the better.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Somewhere else
    Posts
    5,676
    Jay Peak is great... worth the drive.
    Goal: ski in the 2018/19 season

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Posts
    10
    At Camp Fortune you can skin without being bothered at the Alexander t-bar as it essentially never runs. Super short runs but it sees no traffic. You should also be fine within other parts of the hill but its slightly possible that you'd be asked to purchase a lift ticket due to their extremely high costs of snowmaking.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Calgary, Canada
    Posts
    899
    I second Shorty J. Jay Peak is pretty solid. I've had some good days at Mt. St. Anne, Stoneham, Orford, Tremblant, Mt. Ste Marie as well. I remember skiing a bunch at Edelweiss which I think is close to Ottawa. I just know that when I was a kid it was worth the drive for better snow and terrain at these places than driving to Blue Mountain/Louis Moonstone etc.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Ottawa, ON
    Posts
    1,257
    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Multiglisse View Post
    Could be worse.
    There are some options in Ottawa. It's not the greatest place, but it could be much worst elsewhere. You could be in Toronto.

    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Multiglisse View Post
    Ottawa is a cool town once you figure it out. Lots of yo-yo skiing options a short drive across the river, plus you are two hours from Tremblant, four hours from Jay, maybe three hours from Whiteface, not to mention the Eastern Townships. If you are into XC skiing, Ottawa is Nirvana.
    ^^^^
    This...not much to add. However we need a real winter, the last one really sucked and was so subpar for the region and the East in general.

    Daks, Greens, Whites and Chic Chocs...all possible trips not requiring a plane.

    Hit me up with a PM if you have any specific question. As for myself, I'm now glued in on yo-yo skiing due to my daughters ski racing.
    Ski Mad World
    A blog of MadPat's World: A History of Skiing Geography
    http://madpatski.wordpress.com

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Ottawa, ON
    Posts
    1,257
    Quote Originally Posted by sock_monkey View Post
    yo-yo skiing across the river sounds good for when I don't have time or inclination to go very far, any beta would be appreciated. The more options the better.
    Prior to having kids in programs, I would never ski the locals in the day time (only night skiing). You would get bored real fast if you have skied bigger. I arrived from Montreal in the mid 1990s and used to daytrip to New England a lot; I got here and I could take the short verts.

    Example: I would rather drive 2 hrs to get to Tremblant than drive 1 to get to Mont Ste-Marie. Whiteface is a good day drive distance (250km - 3 hrs), but not all the time. There are specials on certain days. Jay Peak is a bit much for a day drive in my opinion.
    Ski Mad World
    A blog of MadPat's World: A History of Skiing Geography
    http://madpatski.wordpress.com

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    East Canchuckistan
    Posts
    116
    You can get a lot of decent options around here. There are a bunch of short lap tour options around, but we've been skunked the last few years on snow. Local resorts are good for yoyoing and keeping you on skis. Tremblant is a solid option if you can avoid the tourist trap bits of it.

    If you want to drive a little further, within 4hrs you have a ton of options, norther VT and NY have a ton of great touring.

    Ottawa may not be the best but there is a lot of decent stuff
    __________________________________________________ _
    "Son, when you participate in sporting events, its not whether you win or loose, its how drunk you get." - Homer Simpson

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Pico, VT
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    3,979
    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Multiglisse View Post
    MadPatSki is there, he will lead you down the path of enlightenment.
    this.

    The man, the myth, the legend:



    and he S H R E D S

    "Whenever I get a massage, I ALWAYS request a dude." -lionelhutz

    "You can't shave off stupid." -lionelhutz

    "I was hoping for ice." -lionelhutz

    "It's simple science." -lionelhutz

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Ottawa, ON
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    1,257
    Quote Originally Posted by gpetrics View Post
    Man, I miss those 19-year old pink poles. Damn Buenos Aires Cab driver!!! Everything in those pictures, except those pants and gloves was going to be stolen about 3 months after that picture was taken.

    Quote Originally Posted by gpetrics View Post
    the legend:
    For the legend to continue, Lionel better shake his snow globe and make it happen before the end of the month as the longest official online ski streak by a TGR Ottawa maggot is about to end at 84 months.
    Ski Mad World
    A blog of MadPat's World: A History of Skiing Geography
    http://madpatski.wordpress.com

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Pico, VT
    Posts
    3,979
    shake it... shake it..
    "Whenever I get a massage, I ALWAYS request a dude." -lionelhutz

    "You can't shave off stupid." -lionelhutz

    "I was hoping for ice." -lionelhutz

    "It's simple science." -lionelhutz

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Ottawa, ON
    Posts
    1,257
    Quote Originally Posted by gpetrics View Post
    shake it... shake it..
    What is the snow equivalent of 15 inches of rain???
    Ski Mad World
    A blog of MadPat's World: A History of Skiing Geography
    http://madpatski.wordpress.com

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Posts
    7,221
    Quote Originally Posted by sock_monkey View Post
    I'm in Ottawa for the '12-13 season, now what?
    sell your gear and start drinking heavily
    Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature... Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. -Helen Keller

  16. #16
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Juxtaposition
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    5,733
    First you left Japan. Now you leave British Columbia for Ottawa. To think that I used to look up to you.

    (and I wanna ski with MadPatSki!)
    Life is not lift served.

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Ottawa, ON
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    1,257
    Quote Originally Posted by Hohes View Post
    First you left Japan. Now you leave British Columbia for Ottawa. To think that I used to look up to you.

    (and I wanna ski with MadPatSki!)
    Don't come here to ski with me; I'm willing to go to Japan.
    Ski Mad World
    A blog of MadPat's World: A History of Skiing Geography
    http://madpatski.wordpress.com

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Not Brooklyn
    Posts
    8,319
    For an East Coast skier who lives away from mountains, the key to happiness is timing. When Northern VT is good, get in the car and drive. Hook up with someone you can follow around to where the trees are thin enough for powder turns. When the weather and snowpack look good on Mt Washington, get in the car and drive to get your above tree line fix. The Adirondacks are a little closer for you, and a better option for exploratory skinning without risking long-drive-burnout, but I would definitely want tour guide there as it's a place with long approaches and lines you sometimes can't see until you start booting up.

    But after a thaw-freeze, don't bother. Driving 4 hours each way to ski groomers at Jay Peak isn't worth it. Stay home, or if you must, head to the nearest inexpensive bump with a laid back community and try to recapture what made skiing fun when you were a kid.

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Back on the Wet Coast
    Posts
    108
    Thanks for the input everyone. Given the distances I'm inclined to aim for a lot of overnighting and sleeping in the car when the snow is good. I put a tele setup on an old pair of skis so that should make the local days a bit more interesting.

    Hohes,

    Haha, thankfully, it's only temporary. I'll be back in BC next year (with a renewed appreciation I'm sure). I wish I could afford a trip to Japan, it's been way too long.

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Posts
    75
    Night skiing at Camp Fortune is good for some laughs, just make sure your edges are sharp. Patrolled there for 10 years before moving to Revelstoke. Quick laps but it's the best terrain in the area and the lifties haven't checked a ticket on the skyline side in the last 15 years.

    On the weekends, go to Jay or the Adironacs if you want to tour. Don't go to Tremblant mid-season ever unless you like waiting in lines.

  21. #21
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Collingwood
    Posts
    245
    Quote Originally Posted by Your mom's a snowblader View Post
    Night skiing at Camp Fortune is good for some laughs, just make sure your edges are sharp. Patrolled there for 10 years before moving to Revelstoke. Quick laps but it's the best terrain in the area and the lifties haven't checked a ticket on the skyline side in the last 15 years.

    On the weekends, go to Jay or the Adironacs if you want to tour. Don't go to Tremblant mid-season ever unless you like waiting in lines.
    As someone who used to live in Ottawa, I can't agree with the bolded statement more. Tremblant is a total gonger on the weekend, especially when it is a T66 day.

  22. #22
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Hakuba
    Posts
    885
    Sock Dan is in Ottawa if you want his details email me or facebook me.

  23. #23
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    The Other Side
    Posts
    751
    Quote Originally Posted by Section ThirtyOne View Post
    As someone who used to live in Ottawa, I can't agree with the bolded statement more. Tremblant is a total gonger on the weekend, especially when it is a T66 day.
    Going to third this one. They also have special policy of grooming the shit out of any snow that may accidentally fall there. I swear if they could figure out a way to groom the woods they would. The funnest thing to do if you find yourself there is to hit as many closed stashes under the lifts as possible to try and get your ticket clipped, the patrol is not very friendly when it comes to ducking ropes. After a storm the closed section under the flying mile chair has a bit of gnar, that ends with a solid 15 footer with a nice runout. The little stash right below the top of the gondola is also a classic poach.

    The only time to go there is midweek during a storm (they won't take the groomers out in the day time) you can get long fast 2000 vert runs off the north side. Dress for it though, when the wind is up that place is cold

    Other than that lots of great advice above. Jay usually gets the biggest storms in the area, and even when its busy, its not really busy. Big Jay holds fresh lines days after a storm so try and hook up with someone who knows the bootpack and can get you to the ski out. It's a bit of a drive, but Le Massif is a really unique and beautiful place, has some great sidecountry and can get some really good snow as well.

  24. #24
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    QC-CDN
    Posts
    38
    Welcome to the valley. I’m at camp fortune since I have two girls racing out there. 10 min drive. Alexander is a possible hike but it’s on the sunny side and considering the snow we got the past 2-3 years, I don’t recommend it unless you have old skies.

    Tremblant is the best option around. Don’t go during the T66 scheduled dates other than those dates it’s not that bad as long as you stay off the gondola. TGV on the south side or up top on the north side. Hedge is nice. It’s a great mountain within a 2 hour drive. Whiteface can be nice if weather permits. It’s often icy and closed at the top. Jay is far. Best snow is Le Massif but that’s 5-6 hour drive. Lots of back country available and the view is breath taking. Cat-skiing also.
    If you are thinking of sleeping in your car let me remind you that this is Eastern Canada and it can get fucking cold at night.

    You will be depressed at the beginning but you will get over it. I always get a downer when coming back from my western ski trip. Whistler this year. Can’t wait. Any stash info for me at Whislter/BComb?
    Last edited by Tit-deep-POW; 10-29-2012 at 10:04 AM.

  25. #25
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Back on the Wet Coast
    Posts
    108
    Quote Originally Posted by Tit-deep-POW View Post
    If you are thinking of sleeping in your car let me remind you that this is Eastern Canada and it can get fucking cold at night.
    No surprise there, I grew up in the Maritimes. I spent my childhood night skiing at -20 C or worse on the crappy mole-hills of NB and NS

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