The Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region includes eight ski resorts.Mark Mackay
Seems to me that the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec, two hours north of Quebec City, could be the solution to Ontario's ill-timed March Break – ill-timed, that is, for downhill and cross-country skiers who often find themselves searching for snow within driving distance. Here, the snow is so abundant that bare patches of hill are almost never an issue during the season.
With almost 100 kilometres of ski hills spread among eight resorts, there's much to explore for anyone who loves a vertical challenge. Below are three of my favourite resorts.
Le Valinouët
The evening of my arrival, I am seated in my UFO-like yurt at Imago Village in this part of Quebec that few non-Quebeckers visit in the winter. A mile away, a smouldering mountain – its top covered in clouds – stares down at me with indifference.
Behind me, the utter silence is occasionally interrupted by the sound of pellets slipping into the belly of my wood-burning stove. Later, I climb up into my bed, just below the dome of my yurt built for two. To complete the experience, I share a Mongolian fondue meal at the hotel's giant yurt (also the reception and restaurant area) after navigating the foot paths between four-foot-high snowbanks.
The runs at Saint-David-de-Falardeau's Valinouët ski resort are as untouched as I've ever seen. My group and I have almost the entire ski hill to ourselves. The summit receives so much snow that, even though it hasn't snowed before our arrival, the conditions are still excellent. (There's no snow-making machine on the hill.) When the season does end in late April, it is for lack of skiers, not snow!
After the hills, we dig into a special kind of poutine called galvaude, a mélange of chicken, corn, peas, cheese, fries and gravy.
Sandwiched between the great skiing and our unique yurt experience is the well-named Éternel Spa. It is one of the most relaxing Nordic-style spas I've ever visited in Quebec, with an intimate design that includes yurts (they're manufactured locally) for relaxation between the sauna and cold bath experiences.
Mont Édouard
The extended snow season has its equal at another Saguenay area ski resort, Mont Édouard at L'Anse-Saint-Jean, population 1,200. Until coming here, all I knew about the town was that its ancient covered bridge used to grace the $1,000 bill.
At Mont Édouard, snow conditions reach far into the spring. While I practise my downhill skiing on impossibly long and very empty runs, my buddies experience backcountry skiing that leaves them breathless – first because of the beautiful snow, but also from the energy they expend to get into the hors-piste areas.
After hitching a snowmobile ride to the top of the hill, they affix imitation seal skins to their special backcountry skis and scale further up the hill before starting their descent through powdery snow in the glade area.
In the afternoon, I switch skis and go cross-country. Skiing here is like a moving travelogue of the area's history, as almost every turn reveals a sign indicating who owns the land – typically one of the 21 families who colonized the area.
One of the best restaurants in the area, L'Islet sur la Montagne, was closed the day before our arrival, so a big crowd shows up when I visit. This works out perfectly, as I reconnect with local skiers who don't let great skiing get in the way of meeting and talking to newcomers.
Mont Grand-Fonds
The third ski resort we visit is located in the northern corner of the Charlevoix region, on the edge of the Saguenay, a one-hour drive southeast of L'Anse-Saint-Jean.
Not surprisingly, for a region known for its cuisine, the little shack at the top of Grand-Fonds serves us an eclectic meal, albeit in the humblest of surroundings. It feels like we have stumbled upon the long-lost cabin of an old trapper – one with quite a few culinary tricks up his sleeve. The food is avant-garde boreal chic. I'm talking pine-infused tisane and maple-syrup sorbet.
Downhill ski runs here are lengthy, and we enjoy perfect snow conditions, with almost the entire area to ourselves.
The writer was a guest of the Quebec Ski Areas Association. It did not review or approve this article.