Spring Skiing at Mont Tremblant, Quebec

Back in the early winter when we decided that a spring trip to Club Intrawest Mont Tremblant would be a great way to ski that area in more benevolent temperatures than we had during out first visit in 1998, we had no idea that it would be our last trip of the 2009-10 season. In fact, at the time that the trip was planned, we had hopes that we would be skiing until the very end of March or even into the beginning of April. However, the wims of weather brought a very early warm spell after all of our February snow. The Mont Tremblant trip indeed would prove to be the swan song of an amazing ski season, but what a great time it was. We flew out on Friday, March 19, and after the short 1 hour flight, rented a car in Montreal, and by late evening found ourselves at Mikes Grill and Bar just outside St. Jovite, QUE. Mark R. was happy to find his namesake beer on tap! That would be the first of many pitchers of Rickards Red consumed during the next 5 days. We were joined on this trip by Mark and Janet and Pam and Jim, our favorite fellow South Jersey Ski Club skiers and very special friends!

We arrived at Club Intrawest to find that our condo was directly beneath the one where we stayed over the New Year holiday 1998-1999. Although 11 years had passed, everything looked just as good as new, while a new flat screen TV adorned the area that once held a big TV cabinet.

We were up and out for first tracks the next morning and every morning using the special and FREE first tracks tickets issued by the club. It was fun to go ahead of people in the Gondola line :-). Despite the bare patches seen here just off the sundeck on the Versant Nord, the slopes themselves were in surprisingly good condition thanks to the Mont Tremblant master grooming system. With daytime highs while we were there up to 60+ but nighttime lows down between 12 and 14, that was not an easy job. The big crowds always hit the slopes in the afternoon, but the mornings were oddly empty. The conditions were just so much better then, too. We were able to get in more runs by 1-1:30 than is usually possible all day in most other areas. For a mountain that hardly reaches 3000 ft., the runs are so well laid out and so long that it feels much, much larger. Many times we had a slope totally to ourselves, and we loved it!! By the time the lower slopes began to get slushy, we were ready for a late lunch so it all worked out very much in our favor.

Pam preparing for her day in the large and lovely kitchen area of the condo. We had breakfast and cocktail hour(s) in but went out to dinner every night save one when St. Hubert chicken was ordered in. Most of the group really enjoyed the chicken, although a couple of us, who will remain nameless, mellowed out with cocktails first in the hot tub and later in the condo while watching March Madness basketball and just couldn't quite make it to the table.

In the photo left to right: Jim, Bianca, Mark, Janet, Dale, Pam.

We had lunch outside on one sunny terrace or another every day, and here we are at Spag. and Co. at the base of the Cabriolet lift. Don't know what the waitress did to make this photo so dark, but tilt the screen and maybe you can see us better.

The warmest afternoon was our last, March 22, and we stayed out on the porch until it was time to shower and head for a fondue dinner at La Savoie. Daylight Saving Time has a wonderful way of prolonging ski days and apres ski and allowing for such indulgence in the early spring sunshine. Love it, love it, love it!

After our bountiful fondue dinner, we drove up to the beautiful and blissfully quiet Mont Tremblant Casino, and Dale came back one happy big winner!

After the beautiful warm and sunny ski weather we had enjoyed for three days, we were shocked on Tuesday morning, March 23, to wake up to snow, sleet, freezing rain and a super high wind that later closed all but one low lift on the entire mountain, both north and south sides! In fact the south side where the gondola is located was not accessible at all. Anyone wishing to ski the one north side lift that was open would have to take a shuttle bus around the mountain. Hearing the news made it easier to leave for our day in Montreal although we were sad to see our very fun spring ski holiday come to an end.

The main music building and concert hall of McGill University, Canada's finest.

We drove down to Montreal with snow, sleet, freezing rain all the way, tried to leave the car at the first Metro stop but could not find parking, so decided just to drive into the city. We took a scenic route through some very interesting neighborhoods and the Mont Real. We did lots of sightseeing from the warm and cozy confines of our packed rental van, but it was hard to get good photos from that position. We parked right downtown and walked through the amazing and huge underground network of tunnels that are totally lined with shops to St. Catherine Street where we found Les Trois Brasseurs Brewpub and had a tasty Alsatian style late lunch.

Jim, Pam, Janet and Mark toasting the end of a great long weekend of fun with friends.

I enjoyed the Blonde mixed with Whiskey and Maple Syrup, one of their signature beer cocktails. I know it sounds like a weird combo, but it is actually quite delicious.

Jim on Dale's lap as the rental car agent drove us in our van back to the airport to unload! Love Jim's expression.

We braved some early rush hour traffic, picked up the rental car agent and were dropped at the aiport ahead of schedule. We found out that we were early enough for an earlier flight that had room for all six of us, so we were rebooked and back home in Philadelphia a good 20 minutes before our original flight was scheduled to leave Montreal. Now that is a good way to end a vacation even if our sightseeing day didn't turn out quite as anticipated!

Thanks to M, J, P and J for accepting our invitation and coming with us. We had such a blast, and we feel pretty confident that you did, too. Can't wait until next ski season and even more fun!