 White Carpet Treatment for Families with Carte Blanche
 A February trip to Quebec revealed all the essentials for our family vacation on snow, plus perks for us parents. As we boldly drove north in the family van, the temperature dropped and the language became exotic. Our kids tried their tongues at pronouncing French signs, as we traveled along this neighboring yet foreign country. Already our excursion was not just about alpine fun, but also cultural immersion.  Our son thought the toboggan ride in front of the Frontenac was really cool. Indeed this icy chute that plunges along the banks of the St. Lawrence River is an exhilarating winter thrill. Come dinnertime, we were overwhelmed with choices of gourmet resta Quebec City could keep kids and parents amused for a week, but we came to ski, so we declined the horse drawn carriage ride and rested well in our five-star castle preparing for our first day at nearby Stoneham.  An
easy 20 minutes from Quebec City we arrived at Stoneham Mountain Resort
and parked within a stone’s throw of the Chalet base lodge. We got
Stoneham is comprised of three separate mountain peaks, with 32 trails served by three quad chairs, a double and many surface lifts. This family friendly mountain has positioned itself as a playground for riders and free skiers, for day and night sliding. With three extensive terrain parks, this is teen heaven for families with freeriders. We saw youngsters having fun in the all day Kidz Island lesson program. Our kids, having had their days in ski camp, were jazzed about finding glade skiing with Mom & Dad, and we discovered Casimir’s Enchanted Journey, a superb Sous-Bois trail on Peak 2, after a cushy ride on the bubble-covered quad. From here we skied over to Peak 3 where we found several steep mogul shoots, some double-black groomed runs, and more challenging glades.  The
next morning, we checked out of our castle and drove 30-minutes east to
Mont-Sainte-Anne, just past the impressive Montmorency waterfalls and
the prominent Ste-Anne Basilica. Mont-Sainte-Anne is a world-class resort, known for many things, hosting World Cup events, having one for the finest cross-country ski centers in North America, and offering splendid views of the mighty St. Lawrence River. We boarded the centerpiece lift, a swift 8-passenger gondola, for our ascent to the 2,050-feet vertical summit. The trail map indicates skiing on all three sides, which seems confusing but is actually very pleasant. You can follow the sun from the expansive South side to the North face and the western flank. There is a terrific on-mountain children’s facility with daycare, youth and adventure camps all conveniently located near the gondola so parents can drop off the kids and hit the slopes.  Our
family of four skied straight for the World Cup race trail La Crête.
This southwestern flank of the mountain was already basking in the early
morning sun, affording stunning views of Quebec City to the south and
the St Lawrence River. The kids loved the steep La Brunelle glades riding Le Trip (the eastern triple chair), and we understand we must return this season to explore the 20 acres of new Black Forest glades. My favorite trail at Mont Sainte Anne is Le Gros Vallon - a perfectly pitched cruiser that drops the entire 2,000 plus vertical with a wonderfully framed view of the River in the distance.  The
backside of Sainte-Anne consists of a dozen intermediate cruisers, plus
two exciting glade runs, and a very mellow lower half to the North
Express quad.For lunch you can dine with views from the summit, savor three-course French cuisine at a cafe in the slopeside village, or grab a delicious crepe by the gondola, our favorite lift of Sainte-Anne’s 13 efficient pods. Our daughter preferred the gondola because Maggie and Gertrude, the resident St. Bernard patrol dogs, are posted in their doghouses at the summit and both big friendly dogs willingly pose for pictures. After photos, our son insisted we take a pass through La Grande Allée Terrain Park, which is spread out over 283,000 square feet near the summit and is a hit with sliders. Then we meandered down the mellow La Familiale to the mid-mountain Sugar Shack for a tasty afternoon maple treat served on snow, very Canadian, very sticky and very yummy. With over 400 acres of skiing, we were glad to be staying at the Château Mont-Sainte-Anne. This full service modern hotel at the gondola base, complete with ski  storage,
a swimming pool, game room, shops, a bar and restaurant, was an ideal
slopeside set-up for us. From here we could walk to eateries and shops,
cross-country skiing and ice-skating, or take a team of Huskies for a
dog sled adventure. I should also mention there is night skiing, which we tried to keep a secret from our non-stop son, but the brightly lit slopes viewed from our suite were a dead giveaway. We convinced him that we had plenty of skiing still to come, an entire new resort to discover the next day. After a warm soak, and a relaxing dinner of fondue, we dreamed of conquering the third of the Carte Blanche trio, Le Massif. Le Massif, 20 minutes east of Mont-Sainte-Anne, is relatively new on the ski scene. The resort is just over a decade old, which means high-tech lifts and impressive lodges. Unique to Le Massif, with the addition of a new summit access road two years ago, you start your ski day at the summit. Le Massif offers the highest vertical drop (at 2,526-feet) and the most abundant natural snow (at 21 feet annually) east of the Canadian Rockies. If that is not enough to entice you this far north, the view of the St. Lawrence River upon your descent is nothing shy of spectacular. I have skied all over the globe - this view is the most unique, as you feel like you are skiing right into the seaway. Le Massif’s well-pitched terrain is served by two speedy quads of over 2,000 vertical each. There is also the Baladeuse double chair on the eastern side, and a beginner Bunny tow at the summit. We charged down most of Le Massif’s three-dozen runs, from wide-open cruisers to twisty glades and knee-to-chin bump runs. For the most part, Le Massif is an intermediate to expert area. It is also a major training facility for the Canadian ski team, thanks to a government grant intended to create World Cup and Olympic contenders. We  Speaking of thrills, my husband wanted to try paragliding from the summit with the trained guides (another amusement offered), but the winds were not quite right that day - what a relief for me. Le Massif’s top and bottom lodges are airy, modern and window-lined. We lunched on smoked salmon, fresh pasta with escargot, chocolate torte - just a few specialités du jour. Le Massif serves indigenous gourmet cuisine with fresh ingredients - no typical greasy hamburgers or soggy cafeteria fries here. The former President of world-renowned Cirque du Soleil purchased Le Massif last year. Daniel Gauthier has big plans and big capital for this mountain resort. If you haven’t heard of Le Massif yet, you will. And if you haven’t skied Le Massif yet, you must.  We ended
our scenic and exciting ski day at the summit, a novelty, with a drink
in the panoramic lounge, hot cocoas for the kids and smiles all around.When you are skiing at Le Massif you can opt to stay in Quebec, at Sainte-Anne or in one of dozens of charming inns or chalets in the beautiful Charlevoix region. Bordered on one side by the eastern stretch of the Laurentian Mountains, by the mighty St. Lawrence River on the other, this region is truly inspirational and popular with artists and nature lovers. Baie-Saint-Paul is a delightful community worth a visit. We could have easily stayed at each of these resorts for several days. Our time was all too brief. As parents, we convinced ourselves this was an educational trip. We exposed our kids to a new culture, land and language, (not to worry, most Quebecois speak English). The trio of Carte Blanche ski areas rolled out the white carpet for us, and we loved the variety we encountered. The bonus to our Quebec ski trip, everywhere we dined, from slopeside chalet to city café, we found exceptional cuisine. The kids will remember fondly their Quebec discoveries of new foods, new French words and new ski terrain. I will treasure our family ski days at some of Quebec’s finest ski resorts, replete with gourmet crêpe lunches, and 5-course candle lit dinners. My husband and I felt as though we had given the family a taste of Europe, without airfare or jet lag. Why cross the Atlantic when you can conquer Quebec for a Eurostyle ski vacation? For Carte Blanche tri-area lift tickets and lodging reservations in the Quebec region go to www.fun2ski.com or 1.888.FUN.2SKI (1.888.386.2754). Stoneham Mountain Resort celebrates its 40th year with special events all this winter. www.ski-stoneham.com or 1 800 463-6888 Mont-Sainte-Anne can be viewed at www.mont-sainte-anne.com or 1-888-827-4579 Le Massif can be viewed at www.lemassif.com or 1-877-536-2774 Le Château Frontenac is Quebec City's grandest hotel, overlooking the St. Lawrence River, ideally located in the historic district. www.fairmont.com or 1-800-441-1414 |
