I understand how it typically takes a full day or even two to shake off the big-city notion of indifference towards strangers once we indeed leave Montreal for our holidays.
However arriving in Charlevoix accelerates the process as you are quickly immersed in a region of the world where everybody cares! Asking a question or small favour of a complete stranger seems to empower him or her with the lucky chance of helping you choose the best restaurant nearby or whatever else it takes to fulfill your request! Then a conversation ensues and you find yourself sharing details of your day's activities and your impressions of the area. Pretty soon it becomes difficult to break away before first becoming Facebook friends. It pays to allow ample time before a rendezvous (or dinner reservation) just in case you end up in conversation with somebody by chance and you can't politely break free.
The 16cm of heavy snow that fell overnight was immediately followed by several hours of rain; finally, near-zero visibility due to fog rendered our first day of skiing a pass. When life gives you lemons... it's time to make lemonade! Here's a tip for you that even most locals here seem unaware of: 5 minutes walking distance from the Chateau Mont Sainte-Anne is the start of a hiking trail that parallels a small river. The path is blanketed in heavy snow with very few footsteps previously tracked. The forest is thick with trees, wet snow clinging to the evergreens and fog hangs eerily in every direction. There appears to be animal tracks scattered about but it's hard to be certain. Suddenly -- yes, suddenly! -- the sound and fury of what turns out to be the very top of a waterfall comes into sight, its water crashing down below onto successive terraces and then into a canyon 300 feet beneath us that had remained hidden until now. There are several hundred slippery, wooden stairs that allow you to precariously descend besides the cascading falls giving many exceptional views of the falling water and spray, the frozen surroundings and ice sculptures that form and re-form with each hour's changing weather. Once at the bottom, the trail meanders aimlessly and once again silently as the roaring falls quickly disappear behind us.
I have heard for many years about Le Massif, the ski centre near Baie Saint-Paul. The entrance to the mountain, the parking area, ticket sales, chalet, etc., is exceptionally at the TOP of the mountain; we ski from there down to the bottom, of course. What I had heard all these years was how surreal the view is from the summit as the ski runs literally descend into the St-Lawrence river which flows by the very base of the mountain. The view of the river is breathtaking, nearly 20km wide at this point, full of ice floes, with the odd cargo ship breaking its way upstream toward Quebec City. The air is so clear today, the sun so brilliant, that the opposite side of the river is easily seen and so, too, are the mountains beyond. Given the bend in the river to the east, I am guessing that we can see at least 50 km downstream from our perch atop Le Massif!
Here's wishing you a happy and healthy 2012 from wherever you may be perched!
Barry -- have snow will ski!
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