La Ou Le Ski Est Une Tradition

(Where Skiing is a Tradition)

by Bob Lake

There’s no question, I’m in Quebec. I stopped at a rest area on Rt-20 in the Drummundville area. Two tour busses were already there. The facilities were labeled “Dames” and “Messieurs.” I picked the “Messieurs” and walked in. I was surrounded by ladies. A fella back outside told me: “Passez a cote.”

My destination was Station Duchesnay, north of Quebec City. When I arrived the temp was +3 C. and the wax of the day was klister. – No way. I don’t do Klister. I could use my no wax skis, but I opted for a snowshoe route. Outstanding! Up, up, up and down, down – unskiable but awesome sights and views accessible only by snowshoe. On a bench at a Pointe au vue was carved this message: “Heureux l’étudiant qui, comme la rivière, peut suivre son cours sans quitter son lit.” ( Happy the student who, like the river, can follow his course without leaving his bed.) Nice thought.

There was an area with board platforms built high up in the trees – kind of connected by floppy rope ladders. When I got back I asked a guide: “Is that where you bury the Indians?”

Guide: “No, it’s De l’Arbre en Arbre – (Tree to Tree), an exercise where you travel tree to tree high in the air, but we only run it in summer.”

“Au shucks” ( More of a chance of survival landing in the snow.)

We had an interesting group around the fire in the evening. Four people from Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina and another group of two also from North Carolina. Total coincidence – They discovered their common origin on the Dog Sled activity. They all raved about their dog sled experience. They were not just taken for a ride. Training in dogs and sled operation was included and then they had the opportunity to drive. All of them had spent the previous night in the Ice Hotel and that made for some interesting discussion. They all agreed though that it was a positive experience… and they were going over later for a drink at the “N’Ice Club” (in the Ice Hotel) Can you imagine what you would use for a pickup line in a place like that?

After a Canadian breakfast buffet challenge, (Can you at least sample everything on it?) it was Rozzie time. The temperature was dropping through the morning and the wind was a factor. A couple inches of new snow covered the trails. I skied 20 k. (12 miles) and was looking toward an early pillow time. La Détente was my first stop where I fixed the fire and hoped to meet other skiers. None were stopping – blew on by – whoosh. I needed someone to take my picture? I had carried my heavy 35mm camera all the way out there, maybe for weight training so I can hike the Northville-Placid trail with Marcia and Janie. Sign in the early American style outhouse: “Gardez les deux parties du sieges relevées” What a cute way of saying: “Leave both seats up.”

Back on the trail. Hope it’s not as long a ski back. I was starting to feel the strain. I stopped again at La Halte ( another warm-up cabin) just about 2 k. from the end. Two pair of skis were on the rack. I made it three and went in to meet Yves and Mirielle. We had a fun chat – skiing, biking. They bike Le Grand Tour with Velo Quebec each year. I told them how I learned in French class how to talk your lady friend out of her Bas-Culottes to repair a broken fan belt. That was OK for an ice breaker but when I confided that I was a friend of Jackrabbit Johannsen’s, I gained huge respect. Then it was time to leave. “Faites du ski maintenant?” I showed my skis with Jackrabbit’s name on them to Yves. He showed me his new lightweight racing skis. We started down the trail together. They didn’t look like athletes but they soon left me panting for breath on the side of the trail. I guess Jackrabbit wasn’t into speed.

The whole North Carolina gang have headed for warmer climes just as real winter returns to Duchesnay. -13 deg. C. tonight and then cooling off some more for the rest of the week. Green wax for sure. A young Brit. couple has replaced them. Kate gave Paul the trip for his birthday. - a night in the Hotel de Glace. What a warm gift. Snow mobiling and dog sledding was also on their agenda. Paul was saying what hard work Skidooing was. “Did you get it to make that Brmm, Brmm noise?” “No,” he said, “it wasn’t that but when it tipped over in the deep snow, it took three of us to right it.” I kept my opinion of those smelly loud machines to myself.

I was having trouble at the Auberge sending Email. I couldn’t make the @ sign on the Canadian keyboard. Kate was there but couldn’t help explaining that the @ sign on Brit. Keyboards was located on the lower right side below the shift key. Go figure. They not only talk funny but they abuse the Email as well.

My routine was in place. Buffet breakfast at the Auberge with its awesome view of the frozen over Lac St. Joseph and the mountains in the background. Then up to the Salle de Fartage (for waxing) and on to the trails. I met a lady writer from San Francisco at breakfast. She asked if I were a skier. “Sure am.” “Where is the ski place?” “Right here,” as I gave the all around us sign. “I don’t see the lifts.” “Lifts??” I said, and that launched me into a Jackrabbit story.

On today’s ski route I noted that gliding the long downhill grades through the woods is like sitting at a train window watching the scenery go by. Today I did my tourist duty. Out came my antique 35 mm. First it was “staged” action shots at L’Horizon – the ski and activity center. I asked a number of people to help me by acting as “DP” – Designated Photographer. Explaining focus of my 35 mm. in French proved to be interesting. You know, it was Pete Seeger who said: “No such thing as a wrong note as long as you’re singing it.” I wonder if we could apply that logic to focus. Some part of that picture has to be in focus?

The “Hotel de Glace” (Ice Hotel) was my next tourist stop. All I can say is – AMAZING.” Advertised all over the world, it draws people from really far off places who just must see it and sleep one night in it. Two long hallways of rooms and suites. Each with its own motif. A four inch mattress sits on top of a block of ice - bed. Two bar rooms with entertainment stage, grand salon, reception area, Artic Spa (hot tub and sauna), and a chapel… a work of art.

While I still had a few more shots left I trudged back up to the Auberge to try capturing the view. In the lobby I ran into Peter and Beverly whom I had met earlier skiing. They said I still had time to sign up for “Trottinette des Neiges.” Kicksledding. It’s a Norwegian innovation – Two ski runners connected by aluminum tubing which comes up to form a handlebar. A guide took us out for an hour and a half – about six km. Uphill is work but on the downgrades they go like hell. No brakes. I dumped it a couple times before I learned caution and the art of making the turns.

One last day before packing up the Rozzies and snowshoes. You know it has cooled off when your inhales freeze nostrils and there is that extra squeak in the crunch of the snow. -20 C. About 2 below. Fortified one last time with that Canadian buffet breakfast, (Les oeuffs, patates roties, jambon, bacon, gruau, pate a la viande, petite tortiere, pain dore, rotie de pain de ménage and of course, sirop d’erable.) I dug out my coldest wax, a hard green and tried the trails. Extra fast.

Pavillion Elan is the lodge where I was staying. Built in the fifties as a dormitory for the residents of the forestry school here, it along with others have been modified and upgraded to modern lodges. Ten individual rooms on two floors opening out to a common area with fireplace.

One last stop on the way out of St Catherine de Jacques Cartier. The market. Among other things a loaf of “pain petite fesse” Now where else but in Quebec would they name a loaf of bread “a little butt”? Can you imagine at the border if they were to ask me what I had to declare?

For info: www.sepaq.com