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Get Your Winter Creativity Going in Mont Tremblant, Canada

Posted: 16 Feb 2012 07:38 AM PST

by Isabel Eva Bohrer

It's no secret that Canada has a successful formula to superb skiing during the winter. Mont Tremblant has been a sensation in Canada's Eastern region for years. In fact, the area has been honored with Ski Magazine's title “Best snow skiing in Eastern North America” for 12 consecutive years.

To reach the stunning alpines of Mont Tremblant from Montreal, head north on the main thoroughfare of Autoroute Laurentienne (Hwy 15 North) – it's about a two hour drive (80 miles/130 km). You'll arrive at a winter wonderland, where you can exercise up and down on more than 94 runs, and some 600 skiable acres. To be exact, one of the longest ski trails in the country at nearly 4 miles long is located at Mont Tremblant.

After years of the same old hat of just conventional skiing, take a leap this year and try something new. Here's a few adrenaline-spiking activities for you to indulge in this season at Mont Tremblant:

Snowshoeing

When you're wearing snowshoes, bitter cold temperatures are never an obstacle. Bundle up your feet and put them to good use in Mont Tremblant; snowshoeing is easy. Take short steps while digging in with the balls of your feet, and when you're going downhill, rely on fast baby steps downhill. That's really all there is to it.

Snowshoeing is ideal for families and groups. You can take a guided nature tour or venture out at your own pace on the pristine snowshoe trails.

Ice Climbing

With the enthusiasm for rock climbing growing, an interest in ice climbing naturally follows. With the use of specialized ropes, clamps, spikes, and a steely set of nerves, beginners, too, can start ice climbing at Mont Tremblant. At training sessions, novices gain the required skills while the qualified instructors will assure that you're safe and sound. Master a challenge as you're accompanied by professionals.

Dog sledding

Although it's not a new sport, dog sledding is finding its niche as a form of fun recreation. At Mont Tremblant, you can drive a dog sled with your entire family, accompanied by a skilled Musher guide, of course. Valleys, forests, mountains and miles of trails; you'll see it all at Mont Tremblant. It's bound to be a memorable experience to talk about and remember for years to come.

Tubing

Tubing can be a workout and bonding experience for the entire family. It's basically the same as tobogganing, but using inner tubes instead. At Mont Tremblant, Aventures Neige offers tubing, including private parties with catering if you wish. Give your own meaning to the adage, "The family that plays together stays together."

Ice-Fishing

The ice-fishing season is in full swing during the winter in Mont Tremblant. Ice fishing may not seem like much of a sport to those who don't enjoy fishing, but in fact there is nothing like catching a pike or perch and sharing it with the rest of the family. This pastime in Mont Tremblant begins as soon as the ice is thick enough; between 16 and 24 inches thick is seen as safe.

Snowboarding

Snowboarding originated from skateboarding and ocean surfing. Today, it consists of one single board gliding down the same ski slopes as conventional skiers. The Snow-School at Mont Tremblant is open to all ages, so there is no longer an excuse not to try the fast pace action of snowboarding. Group and private lessons are available.

Snowmobiling

Skiing is not mandatory at Mont Tremblant. As an alternative, try snowmobiling. Organized Tours are available for you to experience the panorama in a way that only the high elevations can provide. Those who have never ridden a snowmobile before will have their adrenaline hitting new heights after setting off on Mont Tremblant's ascending peaks, snow-covered forests and vast trails.

Overall, hot new winter sports will continue to pop up as long as there is snow to challenge the minds of the winter sports enthusiasts. It is places like Mont Tremblant that will make sure to make the long, cold winter a paradise of adventure and fun for all.

Isabel Eva Bohrer is a freelance writer and photographer who has dispatched pieces from over twenty countries across five different continents. She is currently based in Madrid and in homage to the Spanish capital, she publishes MADbudget: Isabel Eva’s guide to Madrid. Learn more about her work at www.isabelevabohrer.com.

Mont Tremblant and Poutine

Posted: 15 Feb 2012 07:21 AM PST

by Emily Monaco

When I tell people that I went to Canada for college, most people seem surprised, especially when they learn that I have no family connection to the Great White North. I’m not entirely sure what drew me to Canada, but as soon as I arrived in Toronto, I found that a perfect mix of the familiar and the foreign was awaiting me. Toronto was just similar enough to American cities to be easy to navigate and get used to; it was just different enough to always give me new things to explore.

My favorite, however, was getting out of my comfort zone, like we did when ten of us decided to pack up for a week of skiing in Québec. Up until that point, skiing had always been a family affair for me: our trips to Vermont were spent cocooned in our rented condominium; meals were homemade by my mother and delivered directly to cold laps. Our ski vacation in Québec was a combination of skiing and tourism, of getting to bed long after nightfall and getting up shortly after daybreak to hit the slopes. I don’t think I’ve ever been more tired, but I never had more fun either.

The Québecois are quite adamant about their status as neither Canadian nor French. People from Québec have their own culture, their own traditions and — as this standard French-speaker learned — their own language. Wandering through the town during what the Québecois quite perfectly call après-ski – after-ski — I felt as though I had been catapulted back in time: the quaint buildings dusted with snow, the cobbled streets, the mountains rising high and proud in the background. But what struck me the most, without question, was the language.

I had been confident, when I arrived in Quebec, that I would be able to translate for my non-Francophone friends. As soon as we got in the taxi to our hotel, however, I was shocked at how little we understood each other; the French I spoke and the garbled series of sounds that was coming quickly at me like buckshot from the front seat of the cab were nowhere near similar. I resorted, first to slow, textbook French, and finally, much to my dismay, to English.

As with many trips, it was over a beer (all right, several), that I finally lost the self-consciousness that had been hindering my ability to create a pidgin tongue, almost certainly acquired in France, where the pride of their language often outweighs their desire to help a foreigner be understood. In Quebec, though, the perfect combination of French pride and Canadian friendliness united us over chopes of beer, jokes that were impossible to translate for everyone, and piping hot plates of poutine, French fries with gravy and melted cheese. I don’t know if it’s what the French would have intended, but there’s nothing better after a long day of skiing, and who better than the Québecois, who spend at least 6 months a year under the snow, to come up with the perfect remedy.

Poutine

2 lb. potatoes
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cup beef gravy (use your favorite, or mine — recipe follows)
1 cup cheese curds (if you don’t have cheese curds near you, use cubes of cheddar cheese)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Slice the potatoes into fries. Toss in a baking dish with olive oil and salt. Roast 1 hour total, tossing once or twice to ensure even browning.

Meanwhile, heat the gravy in a saucepan until warm. When the fries are cooked, place them in your serving dish of choice and pour gravy over them. Sprinkle with the cheese curds and cover with another plate or pot lid, about 5 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Beef Gravy (and Beef Stew)

2 onions, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. butter
2-3 tsp. vegetable oil, if needed
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut in chunks
salt, to taste
3 cups hot water, plus more, as needed
1 Tbsp. flour

Heat the butter and onions together in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over low heat. Cover and allow to caramelize over about 20-30 minutes, stirring frequently until the onions are dark brown and sweet.

Remove the onions to a bowl. Add vegetable oil if needed and turn the heat up to high. Salt the beef generously and add in one layer to the pot. Sear the beef chunks on all sides, cooking in two batches, if needed. When the beef is browned, add it all to the pot along with the onions and the hot water. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook 3-4 hours, until the beef is fall-apart tender. Add more water over the course of cooking as needed.

Reserve 1 cup of gravy; the rest goes with the stew. Enjoy it another day. Combine a Tbsp. of gravy with the flour in a small saucepan, whisking to make a roux. Add the rest of the gravy slowly, whisking continuously, until you have a thickened gravy.

Emily Monaco is native New Yorker, living and writing in Paris since 2007. She loves discovering new places and, of course, their local cuisines! Read about her adventures in food and travel at tomatokumato.com or follow her on Twitter at @emiglia

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Thursday, February 16, 2012