April 22-23, 2017

Magnum at Mont Orford, last weekend (now closed) - Photo by Paul Giddings.

Another great spring skiing weekend is upon us. With the milder weather and the sun coming back out in full force, the skiing is expected to be unforgettable.

Last weekend saw the season end at many mountains. Of notable surprise is Mont SUTTON who announced their closure earlier this week. While many who were present the previous weekend seemed to feel they were still good for another weekend, it was sadly not meant to be. The take away from this is that the weather and snow become so volatile at this time of year that mountains can only sustain the snow for so long before they have to call it quits.

Click here for the list of mountains still open for skiing in Quebec and New England.

Sommet Saint-Sauveur is now the only mountain open in eastern Quebec with the closure of SUTTON. The rest are located in the Quebec City region and moving west from there. For those near Ottawa and Montreal and the Eastern Townships, the mountains in New England present good options to Sommet Saint-Sauveur. Jay Peak is still going strong and so is Killington (who once again plan to offer skiing into early June).

Of course, all this is in regards to "Lift Serviced" skiing. For the more adventerous or those who practice alpine touring, hiking up snow covered mountains is also popular. Just because the lift has stopped, does not mean it is not possible to ski... just be sure to observe any signage that may kindly ask you to refrain from hiking, for safety reasons. Most areas usually don't mind however.

As the weather continues to warm and the sun continues it's magic, the list will get shorter still by next weekend, so I definitely recommend that you head on out now before you find yourself counting the days till November. The current skiing is great, nice soft forgiving snow, with many trails also offering moguls and bumps to enjoy, the famous spring skiing recipe, served just right. 

Have a great weekend and happy skiing!