Quebec & Eastern Townships skiing?????

Hola! A few questions for you experts:

For steep, long groomers, would Owl's Head be the best of the Eastern Township mountains? The lift system looks better, and trails seem longer, but I'd rather hear it from you. Also, how are crowds compared to Orford, Sutton, etc.?

Further up, would Le Massif be better than Mt. St. Anne for that type skiing? And, are weekend crowds a problem at Le Massif?

My game plan (in case we can't go to Banff):
3/25,26 Burke
3/27,28 Owl's Head
3/29,30,31, 4/1 Tremblant
4/2,3,4,5 Mt. St. Anne & Stoneham
4/6,7,8 Le Massif
4/9 Jay

We land in Burlington, rent a car there.

Gracias!

I'll comment more on your plan later.

Sorry to say this Gpaul, but you'll be driving long distances. I'm not one to say don't do it, but Tremblant to Ste.Anne and then Le Massif to Jay.

If you which to hit all these places I would suggest something like this.

Burke - Eastern Townships (to be discuss later) OR skip until the end of trip - Quebec city area (Stoneham-le Massif-Ste-Anne) - Tremblant - Jay (possibly with Eastern Townships).

This is a completely ridiculous trip to do by plane and car rental at that time of year. I doubt Banff would cost any more. You could do the Calgary loop via Castle, Fernie, Big Mountain, Panorama, Kicking Horse, Lake Louise and Sunshine and spend less time behind the wheel. If you're going to fly I think you'll find more of the type skiing you like via Denver or SLC than Calgary though, also with less driving.

The ONLY reason to go east instead of west is if you're saving airfare and car rental $. And we pointed out earlier that from Columbus it's only a little farther to drive to Colorado. Copper, Keystone, Vail, Beaver Creek all have tons of the steep groomers you like, plus Breck, A-Basin, Loveland and Winter Park are also in the vicinity. With maximum snowpack, all runs open, mostly winter packed powder conditions and a decent chance of significant new snow while you're there.

Am I missing something here? This is a 16-day trip. If $ are a concern it's a no-brainer to drive to Colorado. If you're willing to fly there are many reasonable western choices, including Banff.

After ragging on Gpaul for considering flying East in late March, I must confess that I might be doing the same a year later. The dates for the NASJA annual in Bretton Woods have been announced as March 26-30, 2008.

You easterners can comment on how you think nearby more interesting areas like Cannon and Wildcat might be holding up then. I've read enough Cannon reports on FTO over the years to be skeptical. Going to Sugarloaf, Saddleback and Sunday River before the meeting is one option.

The other option is to to go to the Alps, then use FF miles to get a free stop in Boston on the way back. I thought in the East NASJA might have the meeting earlier in March, allowing me to do an Extremely Canadian week at La Grave, but that doesn't work with the later dates.

My guess is that even Patrick will recommend the Alps over eastern alternatives before the meeting.

Gpaul , Looking at your dates and the hills you want to go to , I would agree with Tony and go out west. Late March early April anything can happen including rain all day long. You could also run into a thaw /freeze cycle . This would be enough to turn off any new skier. I also agree with Patrick that this is a lot of driving and for what . Every year we always run into tourists who book way in advance to go to a eastern area only to show up with lousy weather . Take it from someone who has skied the east every year since I was 5 almost 40 years ago . You can't count on our weather or conditions . When it snows you drop what you are doing and ski because a few days later it could be raining . lot of us who post on the eastern forum are close to skiing so we can take advantage of good conditions when they are availabe on a moments notice but to book way in advance an commit all the cash up front !! Think about it.

Patrick, I'll take another look at driving times with my itinerary. Another option is skipping Tremblant, which I found good for 1/2 of run, then really flattish 2nd half, of most runs.

Tony, I haven´t been able to make the move to OH, and I expect it won't happen until very early summer '07 (darn it!). So, the issues really are airfares, lift rates, lodging, and car rentals. Without really grinding it out, by going to Quebec we will save close to $1200, and NOT use our FF miles (save that for 2008). And, we want a change of pace vs. CO and UT, so the Frenchness of Quebec seems nice.

But, as Anthony states, iffy conditions might ruin everything (like the 3 rainy days at Tahoe this past December). This is not etched in stone, but my research shows that these places usually keep good snow until mid-april, barring any anomalies.

So, let's go with this Quebec skiing for now.

Thanks.

Gpaul , Looking at your dates and the hills you want to go to , I would agree with Tony and go out west. Late March early April anything can happen including rain all day long. You could also run into a thaw /freeze cycle .

Absolutely, late March is a TOTAL crap shoot. I wouldn't commit big bucks with that kind of risk. If you have to be in the area anyways, Le Massif is further north and likely more reliable. I would either concentrate on hills in the Quebec City area, St. Anne, Massif, etc., or a grouping with Jay, Sutton, Owl's Head and Orford, or another in Vermont south of Jay.

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DISTANCES:

You're going left and right in trying to connect the 3 major ski regions of Quebec. You're also landing in Burlington. Very ambitious on this point (and the following).

Distances from memory:

Owl's Head (or others) to Tremblant would be approximately 2.5 - 3hrs when they isn't any traffic in Montreal.

Tremblant to Quebec City (again you have to drive through Montreal before heading East): 1.5+2.5=4 hours hoping for traffic free in MTL again. Stoneham is approx 30min north of QC, while Ste-Anne is 40min east and add 20 minutes for le Massif.


Travel time for the top of my head. approx.

Burlington-MTL: 1.5
Townships - MTL: 1 - 1.5
MTL-Tremblant: 1.5
MTL-Quebec City: 2.5 (Massif is maybe an extra 60 minutes)
MTL-Jay: 1.5
Jay-Townships: 30 minutes or less. Less would be for Owl's Head.

Tremblant to Quebec City (again you have to drive through Montreal before heading East): 1.5

DAYS:

TIME OF THE YEAR:

First week of April is definately not prime, but it's isn't that bad either. If this is a bad year in the Eastern Townships (like the last one), April isn't going to be that good. Quebec City areas will be rocking and not a problem, Tremblant should still be great.

16 days is huge for this time of the year.

DAYS allocated to each areas:

Regardless of the year AND if you still want to drive around to all these part of Vermont/Quebec, I would maybe cut a couple days at Tremblant and add them to the Eastern Townships.

Tremblant is the giant of the Laurentians while the Eastern Townships areas are roughtly of same size. Some prefer one over the other, but it isn't unanimous. Each have their devotees.

Owl's Head for two days and zero at Orford and Sutton would be a shame IMO. You could plan 4 days for these (maybe not in the first week of April).

Quebec City. Great town which is like a part of old Europe. The city was founded in 1608 and the old city has much charm. With Quebec City as your base you can ski at either Stoneham, Ste-Anne and Le Massif.

Quebec City areas:

Stoneham: 1 day is enough. Good skiing, but a bit short of vertical.

Ste-Anne: 2-3 days. Great skiing, best ski area in Quebec for terrain and challenge for me. Steeps groomers and a good mixte of fallline skiing for abilities. Great views also.

Le Massif: 2-3 days. Biggest vertical and best views in Quebec. The layout is a bit irregular, but there are a few steeps long runs. Glades are interesting although I haven't been since the major expansion a few years ago.

Laurentians:

Tremblant has a bit of an irregular layout. It's more an intermediate mountain, but there are some great black runs. A few good steeps groomers. Intrawest village atmosphere. The second part isn't that flat, it's just the topography that add a flat (mid mountain on the South, lower mountain on the North. But there are steepest run around Expo on the lower half of the North side, same for Flying Mile on the lower South).

Eastern Townships (not the Disney atmosphere):

Owl's Head: great views on Lake Memphmagog. Nice groomers. Mountain has a similar topographically fell than Burke, but smaller. The mountain has a local fell to it and isn't that big.

Sutton: Glades, but you'll find a good variations in terrain. More choices than Owl's Head regarding runs. Yes' you'll find some good groomers here also.

Orford: Glades (if the snow is good) and Steeps at the top. Many groomers also.

Vermont:

I won't comment on Jay and Burke, because this message is getting too long already. :roll:

If I would have to rate all the mountains you mentioned (or missed) and considering the time of year, the list would look like this:

#1 Ste-Anne
#2 Jay (snow dependent)
#3 Tremblant
#4 Le Massif
#5 Sutton
#6 Orford (I prefer Orford to Sutton, but snow might be an issue)
#7 Burke (it's been a long time since my last visit)
#8 Owl's Head
#9 Stoneham
#10 Bromont (the 4 Townships area)

This said, the first two areas are the only ones I would included in my Top 10 in the East.

ALTERNATIVES

Is landing in Quebec City an options? Hitting the three Quebec areas you mentioned and adding Massif du Sud (1hr south of QCity) and Grand Fonds (pass Le Massif). The Charlevoix region (where leMassif and GF are located) is one of the most spectacular in Quebec.

If landing in Burlington is you're only option and you still want to make this trip happen, then I would do it like this. I added two free days in case of weather

Burlington
25/3 - Burke (why Burke and not Stowe or Smuggs)?
26/3 - Jay
27/3 - Owl's Head
28/3 - Sutton
29/3 - Orford then drive to Quebec City (bypassing MTL)
30/3 - Stoneham
31,1/4 - Ste-Anne
2, 3/4 - Le Massif
4/4 - Ste-Anne
5/4 - long drive to Tremblant
6,7,8/4 - Tremblant
9/4 - Day in Montreal then drive to Burlington

PS. At that time of the year, I would definately choose Banff just because of the Eastern Townships and Vermont might have less than par conditions. But it's a great trip and very different. I, for one, never said that Western skiing was better, just different. If you know the West and never been to Quebec, this is a great alternative if you see it as not a ski only vacation regarding challenge and terrain.

Tony Crocker":189aikp0 said:

The dates for the NASJA annual in Bretton Woods have been announced as March 26-30, 2008.

You easterners can comment on how you think nearby more interesting areas like Cannon and Wildcat might be holding up then. I've read enough Cannon reports on FTO over the years to be skeptical. Going to Sugarloaf, Saddleback and Sunday River before the meeting is one option.

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this is perhaps one of the better times to hit cannon. cannon has a lot of stuff that takes a long time to fill in. march has historically been a good month for cannon from my experience, though last week in march could be hit or miss. hitting the loaf would be a solid idea if you haven't been there and saddleback is a treat. don't rule out burke either as that is only a short drive north of cannon, closer than the maine resorts. wildcat is best during the spring so pending good weather and lots of sun, wildcat is a sure bet for good skiing.

Tony Crocker":39vn4g17 said:

The dates for the NASJA annual in Bretton Woods have been announced as March 26-30, 2008.

You easterners can comment on how you think nearby more interesting areas like Cannon and Wildcat might be holding up then. I've read enough Cannon reports on FTO over the years to be skeptical. Going to Sugarloaf, Saddleback and Sunday River before the meeting is one option.

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Sure, the last week in March is not always great. But as you always say Tony, it's hard to plan ahead for a ski vacation. It could be hit or miss wherever you travel.

That being said, the good thing about late March, is even if the snow is not "powder-esque" there still should be lots of coverage and some good ole fashioned corn kicking around. I would try to hit cannon/the loaf/ and some of the other more enjoyable places while you are here. Last year around this time, I went up to Jay for a weekend, and while almost everywhere else in NE was was corning up, Jay (or the upper 2/3rds) was still getting good snow, and coverage was great. If you have a little flexibility in where you can travel, I think you should be able to find good conditions! That being said, I think late March is a perfect time to hit tuckermans (if conditions are right), and if conditions are wrong it means there is powder lurking about at ski areas. Where it be corn and tucks season, or powder and ski area season, either way I would think you'd have fun. Late March is one of my favorite times of year to ski in the east.

-Porter

Patrick":242tyfwe said:

Le Massif: 2-3 days. Biggest vertical and best views in Quebec. The layout is a bit irregular, but there are a few steeps long runs. Glades are interesting although I haven't been since the major expansion a few years ago.

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As I just said in a post re: Tony's points, I like this time of year, depsite it being hit or miss. Corn/powder is typically the common surface, and yes the hills could be losing snow quickly, but if you are willing to drive as far as Le Massif, you should have no problem finding good coverage. I skied at Massif, three days last winter (one powder, one bullet proof, and one cornesque). By mid march the base depth was ridiculous (on the access road, snow banks were easily 10-12 feet). Granted the mountain faces ESE, so the spring snow doesn't last forever.

I REALLY LIKE THIS PLACE, I'm a huge fan of Jay and Orford too, but if you are looking for a unique experience (french) I would say this is a great place to visit. The up-class lodge is a fun experience, with modest prices, but delicious food and beer is really fun. The tree skiing is phenominal, despite being a tad low angled, and the groomers are a treat. Not to mention probably the best views on the East Coast.

-Porter

I think my March 16-22 trip in 2003 has some relevance to both Gpaul's proposed itinerary and the comments by river and salida.

March 16 Stowe and March 17 MRG were exactly what Salida described as quality corn snow skiing. Stowe was like a typical Memorial Day at Mammoth and MRG was a little heavier than that due to no overnight freeze and isothermic snow. But both were good days with everything open and I was able to ski marquee runs like Goat, Starr Woods and Paradise. I should note that warm weather continued and by the end of March many runs at both places had lost coverage.

March 18 Jay Peak the temperatures dropped, lots of hardpack and boilerplate, off-trail skiing was out of the question. This was just eastern weather variability IMHO. If daytime temps had been warm Jay would have skied similarly to MRG.

March 19 Stoneham had the best conditions, mostly packed powder where groomed. But Stoneham is a smaller, Big Bear-type area.

March 20 Ste. Anne backside runs were somewhat like Stoneham. Frontside faced south, groomers were springlike, steeper ungroomed already had dirt and rock patches so I didn't try them in the limited time I had.

March 21 Le Massif had rain, then fog, had to stay on the groomers and ski slow due to bad visibility.

March 22 Grands-Fonds sunny, back to spring conditions, heavy in afternoon, similar size to Stoneham.

As I've mentioned before early spring surfaces in the East are like late (May/June) surfaces at Mammoth. What this means is that the best skiing requires steep pitch and skier packed snow (that usually means bumps) or special treatment like Mammoth's salting. Groomed skiing, which is what Gpaul wants, is good for just a few hours before the snow gets grabby.

I'm likely to run around independently at NASJA 2008 if they ski onsite at Bretton Woods most of the time. Wildcat likely first choice. I had not thought about Burke, but being farther north than Cannon it might be better. I had thought about Tucks if it's as warm as the Stowe/Jay days in 2003. I'm not likely to come early if I can put together something in the Alps for 10 days or so.

Echoing most everyone elses opinions, I agree- the East that time of the year is very risky. However, there will be snow. I did Whiteface at the end of March three times for three days each time. First and second time we had great conditions 2 out of 3 days. Third time- it rained all day the first day- we skied anyway and it wasn't all that bad. Second day we bailed for Gore and skied in 65F weather- interesting but too mushy after awhile. Third day- rained all day and we drove home to Ohio.

I think your best shots are to go for the higher peaks- Whiteface, Sugarbush, K-Mart, Jay, Sugarloaf plus the more northerly ones in Quebec. You're bound to have good days and bad. On the bad days go into Quebec City or Montreal and enjoy the cities- they have a culture all their own. Sounds like you may be flexible enough to do this. So if you can't go west- risk the East!

Thanks again Amigo(a)s!

Burke instead of Stowe and Smuggs because never been there, heard good things about it, and we'll rent equipment in the vicinity for the 16 days.

Any suggestions on SKI RENTALS in Burlington or Burke? Or, should we rent near Owl or Suttton because it may be MUCH cheaper?

I'm leaning towards skipping Tremblant (been there) since it is somewhat out of the way. So, we'll dedicate more time to Estern Townships and Quebec/Charlevoix.

Is it Better to start in Burke and Townships (last week in March), then to MSA and Stoneham, and end the Quebec part on April 8 at Massif, then down to Jay for 4/9 and 4/10 (our flight departs Burlington at 6:45PM 4/10)??

Will MSA and Massif have horrendous crowds Sunday 4/1 to Sunday 4/8, given that EASTER FRIDAY is on 4/6? I had thought of doing just the opposite because of crowds (that is, start in Massif, then MSA, Stoneham, then doing Townships for 4/2 to 4/8) , but I'm afraid of snow cover that first week in April for Townships???

Of the Townships, which "skis bigger"?

Gracias!

Gpaul":24jnzh75 said:

Burke instead of Stowe and Smuggs because never been there, heard good things about it, and we'll rent equipment in the vicinity for the 16 days.

Any suggestions on SKI RENTALS in Burlington or Burke? Or, should we rent near Owl or Suttton because it may be MUCH cheaper?

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Sorry, I don't know anything about ski-rental not in a ski area. Can't help you there. If you rent for 16 days, renting in Canada wouldn't be an option I think.

Gpaul":24jnzh75 said:

I'm leaning towards skipping Tremblant (been there) since it is somewhat out of the way. So, we'll dedicate more time to Eastern Townships and Quebec/Charlevoix.

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Makes perfect sense, so now you would more or less drive in the same direction at least.

Gpaul":24jnzh75 said:

Is it Better to start in Burke and Townships (last week in March), then to MSA and Stoneham, and end the Quebec part on April 8 at Massif, then down to Jay for 4/9 and 4/10 (our flight departs Burlington at 6:45PM 4/10)??

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On the 10th, you can go to Smuggs which is a shorter and easier drive to Burlington (I think).

Makes sense again, however Owl's Head (and the others) and Jay are very close to each other. It would be possible to sleep in one spot and ski Jay, OH, Sutton, Orford and possibly Bromont with a maximum a 30 minutes drive. Magog is a nice of a town with many B&Bs and other type of accomodations.

On the 10th, you can go to Smuggs instead of Jay which is a shorter and easier drive to Burlington (I think).

Gpaul":24jnzh75 said:

Will MSA and Massif have horrendous crowds Sunday 4/1 to Sunday 4/8, given that EASTER FRIDAY is on 4/6?

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I don't think the crowds are going to be that important the midweek prior to Easter, these areas have a lot of day trippers from Montreal or Quebec City, if people would take a week off to go skiing it would be during Spring Break. Many business in Quebec are generally off on Easter Monday instead of Good Friday. Some of us get both of them.

Gpaul":24jnzh75 said:

I had thought of doing just the opposite because of crowds (that is, start in Massif, then MSA, Stoneham, then doing Townships for 4/2 to 4/8) , but I'm afraid of snow cover that first week in April for Townships???

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I don't think there would be a huge difference if you should start in the Townships, the crowds would probably be the same if not worst in the Townships. Generally snow coverage wouldn't change that much, it all depends on the season.

Gpaul":24jnzh75 said:

Of the Townships, which "skis bigger"?

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Like I mentioned, all three are similar in size, but very different in style. You can almost add the 4th mountain which is smaller, Bromont which has had the biggest expansion in Quebec in recent years.

Not sure how to fix Burke in an easy itinerary as you'll have to drive further East then come back West for Jay and the Townships areas then north-west before reaching Autoroute 20 which links Montreal to Quebec City.

If you want to minisize the amount places you'll stay, you could...

day 1 - Burke then drive to Magog (easy Interstate 91 to autoroute 55 straight to Magog.

4 or more days - Day drives from Magog. Orford is next door. You drive down toward the border to go to Owl's Head and Jay (same route). Last day, you can go to Sutton then head toward Quebec City. Not sure where is the fastest connection, Lucky Luke might be able to help on this route.

3 or more days - Staying in Quebec City with day drives to Stoneham, Ste-Anne and Le Massif. If you want to spend more days near Le Massif, you could rent something around Le MAssif or Baie St-Paul (very nice town on the St-Lawrence river) and maybe just toward Grand Fonds for one day depending on the amount of days you have.

After that drive back toward Vermont. If you decide to go to Smugglers, the drive would much straighter and less of a detour toward Burlington. Autoroute 20 then 30 then 35 - the straight highway 133 for the last 30 miles(?) toward the border and Interstate 89.

I just saw the Nov. 7 post that you are still in the Dominican.

I believe the risk of poor conditions is unacceptable to risk a 16-day trip that could have consistently bad conditions. That late in the season the odds are not in your favor.

Save your $ by shortening the trip. A week of good skiing in the West is preferable to 2 weeks marginal in the East for the same cost. Or back the trip up a bit and make it earlier in March to boost your chances some. Even mid-season the odds of getting shafted by last minute weather in the East are close to 1/3. So I would not recommend committing 2 inflexible weeks of time there.

If you go through with this plan I would suggest you research some non-ski activities you would enjoy if weather does not cooperate. Like my suggestion a year ago that you go to Monterey or San Francisco instead of Tahoe during the "Christmas zoo week." Quebec City is a good destination for alternate activities.

Tony Crocker":1qk5nj7n said:

I believe the risk of poor conditions is unacceptable to risk a 16-day trip that could have consistently bad conditions. That late in the season the odds are not in your favor.
(...)
A week of good skiing in the West is preferable to 2 weeks marginal in the East for the same cost.

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I disagree with you on this Tony, I think there's a slime chance of hitting any marginal conditions. I definately prefer late March-early April conditions than November-December conditions in the East.

Gpaul, you should be hitting perfect Spring weather.

Tony Crocker":1qk5nj7n said:

Quebec City is a good destination for alternate activities.

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I agree with Tony on this statement.

Patrick:

If you rent for 16 days, renting in Canada wouldn't be an option I think. Why not an option?

I don't think the crowds are going to be that important the midweek prior to Easter, these areas have a lot of day trippers from Montreal or Quebec City, if people would take a week off to go skiing it would be during Spring Break. Many business in Quebec are generally off on Easter Monday instead of Good Friday. Some of us get both of them. When is Spring Break in Townships/QC/Charlevoix?

I don't think there would be a huge difference if you should start in the Townships, the crowds would probably be the same if not worst in the Townships. Generally snow coverage wouldn't change that much, it all depends on the season. The idea is to avoid crowds but still have optimal snow and % of runs/lifts open. So, how to do the trip: Burke/Townships, then Massif, then MSA/Stoneham and last Jay (not Smuggs, don't like the lifts)? Or just the opposite, Burke, then MSA/Stoneham, then Massif on weekend 3/31,4/1,2, then Townships 4/3-8, Jay 4/9,10?

Tony, I hope you're wrong this time (you were dead on for my Tahoe days &/=?=%##/¡¡=). I'll hope for the best, and I will actually save $ because air to Calgary is more than 4x than the flight to Burlington (x 3 people), plus we spend 6 hrs. in NYC, my son keeps mentioning the Empire State Bldg.! I will definitely make a plan B for the possible crappy days (and certainly be thinking about you on those days... :wink: )

Gracias!

Gpaul":20plb1vd said:

If you rent for 16 days, renting in Canada wouldn't be an option I think. Why not an option?

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Well, if you want to rent for the trip. Your trip is starting and/or finishing in Vermont.

Gpaul":20plb1vd said:

I don't think the crowds are going to be that important the midweek prior to Easter, these areas have a lot of day trippers from Montreal or Quebec City, if people would take a week off to go skiing it would be during Spring Break. Many business in Quebec are generally off on Easter Monday instead of Good Friday. Some of us get both of them. When is Spring Break in Townships/QC/Charlevoix?

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It varies I think, I just know that the Ontario Spring Break is after those from Quebec, at it's something like around March 12-16 this year.

Gpaul":20plb1vd said:

I don't think there would be a huge difference if you should start in the Townships, the crowds would probably be the same if not worst in the Townships. Generally snow coverage wouldn't change that much, it all depends on the season. The idea is to avoid crowds but still have optimal snow and % of runs/lifts open. So, how to do the trip: Burke/Townships, then Massif, then MSA/Stoneham and last Jay (not Smuggs, don't like the lifts)? Or just the opposite, Burke, then MSA/Stoneham, then Massif on weekend 3/31,4/1,2, then Townships 4/3-8, Jay 4/9,10?

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If you want optimal...snow and less crowds, I would go South first (Townships) and North after (Quebec/Charlevoix).

For the itinerary, you would save a lot of driving by the route I indicated Burke&Jay+Townships together then Quebec city. You don't necessarily want to drive from the Townships to Quebec City twice, the connection isn't straight and you'll be driving country roads until you reach autoroute 20. Driving back with the route I indicated earlier is more like a slamdunk and easy and fast drive. Autoroute 10, 20, 35 and interstate 89 are much easier and faster than autoroute 55. Highway 133 that is the missing link to connect autoroute 35 to Interstate 89 is similar to 55 expect for the few villages it crosses.

As you can see below from the Mapquest route (I choose Sutton, but the other 2 would lead up to the same route). I have driving on the smaller road across, but it's not that much faster.

Total Est. Time: 3 hours, 34 minutes
Total Est. Distance: 307.86 km

Mapquest Sutton to Quebec City route

The travel time between Jay and Quebec City are among identical in time/distance/route for the most part for the return trip.

Total Est. Time: 3 hours, 38 minutes
Total Est. Distance: 309.38 km

Jay to Quebec City route


Distance between Owl's Head and Quebec City:

Total Est. Time: 3 hours, 22 minutes
Total Est. Distance: 293.70 km

Distance between Orford and Quebec City (always using the same route) Orford is on the autoroute 10 north of the others.

Total Est. Time: 2 hours, 49 minutes
Total Est. Distance: 254.08 km

As I mentioned before, the drive back toward Burlington is much drive easier. If you want to ski on the way back, stop at Smugglers which is more on the way.

For 50 miles and 40 minutes more, you can make it all the way back to Burlington instead.

Total Est. Time: 4 hours, 19 minutes
Total Est. Distance: 385.49 km

The easy Burlington to Quebec City connection

Smugg's to Quebec City route

Total Est. Time: 4 hours, 23 minutes
Total Est. Distance: 377.10 km

40 miles more than Jay and 4 minutes more than driving all the way to Burlington. So you might see why I think that you should ski Jay (and Burke) at the same part of the trip than the Townships.

Here are a few links on Smuggs and Jay to Burlington.

Smugglers to Burlington

Total Est. Time: 45 minutes
Total Est. Distance: 47.32 km

Jay to Burlington

Total Est. Time: 1 hour, 34 minutes
Total Est. Distance: 112.15 km

Calgary seems to have become a more expensive destination this year. I'm paying over $400 from L.A. for the first time this coming February. Check fares to the hub airports of Denver and SLC before you give up on a western trip.

My conditions advice is stronger this year than last. Patrick's "perfect spring weather" will be for nought if half the terrain is closed for inadequate coverage. And of course sustained warm weather (which will usually include some rain) is what will cause that problem. If it's cold that will likely mean boilerplate at that time of year. So you need one of the following weather patterns:
1) Ongoing new snow during your trip. Odds not the greatest.
2) A cold winter that warms up just before you get there. And if it's like that when you arrive and it stays warm, there won't be much left by the time you're done.

Your son wants to see NYC? Fly there instead of Burlington for cheaper airfare. Drive north for skiing during the first half of your trip. Spend the second half (as the odds of good skiing continue to decline) on other attractions in New England and around NYC.