Mansonville (QC), Canada – In 1960, Canadian construction magnate Fred Korman had a vision to develop a ski resort on Owl’s Head, a shark tooth-shaped monadnock on the shores of Lac Memphremagog in Québec, a few short miles north of the Vermont border. He purchased and developed the land, and by 1965 two chairlifts carried … Continue reading Owl’s Head: An Intermediate Alternative
Snow. When you really think about it, it’s the one essential component to our sport. Lifts? You can hike. Mountains? There’s always Nordic skiing. Skis? It wasn’t that long ago that they were fashioned out of barrel staves. It also wasn’t that long ago that skiing was less than reliable. n The actual origins of … Continue reading The Art and Science of Making Snow
Charlemont, MA – Exiting Interstate 91 at exit 26 in Greenfield, Massachusetts, Route 2 (a.k.a. the Mohawk Trail) climbs steeply out of the Pioneer Valley, then down to the Deerfield River. The road follows the river through several sleepy hamlets before arriving at one more: Charlemont, Massachusetts, the home to Berkshire East. I shared the … Continue reading The Beast
Lac Beauport (QC), Canada – The big eastern snow drought of December, 1998 weighed heavily on my mind as I packed my ski gear. I prepared for my annual pilgrimage from Florida to visit the in-laws in Québec City, and I fretted about what I would encounter once I arrived. My concerns deepened as I … Continue reading Le Relais